PLEASE!
If an elderly family member has passed away, and if you are planning to discard photos that they owned that don't mean anything to you, please donate the photos to the Titus County History Website.
Many times younger family members aren't interested in old photographs or don't know what they portray, but we would appreciate having the photos in case they contain information that will help us "fill in the blanks" about various subjects of Titus County history.
We will be pleased to make arrangements to pick up the photos at your convenience.
PHOTOS WE NEED TO BORROW
We would like to obtain photos and historical information about the following Titus County subjects to include on the website in order to show everyday life in early Titus County. If you have photos or information concerning them, please contact us. We would appreciate any help that you can provide, no matter how much or how little.
Subjects below are listed alphabetically, which has no bearing on their importance to us. We are most familiar with Mt. Pleasant, but are equally interested in any of the following subjects as they apply to any other community in Titus County, so please let us know if you have anything not listed.
Early photos downtown areas and information on businesses that were once in these towns, or any other information you may have on their history:
Argo Community
Cason
Cookville
Monticello
Mt. Pleasant
Ripley Community
Talco
Winfield
We would like to locate photos that show street scenes of daily life in the smaller towns and communities when they had thriving business areas.
Advertising - Early photos and historical information about Titus County advertising:
We are interested in any advertising, which includes printed ads, novelty items, or other things used to promote early Titus County businesses
Agriculture - Early photos and historical information about Titus County agriculture:
Cotton farming
Cotton gins
Sugar cane farming
Sweet Potato farming
Milk Production
Cattle Ranching
Livestock sales
Photos and information about any other Titus County agricultural operations and products
Ambulance Services - Early photos and historical information about ambulance services:
Smith-Bates
Titus County Memorial Hospital
Turner Brothers
Tumey-Cherry-Webster
Banks and Financial Institutions - We need early photos and historical information about:
Merchant's and Planters, Mt. Pleasant
First National (at 2nd and Jefferson), Mt. Pleasant
First National (300 blk N. Jefferson), Mt. Pleasant
Guaranty Bond, Mt. Pleasant
Talco State Bank
Winfield Bank
Cookville Bank
Any other banks or financial institutions that we don't have listed
Buildings - Early photos and historical information about the following buildings:
The Caldwell Home - Mt. Pleasant
The Cotton Belt district office building (approx East 3rd and Washington)
The Merchant's and Planter's Bank (corner of West 2nd and Madison)
Fair Park (where the current Civic Center and National Guard are located)
American Legion Hall (Hwy 67 and 271 business)
Old homes, especially those that are or were unusually large or elaborate, or extremely old
Any old photos of Titus County commercial buildings or businesses
Businesses and Industry - Any photos available and historical information of the following businesses and industries:
ARGO:
Any photos of Argo businesses before 1960, possibly others
CASON:
Any photos of Cason businesses (1800s - 1940s, possibly others)
COOKVILLE:
Any photos of Cookville businesses (1800s - 1940s, possibly others)
MT. PLEASANT:
A&P Grocery
American Petrofina Refinery / Dorchester Refinery
Borden's Milk Plant in operation
Brick Factory
Businesses and other buildings along Highway 67 before 1960
Butternut Bakery
Cotton Gins
Duke and Ayers dime store, Ben Franklin dime store
Ellis-Kelley Drug Store, also know as Wilhite Drug store and Proctor's Drug Store
Hoffmann's Heading and Stave Factory (was on what is now N Washington or Industrial Road)
Hogue's Pottery Plant (located on what is now East 14th Street)
Hunt Plumbing Supply
J. C. Penny dry goods store
Matress Factory
Mt. Pleasant Poultry and Egg
Oil Mill
Parker Whiskey Distillery (Dellwood Park area)
Piggly Wiggly Grocery
Redfearn's Bakery
Soft Drink Bottling Companies:
Any soft drink bottling plants or drink bottles made in Mt. Pleasant
Dr. Pepper Plant on East 2nd Street or W Ferguson Road
Syrup Mills
Texas Milk Products / Babblin' Brook Milk Plant / Borden Milk Plant
Wal-Mart's Original Store (inside and out)
TALCO:
Anything related to the Talco oil boom
The K & D Refinery and the Talco Refinery (both located in Talco, Texas in the late 1930s)
WINFIELD:
Any photos of Winfield businesses (1800s - 1940s, possibly others)
Cemeteries - Early photos and historical information about Titus County cemeteries. This includes, but is not limited to:
Photos of the cemeteries, as during decoration day or early work days
Historical information about the cemeteries
Churches - Early photos and historical information about Titus County churches. There are too many Titus County churches for us to be able to devote the time required to research and write each church's history. However, if your church has a history prepared, we will be pleased to post it under the "Churches" topic of our website. Please contact us for details.
Civic Groups - Photos and historical information about Titus County civic groups in action. Why they were formed, what they did, who was involved, and photos of their activities.
Community Leaders - Photos and historical information about Titus County's founding fathers and business and civic leaders.
Depression Era - Early photos and historical information about Titus County during the depression:
The CCC Camp that was once on North Edwards near the water tower
WPA Projects
We need photos of the CCC and WPA working on projects in Titus County
We need other photos and information about life in Titus County during the depression
Documents - we would like to locate and copy the following early documents:
Telephone books (especially with 2 and 3 digit numbers, but others, too)
City Maps (especially very old maps before the streets were re-named)
Local advertising brochures
Very old checks (particularly from banks that no longer exist)
Stock certificates from LOCAL companies
Mt. Pleasant Daily Times Newspapers before 1923
Newspapers that do not exist any more (Talco, Winfield, Mt. Pleasant, etc.)
Early picture post cards showing Titus County
Events and Activities - Early photos and historical information about:
The Titus County Fair
The Confederate Convention (early 1900's)
Early Mt. Pleasant Christmas Parades
Afro-American fair held at Piney in the latter 1920's
Cookville fair held in the 1920's
Livestock sales
Semi-pro baseball games at the stadium at Fair Park
Any other public events that are not listed
Fire Departments - We need early photos and historical information about Titus County fire departments:
Photos of equipment
Group photos of members
Fire station photos
Photo of Mt. Pleasant's hand-pulled fire hose cart
Firemen in action
Any other related photos and info that is not listed
Hotels, Motels, & Lodging - Any photos available of the following hotels and historical information on them:
Adobe Hotel (in hey-day)
Alps Cafe and Gaddis Motor Courts
Cotton Belt Hotel
Do-Drop-Inn (was approximately where Cameron Automotive now sits on Highway 271 South)
El Morro Motor Courts (was on FM-899)
Hotel Stephens, Jefferson Hotel, McDonald Hotel - these were all the same at different times
Jackson Motel
Main Hotel - was on N. Jefferson Street
Sundown Motel (in hey-day)
Motels along Highway 67 prior to 1960
Law Enforcement - Any photos available and historical information of Titus County law enforcement:
Photos and info of law enforcement in action
Early police cars, or other equipment etc
Photos of early Titus County jails
Photos of early Titus County Sheriffs, Police Chiefs, Constables, etc.
Any other law enforcement-related photos and information
Medical Facilities - Any photos available and historical information of the following medical facilities:
Early photos of and information about Titus County Memorial Hospital
Currey Hospital and Clinic
Mt. Pleasant Hospital and Clinic
Taylor Hospital
Early doctors and their practices
Mining - Early photos and historical information about Titus County mining:
Shaft-type coal mines in the Winfield area
Shaft-type coal mines in the Cookville area
Any other mines we may not be aware of
Miscellaneous - Any other early photos or historical information about Titus County that is not listed
Movie Theatres - Any photos available and historical information of the following movie theatres:
Martin Theatre, particularly photos when it was named the Titus Theatre
Palace Theatre
Pleasant Drive-In
Texan Theatre
Lincoln Theatre (Afro-American)
News Media - Any photos available and historical information of the following news media:
Radio Station KIMP, KIMP-FM
The Union (newspaper)
The Daily Hustler (newspaper)
The Talco Record (newspaper)
The Mt. Pleasant Daily Times (when owned by the Cross and Furey families)
Schools - Early photos and historical information about Titus County schools. Please note - this list contains the schools we are aware of, and may not be complete. If you have information about others, we would like to know about them, too:
Argo
Blundell Creek
Chapel Hill
Concord
Cookville
Evergreen
Farmer's Academy
Fielders
Gladewater
Gouldsboro
Liberty
Marshall Springs
Midway
Monticello
Mt. Pleasant
High School and Junior High (on Riddle Street)
East Ward (old buildings between East 3rd/East 4th/Lawn/Florey)
East Ward (old buildings)
West Ward (on N Jefferson and Madison Street)
West Ward (old buildings)
South Ward (old buildings)
Booker T. Washington (old buildings)
P.E. Wallace Junior High
Mt. Sylvia
Oak Grove
Old Union
Overland
Panther
Piney
Pleasant Hill
Progress
Ripley
Rock Hill
Shiloh
Stevens
Stonewall
Sugarhill
Talco
Wilkinson
Winfield
Yancey
Street Scenes - Early photos and historical information about daily life:
Street scenes are general photos of early life that do not show a particular subject. They may include traffic on the road, photos of business districts, highway traffic, or other related subjects. We need early street scenes from Argo, Cason, Cookville, Monticello, Mt. Pleasant, Talco, Winfield, or other Titus County areas.
Transportation - Early photos and historical information about transporation:
AIRPORT / AIRCRAFT:
The Mt. Pleasant Airport
BUSSES:
Bus Station - South Jefferson
Greyhound Bus Lines
Lone Eagle Coach Company Bus Line (Paris to Mt. Pleasant in latter 1920's)
Other Bus Lines Serving Mt. Pleasant
TAXIS:
Any photos of Titus County Taxi Stands and Taxis
TRAINS:
Any Titus County railroad photos (work crews, trains, depot, anything else)
Cookville Train Depot
Cotton Belt Railroad
Cotton Belt Machine Shops in Mt. Pleasant
Mt. Pleasant Train Depot (early photos and articles needed - any time period other than current)
P & MP (The Paris and Mt. Pleasant, or "Pa and Ma") Railroad
St. Louis & Southwestern Railroad
Tyler Tap Railroad
Winfield Train Depot
TRUCKING:
Freight Trucking Companies
MISCELLANEOUS:
Traffic and business establishments on Highway One (now FM-899 and also U.S. 67)
Traffic and business establishments on U.S. Highway 67
Traffic and business establishments on Highway 271 through downtown Mt. Pleasant.
Other Titus County roads (city streets, county roads, etc)
Undertakers - Early photos and historical information about early undertakers:
Riddle & Stevens
Masters & Thomas
Turner Brothers
Tumey-Cherry-Webster
Smith-Bates
Utilities - Early photos and historical information about public utilities:
The Mt. Pleasant water works
The old Mt. Pleasant water service Standpipe (Mt. Pleasant's original water tower
located just north of the current water tower on Edwards Avenue)
Telephone service (when owned by Greenspun)
Telephone service (Southwestern Bell Telephone Company)
Early electric service
the Mt. Pleasant generating plant.
Wartime - Photos and historical information about Titus County during any war time. Subjects include, but are not limited to:
Titus County in the Civil War
War Bond Drives
Scrap drives during World War II
Civil Defense activities during the Cuban Missle Crisis
The National Guard Armory, troops, and equipment
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION NEEDED:
The Prison Farm that was located in the Sugar Hill and Sulphur River area around the turn of the century - need photos (if they exist) and information about where it was, how it was operated, etc.
Early photos and information about the oil industry in Titus County (all aspects including oil wells, refinery, pipelines, wildcatters and other personalities).
The Linger-Longer Park. This was apparently some kind of amusement park in the latter 1920's - early 1930's. Anyone know anything about it?
