Tag Archives: Willie Chapman Cooper Hobby

Tribute to Florence Stratton

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Tribute to Florence Stratton

Dear Della,

Susie died last night. That’s why her letter won’t be in its usual place in the Enterprise tomorrow morning. We thought you ought to know. Here at the office we’re all rather stunned. Susie belonged to both papers, you know. She gave about 35 years of her life to these papers, Susie did, and from the editor who read her copy to the boys upstairs who set it there’s a strange, hard reluctance to accept the fact that her desk over there in the corner is closed for good.

Susie was … well, call it a tradition. She had more sheer newspaper sense up in her little finger than we brash younger fry have in our collective brain. We used to ride her a lot. Kidding Susie was good fun?—because she was “old school.” Hers were standards of that first brave sortie of women into curt, intense business of journalism. And she clung to them to the last in spite of us. Underneath, we loved her for it. She knew that, thank goodness. Good old trail-blazer.

Della, just to look at Susie you’d never have guessed the enchanting glamour of her life, Quiet and self-effacing, Susie was, with a funny little habit of tidying her hair all the time. But she’d met presidents, interviewed princesses, attended the highest functions of Washington. Long-distance calls came to her from Harper’s Publishing company, from the New York Times, from senators. I never knew a woman could have so many contacts—important ones. I never knew a woman who could, even by virtue of long service to a specialized profession like journalism, find somebody she knew in every city of importance in the nation. I never went to Susie with a question and came away without an answer.

M.M.

Beaumont Journal January 29, 1938

Farewell To A Valued Friend:

THE DEATH of Miss Florence Stratton brings genuine sorrow to a numerous company. It is with a feeling of the greatest personal loss that those of us who had been closely associated with her through the years in newspaper work mourn her passing. And all of us who knew her well feel quite certain that when she entered that corridor of eternal darkness she did so unafraid, her head held high and her spirit uncowed.

First as a public school teacher and then as a newspaper woman, her whole life from youth to death was busy and useful. She loved her work, found no diversion that equaled it in pleasure and satisfaction,and to it devoted her talents and energy to the full. On her last assignment when she suffered a slight stroke she stood by her guns until her chore was completed, then left the office never to return. Into her work she put the sympathy and sentiment that marked her character. She was always a womanly woman, concerned primarily with the interests of women, and always a gentlewoman in the broad and best sense of the word. In the course of her long and honorable service she made and kept innumerable friends, by all of whom she will be tenderly remembered, and the still larger circle who knew her through her work will not soo forget…

Beaumont Journal January 29, 1938

Beaumont Enterprise January 31, 1938

Friends of Low and High Estate pay final respects to Miss Florence Stratton

-One, Only ‘Susie Spindletop’ Called Rare and Gracious Influence, Versatile Genius

Several hundred people, her friends in life, paid the last tribute yesterday afternoon to Susie Spindletop. Miss Florence Stratton, for more than 35 years a Beaumont newspaper woman, and one of the most beloved figures in the newspaper world of her Texas, was buried on a hillside in Magnolia cemetery following impressive services at her home on McFaddin avenue. Her grave was covered with flowers, great sprays of blossoms she dearly loved, and smaller offerings from friends representing every walk of life in her city.

Rev. George E. Cameron, rector of St. Mark’s Episcopal church, who conducted the rites at the residence and at the graveside, said of her that there was but one Susie Spindletop– one Florence Stratton, and that she was the exception to the rule that everyone’s place could be filled satisfactorily by someone else.

While he spoke there was hardly a dry eye. Every room on the lower floor was filled, while scores stood outside. Every old family of Beaumont was represented. In the throng were many of Beaumont’s most prominent figures in the world of business, its courts, and professions.

                                                            Associates Attended

Scattered among those attending, often in little groups with saddened, downcast faces, was almost every newspaper man and woman in the city, with many of the Fourth estate who had worked with her in years gone by.

During the services several red camellias lay on her stilled typewriter in the editorial room of the Enterprise, place there by some member of the staff.

Miss Stratton’s body lay in a gray casket in the quaint dining room of her home beneath the portrait of her beloved grandfather, the late Asa E. Stratton, Sr. The casket was covered with a gorgeous blanket of white carnations, the offering of The Enterprise company, to which Miss Stratton had been attached for about 18 years. Upon her breast was a small spray of lilies of the valley and violets, which were perhaps her favorite flowers.

                                                         Floral Memorials

The entire house –the one spot on earth she loved best –was filled with blossoms. They came from every section of Texas –Houston, San Antonio, Dallas –from New Orleans, Lake Charles and other cities of Louisiana, from Tulsa, from her beloved Brazoria County, her birthplace, and from as far away as Virginia. The floral offerings from distant points, however, were limited only by the fact that distant friends did not know of her sudden passing in New Orleans Friday night.

Near the casket stood an appealing floral piece made of Japanese magnolias, sent by Miss Stratton’s fellow workers of the Enterprise staff. There was another from the editorial staff of The Beaumont Journal and other employees of the newspaper, on which she was employed prior to that paper’s being taken over by The Enterprise in 1920.

There were also flowers from the typographical chapels of The Enterprise and Journal –the men who for years “set” the Sunday column known as “Susie Spindletop’s Weekly Letter,” and her garden features and others. Among the offerings were those from Mrs. Ruth Sergent of San Antonio, her close friend; Miss Matilda Gray of Lake Charles, and her nephew, Lieut. Ernest Stevens of the United States navy, stationed at Portsmouth, VA.

                                                         From Out of Town        

Among relatives and friends from out of the city were Mrs. Tom Stratton of Angleton, Mrs. Jessie Stratton of Angleton, Bryan Stratton of Houston, Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Burkhart, Jr., of Houston, Mrs. W. V. Ezell, her aunt, of Houston, and Miss Mary Masterson, Mrs. Edna Saunders, Underwood Nazro, Martin Miller and Jimmy Bonner of Houston.

There were several long-distance calls of condolence, as well as telegrams of those of her friends –and she numbered them from New York to San Francisco –in every part of the country.

Rev. Mr. Cameron opened the Episcopal service with a part of the 14th chapter of St. John –“Let not your heart be troubled.”

Then he spoke tenderly of Miss Stratton, telling of the unusual place she held in Beaumont and in Texas. He called special attention to her charities, all of which were little known to any save those who accidently found them out. He said that her spirit was as exquisite as old lace, and that “like old lace, she fitted into any environment.” He said that her heart had a tremendous capacity for affection.

                                                        “A Gracious Influence”                                          

His remarks follow:

“This hour is one of deepest bereavement. Standing here among these books, the old family heirlooms, these beautiful flowers and loyal friends, and in this little humble cottage, surrounded by green trees and shrubs each planted by their mistress with a yearning and searching heart we feel the gentle impact of the spirit of her who only a few hours ago, was such a lively gracious influence in our lives.

She was a genius as rare as she was versatile. She is an exception to the rule that everyone’s place can be filled satisfactorily by some other person. There was only one ‘Susie Spindletop.’ Our beloved was an extremely keen intellect that brought meaning out of every phase of human activity. Nothing escaped her notice, and with her imagination awakened her literary paragraphs ran on endlessly and interestingly because they were as broad and as deep as life, itself.

We wonder if these treasured symbols can speak to our hearts as they spoke to our beloved. Among these books there walked a veritable host of literary minds that provided a congenial fellowship; these fragrant blossoms were messengers of peace and refreshment that called to mind the shady lanes and quiet places of childhood and youth; this humble cottage was a friendly home where acquaintances could meet and exchange ideas, without fear of misunderstanding and without criticism, and every bush that bloomed and every bird that sang around this home brought messages from the mysterious spaces of life.”

                                                                Her Charities                                              

“Her heart had a tremendous capacity for affection. Not only was she at home with and an inspiration to every accomplished scholar she met, but she loved without stint the poorest, lowest creature on earth. Suffering and injustices aroused her deepest emotions, and upon the helpless she spent herself in affection, bringing help, and relief to untold numbers among the poor of the city.

Her spirit was as exquisite as old lace, and like old lace she was adaptable and fitted pleasantly into any environment. Hence she never complained, and often we marveled at her patience. She was the embodiment of gentility and had absorbed into her personality the nectar of fragrance from the roses of her own garden.

Yet there was a wistful element in her nature. She saw so much to do, so many distressed people to be helped, so many important events still unwritten, so many books yet unborn, one was immediately impressed with her yearning to work and help. We commend her to our heavenly father the source of all intellect, the prime mover of every human impulse, the inspiration of every noble deed, with the belief that in his hand, under his guidance, her yearning for completeness and goodness will be fulfilled. May the Lord bless her and keep her, and make his face to shine upon her and be gracious unto her.”

                                                       Miss Kent Plays                                                                  

At the close of his talk, which brought tears to many, he offered a prayer, and Miss Alice Kent, a friend of Miss Stratton, played the violin.

Tenderly her body was taken from the home she loved by a group of her friends. Acting as pallbearers were Ashley Weaver, Alfred Jones, Terry Duff, Sam Lipscomb, Norval McKee, Bernard Deufser and Frank Godsey, of Beaumont and her friend Watson Neyland, of Liberty. Employees of The Enterprise and Journal were honorary pallbearers.

The procession of cars from the home to Magnolia Cemetery, escorted by motorcycle police, was more than a mile long. Silently as they left her under the blankets of flowers her newspaper people wrote “30,” their farewell.

Florence Stratton  March 21, 1881- January 28, 1938

Thoughts and Ramblings: Researching Susie, Willie’s Memorial Book, the 125th Anniversary of the Lucas Gusher, Rice Dryers, and VMSB-931

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Over the last few weeks, I’ve been back to researching Florence Stratton. I’ll get into her life in more detail later this month, but regular readers of this blog know that I’ve been researching her since 2012. My ongoing endeavor—collecting all of her “Susie Spindletop’s Weekly Letter” articles from February 28, 1926, to January 23, 1938 (the final letter, dated January 30, 1938, was written by someone else)—continues.

I do have most of the letters, but my goal is to obtain legible photocopies of every Weekly Letter, and that has proven to be a challenge. While all of them were scanned at some point, many of those on microfilm—as well as some available online—are barely readable. If you do the math, that’s about 520 letters. It’s not an overwhelming number, but it will still take time. Physical copies exist at the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center (the Sam Center) in Liberty, which adds another layer to this already lengthy project. We’ll see how it goes.

The new year also came with a resolution to find new homes for some of my books. Between 2012 and 2016, I acquired many volumes that are difficult—if not impossible—to find unless you’re physically at the Sam Center. Phase one of this effort resulted in a donation to the Jefferson County Historical Commission (JCHC) library. Phase two is still undecided, as I’m not yet sure where the remaining books will go—except for my Florence Stratton books. I know exactly where those are headed.

One of my prized possessions is the Willie Cooper Hobby memorial book, which was never formally published. I assume it was distributed only to a select group of people. I’ve seen only two other copies: one at the Lyndon B. Johnson Library (which holds Willie Cooper’s papers) and another at the Tyler County Historical Commission in Woodville. Willie Cooper Hobby was the first wife of William P. Hobby, Governor of Texas from 1917 to 1921; the daughter of Sam Cooper, who was instrumental in securing Beaumont’s deepwater port; and the best friend of Florence Stratton. I’ll leave a link here for those interested in Willie’s story:

Willie Chapman Cooper Hobby

In other news, last week I attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Spindletop Park on Port Arthur Road. The event showcased new interpretive panels commemorating the 125th anniversary of the Lucas Gusher and the beginning of the Spindletop oil boom. The park has been in disrepair for some time, but the Beaumont Heritage Society (BHS) applied for and received a grant from the McFaddin-Ward Foundation to fund the panels, which are designed to last at least 25 years. A big shout-out to Shelby Brannan, director of BHS, for making this happen.

Judith Linsley was the main speaker that day. Along with her sister Ellen Rienstra and Jo Ann Stiles, she co-authored Giant Under the Hill: A History of the Spindletop Oil Discovery at Beaumont, Texas in 1901, an excellent and highly recommended book. Also in attendance were descendants of August Nelson of the Nelson & White surveying firm, who brought along a 1913 map of Jefferson County and a 1902 map of the Spindletop oil field. I’ve added photos of these items.

This was one of the first events I’ve attended in quite a while, and I truly enjoyed it. I also dusted off my camera and photographed the event—doing a respectable job, considering how long it’s been. Here’s a link to the photo set:

IMG_3782

On Wednesday, I played hooky from work because I was invited to tour a rice dryer. Most people probably wouldn’t find that exciting, but I have a long-standing obsession with these structures and have wanted to see the inside of one for years. Thanks to the owners, I finally got my chance—and I wasn’t disappointed. I’ll share a few photos here, but I will say this: riding the elevator is an experience. Now I know what a torpedo feels like when it’s fired in slow motion.

I hope to dive deeper into this subject later in the year, but lately I’ve felt the urge to cross more items off my bucket list. On that note—does anyone happen to have a B-17, B-24, or T-6 Texan with an extra seat? I feel a strong need to expand my list.

Thursday morning found me back at work, but that wasn’t so bad because I was working at the tower at Jack Brooks Regional Airport—always a treat, especially when you can watch takeoffs and landings. Being there also reminded me of the history of Marine Scout Bomber Squadrons VMSB-931 and VMSB-932, which were based here briefly in 1944 for dive-bomber training. Below is a recap of research I conducted in 2019.

It was fall 1944, and the war was still raging on both fronts. Like most periodicals across our nation, local SETX newspapers centered on the liberation of Belgium and the European theatre. The heavy fighting on Peleliu and throughout the Pacific were occasionally mentioned, but these events seemed to take a back seat to the success in Europe. It would be at this theatre that Marine Aircraft Group 93 (MAG-93) would train its pilots for battle. MAG-93 began in April 1944 at Cherry Point, North Carolina. Its first squadron was commissioned on April 15th under the command of Major John L. Dexter and was known as Marine Scout Bomber Squadron 931. Other squadrons, such as VMSB-932, would also be commissioned into MAG-93 and would spend countless hours (round the clock, for a brief time) in training centered at Jefferson County Airport. However, the Marine Scout Bombing Squadron (VMSB-931) will be our main focus in this article.

Jefferson County Airport 1945

In May, VMSB-931 was transferred to Eagle Mountain Lake, Texas (near Ft. Worth) to begin their operational training. It also became attached to Marine Aircraft Group 33 (MAG-33). The squadron consisted of 18 SBD-5 (Dauntless)-type aircraft with 37 commissioned officers and 160 enlisted men. Records show that only one operational accident occurred during this period, which resulted in the damage and loss of an SBD-5. Fortunately, there was no loss of life, and the squadron continued their training through July, attaining a 43.1% readiness for combat rating by their superior.

By August, it was time for the squadron to begin the second phase of their training; thus, the VMSB-931 were temporarily detached to the U.S. Naval Section Base in Sabine Pass, Texas “for duty in connection with the basing of tactical squadrons of Marine Aircraft Group 33 at Jefferson County Airport, Beaumont, Texas. This duty includes gunnery, dive-bombing, and overwater navigation training,” wrote Commander John L. Dexter in the squadron’s war diary on the first of August. The next week would consist of setting up operations at their new location and finally beginning their overwater flight training on August 8th.

As most of us know, the Gulf can be very unpredictable in September, and 1944 was no exception. On September 9th, a tropical storm formed about 170 miles southeast of Matamoros, Mexico, and began to move north. All planes were evacuated out of the area to where I would assume was back to Eagle Mountain Lake. Their absence would not last long, however, because Tropical Storm Six would move northeast and make landfall at the Mississippi River Delta on the 10th with top winds of 65 mph. Needless to say, all planes were back on September 11th. Training resumed the next day, and here is where our story takes a deadly turn.

During overwater flight training off the coast of the Sabine Pass, 2nd Lieutenant Marion M. Puliz attempted to rendezvous from below the lead plane flown by 2nd Lieutenant Richard L. Savoie, resulting in a mid-air collision. Both planes crashed into the Gulf and sank in 35 feet of water. Both pilots and the two gunners, Corporal Richard R. Stoddard and Private First Class William C. Bathurst, were killed. 2nd Lieutenant Puliz’s body was the only one recovered out of the four.

More tragedy hit 931 eight days later when 2nd Lieutenant William G. Duvall “attempted a slow roll at low altitude. He lost control and went into a progressive stall, hitting the water on the left wing. Plane was observed to explode and sink immediately upon striking the water,” wrote Commander Dexter. Both the pilot and the gunner, Private First Class Albert W. Bitner, perished in the crash, and neither body was recovered.

Amazingly, there are a few newspaper accounts of these tragedies; however, with few of them offer details of the actual crashes. For instance, the Port Arthur News reports consisted of the identities of the victims and, oddly enough, a few mentions of sightings of a body a few weeks later off the coast of High Island. A search for the bodies after each accident occurred was conducted by the Coast Guard, but no remains were found.

An article dated September 27 reported that a swimmer informed the Coast Guard that he had brushed against a body while swimming just off the coast of High Island. A search ensued that lasted until 2 a.m. but was deemed “fruitless” by Coast Guard officials who, in their statement, said that the swimmer “had been mistaken.”

The following day, the Port Arthur News reported, “Louis Welch of Sabine Pass, county commissioner of Precinct 3, also reported seeing the body to Coast Guard officials. According to Welch, he sighted the body floating in the Gulf water about one mile east of the Chambers and Jefferson Counties boundary line.” Welch tried to “tow it ashore,” but a wave swept the body away. The search for the body was resumed, but it was never recovered.

Operational training ended September 21st for the VMSB-931, and the squadron returned to Eagle Mountain Lake a few days later. But this was not the end of the Marine Aircraft Group’s training facilities here in Jefferson County, as the 932 (VMSB-932) would arrive at Jefferson County Airport on September 26th to begin their operational training as well. I am unsure where these brave young men ended up after their training, but I can only guess that a few would have participated in ending this long, drawn-out war. I researched further, but there are thousands upon thousands of war diary documents to sift through and many more rabbit holes that I find myself not capable of going down in a relatively short amount of time. One day, if time permits, I would like to continue on the trail of the 931, but plenty more tales are coming soon.

Sources:

Jefferson County Historical Commission archives

Fold 3

Until next week!

Thoughts and Ramblings: SS Texaco Oklahoma; Gulf of Venezuela; Eagle Otome; Godspeed to Those Wanting to See the Eclipse

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Last week was the fifty-third anniversary of the SS Texaco Oklahoma sinking. Obviously, the Oklahoma was a Texaco tanker. It sunk off Cape Hatteras in high seas on its way from Port Arthur to Boston. I’ll leave a few links at the bottom of this blog. Many of the crew who perished were from Port Arthur and nearby communities. Thanks to Fr. Sinclair Oubre for keeping their stories alive and to the Port Arthur International Seafarers’ Center for being a lighthouse for mariners who are in port and want to go shopping and spend money locally. Unlike other independent taxi services, they transport the crews without charging hefty fees. Ten or fifteen dollars is a lot better than eighty or one hundred. What say you?

There is another anniversary coming up, and I know this because a few years ago, I was walking the grounds of Greenlawn Cemetery in Groves and came across a tribute memorial stone. (Apparently, I do this a lot. I can’t enter a cemetery and not find something that catches my eye.) The stone in question is for the Gulf Refining Company employees who lost their lives in the Gulf of Venezuela fire. This tanker was a Gulf ship docked in Port Arthur in 1926. On the morning of April 11, at about three in the morning, there was a bit of a problem.

Just before the explosion on the Venezuela Sunday morning, which cost the lives of 27, the last tank being filled overflowed on the deck, [as] established this afternoon in the testimony of L. W. Williams, night dock foreman at the Gulf refinery, and L. W. McFaddin, dockman, both on duty at the time.

I’ll leave some photos of the newspaper articles. This was certainly a tragedy on a big scale. It reminds me of what happened to the tugboat Chief in November 1936. My great-uncle was employed at the Magnolia Refinery as a fireman on that tugboat and was waiting at the Atreco docks (the Total docks nowadays) for a tanker to arrive to bring to Beaumont. The Chief was a wooden tug, probably built in 1893, so it was not equipped with the best 1936 technology. I guess it wouldn’t have mattered because someone turned on the gasoline hose and the fuel spewed onto the tug and spilled into the engine room where my uncle and the cook, Paul Harris, were.

In the end, my uncle drowned, so he must have got out of the engine room to jump in the water. I have all the newspaper articles about the incident and what happened later. I will not go through all the family stuff, but I will say that when I was inquiring about my uncle’s death certificate, I discovered that a client of mine owned the house he lived in back in 1936, and I’ve been working there occasionally for the past twenty years or so. I’ll leave a link about the tugboat Chief as well.

Since this has organically become a maritime blog, I want to make an observation on the tragedy that happened on March 26 in Maryland. To those not in the know, the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after the container ship MV Dali lost power and hit one of its piers. The bridge went down like a house of cards, leaving a major international port and four military ships trapped for who knows how long. My observation is as follows: Why in the hell didn’t they put concrete pilings (dolphins) next to the structure? At first glance, I didn’t even see the dolphins near the piers—because there aren’t any. Oh well, I’m in Texas.

The Martin Luther King Bridge as well as the Rainbow and Veterans Memorial Bridges have them. You would have to take them out strategically. I’m sure the Texas Department of Transportation is on the ball when it comes to the Houston ship channel (gasp).

Thanks to Sam Bronson Cooper, U.S. congressman and father of Willie Cooper Hobby, the Port of Beaumont is a thing and has grown into the fourth busiest port in the United States; it is also a military hub. Things happen, including the Eagle Otome in January 2010. It lost power and hit a barge just after sailing under the Martin Luther King Bridge. I especially remember this because I spent the next day working on Pleasure Island, smelling crude oil in the northerly winds after a cold front moved in. I will spare you of my time working for the Corp of Engineers.

To those ready to see the partial solar eclipse in this area and to those paying big money to have a great experience seeing it in central Texas: good luck and Godspeed. According to all the Aggie weather peeps, it will be raining. If it is raining, I have a few lunar eclipse photos. I always enjoy lunar eclipses, or maybe it’s just the Pink Floyd music! Also, if you’re in a location where you can see the partial eclipse but have no glasses, just look down at the ground. Whatever the shape of the sun, you can see it under a tree. The shadow of the leaves forms the shape of the eclipse. Prove me wrong!

Until next week, Live Long and Prosper!

Texaco Oklahoma:

Click to access texoklahoma.pdf

https://www.hartenergy.com/exclusives/ss-texaco-oklahoma-among-lessons-learned-maritime-safety-18234

Tugboat Chief:

Tugboat Chief

Eagle Otome photos:

https://flic.kr/s/aHsjpmys2t

Thoughts and Ramblings: Rediscovering Florence Stratton

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A fellow researcher texted me last week to see if I had a couple of articles on Florence Stratton, one from 1975 and the other from 1980. I looked, and I found that I did have the one from 1975, but not the other. Unfortunately, the Beaumont Enterprise issues after 1940 are not available on Genealogybank.com. I believe you can search the Beaumont Journal up to the 1970s, but there are only a few mentions of her there. I don’t know if any other newspaper archive has the Beaumont Enterprise digitized, but if you see one, hit me up! Rediscoveringsetx@gmail.com

Laura Young wrote the article from 1980, which has some good crumbs from the past in it, although it states that the town of Florence in Williamson County, Texas, was named after Florence Stratton. Of course, this isn’t true because the town was founded in 1858, twenty-three years before Florence was born. At the time, I dismissed this and thought that Eunice might have been wrong; but as I reread the article, I developed a different view of what might have happened. The reporter most likely put two and two together and came up with a fractional number because that sometimes happens when you interview someone. I’ve done a few interviews, and occasionally, when you tell them “this, that, and the other thing,” they’ll only use “that” and forget about “this and the other thing.” I do get that there’s a deadline, but get the story right. I will also state that some researchers have also been guilty of this in the past. So, as Bill Quick would often say, you need at least three sources, not one. I’m not perfect, but this is the rule I follow.

As I said, the 1980 article does have some spot-on facts and some nuggets of oral history that researchers and historians can use. The people interviewed knew Florence, so they can give us a behind-the-scenes account of who she was—a phrase she would say, how she wore her hat, or how people reacted to her. This is all of great importance when researching someone who was not in the limelight. I began my journey researching Florence in 2012, and I have a decent database on her life, which allows me to say that she never put herself on a pedestal. Florence made others feel like they were the talk of the town. I guess this is why, initially, I had so much trouble finding anything about her.

Col. R.C. Duff Drives Gold Spike July 1907

The article from 1975 was written by Susan Gilbert, and it has a lot of the same information on Florence’s life as the other article. It has Eunice, her niece, along with others who knew her, telling stories. One thing this article has that the 1980 one doesn’t is that it mentions the railroad station/town (there is even the same photo) but not Williamson County. There is no mention of a location. But we know now, and we have a map to back up this information. I’m not patting myself on the back for finding the map; I’m just saying this out loud to get Mr. Quick’s approval, as I put him on the research pedestal. I only know him through his research and from stories told at the Historical Commission. I guess it’s just a coincidence that my first meeting as part of the commission was a year to the day after he passed away. I didn’t know him personally, but we share some of the same goals for how SETX historical preservation should be done. Everything happens for a reason, and I will fly this flag! (I keep it right beside my Queen’s Park Rangers pennant, even though they lost to Watford 4-0 on opening day. Sigh.)

Visitors in Mrs. Stephens Garden (Lake Carles?) Florence Stratton and Watson Neyland

My research journey began in 2012, and it’s been hard to find details on Florence’s personal life. It took me fifteen months to figure out her birthday, and what about her birth year? It took one mention in the 1900 census and a letter donated to the Tyrrell Historical Library penned by the ten-year-old Emily Stratton, Florence’s older sister, and addressed to her father, Asa, in February 1883. (Asa E. Stratton Jr. was a Texas senator from 1883 to 1884.) At the end of this letter, Emily writes that Florence can say her name. If you read all the earlier research, it states that Florence was born in 1883. I have no idea where that information came from (maybe Eunice, her niece?). I have no idea, but I also have six mentions in Susie Spindletop’s Weekly Letter that her birthday was on the spring equinox, and two mentions when her article came out on March 21 saying that this was her birthday.

After reviewing my database on Florence, I realized that I need to look into her father’s history more. I believe this will explain her friendship with Willie Cooper, the daughter of Sam Cooper. Both Asa and Sam served in the Texas Senate in 1883 and 1884, but Asa Stratton resigned in the latter year. Sam Bronson Cooper was from Woodville, and Asa Stratton was from Brazoria County; their daughters were best friends in their adult years. We can also add William P. Hobby (from Woodville) to this mix because all three were together in the early days. There is a lot of history to uncover here, but since this is the eleventh year of my research, it may take a while.

Speaking of taking a while, Florence penned or played a part in publishing five books. The Story of Beaumont (1923) was her baby and her most popular volume here in SETX, but republishing O. Henry’s articles in book form in 1923 made her at least $10,000 thanks to W. P. Hobby, who owned the Houston Post at the time O. Henry (a.k.a. William Sidney Porter) wrote his columns.

To me, Favorite Recipes of Famous Women, published in 1925, has the best foreword. Florence was mad because some man had published a book called Famous Recipes of Famous Men, and she was determined to set the record straight about the recipes in his book—even at the expense of her dog. But she did give it a military funeral! I always thought that Willie Cooper, Hobby’s first wife, collected the recipes for this book when she lived in the governor’s mansion in Austin. I guess being a first lady has its advantages. Willie was a socialite, and as the daughter of Sam Bronson Cooper, she was pretty good at schmoozing with the elite. I believe most of the recipes were from Willie. However, in the 1975 article, Eunice said that Florence “wrote to persons asking for recipes even though she had never met them.” I guess this is why there are a lot of “motion picture stars” in the book, such as Gloria Swanson and Mary Pickford. But let us give a big shout-out to Mrs. Thomas Edison for her cheese soufflé in ramekins and, of course, to a former congresswoman from Oklahoma for her recipe for boiled potatoes.

Florence Stratton’s next book, The White Plume, was published in 1931 but copyrighted in 1928. I thought this was odd until I found out the reason. The book was cowritten by Vincent Burke, sports editor at the Beaumont Enterprise, and was first published in the July 1928 issue of Bunker’s Monthly. This magazine only lasted about two years. I paid more for it than the original price of five cents, but it answered a big question in Florence’s story.

When the Storm God Rides: Tejas and Other Indian Legends was published in 1936; it was used as a textbook in this area for years. Florence’s friend Bessie Reid wrote the book, and Florence contributed the foreword. Most know Bessie as the author of the story of Kisselpoo, which was published in the Port Arthur News on July 1, 1923.

It’s amazing just how much you can get out of two articles based on oral history along with eleven years of research. It’s not perfect, but we are getting there. I believe that everyone I mentioned should be researched more, but doing so takes time, money, and the drive to delve into history. I’ll continue to do this, but can I actually get a solid team that doesn’t lose to Watford 4-0 on opening day?

Until next week, Della.

“Thoughts and Ramblings: Florence, Willie, and William; Queen of the Elks; Elks Love Nest; JPOTS; World War I Monument.”

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Last week, I mentioned that Florence and Willie Cooper were best friends. Their story goes possibly back to childhood. Florence’s father, Asa E. Stratton, served as a Texas legislator from January 1883 to May 1884. I have no idea why it wasn’t a full term because I haven’t researched this, but it’s another subject that I’d like to pursue. Willie’s father, Sam Bronson Cooper, also served as a Texas legislator at the time (1880–1884). Let’s add William Hobby from Moscow, Texas, into the mix, and we have a threesome of influential SETX individuals from both local and Texas history.

Willie Cooper

It is important to note that all three had ties to Beaumont in the 1900s; slowly, all three would end up here. Florence would take a teaching job in 1903; William Hobby would acquire the Beaumont Enterprise in 1907, and Willie would be elected Queen of the Elks in November 1901, beating Miss Eddie Ogden by 2,216 to 643 votes. However, there may have been shenanigans in the vote count, or at least that’s how the Beaumont Enterprise article tells the story. I don’t really know when the Cooper family first came to Beaumont, but they were a positive force for the city.

Speaking of a positive force and the Elks, I discovered an exciting raffle in the pages of the Beaumont Enterprise of 1926. It was a fantastic giveaway of a newly built home with all the amenities. It even came with a brand-new Chevrolet Coach worth $645. All this could be yours for a one-dollar raffle ticket, and oh, by the way, you needed to be newlyweds because the property was promoted as the “Elks Love Nest.” I remind you of this because it was 1926, and there was no shacking up in the Oaks Addition.

The response was amazing, and many purchased tickets. The Elks even kept the raffle going after the deadline to ensure that some folks who were sailors would be here for the draw. It’s kind of hilarious that they kept putting off the draw because they kept selling more tickets. I don’t know where the money went eventually, but the Elks were masters of promotion. The Elks are still a thing, and if you know one, I wonder if they keep track of their history. P. F. Armstrong ended up winning the love nest in December of 1926, and the house is still there. However, I don’t know the whereabouts of the Chevrolet Coach.

photo credit: Portal of Texas

As I drove to HEB yesterday in an impending rain storm, I could only wish that Howard’s Food Store in Port Arthur was still open. Not because of Just Part of the Store (JPOTS) and their great prepared food, but because Howard Hatfield had a covered parking lot that was a treasure. I have no idea what you Beaumonteers had (probably Piggly Wiggly), but we all went to Howard’s back in the day. And, of course, we would also grab a greasy burger at Judice’s on Seventh Street. I will say that Monceaux’s was the best; Judice’s came in second because I don’t remember them having greasy onion rings. Otherwise, it would have been a tie! Yes, my blood pressure is high, but I do take statins!

I’ve talked before about the World War I monument in Triangle Park, in front of the old Beaumont Enterprise building. There is a movement that wants to relocate it to Magnolia Cemetery. Currently, they are talking to the city authorities and finding the right people to speak to because let’s face it, this monument was forgotten long ago. At the last Magnolia Cemetery tour, we asked those who came out if they knew of the monument, and probably 95 percent didn’t. So, I ask you now: Have you ever heard of it? This is why it needs to be moved somewhere other than an easement on Main Street right across the giant fire hydrant where it stands today. I do not hate Disney’s giant fire hydrant; I want this monument to be in a better place.

Until next week, Tschüss!

“Thoughts and Ramblings: 1929: Florence Stratton and Family; Louise Stratton; Willie Cooper Hobby.”

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Back in January 1929, Florence Stratton’s new year didn’t begin well. Her sister Louise died on January 9 from pulmonary tuberculosis, then her best friend Willie Cooper Hobby died suddenly from a stroke on January 14. Like Louise, Willie had been ill for a while. There were no more Susie Spindletop’s Weekly Letters for the month of January.

First, I want to get into the Stratton, Stevens, and Stephens families; then I want to talk about Willie. Florence didn’t arrive in Beaumont on her own; she came here because her sister Emily and husband Walter H. Stevens moved here in 1900, as far as I see in the timeline. Both Walter H. and Emily are in the 1900 Beaumont census. Louise is also living with them. This is a trend I see with this family. They always live together. I know that Florence, Emily, and Louise’s mother died in 1895, which might explain why Louise was with her big sister Emily, as Louise was sickly her whole life.

Florence moved to Beaumont in 1903 and took a teaching job here. She had taught in Alabama since graduating as a valedictorian in 1900 from Troy Normal College. Florence began her journalism career in 1907 with the Beaumont Journal and would hone her skills in the coming years. As for the family, they would live their lives and move around into a couple of residences.

Walter Stevens, Florence’s brother-in-law, was a drug clerk at E. L. Clough Drug Store; some kind of partnership must have been in place because he was vice president in 1906–07. It is possible that he bought the store or opened his own because in 1909 he was president of the Stevens Drug Company, which was located in the Perlstein Building. I haven’t researched this. I’m only going on city directories, but I know that he retired from Magnolia Petroleum in 1938 as a caseworker for accidents at the refinery. So that would have ended his business, or he sold it, in 1915. I guess I could ask George W. Carroll, if I had a time machine, because he was vice president. Like I said in the past, historical research is very time-consuming if you want to be accurate.

I don’t know much about Walter’s wife, Emily, except that she was Florence’s older sister, but she gave me the most helpful clue to determine Florence’s birthday. I remember contacting the Brazoria County Historical Commission (BCHC) and asking for some sort of info about Florence Stratton. I had contacted them two years before and did receive a few things on Asa Stratton, Florence’s father, but this time the person on the other end of the phone replied, “Stratton? I have a scrapbook from a Stratton that someone in Conroe, TX, found at an estate sale. It’s here on my desk.”

I asked what the name was, and it was Emily. I visited the BCHC that week and had a great time. But it wasn’t until I had a similar experience with the Tyrrell Historical Library.

At the time, I had been doing research for five years and was spending hours on microfilm on the Weekly Letters. Then, out of the blue, I mentioned something to Bill Grace about Florence Stratton, and he replied, “Oh yeh, there was someone who donated a bunch of letters from the Stratton family six months ago.”

Hmm. He did know that I had spent over three years researching Florence, but I guess something like that slipped his mind—we won’t get into that. I did find two interesting letters though, one from Florence and the other from Emily. Emily’s letter was to her father in February 1883. In it, a ten-year-old Emily said that Florence could say her name. That’s amazing if you consider earlier information that states Florence was born in March 1883.

I will cherish the ten-year-old Emily, along with the person who sent the letters to the Tyrrell Historical Library, for this, because there is only a mention in a 1900 census that Florence was born in 1881, and her birthdate is not problematic because Florence mentioned it six times in her Weekly Letter.

That leaves me to Eunice Stephens, who married Arthur Stephens. She was Emily’s daughter and Florence’s niece. I don’t know what Eunice would think of me; I always try to get the facts straight on her aunt. In Florence’s history, details such as her day and year of birth were just plain wrong. Most of it came from Eunice, but I still can’t blame her because Florence always lied about her age. It’s difficult to do research when you have only one source that throws everything and everyone off. So any research that states that Florence was born in 1883 is wrong. Sorry, Eunice. I’ll shut up now, but I still think you’re awesome for bragging about your aunt and taking care of Florence’s house, which stands catercorner to the McFaddin-Ward house on McFaddin Avenue.

Sam Bronson Cooper

Willie Cooper Hobby was the daughter of Sam Bronson Cooper (SBC). Sam was the reason that Beaumont had a deepwater port. I may get into some of SBC’s history at a later date because it is notable in many respects. In the years that he served as a US representative, Florence was with Willie in Washington, DC. Willie was a bit of a socialite and even attended White House parties. I do know that Florence attended one with her in 1909.

In 1915, Willie married W. P. Hobby and went on to become the first lady of Texas when Hobby was governor from 1917 to 1921. I’ve written before that Florence wrote a book of recipes of famous women. Willie was the source of information for the book during her four years of entertaining at the mansion.

One thing I will note about this time is that Florence basically moved into the mansion and lived with both the governor and the first lady, who were her best friends. She went to all the events that the governor attended. She even went to the inauguration of Álvaro Obregón in Mexico in 1920. Florence had her ways, and I believe she enjoyed her life. She loved family and friends. I’m sure that this week back in 1929 was painful for her, but she survived and did even better things. Stay tuned, Della.

Sam Bronson Cooper:

https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/cooper-samuel-bronson

Troy Normal College/ Troy University:  

https://www.troy.edu/about-us/historical-timeline.html

William P. Hobby:  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_P._Hobby

Willie Cooper Hobby:  

Willie Chapman Cooper Hobby

Willie Chapman Cooper Hobby

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Throughout my research of Florence Stratton, I have been down many rabbit holes, so to speak. She certainly led an interesting life, which involved many people. And yes, I have files on just about all of them. One person who I can say influenced Florence’s life more than the rest was Willie Cooper Hobby. Their friendship lasted many years, and I’m sure they had many tales that were never told nor graced the pages of any periodicals, but in Willie’s life of fifty-three years, she definitely had a social advantage over most.

Willie Chapman Cooper was born in Woodville, Texas, on June 19, 1876, to Sam Bronson Cooper and Phebe Young. There is little information about her life as a youth, other than that she grew up in Woodville. I do know she attended Kidd-Key College in Sherman, Texas; yet I don’t know the year nor if it was, at the time, a women’s high school or a genuine college. And looking into her father’s endeavors, with the few available records that I have, I can see little information about her until she resided in Washington D.C. in March of 1893, when her father was a congressman. So, let’s delve into his history a bit.

Sam B. Cooper served as the prosecuting attorney of Tyler County for four years (1876–1880), then as a Texas state senator for the next four years (1880–1884). I assume that this is where the friendship of the Stratton and Cooper families began. Florence’s father, Asa Evan Stratton Jr., was a Texas senator from January 1883 to May 1884. In 1885, he was named collector of internal revenue at Galveston. Sam would hold this position until 1888. After an unsuccessful run for district judge in 1889, his next stint in politics came in 1892 as a congressman in the United States House of Representatives. He would serve six consecutive terms for the Second Texas District, before losing to Moses Broocks in 1904. Sam served for one more term, from 1906 to 1908, after defeating Broocks in the next election. So, knowing the political path her father took, it seems obvious to me that Willie would take on the role of a socialite, especially living in Washington and later New York, where her father was appointed to the Board of General Appraisers of New York by President William Howard Taft in 1910.

Throughout her years in Washington, Willie was indeed popular around the social circles and was even invited to the White House a time or two. I know this from a few newspaper clippings and her invitation, which, as I stated in the last article, are in her scrapbook at the Briscoe Center for American History in Austin. As friends do, Florence also tagged along and got to mingle with the elite, or should I say, the world’s hubs, which capitals can be, especially in a thriving country.

On May 15, 1915, Willie married her childhood sweetheart and, at the time, the lieutenant governor of Texas, William Pettus Hobby. Her early years in Washington would play an important part in her life due to her social duties as the lieutenant governor’s wife.

In August of 1917, W. P. Hobby became governor of Texas after the sitting governor, James E. Ferguson, was impeached. Hobby held the Democratic ticket and eventually won the governorship in 1918 after Ferguson ran against him in the primary. Willie shone as first lady of Texas and won the praises of many in her years in Austin. She was highly popular and entertained much, except during World War I, because she felt it inappropriate, according to Dining at the Governor’s Mansion by Carl McQueary. She also wanted to follow government guidelines for food conservation during wartime. In addition, Willie was responsible for making needed repairs and additions to the 60-year-old mansion, such as installing steam heating and adding a bath to one of the bedrooms.

While living in New York, Willie became interested in the women’s suffrage movement, which was a cause most dear to her. I found much evidence of this in my Briscoe Center research and in newspapers from her days as first lady of Texas. In fact, much of her scrapbook dwells on this topic. I also found an ample number of newspaper clippings from this era that show that both Florence and Willie did their part to promote women’s right to vote.

Throughout her life, Willie was always gracious and charming and treated everyone the same, whether servant or dignitary. In her memorial book, there are many references to how she was loved by those who knew and conversed with her. As I wrote at the beginning of this article, Willie was Florence’s best friend, and many years were spent together enjoying social events. From a visit to the White House 1909 to attending the inauguration of Mexican president Álvaro Obregón in 1920, both always seemed to be in good company. In fact, one of Florence’s books, Favorite Recipes of Famous Women (1925), is a compilation of Willie’s recipes when she was first lady from such visiting dignitaries as authors, actresses, and wives of past presidents or foreign leaders.

Willie died in her sleep at her Houston residence on the morning of January 14, 1929, to the shock of most. During the following days, there were many heartfelt condolences sent to her husband, W. P. Hobby, from all across the world. Many of these condolences can be found in a memorial book entitled Tributes in Memory of Willie Cooper Hobby, which was privately published by (I would assume) her husband. Here are a few excerpts:

 

 

I cannot longer wait to tell you how distressed and grieved I am over Willie’s death. Words fail to express the love and sympathy which has gone out from my heart to you all. I just cannot reconcile myself to the fact so grand and useful a woman should be taken.

As I write my thoughts run over the twenty-five or thirty years. Dear Mrs. Cooper and her family are vividly before me. So well do I remember the party I had and Willie, a beautiful young girl there and received the prize. In the years which followed the Cooper family figured in my life. You know how I loved Mrs. Cooper and Willie. Although of late years I saw so little of her I knew she was nearby. She it was who suggested to me to change the name of the Woman’s Reading Club to the Woman’s Club. Some hesitate to mention it to me thinking I would feel hurt but soon as I heard of it I made a motion to make the change.

Beaumont                                                                                                                    Sally Greer

*                               *                               *

 

To me Willie was the embodiment of all the word, “friend,” implies; her charity of thought… the kindliness of her heart and the deep solicitude for her friends… qualities the make one so worthy of admiration and love and for which I feel my life has been enriched for having known her.

Houston                                                                                                                       Edwina Wiess

*                               *                               *

 

We the members of the Woman’s Club of Beaumont, wish to extend to you our deepest sympathy. Mrs. Hobby has been loyal and faithful to our club and our hearts too are full of sorrow. We shall miss Mrs. Hobby but we shall ever hold her in memory and we shall strive to reach the goal of high ideals which she held before us.

Beaumont                                                                                                                     Woman’s Club