Originally published in the July 15, 2015 edition of the Cherokeean
Modern computer and IPhone users pride themselves on being able to find “everything about everybody” with a few savvy searches. You hear a name and you start with Google. Then you move on to Facebook or Twitter and soon you can piece together a person’s life history.
The method may be new, but the information is not. People who grew up in small towns during the 20th century had the highlights of their lives, and many times their daily activities, documented in the local newspaper.
Several months ago I received a request from a reader for information on a certain former citizen of Alto. All the inquirer knew about this person was his name, the fact that he was from Alto and that he was involved in the Gospel Music scene.
I promised to see what I could find by searching the online Heralds. Fortunately the name was not Holcomb or Singletary or Black. That would really have complicated things.
Without revealing the name, I will share with you what information I was able to deliver to the patron.
Mr and Mrs X and family moved to Alto about 1930. He was employed in the USDA Tick Eradication program. They lived at Redlawn.
They had a large family – 8 sons and at least 1 daughter. Three of the sons became ministers — each with a different denomination.
The family was active in the Redlawn Methodist church where some of the sons often sang at Epworth League meetings.
In June 1933 the whole family attended the Southern States Singing Convention in Gilmer, Texas.
The daughter married in 1934 and then apparently the parents split up. Mrs. X moved to Dallas.
During 1935 Mr X was choir director at First Methodist Church in Alto
In August 1935 Mr X was promoted and transferred to Lufkin with the same government program. In September 1935 he married a local widow with several grown children and they moved to Lufkin for a while.
In January 1937 he was transferred back to Cherokee County with the same program and lived in Rusk.
In October 1937 Mr and Mrs X moved back to Alto and opened a grocery store and filling station.
During World War II six of the eight sons were in service.
In July 1948 Mr X was appointed City Secretary of Alto and he also had an insurance agency.
During the 1950’s he was active in the Cherokee County Singing Convention.
Through the decades of the 40’s and the 50’s hardly a week went by that Mr and Mrs X did not have week-end visitors. Sometimes his family, sometimes hers and sometimes both. They never failed to report the visits to the Alto Herald.
The Alto Heralds we have online stop in 1966 while Mr X was still living. I have no doubt that when we get the issues for 1967, we will find a full obituary for him. In the meantime, I found his birth and death dates by searching FINDAGRAVE.
Longtime residents of Alto may be able to figure out the identity from these clues, but that is not the point of this column. The point is to show readers what a valuable resource local newspapers can be for historical and genealogical research, and to remind them of how much of their own history may be out there for all to see. And once again to express my appreciation to the Tocker Foundation, the University of North Texas and the Cherokeean Herald for making this resource available to the public.