FROM THE PRESIDENT:

Eighty years ago, in 1932, the Grapevine Garden Club was formed. According to the “Cultural” section of the Grapevine Area History, only four organizations in Grapevine are older: Masonic Lodge, 1866; Eastern Star, 1906; Bay View, 1910; and Boy Scout Troop 7, 1913. As you all know, the Grapevine Garden Club was the nucleus of a group of women who saved the Cotton Belt Depot from demolition and then formed the Grapevine Historical Society. If you look at the rosters of the Garden Club and the Historical Society you will still see duplication of many names.

The Garden Club has been a trend setter in its 80 years. The Fall Festival, held in 1973 to benefit the new Historical Museum, was the first of many festivals here. Members of the Garden Club have beautified our community with plantings of flowers and shrubs at the Torian cabin, street islands, the GRACE transitional housing, a pass-along garden of native and drought resistant plants near the depot [no longer there], and many other spots in town. They continue to spend hours at the West Texas Street low income housing units, weeding, trimming, mulching, and planting seasonal color for the residents.

They have participated in developing the Grapevine Botanic Garden by providing docents for tours, helping maintain beds, and fundraising efforts for the Ed & Edith Educational Pavilion and the proposed greenhouse.

Although the Garden Club has had a “gold” rating and has been recognized with many awards through the years, this year they received the highest award in Texas by being named the Garden Club of the Year. This award is won through an intricate rating system that involves the officers’ reports to the state, the monetary contributions made to various projects in the state, the civic involvement of the members, preparation of an historical account of their activities through the year, beautification projects, etc., etc., etc.

Here on our website at www.grapevinehistory.org is a tribute to Alberta Nettleton, first president of the Grapevine Historical Society and a member of the Grapevine Garden Club. You can read how the Society began in this article. What an interesting history to know!

Our sincere congratulations go to the Grapevine Garden Club for their well-deserved award. We are proud and honored to have such a long association with you.

Carolyn Ernst, President

 

FROM THE 1^st VICE PRESIDENT:

Our Museum attendance for the month of March was up significantly from that of February. The train was running for all weekends and was operating for the entire week of spring break. Monday to Friday during spring break we had 1253 visitors and the total for the month was 2948.

Maybelle Woods called to tell me that Wade Cummings was NOT the last owner of the ice house as was written in this space last month. Of course we knew that! It was last owned by Jesse Woods, Maybelle’s husband. When Jesse retired in 1968 from the Air Force, after 30 years of service, his fellow airmen asked what he was going to do. Jesse replied that he was going to run the ice house in Grapevine. When they asked Maybelle what she was going to do, in her inimitable fashion, she replied that she was going to run after the man who ran the ice house.

Jesse did much more than run the ice house. He and Maybelle also owned several businesses: an antique shop and they renovated Pat’s Poor Boy Market into rental space. He took a course in clock repair and then collected them. He taught English as a second language at the high school and helped students gain U.S. citizenship. He had a hobby of collecting acorns from beautiful live oak trees and propagating them. Examples of his work can be found in the yard of Harlan Jewett at the corner of Ball and College Streets.

Jesse was the president of the Grapevine Historical Society for 4 years and revitalized its membership. He held many offices in the Rotary Club where he helped initiate the flag program (placement of flags along Main Street on holidays). Jesse also was instrumental in starting our Society’s monthly newsletter.

Jesse was buried under a live oak he had planted in his family’s cemetery in Graham, Texas.

We certainly cannot forget Jesse Woods and his contributions to the city of Grapevine. Read about Jesse in Grapevine’s Most Unforgettable Characters.

Paul Ernst, 1^st Vice President / Museum Curator

 

FROM THE 2^nd VICE PRESIDENT:

Ray Lemons deserves a thank you for sharing his WWII experiences as a gunner aboard a Bomber shot down in German territory at our March 26^th meeting. Ray made us feel the fright, anticipation, oxygen unconsciousness, & loneliness of parachuting out at 23,000 feet. As he regained consciousness, he was left wondering about what had happened to others, while anticipating what would be his own fate on the ground. That fate left him with eventual capture and internment as a POW. Ray’s duration as a prisoner made us empathize with the destiny endured. Additionally, a thank you goes to Charles Young for introducing Ray and relevant experiences of his father. Also, Helen Jean Reed deserves our gratitude for finding Ray through her working with him at ExxonMobil.

April 23^rd we will have a “Fireside Chat” withJ.E. (Jr.) Foust who will present our program. What is it like growing up in small town Grapevine? Who better than Mr. Foust to share his knowledge on the town he grew up in and his family contributed so much to? Mark your calendar and come join us.

ANNUAL ROAD TRIP: Come join us and spend the day touring McKinney’s historic district on Saturday, April 28^th. Our tour guide will be our own Margaret Wood, a native of McKinney. The deadline for turning in your reservation is April 14^th so sign up and get your forms in now! The reservation form is posted here on our website at www.grapevinehistory.org. Mark your calendar and bring your family and friends to visit historic McKinney with us!

PLEASE NOTE: Since Memorial Day is the same day as our monthly meeting and the library will be closed for this holiday, we will not have our May meeting. We always hold our general meetings on the fourth Monday of each month at 7:00 PM in the Program Room at the Grapevine Public Library. Come join us on April 23^rd! You may contact me at 817-920-9790 or email me at motsimmons@gmail.com with your program ideas. For the updated program schedule, check our website at www.grapevinehistory.org!

Tommy Simmons, 2^nd Vice President

 

FROM THE TREASURER:

Hurry; send $40.00 for your ticket to the Great Annual Road Trip to historic McKinney. Non-members can sign up for the Road Trip on the Reservation form; there is an area for you to purchase your reservation ticket as well as become members in 2012. The balance at the end of February was $28,004.18. Income for March included the Images of America: Grapevine book of $308.00, Museum donations of $214.41, Membership dues of $1,640.00, Road trip reservation fees of $320.00, Bank interest of $2.48 for a total income of $2,484.89. This brings the total balance to $30,489.07. Expenses for March included Communications for $420.91, Museum for $ 151.25, Fundraising for $83.59, Program ornament for $10.00, Docent salary for $435.00 bringing the total expenses for March to $1,100.75, leaving a balance of $29,388.32 in the operating budget banking account.

A complete report for March will be available at the April meeting.

Elaine Cary, Treasurer

 

FROM THE MEMBERSHIP CHAIR:

I want to express my appreciation again to all of those who have either renewed their membership for this year or who have decided to join us as new members of the Society. We currently have 161 Individual/Family Memberships and 13 Business/Organization Memberships, making a grand total of 174 members.

Keep spreading the word to your friends and relatives about all of our great programs, along with the fellowship and refreshments we enjoy at the beginning and closing of each of our meetings on the 4^th Monday night of each month at 7:00 in the Community room just off the foyer in the Library.

You can find a copy of the membership form here on the Grapevine Historical Society’s website at www.grapevinehistory.org. Encourage others to join us.

Janet Willhoite Dickey, Membership Chair

 

FROM THE PUBLICITY CHAIR:

Be sure to mark your calendar for the upcoming events this coming month!

Saturday, April 21^st: Spring into Nash Farm is an activity for the whole family. Nash Farm is located at 626 Ball Street. Mark your calendar for a day of fun!

Saturday, April 28^th: Join us on our annual road trip as we explore historic McKinney – guided by Margaret Wood, one of our members. Look for the Reservation Form at our Society’s website at www.grapevinehistory.org. Bring your family and friends. Non-members can join the Society and pay their membership dues for 2012 along with their reservation fee by filling out the appropriate portion of the Reservation Form.

Friday-Sunday, May 18, 19, 20: Once again we need your help as docents during Main Street Days to help at both the Torian Log Cabin and in the Grapevine Historical Museum. Enclosed is your 2012 Volunteer Form. It can be found on our website, too. Contact Helen Jean Lucas Reed. A historical marker designation at Messina’s Shoe Repair will be celebrated as Wall Drug Store is recognized as the former tenant in that building. Also, during Main Street Days Grapevine’s new Convention and Visitors Bureau will have its grand opening at 636 South Main Street.

Ralph Gary, Publicity Chair

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

NEXT MEETING: Mark your calendar for Monday, April 23, 2012 for a “Fireside Chat” with J. E. (Jr.) Foust. Our meeting will be held at 7:00 PM in the Program Room of the Grapevine Public Library located at 1201 Municipal Way.

ANNUAL ROAD TRIP: Join us on Saturday, April 28^th as we journey to historic McKinney, Texas. See the 2^nd Vice President’s article for more information. You can find the RESERVATION FORM here on our website. Print it out and send it and your $40 per person in to the address on the form. (CLICK HERE).

Since Monday, May 28^th is Memorial Day and the same day as our monthly meeting, WE WILL NOT HAVE OUR MAY MEETING as the library will be closed for this holiday.

Recognizing one of our former members of the Grapevine Historical Society…Frances Malcolm, an organizing member of the Captain Molly Corbin Chapter, National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, will be honored with a DAR Marker at Bluebonnet Cemetery, Colleyville, on April 21, 2012 at 2 PM. Friends and relatives are invited to attend this special event.

 

READ ABOUT THE HISTORY OF GRAPEVINE:

Our new pictorial book Images of America: Grapevine
The Grapevine Historical Society recently published pictorial history book arrived in August and You may purchase your book at the Grapevine Historical Museum, the Grapevine Public Library or by mail order. Cost: $22.00 (includes tax).
(Add $4.00 for postage if mailed for a total of $26.00.)

To order by mail , click here to print out the order form.

Two more Grapevine Historical Society Books:

1. Grapevine's Most Unforgettable Characters. Our book is on sale at the Grapevine Public Library. The book costs $85.00. You can pick up your copy there or order it by mail. (Add an additional $5.00 for postage and handling - Click here to print out the book order form.)

2. Grapevine Area History. There are still copies of our first book available at the Library. They cost $70.00. (Again, add an additional $5.00 for postage and handling - Click here to print out the book order form.)

Book Order Forms can be found on this website.

Mail orders for all books should be sent to:
Grapevine Historical Society
P.O. Box 995
Grapevine Texas 76099-0995