By C.T. Hunnewell
-Newcastle, TX
Like the mythical Brigadoon, Newcastle, Texas burst forth this weekend with music, bunting, and dancing to celebrate a century of existence.
On any other weekend a local kid could probably arch a football from the east end of Broadway, the town’s main thoroughfare, to the west side of the street without hitting either vehicle or pedestrian.
Yet, the population swelled Saturday morning with parking at a premium and drivers slow
ed to school zone speeds as hundreds of people crowded shoulder to shoulder on the sidewalks.
Local Newcastle artist, Melanie Mitchell smiled as she watched the gathering from the Newcastle City Hall where she displayed some of her paintings.
“What a day,” Mitchell said. “It’s a wonderful reminder of Saturdays long ago in Newcastle.”
Mitchell’s friend, Connie Little, was equally ecstatic.
“It started out great,” she said, “Newcastle won the homecoming game against Chillicothe. We’ve had two dances last night and another one tonight.”
Outside, celebrants cried out with recognition as hugs and handshakes are exchanged between old frien
ds and relatives. Others bought chances to win a quilt or groceries, while some enjoyed homemade ice cream, lemonade dished from a bell-shaped glass jar, Carmel apples or grilled tacos with fresh-from-the-garden pico de gallo.
Local educator, Rita Crouch stood in front of building where her family once owned and operated one of the town’s grocery stores. However, Crouch cherishes the town’s past like her neighbors, but looks to the future.
“It’s amazing what a great thing it is to see the way people are commemorating this little town,” Crouch said. “With Newcastle schools recognized as exemplary, it’s an invitation for people to come here and see they don’t need a big town to for a good education and quality teaching.”
Venders set up in vacant lots selling a variety of wares.
“I just hope to make it worth it setting up for two day,” said Chester Oliver while patrons browsed his collection of pocketknives. “But I’m not really here to make money.”
The competition didn’t damper local businesses like Jerry’s Meat Market as owners enjoyed a steady stream of customers buying groceries, snacks, sodas and pizzas.
Across the street the Newcastle Variety Store specializes in second hand clothes, VCR tapes, toys and sundry items. The proprietress’ smile confirmed a brisk trade.
The Newcastle Feed Store was closed, but that didn’t stop old men from sitting on the store’s outside bench next to master saddle maker Will Burgess. While Boys in shorts stood next to his table and watched respectfully as Burgess transformed scrap leather into a piece of art.
The pace was no less active inside the Antique Store where NC Centennial organizer Vickie Lyons barely had time to look around. She would run out of ice cream and soda before the end of the afternoon as continuous customers squeezed onto stools in front of the soda fountain. More customers stood two deep and Lyons rushed to fill orders for milkshakes and other fountain drinks.
“A Coke beer float, ” said a middle age man winking with his hand over a woman’s hand sitting beside him, “ with two straws.”
Meanwhile, back of the store, a couple posed at a table dressed as a 19th Century cowboy and a dance hall girl while a photographer with a 21st Century digital camera captured the moment.
Patrons also crowded the Bobcat Café or inspected hundreds of photographs of trophy deer posted on the walls at the “Hole in the Wall” Café. Diners had a choice between a “Saturday Special, Chicken Fried Steak” or “The Hog” a dinner plate size hamburger topped with vegetables, bacon and ham. Café wait staff recommended not ordering a Hog unless the customer is really, really hungry.
At the Newcastle City Park, talk was about Newcastle’s main former industries: coal and the railroad.
Young County Precinct 1 Commissioner John Charles Bullock recounted how his family migrated to the area in 1884. Bullock and others inspected two newly unveiled monuments commemorating the town’s early industries. A painted railroad train wheel and a custom made coal car complete with brass plaque and actual coal.
“I remember when the train was still running,” Bullock said standing in front of the train wheel. “I also remember as kid crawling into those mine shafts, and they were dark.”
Buddy Camp posed for photos in front of the little coal car he custom made for t
he exhibit complete with slabs of coal collected near the Belknap bluffs south of town near the original mines. Camp recalled finding harnesses in his barn that were hitched to donkeys that transported coal up the narrow shafts to the surface.
NHS graduate Earlene Price recounted life prior to the closure of the mines in 1942. She recalled stories from her father, the late Gordon Farabee.
“He was just seven when his father brought him and the rest of the family from Bridgeport by train to open the mines just prior to 1908,” Price said. “It was literally a tent city when they arrived.”
Her father, Price said proudly, worked in the coalmines and later the railroad. He gained a reputation as a Renaissance man. One of his paintings, a Christ crucifixion scene still hangs in the Newcastle Baptist Church. However, Price explained, few of his contemporaries challenged his artistic nature.
“He was so strong,” Price beamed. “When he stood on the front porch and reached up to grab the porch rafters, his biceps touched his ears.”
Price’s younger brother, David Farabee, posed for photographers with a Newcastle Centennial commemorative T-shirt with a black and white “turn of the century” photograph identified as a group shot of the mine owners.
“They wanted to get a picture of someone who was related to somebody in this picture,” Farabee said. Promptly at 1 p.m. a parade moved east on Broadway lead by an honor guard of the local American Volunteer Reserve. The column stopped temporarily while the honor guard and NC veterans rendered honors. Other parade entries included floats, motorcycles, vintage cars, tractors, mount
ed riders, horse drawn surreys and mule drawn wagons. Local businessman Mike “Bear” Young towed a “U.S. Patriot Missile” behind his vintage fire truck and sounded a siren so shrill that most bystanders laughed and held their ears.
After the parade continuous music filled the afternoon from City P
ark as local groups set up equipment to sing at the basketball and tennis courts. Meanwhile, participants join in games such as three legged races, egg toss
, horseshoes and turtle races. The fun didn’t stop at sunset, but the $5 barbecue dinner was gone within two hours leaving stained, but scraped aluminum broiler pans and dozens of empty Dr. Pepper bottles. As darkness settled children played on nearby playground swings while their elders set up lawn chairs inside and out along the fenced tennis courts to listen to the band “One Drink Away.” Adult couples took the dance floors nearest the music while little girls on the far side of the court danced with each other and small boys navigated skateboards.
Like the mythical Brigadoon, Newcastle, Texas burst forth this weekend with music, bunting, and dancing to celebrate a century of existence.
On any other weekend a local kid could probably arch a football from the east end of Broadway, the town’s main thoroughfare, to the west side of the street without hitting either vehicle or pedestrian.
Yet, the population swelled Saturday morning with parking at a premium and drivers slow
ed to school zone speeds as hundreds of people crowded shoulder to shoulder on the sidewalks.Local Newcastle artist, Melanie Mitchell smiled as she watched the gathering from the Newcastle City Hall where she displayed some of her paintings.
“What a day,” Mitchell said. “It’s a wonderful reminder of Saturdays long ago in Newcastle.”
Mitchell’s friend, Connie Little, was equally ecstatic.
“It started out great,” she said, “Newcastle won the homecoming game against Chillicothe. We’ve had two dances last night and another one tonight.”
Outside, celebrants cried out with recognition as hugs and handshakes are exchanged between old frien
ds and relatives. Others bought chances to win a quilt or groceries, while some enjoyed homemade ice cream, lemonade dished from a bell-shaped glass jar, Carmel apples or grilled tacos with fresh-from-the-garden pico de gallo.Local educator, Rita Crouch stood in front of building where her family once owned and operated one of the town’s grocery stores. However, Crouch cherishes the town’s past like her neighbors, but looks to the future.
“It’s amazing what a great thing it is to see the way people are commemorating this little town,” Crouch said. “With Newcastle schools recognized as exemplary, it’s an invitation for people to come here and see they don’t need a big town to for a good education and quality teaching.”
Venders set up in vacant lots selling a variety of wares.
“I just hope to make it worth it setting up for two day,” said Chester Oliver while patrons browsed his collection of pocketknives. “But I’m not really here to make money.”
The competition didn’t damper local businesses like Jerry’s Meat Market as owners enjoyed a steady stream of customers buying groceries, snacks, sodas and pizzas.
Across the street the Newcastle Variety Store specializes in second hand clothes, VCR tapes, toys and sundry items. The proprietress’ smile confirmed a brisk trade.
The Newcastle Feed Store was closed, but that didn’t stop old men from sitting on the store’s outside bench next to master saddle maker Will Burgess. While Boys in shorts stood next to his table and watched respectfully as Burgess transformed scrap leather into a piece of art.
The pace was no less active inside the Antique Store where NC Centennial organizer Vickie Lyons barely had time to look around. She would run out of ice cream and soda before the end of the afternoon as continuous customers squeezed onto stools in front of the soda fountain. More customers stood two deep and Lyons rushed to fill orders for milkshakes and other fountain drinks.
“A Coke beer float, ” said a middle age man winking with his hand over a woman’s hand sitting beside him, “ with two straws.”
Meanwhile, back of the store, a couple posed at a table dressed as a 19th Century cowboy and a dance hall girl while a photographer with a 21st Century digital camera captured the moment.
Patrons also crowded the Bobcat Café or inspected hundreds of photographs of trophy deer posted on the walls at the “Hole in the Wall” Café. Diners had a choice between a “Saturday Special, Chicken Fried Steak” or “The Hog” a dinner plate size hamburger topped with vegetables, bacon and ham. Café wait staff recommended not ordering a Hog unless the customer is really, really hungry.
At the Newcastle City Park, talk was about Newcastle’s main former industries: coal and the railroad.
Young County Precinct 1 Commissioner John Charles Bullock recounted how his family migrated to the area in 1884. Bullock and others inspected two newly unveiled monuments commemorating the town’s early industries. A painted railroad train wheel and a custom made coal car complete with brass plaque and actual coal.
“I remember when the train was still running,” Bullock said standing in front of the train wheel. “I also remember as kid crawling into those mine shafts, and they were dark.”
Buddy Camp posed for photos in front of the little coal car he custom made for t
he exhibit complete with slabs of coal collected near the Belknap bluffs south of town near the original mines. Camp recalled finding harnesses in his barn that were hitched to donkeys that transported coal up the narrow shafts to the surface.NHS graduate Earlene Price recounted life prior to the closure of the mines in 1942. She recalled stories from her father, the late Gordon Farabee.
“He was just seven when his father brought him and the rest of the family from Bridgeport by train to open the mines just prior to 1908,” Price said. “It was literally a tent city when they arrived.”
Her father, Price said proudly, worked in the coalmines and later the railroad. He gained a reputation as a Renaissance man. One of his paintings, a Christ crucifixion scene still hangs in the Newcastle Baptist Church. However, Price explained, few of his contemporaries challenged his artistic nature.
“He was so strong,” Price beamed. “When he stood on the front porch and reached up to grab the porch rafters, his biceps touched his ears.”
Price’s younger brother, David Farabee, posed for photographers with a Newcastle Centennial commemorative T-shirt with a black and white “turn of the century” photograph identified as a group shot of the mine owners.
“They wanted to get a picture of someone who was related to somebody in this picture,” Farabee said. Promptly at 1 p.m. a parade moved east on Broadway lead by an honor guard of the local American Volunteer Reserve. The column stopped temporarily while the honor guard and NC veterans rendered honors. Other parade entries included floats, motorcycles, vintage cars, tractors, mount
ed riders, horse drawn surreys and mule drawn wagons. Local businessman Mike “Bear” Young towed a “U.S. Patriot Missile” behind his vintage fire truck and sounded a siren so shrill that most bystanders laughed and held their ears.After the parade continuous music filled the afternoon from City P
ark as local groups set up equipment to sing at the basketball and tennis courts. Meanwhile, participants join in games such as three legged races, egg toss
, horseshoes and turtle races. The fun didn’t stop at sunset, but the $5 barbecue dinner was gone within two hours leaving stained, but scraped aluminum broiler pans and dozens of empty Dr. Pepper bottles. As darkness settled children played on nearby playground swings while their elders set up lawn chairs inside and out along the fenced tennis courts to listen to the band “One Drink Away.” Adult couples took the dance floors nearest the music while little girls on the far side of the court danced with each other and small boys navigated skateboards.Just 100 years and counting.
A shorter version of this story can be found in the Wichita Falls Times Record News.
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