Stories from Independence: Baylor Historical Society

By Paul Fisher, Processing Archivist

This post is part of a series that highlights Independence, Texas, the home of Baylor University from 1845 to 1886.

One of the many historic preservation groups that has assisted with preserving history in and around Independence through the years was the Baylor Historical Society. Formed to “stimulate interest in the history of Baylor University,” the society was founded in February 1941. Membership was open to anyone interested, and it cost only $1 to join the society. Members attended regular meetings on the Baylor campus, and usually heard a historical paper presentation at each meeting. Featured speakers included such state luminaries as Price Daniel (governor of Texas 1956-1962) and Pat Neff (governor of Texas 1921-1925, president of Baylor University 1932-1947). Longtime Baylor staff and faculty members P.D. Browne, Robert L. Reid, and Lily Russell served as society officers, and many descendants of early Baylor-associated families were members of the organization.

Independence-Columns008w
Celebrating the first restoration of the iconic columns at Independence. Pictured are (left to right): Dr. Gordon Singleton, President of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Judge Royston Crane, son of former Baylor president William Carey Crane,, Dr. W. R. White, President of Baylor University, Judge E. E. Townes, Vice President of the Baylor Board of Trustees (Board of Regents).

The society was very interested in preserving Texas, Baylor, and community history at Independence. Members raised money to stabilize the iconic Baylor columns, discussed a plan to reconstruct a dorm and operate it as an inn, and lobbied the Texas Legislature to turn part of Independence into a state park. Members also helped the Texas State Garden Club landscape around Independence.

It is not known exactly when the society disbanded. By 1964, the society only had 21 members at their annual meeting, and many of the people who had taken the lead in forming and running the organization had passed away. Longtime member P.D. Browne donated the society’s records to the Texas Collection in 1975.

 

 

Works Cited: BU Records:  Baylor Historical Society, Accession #BU/28, The Texas Collection, Baylor University, and BU Records:  Historical Research Office, Accession #BU/103, The Texas Collection, Baylor University.

 

Research Ready: February 2017

Each month, we post an update to notify our readers about the latest archival collections to be processed and some highlights of our print material acquisitions. These resources are primed for research and are just a sampling of the many resources to be found at The Texas Collection!

February finding aids
By Paul Fisher, Processing Archivist

Loading tires at the General Tire Plant, Waco, Texas, 1983
For over forty years, General Tire and Rubber Company ran a plant in Waco, Texas, that produced tires and other rubber products for the U.S. Army and domestic consumers. The old tire plant building was renovated in 2010 for use as a research facility. Currently, the building hosts scientists from Baylor University, Texas State Technical College, and various businesses. Rosemyrtle McLaughlin General Tire and Rubber Company photographic collection, 1957-1986, undated, Accession #3968, box 1, folder 5, at The Texas Collection, Baylor University.
Donald I. Moore directing Golden Wave Band practice
This undated photograph features Donald I. Moore, longtime director of Baylor University’s Golden Wave Band, directing band practice. BU records: Donald I. Moore, 1939-2003, Accession #BU/383, box 18, folder 12, at The Texas Collection, Baylor University.

February print materials
By Amie Oliver, Librarian and Curator of Print Materials

Neal, Dorothy Jensen. The Cloud-Climbing Railroad: A Story of Timber, Trestles, and Trains. Alamogordo, NM: Alamogordo Print. Co., 1966. Print.

 

Neal, Dorothy Jensen. The Cloud-Climbing Railroad: A Story of Timber, Trestles, and Trains. Alamogordo, NM: Alamogordo Print. Co., 1966. Print.

Dorothy Jensen Neal provides a close look at the construction history of the Alamogordo and Sacramento Mountain Railway, which connects Alamogordo and Russia, New Mexico. Filled with photographs and maps, The Cloud-Climbing Railroad explores the challenges of building a railway that climbs nearly 5,000 feet in 32 miles.  Click here to view in BearCat.

Lomax, John A. Cowboy Songs and other Frontier Ballads. New York: The Macmillan Company [1945]. Print.

 

Lomax, John A. Cowboy Songs and other Frontier Ballads. New York: The Macmillan Company [1945]. Print. 

Noted folklorists and musicologists John A. Lomax and his son Alan compiled this expansive volume containing sheet music, lyrics, and annotations of cowboy and frontier songs. This volume is revised from the original 1910 edition, which can also be found in The Texas Collection.  Click here to view in BearCat.
Corpus Christi: The Ideal Summer and Winter Resort of Texas. Corpus Christi, TX: Noakes Brothers, [1920]. Print.

Corpus Christi: The Ideal Summer and Winter Resort of Texas. Corpus Christi, TX: Noakes Brothers, [1920]. Print. 

Like similar promotional books printed in the early 20th century, this volume is filled with beautiful full-color images that highlight the many resources found in Corpus Christi, including the abundance of game, fish, and fruit. Click here to view in BearCat.

Wassailing with Lily Russell: Christmas at Baylor, 1930s-1950s

By Brian Simmons, Archival Assistant and Digital Input Specialist

Lily Russell, undated photo
Lily Russell, undated photo. (This was taken around the time when she was Dean of the Union Building at Baylor University, 1948-1954.) Lily McIlroy Russell papers.

As last week’s Christmas on Fifth Street and the Christmas tree lighting celebration fade into memory, here at The Texas Collection it has revived nostalgia for Baylor’s Christmas celebrations of yesteryear. The first communal Christmas tree at Baylor originated with Irene Marschall, then current Dean of Women, in 1926. Aided by her assistant, Lily Russell, Marschall’s idea became an event on Fifth Street with the lighting of the tree, a performance by the Glee Club and an appearance by Santa Claus. That same year, Russell wrote a Christmas program that would continue to be performed in the women’s dormitories at Baylor for over a decade.

Materials used in Christmas celebrations at Baylor, circa 1930s
Materials used in Christmas celebrations at Baylor, circa 1930s

Known as “Old Christmas,” it was inspired by Washington Irving’s work of the same title. Performers included dormitory residents, members of student organizations and volunteers. Guests were immediately immersed in the setting after being greeted by cast members in costumes and viewing the decorations that adorned the entry and banquet hall.

Guests were seated and carols were sung until the program, which incorporated a dinner within a dramatic production, began. The dinner included traditional English touches such as wassailing and the Boar’s Head feast. In 1935, Dr. A. J. Armstrong arranged for an antique wassail bowl to add to the authenticity of the event. The event was traditionally held in Burleson Hall, but as the program grew in popularity, a second night was added at Memorial Hall.

"Old Christmas" script
A revised script used in a production of “Old Christmas.” Although the core production remained identical, alterations were made through the years.

 

"The Boar's Head Carol" sheet music
An arrangement of “The Boar’s Head Carol” that Lily Russell used in the “Old Christmas” production, circa 1930s
Students participating in the decorating of the Baylor University Union Building, 1953
Students participating in the decorating of the Baylor University Union Building, 1953

Lily Russell went on to become Dean of Women in 1931, and she organized not only the “Old Christmas” program but also other Baylor Christmas festivities. Christmas entertainment for students and faculty included dramatic productions, concerts, banquets and dances.

Excerpt from a 1953 letter written by Lily Russell to Mattie Brooks, thanking her for judging the decorating contest.
Excerpt from a 1953 letter written by Lily Russell to Mattie Brooks, thanking her for judging the decorating contest.

After becoming Dean of the Union Building in 1948, Lily Russell found a way to share her passion for entertaining with student groups. She arranged for a competition in which student organizations would decorate the various rooms of the Union for the Christmas Open House event. Once completed, Russell arranged for people from the community to come in and pick their favorite rooms. After tallying the votes, the group with the winning room was presented a gold loving cup by the president of the university at the Open House.

Lily Russell was highly involved in planning a range of events at Baylor, including the centennial celebration in 1945. Visit The Texas Collection to view her collections (including BU Records: Dean of Women (Lily Russell) and BU Records: Dean of the Union Building (Lily Russell) and possibly be inspired by her style to add vintage flair to your next occasion.

A 1929 Saturday Evening Post, which Russell used for costume ideas
Lily Russell often saved clippings from newspapers and magazines for inspiration. This 1929 issue of The Saturday Evening Post includes handwritten notes about costuming for the “Old Christmas” program.

References:

“Burleson and Memorial Girls Plan Two Evenings of Yule Festivities.” The Daily Lariat (Waco, TX), Dec. 17, 1935. Accessed 5 December 2013.

“Burleson Formal Slated Tonight.” The Daily Lariat (Waco, TX), Dec. 21, 1939. Accessed 5 December 2013.

“Burleson, Memorial Will Give Annual Christmas Parties.” The Daily Lariat (Waco, TX), Dec. 15, 1939. Accessed 5 December 2013.

“Dean Marschall Plans Big Christmas Tree For Students.” The Daily Lariat (Waco, TX), Dec. 12, 1926. Accessed 5 December 2013.

“Open House in Union Building Held Tomorrow.” The Baylor Lariat (Waco, TX), Dec. 11, 1953. Accessed 5 December 2013.

Russell, Lily [vertical file]. The Texas Collection, Baylor University.

Research Ready: September 2013

Each month, we post a processing update to notify our readers about the latest collections that have finding aids online and are primed for research. Here’s the scoop for September:

"A Bunch of Keys" party game, from the Dean of Women (Lily Russell) records at Baylor, undated
As Dean of Women at Baylor University, Lily Russell was involved in multiple aspects of female student life at Baylor and with Baptist women’s organizations. This “bunch of keys” is just one of many party materials in her records.

 

Carl Lovelace with one of his sons outside their home in Waco, undated
Dr. Carl Lovelace was part of many notable historical moments during his lifetime, including the W.C. Brann incident in Waco, Texas, Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, the Madeira-Mamoré Railroad construction project, and World War I.
  • Carl Lovelace papers, 1865-1969, undated: Correspondence, literary productions, photographic materials, and other documents relating to Dr. Lovelace’s life as a Rough Rider, doctor, and Baylor alumnus.

Research Ready: June 2013

Each month, we post a processing update to notify our readers about the latest collections that have finding aids online and are primed for research. Here’s the scoop for June:

Sul Ross as a young man, undated daguerreotype
The Barnard-Lane Papers contain materials from many of Waco’s oldest and most influential families, including this daguerreotype of Lawrence Sullivan Ross, a former governor of Texas and brother-in-law of Barnard Lane (found in box 28, folder 7).
  • Gladys Allen papers, 1882-1893, 1913-1952, undated: Gladys Allen was a teacher, served on the Baylor University Board of Trustees, and was a member of Seventh and James Baptist Church. Includes correspondence, personal notes, genealogical research, newspaper clippings, and photographs.
  • Lyrics to “America” manuscript, 1895: This manuscript contains a handwritten copy of the song “America” or, alternatively, “My Country Tis of Thee,” by the composer Samuel Francis Smith.
  • Barnard-Lane papers, 1800-1983, undated: George Barnard was one of the early Waco pioneers. The collection contains personal materials as well as those related to his trading post.
  • Ava Storey and Dixie Anderson Butcher collection, 1903-1998, undated: Contains documents and photographs from the Storey and Butcher family, as well as photographs of the affluent Waco drug store chain, Pipkin Drug Store.
  • Newel Berryman Crain papers, 1858-1948, undated: The Crain papers chronicle the experiences of a young man from Texas during the beginning of the twentieth century, from his time at Baylor through his various jobs and military service. It also includes correspondence from Crain’s grandfather, Newton M. Berryman, about his studies at Baylor University at Independence in 1858.
  • BU Records: Dean of the Union Building (Lily Russell), 1936-1966: Administrative
    records related to Baylor’s Union Building, as well as some of Russell’s personal
    records and materials from when she was Director of Public Relations at Baylor.
  • [Edcouch] First Baptist Church records, 1941-1974, undated: [Edcouch] First Baptist Church, originally named Los Indios Baptist Church, was organized during the summer of 1924 in Los Indios, Texas. It has undergone a few name and location changes since then. Records consist of manuscripts pertaining to administrative operations of the church.
Telegram from Mary Jane Hannah to her husband, Robert Lee Hannah, following the loss of their son, Bob, 1927
Telegram from Mary Jane Hannah to her husband, Robert Lee Hannah, following the loss of their son, Bob. Bob Hannah was one of what Baylor calls the Immortal Ten who died in a train/bus collision en route to a basketball game in Austin. Hannah-Wiley papers, box 1, folder 5.
  • Hannah-Wiley Family papers, 1909-1930, undated: The Hannah-Wiley Family papers contain correspondence, legal documents, financial documents, and literary production relating to the family of Baylor student Robert “Bob” Lee Hannah Jr., who was one of the “Immortal Ten” who died in a tragic bus/train collision.
  • Independence Baptist Church records, 1873-1918: Independence Baptist Church was one of the first Baptist churches in Texas. Contains one bound minute book that describes church activities, finances, and disciplinary issues from 1873-1918 and also includes a condensed history of the church from 1839-1873.
  • Colonel Chris H.W. Rueter collection, 1927-2004, undated: Consists of correspondence, certificates, postcards, artworks, photographs, and biographical information collected by Baylor alum and WWII veteran Colonel Chris H.W. Rueter and his family.
  • BU Records: Rufus C. Burleson Society, 1900-1919: Documents the operations and activities of one of Baylor’s women’s literary societies that was most active in the early 1900s.
  • James Anderson Slover papers, circa 1907-1913, undated: Copies of a manuscript written by Slover, Minister to the Cherokees: A Civil War Autobiography, describing early family history on the frontier in the United States and Texas.
  • Thurmond-Tramwell Slave papers, 1857: These papers include a document originating from Gonzales, Texas, which gives an account of a legal dispute between Thurmond and Tramwell over an enslaved woman.
  • Frank L. Wilcox Papers, 1923-1966, undated: Contains the personal and professional materials of Frank Wilcox, a former mayor of Waco and the son-in-law of former Texas governor and Baylor University President Pat Neff.