Our speakers for the Oct. 20, 2015 meeting at the Shelby County Museum were Brandy Harding and Judy Doyle.  They are members of the Order Of Confederate Rose Re-enactment.  Brandi is an expert at designing and sewing period dresses modeled from styles worn in 1860’s.  Brandi had a very impressive display of her work. She wore a plaid taffeta two piece with a fitted jacket and long full skirt.  She demonstrated with a doll showing the six layers of cloth women wore at that time.

In their display was a work or day dress made from cotton for cooler comfort, worn with several petticoats with small white detachable collar. This could be removed and laundered without washing the entire dress.  Bodices of the 1860’s fastened down the front with buttons and lace closed at the neck with a brooch.  Judy wore an off the shoulder ball gown.  They explained that the father was the one that dictated how bare a daughters dress could be.  Ball gowns were regal brocade period dresses made from satin, velvet or cotton.

The decade was particularly marked by a change in the shape of a woman’s skirt by layers of underskirts and oval hoops.  Woman’s attire evolved into ruffled designs. Younger girls dresses had growth pleats around the skirt so they could be lengthened as the girl grew taller.

Widows wore black mourning dresses with a veil or bonnet for one year.  There was one on display.  Popular jewelry was a locket with a snip of the deceased person’s hair in it.

This was an informative meeting and enjoyed by all.  Come to our meeting on the third Tuesday of each month at 2 p.m.  We have some good speakers.  Every one is invited.  Membership is open to all persons interested in genealogical research.
 

Our speaker today was David Swanzy. Tuesday’s presentation, “Elusive Historical Facts That Enhance Shelby County’s Traditional History,” are selected facts that may have slipped “through the cracks” and therefore not readily found in widely circulated local history. These were gathered from primary rather than secondary sources—maps and first-hand accounts as well as rare Texas history books written in the 19th century. These twenty fascinating findings ranged from less significant facts, such as Stephen F. Austin as cartographer, and the function of elder sons as scouts to pave the way for a future trek by groups of families to Texas; to the (almost) separate state of East Texas in 1845, and before that, Sam Houston’s 1836 treaty that, although not ratified, would have given all of Smith County, most of Cherokee County, and parts of Gregg, Rusk, and Van Zandt Counties to the Cherokee Indians; and concluded with a more significant fact of the original (pre-1825) name of Shelbyville (Teneha), the amazing fact that Shelby County is unique in that it served as home during a portion of their lives to four individuals who had Texas counties named after them (Oran Roberts, Emory Rains, Jonas Harrison, and Martin Parmer) and, although only indirectly related to local history, the shock to find out that the dates, September 3rd through the 13th, 1752 do not exist!

Memorial Donations

             Mary Edith Foster                   Malcolm Weaver                    Malcolm Weaver
                 Donated by                            Donated by                             Donated by
     J. C. & Venorah McSwain               Marleta Childs                Bill Carroll, Bob Carroll,
                                                                                                     Courtney C. Davis

                   Malcolm Weaver                                              Malcolm Weaver
                        Donated by                                                      Donated by
            Heber & Sallie Parker Family                   Bonnie Foster Walker, Jim Bob Foster,
                                                                                  Buster Foster, Teresa Tebow

           Malcolm Weaver                    Malcolm Weaver                                Inez Davis
                Donated by                            Donated by                                   Donated By
        Susan & Walter Witek        Chuck & LeeGayle Lunsford        Chuck & LeeGayle Lunsford

                  Inez Davis                              Sallie Smith                        Reecie Stanley
                 Donated by                             Donated By                           Donated By
       J. C. & Venorah McSwain      J. C. & Venorah McSwain      J. C. & Venorah McSwain

                  Billy Bowen                        Reecie Stanley                           Billy Bowen
                  Donated By                           Donated By                             Donated By
        J. C. & Venorah McSwain              Leonard Irish                           Leonard Irish

              Mary Edith Foster                  Malcolm Weaver                     Malcolm Weaver
                    Donated by                           Donated by                            Donated By
               Donna Thomason                Donna Thomason                    Donna Thomason

                    Billy Bowen                        Billy Bowen                           Billy Bowen
                     Donated by                         Donated by                            Donated by                           
                    Jan Akridge                       Vee Scrimsher                        Cherry Jones

              Malcolm Weaver                                            Malcolm Weaver
                  Donated By                                                    Donated by
                 C. S. Massey                          Jodi Fountain, Margaret McBride, Nikki Joubert,
                                                                   Rhonda Proffitt, Bill Hughes, Cindy Mathis

                      Alton Adams                           Reecie Stanley                 Reecie Stanley
                        Donated by                              Donated by                      Donated by
              J. C. & Venorah McSwain             Christine Mahan       James & Micki McLaughlin

                   Reecie Stanley                         Reecie Stanley                  Reecie Stanley
                     Donated by                              Donated by                       Donated by
                  Teddy Hopkins                       Phabreece Havis         J. C. & Venorah McSwain
 

                    Billy Bowen                            Reecie Stanley                     Billy Bowen
                     Donated by                              Donated by                        Donated by
         J. C. & Venorah McSwain                  Leonard Irish                     Leonard Irish

                     Billy Bowen                           Reecie Stanley                  Reecie Stanley
                      Donated by                             Donated by                       Donated by
        Darnese & Carolyn Parrish        Darnese & Carolyn Parrish            Ann Bowen

                                      Reecie Stanley                                 Reecie Stanley
                                         Donated by                                     Donated by
                               Mr. & Mrs. Wardlow Oliver                    Nancy Thrasher

                                        Billy Bowen                                Malcolm Weaver
                                         Donated by                                     Donated by
                               Mr. & Mrs. Teddy Hopkins             Mr. & Mrs. Teddy Hopkins