Family Notes From The Baylor County Banner, Baylor County, Texas - January 1919

In 1919, much of the news centered around World War I and the return of soldiers. While this isn't a photo from Baylor County, it’s one from my personal collection. It belonged to my great-uncle Charlie, whose unit was part of the Rainbow Division that served in France during the war.

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 family. However, after coming across several intriguing letters from soldiers, I’ve also decided to include information about those.

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.

January 2, 1919 

Levelview - Mr. D. A. Chapman and his family of Plainview spent Christmas with her mother, Mrs. Cox.

Judge H. P. Branham died. 

Monroe Graham married Ova Boone.

Marriage of Bertha Martin and Rev. R. Egbert Connell (very long article)

Velma Harrison, daughter of W. C. Harrison, died in Abilene. 

Quarantine is Lifted - All Schools and Churches of the County Authorized to Hold Sessions. Also Gatherings. 

 

Letter from Ephraim Goss in France.

From Osro L. Watson, in France, to his father, O. Y. Watson. 

From Charley, in France, to his mother (last name not recorded) - he mentions Marvin Reynolds and Joe White.

Iry High, in Luxembourg, to his mother.

January 9, 1919

Lost: Somewhere between Porter well and Seymour a 10ft. hose, steel lined, with yellow cloth.  Had been used for loading fuel oil.  Reasonable reward to finder.  R. E. Bryan  14-15pd

Theodore Roosevelt dies

 Helen Robertson White died at age 23

A letter from Porter Brown, in France, to Bess, Aline, and Lee

A letter from Emberry D. Baccus, in Germany, to his parents

A letter from Reid Wallace Thomas, in Germany, to his mother

A letter from J. T. Crabb at Fort Travis in Texas to the people of Seymour and Baylor County

January 16, 1919 

Richland - Mr. Riley Henson and Ross Session visited Red Springs Sunday afternoon.

Little Charley Henson is on the sick list at this writing.

Death of Mrs. John M. McCauley (Miss Magie Lee Gwinn)

Claude B. Clouse died at 26. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Breeland from George W. Truett in England regarding their sons. 

Rhand H. Brothers, in France, to his family. 

J. W. Sanderson sent a letter to his mother. In it, he mentions Joe and Jesse. He appeared to be at a YMCA in France. 

John Franks wrote a letter to Lee from a village in France.

 

Rhand H Brothers wrote his mother and family from a base hospital in France. 

George W. Truett wrote to Mr. and Mrs. Breeland to tell them that he had seen their sons, Silas and one unnamed son, in England. 

 

January 23, 1919

A memorial service was held for these men who died in the war from Baylor County: William L. Blankenship, Frank Armstrong, Columbus Reed Morris, Wilburn Frank Watts, Reuben L. Wilson, Esaw H. Estridge, Arthur Williams, Noel H. Graham, Homer N. Dennis, Claude Ausley, and Sam Allen. 

In a regularly featured article, "WITH THE SUBSCRIBERS," the Banner editor wrote that it had been some time since he mentioned subscribers from other parts who had sent in renewals. This article covers more than half the newspaper page and includes renewals from as far back as October 1918. He wrote a short paragraph about each letter he received. I am adding names and residences at the time of renewal below.

• Mr. C. A. Pierce of Silver City, Utah
• Rev. J. C. Cook of Norman, Oklahoma
• Mr. G. W. Ballard of Corpus Christi
• Mr. Fred B. McGuire from Gilliland
• Mrs. L. S. Foster of Vanderpool - She is one of Mr. A. E. Clayton's daughters.
• Mrs. J. S. Gore of Woodward, Oklahoma
• Mr. S. W. McRae of Burkburnett
• Mr. Lucian Goss of Dalhart
• Mr. F. L. Sorelle of Ft. Worth
• Mrs. M. A. Knight of Portales, New Mexico
• Mr. John Gunnels of Texico, New Mexico
• Mrs. D. P. Conditt of Frederick, Oklahoma
• Miss Lula Townzen formerly of Lake Creek community, remitted from O'Donnell. 
• Mr. C. E. Sessions of Adobe Walls. 
• Mr. J. E. Windield - It is not told where he lived. His sons Stillman and Hilory were with the Marine Corps in the West Indies. Uncle Bob Bennett and Mr. Newlin had been there visiting Mr. Sharver. 
• Mr. G. Gatzkie of Hoising, Kansas
• Mr. Don McLeod of Henryetta, Oklahoma
• Mr. L. L. Dantzler of Lexington, Kentucky (is married to Mary Hawkins)
• Mrs. J. A. Shawver of Crowell
• Mr. J. J. Macha of Shiner
• Mr. J. E. Blankenship of Yuma, Arizona
• Mrs. J. A. Morgan of Granite, Oklahoma
• Rev. Ed Tharp of Margaret
• Mr. J. S. Bussell of Rogerson, Idaho
• Mr. D. E. Hammettt of Phoenix, Arizona
• Mr. L. H. Brown of Burkburnett
• Rev. W. O. Hart of Kings Mountain, North Carolina
• Mr. J. S. Carr of Alpine
• Oct. 23 Mr. J. R. Hammett renewed from Post. He said money matters were close in the drouth district and he couldn't keep on taking the paper indefinitely unless things go to breaking better.  He may not be able to take the paper always.  Mr. Hammett has a boy in France.  They had just received a letter from him and he had been under shell fire for 31 days and had gone over the top and had not received a single scratch.  Mr. Hammett was very thankful for that and that his boy was not a slacker.  Mr. Hammett wishes the Banner and Old Baylor all kinds of good luck.
• Mr. W. H. Moore of Des Moines, New Mexico
• Mr. E. J. White of Idabel, Oklahoma
• Mr. W. T. Miller of Hedley
• Miss Ella Sewall of Jacksonville

R. E. Ford Dies in Christoval.

Martha Adeline Thomason married James Emmet Blakemore in Crowell, Texas.

The death of Mr. J. P. Hackley of Jacksboro, father of Mrs. G. L. Forrester. 

Letter from Charlie B. Dunn in France to his mother. 

A letter from Parks A. McLarty in France to Myrtle.

A letter from Lt. Francis S. Wall to Thomas Wilson about the death of his son, Rueben Wilson. 

A letter from Grady McRae in France to his brother, Sid McRae. 

 January 30, 1919

Mrs. C. O Thorton died in Yuma, Arizona. 

A letter to Mrs. Blankenship about the death of her son, Lawrence, written by an English chaplain, C. Hottan Vuisins, in Glasgow, Scotland. 

An extremely interesting letter from D. L. Chenault to Mr. Morris from France. In it, he describes his trip from Texas to France in detail and writes much about the town and the French people. 

A letter from Charles Euel Fogle from a hospital in Glasgow, Scotland. 

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 

The Baylor County Banner issues from the year 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.