The fall Meeting of the Permian Historical Society was held in the Officers’ Quarters at Historic Fort Stockton.  Fifty people attended.

Registration began at 9:00 a.m. Coffee, juice, muffins and doughnuts were available for breakfast.  Members picked up their 2009 Annuals and perused the books for sale.

J. Tillapaugh read a tribute, written by immediate Past PHS president Ross McSwain, in memory of distinguished PHS member Elmer Kelton, who passed away on August 22nd.

Program VP Betty Cash welcomed members and guests and introduced the speakers:  J. Travis Roberts, who recounted the routes of the Comanche on their raids into Mexico; Hub Parker, who told of ranch life when he was a young man and who read some of his “cowboy” poems; Gene Riggs, who described the character of his grandmother Annie Riggs and what she did to run her hotel; and Betty Hargus, who invited everyone to attend Ft. Stockton’s sesquicentennial.

A catered lunch of lasagna, salad, green beans, bread, tea, and peach cobbler was served.

At the business session, the minutes of the April 2009 meeting were approved as printed.

Treasurer Sherry Phillips urged everyone to pay their 2010 dues today.

President Kelton announced that Genny Townsend, Richard Cummins, and Roger Goertz had agreed to remain on the Board for another term.  There being no other nominations from the floor to replace Patsy White, Eual Huffman moved that the Board’s nominee Beth Hoover be accepted.  Betty Cash seconded the motion, which passed.

John Carpenter’s invitation to hold the 2010 fall meeting in Grand Falls was accepted.

Everyone was reminded to sign the registration sheet and turn in their name tag before leaving.

President Kelton announced that Jim Collett, with the assistance of J. Tillapaugh, will be the editor of the 2010 PHS Annual and that a new slate of officers will be voted on at the spring meeting.

The spring meeting will be held on May 8, 2010 at the Petroleum Museum in Midland.

The ballots for today’s Best Presentation were collected by chair Donna Bell.

The winner of the spring meeting’s Best Presentation Award was won by Peggy Elliot and Mariana Nemir for their program about Women’s Air Force Service Pilots and Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas.

After the door prizes were given out, President Kelton thanked all for coming and the meeting was adjourned.

Peggy Kelton, President         Sue Ann Damron, Secretary

The Fall 2010 meeting will be held at Grandfalls, Texas on October 9th.

Minutes from the Fall 2009 meeting are now posted under Minutes.

Interested in family history?  Checkout The Permian Basin Genealogical Society
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18 October 2008

The fall meeting of the Permian Historical Society was held 18 October 2008 at the Crockett Room in Ozona, Texas. WWII was the theme for the event, which was attended by fifty-one people.

Registration began at 9:30 a.m. Coffee, juice, fruit and pastries were available for breakfast. Books by the day’s presenters and others were on display for attendees to peruse and purchase.

Betty Cash, Program VP, welcomed everyone and introduced the meeting’s speakers, whose presentations were well-received. The programs included:

• History of Ozona and the Davy Crockett Statue by Patsy White
• Gibbs Field and the Winfield Hangar – World War II in Fort Stockton by Betty Hargus
• “Who Was James W. Scott?” Solving a Mystery in the Sheffield Cemetery by Don Jackson
• The Awful Truth, A Young Man’s WWII Letters from the Philippines by Suzanne O’Bryan
• The Gun That Never Was by Russell Smith.

Ballots for Best Presentation were filled out and collected – the winner to be announced at the spring meeting.

Following a delicious casserole meal catered by Chatterbox, the business meeting was called to order by President Peggy Kelton.

President Kelton thanked the kitchen crew for a job well done. She expressed her hope that everyone will be in Midland on April 25th for the spring meeting.

J. Tillapaugh announced that the winner of the Best Presentation award for the April 2007 meeting was Dr. Robert Trentham, who gave a PowerPoint presentation titled The Wink Sink.

The motion to accept the minutes of the April 2007 as printed was seconded by Doug Damron and passed.

Investments Chair J. Tillapaugh reported that as of September 30, our finances were not too bad. As could be seen in the specifics of his printed report, we are cash strong, our income flow is good, and our expenses and income are well matched. We can only hope that things get back on track sooner rather than later.

Jim Collett, Membership VP, asked that attendees fill out the membership card that was in their registration packets and pay their dues for 2009.

President Kelton announced that two directors’ terms have expired. Charlena Chandler of Terrell County has agreed to serve a second term and the Board has proposed Shelly Shackelford of Winkler County to serve. Since there were no nominations from the floor, Betty Cash moved that Charlena and Shelly be accepted by acclamation. Evelyn Stroder seconded the motion, which passed.

President Kelton announced that PHS was open to an invitation as to where to hold the fall 2009 meeting. Betty Hargus of Pecos County extended an invitation to PHS to hold the meeting in Ft. Stockton, which will be celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2009. The date will be announced at the April 2009 meeting.

George Grounds, age 84, won the prize for oldest in attendance and Cade Allen, age 23, won for the youngest. Door prizes were won by Duane Cash, Pat Owsley, and Jenny Waters.

Evelyn Stroder asked for a round of applause to show our appreciation for Julia Cauble Smith, retiring annual and newsletter editor, for the tremendous effort she put into catching us up on our annual production and for her hard work in general for the society. The response was loud and long.

Ozonan Mark White thanked all for making the long drive to Ozona to attend the meeting and expressed his hope that all would have a safe trip home.

President Kelton asked the members to be sure to pick up their annuals and reminded people who are not members that they may buy one for $25.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.

Peggy Kelton, President

Sue Ann Damron, Secretary

2010 Meetings

Fall

WHERE:  Grandfalls, TX

WHEN:  October 9, 2010

DETAILS:  To Be Announced

]]> http://permianhistoricalsociety.org/2008/11/06/meeting-notices/feed/ 0 http://permianhistoricalsociety.org/2007/01/05/to-become-a-member/ http://permianhistoricalsociety.org/2007/01/05/to-become-a-member/#comments Sat, 06 Jan 2007 04:14:36 +0000 Julia http://permianhistoricalsociety.org/2007/01/05/to-become-a-member/ Permian Historical Society was organized in 1958 with the goal of preserving the history of the Permian Basin of West Texas. Membership is open to all who are interested in regional history.

Dues are payable on January 1st of each calendar year and entitle a member to receive newsletters and a copy of our annual journal of articles dealing with Permian Basin history.

To become a member, send your name, post office mailing address, email address, telephone number, and a check for dues to Permian Historical Society Treasurer, P. O. Box 11, McCamey, TX 79752.

There are three membership levels. Individuals, businesses, libraries, museums, and other groups pay dues of $25 annually. Family memberships are $30 and student memberships are $12 each year.

Come help us preserve our region’s history!

Permian Historical Society, organized in 1958 with the goal of preserving the history of the Permian Basin of West Texas, opens its membership to all who are interested in regional history.

Dues are payable on January 1st of each calendar year and entitle a member to

receive all publications, including The Permian Historical Annual with articles

dealing with Permian Basin history.

To become a member, print and complete the following form.

Membership Form

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Description of Permian Archives

The Permian Archives consists of historical items gathered between 1958 and 1971 by early-day Permian Historical Society members as a means of preserving Permian Basin history. After The University of Texas of the Permian Basin opened in Odessa, Permian Historical Society donated its collection of papers, newspapers, maps, books, artifacts, and other historical materials to the Special Collections at that university’s library. These materials, called Permian Archives, may contain original sources to aid those who research the characters and events of Permian Basin history.

Although Permian Archives was begun by the members of Permian Historical Society, it is now the property of the university. Like all state university archival holdings, the materials are available for public use. As the figures below show, the materials in Permian Archives are not often used.

2006 Use and Acquisitions

January-December 2006: 487 patrons. Material Use: 24 folders; 18 photos; 10 microfilm; 42 monographs; 30 serials; 1 video. Copies made: 415.

October-December 2006 Acquisitions: Gordon Hooper donated typescripts and photographs relating to Crane County ranching and UPTB Dean Emeritus James Colwell, a former Air Force General, made additional donations to his extensive Texas Air Force Base collections.

]]> http://permianhistoricalsociety.org/2006/11/29/archives-report-april-september-2006/feed/ 0 http://permianhistoricalsociety.org/2006/11/29/minutes-of-spring-2006-meeting/ http://permianhistoricalsociety.org/2006/11/29/minutes-of-spring-2006-meeting/#comments Wed, 29 Nov 2006 20:01:42 +0000 Julia http://permianhistoricalsociety.org/2006/11/29/minutes-of-spring-2006-meeting/ 26 April 2008

The spring meeting of the Permian Historical Society was held April 26, 2008 at the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum and Chaparral Gallery in Midland, Texas. Registration began at 9:00 a.m. Coffee, juice and breakfast goodies were available for the attendees to enjoy while they visited prior to the meeting. President Peggy Kelton called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m. and said that she was glad to see so many
aprons and bonnets. She asked the members to let the society know of any address changes and if those who have email did not get their newsletter. She asked those who would like to join PHS to fill out the membership card in their packet and turn it it.

Julia Cauble Smith, chairman of the nomination committee, announced that the current officers had all agreed to serve again. They are:

• Peggy Kelton — President
• Betty Cash — VP Program
• James Collett — VP Membership
• Sue Ann Damron — Secretary
• Sherry Phillips — Treasurer
• J. Tillapaugh — Investments

There being no nominations from the floor, Frances Stewart moved that the slate of officers be accepted by acclamation. Doug Damron seconded the motion, which passed.

Charlena Chandler announced that there were books available to be reviewed for the annual. If anyone was interested, the reviews were due by July 1 st .

Patsy White invited the attendees to Ozona on October 18th for PHS fall meeting.

Jean Reid moved that the minutes of the October 2007 meeting be approved as printed in the program. Genny Townsend seconded the motion, which passed.

Miss Kellsey Drgac entertained the gathering with her reading of the very appropriate poem, “Grandma’s Apron.”

Those who had dressed in bonnets and/or aprons came to the front and were voted on for best female and best male participant. Jean Reid won The Apron Book, and Jim Stewart won a white apron with PHS on the pocket.

Program VP Betty Cash then introduced an interesting collection of papers that were presented to everyone’s enjoyment. They included:

The Settlement and Taming of the Big Bend Area of Texas by Travis Roberts
Life in Crane, Texas: A Reminiscence by Sue Christon
The New Deal in the Permian Basin by Dr. J. Tillapaugh
The West Texas Oil Industry and the Effects of World War II by Cade Allen
and,
The Wink Sink by Dr. Robert Trentham.

After a wonderful lunch catered by the Bakers of Stanton, it was time for awards and prizes. President Peggy Kelton presented a framed certificate and a lily for the garden to Julia Cauble Smith for her much appreciated labors producing our bulletins and programs over the past several years. The Best Presentation Award for the 2007 fall meeting was given to Steve Shaw for his Power Point presentation entitled Geology, History, and Water Resources in the Concho River Basin and Edwards Plateau.

After the numerous door prizes were distributed to those holding the winning tickets, President Peggy Kelton thanked everyone for making this such a well-attended meeting and said that she hoped to see them at the fall meeting in Ozona.

Peggy Kelton: President

Sue Ann Damron: Secretary

Elmer Kelton (1926-22 Aug 2009), the No. 1 Western writer of all time and a Fellow of PHS, was born at Horse Camp on Five Wells Ranch in Andrews County, Texas. He grew up on McElroy Ranch near Crane, where his father Buck Kelton was foreman for thirty-six years.  After graduating from Crane High School, he studied at The University of Texas at Austin two years before going into the Army at the end of World War II. Returning from military service in Europe, Kelton graduated from U. T. with a degree in journalism and became a writer for San Angelo Standard Times. Over the years he wrote and edited for Sheep and Goat Raisers Magazine and Livestock Weekly. As he worked for the newspaper and magazines, he managed to write more than forty Western novels which made him a popular and honored author. Kelton received numerous awards including those from Texas Institute of Letters and the Western Literature Association. He was named a Fellow of Permian Historical Society in 2007. PHS is saddened by the loss of this talented and humble friend who was always just one of us!

Lloyd Frederick Stoebner (1930-2006)

Lloyd Frederick Stoebner was a native of Milan County, Texas, and a longtime member of the Permian Historical Society. His home was in Cameron, Milan County, Texas. He died 6 November 2006.

Vernon Albert Vasbinder (1926-2006)
Vernon Albert Vasbinder was born 28 May 1926 in Del Rio, Texas, and graduated from Del Rio High School in 1943. Between 1943 and 1946, he served in the United State Navy during World War II. He graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Science in 1949 and took a Master of Science at Sul Ross State University in 1957. In thirty-nine years of teaching public school, Vernon taught every grade except the second and retired while on the faculty of Odessa High School. He was an active community volunteer and a charter member of Permian Historical Society. Many counted him as a friend and are proud to have known him.

Enid Holm (1928-2006)
Enid Holm was a talented dancer, actress, director, author, and teacher. In the 1940s she began a professional career as a 15-year-old dancer in the Starlight Operettas, now known as the Dallas Summer Musicals. In 1948, she was named Miss West Texas and later was a runner-up to the Miss Texas title. After graduating from the Univeristy of Texas at Austin, Ms. Holm taught dance in Arlington and drama in Ector County schools. She made the arts her life and was the 2003 winner of Texas Medal of Arts Award. Ms. Holm was a charter and life member of Permian Historical Society. She died 22 August 2006.

Edith Irene McNerlin Springer (1915-2005)
Edith Irene McNerlin Springer was a native of Kent County, Texas. At Texas Tech, she majored in government with a minor in history and English. She became a country schoolteacher, spending twenty-six years in the schools of Valley View, Tarzan, and Lenorah. She and her teacher husband, Grover, sponsored Junior Historians at Grady School and encouraged students to research and write local history. Irene and Grover were members of PHS and each was honored with the Permian Pioneer Award in 1994. Edith was always willing to help out at the registration table for PHS meetings with a smile and a kind word.

Joseph Duke Pickle (1910-2005)
Joseph Duke [Joe] Pickle was born in Roscoe, Texas, and moved with his family to Big Spring in 1920. He graduated from Big Spring High School in 1928 and Baylor University in 1932. He started a career with the Big Spring Herald after college graduation and remained there forty-three years until his retirement in 1975. Joe was recognized throughout the state for his journalistic work and his advocacy for a stable water source for West Texas communities. He was secretary-treasurer and spokesman for the Colorado River Municipal Water District from 1948 to 1995. As a strong supporter of PHS for decades, he was named to the Academy of History in 1993, and served a term as its president. He was a man who made a difference in the world he lived in.

Eileen Eiland Welch (1928-2005)
Eileen Eiland Welch was a native of Midland, Texas. She attended Hardin-Simmons University before she married farmer and rancher Charles Welch in 1946. As the church organist most of her adult life, she was a faithful church member. Eileen served as secretary-treasurer of Midland County Livestock Association for more than fifty years and was secretary of Midland Livestock Auction and Sandhills Hereford and Quarter Horse Show. She served as treasurer for Permian Historical Society for eighteen years and upon her retirement three people were needed to take her place. She was honored with the PHS Distinguished Service Award in 2002 and was named a Permian Pioneer in 2003. She was a dear friend to all who knew her.

Eddie Mae Hogg Woodward (1929-2005)
Eddie Mae Hogg Woodward was a rancher and a local historian. She was interested in writing local and regional history and had published an article in The Permian Historical Annual. She was elected to the PHS Board of Directors and was appointed to the Editorial Board at the time of the automobile crash that ended her husband’s life and eventually her own. She was also active in community and civic affairs. Her family, the community, and Permian Historical Society lost a good member and a kind friend with the passing of Eddie Mae.

Barney C. McCasland (1917-2004)
Barney C. McCasland graduated from Texas Technological College in 1938 with a Bachelor of Science in Geology. He worked in the oil industry as a pipeliner, seismographer, and marine geologist with Cities Service and a consulting geologist to various oil and mining concerns. Barney greatly appreciated life — in the present and the past. He was an active member of West Texas Geological Society and of Permian Historical Society. He is remembered for his inquiring mind and his friendly manner.

Noble Hall Smith (1905-2004)
Noble Hall Smith was born and grew up at Granbury, Texas. She was a schoolteacher, band director, and private piano teacher in Crockett County in 1925, when she married rancher Elton Smith. She played the piano and coronet in the Lucky Strike Lady Band and for Lawrence Welk, when he came to San Angelo and to Rankin County Club in the 1920s and 1930s. Noble was always interested in history as a member of Texas Historical Commission, Texas Archaeological Association, and Texas Museum Association. She was a strong supporter of Permian Historical Society, serving on the Board of Directors for many years and driving hundreds of miles to attend meetings. Noble lived in Van Horn, Texas, and is remembered by all who ever met her as a dear friend and an interesting woman.

Betty Wingate Orbeck (1929-2004)
Betty Wingate Orbeck organized Ector County Historical Survey Committee in 1958 and was co-founder of Permian Historical Society, serving as its executive vice president from 1958 to 1962 and as its archivist until 1978. She worked eight years as research assistant for Dr. Samuel D. Myres as he wrote a two-volume petroleum history of the Permian Basin. She was the first archivist at Permian Basin Petroleum Museum, Library and Hall of Fame and remained in that position from 1976 until retirement. She was a local historian who was always willing to help researchers.

Dr. H. Warren Gardner (1939-2004)
Warren Gardner was a native of Kansas, where he was educated at Sterling College, Emporia State University, and University of Kansas at Lawrence (PhD, History). He came to The University of Texas of the Permian Basin in 1983 to serve as the Vice President of Academic Affairs. In 1996 he returned to the history classroom and reestablished his reputation as a master professor, winning the Outstanding Teaching Award in 2003. He also served as the Interim Director of the John Ben Shepperd Public Leadership Institute. He was president of Permian Historical Society in the 1980s and editor of The Permian Historical Annual for many years. He was winner of the PHS Distinguished Service Award in 2003. He was a kind friend, an outstanding professor, and a careful editor.