GT Students Go on Historic Search
Submitted by Deana Evans, Livingston High School
      

A little part of Marion County history has been found in an unlikely place: a small town called Livingston, deep in the heart of Texas. Livingston High School students came across an old, worn family Bible that was overflowing with historic newspaper clippings, obituaries, and other bits of daily life from over one hundred years ago.

The earliest clipping contained in the Bible dates back to February 1901, and it is possible that the many small, handwritten notes written in the book date back even further. Among the events clipped and placed between the pages of the Bible are a performance program from a traveling violinist named Joseph Heine, a local property auction involving a tract of land near Prather’s Creek and a particularly interesting article about the disappearance of the buffalos.

According to a handwritten note on the front cover, the Bible was owned by late Lebanon resident Mrs. O.D. Thomas. The book also contains the names of her sisters, Mrs. Mesdames W. Johnson, Mrs. John McChord, and Mrs. Minnie Hale along with her mother, Mrs. H.B. Phillips. It is believed that they were a prominent family in their day, as evidenced by several worn black and white photographs of what looks to be a safari!  Stories about several Baptist preachers are mentioned in the clippings including Rev. Alfred C. Graves and Dr. John Albert Broadus. 

At the beginning of the 2007 school year, the Gifted and Talented class of Livingston High School embarked on a mission to track down the original owners of this stunning piece of history. “It’s like figuring out a puzzle,” freshman Alicia Cody said.  The students are doing the best they can from 900 miles away, but they need your help! Any information you may have on the history of the Bible or a name included within would help them solve their historic mystery while furthering the heritage and past of Marion County.         

Posted - September 19, 2007