Historic Walker County

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❖ Above: An aerial view of Sam Houston State University, c. 1960. COURTESY OF THE SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES. Below: Dan Rather (center, standing), 1953 editor of SHSTC’s student newspaper The Houstonian. COURTESY OF THE SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES. country’s thirty-fifth president, John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. A 1953-graduate of SHSTC, Dan Rather broke the story of Kennedy’s assassination. From editor of his college’s newspaper, The Houstonian, and reporter for Huntsville’s KSAM radio station, Rather joined CBS News in 1962 as chief of the network’s bureau in Dallas. As the result of his coverage of the assassination, CBS executives promoted him to positions as White House correspondent and foreign correspondent in London. Rather continued to gain notoriety with his coverage of the civil rights movement and Vietnam War, and he later became a news anchor with CBS. 99 By 1966 the United States had deployed more than 395,000 soldiers to Vietnam. In contrast to the unified national effort in World War II, Walker County citizens were now called into service for a cause that divided the nation. While many college and university students from other campuses participated in anti-war demonstrations, students at Sam Houston State College (the word “Teachers” was dropped at the end of the 1964-65 academic year) continued along in their traditional, patriotic style. Although the campus did recognize the Vietnam War Moratorium day in 1969, peace activists did not demonstrate or march. Dozens of students served in the war, and their classmates, at least, supported them. The Vietnam War may not have turned Huntsville’s college students into protesters, but they did have a voice in other matters. Policies ranging from desegregation and student’s rights, to curricula and curfews were covered in an underground newspaper called the Hyde Park Corner established in 1967. Short lived as it was, the paper had an effect. The president of the college, Dr. Arleigh Templeton, took notice of student concerns and agreed to a full-scale reevaluation of the undergraduate program. What this meant was not immediately clear, but one thing was for certain. The students, faculty, and residents of Walker County had changed in the 1960s, and a new era awaited them in the coming decades. 100 4 6 ✦ H I S T O R I C W A L K E R C O U N T Y
C H A P T E R V I I I HUNTSVILLE AND WALKER COUNTY, 1968-PRESENT B Y M E R E D I T H A . M I L L E R A U S T I N Over the past four decades, the residents of Walker County have played an active role in the transformation of East Texas and the broader region. Since 1970, the county's population has more than doubled in size, growing from 27,680 in 1970 to 67,681 in 2010. During the same time, the landscape of Huntsville changed dramatically as many downtown businesses moved closer to Interstate 45 and chain stores began to overtake the “Mom and Pops.” 101 As the county has grown, it has also become more diverse. Although white residents remain the largest group, accounting for 67.1 percent of the population, black residents make up 22.5 percent, and members of other groups account for 10.4 percent. Of the total population, 16.8 percent of Walker County's residents identify themselves as Hispanic or Latino. This trend is representative of a larger demographic transformation that is taking place around Texas, and it provides the vital energy at the center of much that is occurring in Walker County today. As new populations enter the region, established residents and institutions are working to maintain their historic traditions, while embracing the exciting possibilities taking place around them. The most visible developments to occur in Huntsville during the past forty years have come from the city’s institution of higher education, Sam Houston State University (SHSU). In 1970, the University Board of Regents named Elliott T. Bowers to serve as the ninth president of the school. Bowers transformed the university, overseeing a Master Building program that modernized the campus, while seeking to retain the historical integrity of SHSU. New buildings were constructed on the campus, new instructors were hired, and new course offerings were added. African American students, concerned over the lack of diversity in the faculty, pressured the administration to hire more people of color. In response, President Bowers affirmed his dedication to underrepresented ❖ The Wall of Faces at the Samuel Walker Houston Cultural Center is a tribute to the African American leaders who helped shape Walker County. COURTESY OF MEREDITH AUSTIN. C h a p t e r V I I I ✦ 4 7
Page 2 and 3: Thank you for your interest in this
Page 4 and 5: CONTENTS 3 CHAPTER I Native America
Page 6 and 7: ❖ Above: William E. Moore found t
Page 8 and 9: Eight decades later, following a di
Page 10 and 11: ❖ Cincinnati town survey. COURTES
Page 12 and 13: ❖ Advertisements from The Huntsvi
Page 14 and 15: ❖ Above: Sam Houston (1793-1863).
Page 16 and 17: ❖ Above: “A typical Texas cotto
Page 18 and 19: I need not assure you that whenever
Page 20 and 21: ❖ Above: Thomas Jewett Goree (183
Page 22 and 23: ❖ Right: Memphis Allen sat on the
Page 24 and 25: Five miles further north and east,
Page 26 and 27: ❖ Top: The Austin College Buildin
Page 28 and 29: ❖ Above: The Henry Opera House (l
Page 30 and 31: ❖ Top, left: Marcellus E. Foster
Page 32 and 33: ❖ Above: New Waverly School, earl
Page 34 and 35: ❖ Operators at the switchboard, H
Page 36 and 37: ❖ Above: Andrew Smither, Lee Cart
Page 38 and 39: ❖ Above: Men with the Civilian Co
Page 40 and 41: ❖ Above: The Sam Houston Memorial
Page 42 and 43: imprisoned at the University of San
Page 44 and 45: ❖ Top: Huntsville City Council wi
Page 46 and 47: ❖ Wendell Baker with his wife, Au
Page 50 and 51: ❖ Above: A map of Walker County T
Page 52 and 53: ❖ Above: An inmate is pulled by a
Page 54 and 55: ❖ The Texas Prison Museum proudly
Page 56 and 57: ❖ Above: The Storybook House (for
Page 58 and 59: 27 Patricia Smith Prather and Jane
Page 60 and 61: 95 Bernadette Pruitt, Wendell Baker
Page 62 and 63: HUNTSVILLE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL Like s
Page 64 and 65: to-date with industry trends, equip
Page 66 and 67: ELKINS LAKE RECREATION CORPORATION
Page 68 and 69: COMMUNITY SERVICE CREDIT UNION ❖
Page 70 and 71: ❖ MCCAFFETY ELECTRIC CO., INC. Ab
Page 72 and 73: FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF HUNTSVILLE O
Page 74 and 75: COMFORT SUITES- HUNTSVILLE Local re
Page 76 and 77: BETHY CREEK RESORTS For families wh
Page 78 and 79: CANDYCE FARRIS DIXON, CPA ❖ Candy
Page 80 and 81: ❖ CHARLES W. MONDAY, JR., M.D., P
Page 82 and 83: SMITHER, MARTIN, HENDERSON & BLAZEK
Page 84 and 85: SAM HOUSTON CANCER CENTER In just a
Page 86 and 87: SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY In res
Page 88 and 89: HUNTSVILLE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTR
Page 90 and 91: For more information about the foll

Historic Walker County

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