Howe Sesquicentennial

The American passion of the First Lady for a number highway is a of years. Johnson led a number of unique experience. White House conferences on beautifiAmericans can cation and the environment. She had travel anywhere at been quietly pushing her husband to any time connect- enact legislation to improve the scenic ed by a network of beauty of the American roadway. Her Ken Bridges tens of thousands vision was finally realized when Presiof miles of paved dent Johnson signed the Highway highways. Drivers can drive through Beautification Act in 1965. farmlands, hills, dense forests, towering mountains, and flower-strewn prai- This act immediately limited the numries in a matter of hours compared to ber and size of billboards along interthe days or weeks that same journey state highways and U. S. Highways would require of nineteenth-century across the country. It provided funding settlers. In Texas, the springtime views to help cities clean up local parks and of whole fields covered in bluebonnets helped fund the development and remake driving the many miles all the development of green spaces along more pleasant. And so much of the highways. It limited the view of junkuninterrupted natural beauty of the yards from view and encouraged state byways and freeways of today is be- and local laws limiting dumping and cause of Lady Bird Johnson. pollution along highways. This immediately inspired community clean-up She was born Claudia Alta Taylor in efforts across the nation and similar December 1912 in Karnack, a small laws at the state and local level aiming community in Harrison County near to stop litter and pollution. States and the Texas border with Louisiana. Her cities also worked to create scenic father, Thomas Jefferson Johnson Tay- roads, highways, and overlooks in the lor, had been a success story in his own 1970s and 1980s while also encouragright –the son of a poor sharecropper ing the popular Pitch In! anti-litter who came to own 15,000 acres of campaign and the adopt-a-highway prime cotton land, two thriving general and adopt-a-street programs to control stores, and one of the finest mansions pollution. in the area. As a young child, she picked up the nickname “Lady Bird” In one speech, she said, “First, we after her nursemaid said that she was shape our buildings, and then they “pretty as a lady bird.” shape us. The same is true of our highways, our parks, our public buildings, She graduated high school at age 15, and the environment we create. They attending Marshall High School in shape us.” She established Project nearby Marshall, graduating third in Pride to encourage community groups her class. She then earned a history and schools to reduce litter, especially degree at the University of Texas in in Washington, DC. Her projects in1933 and a degree in journalism in spired rehabilitation of vacant build1934. It was in Austin in 1934 that she ings, creation of new parks on empty met Lyndon B. Johnson, then a con- lots, and the planting of flowers and gressional aide. Johnson proposed to trees in dilapidated parks and green her on the first date, but she managed spaces, particularly at national historic to convince him to wait before they sties across the nation’s capital. married ten weeks later. The Johnsons returned to Austin after Lady Bird Johnson helped her hus- LBJ’s presidency ended in 1969. band climb the political ladder. She Beautification continued to be an imhelped him finance his first congres- portant project for Lady Bird Johnson. sional campaign and would work be- She worked with Austin city leaders hind the scenes and appear at cam- on improvement of the Town Lake paign rallies with him. When her hus- area, today a popular park area. In band was elected vice-president in 1982, she co-founded the National 1960, she continued to travel across Wildflower Research Center near Austhe country and often served as a stand tin with Helen Hayes. The center was -in for First Lady Jackie Kennedy. Af- renamed for Johnson in 1994. ter the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, she consoled Lady Bird Johnson died at age 94 in Jackie Kennedy on the long flight back 2007. A number of schools and buildto Washington, DC, and in the weeks ings have since been named in her afterward as she and her children honor, and she received many awards stayed at the White House. for her work. In 2007, Austin’s Town Lake was also renamed Lady Bird Highway beautification had been a Lake in remembrance of her work. The Howe Area Chamber of Commerce is planning a week-long schedule of events for September 12 through the 16. The city, which was founded in 1872 celebrated their Centennial anniversary in September 1972 with a similar style of week-long activities. Howe will kick-off the week with an 1870s style western gunfight in Downtown Howe beginning at 6 pm. The event is sponsored by Tomlin Investments. Immediately following the gunfight will be the crowning of the Sesquicentennial Queens in a contest sponsored by Independent Bank. To become a queen contestant,click here.Following the gunfight will be games and desserts at First Baptist Church near downtown. At 7:45 pm at Summit Gardens, an 1870s style Murder Mystery will take place. It is sponsored by Tomlin Investments. Seats are limited to 42 andticketsare available for $18. On Tuesday, Howe will host a Sesquicentennial Parade where entries to be in the parade are free. To register to be in the parade,click here.The parade is sponsored by Lacey Tucker Fairway Mortgage. The parade route will begin at Howe Middle School/Howe Intermediate School Gym Parking lot and travel down Highway 5 to Bulldog Stadium where there will be a Watermelon Feast sponsored by Cory Hernandez State Farm and Sausage on a Stick by the Howe Athletic Booster Club and shaved ice by Chill Out. On Wednesday night, churches in Howe have teamed to hold a Community Worship Service at Bulldog Stadium to begin at 7 pm. Community Bible Fellowship’s band will begin the

Texas History Minute Howe will celebrate its Sesquicentennial

in September with week-long activities evening with the opening prayer from Summit View’s Brett and Deb Hetrick, The message will be delivered by First Baptist Church’s Roger Tidwell and Community Bible Fellowship’s Jeremy Moore. The new pastor J.B. Bryant of First United Methodist Church will give the closing prayer. An ice cream social at the concession stand will follow the service with Don’s Smokehouse providing ice cream and the ladies of the First United Methodist Church serving. Members of FBC Howe will be handing out water. On Thursday night, the Chamber will host a dinner sponsored by Legend Bank in Whitewright. The dinner will include a Howe History performance by Howe ISD students. Students will act out important characters in the history of Howe such as Jabez Haning, Walter Thompson, A.M. Ferguson, Mame Roberts, Charles. R. Thompson, Arthur Boyle, Tony Brinkley, L.B. Kirby, and Norman Wallace. They will also tribute important living figures such as Elmer Schenk, Carrie Waller, Jean Norman, and Steve Simmons. Tickets are limited and are $15 for adults and $10 for students and can be purchasedat this link. Friday night is the homecoming game between Howe at Tioga at Bulldog Stadium. Howe’s first ever official football game was against Tioga on September 20, 1935. Howe has a current 11-game winning streak over Tioga in the series. However, the two teams haven’t met since 1948. Sports video producer Faison Garrett will be on-hand to document the game. The Howe Area Chamber of Commerce Centennial chairman in 1972 was Bob Walker. The Sesquicentennial chairman is his grandson Monte Walker. For more information, contact the the Howe Area Chamber of Commerce atinfo@howechamber.comor call 903-532-6080.