TLC #54: July 13, 2003
Dear Hearts and Gentle People:
Greetings from the dynamic hometown...dynamic in the true sense of
the word. There have been a number of important property sales in the last
couple of weeks, people coming in from elsewhere to fix up our historic
properties. And these people seem as if they are capable of doing so. I will
keep you posted.
All the scheduled activities went off as planned. Weather
cooperated and I believe all the organizers were pleased. We had something over
600 people for the Homes Tour, a far cry from 1952 and other early years. Too
much competition now for entertainment dollars and time.
There is so much to report that I rarely remember
everything. This in from Shirley Guevel:
When you were talking about the Heritage
Days, you didn't mention the Parking Lot dance held by the River City Squares.
We think we are an asset to the celebration every year with our dance! We
are also dancing at the Relay For Life Cancer Event on June 20. Sorry, Squares - didn't mean to overlook
you.
Our current controversy swirls around our old seat of learning,
Lexington Jr-Sr High School building, later known as Lex Middle School. The
school board wants it demolished, and has contracted to have that done; the
historic preservationists are objecting; and now the question has been sent to
the Board of Adjustments. Stay tuned.
Another interesting development concerns the old bridge. As you
know, the old Missouri River bridge is being replaced by a new one on the
east side of town. What to do with the old one?
The state will demolish it. (There's that word again.) However, now
there is a move afoot to have a portion of the bridge preserved as a sort of
pier which would serve as an observation point: one direction viewing the
river, the other direction viewing the Veterans Memorial. Some have discussed
moving the Memorial if the bridge is removed completely. I will not discuss pros
and cons in this forum, but will promise to keep you as informed as I am
able.
Another new restaurant has opened. It's on the north side of the
street on Franklin between 12th and 11th, across from the movie theatre. It's a
BBQ joint called The Franklin Hole. Also there is a new ice cream shop
(sandwiches too) on Hwy 13 south. Dynamic, I say.
Two pieces of business: first, I should remind those of you
involved that a couple of big class reunions are coming up. The Class of 1950
reunites in September, and the Class of 1953 celebrates in October. You can
contact the Shirleys - Guevel for '50 and Miller for '53 for more info. Or I'll
relay it.
The other: Those of you who have spam filters should be aware
that TLC, having so many addresses, is sometimes thought to be spam. If you
would like to receive TLC, please check your filtered spam. I'll always be happy
to send you an individual copy if you get blocked, but I have no way of
knowing.
Now for some fun. This is from Jim
O'Malley:
I'd like to share a wonderful experience I had a few weeks ago with you.
I was able to tour 1869 Lexington! What an adventure it was!
Many of the same buildings we have
today were there, along with familiar streets, including some streets that are
not used today. I was particularly taken with the riverfront, which featured
many commercial buildings, riverboats and the Lexington Ferry. The ferry
terminal on the north bank of the river had a rail connection. I suppose
it hauled people and cargo to Richmond.
I can hear you and the other readers
muttering, "Has Jim lost his senses?" Well, let me fill you in on
how this came about.
When I was going to LHS (the OLD one)
there was an aerial view map of Lexington in 1869 on the wall in the office. It
was large and very impressive and it fascinated me, but I was never really able
to study it because I was so near-sighted that most of the detail was only a
blur.
Sometime after I had graduated from LHS the map ended up at the old
Commercial Bank (a.k.a., Charter Bank, Boatmen's Bank, Etc.). Eventually it
ended up in the Lexington Historical Museum.
Some inspired person arranged to have
this large map copied into a smaller version that's on sale at the museum for
$5.00. I bought one and had it framed and it now rests proudly in our
family room. Your readers might like to know that you have one in your
home, too, Susan!
Well, to get back to my tour. I used a magnifying
glass the other day and examined that wonderful map and saw Lexington in detail
as it looked in 1869.
I was particularly taken with the
thriving traffic and businesses on North 10th street. It was the main road to
the riverfront and featured a livery stable, hotels, and other commercial
buildings. The artist even drew in carriages and pedestrians going up and
down the hill to or from the river.
I hope many of our Lexington
residents and former residents will buy a copy of this map and take the tour
that I did. What a wonderful town we had in 1869......and what a
wonderful town Lexington is today!
I'd like to hear from others who
"take the tour" and learn what they've discovered about 1869 Lexington. Best
regards to all, Jim O'Malley
Take the tour and get back to us.
The nicknames just won't die. Barbara Tabb Jarman
writes:
Dear Susan: With tongue in cheek, I
am sending in a correction to my last
contribution to TLC, concerning
nicknames. I got a phone call this
morning from H.J. Guillou, and he wondered
where in the world I came up with that 'Grasshopper' business that I tagged onto
him. Funny thing, but he doesn't seem to remember things quite the way I
did. So, it is only fair that I let everyone know right away that he had
other nicknames that were much more fitting for him.
Did I not also remember them ........
like, 'Hunk', 'Precious', and 'Goodlooking'? I admit that I did forget
those, but I just wanted to set the record straight here and now for that
'Gorgeous Grasshopper'. There - is that better, Hunk? :-)
Anyhow, the phone call was a very
nice surprise, and Mom was pleased
to learn that he still remembers those
wonderful pancakes she used to
make for him. I think he was mostly
calling to inquire about her, which
I thought was very nice.
BTW, she is doing pretty well right
now, considering all that she has been through since a year ago in April - a
stroke, and then a fall which called for a hip replacement. I brought her down
here to Houston last year to live with us - she will be 91 in November. And,
trust me, she remembers every last one of you well when I bring up a name; and,
H.J. was always one of her favorites. He always knew how to bring a smile to her
face, like he did this morning.
Looking forward to the next TLC -
Barb
And speaking of nicknames, this from
Jerry Warner:
Here is an updated list of Lexington
Nicknames. Thanks to Barbara Jarman, Harry Dunford and Slick Heathman
the list is
growing:
A
“ABIE” HORTON
"ANIMAL" BAINE
“AUGIE”NEIDIG
B
"BANJO" FAUSS
"BATMAN” ATKINSON
“BEADIE” HANNON
"BEAMIS" ARTH
“BEANS” STOLL
"BENO " CROSS
“BIG BOY” GASPERINO
“BIGGIE” BERSANO
"BIG IKE" SKELTON
“BIG JIM”STRODTMAN
“BIG TURK” TERREL
“BIGGIE” BERSANO
"BINGO" OLARIO
“BLACKIE” FAUSS
“BLON” BRYANT
“BO” SAVIO
“BOBO” MEIERER
"BOOGHER" PAYNE
“BONECRUSHER” SIMMONS
"BONES" WILLIAMS
"BONEY" JOHNSON
"BOOB"
LUEHRMAN
“BOOB” FRANCES
"BOONER" SKELTON
“BOOTSY” WELLS
“BOBO” MEIERER
"BOZO" HOWARD
"BUBBA" LEGGETT
“BUBBLES” FROST
“BUCK”BUCHANAN
"BUCK" MCALISTER
"BUD" SHINN
“BUSSE” JENNINGS
"BUFFALO" CLARK
“BULLY” FOSTER
"BULLY" GIORZA
"BUMPER" DRIVER
“BUSSE” JENNINGS’
"BUSTER" BURGMAN
“BUSTER” GUEGUEN
"BUTCH" DOAK
"BUZZ"BOLDRIDGE
C
“CASIE” BARON
"CATFISH" PHILLIPS
“CHALKY” KUFFEL
“CHAMP REED”
“CHECKO” MAUTINO
"CHICK" HADER
"CHICK" JOHNSON
"CHIEF" JOHNSON
"CHICK" HADER
"CHICKEN" FAUSS
"CHIP" PERRY
"CHOPPY” SIMONETTI
“CHUCK” MUDD
“CHUNK” JARMAN
“COOKIE” DUNFORD
“COOKIE” GIBSON
"COON" TABB
"COBB" WHITLEY
"CORKY" GRINDSTAFF
"COTTON" BOYER
"COTTON" BURNS
"COTTON" DAVIDSON
"COTTON" TRENT
"COWBOY" TYE
"CRACKER” MCDOWELL
“CURLY” REYNOLDS
D
“DAGO” BERSANO
"DING” FAUSS
“DIZ” BARROT
"DOGHAIR" WARNER
"DOC" SWEARINGEN
"DOOTSIE" GUEVEL
“DUB” HACKLER
"DUBBY" RUSH
"DUDE” BARNETT
"DUDE" DELAPP
"DUKE" MCALISTER
"DUTCH" MISCHON
"DUTCH" BRASCH
"DUTCH" STABLETON
F
"FIREBALL" JUNG
“FLASH” EMKE
“FLAT” FAUSS
“FLUTE” CLARK
"FOXY" ROSETON
“FRENCHIE” MAVEL
"FROSTY" SMALL
"FROSTY" TEMPLE
"FUZZY" MARTIN
G
“GOOFY” JAMES
"GOOSE" GREY
“GRASSHOPPER” GUILLIA
“GREEK” KEHREES
“GROUCHO” MARCKS
H
“HAM” KEYS
"HANNY" STAPLETON
"HAPPY" HOFFMAN
“HARDROCK” JENNINGS
"HIPPO" HARDEN
"HOG" FENNER
“HOUND DOG” FENNER
"HOPALONG"/“HOP” MCFADDEN
"HOPELESS" BOEHM
“HORSE” ARDINGER
“HORSE”CLEVENGER
"HOTROD" CARPENTER
I
“IKEY” BRYANT
"IRONHEAD" JOHNSON
J
“J. O.” WILMOT
"JACKO" PRICE
“JAYBIRD” RUETHER
“JENKS” HOLMAN
“JEEP” BEARD
“JEEP” SHAW
“JIGS” WOODRUFF
“JINX” HOLMAN
“JOHN THE GREEK” SILAS
"JUICY" LUEHRMAN
K
"KINGFISH" BARNETT
“KRAUT" FAUSS
L
"LEACH" AMOS
"LEFTY" LUCE
"LITTLE IKE" SKELTON
“LITTLE MAC” MCFADDEN
“LITTLE TURK” TERREL
M
“MEALY” VADA
“MEL” FISHER
"MICKEY" CONGER
“MIKEY” MIKE
“MONK” LINZ
"MONKEY JOE" ALBERT
"MOONEY" ROSTINE
"MOOSE" HELM
"MOOSE" RODEKOHR
“MOSE” BUTLER
"MOUSE" SHORT
"MUGGINS" BUFORD"
N
“NAP” NEAL
“NICK” NICOLA
O
"OBIE" PARIS
“OLD MAN” KELLY
P
"PACK" HUNTER
"PAPPY" O'DELL
"PEANUTS" SCHELP
"PEELY" OLDS
"PIGGY" PHIPPS
"PIGGY" SINGLETON
"PIMP" CROSS
“PINKY” SOULE
"POLLY" PARROT
“POOKY” RATLIF
"POOPSY" BACKS
"POOT" BOYER
"POPS" VILLARS
"POSSUM" CLECICO
"POTS" MOLLENKAMP
"PREACH" ATCHLEY
“PUD” RATLIF
"PUSS" HUFFORD
R
“RABBIT” FRASHER
"RAGS" REEVES
“RED” HOWARD
“RED” KUYKENDALL
"RED DOG" WILSON
"RIP" ROSEWELL
“ROCKY” HILL
S
“SCOOP” O’MALLEY
"SCRAP" PARKS
“SELDOM SEEN”
"SHEIKI" VIALLE
"SHARKIE" BEISSENHERZ
"SHIPWRECK" KELLY
“SHRIMP” OETTING
“SHOES” RONCELLI
"SILKHAT" GREGG
"SKEETER" LIERMAN
“SKINNY” SWARTZ
"SKIPPER" SHORT
“SKUD” RATLIF
"SLICK" GILKEY
"SLICK" HEATHMAN
"SLIDE" KNAPHEIDE
"SMOKEY" CLIFTON
“SMOKEY” WOODS
“SMOKIE” BECKWITH
“SMOKIE” MALLOT
"SNAG" AMOS
"SNAKE" EDWARDS
“SONNY” FIORA
“SONNY” OETTING”
“SONNY” SOUTER
"SPARKY" ADAMS
"SPECKS" VILLARS
"SPEEDY" BURNETT
“SPIDER” BALDWIN
"SPIKE" EVANS
"SPIKE" THOMAS
“SPOT” MAVEL
“SQUIRE” BARFERDE
"SQUIRREL" JENNINGS
"STINKY"STEVENSON
"STUD" HOFFMAN
"SWEDE" JOHNSON
T
“TANK” MAVEL
"T-BONE" JACKSON
"TEETER" BLAND
“TEETLES” RYAN
“TINO” MAUTINO
"TINY" BRYANT
"TINY" EPPERLY
"TINY" LARKIN
“TINY” MALLOT
"TOAD" SIGLOCH
“TOM CAT” LANGFORD
"TOOTIE" WILLIAMS
"TOOTS" HARRISON
"TRASH" HOWE
"TUCKER" THOMAS
"TURK" LYBARGER
"TURTLE" STONE
W
"WEEGIE" CHEDOTTI
"WEEGIE" MAUTINO
"WHATSEE" DICKMEYER
"WHIPPLEJACK" DELAPP
“WINK” DANNER
“WINK” HOEFLICKER
"WOODY" MITCHELL
“WOP” “GUILLIA”
I'm still not sure we
can claim Seldom Seen!
And now, MAJOR
NEWS! Bob Ball, class of '58, has constructed our very own TLC web
page! It is ready to go. So...check it out. All you have to do is click
on:
The Lexington
Connection
Enjoy!!!
Your devoted
scribe,
Susan
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