Baldwyn Kids

Top: An outing at Homochitto National Forest near Brookhaven, MS. Left to Right- Brenda Waters, Judy Bryant, a local guy from that area, and Virginia Tapp, chaperone.

Lower: Tom, Wallis, Herb and David on a recess in front of BHS.
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Upper photo courtesy of Clarene Evans.
Lower photo courtesy of Jim Greene.

Wheeler 54, Baldwyn 52

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Tournament time, 1957? or 1958 - unsure of correct year. I'll bet some of you will know.
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Clipping courtesy of Betty Massengill.

BHS Queen of 1952, Spotlight Staff, and Essay Award Winner

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Some more familiar faces and their accomplishments in BHS.

Don't think we have posted photos of a few of the ones shown here.

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Photos courtesy of Betty Smith Massengill

WW2 Ration Stamp Books

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UPDATE...

Top photo is a poster I found while visiting the Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola (FL) NAS on May 28th. It is an authentic one and shows how to use stamps and tokens.

A trading fad some years ago was to reward your purchases with stamps that could be redeemed for merchandise. There was the Quality Stamp, S&H Green Stamp, and Raleigh coupons to name a few. The merchants that were in the program gave you a certain number of the stamps for the amount of purchase.

There was a time in our lifetime that required you to give the merchant some stamps in order to be able to purchase items such as flour, meal, coffee, sugar, tea and even gas, oil, tires and batteries for your car. The ration stamps were issued to family individuals, as illustrated above. Shown is the front page and inside were pages of tear-out stamps (center photo) for all the different items that were rationed.

All during WW2, I had no knowledge of the program, but was issued the stamps as a consumer. I was only six when the war ended, and somehow have hung onto the books as a conversation piece. Thought I would share them here to remind us of those tough times.

I feel that many of you readers will recall them. In our town the issuing agent was Mrs. Milton Bludworth. On another book I have is her signature and agent number.

I remember my dad telling me once that he had to ride the bus back and forth to his job at Booneville because he had some bad tires on his car. He had the money to buy the tires, but no stamps to get them.

Sure hope the country doesn't get in that predicament again.....

More old Photos

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In the top photo, the '57 graduates are on a bus to LA (Lower Alabama) for their senior trip. In photo L-R Curtis Bishop, Bobby Corbett, Norma Faye Davis, Ellis Christian, and Margaret Epting. Others are blurry but I believe Arch Young and Monte Caldwell can be seen.

Lower photo is the '62 Bearcat cheerleaders.
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Upper photo from Ellis Christian.
Lower photo from Betty Massengill. Thanks, Ya'll.

More Weekly News Clippings

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Red Nelson bashful? Mrs. Martin spent time in jail (classroom jail, I'll bet)??
Did Bobby Lytal get wet?
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Thanks to Cynthia Mink for the clips.

Brice's Crossroads Event Information for next Month

From Edwina Carpenter:

Anyone who would like to volunteer for 2 hour shifts at the Brice's Crossroads Visitor's Center on Saturday and Sunday, June 13 and June 14, between 9-6, please email me with the time you are available to:

bcr@dixie-net.com

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145th Anniversary Reenactment/Living History Schedule

Battles of Brice’s Crossroads and Battle of Tupelo June12-14

Friday-Sunday: Demonstrations and Programs at Spectator area behind Log Cabin includes Civil War music, field hospital, Engineering in the Civil War, Artillery and Infantry Demonstrations all day

Saturday and Sunday- Activity tent will offer programs/demonstrations

Friday schedule:

5 a.m. Tactical no spectators

10:30 Children’s Discovery Day at battlefield-visit camps, demonstrations, music

1:00 campfire meal for discovery day participants

1:45 return to museum

3:30 Tactical- no spectators

7:30 p.m. Parade of Troops,Downtown Baldwyn, Main Street
Drum corps, presentation of Colors, Cavalry, Infantry
Shop Baldwyn, Stores will be open late, view Civil War art

8:15 p.m. Officer’s reception , Period music performed by "Time Was"
at Azalea Court with light refreshments--Public Invited

Saturday, June 13

Camps open 10-1 and 3-6

9-10 –Civil War Cavalry Competition, mounted and dismounted, at field behind log cabin


1p.m.-4 p.m . North Mississippi Dulcimers will perform at Modern Vendor area

Activity Tent Program Schedule

9-10 a.m.-Civil War Music- Pat Arinder
10-11 a.m. Ladies Tea and sewing lessons- Pat Burkhead and Lisa Hamby
11-12 - Battle of Brice's Crossroads-- Pete Christopher
12-1 ‘Able Streight Raid’ Brent Lokey
2 p.m Battle of Brice's Crossroads reenactment
3:30-4:30 - Chickasaw Chief Tishomingo -Carmon E. Horner
4:30-5:30 - Marking the Confederate graves at Bethany Roger Hansen
8 p.m - Grand Ball period music /civil war era attire--Public Invited

Sunday at Activity Tent Camps open 11:30-1

10:30-11:30 Period Church -Dedication and Memorial Service for Soldiers

11:30-12:30 Battle of Tupelo- David Wilson

12:30-1:30 Brent Lokey “ Forrest at Johnsonville”

2 p.m. - Battle of Tupelo
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Any Bearcats coming should try to get together for at least some short meeting somewhere in the Baldwyn area, let us know.

1956 Commencement Program

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Courtesy of Betty (Smith) Massengill.

The "Rebel" and the "Doodlebug"

Remember late at night hearing the "Rebel" coming through town? The horn could be heard from Mauldin's Crossing to the south and all the way to Wheeler Crossing. The train turned around at Jackson, TN and went back south in the early morning hours. The above photo is the Rebel's exact sister train the "Limited". There are many photos of it owing to the fact it ran days and the Rebel was a "night train". More photographers snapped photos of the Limited during the daylight hours.

You will also recognize the "doodlebug" in the other photo. It went south in the early AM and back in the late afternoon bringing a few passengers, mail, and freight. A ride to Baldwyn from Tupelo was around 50 cents. Rev. Lampkin and others will recall meeting the doodlebug and receiving the Memphis Press-Scimitar newspapers for afternoon delivery about 4PM.

The term "doodlebug" was a railroad industry-wide nickname, we Baldwynians didn't come up with that one!
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The Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad, famously known as The Rebel Route, gained its celebrated slogan from the small fleet of passenger trains known as Rebels, with the most famous of these trains called simply the Rebel. The GM&O is not well remembered for its passenger services, which is likely due to the fact that it bailed out of the Deep South passenger market in the 1950s due to stiff competition from the Illinois Central and Louisville & Nashville. However, its small fleet of Rebels made enough of an impression that they are still remembered by many in the railroading ranks and those who were lucky enough to ride on them.

The Gulf Mobile and Ohio of the Midwest and South was a short-lived railroad whose legend continues to live on today. The GM&O wasn’t created until the early days of diesel power and it was gone by the early 1970s. However, during its roughly 40 years of operation it was a fierce competitor and although always surrounded by giants it held its own in many of the markets it served, which is not surprising as the railroad is also known as The Rebel Route.

What became the classic Rebel passenger train actually has its beginnings dating back to GM&O's predecessor, Gulf, Mobile & Northern, which has the distinction of inaugurating the first Southern streamliner, the Rebel, in 1935. While this train may not be as well known as the Super Chiefs or Empire Builders it brought about two drastic upgrades to passenger rail operations. First, the original Rebel was a three-car streamlined “trainset”. The Rebel also had the ability to interchange or add cars.

GM&O's most famous trains were the Rebel, Abraham Lincoln, and Ann Rutledge (which continues today under Amtrak). These trains carried a beautiful livery of two-tone maroon/red with yellow trim.

Junior-Senior Prom "Programme" 1957

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Scanned images of the "programme" given to the attendees of the Junior-Senior Prom in 1957.

All looks great but the food menu appears kinda skimpy. Maybe there was enough for Ellis and Henry and others that were chow hounds as I knew them.

Anyone recall who "Elvis Presley" was?
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Submitted by Cynthia Mink. Thanks, Cindy.

Summer Swimming Party

Above are some photos sent by Carolyn (Wheeler) Ghys. Carolyn attended BHS and lived on Caldwell Circle from 1957-1960. She later attended school in Corinth and Evangel College in Springfield, MO.

While living in Baldwyn, her father Tom was part owner of the old LeeAnn Truck Stop.

The photos shown here are of an outing with some folks including Charles Weatherford, Peggy Jo Jones, and Vicky Greenwood. The other girl is from Tupelo and name forgotten. The swimming pool appears to be the Booneville pool. The cannon could be from the Crossroads or Shiloh??

Carolyn thinks she got a good education from the great teachers at BHS. "When I got to college, I got very good grades in English after having had Mrs. Martin for my English Lit teacher".

Thanks for the photos, Carolyn, and welcome to the Baldwyn memories group.

Assorted Clippings from the "BHS Spotlight"

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More anecdotes from the Baldwyn Weekly News' school feature "BHS Spotlight" news as reported and written by students.

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Submitted by Cynthia (Lindley) Mink.