On Wednesday, I made a pleasant visit to the Museum of Hardin County. I’d been meaning to get up there for a while, but my work schedule and the museum’s hours didn’t match, so I had to put it off. My main reason for going was to find out all I could on the train stop/depot/newly erected township called “Florence” along the Beaumont, Sour Lake, and Western Railway. The Beaumont Enterprise article that refers to this new stop was published on July 19, 1907, after the railroad’s president R. C. Duff, W. H. P. McFaddin, and B. R. Norvell drove in the last spike to finish the railroad connecting Beaumont to Houston. I hope to get into more of this in the coming weeks, but there is more sleuthing to do.
The museum is top notch and full of content about different eras of our history. Whether it’s the sawmills, early Texas history, or an abundance of family histories spanning Hardin County, it is worth a visit. And I’ve been told that they have a new schedule.
New Museum Hours
Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. or by appointment.
409-209-5377, 409-755-7313, 409-658-4712
It’s Memorial Day weekend, and this has different meanings for different people. For me, it’s about remembering those who fought and died serving their country. For some of you, it probably means getting in your Jeep and heading to the beach only to get arrested for DWI, PI, or just for being the idiot who doesn’t realize that Maria Maria La Policia doesn’t take any crap. Oh, sorry, that was last weekend, but I digress.
Memorial Day does have multiple origins and means different things to different people. Despite the nitpicking of most of these people (who have their own agenda), I see Memorial Day as a day to honor and remember those who gave all. And with war, there have been many. Race, creed, color, and religion don’t matter to me, and they shouldn’t matter to those looking at the headstone of someone who died serving their country. Now I’ll get off my high horse and look at this weekend’s services.
Memorial Day weekend in SETX is well attended, and there are memorial services in the cemeteries of every town. Beaumont had two on Saturday. One was at Magnolia Cemetery, and the other at Evergreen Cemetery, further up Pine Street. Both began at ten in the morning; I wish I could have gone to both, but there was a scheduling snafu. I was glad to attend the Evergreen one because of the newly placed headstones for two veterans. Shout-out to Magnolia Cemetery for receiving these military headstones and having their people set them for Evergreen Cemetery because Evergreen did not have the resources to do this.
The two new headstones were for Sargent George Shaw, who died in France during the Great War (WWI), and Jerry Lloyd, who fought in the Indian wars and was a Buffalo Soldier. The replacement headstone for George Shaw was necessary because the original one stated that he was a private. However, thanks to the research done by a member of our Jefferson County Historical Commission, they were able to send a headstone with the correct information, which Sargent Shaw deserves. The situation with Jerry Lloyd’s headstone was a bit different because, as far as we know, he never received one. If there had been a regular one marking his grave, then it had disappeared. Research has shown that he was buried in Evergreen Cemetery, but we are unaware of his location.
It was great to see how many people turned out to honor the veterans who have passed. It was quite a diverse group. Some came from as far away as Houston. Some placed flags on the graves, while others placed flowers. Many Beaumonteers showed up after seeing a Friday night report on 12 News Now; they felt compelled to be present and support the event in any way they could. They left with the knowledge of these two heroes and some other stories from this hallowed ground.
That’s it for this week. I would like to leave you with a poem written by Clare Harner.
Do not stand
By my grave, and weep.
I am not there,
I do not sleep—
I am the thousand winds that blow
I am the diamond glints in snow
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle, autumn rain.
As you awake with morning’s hush,
I am the swift, up-flinging rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight,
I am the day transcending night.
Do not stand
By my grave, and cry—
I am not there,
I did not die.
The Origins of Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a time to reflect on peace and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our country. The origins of this holiday go back to the Civil War, when it was known as Decoration Day.
The official National Decoration Day is said to have begun on May 5, 1868, when General John A. Logan declared the date would be observed as a national holiday. In the South, however, many local ceremonies had already begun in 1866. For example, I found one reference to a group of women from Columbus, Mississippi, who on April 25, 1866, visited a cemetery to honor and decorate the graves of the Confederate soldiers who had died at the Battle of Shiloh. When they saw the bare graves of the Union soldiers, these women decided to place flowers also upon them.
Through the years, people used this day to tend to their family’s plots. They would clean their area since most cemeteries back then were not cared for by staff. They had picnics and spent time remembering their loved ones, which is a tradition I love.
In 1966, Lyndon B. Johnson declared Waterloo, New York, as the birthplace of Memorial Day because on May 5, 1866, people there honored “local veterans who had fought and died in the Civil War.”
No matter when it started or who started it, we all know the meaning of this day: to honor those who fought and died for our freedom. Thanks to their sacrifice, we stand here today and celebrate them on the beaches, at BBQs, and in many other places. They are our family and our heroes, and we remember them now and forever.
You must be logged in to post a comment.