history – Page 5 – Texas History Notebook

Book Club of Texas

The organization known as the Book Club of Texas was conceived in late 1928 and formally created in 1929. Its purpose was laid out by Stanley Marcus of Dallas in a newspaper interview carried by the Houston Chronicle in its issue of November 25, 1928 in the copy below. Marcus said “The Book Club of Texas has been formed for the purpose of fostering arts pertaining to the production of fine books. It will function in two ways: first, by the publication of books that will typify the best standards of bookmaking, in regard to object matter, printing, binding and typographical design; second, by sponsoring exhibitions and lectures pertinent to these interests.” Marcus went on to describe the governance, membership and benefits to those who participate. The entity was set up as a not for profit and non commercial group and began operating in early 1929.

John M. Hendrix, Cattle Brands Historian

For about a year and a half, selected Texas newspapers carried short articles written by John McDonald Hendrix of Sweetwater, Texas. Mr. Hendrix was the author of hundreds of articles under the headline “Texas Brands.” Each article would begin with an image of a cattle brand followed by the history that he found. His articles covered ranches of all sizes, small to large. Hendrix was respected as an authority on the old West and Texas.

Carrie Marcus Neiman

Carrie Marcus was born in Louisville, Kentucky on May 3, 1883 to Jacob Marcus (1846 – 1929) and Delia A. Bloomfield Marcus (1848 – 1919). Both Delia and Jacob were born in Prussia. Jacob was listed as a merchant in the 1870 federal census and was shown to be a clerk in a store in the 1880 census. The family was still living in Kentucky when Carrie was born. Carrie was the youngest of six children. A few years before 1900, the entire family moved to Hillsboro, Texas and lived near the downtown area on Franklin Street. In 1899, when Carrie was about sixteen years old, she and her older siblings moved to Dallas. Many of them had secured retail jobs. Carrie and her brother Herbert were hired by Max Goettinger to work at A. Harris and Company. Carrie had a good eye for clothing and first worked in the ladies’ blouse department.

Jim Reno, Sculptor

James Frederick Reno was born in Wheeling, West Virginia on March 14, 1929. He was raised by his mother who supported Jim and his older brother. Their mother, Mary Ann, was born in Belfast, Ireland. By the time the 1940 federal census was taken, Mary Ann was working in a Chrysler automobile factory in New Castle, Indiana, about 44 miles northeast of Indianapolis. Jim grew to love horses and remarked in some of his interviews how much he enjoyed drawing them. Jim added that he wasn’t drawing horses just because he wanted to draw them. He was drawing them because he wanted to be around them and be outside. His first attempt at sculpture was to carve a wooden Hereford cow, a project of a wood carving class. At the request of an ag teacher, it was used in class. His teacher entered it in a state competition, which it won. In a 2005 interview, he said that he still had that carved Hereford.

Zephyr Tornado, 1909

Zephyr, Texas was a quiet little town of several hundred residents when on early Sunday morning of May 30, 1909 a late spring storm generated a tornado a little after Saturday at midnight. The tornado was rated F4 under the old Fujita scale (winds exceeding 200 mph). Virtually all the structures in town were affected in some way. Destruction was described as having completely destroyed some fifty residences, six businesses, two churches and the high school. The casualty totals usually cited are 34 deaths and 70 or more injured. The twister appears to have formed to the southwest of town and touched down long enough to damage most of the residential and business areas. A lightning strike started a lumber yard fire that spread to other businesses. Tornado survivors had no way to fight the flames as they spread. Heavy hail was reported in the surrounding areas as well.