When I originally planned my trip, my second day included a stop in Georgetown and a short visit with a friend that I had worked with for many years at Mercedes Benz Credit. He retired the same year I did and I hadn't seen him in a long time. Unfortunately he had already planned a trip out of town so I had to modify my plans. As I was talking to Kay on the phone on the morning of day two, I mentioned to her my planned route. This was March 6, 2013. (The anniversary of the fall of the Alamo by the way.) I told her I was going to go the back roads to Belton. She looked at the route on her map and suggested I go a different route, one that led directly to Georgetown and then up I35 to Belton. As I looked at the map I agreed that would be a good route. I could stop off in Georgetown as originally planned but instead of a visit I could do a little family history work. Georgetown is where my dad went to college at Southwestern University, completing both his undergraduate and Masters degrees there. This is where my mom lived and worked and where mom and dad met, fell in love, and got married.
So as I looked along the route on the map, a funny thing happened, or as I like to say, I experienced a case of serendipity. I like this word because it is fun to say: S-e-r-e-n-d-i-p-i-t-y! But, also, it is one of the most fun and exciting things that happens once in a while in genealogy. Per Merriam-Webster the word means: "luck that takes the form of finding valuable or pleasant things that are not looked for", or as Wikipedia puts it: "happy accident" or "pleasant surprise".
At any rate I saw on the map the town of Liberty Hill. I knew mom had graduated from Liberty Hill High School but in the back of my mind I had always seemed to think of it as the name of a high school, but not the name of a town. Well, there it was, located right on my route to Georgetown. Now I could stop there and spend some time as well.
I had spent the night in Marble Falls, so Liberty Hill was only a short drive away. Located on Highway 29, about halfway between Burnett and Georgetown, Liberty Hill seemed to me to be one of those small towns that was in that in-between stage of being small but being transformed into being large. It is 15 miles from Georgetown and 33 miles from downtown Austin. In the last 15-20 years it has grown from a population of 300 to around 1600 and is home to a 3-A high school and lots of construction.
The old downtown area of Liberty Hill. I didn't visit the new area but I'm sure they have one.
As I drove past the city limit sign, I realized I had no idea where to go or what to do. Luckily I wandered into the old downtown area. Of course other areas are growing and the old downtown is standing still. I took some photographs of the old buildings and continued on. A small sign on the side of the road alerted me to the direction of the United Methodist Church so I headed that way. Founded in 1854 on a site a short distance away, construction started on this beautiful building in 1870 with additions being made in 1905, 1916, and 1954. (Information from the Historical Marker.) I'm thinking mom and her family went to church here. There were some beautiful old homes around as well.
Liberty Hill United Methodist Church.
Beautiful old home located in Liberty Hill, TX.
I tried to find the high school but I didn't have any luck. Actually that isn't true, I did find the high school. It was a big beautiful new high school and definitely not the school where mom went in the 1930s. So, I gave up, thinking that the old school was most likely gone anyway, and started toward Georgetown. But then I thought better of it and pulled to the side of the road. I thought, "Darn it, I am here so I should work harder to find the school." I turned around and headed back to town. Just approaching town from the east I noticed a real estate office on the left side of the road so I pulled in. What better person to know where things are than a real estate person. I walked in and two very nice young ladies greeted me and asked how they could help me. I told them that I had a strange request. I said I was looking for the old high school where my mom (and some of her siblings) had attended high school back in the 30's. One of the ladies said she would call her mom at home, saying she had lived there a long time and might know where the school had been. Indeed her mom did know and she gave me the information and the directions. In addition they gave me directions to the library and said the librarian would have information about the history of the town. It is always so nice to encounter friendly, helpful people. I did not retain their names but if you every need help with real estate in Liberty Hill, stop by that little office on the south side of the road on the east side of town. It is right near the new high school. You can't miss it.
Site of the old Liberty Hill High School in the 1930s. In March of 2013 it was an Intermediate School.
The site of the old high school was the site of the present day Intermediate School. They were still using this school in March of 2013. In looking at the web site for Liberty Hill ISD it appears they have opened up a new intermediate school now. I could not tell if there were any parts of this school that might have been a part of the building from back in the 1930s. The main part of the school looked like it had been constructed maybe in the 50s but I am not much of a historian of architecture so I don't know for sure. Maybe that first picture above is from the old building. Frankly I didn't hang around the school taking pictures but only a few seconds. I wasn't sure how it might appear for some old man to be loitering around the school all alone like that. I could just see the police screeching up at any second. It was still satisfying to just feel like I was at least at the location where mom went to school.
My mom's (Avis Galbreath) graduation announcement from Liberty Hill High School. Her brother G.J. Galbreath graduated the same year.
Liberty Hill High School Senior's class play, May 5, 1934. Mom was Leonora Blackstone, a medium, per the above program. Her brother G.J. was William Grayson, a millionaire broker.
Commencement and Baccalaureate programs for Liberty Hill High School, 1934.
Next I went by the library and had a very nice conversation with Sandy, the librarian. She introduced me to a lady that was there working on genealogy. This lady's brother was kind of the unofficial historian of Liberty Hill. She said she would have him look to see if he had an annual from that time frame when Mom was in hight school. (Unfortunately this wasn't to be.) I later sent them scans of graduation programs etc. shown above. I hope they will become a part of the historical items they are gathering.
All in all a very nice morning in Liberty Hill, Texas. I enjoyed very much being where mom spent part of her growing up years and visiting with the friendly people of Liberty Hill.
Then I was off to Georgetown. I located the courthouse and the square. I ate a late lunch at Gumbo's at 701 South Main Street, on the northeast corner of the square. (If I remember correctly.) The food was excellent and great service. Having been revived with a full belly of good food, I then toured the beautiful old courthouse. I also visited the Williamson County museum located on the southwest corner of the square.
Williamson County Courthouse.
Williamson County Courthouse.
Williamson County Courthouse. I wonder if my parents didn't have to come to the courthouse to get their marriage license. I would think that they did.
Four sides of the Georgetown downtown square around the courthouse. If I remember correctly, the top photograph shows the museum, which is located on the West side of the square in the building on the far left.
Next I found Church Street and attempted to locate the house where mom lived with her family. Unfortunately, at the address for the house a new house had been built. I must say it was not nearly as pretty and interesting as the old one. Nor did it have any character. Oh well, time moves on.
Galbreath family photograph in front of the old house on Church Street, Georgetown, TX. circa late 1930s.
Next I drove onto the Southwestern University campus and took some photographs. Also, went by and looked at the beautiful United Methodist Church. Southwestern was the catalyst for my mom and dad meeting and eventually getting married. Mom worked for a professor at Southwestern and dad was working on the campus when they first met. Dad also went to school with and was friends with some of Mom's brothers so he new they family as well. Mom also worked at a Federal Government Sewing Room project and for a burger joint called Uncle Ed's. I wish I could find these two locations but for now I have no idea where they are located.
Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX.
First United Methodist Church in Georgetown, TX. Founded in 1849, this building was built in 1891-1893. (From the Historical Marker above.)
Avis Galbreath and Harmon Meixner above on a date at the San Gabriel River in Georgetown, TX, in 1940.
Mom and Dad, Harmon and Avis (Galbreath) Meixner, on their wedding day 1940.
I made one last stop at a coffee house, again back on the square, (north side) called Cianfrani Coffee Company and picked up some coffee to go. Sandy had recommended it to me when I told her I was going to Georgetown when I left Liberty Hill. The coffee was good and kept me going strong the rest of the day. Now it was time to head north to Belton.
I can't resist taking a photo of the great old courthouse in Belton anytime I drive through downtown.
Belton is about 33 miles north of Georgetown. I cruised into Belton and went downtown. I walked around a little taking some photographs and then I accidentally discovered the Bell County Museum. I took a tour through the museum and found it to be very interesting. By chance there was a traveling exhibit on President Abraham Lincoln at the museum that was down to the last day or two to be there.
From Belton I headed out on the 8 mile trip to Temple. I checked into my hotel and decided I had not had enough for the day so I grabbed a bite to eat and some how found my way to the Temple Library. Kay will be laughing as she reads this. She knows that I never know where I am going, have a terrible sense of direction, and hate to stop to ask for directions. It was night and it took some doing for me to find the library but I did. I had been told by some reliable folks the Temple Library had a good genealogy department and it did not disappoint. I gathered some really good information on my Whiteley ancestors and kept at it until they shooed me out the door at 9:00 pm. Well, actually they didn't have to run me off. I was really tired by this time and I was ready to hit the hay.
Next time I will tell you about day three and my visit with Bill Schleede.
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