Sunday, November 21, 1965—Volume 1, Number 1—Mesquite, Texas, 75149….. marked the first issue of the combined issue, or so it was advertised! *I have edited a little, but not much!* “This was a red-letter day for the Mesquiter and the
Messenger, as the week-end edition was launched. After 83 years, The Texas Mesquiter has a traveling companion. Today’s is the first issue of The Weekend Mesquiter and The Messenger, which increases the publication frequency of both the Mesquite and Forney newspapers to twice a week.”
“In launching the new edition, Publisher Paul Barham said it will make possible better service to the 60,000 people, who live in the Mesquite, Balch Springs, Sunnyvale, and Forney areas.”
“ The Weekend Mesquiter is truly a bonus,” Barham said, “in that there is no additional subscription charge for the second newspaper a week.” *“The Mesquiter was founded in 1882, about five years before Mesquite became an incorporated community. Barham became publisher of the Mesquiter on November 1 and has promised further expansion and growth.”* *“ The Forney Messenger, which was purchased in July by the same corporation that owns the Texas Mesquiter, is Kaufman County’s oldest newspaper, established in 1884.”* “The staffs of the Texas Mesquiter and the Forney Messenger combine to produce the Weekend Mesquiter and Messenger. Editor of the Forney newspaper is Mrs. Helen McCain, and Larry Howell is the editor of the Mesquite paper. Barham serves as publisher of both newspapers, and Ed King is advertising manager of The Mesquiter.” Now, let’s take a look at the front page of this first “combined” newspaper. *I remember that even as a high school boy, I was skeptical about equal coverage!* There are six “headlined articles,” and guess how many feature a Forney person or event? You are RIGHT! “ZERO!” The two largest tell about “Western Mesquite Site Sought for New School” and “Fritz Chemical Adds New Dimension to Growth.”
Now for page two: Eleven articles, and not one is about Forney. There is one small ad from H. W. Campbell, Inc.—Authorized Ford Dealer— Forney, Texas.
I was able to find a Volume 1, Number 3, of The Weekend Mesquiter and Messenger— Sunday, December 5, 1965, and it did have one Forney article on the front page. The headline read, “Keller Ambushes Forney, 22—7, in Last 4 Minutes.” Page 2 again had no Forney news and not even one Forney ad!
I will have to admit though, that by Volume 83, Number 31—August 21, 1966, things had begun to “even out” somewhat. Pages one and two had quite a bit about our fair town and its folks. Mayor David Yandell announced a city “Bond Elechorse. tion Set For September 10.” Forney schools announced that “School To Begin September 1,” and “Johnny Milnor Resigns From High School.” (Mr. Milnor directed the Forney High School Band for five years and also taught in the district. Mrs. Don Barry was announced as his replacement. Mr. Milnor wrote the words and music for our Forney High School Song—“We’ll be true forever”…..including the “correct word” that is often “mis-sung” today as “flowing.” “We’ll keep our colors ever floating…….”) “Football Practice For 1966—1967 Opens” and “School Budget Meeting Set” and “Miss Emily Futrell To Teach In Hawaii” and “Tax Board Raises Property Values” And, in this issue there is a column, titled “The Left-Hand Column,” with the following tidbits and some more for which we have no room!
Sammy Beeler was the guest over the week-end of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Beeler in Mesquite.
Mr. and Mrs. Johnnie Talty of Kingsville were the guests of relatives at Talty last week.
J. D. Burch and Fowler Hatley returned Thursday of last week from a fishing trip at Falcon Dam. They failed to mention how many fish they caught!
Mr. and Mrs. Loyd Duckworth and daughters, Teresa and Mary, returned last week from a visit in Ardmore, Oklahoma, and vacationing in Galveston.
Mrs. J. D. Briscoe and daughters, Sherry and Carol, were guests Sunday in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Gene Qualls. The Briscoe family assisted Mr. and Mrs. Qualls in celebrating their fifteenth wedding anniversary. They have two children, Debbie and Tammie.
Guests last week of Mr. and Mrs. S. L. Canfield were Mr. and Mrs. Robert Canfield and children of Bogota and Mr. and Mrs. Allen Canfield and children from Brussels, Belgium.
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Campbell and daughters, Lorrie Ann and Debra Lynn, of Mesquite were guests of Mr. and Mrs. Buck Criswell.
*Personals, such as the above, were quite common and seemingly popular in the 1950s and ‘60s in Forney!* Under “4-H” notes were the following on page two of this same issue…… David Costello of Forney lost a sleeping bag at the Kaufman County Livestock Show on Saturday, August 6. If anyone came up with an extra one, please contact David in Forney or the Kaufman County Extension Office……There will be an open play day in Kaufman for anyone who rides a This event will take place on September 10 at the Kaufman Arena. There will be seven performance events and three age groups. There will be an entry fee.
Also on page two was the headline, “Majorettes Honor Jackrabbits,” and it detailed the honoring of the fall candidates for the 1966-1967 team and the coaching staff. Majorettes who served the melons at the “watermelon feast” were Mary Adams, Lana Clark, Glenna Dozier, Theresa Jameson, and Paula Hughes……And finally, still on this page, was the notice of the wedding of Barbara Ann Kvapil (Forney graduate) and Jerry Davis (Terrell graduate).
So, I am going to have to admit that even though I do not really remember much about this “week-end edition” and how long it lasted, it did become more equal in its coverage! And I did have my memory “jogged,” when I saw the “Moon’s” ad for the Mesquite location and the “Anderson-Clayton” ad at the Military Parkway location and the “Firestone” on Galloway in Mesquite that not only sold tires but also appliances. *The first set of replacement tires for my 1969 Fairlane, about which I have written often, were purchased at this store during the early 1970s. Even many good tires lasted only about 30,000 miles then!*
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