Cotton Belt Symposium in Commerce, TEXAS

[SSW9389]

Hello Railfans,   We are once again pleased to present...   The 2nd (or 3rd) Annual COTTON BELT Symposium: Railroad Legacy and Lore Saturday, August 16, 2008 | 9:00am-12:30pm   (2nd annual if you don't count the 1st attempt that fell victim to an ice storm on Nov. 30, 2006. If you were among the small group that braved the ice to participate in that abbreviated event, you may consider this the 3rd.)   To be held at the James G. Gee Library on the campus of Texas A&M University-Commerce, Commerce, Texas. Located approximately 60 miles northeast of Dallas, and north of I-30, along SH 50 & SH 11.   This is a free, public event to share, document, preserve, and celebrate the legacy and experiences of the employees and families connected to the St. Louis Southwestern Railway in northeast Texas and system-wide. A special invitation is extended to all former and current railroad employees and their families to come and share recollections of their railroad days. Everyone is encouraged to bring and display historical photos depicting people, places, equipment, and rail operations. Anyone interested in the railroad and its history is invited to attend. Please share this information with anyone who might be interested.   The program features noted authors and historians, Jonathan Gerland, Dr. Otha Spencer, and Cheryl Westhafer. Mr. Gerland will discuss the service of the Cotton Belt and connecting railroads to early logging operations in east Texas. Dr. Spencer will discuss the social impact of the railroad in the communities in and around the Commerce area. Dr. Spencer will be available to sell and sign copies of new book, That Lonesome Whistle: The History of the Cotton Belt in Commerce, in case you haven't yet obtained your copy. Ms. Westhafer will present artifacts from, and discuss the railroad collection at the Commerce Public Library. The program will also feature a panel comprised of current and former railroad employees and family members who will recount various aspects of railroad life. Planelists include: James L. Adams, Annie Golightly, Rheba Icenhower, & Billy W. Reed. The proceedings will be videotaped for entry into the Gee Library's Digital Archives. Cotton Belt and railroad artifacts from the Commerce Public Library and the Arkansas Railroad Museum's Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society collection will be on display. Attendees are invited to bring and display railroad photos and other artifacts. There will be time allotted in the afternoon for visiting, sharing, and recording video histories related to railroad experiences.   If you have a Cotton Belt story to share, we invite you to participate in the Gee Library's Digital Library project by allowing us to videotape your contribution in the afternoon following the program. Also, we would appreciate the opportunity to photograph/copy/duplicate any historic railroad pictures, artifacts, or memorabilia for inclusion in the Digital Library collection. The goal of the project is document and preserve records of historical information and artifacts before they are forgotten, destroyed, or otherwise lost to the past. For details on the Digital Library project, contact Dr. James Conrad, Director of Special Collections, James G. Gee Library: [e-mail] or 903-886-5737.   We are trying to bring together individuals for the purpose of sharing and documenting railroad history. The event will be videotaped as a means of historical documentation/preservation. The focus is on the people, equipment, and operations of the railroad. This is NOT a "train show" or "swap meet" though some railroad artifacts/memorabilia will be on display and presenting authors' books available. Come and visit with the folks who created a proud legacy for the SSW/SP railroad. This event is being hosted by TAMU-Commerce's Department of Educational Leadership and James Gee Library and the Commerce Public Library. We are delighted this year to have the additional support of Humanities Texas. This program is made possible in part with a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities There is no admission fee. Directions, maps, and other information is available on the symposium website.   http://faculty.tamu-commerce.edu/jdavis/railroad/symposium/  

Hope to see you there.   Many Thanks, -Jason Lee Davis event founder & co-host   Fine print: The names and trademarks of Cotton Belt are registered trademarks of Union Pacific, used under license.     ~~~ Jason Lee Davis, Ph.D. KB5YBP Assistant Professor 903-886-5598 Department of Educational Leadership Texas A&M University-Commerce [e-mail] http://faculty.tamu-commerce.edu/jdavis/