The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 60, July 1956 - April, 1957 Page: 421
616 p. : ill. (some col.), maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Book Reviews
is an account of the men who envisioned a metropolis to be built
by coal, and began their task by naming the place Newcastle. It
cannot be said that the town ever rivaled its namesake across the
ocean, but it did grow and prosper in its day. There is some
consolation in the thought that oil, which brought about the
closing of the mines and stopped the town's growth, has brought
to the county an immense amount of wealth. A chapter is de-
voted to oil and other minerals.
It is hard to think of anything the author has overlooked in
this history of Young County. There are sketches of the different
towns and important rural communities, with their churches,
lodges, schools, and other agencies. There are the "forts" of
Indian raiding days, the variously-named bends of Brazos and
Clear Fork. There is given a history of Olney, the metropolis of
the north, and Eliasville on the south line. Because of its prox-
imity to the grove where it was held, Eliasville had a major share
in producing the county's chief recreational function for many
years, the Confederate Veterans Reunion. To the people of Young
and adjoining counties it was just "the Reunion"; it needed no
other identification. Ah, those were the days! Three of them
packed full of fun: the camping out and the campfire fare; the
merry-go-round ("swing"); the "lemonade stands"; the shows;
and "the speaking." Yes, we must not forget the "speaking"-
hours of it. With all her faithful portrayal, the author has for-
gotten one item: the band! The brass band; the band that Dillard
Davis led and that his brothers and a few others composed. They
were weak in numbers but strong in wind and courage, and how
the old soldiers did yell when they played "Dixie."
In the matter of identifying people and placing each in his
historic niche, this book is without parallel. There are lists of
gold star veterans of World War II, of the early settlers of the
county as compiled by the Graham Leader. There are biographi-
cal sketches of scores of early settlers and the names of more than
four thousand people appear in the index!
A History of Young County may well serve as a pattern for
other publications of this sort. It is based on research both broad
and intensive; it is carefully written; it contains an immense
amount of information about the county and its people; it is well421
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 60, July 1956 - April, 1957, periodical, 1957; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101163/m1/456/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.