When I began this column, I asked for readers to share their memories of Union. Recently, I received an envelope containing over 30 handwritten pages of memories of the late Conan Whitten. His daughters Judy and Vickie made the unselfish decision to share their father’s special gift to them, one that he had written while he was in the hospital. Mr. Whitten was born in 1920 and moved to Union when he was nine years old. His memories take us back into his life experiences…
• My father worked with the railroad and transferred from Hornsby, Tenn., to Union in August 1929. Our household furniture was in one end of a railroad box car; our cow with a tub of water and bales of hay was penned in at the other end. We arrived about 3 a.m. on a passenger train. When daylight came, I had a real surprise. Running water, electricity, bathroom, all in our home. My, my! A country boy came to town. What a happy first weekend in Union!
• On Monday, Mom asked, “Son, reckon you can find the school?” Sure, I can. Hurriedly, I made the two blocks to the center of town and leaned against the corner drug store, waiting and watching. Soon a young lady came by. In her arms were a school register and an alarm clock. A teacher! I followed her and soon we were in front of a beautiful church, First Baptist. What a nice church! I stopped to admire it, and I had to run to catch up.
Then we went to a large two-story structure. Never had I seen a building like this. Upon entering this long, wide hallway, I saw shelves and hangers for all. Then I saw, “fourth grade, Mrs. Lamar Wells, teacher,” so I enroll
ed, a student of Union Separate School District. What a day in the life of a newcomer to Union. Oh, yes, the young teacher that I had followed was Melba Worthen White.
• During school, we could have a lunch delivered to the school for 10 to 15 cents. Mr. Holiday had a Café-Bakery in town near the now Mississippi Power Co. No, I didn’t have that pleasure. I walked or ran to our home on the west side of town for my lunch.
• Milk was delivered to your door in the 1930s to 1940s.
• Mr. Weldon Cleveland would go door to door with fresh meat for sale. Boy, was it good, so fresh and tender.
• Ten cents would buy an R.C. cola and molasses stage plank cookie.
• Beauty pageants were held near lakes west of Union.
• The J.R. Buckwalter mill whistle woke so many at 5:30 a.m., 6 a.m., 6:30 a.m., then 7 a.m. work time, 12:00 noon lunch, 1:00 p.m. back to work, 5:00 p.m. quit work. This was a part of our daily life. We never knew who pulled the whistle cord.
• How many times have I heard the fire siren, jump out of bed, dress, run up town and help shove the fire wagon until it cranked, then run with it to a fire. We were too young to ride the “T” or “A” model fire truck. Everyone had a hand in helping fight fires.
• During the early 1930s, the Indians celebrated the anniversary of “The Dancing Rabbit Creek Treaty.” They pitched their tents in the area of the now golf course. For three days and nights, we could hear the beat of the “Tom-Tom.”
• The City Hall was upstairs above the Miss. Power Co.
• The Post Office was where the City Hall is today.
• A baby calf sold for 50 cents.
• Young boys wore knickerbockers; I disliked them.
• Pearl Harbor was bombed by Japan on Dec. 7, 1941. Many, many were drafted. Seventy-two of us left Newton County on June 2, 1942, for Camp Shelby. So many gave their lives for their beloved county.
• The 40-hour work week started. Minimum wage, Social Security – all were after-effects of the Great Depression.
• The town floated bond issues to blacktop all streets. They dug new wells, enlarged corporation, and other things. It sure did help our area.
• The fire whistle was on top of the water tank behind City Hall. (Tank was torn down in 1968).
• Halloween was fun for some, work for others. There was no carnival. Boys just opened the barn doors and out went the mules from Mr. John Bailey’s barn. They actually ran in front of a passenger train from here to McDonald. One other time, a cow was placed upstairs in the study hall of the high school. Fun or not, you be the judge.
• Mr. Jim Freeman would gather several boys on a Sunday evening and off to the woods we went in the area of Woodhaven now. He showed us how to go “Snipe” hunting. He would pick a newcomer to the group to hold a sack open and be very quiet and still while the others ran the snipes into the sack. Of course, all left except the boy holding the bag. There was no such animal. What a joke on the newcomer!
• Some Sunday afternoons, the boys of Union would meet uptown, talk for a while, and then map a route to skate over town. We always finished in time to go to Baptist B.Y.P.U. and Methodist Epworth League.
Many thanks go to Judy and Vickie for sharing this treasure with us. There will be more of Mr. Whitten’s memories in an upcoming column.
Here are the questions for this week:
• Do you have memories in the Bus Station Café?
• Do you remember experiences at the Magnolia Inn?
• If you have an experience to share but do not want your name in the paper, simply mention it. Readers enjoy the memories.
If you have something to share, contact me at teresablount26@yahoo.com or 601-774-5564 or 109 Woodhaven Dr., Union, MS 39365.
