Durham Family Collection Collection Number: 2003:002 Creator: Durham Family Collection Dates: C

Summary Information Title: Durham Family Collection Collection Number: 2003:002 Creator: Durham Family Collection Dates: c. 1890s - c. 1985, bulk 1940s-1960s Extent: 2.5 cubic feet (5 boxes) Language: English Collection Abstract: The Durham family has long been associated with Diboll, Texas, particularly in the lumber industry and the Diboll Free Press. The Durham Family Collection primarily consists of photographs focusing on Paul Durham, Jr. and wife Jimmie Beth Durham during their years at Diboll High School, their high school friends, Paul Jr.’s career at the Diboll Free Press, the Diboll Housing Authority construction projects, and numerous members of the Diboll community. Repository: The History Center 102 N. Temple Diboll, TX, 75941 936-829-3543 http://www.thehistorycenteronline.com/ Author/Processing Information: Processed by Matt Gorzalski in January 2011. Biographical/Historical Note: Paul Durham, Sr. was born in 1887 in Houston County and worked as a woods foreman for the Southern Pine Lumber Company and Temple Lumber Company for 45 years. He and his wife Mary Lou Durham had two sons: Malcom and Paul, Jr., and five daughters: Ethel Durham Duoto, Hazel Durham Stafford, Pauline Durham Redding, Jeanette Durham Yust, and Margaret Durham Latham. Paul Durham, Sr. died in 1955. Paul Durham, Jr. was born Feb. 25, 1933 in Pineland, Texas. He moved to Diboll, Texas at age 5, later attending Diboll High School where he excelled in football and baseball, and was very involved with local Durham Family Collection The History Center, Diboll, TX Page 1 of 9 Boy Scouts. Durham graduated in 1951 and was class valedictorian. He married Jimmie Beth Jordan on February 7, 1953 and had two children, Bruce Durham and Lauri Durham White. Willis Jordan was a truck shop superintendent in Diboll. He and his wife Ervelia had daughter Jimmie Beth Jordan, born on February 25, 1934 in Fastrill, Texas. Jimmie Beth graduated from Diboll High School in 1951 as valedictorian and attended business school in Lufkin. She worked at the Paper Mill for a short time. She lived at Ft. Bliss for a short time while her husband, Paul, was serving in the Army and then moved back to Diboll and worked for Temple Inland for several years. She went to work for the Texas South-Eastern Railroad Company in 1969 and retired in 1991. Paul Durham, Jr. had a life-long career in journalism. He began writing for Southern Pine Lumber Company’s newspaper, the Buzz Saw, at age 15, and became editor of the newspaper in September 1951 at age 18. He founded the Diboll News Bulletin in 1952 after the Buzz Saw ceased publication. Initially a monthly, the newspaper became a weekly by the fall of 1955 and developed into the Angelina County Free Press in July 1958. In 1960 the newspaper was renamed the Free Press. Durham set extremely high standards for the Free Press, which won literally hundreds of newspaper awards, the first being in 1959 from the Texas Gulf Coast Press Association. At least once he turned down a high level position with Time publishing, preferring his hometown of Diboll over New York City. He won a 1983 National Newspaper Association award for 1st place for column writing on a humorous subject, describing an encounter with former president Gerald Ford in the men’s restroom at the Lufkin Civic Center. The Free Press began using the offset printing process in 1962 at a time when the majority of newspapers in the state were still being printed by the letterpress method. In March 1963 the Free Press began printing high quality full-color photographs, years ahead of other papers. The Free Press’ color reproducing capabilities set the newspaper apart throughout the 1960’s and made the commercial or job printing aspect of the printing business highly successful. Durham retired in 1990 after 36 years with the newspaper. He died on September 9, 1990. Jimmie Beth Durham died on August 28, 2011. Collection Scope and Content: The Durham Family Collection documents the Durham family, focusing on Paul Durham, Jr. and his wife Jimmie Beth Jordan Durham. The majority of the collection is comprised of photographs documenting their Diboll High School friends, Paul Durham’s tenure on the high school baseball team, his career as the editor of the Diboll Free Press, their children Bruce and Lauri Durham, and the general Diboll community. Several close high school friends recur throughout the photographs including Jo Nell Vaught Placker, Billie Jean Walker, Joe Wilkinson, Leo Carnley, Van Davison, Larry Scarborough, Martha Honea, Betty Havard, Louise Minton, H. A. Brown, Suzanne Burkhalter, Jean Greer, Peggy Boren, and Bill Ferguson. Many Havards are also depicted including Carla, Kent, Bobbie, Betty, and Wanda. The bulk of these photographs date between the late 1940s to the early 1950s. Other photographs show Paul and Jimmie Beth’s parents: Paul and Mary Lou Durham, and Willis and Ervelia Jordan, respectively. These earlier photographs can include images of Pineland or Fastrill logging community. Some photographs document early 20th century East Texas logging railroads from the Temple Lumber Company or the Texas South-Eastern Railroad Company. Related images include several copy prints of American Lumberman photographs featuring the Southern Pine Lumber Company from 1903 and 1907. Other photographs document the Diboll Housing Authority and new home construction in Diboll. The Durham Family Collection The History Center, Diboll, TX Page 2 of 9 collection contains a small amount of textual documents, most notably programs, schedules, and memorabilia from the Diboll High School football team, copies of Paul McKay’s “Paul Durham: Country Editor” article, and significant administrative records of Diboll Free Press. Arrangement: The records are arranged and described at the collection level. Subject Terms: Topics • Baseball -- Diboll -- Texas • Football -- Diboll -- Texas • High school students -- Diboll -- Texas • Logging railroads -- Texas, East • Railroads -- Texas, East • School sports -- Diboll -- Texas Corporate Names • Buzz Saw • Diboll Free Press • Diboll High School • Diboll High School -- Sports • Diboll Housing Authority • Southern Pine Lumber Company • Temple Industries • Temple Lumber Company • Texas South-Eastern Railroad Company Personal Names • Durham, Paul, 1933-1990 • Durham, Paul, Sr. • Durham, Jimmie Beth • Durham, Bruce • Durham, Lauri • Durham, Mary Lou Family Names • Durham family Genres • Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.) • Photographs Occupations • Lumbermen • Newspaper editors Locations • Angelina County (Tex.) • Austin (Tex.) • Diboll (Tex.) • Diboll (Tex.) -- Photographs Durham Family Collection The History Center, Diboll, TX Page 3 of 9 • Diboll (Tex.) -- Social life and customs • Fastrill (Tex.) • Pineland (Tex.) Access and Use Access Restrictions: There are no restrictions on this collection. Acquisition Information: Donated by Jimmie Beth Durham but delivered by Judy Hale on February 19, 2003. Citation: Durham Family Collection, c. 1890s – c. 1985 , 2003:002, The History Center, Diboll, TX Related Materials: Paul Durham, Jr. Papers, 1962-1978, 2004:014f, The History Center, Diboll, TX Copyright: Permission for publication is given on behalf of The History Center as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher. Collection Inventory Box 1 Folder 1 Correspondence of Watson Walker Concerning Job Application Status of Paul Durham, Sr. with the Southern Pine Lumber Company, 1918 Folder 2 Southern Pine Lumber Company Handbook of Safe Practices, 1952 Folder 3 Diboll High School Lumberjacks Football Programs, Rosters, Memorabilia, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1971 Folder 4 Thad Leftwich Payroll and Deduction Statement from Southern Pine Lumber Company, 1945-1946, 1948 Folder 5 Pine Echo Newsletter from Diboll High School Class of 1951 Folder 6 A. Porter & Sons Invoice, 1953 Folder 7 Texas Senate Resolutions Commending the Diboll Lumberjacks on the 1970-1971 Football Season and Joe Wyatt as Coach of the Year, 1971 Folder 8 First United Methodist Church Directory (Diboll), 1973 Folder 9 General Correspondence to Paul Durham, Jr., 1975, 1978, 1988 Folder 10 Paul Durham, Jr. “Working Notes” for Newspaper Columns Folder 11 “Paul Durham: Country Editor” by Paul McKay in Saturday of the Bryan College Station Eagle, 1985 Folder 12 Southern Pine Plywood Company Plant Dedication Wooden Postcard, 1964 Folder 13 The Amazing Mr. Anthony Folder 14 Barry Sullman Autograph Folder 15 Diboll Free Press Articles of Incorporation, Minutes, Financial Reports, Secretary of State Letters, Stock Certificates, Inventory, 1957-1961 Folder 16 Zacharia Robert Fenley Postcard, 1987 Folder 17 Unidentified Man, Woman, and Infant Postcard, Late 19th or Early 20th Century Folder 18 Photograph of Mr. Saunders, Beatrice Jones, Juanita Mosby, Carl Ferguson, and Rilla Armstrong, Early 20th Century Folder 19 Photograph of Mary Lou Durham, Paul Durham Sr.’s Mother, Late 19th or Early 20th Century Durham Family Collection The History Center, Diboll, TX Page 4 of 9 Folder 20 Durham Family Photograph with Paul Durham, Sr. 13 or 14 Years Old, c. 1900 Folder 21 Paul Durham, Sr. Woods Foreman Postcard, Early 20th century Folder 22 Photograph of Paul Durham, Sr. with Buster Durham in Pineland or Fastrill Folder 23 Photograph of Paul Durham, Sr. with Engine 10, Early 20th Century Folder 24 Photograph of Paul Durham, Sr. with Log Car, Early 20th Century Folder 25 Photograph of School of Miss Ova Woods, 1908 Folder 26 Photograph of White City Sign Post, 1920 Folder 27 Photograph of Steam Skidder, c. 1910s Folder 28 Photograph of Engine 11 at Fastrill Pulling Log Cars, J. T. Farrow and Pual Durham, Sr. in Background, c. 1930 Folder 29 Photograph of Temple Lumber Company Engine 6 with Steam Log Loader, c. 1910-1920 Folder 30 Photograph of Texas South-Eastern Railroad Engine 9, Early 20th Century Folder 31 Photograph of Tempe Lumber Company Engine 17, Early 20th Century Folder 32 Photograph of Men Constructing Railroad Tracks, Early 20th Century Folder 33 Photograph of Paul Durham, Sr.

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