Study the past if you would define the future

Post-Register’s new online feature puts history at readers’ fingertips

A new partnership with Heritage Microfilm has enabled the Lockhart Post-Register to open nearly 140 years of archives and local news to the public. What’s more, rather than having to set aside time to rifle through dusty volumes of history or sort through reams of microfilm researchers can no

w take a look back at Lockhart’s history from the comfort of their homes, with the click of a mouse.

Completed this week, the yearlong cooperative project has made available an online archive with thousands of pages of historic newspapers, dating back to the early 1900s. While the search features allow for searching by date, an added feature allows for a text scan, filtering through local history to pinpoint individual or family names, newsworthy situations or specific businesses.

Searching articles in this online archive will be a service unlike local readers have ever experienced with other online search engines. Instead of wading through hundreds of extraneous links, readers can go straight to the source, and gain access to actual articles about family and friends.

“You’ll be surprised at the information that is available in these archives,” said Post-Register publisher Dana Garrett, who spearheaded the project and has done extensive research into online newspaper archiving. “This partnership makes it easy not only to find specific information, but to take a glimpse into the past – and get lost in the amount of information you can find there.”

In fact, Garrett used the search to assemble snapshots of Lockhart’s news, this week in history. An assemblage of information that would have once taken hours to gather, he said, took only moments.

25 Years Ago
Clay Lloyd’s Champion Steer brought $3050 at the Junior Livestock Auction.

Sam Walton of Wal-Mart launches “Buy America Campaign,” in the now mega-retailer’s 753 stores in 20 states.

The Caldwell County Commissioners Court tentatively approved plans for a scaled-down version of a 12,250-square-foot county office building with an initial cost of approximately $268,000 during a special work session this week. The court, faced with an original cost estimate of nearly $600,000 for the building, decided Monday to building the outer shell, which will contain 12,250 square feet, but only 4,800 square feet of the interior will be finished in the initial phase of construction. That construction is now known as the Scott Annex.

Ten young ladies threw their hats into the ring in an effort to become the next Chisholm Trail Roundup – Kiwanis Rodeo Queen. They were: Amelia Aguirre, Jennifer Fielder, Christine Gonzales, Sami Harrison, Gena Lopez, Shannon Nejtek, Ellen Proctor, Debbie Rupp, Julie Tello and Tina Wesch.

Firestone advertised tires for as low as $25 each. Lockhart State Bank had money market accounts paying 7.25 percent, and CDs paying 10 percent.

Wal-Mart advertised sandals at $7.47. Gellman’s had the price beat at $5.99.

On this week in 1985, HEB was selling fryer parts for 39 cents per pound, while Wuest’s had lettuce for 33 cents each, and Super S sold Schlitz beer for $4.29 for a 12-pack.

Lockhart Implement Company was advertising the 1985 Mercury Lynx.

The Moods were playing at the Circle J Barn.

50 Years Ago
Then-Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson said Sunday United States’ participation in the International Development Association would hold forth a two fold promise: “timely aid for the poor people of the world, and eventual relief for the burdened taxpayer of America.”

Mike Fritsch throws the shot 48 feet 10 3/4 inches to win the Lockhart Relays event for the Lions.

The Lockhart Independent School Board re-elected principals for the coming year. The approved list included: Monroe Bicknell – high school; Jimmy Wilson – sixth grade; Dr. A. L. Weinberger – supervisor; Kenneth Munson – elementary; Mifflin Ellison – Carver schools.

A resolution asking the legislature to close the season on wild turkeys in Caldwell County through Nov. 14, 1964 was passed by the Caldwell County Commissioners Court Monday morning after Loy Duddleston, chairman of the Delhi Game Protective Association, appeared to ask that the resolution be passed.

Youth Fair winners included Michael Scott with the Grand Champion – beef cattle and Robert Reed with Grand Champion – dairy cattle.

The Baker Theater was showing “Guns of the Timberland” with Alan Ladd.

Gellman’s advertised two-way stretch ladies girdles for $1.Homann Humble was giving away Ace Gift Stamps with purchase of Humble products.

Lockhart Implement advertised the new Mercury Monterey for just $2730.

Kreuz Market had Bacon on sale for 47 cents per pound. Wuest’s advertised avocados for 5 cents each while Northside Market was selling two cans of sweet peas for 25 cents.

75 years ago
Corner Drug Store Installs Modern Ice Cream Freezer
The Corner Drug Store is today installing a Taylor Counter Ice Cream Freezer. This little plant is one of the most modern pieces of cream freezing equipment to be had! The capacity is 2 1/2 gallons every 10 minutes, or 40 gallons a day. This freezer will be used by the Corner Drug Store, said Mr. Reid, manager, to give the public a better ice cream and improved service.

Night Shifts pour cement at Post Office Building

J.L. Chrisman, construction engineer for Murch Bros., contractors for the erection of the new post office building, started pouring concrete Wednesday morning and by day and night activity the outer walls were completed by 10 the next morning.

The Irving Club met in The Dr. Eugene Clark Library with Mrs. A.A. Wiede presiding. There was a roundtable discussion on the concrete house which is considered by some architects as the practical home of the future.

Pomerants Dance Studio announced the opening of a special class in ballroom dancing for everyone. A special $2 per month rate was charged for this class.

A wild cat well was to be drilled on the Farm of WC Franks of the Tilmon Community. The test will be watched with great interest.

The Baker Theater was showing “The Lives of a Bengal Lancer” with Gary Cooper.

The Busy Bee sewing club met at the home of Mrs. WD Thompson.

The Band called Mexican Casino played at Uhland Social Bowling Club.

M System Store was selling flour for $1.95 for a 48-pound bag.

Piggly Wiggly had 2 dozen bananas for 25 cents.

The A&P was selling 8 O’clock Coffee for 17 cents per pound.

Glosserman Chevrolet had a brand New Standard Chevrolet for just $465

Rosenwasser’s was selling silk hosiery for 59 cents.

109 Years Ago
W.M. Ray announced the arrival of “Twentieth Century Styles of Spring Merchandise,” including: The Cream of Chicago and St Louis markets – In Street Hats and Baby Caps that cannot be excelled in style, beauty and price.

C.T. Royal’s Livery Stables will furnish outfits for long or short trips, carriages and buggies with or without drivers, or saddle horses at very modest prices.

License was issued authorizing the marriage of Mr. J. Littleton to Miss Roxie Huddleston, both of Dale. The two young people are well known in their community and the Post joins their many friends in hearty wishes for a long and happy voyage through life.

Grand Jury list included R.W. Malone, E.B. Walker, A.J. McKean, W.G. Fuller, J.W. Karbach, S. Lissner, J.O. Lipscomb, L. Williams, Ed Braune, S.B. Owen, W.T. Reed, D. Chamberlain, W.P. Walker, Black Perry, N.O. Reynolds and S.G. Watkins.

Monk & Wiggins advertised “Accuracy, Purity and Promptness” for their motto and “Nothing but the best enters your prescriptions” Telephone # 63.

A listing of candidates for office included J.D. Tardy and Charles Jenkins for City Marshall; M.C. Jeffrey and J.F. Carl for City Secretary; B.F. Dodd and C.W. Stone for Tax Assessor and Collector; and Sam Lissner, V.W. Wiggins and F.L. Hillyer for Alderman.

The Fentress Telephone Lines are nearing the city and we will have direct communication with that prosperous little city in a few days.

The Lyceum and Edmund Vance Cooke are going to have a “pot pie with a Poet” Monday night at the Clark Library and wants you present to partake of a great mental repast.

Attorneys advertising in the newspaper included E.B. Coopwood, Frank S. Roberts, J.F. Carl and M.C. Jeffrey.

Doctors advertising included W.A. Ellison and T.B. Coopwood, along with a dentist Marshal Beaty.

These articles are just a sampling, Garrett said, of the wealth of information available in the online archives. Once protected by strident rules protecting the integrity of the printed page and available only locally, these archives have been professionally handled and transformed into digital documents, opening them up for hobbyists, researchers, genealogists and history buffs across the world.
“In the future, we intend to add other local publications to the archives,” Garrett said. “

In addition to the Post-Register’s lineage grandparent, the News-Echo, which started in 1872, we are working toward adding the Texas Plowboy (1869), the Western Clarion (1854), the Southern Watchman (1854) and the Morning Courier (1908) as well as a German newspaper called the Lockharter Zeitung, from 1901)

The archives, available through a pass-through link at www.post-register.com, are growing daily, as quickly as news itself is created.