Programs of the Grapevine Historical Society (January - November 2010)

The Grapevine Historical Society provides a vast array of excellent opportunities to learn and share the history of the Grapevine Area. We are excited to invite new members (membership form can be found on this website) to our meetings - for all of us have a strong interest in our community and it is nice to share that wealthy of knowledge with others. Our meetings are at 7:00 p.m. in the Meeting Room of the Grapevine Public Library. Come join us! This is a great way to learn about your community, meet others, and spend an interesting evening. If you have new ideas for programs and presenters, your ideas may be conveyed to the Executive Board. You can contact me at 817-920-9790 or email me at motsimmons@gmail.com.

Tom Simmons, 2nd Vice President/Program Chairman

 

January 25, 2010: Dr Paul Benson - "Dallas Bible Warriors"
The main topic will be Dallas Bible Warriors, C.I. Scofield and J. Frank Norris, but Dr. Benson will also cover the sites to be visited on the May field trip. These include the site of the largest Indian encampment of the 1840's in the area, and early settlements preceding Grapevine in Tarrant County, including Marrow Bone Springs and Johnson Station.

February 22, 2010: Dr. C. Edward Spann, Retired Dean of College of Fine Arts at DBU - "Faith and Music of the American Presidents"
This expert and popular speaker on the faith and music of the presidents is an author of a book on their favorite hymns. He will discuss and play many of these hymns; his book contains a CD of the hymns performed by the DBU choir. Dr. Spann will bring his "quiz" showing partial titles of each presidential favorite and play some excerpts of these musical selections. He is the founder and director of the department of Sacred Music of a Baptist Seminary in Sao Paolo Brazil, and has taught at DBU. This is a good time to invite church groups.

March 22: Dr. Ulrich Herrmann - "World War II from the Other Side"
Dr. Herrmann is currently a Professor of Physics at the University of Texas at Arlington. Growing up in Germany at this time in history, he was a member of the Hitler Youth in Nazi Germany during WW II. He was a member of those ominous forces that we can recall from video captions marching through the squares of Europe. He will discuss WW II from an entirely different prospective.

April 9, 2010: Once again we are guided by Dr. Paul Benson on our annual road trip to historical sites in Arlington Texas!
Come sign up; be a part of our annual road trip! Our April 9th field trip is to historical sites in Arlington Texas. This tour will include Top of the Hill Museum which is located at the Arlington Baptist College; the site of the largest Indian settlement on Village Creek; Rose Hill Cemetery including the grave site of Lee Harvey Oswald; Dalworthington Gardens, pet project of Eleanor Roosevelt; and Marrow Springs/Johnson Station. Lunch is scheduled for Catfish Sam's. Reservation forms will be available at the general meetings and on the website in the near future.

April 26, 2010: James Estill Wall - "WWII Japanese Prison Camp"
James was born in 1920, grew up in Grapevine, attended GHS, and then graduated from Texas A & M in Chemical Engineering all prior to joining the Air Force. His topic will center on WW II & being shot down over China & eventual internment in a Japanese prison.

May 24, 2010: Pam Price, Carolyn Ernst, Paul Ernst, and Helen Jean Lucas Reed - "The Grapevine Historical Museum - Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow"
Come see what is special about your Grapevine Historical Museum. In 2009 we had over 30, 700 visitors from many foreign countries as well as many of the 50 United States. Grapevine is a favorite destination for many others who call Texas their home! Touring groups of students and adults alike come visit our museum.

Pam is the Curator of Grapevine Historical Museum and her committee members: Carolyn Ernst, Paul Ernst, and Helen Jean Lucas Reed are going to join her in highlighting our Museum's exhibits on display. These members will present a program entitled "The Grapevine Historical Museum - Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow." Let's take a guided tour of our Museum viewing items depicting the stories of Grapevine and its people.

Docent Recognition: At our May meeting we also plan to honor our many docents. Some of them have worked many years in our museum and some have just begun their "journey." When it comes time for our Main Street Days Festival in May and GrapeFest in September, they once again come to the forefront in their volunteerism mode. We could not have such a successful museum without our docents who share their personal stories about the items in the museum. Come join us as we acknowledge these men and women and give them a BIG "Thank You!" You are always welcome to bring your friends to our meetings and this is one meeting you won't want to miss! And, you are always welcome to join this corps group of docents. We are always looking for those who love to share their onw love of Grapevine with our visitors. (Call Volunteer Coordinator Helen Jean Lucas Reed 817-329-4776.)

June 28, 2010: Joe Wright -"Grapevine Basket Factory, Cotton Gin, Sheep & Chicken Rancher"
This program will be shared with us by Grapevine's own Joe Wright. He will talk about his grandparents. Jesse H. "Granddad" and Effie Wright, whose home acreage was also home for a multiple of business operations that were carried out to make a living. Joe will talk about the intricate operations, manpower, and machinery involved in the manufacturing of handle baskets from cottonwood tree veneer. Other Grapevine subjects will be shared at this meeting. You won't want to miss this bit of Grapevine lore!

July, 2010: NO MEETING
Enjoy your summer break. See you in August!

August 23, 2010: Mike Jacobs - "WWII Holocaust Survivor"
On September 1, 1939, when he was just 14 years old, the Nazi Army invaded Poland. Two months later, the Jakubowicz's were tightly packed into a boxcar with 75 to 100 others. They traveled that way for three days and three nights with no food or water and nowhere to lie down to sleep as they were moved to the ghetto in Ostrowiec. His parents, two brothers and two sisters were later murdered in the Treblinka death camp. Another brother was killed while fighting the Nazis with the partisans. Jacobs was sent to the camp Ostroweic and subsequently transported to Auschwitz (Poland), Birkenau (Poland) and Mathausen-Gusen II (Austria). Americans liberated him from Mathausen-Gusen II on May 5, 1945.

September 27, 2010: Bill Tate - "Additional Findings about Historic Grapevine"
Mayor Bill Tate will be talking about the location of Grapevine Springs and the first settlement, as well as the peace treaty and statehood. This information corrects erroneous information that has been espoused for years. The mayor has other topics are still in the works for possible presentation at this meeting.

October 25, 2010: Bob Ray Sanders - "Grapevine Pictured in Black & White"
Bob Ray Sanders is an editorial writer for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. His presentation will include Grapevine area black community history. He will also recognize some of the accomplishments and contributions made by local area black citizens. Bob Ray attended I. M. Terrell High School with many of the Grapevine students who were bused 21 miles to Fort Worth to achieve segregation. Bob Ray has revived this divided era with a pictorial account of the 1930s though 1960s with his book titled "Calvin Littlejohn."

November 22, 2010 (TBA) Gene Wiley - "The Wallis Hotel"
Gene Wiley will take us through his remembrances of the replication of the hotel that is currently housing the Grapevine Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) offices. He also has sketches of the interior along with other memorabilia. Additionally, Gene will be introducing us to the proprietors of the hotel such as John Wallis, John and Susan Terrill, John and Julia Wiley and additionally the Quayle family that also operated the hotel for about 10 years.

December, 2010: NO MEETING
Have a memorable Christmas holiday with family and friends! See you in January, 2011.