NETX Crossroads February 2021

C NETX

ROSSROADS MAGAZINE

RAY PRICE The man who changed the face of country music

By DI DUNCAN, page 4

DAIMION COLLINS

ANNEMARIE SULLIVAN

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1

About the Cover

FEBRUARY 2021

Emma Smith, daughter of Dustin Smith, enjoys the petting zoo at the Hometown Christmas in Atlanta.

C

Mildren Jefferson: The first African American woman to graduate from Harvard

S D A O R S ROS

NETX

CONTENTS

Photo by Kate Stow

MAGAZIN

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E RAYe mPanRwIC ho Th the face changed y music of countrCAN, page 4

By DI DUN

DAIMIONS COLoffiLIN cial as he

makes it h Kentucky wit NS, page 26 signBys TIM EMMO

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IE ANNEMAARN IV L SUL and Kitchen ifarm page 24 SullALL SWORTH, YSON PEB By

re! ... and mo

Curtis Hunt

22

8 Bryant Matthews leaves a legacy of faith in New Boston

A treasure found on Trammell’s Trail

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C NETX

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Di Duncan Tim Emmons Holly McGonagill Kenny Mitchell Allyson Pebsworth Kate Stow Toni Walker PHOTOGRAPHERS Kate Stow Toni Walker GRAPHIC DESIGNER Joni Guess

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Ray Price

The man who changed the face of country music By

B

DI DUNCAN

efore Willie Nelson, George Jones, and Merle Haggard, there was Ray Price, the legendary performer who changed the face of country music. Before Ray Price, the honky-tonk style was not widely appreciated.

With his hit single, “Crazy Arms,” shooting to No. 1 in 1956, Price ushered the music industry into a golden age of honky-tonk country.

Ray Price was born in a little community called Perryville in Wood County, just a few miles south of the Camp County line.

Four years after his birth, his parents divorced, causing Price to split his time between his father’s East Texas farm to his mother’s new place in Dallas, where she now worked as a fashion designer.

When Price grew into a teen, he took up music as a hobby and learned to play the guitar.

His ultimate goal was to become a veterinarian. Upon graduation from high school, Price pursued his dreams and enrolled in North Texas Agricultural College. While attending college, the United States entered World War II, and Price was drafted into the US Marine Corps.

When Price returned from the war, he heard Hank Williams on the radio for the first time. Williams became his idol. Price debated finishing his studies in veterinary medicine, ultimately deciding to pursue music instead. While working on his father’s ranch, he started singing at different functions around the Abilene area.

Price eventually made his way to Jim Beck’s recording studio in Dallas, where Beck connected him with Bullet Records. Price recorded one single for Bullet in late 1949 or early 1950. The Bullet record wasn’t successful, but Price began singing on various Dallasarea programs, including the Big D Jamboree, which was picked up for national broadcast by the CBS network. Suddenly, the nation was 4

FEBRUARY 2021

hearing Price’s voice.

While working for the Big D Jamboree, Price caught the attention of Troy Martin of the Peer-Southern music publishing firm, who strongly recommended that music producing giant Columbia Records sign a deal with Price. Price’s first Columbia release was “If You’re Ever Lonely Darling,” written by Lefty Frizzell. In this same year, Price finally met Williams, his beloved icon.

Williams took Price out on the road with him, and the two co-wrote the song “Weary Blues,” which Price recorded.

Though the song was not a major hit, it did well for Price’s career. With the help of Williams, Price was signed on with the Grand Ole Opry in January 1952. Price moved to Nashville and roomed with Williams while working on the show.

In 1956, Price released his single, “Crazy Arms.” The pivotal record of Price’s career was “Crazy Arms,” recorded March 1, 1956. Driven by a rocking 4/4 bassline and embellished with fiddle, “Crazy Arms,” introduced a brand new, modernist intensity to the classic honky-tonk sound. The shuffling beat became so closely identified with Price it was known in country circles as the “Ray Price Beat.”

The Crazy Arms record spent twenty weeks at No. 1 and established Price as a full-fledged star. For the next several years, he continued to tinker with his sound and lend a hand to young musicians.

Willie Nelson, Roger Miller, and Johnny Paycheck all passed through his band, the Cherokee Cowboys.

After a while, Price sought to change country music again; this time, Price wanted to appeal to pop fans. “They had to do something to kind of fix it where the people that listened to the Tony Bennetts and the Frank Sinatras and those people would like the song or the music,” Price said. “And country music songs are great. I think they’re NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

beautiful songs. And to put the strings with them, that’s my idea of how to make one really great song.”

Price traded his fiddles for a full string accompaniment, and recorded the hit songs, “Danny Boy” and “For the Good Times.” “For the Good Times,” written by Kris Kristofferson, became a #1 country hit in 1970 and just barely missed the pop Top Ten. During this time, he sang often with symphony orchestras, dressed in a tuxedo and cowboy boots. Good friends of Price said that he simply didn’t care what others thought and pursued the chance to make his music the way he wanted to.

That year, Price won the Academy of Country Music’s top honors for Single and Album of the Year. The following year, he won Album of the year again. From 1958 to 1973, Price reached the Billboard Hot 100 eight times.

In 1974, Price became disenchanted with Nashville, so he ended his long association with Columbia Records and returned to his homeland - Northeast Texas. He and his wife Janie bought a ranch outside of Mount Pleasant, where he continued to make music and record for various labels.

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In 1980, Price and Nelson created a duet album, bringing popularity and praise back to Price’s life. “I have fought prejudice since I got in country music and I will continue to fight it,” he told The Associated Press in 1981. “A lot of people want to keep country music in the minority of people. But it belongs to the world. It’s art.”

Through the latter half of the 1980s, Price recorded albums for the Nashville independent label, Step One, which went mostly unnoticed.

Though Price had more than 100 titles on the Billboard country chart from 1952 to 1989, he had fallen from his superstar status. In 1992, he returned to Columbia for a one-off album, which was ultimately unsuccessful.

Long after his music was off the radio, Price was finally inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1996. Four years later, he was dropping albums again, this time, with much more success and acclaim. His 2003 duet album with Willie Nelson for Lost Highway, Run That by Me One More Time, was his first to register on Billboard‘s country album chart in fifteen years.

Price continued performing and recording well into his 70s. In 2007, he joined his friends Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson on a double-CD set titled “Last of the Breed.” “Lost Highway,” a NelsonPrice duet from the album, won a Grammy for Best Collaboration with Vocals. Price, Nelson, and Haggard performed on tour with the Texas swing band Asleep at the Wheel.

Sadly, in November 2012, Price announced he had been diagOn December 16, 2013, Price finally succumbed to his illness and passed away at his Mount Pleasant ranch. Though Price is no longer nosed with pancreatic cancer. This didn’t slow Price down, though. at the top of the minds of country music fans, his influence can be He maintained his work ethic until the end, performing even as he heard in almost every single released, and his legacy lives on. battled the terminal disease.

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Mildred

JEFFERSON

The first African American woman to graduate from Harvard By

HOLLY MCGONAGILL

W

hen Millard and Guthrie Jefferson had their first and only child, Mildred Jefferson, in 1926, they did not know that they were having the little girl that would one day become the first African American woman to graduate from Harvard University.

Jefferson was born in Pittsburg but was raised in Carthage. As a young child, Jefferson was very interested in the medical field.

She would follow the town doctor on his horse and buggy while he made house calls, which inspired her to become a doctor.

As an adult, she excelled academically. In three years, Jefferson was able to earn her bachelor’s degree from Texas College. From there, she went to Tufts University to receive her master’s in biology after finding that she was considered too young to attend medical school.

After obtaining her master’s, Jefferson attended Harvard Medical School in 1947 to get her Ph.D. As Jefferson prepared to move into surgery at Harvard Medical School for her second year, she began her clinical studies and learned basic operating and surgical techniques in a dog lab.

“That was one benefit of being in Harvard Medical School. We did have a very, very good program. And, Dr. Carl Walter, who headed that department, and Dr. David Hume, who was another one of my professors, who was the chief resident at that time, gave me the opportunity of putting in extra time. So, I had fairly advanced surgical technique by the time I even got to my internship,” said Jefferson.

In her third and fourth years of medical school, Jefferson did everything she could do to make up for what she may have lacked. This included courses that other female students might not think to take.

“Most people would expect that a woman doctor would not be very strong in urology, although, obviously, women have urological problems as well.

In most urological practices, I

“I am at once a physician, a citizen and a woman.”

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FEBRUARY 2021

think most urologists see more men than women in their practices,” said Jefferson. “I took the course with Dr. J. Hartwell Harrison, one of my favorites, who was one of the great urologists of his time.”

Jefferson graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1951 at 25 years old. With hard work, Jefferson was able to receive board certification in surgery in 1972. By the year 1984, she was a general surgeon as well as a professor of surgery at the Boston University School of Medicine. She was the first woman to serve as a surgical intern at Boston City Hospital, as well as the first woman to be elected as a member of the Boston Surgical Society.

Over the years, Jefferson was known as a notable surgeon, speaker and right-to-life activist. A total of 28 universities and colleges awarded Jefferson with honorary degrees in recognition of her efforts in the field of medicine and her pursuit of social justice.

Jefferson was heavily involved in the right-to-life movement in the 1970s; she soon became one of the movement’s most sought after speakers. Not long after joining the movement, she founded the Massachusetts Citizens for Life and the National Right to Life Committee and served three terms as president, as well as a couple of years as the director.

She was also on the board of more than 30 groups opposing NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

abortion, euthanasia, human cloning, and embryonic stem cell research. “I am at once a physician, a citizen and a woman, and I am not willing to stand aside and allow this concept of expendable human lives to turn this great land of ours into just another exclusive reservation where only the perfect, the privileged and the planned have the right to live,” told Jefferson in 2003 to The American Feminist magazine.

Jefferson viewed abortion to be a private matter between a woman and her physician and for years asked for the reversal of the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade. Jefferson served the 1980 Massachusetts Reagan for President Campaign and referred to herself as a ‘Lincoln Republican’. With the belief that the Constitution has no in-built inequality, she did not find the Equal Rights Amendment necessary. She was also openly opposed to welfare and busing while supporting the death penalty.

Jefferson passed away in Cambridge, Massachusetts on October 15, 2010, at the age of 84. She is celebrated by the many organizations she founded and served, and her life and achievements have been memorialized in the book Against All Odds: The Legacy of Students of African Descent at Harvard Medical School before Affirmative Action 1850-1968 by Nora Nercessian. Jefferson will always be remembered as a hero for African American women at Harvard.

All information in this article was found at https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/dr-mildred-jefferson-41 and https://www. wimlf.org/blog/mildred-fay-jefferson-phd-first-black-female-physician-to-graduate-from-harvard.

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Death of a Giant The rise and fall of Lone Star Steel By

F

TONI WALKER

or nearly 80 years, Morris County was anchored by a steel mill on the southern end of the county, just south the tiny Northeast Texas town of Lone Star. Now, for the first time since the early 1940s, Morris County is looking at life without a functioning steel mill.

Founded in 1942, Lone Star Steel brought steel manufacturing to East Texas in a time where the world was focused on defeated Nazi troops. But its beginnings can be traced back even further, to 1839, according to information written by Jean Connor in “A Short History of Morris County.” According to Conor, Reese Hughes and his brother settled at the site of an abandoned Choctaw village, which was set near chalybeate, or iron water, springs. The presence of iron ore prompted Hughes to build a blast furnace which had the capability to produce approximately two tons of iron per day. During the Civil War, Confederate forces used the furnace to produce wagon wheel rims and armor, until Union forces confiscated the furnace, around 1869.

(The original Hughes Blast Furnace can still be seen, just outside the gates of the now defunct mill.)

The first modern mill was constructed at the site, which later became Lone Star Steel, and then United States Steel during World War II. At the end of the war, it was private citizens who raised needed funds and converted the facility to a civilian industry, which it continued as until late 2020. The first orders of “big iron” were shipped out of the mill in 1947.

Lone Star Steel had a roller coaster ride through its near 80 life as the backbone of industry in the area. In 1975, according Connor, Lone Star Steel was referred to as “the tightest-knit operation in the steel industry.” That is large praise for a mill whose employees at one time almost outnumbered even the largest surrounding town. It is

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said that the plant typically employed just under 3,000 people during its heyday; in contrast, in 1975, even the largest surrounding towns in the area had a population of no more than 3,500.

In the early days of Lone Star Steel, the plant used raw materials that were local to the area; with all materials being less than an overnight haul from the mill. Coal and limestone was brought in from no more than 250 miles away, and some materials were strip-mined from 53,00 acre reserves, just a few miles from the main plant. The plant featured its own, in-mill police force, and an in-mill hospital was in operation until Hospital in the Pines opened in the late 1950s.

The union strike of 1968-1969 was key moment in the history of Lone Star Steel. The Lone Star Steel Strike was particularly violent, and lasted nearly seven months from 1968 to 1969. The strike was a particularly violent one as it was marred by beatings, ambushes, a murder, exchanges of gunfire, and a bomb explosion. The division between union workers and company workers spilled over into the schools and communities, as well. There were reports of union workers’ children not associating with company workers’ children, and even of driveways being sabotaged with tacks, nails and screws. The strike ripped the community apart.

When the strike ended in 1969, the steel plant continued being a large source of income and jobs for the community, and would see many more changes throughout its existence. Following the strike, the company was active in the community, offering baseball clinics and providing for the youth baseball league in Lone Star. The company filed bankruptcy in 1989, and emerged in 1991. But by the late 1990s and early 2000s, a decline could be seen in the amount of activity at the plant, even by the most untrained observer.

NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

In 2001, the company reached a four-year pact with its labor union, and the plant was acquired in 2007 by Lone Star Steel. Just under ten years later the plant, now doing business as United States Steel, was idled, and the company systemically went through a series of shutdowns, idles, and re-openings until 2020, when it was announced that the company would “indefinitely idle” the Lone Star facility due to a “the dramatic decline in business conditions for the Tubular market.”

All that physically remains of the once great giant are the skeletal remains of the buildings, shops, foundries, and boilers of the industrial juggernaut. From almost 3,000 employees, down to less than ten when the plant officially “idled” at the end of October, it seems all that is left of the steel juggernaut is the stories of those who know it best. As it was not uncommon for employees at the mill to work 30-, 40-, or even 50-plus years, it will not be long before many of those stories will go the way of the plant itself, and be reduced to memories.

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BETTER THAN WE DESERVE Bryant Matthews leaves a legacy of faith in New Boston

B

By

KENNY MITCHELL

ryant “Matt” Matthews, Jr., lovingly called Mr. Matt by many, passed away at the age of 90 in January. Matthews leaves behind a legacy that will endure the test of time, and one that touched more lives than most of us will ever know. He was a man all about community, whether it be on the job, in his church, or one of the myriad volunteer organizations that he served on over the course of his life.

Matthews was born in Durham, North Carolina, but found his

way to Texas after serving our country in the United States Army.

He joined the United States Army on January 31, 1951 and served until January 30, 1953.

Once finding his way to New Boston, Matthews was a member of the Antioch Baptist Church where he dutifully served as Deacon, Sunday School Superintendent, and Church Treasurer for many years. His faith was a vital part of his life, and Matthews is noted for being instrumental in starting the annual Walk for Jesus, that takes place on the streets of New Boston each Spring. He is also credited for beginning the monthly prayer service that is held each month at the Trail Head Pavilion downtown.

A fellow member of the congregation at Antioch, and fellow community leader, Wilma Rose, said of her friend, “I have known Deacon Bryant Matthews for many years. He certainly was an incredible husband, father, son, deacon, elder and much, much more. Brother Matt was a father, grandfather, friend to many of us in the New Boston community. As he was decorated with so many titles and accomplishments, the thing that I will remember and miss the most is his sweet, sweet spirit. He loved the Lord, and you could see and feel it. Brother Matt always had an encouraging word. They don’t make them like you anymore, Brother Matt. I love him and will always hold on to the precious memories we shared.”

Bryant Matthews, seated at left, joins then New Boston Mayor Johnny In the work sector, he was retired from Red River Army Depot Branson and other community leaders for the annual signing of the and Coleman Motors. At Coleman Motors, he served in various proclamation for the Walk for Jesus, a yearly parade through the streets of New Boston that Matthews was the catalyst for starting many years ago. capacities, but is fondly remembered for his customer service.

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NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

After his passing, Michael and Heather Coleman said of Mr. Matt, “He was a part of the fabric of our company for the full 25 years we have been in business… We will always remember Mr. Matt as a man who was always smiling. He was a good man of strong faith who walked out his beliefs. Mr. Matt was a treasure to anyone who had the pleasure of knowing him and to his entire community. We have never heard a negative word said about him and know that his legacy of kindness, appreciation, and sincere love will live on in this community for many years.”

Matthews was also very involved in the community, serving on numerous boards and civic groups including the New Boston Chamber of Commerce, the New Boston Band Boosters, and the New Boston Industrial Development Corporation.

He was honored with the Chamber’s Lloyd Wilson Award, a recognition he earned for a lifetime of service to the community he loved.

One of those who faithfully stood with Matthews praying each month for our community and country is David Daniel. Daniel said of his friend, “Bryant Matthews was truly a man of God, and one that the love of Christ shined brightly through. Every word he spoke was encouraging to everyone he came in contact with. He saw everyone through the eyes of God, with love and compassion for all. His main thought was to encourage everyone to pray for unity in this country. If you ever asked Him how he was doing, he always said “better than I deserve.” He was authentic…it just radiated out of him. He was anointed and the Holy Spirit lived in that man.”

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Curtis Hunt

Local barber has been keeping people happy, and well groomed, for more than 50 years Story & photos by

KATE STOW

I

t’s rare to find someone still working at the same job, in the same location, after 50 years; especially when the job requires standing all day long and dealing with the public.

Although rare, you can still find an anomaly here and there.

On the square in Linden, there is one such anomaly. His name is Curtis Hunt and he has owned the barbershop across from the Courthouse for 57 years. He has no plans to retire any time soon.

Walking into his shop is like traveling back in time. From the old cash register to the heater and barber chairs, everything is exactly as it was in the 1920s when the barbershop originally opened.

“I started here in 1963,” said Curtis. “The barber before me opened it in the twenties.”

Starting life over the border in Northwest Louisiana, Curtis was the son of a paper mill employee. He doesn’t remember exactly what made him want to cut hair for a living but decided to go to barber school in Tyler. He moved to Linden right after graduation and has never lived anywhere else.

Word on the street is that he hasn’t missed any days of work in 57 years. “That’s not true,” he said. “Fifty-four years ago I took off on a Tuesday to go see my brother in Chicago. I’m closed on Sundays and Wednesdays, and Monday was a holiday, so I only had to take off the one day.”

Aside from that short vacation, Curtis hasn’t failed to show up for work. Closing during the pandemic wasn’t too bad for Curtis.

“It really didn’t bother me none. I had a lot of things needing to get done around the house,” he said. “I felt sorry for my customers though.”

It’s no surprise that the pandemic didn’t upset Curtis. He’s well known as an even-keeled, soft-spoken gentleman. He’s also humble, mentioning several people who would make a “more interesting read” than himself. When asked about his landlord, he quipped “that Don Henley is a real nice fellow.”

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FEBRUARY 2021

As the afternoon wore on, a steady stream of boys and men walked in for a haircut, with only a few minutes between each one.

Brothers Eli Kirk and Max Spence were there with their mom and grandma. “We always get Curtis to cut their hair when we are visiting from Houston,” mom said.

“Cutting hair doesn’t change too much,” said Curtis. “It all comes back around. Boys today like to wear their hair just like they did when I started.”

You can’t stay in business long if your customers aren’t happy.

Curtis doesn’t have to worry about that. He has been keeping the same men looking good for decades. Some families have used him for several generations.

NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

“Curtis has been cutting my hair for 30 years,” said Brent Tucker. “I don’t have to say anything, I don’t need an appointment, I sit here and he knows what to do.”

Not all of his customers live in Linden. Bobby Thomas, of Huffines, has been getting semi-weekly trims for “about 40 years or so” from Curtis.

“I went to see somebody else once, and came right back here the next week,” said Bobby. “Curtis asked me who the heck had messed up my hair.”

As he works on the two young brothers, he softly talks to them, asking how they part their hair, how often they comb it, and how they style it. His demeanor is respectful and kind, drawing you into the conversation with a perpetual smile on his face as he speaks.

Conversation on this fine Fall afternoon consists of talk about the wild hogs taking over the land, who’s got “the COVID” and what stage of remodel a customers’ house is in. It’s apparent he knows each one of them well enough to ask about such things.

Here, in this little shop on the square - with the sun shining through the window sporadic traffic on the street outside, occasional passersby on the sidewalk – time stands still. The classic country music plays softly on the radio as another customer walks in and Curtis rises to cut another head of hair. At this point, he’s lost count of how many he’s cut in his career.

“I just come to work and cut hair,” he said. “As long as people come in, I reckon I’ll take care of them.”

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Here at Atlanta Floral & Gifts, we are very dedicated & take pride in the hard work we put forth into serving the needs of our customers. We specialize in all holidays, birthdays, funerals, & even “just because” gifts.

We also do tuxedo fittings for special occasions such as weddings & proms. Our goal daily is to be a blessing to someone, so come on down to Atlanta Floral & Gift at 113 East Main Street in Atlanta, Texas & check us out - your presence is always a blessing to us.

For two years Grandma’s Attic on William Street in Atlanta grew until it was bursting at the seams. To remedy the problem, owners Ted and Penny Brabham bought a larger building at 118 East Main Street from the city and moved everything across the street.

With the move came a new name –

Camelot Manor Antiques and Decorative Arts

The store offers high-end pieces from all over the country and Europe, as well as vintage collectibles, Pyrex dishes, toys, fishing lures, carnival glass, sterling silver, Godiva chocolates, candles and Waldorf crystal.

One year ago this month, Lance & Amy Cowling started planning the destination store - The Copper Pine - in their minds. Today, The Copper Pine Kitchen & Home, formerly The Kitchenette, is thriving in downtown Atlanta. They are located inside Price Hardware and are now two separate stores under one roof for convenient shopping. They offer specialty kitchen & home good for the home cook and even a professional chef.

Amy & her daughter, Kelsey Martin, bring their love of home decor to the 3000 SF store around every corner.

You will find dishes. linens, wall decor & all the extra you desire for your home. This is truly a one-stop show for gifts too. The Copper Pine offers wedding registries & beautiful gift wrapping. Gourmet coffee beans are a customer favorite with 40 plus flavors! Gourmet foods are offered as well from Stonewall, Fischer Wieser, Wind & Willow, & Pepper Creek Farms. Come experience this destination shopping experience with friends, make new friends with the Cowlings, & support local, small businesses. They are located inside Price Hardware at 302 N. William Street, Atlanta, Texas. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

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Kellie Cox proudly serves the insurance needs of the greater Atlanta – Cass County area.

As a licensed Farmers agent, she can help with all of your auto, home, business and life insurance needs. “I am grateful to be a part of the revitalized Downtown Atlanta.”

Kellie Cox, Amber Welborn & Sharon Clark would like to wish you happy holidays.

NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

rayharpjewelers.com

shoprayharpjewelers. com

Your hometown jewelry store.

We offer custom design and jewelry/watch repair. Family owned and run for 3 generations.

108 N EAST ST

|

ATLANTA, TX

|

903-796-7185

2021

MERLE NORMAN COSMETICS ASHLEY BRYANT BOUTIQUE 119 E Main St | Atlanta, Texas | 903-796-2451

For a unique shopping and pampering experience, visit Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio and Ashley Bryant Boutique located at 119 E. Main St. in Atlanta. From free steam facials to beauty makeovers, the beauty consultants at Merle Norman will give you everything you need to be beautiful. Continue your shopping experience at Ashley Bryant Boutique. We can outfit and accessorize you for any occasion. Ashley Bryant carries many wellknown brands including Brighton, Consuela, Susan Shaw, Multiples and many others. For a very special shopping experience, visit us at Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio and Ashley Bryant Boutique.

Images Salon & Spa was established in October 2016. We are located in Downtown Atlanta in the historic Miles Drug Drugstore building. We are a fun, family environ environment with over 100 years experience in the beauty industry. We specialize in trend cutting & color. We offer a complete menu of haircare, nails, pedicures, as well as massage & facials. We are a certified Dream Catchers extension Salon.

We, as a salon, are all doing our part to insure our guests have an amazing & safe experience.

Please call for an appointment at 903-796-0999.

Images Salon & Spa

122 N East Street | Atlanta, TX 75551 | 903-796-0999 | Imagesalon@aol.com

Sunday, March 21 1 to 5 p.m.

Businesses will offer refreshments, special sales, drawings & giveaways.

The Rabbit Hole

at 204 East Hiram in Atlanta, Texas

is a unique little store with an assortment of booths consisting of antiques, vintage, resale, license plate art, gifts, DVDs, VHS tapes, car air fresheners, jellies, jams, comic books, vinyl pop figures, seasonal items, and much more. Please come in and visit for you will always be surprised at what you find there.

COME CHECK OUT

Terri’s Treasures is an infants’ and children’s boutique that sells clothing and gifts. We offer free gift wrapping and offer shower registries with free local delivery.

Rocking A Western Store & Boutique The one stop shop for men, women, and children. We carry the latest western wear and style. Our brands include, Wrangler, Cinch, Dale Brisby, Lazy J, Rock-N-Roll, Cruel Girl, The Twisted Filly, Sanuk, Twisted X , and Ariat footwear.

We are located at 120 E Main St. downtown Atlanta, TX. NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

We also do in house embroidery ranging in price from $5-$20 per item and only a $2 fee for each item not from Terri’s Treasures!

101 E Hiram • Atlanta • 903.796.4996

25 YEARS IN BUSINESS

DATE 2021

17

Mya Clark

beautifies her world one piece at a time

M

By

DI DUNCAN

ya Clark is a senior art student at Mount Pleasant High School who has truly made her mark. Though she’s just 18 years old, Clark has taken on projects that some artists are never able to accomplish.

Clark has engaged in numerous community art projects including murals, specialty pieces, and event props. From the beautifully painted piano downtown to custom work on a local charity’s truck, Clark has poured herself into work that can be enjoyed by all.

One of her first community projects was the piano downtown. A former employee of the city felt the plain piano was lacking, so he called in Clark to breathe some life into its old wooden body. Clark covered the front with an abstract landscape and covered the rest with cherry red paint. The finished piano can be seen in front of La Vie Company downtown, where the City has now installed outdoor seating.

For the 2020 Mount Pleasant Rodeo, Clark put her twist on the barrels used in the barrel racing event. Clark says that she initially submitted three designs to the rodeo board, but her silhouette style was chosen for the event. The barrels were primed and

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painted in sunset colors with the silhouettes of horses in black. The rodeo board and attendees at the rodeo were very pleased with the design.

“After the rodeo, I got so many calls from people wanting me to paint barrels for them. It was crazy that it became such a big deal,” she said. Clark describes her art as bohemian western and enjoys creating designs like the ones used on the barrels in many other projects.

Clark is currently building a portfolio of personal works and creating pieces for the VASE art competition. She says that her theme this year is based on double-exposure photos. Clark takes photos of people, meshes them with scenery, and then draws the design onto paper. She says that with each project, she is reaching for hyper-realism, and with each one, she gets closer. Her portfolio designs clearly show her western-style flair.

Another community project Clark participated in was a largescale mural at the Mount Pleasant Rodeo Association Arena, which features pairs of exquisitely painted western boots, spurs, and the spirit of the rodeo.

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“On the mural out here at the rodeo, our art department at Mount Pleasant actually helped paint for a whole day. I did help quite a bit on that mural, which was really awesome,” she said.

Aside from this western style work, Clark has helped with many other projects. When the director of local nonprofit Titus County Cares said she wanted the TCC logo painted onto their truck, Clark took the project on and delivered a perfectly executed design. TCC was ecstatic, saying, “It looks amazing!”

In late 2020, a new restaurant called JoJack’s Smokehouse opened in Mount Pleasant. Clark aided in creating a large chalkboard-style mural inside the restaurant, which featured images of barbeque items and witty comments about the menu.

“It’s one of my favorite projects that I’ve done,” said Clark. “It’s super cool, and it’s in a place where a lot of people see it. There’s a lot of people that look at it every day.”

Clark says that a project she has always wanted to tackle is the large white wall on the side of local attorneys Mark Lesher and Laura McCoy’s office. “I’ve always wanted to put a mural on it. It’s right here on the main drag, and it’s just this huge white wall. It needs something. We’ve discussed it before, and there could be a possibility of it happening.” Clark is hopeful for more community art pieces in the future.

“I love doing this and it was really awesome just to be able to give back to my community, to just help beautify it and to make it better.

I love being able to work in the community and just leave my mark.

Later on in life, I’ll be able to say, ‘Oh yeah, I did that when I was like 18 years old.’”

Always your choice!

Personal | Business | Home Loans

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Mt. Pleasant | 903-577-1118 FFCBank.com NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY 2021

19

Ezekiel Airship

The pipe dream that came true

T

By

HOLLY MCGONAGILL

By

HOLLY MCGONAGILL

he idea of the Ezekiel Airship began when Baptist Minister Burrell Cannon, of Coffeeville, Miss., read the Book of Ezekiel in the bible. He was soon inspired by the verses about ‘living creatures rising from the earth’, as well as a ‘wheel within a wheel.’ With this idea enraptured in his mind, Cannon soon developed the Ezekiel AirShip Manufacturing Company and sold 20,000 dollars worth of stock to his neighbors, charging 25 dollars a share, to begin building the ship in Pittsburg.

Cannon supervised the construction of the airship and watched as it was built with a small engine that powered four sets of vertical paddles and was dressed in fabric wings. The airship was created to fly the same way a paddleboat would churn in the water.

After completing the airship, it was soon ready to be taken on a test flight.

In 1902, an overexcited worker flew the Ezekial for the first time without public notice. The worker reported that he was able to get approximately 15 feet in the air and travel a distance of 50 yards. Cannon was not able to see this flight, as he was preaching at a nearby church. There is no media coverage or reports on this

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flight due to the secrecy of the invention; all is hearsay by the men that were there. If this information is correct, this flight would have been taken a year before the Wright Brothers’ flight in Kitty Hawk, N.C. The Wright Brothers are said to have the first-ever successful flight lasting 12 seconds, but with the information above it is possible that Cannon’s aircraft was the first to ever take flight.

After this one test flight the aircraft was never flown again and in 1904 Cannon decided to put it on a railroad car to be shipped to the St. Louis World Fair. The Ezekial only made it as far as Texarkana, Texas before it was destroyed in a storm. The ship was left where it lay and Cannon continued to try and build an airship until 1913. That was the year that Cannon’s final attempt flew into a telephone pole and was destroyed. In 1922, all of the plans for the Ezekiel were destroyed in a fire and never redrawn.

Even though Cannon had minimal success with the aircraft, Pittsburg decided that a replica was needed to memorialize the achievements made. In 1984, the Optimist’s Club built a full-scale replica of the Ezekial using one surviving photo. The ship was then displayed at the local restaurant Pittsburg Hot Link.

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The residents of Pittsburg built an annex to the North East Texas Rural Heritage Depot and Museum in 2001. They hung the replica from the rafters and hired a firm from Houston to design an exhibit of Cannon’s endeavors. The original ship weighed only 406 pounds, while the replica hanging in the museum weighs 2000 pounds. The exhibit includes the exact bible that Cannon read the book of Ezekiel from and began his legacy.

As of November, the North East Texas Rural Heritage Depot and Museum has been closed due to the virus. It is unknown when they plan to reopen. All information in this article was found at https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/11610 and https://www. thestoryoftexas.com/discover/texas-story-project/the-book-ofezekiel-and-the-flying-machine.

Living Water of Pittsburg A Church The City Can’t Be Without

EVERETT FOSTER Senior Pastor

1308 Loop 179 • Pittsburg, TX 75686

903-853-5008

Email: livingwaterofpittsburg@gmail.com Website: livingwaterofpittsburg.org

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903-572-1776 NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

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www.anbmp.com FEBRUARY 2021

21

A treasure found on

TRAMMELL’S TRAIL From the original healing springs to present day, Hughes Springs flows with history By

TONI WALKER

Nestled deep in the Piney Woods, situated at the junction of Cass and Morris Counties is Hughes Springs. A town once known for its three mineral springs, Hughes Springs still bustles with activity and has so much to offer.

The town of Hughes Springs has humble beginnings, dating back to the days when Texas belonged to Mexico. A young Tennessean, Reece Hughes set out with a band of adventurers on a quest for buffalo in Texas. Though the group was driven out by Indians, Hughes returned, this timeto the Republic of Texas, with his brother. This time, it wasn’t buffalo the men were searching for, but gold treasure.

Hughes, in his previous trip to Texas, had heard tell of a strong box full of gold coins buried near an Indian settlement by Trammell, the pirate. Hughes and his brother traveled the path known as

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FEBRUARY 2021

NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

Trammell’s Trace, until they came to a abandoned Choctaw village near what is now known as Hughes Springs. It was there that Hughes built a log cabin and set up a small farm in 1839.

By 1847, Hughes was setting up another. settlement, west of the first, where he had found a Chalybeate spring where water flowed through the iron ore terrain.

Hughes was instrumental in the founding of Hughes Springs, and also built that first blast furnace to produce iron in the area, helping the area land the Lone Star Steel plant later on.

Though it’s beginnings were wrought out of natural springs, which many thought to be medicinal, and iron ore, Hughes Springs still has much to offer. The town today is known for its participation in the Texas Wildflower Trails, held every year in April. Hughes Springs is also just a few miles from Daingerfield State Park, which typically offers camping, fishing, and more for visitors of all ages.

Though the springs that originally led to the founding of the city are not openly in use as they were in the late 1800s, evidence of the springs, and others like it, can still be found at Spring Park, located near downtown Hughes Springs. So when you out driving down Highway 11, stop and visit Hughes Springs. You might find a treasure of your own.

Full historical information on the founding of Hughes Springs can be found at the Texas Historical State Commissiin website: https:// www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/hughes-springs-tx.

Information can also be found in the city’s website: https://www.hughesspringstxusa.com/history.html.

NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

ROARK AUTO PARTS

“Serving the area since 1945” AUTO  HEAVY DUTY  INDUSTRIAL

7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon - Fri  7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sat

903-796-2831

100 E. Main Atlanta, TX 75551 www.roarkautoparts.com

FEBRUARY 2021

23

Annemarie Sullivan

Sullifarm and Kitchen

S

A Northeast Texas farmer with a desire to help the people, planet and everything in between while raising healthy animals

By ALLYSON PEBSWORTH

ullifarm and Kitchen, which started out as a humble family farm in Hooks, Texas, has grown over the past few years into a community staple for full-circle, responsible agriculture.

Annemarie Sullivan created Sullifarm and Kitchen in 2015 after being interested in nutrition and agriculture at an early age.

Moving from their home in Austin during her high school years, to the family farm in Hooks, Annemarie’s passion began to blossom. She soon found herself making a career out of what she loves to do - making a difference and raising livestock through regenerative agriculture.

Using this way of thinking, the farm sets 23-year old Annemarie Sullivan works to make her farm in Hooks, Texas a place her community, and the world, looks to for a new, more gentle approach to raising livestock.

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At Sullifarm and Kitchen, visitors can take a farm tour and see just where the animals they are purchasing meat from spend their days and how the operations of the farm are carried out.

FEBRUARY 2021

out to pasture raise their animals according to their natural ways of life to create, not only the healthiest food products, but the tastiest as well. The plan is to leave the land better than it’s found, balance production with sustainability, build a community centered around food, while also keep the animals happy and healthy until they are harvested in the most humane way.

Now at 23, and running the farm on her own, Annemarie has found herself in a management position with the Texarkana Farmer’s Market, where she has sold her products on many occasions. The Texarkana Farmer’s Market is a place where people can find locally grown natural produce and other varieties of high quality, locally produced goods. She currently serves as the Cultural Foods Program Coordinator/Farmers Market Management Team, and among several duties, she works to increase cultural diversity while ensuring the market stays open and accessible for everyone involved. The desire to help the people, planet and everything in between while raising healthy animals reaches every part of Annemarie’s life.

The message of the farm remains the same as it always has, utilizing regenerative agriculture, a concept that is about restoration, repair, healing, and health. “I want to bring better food to the local area.

Not only tastier food, but healthier and better quality products.”

At Sullifarm Shop, people can find products such as Annemarie’s pastured pork, grass fed beef and pastured chicken from

farm partners located in Texas. Locally made goods such as, roasted coffee, goat cheeses, tea, and even natural health and wellness products from Lavender Thorne can be found at the shop as well, creating a truly local shopping experience.

Pork produced and sold at Sullifarm and Kitchen is sourced from pigs that are raised by Annemarie herself. These animals are farm-raised on a natural diet consisting of grass and acorns helping the consumer see, smell and taste the difference.

Offering farm tours is an aspect of Sullifarm that sets it apart from related businesses. Those interested are able to tour the farm and see just where the animals they are purchasing meat from spend their days and how the operations of the farm are carried out. Although the farm lifestyle can be a busy and tedious one, it is one that Annemarie couldn’t imagine life without.

Another interesting aspect of the farm is called “Sullifarm-to-Table” events; these events offer a unique dining experience that consists of a private menu that features locally sourced and produced foods.

These foods are prepared from scratch by Annemarie and her family to allow the partakers the chance to eat a meal chosen by the farmer. This not only supports local, regional, and NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

seasonal landscapes and growers, but also offers a meal that is based on what foods are being harvested at a specific time. These events are offered both as privately booked and publicly announced where those interested can buy tickets online to reserve their seat at the table.

Annemarie has been quoted as saying, “Eventually, I hope to see the local farmer replace modern agriculture as it is now, with a more gentle, respectful approach to raising livestock.” Sullifarm believes, “Every time you eat a meal, you are either enforcing a positive or negative effect. Not just to your body, but to our animals, our communities, our future generations, our air, water and soil.”

According to their website, “As a consumer, it’s YOU that encourages that movement. Start demanding good food. Start demanding local food. Start demanding humane treatment, sustainable growth, health, wellness, and flavor.”

Due to the pandemic that has halted many businesses this year, Sullifarm has been sticking to mainly private Sullifarm-to-Table events and farm tours. However, Annemarie expressed hope for the future as she plans to bring back public tours this year. Things are always happening at Sullifarm with new and exciting aspects still to come, join them to relax on the farm and enjoy one of their many delicacies.

For more information on Sullifarm and Kitchen, or to purchase, visit Annemarie in person On Sunday, Tuesday, or Wednesday from 4p.m. until 6 p.m.; consumers can also visit the farm website, www.sullifarm.com, Instagram and Facebook pages, sullifarmandkitchen.

NETX CROSSROADS MAGAZINE

HUGHES SPRINGS

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

It’s a great day to be alive ... and a Mustang!

FEBRUARY 2021

25

Daimion Collins

makes it official as he signs with Kentucky By

TIM EMMONS

When a student-athlete verbally commits to a college of choice there is a small window of opportunity for other colleges to lure them out of that commitment.

Atlanta senior basketball specialist Daimion Collins never wavered from his Oct. 31, verbal commitment to the University of Kentucky as he signed his national letter of intent to play for the Wildcats Nov. 17 inside the gymnasium at Atlanta High School.

Collins was not short on scholarships as he acquired offers from Kansas, Texas, Kentucky, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Houston, Oklahoma, LSU, Hampton, VCU, Baylor, TCU, La Tech, Oklahoma State, SMU, SFA, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Tulsa, USC and UCLA. Collins whittled that list down to his final five in October which included: Kentucky, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech.

The towering baller said it wasn’t hard shaving the list down to just five because those were the schools that recruited him the hardest and were in constant contact.

One of the challenges for Collins was the fact that he could not travel to various campuses for visits during the pandemic or meet the coaching staffs in person.

Nonetheless, Collins endured the onslaught of phone calls from multiple coaches during the process and had to figure out within himself which college could give him the best opportunity to develop him for the NBA which is his ultimate goal.

One of the reasons Collins chose Kentucky is because of the high turnout of NBA talent the Big Blue Nation churns out yearafter-year.

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Photo by Stephen Rushing

Last year Collins averaged 25 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks per game for the Rabbs.

This season he is averaging 34.3 points, 14.8 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks per contest.

When the rim rattler was a freshman he posted a height of 6-feet, three inches but now stands at 6-feet, 10 inches.

His goal is to win a state championship in his senior year with the Rabbs which comes on the heels of an impressive 2019-2020 campaign which saw the Rabbs accrue a 30-5 record overall and a 12-0 District 14-3A record which sealed a district title.

With Collins and a solid cast of players, the Rabbits are positioned to make another deep postseason run.

Collins, with the support of his parents Ben and Kim Collins, played exclusively on the Amateur Athletic Union basketball circuit.

The young baller played for Blake Griffin’s Team Griffin during the summer.

All of these factors plus what he brings to the table is why his recruitment heated up quickly.

The 6-foot-10 senior is ranked 19th overall nationally, fourth nationally at the power forward position and second overall in the state of Texas by 247 Sports.

Rivals has the 5-star baller ranked 10th overall nationally and fifth nationally at the power forward position and ESPN has him ranked 24th overall nationally, sixth nationally, at the power forward position and third overall in the state in its top 100 players for the Class of 2021.

“Daimion is a humble kid and shows that on and off the court.

He has spent so much time in the gym to work on the craft. He doesn’t get caught up in the rankings, he just keeps working to get better,” mother Kim Collins said. “We love that he loves the game.

Being from Atlanta and Coach (Jarrod) Boston coaching (his father) Ben in high school it has been exciting to see him coach Daimion. Daimion had a chance to go to other schools but made a decision to stay at home and play basketball.”

“You don’t hear much about basketball players out of Atlanta, Texas. Once he got the UK offer, it was no question where he should go because of the history there,” Kim continued. “One of his goals is to one day play in the NBA and every year multiple players from Kentucky goes to the league.”

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Some of the scouting reports on the Rabbit big man is that he’s an elite shot-blocker and rim protector who has an NBA frame at 6 feet, 10 inches with a 7 foot, 4-plus inch wingspan.

His offensive game is developing at a steady pace. Collins displays 3-point range, which gives him a valuable tool to complement his post-up game.

Consistency is the next step for his face-up game. At the same stage, you can see similarities between him and Anthony Davis. UK Head Coach John Calipari’s best teams always had an elite big man; Collins fits that bill.

“I’m really excited for Daimion and his family to join our program,” Calipari said. “Daimion is an incredible young man with a bright future – someone who has only begun to realize just how good he can be. Our fans know I don’t like to make comparisons to our other guys, but Daimion has that type of length, the athleticism and the versatility that have separated our players from others. He wanted to be pushed and to be in a competitive environment to help him reach his full potential. The staff and I cannot wait to help him grow.”

Kentucky’s 17 Final Fours and eight NCAA titles comes from a commitment to greatness.

Collins has a chance to be a part of something great and with his commitment, the Wildcats will benefit even more.

The Rabbit turned Wildcat is ready to show what he is truly capable of and is more than ready to rattle the rim at Rupp Arena.

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Smith FURNITURE & APPLIANCE We do business your way.

301 S. Greer Blvd. • Pittsburg, TX 75686

903-856-6121

FEBRUARY 2021

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To healthcare heroes everywhere,

THANK YOU

We We thank thank the the many many healthcare healthcare heroes heroes who who leave leave their their homes homes and and families families every every day day to to serve serve others others during during this this time time of of great great need. need. We We are are proud proud to to be be among among them, them, standing standing strong strong for for our our community. community.

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