Family Notes From The Baylor County Banner, Baylor County, Texas - February, March, and April 1919

My father's brother, Buster Bryan, was selling Poland China Sows in the March 20th issue. That reminded me of this unlabeled photo. The house and fence have been seen in other Baylor County family photos. My grandparents, Myrtie Hairston and Redic E. Bryan, might be the couple, but I may never know. Is that pig a Poland China Sow? 

The extracted data in this post was taken from Baylor County Banner issues on a microfilm reel labeled "Baylor County Banner Jan 2, 1919 thru Dec 30, 1920." 

Nearly two decades ago, I published this information on my web pages, which, while still online, can no longer be changed. To protect the content in case it disappears, I’m adding it to this blog.

Today, I fixed some errors and revisited several weekly issues to uncover additional details. Usually, I share information related to births, deaths, and marriages in Baylor County, along with details about my father's Bryan/Hairston connections and other interesting information. 

You can locate the 1919 issues of the Banner on Newspaper Archives by Storied, a subscription site, though many groups offer it free to their members. I take advantage of this resource through my memberships with the Southern California Genealogical Society and the National Genealogical Society.

February 6, 1919

Levelview - Mrs. T. A. Cox and daughter, Mrs. Floyd Thompson visited Mrs. J. B. Langly of  Red Springs last Friday. Mrs. Joe Cox and her mother, Mrs. Roberts of Douglas, Arizona, visited Mr. T. A. Cox’s Sunday. 

Wedding of Mr. H. Olin Studer and Miss Bertha Alice White. 

February  13, 1919 

Mrs. W. T. Moody

Mrs. Cora Alice Moody, nee Dudley was born in Illinois on March 1, 1868. She came to Denton county, Texas, in 1872, moving to Thorp Springs, Hood county in 1875, where she was educated at Add-Ran College. During her school live she united with the Christian church in 1882, living a devoted member of the same until the time of her death.  She came to Baylor county in 1885, and was married to Mr. W. T. Moody in 1884.  To this union six children were born, five of whom survive the mother, viz:  Mrs. Florence Miller, Mrs. Ollie White, and Arthur Moody of Seymour, James Moody of Texline, and Tilman Moody of the Expeditionary Forces in France. Mrs. Moody was a woman of noble character. To the suffering she was always a friend, giving council and comfort.  To her family she was a devoted wife and mother.  To the community she was a cheerful and willing servant.  In her religious life she was unostentatious, humble and devout.  Mrs. Moody died Februray 13, leaving sacred memories and the fruits of a life spent in service as a legacy to her friends and loved ones. Sorrowing friends and bereaved relatives followed her remains to the Christian church, where the funeral service was conducted by Rev. Callin W. Yates, assisted by Rev. O. P. Clark, after which the body was laid to rest in the Seymour cemetery to await the final resurrection, when those of the earth will arise, to know as they are known.

Obituary for Mrs. C. B. Daniel (Beth Word) and also for her sister, Mrs. H. C. Harrison (Ovie Word). Both died from the Spanish Influenza.

 

 

February 20, 1919 

Obituary for Mrs. W. T. Moody 

Obituary for Margaret Louise Smith, four-month-old daughter of Dr. and Mrs. J. R. Smith 

Obituary for Brother I. N. Adams (much information in this obituary) 

Constable J. S. Kirby dies of burns.  

Dr. H. B. White weds Theresa Lindly.

 

February 27, 1919 

Levelview - The singing given by Mr. and Mrs. T. A. Cox was enjoyed by a large crowd.

Mrs. Ura Mae Busby is spending time with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Cox.

 

March 6, 1919 

Oscar Poteet’s summary of his trip overseas during the war.  

Mrs. D. A. Chapman and family of Plainview visited her mother and her brother, Mr. Lewis Cox, Sunday.  

Mr. and Mrs. T. A. Cox visited their daughter, Mrs. Vera Mae Busby, Thursday at Holiday.  Bill remaining there for a few days.

Mr. Bill Cox went to Holiday to stay with his sister, Mrs. Roy Cox.

Strayed:  From my residence in Seymour, One black pig weight about 100 pounds, bob-tailed.   W. D. Henson

 

March 20, 1919

Ruth Guthrie and P. S. Connell were married

For Sale:  3 fine Poland China Sows    26-7        Buster Bryan

Willie May Bryan attended a birthday party along with many other girls in an article titled A Happy Occasion.

 

March 27, 1919 

The burial of Reed Morris in France 

Doyle Frazier, 13 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Frazier, died.  

Mr. Wiley Yeager who was reported killed in the service in France returned home last Sunday.  His picture came out in  the Star Telegram as one who had given his life for his county.  His many friends are glad indeed to know that he is still alive. 

Levelview - The parties given by Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Thompson Monday night and by  Mr. and Mrs. John Brooks Friday night were enjoyed by a large crowd and all had a nice time.  

Charlie Emsoff dies

 

April 3, 1919

Mr. R. E. Bryan is down at the oil fields with his teams.   In fact, a number of our people have been there lately.  Messes L. H. and C. M. Casselberry of Plainview have been among the number.  There is good money in the work, but the kind of weather we have been getting lately is not favorable for work.

The death of Mr. Ben Ford Turner 

Richland - Mr. Riley Henson has been dragging the roads this week.

Mr. C. C. McDonald is dead (father of Mrs. J. Roach).

 

April 10, 1919

DeRay Bryan, my father's sister,
about 1919

Mr. Andy Bowie returned last week from France where he had been for a long
time.  We are glad to have him back in the old USA again.

The party given by Mr. and Mrs. Tom Cox Saturday night was enjoyed by a large crowd.  All had a nice time.

DeRay Bryan was elected secretary of the B. Y. P. U.

Obituary for Vira Ethel Tarver wife of C.O. Thornton in CA on Jan. 27, 1919.

Another one to come in last week was Andy Bowie.  He was with the 131 Artillery and received his discharge from Camp Travis.

 

April 17, 1919

The wedding of Mr. John James and Miss Vera Studer (also see April 24)

Buster Williamson dies in NM

The death of little Frankie Jones

Mrs. Cassie Lee is visiting her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Cox. 

DeRay Bryan participated in the BYPU program.

Mr. I. E. Craddock and Miss Marie Knoerr were married in OK.

A letter from Russell Morris to his parents from France.  He describes visiting Reed’s grave in France

 

April 24, 1919

 Obituary of Robbie Lou Colwell, the third member of his family to die in the past six months

Mr. K. A. Yost and Miss Louise Hons were married in Bomarton

Picture of Mrs. R. R. Kellum

Items in the January 1919 issue can be found by clicking on this link - Family Notes From The Baylor County Banner, Baylor County, Texas - January 1919.

 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2025 

The Baylor County Banner issues from 1919, microfilm images, The Baylor County Banner (Seymour, Texas), 1916. Microfilm titled "Baylor County Banner Jan 2, 1919, thru Dec 30, 1920," accessed from the privately held collection of D.B. Quinn.

Friday's Photo: Joseph Brown Bryan of Bienville Parish, Louisiana

These photos of Joseph Brown Bryan were found in the collection of Marguerite Cook Clark, a descendant of Joseph and his wife, Sarah Margaret Wimberly. 

Born on September 19, 1824, in Georgia, likely in either Twiggs or Houston County, Joseph Brown Bryan was the son of Reddick Bryan and Elizabeth Span Regan.

Joseph and Sarah, daughter of William Wimberly and Lucy Smith Lawson, married in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, and together, they had eight children: Laura Frances, William Walter, Augustus Reddick, Lucy Elizabeth, Joseph Sarah Catherine "Josie," James Anderson, John Terrell, and Alice Martha. Josie and John were adopted by their aunt and uncle, Alice Mary Wimberly Bryan, and James Bryan, a childless couple. 

Joseph, Sarah, and their children are buried in the Wimberly Cemetery in Bienville Parish. 

Joseph Bryan was identified on the back of this photo, but 
the tall man beside him was not. I suspect it might be one of 
his sons.

 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

Unidentified photographs, n.d.; digital images, from the privately held photo collection of Marguerite Cook Clark (1913-1989), Waynesville, North Carolina, 2021. Photos were accessed and scanned at the home of Marguerite Cook Clark's daughter in Alpine, Texas, on 28 April 2014, 14 September 2014, and 9-11 November 2016.

Remembering Pearl Harbor on the 83rd Anniversary

Whit Criswell Bryan

I haven't posted in over a month, but I never want to let Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day pass without acknowledgment. This year, only 16 survivors remain.

My father, Whit Criswell Bryan, served as a Pharmacist's Mate at Mobile Hospital #2 during the Pearl Harbor attack. I deeply regret that we didn’t talk more about his experiences. He passed away in 2001 at the age of 80.

Last year, I had the chance to watch an interview on the Pacific Historic Parks website featuring Harry Chandler, another Pharmacist's Mate stationed at Mobile Hospital #2 on that fateful day. His story was filled with details I had never heard before. There’s more to this story, and I hope to share it soon. In the meantime, I wanted to recommend this site to friends and family—it’s an incredible resource filled with powerful WWII oral histories.

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

Friday's Photo: Women and Their Purses

I never considered that leather purses, similar to those we see today, were used in the 19th century. While I could easily imagine small fabric reticules embellished with beads and embroidery, the idea of leather purses being common hadn’t crossed my mind. However, leather purses were in use as early as the 1860s and grew in popularity during the 1880s and 1890s.

The first photograph is of my great-grandmother, Harriet Louisa Albritton, who married my great-grandfather, Terrell Bryan, in Bienville Parish, Louisiana. Dating her clothing is challenging because she is draped in a crocheted wrap. If this photo had been taken around 1880 or slightly earlier, the Bryan family would have lived in Erath County, Texas.

The second photo features an unidentified woman dressed in a two-piece outfit with covered buttons and appliques, typical of fashion from the late 1870s to the 1880s. This photograph is part of the Marguerite Cook Clark collection, suggesting it originates from the Bienville Parish area.

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

"Harriet Louisa Albritton Bryan," photograph, about 1880; scanned image, from the privately held photo collection of Jane Aebersold, CO, 2013.

Unidentified woman with a purse, n.d.; digital images from the privately held photo collection of Marguerite Cook Clark (1913-1989), Waynesville, North Carolina, 2021. Photos were accessed and scanned at the home of Marguerite Cook Clark's daughter in Alpine, Texas, on April 28, 2014, September 14, 2014, and November 9 to 11, 2016. Used with permission. 

"Victorian Purses and Edwardian Handbags," Vintage Dancer (https://vintagedancer.com/victorian/victorian-purses-edwardian-handbags/ : accessed 1 November 2024).

Friday's Photo: An Unusual Photo From the Marguerite Cook Collection

This unusual photo from the Marguerite Cook Clark collection seems to be a kind of souvenir. On closer inspection, it appears that colored photographs of the faces were added to a painted or chalk-drawn background. Since Marguerite lived in Bienville Parish, the people in the photo were likely family or, at the very least, locals. Given that colored photos didn’t become widely used until the 1960s or 1970s, there’s a chance this could resemble someone reading this post. Does this look like you or a family member?

This was the only marking on the picture.

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

Unknown Couple, photograph, n.d.; digital images, from the privately held photo collection of Marguerite Cook Clark (1913-1989), Waynesville, North Carolina, 2021. Photos were accessed and scanned at the home of Marguerite Cook Clark's daughter in Alpine, Texas, on April 28, 2014, September 14, 2014, and November 9 to 11, 2016.

Who Are They? A Family Involved in a Peach Harvest in Northwest Louisiana

My title is more of an assumption than a fact. This seems to be a peach harvest, and the adults might belong to the same family. I’m not sure where this was taken, but it was probably in Northwest Louisiana, as these photos were found in the Marguerite Cook Clark Collection, most of which were from that area.

I thought that the people in the photo would be easy to find, but I have yet to positively identify any of them. 

Dating this was also difficult. The clothing might put this around 1910. 

The back of the photo has writing identifying all four persons. The man is identified as Kyle, the woman on the left is Checkie [maybe Chickie], the woman on the right is May, and the older woman sitting in the middle is Grandma Ha. . . - could be Harris, Hattie, Hallie, or any number of words beginning with Ha. 

I looked for Kyle as a given name in four years of census records in Bienville and surrounding counties. I came up with nothing but noted that Kyle could be his surname. I found this surname spelled as Kyle, Kyles, and Kiels.

Does this sound like your family? This post can be shared from my Moments in Time Facebook page.

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

Harvesting Peaches, photograph, n.d.; digital images, from the privately held photo collection of Marguerite Cook Clark (1913-1989), Waynesville, North Carolina, 2021. Photos were accessed and scanned at the home of Marguerite Cook Clark's daughter in Alpine, Texas on April 28, 2014, September 14, 2014, and November 9 to 11, 2016.

Friday's Photo: Forgotten Faces Found in the Marguerite Cook Clark Collection - Part 3, with Insights from AI

I discovered long ago that the best way to identify old photos is to keep sharing them, hoping someone with the same image will recognize them. Over the next few Fridays, I will post unidentified photos from the Marguerite Cook Clark collection. 

Marguerite Cook Clark grew up surrounded by family in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, and was my third cousin. She descends from Joseph B. Bryan, the son of Reddick Bryan and Elizabeth Regan, and Sarah Margaret Wimberly, the daughter of William Wimberly and Lucy Smith Lawson. As the family genealogist, she was the keeper of her family’s photos, documents, and letters, and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to view and scan her collection.

This post contains five unidentified photos found in Marguerite's collection. I used Steve Little's genealogy bot, Genealogy Eyes, at ChatGPT, and some of my own resources to learn more about the images. 

The man's straightforward suit and the woman's high-necked blouse with a bow are more
conservative in style, placing this photo likely in the late 1890s or early 1900s.

The man's loose jacket and the woman's striped, fringed skirt and high collar
are typical of the late 1870s or early 1880s.

The woman's hat and the man's suit and thin bowtie are indicitive of 
the time period between 1900 and 1910. 

The high lace collar, fitted bodice, and ruffled trim are typical of early
1890s fashion, especially from the beginning of the decade. The man's
vest, cravat-style tie, and well-groomed mustache also suggest the
fashion of the early to mid-1890s.

The high collars on the girl's shawls fit the fashion of the 1890s. The younger
boy's wide collar and short pants were common in the 1880s to early 1890s. 
The time period for this photo was likely around 1885 to 1895. 

Please email me if you can identify any pictures or have the same or similar images. 

Click to send 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

ChatGPT, "What can you tell me about this image," 10 October 2024, OpenAI (https://chatgpt.com : accessed 8 October 2024). 

Edward Zapletal, Publisher and Editor, More Dating Old Photographs 1840-1929 (Toronto: Moorshead Publishing, 2011).

"Genealogy Bots: Revolutionizing Research," AI Genealogy Insights (https://aigenealogyinsights.com/genealogy-bots/ : accessed 10 October 2024).

Pauline Weston Thomas, “Edwardian Hats and Hairstyles Hat Fashion History 1900-1920,” Fashion-Era (https://www.fashion-era.com/hats-hair/hats_hair_6_fashion_history_1900_1920.htm : accessed 14 October 2024). 

Unidentified photographs, n.d.; digital images, from the privately held photo collection of Marguerite Cook Clark (1913-1989), Waynesville, North Carolina, 2021. Photos were accessed and scanned at the home of Marguerite Cook Clark's daughter in Alpine, Texas, on 28 April 2014, 14 September 2014, and 9-11 November 2016.

C. A. Giddens - Outfitter to Men and Boys - Phillipsburg, New Jersey

From the Washington Star in Phillipsburg - 1912

I have so many newspaper clippings saved on my computer, and I know my family would love to see them. Here are a few from my grandmother's Giddens family.

In 1898, Charles Giddens, my great-grandfather, owned a dry goods store at 322 South Main in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, and lived with his family at 75 Mercer Street. 

By 1906, his store was described as a clothing and dry goods store at 310-312 Main Street, and his family lived upstairs. In 1908, his store was described as an "Outfitter to Men and Boys, Clothing, Hats, Shoes, and Haberdashery." 

From the Washington Star in Phillipsburg - 1917

Charles Giddens continued to run the store until he left his wife and family to move to St. Louis, Missouri, in 1922. This last ad shows that the inventory was sold in 1921.

Selling Inventory of Charles Giddens Store 1921 04 Jun 1921, Sat Mainland Journal (Pleasantville, New Jersey) Newspapers.com 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

"1898-1900  West's Directory of Greater Easton,"  database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/tree/45260559/person/6487533712/media/0d6f3377-06d1-4cc8-a219-dd16ece3df67: accessed 15 October 2024). 

"Charles A. Giddens, 1905 New Jersey State Census," New Jersey State Archive; Trenton, NJ, USA; State Census of New Jersey, 1905; Reference Number: L-17; Film Number: 42. New Jersey, State Census, 1905, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 October 2024).

"C. A. Giddens," The Washington Star, Phillipsburg, N.J., 19 December 1912, page 13; digital image, Old Fulton New York Post Cards (https://fultonhistory.com : accessed 17 October 2024).

"C. A. Giddens," The Washington Star, Phillipsburg, N.J., 5 December 1912, page 13; digital image, Old Fulton New York Post Cards (https://fultonhistory.com : accessed 17 October 2024).

"C. A. Giddens," The Washington Star, Phillipsburg, N.J., 24 October 1912, page 8; digital image, Old Fulton New York Post Cards (https://fultonhistory.com : accessed 17 October 2024).

"C. A. Giddens," The Washington Star, Phillipsburg, N.J., 20 September 1917, page 11; digital image, Old Fulton New York Post Cards (https://fultonhistory.com : accessed 17 October 2024).

"Selling Inventory of Charles Giddens Store," Mainland Journal (Pleasantville, New Jersey), 4 June 1921, Saturday; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/mainland-journal-selling-inventory-of-ch/145788680/ : accessed 17 October 2024).

Friday's Photo: Forgotten Faces Found in the Marguerite Cook Clark Collection - Part 2 Families, with Insights from AI

"Judging by their clothing, the photograph likely dates from the late 19th century to
the early 20th century, likely between 1890 and 1910."

I discovered long ago that the best way to identify old photos is to keep sharing them, hoping someone with the same image will recognize them. Over the next few Fridays, I will post unidentified photos from the Marguerite Cook Clark collection. 

Marguerite Cook Clark grew up surrounded by family in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, and was my third cousin. She descends from Joseph B. Bryan, the son of Reddick Bryan and Elizabeth Regan, and Sarah Margaret Wimberly, the daughter of William Wimberly and Lucy Smith Lawson. As the family genealogist, she was the keeper of her family’s photos, documents, and letters, and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to view and scan her collection.

This post contains five unidentified photos of families found in Marguerite's collection. Under each photo is a quote generated by ChatGPT about the approximate time the photo was taken. I used Steve Little's genealogy bot, Genealogy Eyes, to learn more about the images. 

Please email me if you can identify any pictures or have the same or similar images. 

Click to send 

 "Based on the clothing and the setting, this photo likely dates from the early 1900s,
possibly between 1900 and 1915."

"The clothing and architectural details suggest it was taken in the late 19th century or
very early 20th century." 

"Based on the clothing and overall style of the portrait, this photo was
likely taken between 1890 and 1910. The high collars, puffed sleeves,
and formal attire are all characteristic of the turn of the century."

"This is a lovely and intimate family portrait, likely from the early 1900s based on the
style of clothing and the oval framing."

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

ChatGPT, "What can you tell me about this image," 10 October 2024, OpenAI (https://chatgpt.com : accessed 8 October 2024). 

"Genealogy Bots: Revolutionizing Research," AI Genealogy Insights (https://aigenealogyinsights.com/genealogy-bots/ : accessed 10 October 2024).

Unidentified photographs, n.d.; digital images, from the privately held photo collection of Marguerite Cook Clark (1913-1989), Waynesville, North Carolina, 2021. Photos were accessed and scanned at the home of Marguerite Cook Clark's daughter in Alpine, Texas, on 28 April 2014, 14 September 2014, and 9-11 November 2016.