History in the making ...
Two Troup community groups creating record of town's past
BY SUZANNE LOUDAMY Staff writer

Juanece Smith and Navoleine Roddy proof chapters of the upcoming book "The History of Troup."

History is being made every day in Troup, some that is noteworthy and some that is not. This community has a rich heritage, and there are two groups working hard to put it all down on paper.

One hundred years worth of history is being penned onto the pages of a book that will be titled "The History of Troup." Deborah Burkett, Mary Anne Coney, Mildred Steele, Navoleine Roddy, Juanece Smith, R.J. Roddy and Bobby Neel, as well as others, continue to burn the midnight oil to complete the book.

"The idea of putting the history in book form was that of Deborah Burkett," said Mrs. Steele. "We pondered the idea for a while and then decided to go forward with it."

Two organizations in Troup are actually the driving force behind the book. They are the Troup Genealogical/Historical Society and the Friends of the Library. They have a long history of collaborative projects.

This past Sunday the groups held a fund -raiser salad and dessert luncheon at the library. The funds will go toward the cost of publishing the book.

One of Troup's signature downtown locations is the Carlyle Building. Now owned by Joe Carlyle and housing Carlyle Homes, it was formerly a café, meat locker (where you could rent freezer space for food), insurance office and the furniture showroom for Troup Hardware.

Preliminary work began quite some time ago with research at the Cameron-J. Jarvis Municipal Library, Tyler Public Library, old newspapers and county and city records, along with lots and lots personal interviews. Photos from many sources were borrowed to be scanned and identified. The more they dug for information, the more sources appeared and shared their knowledge and prized memorabilia.

The group was quick to say how grateful they were to all of the people in the community who have come forward with photos and stories to share.

"It has really helped us to fill in some of the gaps," said Mrs. Coney.

The book is in various stages of progress. Much of the text has been completed, including a sampling of chapters on the coming of the railroad, agriculture, education, surrounding communities and chasing memories, just to name a few.

Mildred Steele and Mary Anne Coney select photos for the history book.

"Juanece was our English teacher for many years," said Mrs. Roddy. "She'll be one of the four people we have proofreading the book."

The book will actually cover 100 years of Troup's history from 1850 to 1950. The city can trace its roots by following the rail line. It was born out of the two nearby communities of Old Knoxville and Old Canton. The International Railroad Company opened the Palestine-Troupe Line on Nov. 9, 1872 and the first settlers of Troupe, or Zavalla as it was first known, came from these areas.

While the book will be filled with many facts and archival data, there should be some real laughs and tears coming from the chapter referred to as "chasing memories."

These are personal stories dictated to these researchers for the book. One that made a sneak preview was about a masonry builder known as Billy Goat Blair. When asked, no one in the group was sure of what his real name was. Everyone just knew him as Billy Goat Blair. Mr. Blair was known for his hand drawn billy goat that appeared in the concrete's edge upon completion of a job.

"There were billy goats in the corner of several buildings in town at one time," said Mrs. Coney.

This and many other such stories will surely bring about some laughter, fond memories and possibly even a tear or two.

There are plans in the works for another fundraising event in the future, again to help cover the cost of publishing the book. As those plans develop, they will be publicized. Donations can be made through the treasurer of the TGHS, Mary Anne Coney. Call her at 903-842-3424.

Work continues on the book. No release date has been set.

The book will bear this quote by Rose Pace and is a great representation of why such a huge undertaking is so important: "The past is gone and as long as the spirit for a better town exist, and our people hold together, nothing is impossible in keeping Troup the best little town in Texas. May our roots continue to grow deeper."