Mr. Hallum brought copies for everyone of this very informative outline, which he used to present his story.  He had a lot to share and covered several subjects of interest.  After the outline is the story that appeared in the River Oaks News by the "always talented reporter" Jo Ann Dennis. 

                                     “STAYING IN TOUCH WITH YOUR ROOTS”

                                                                   OR 

                                     THE OLDER WE GET,

                             THE BETTER WE USED TO BE

A.   Introduction 

1.     Fort Worth (1935-1950) - (1980-2001)

2.   Family — Wife (Arlington Heights, 1950), 2 sons, 6 grandchildren

3.   The Laura Leonard Hallum Neuro Science Center

4.   1948 — North Side High School, 1949 — North Texas State Teacher’s College, University of Texas, 1950; 53 thru 56

5.     New York, Washington, D.C., Dallas, Fort Worth

B.     Timberlake Heights

1.   1936 — New House Dad Built

2.            Castleberry School — 2^nd, 3rd& 4th Grades; 5^th & 6^th  Grades — White Settlement;

7th Grade — Castleberry; 9th Grade — J.P. Elder

            a. left-handed enforcer – Mrs Irma Marsh     

b.  the big grass fire

c.  7^th grade “artists” meet in Austin

d.       Beer bottles and “Burn-Em-Up Barnes”

3.            Wonderful boyhood — Lake/River/Freedom! Tree Houses/Caves! Watermelon Patches

4.            Neighbors along Meandering Road from Burger’s Lake to Lake Worth Dam and fish hatchery Judd Morris, Stapp, Hallum, Williams, Suttle, Prescott, Jack Morris, Travis, Music, Deiser, Bradshaw

 C.  World War II 

“History can be well written only in a free country.”

[Voltaire. Letter to Fredrick the Great, May 27, 1737]

 1.                                House and property taken by U.S. Government — 1941

2.   Rent house flooded — Brookside Acres

3.   New house — 5409 Meandering Road

a.       WW II building material shortage

b.       Ration stamps

c.       Agrarian ways

4.  Days @ Willett’s Grocery  -  early shopping center 

 5.  Park picture shows on Castleberry school grounds.

6. Neighbors — Tad Lucas, Mitzi Lucas, Gloria Callahan & Tindall’s, Martin’s, Stafford’s, Willett’s

7.   Twenty lots and new homes, 1946 — Hallum Rd.

a.  from the left handed enforcer to the pragmatic Dad

b.        highly sophisticated motivation

c.        retreat to Burger’s Lake 

D.  1950’s, 60’s, 70’s 

1.    Korean War — “Don’t join the Marine Reserves” Vernon Hallum, 1949

2.   Back to University of Texas Architectural School

3.   1955 — Married to Yvonne Bevil (daughter of the Republic of Texas)

4. Architecture Internship — New York, Washington, D.C.

a.        work on U.S. Capitol — a building with some real history

b.  visits to Williamsburg and Carter’s Grove

c.        move to Dallas

d.        started own practice, 1961 — Highland Park Village (oldest shopping center in U.S.)??

e.  built two homes for family in Highland Park

f.        moved back to Fort Worth — built present home overlooking Ridglea Country Club Golf Course

 E.       Historic Architecture

      1.   Baker Hotel, Mineral Wells - Wanda Kalher Rusher (in Castleberry & N. S.H. S   

            class)

2.   Winsor Hotel, Abilene

3.   Sames-Moore Building, Laredo

4. Millermore, Dallas (Old City Park) ante-bellum house

5.   First Land and Title Building, Fort Worth — oldest standing building in Fort Worth

6.   Christal log house on Lesley (Norma Hallum Lesley) ranch, 1853

7.   General Hulen’s home, Elizabeth Blvd. — architect, Wiley Clarkson (North Side High School)

1937 — PWA project - $459,000 cost 

Summary:

 A.       1930’s to 1960’s were good times (Post depression — Post WWH)

1.   River Oaks / Castleberry — great sense of community

2.   High moral values —  honesty

3.   Good neighbors

4.   Parents involved with schools — PTA

a.  My Mom, Dixie Hallum — life member

b.  Mrs. Schieffer, Mrs. Unrugh, Mrs. Magee, Mrs. Willett

c.  Billy Goat auction by Judge Magee

           d. Basketball/Volleyball Court

e.  Obie Leonard’s contribution to new cafeteria

f.   New auditorium curtain

           g. U.N. embroidered flag

    5.     Dr. Jewell made house calls

    6.     Patriotic

    7.     Pleasant Music

    8.     Non-litigious society

    9.     No drugs or abortion rights

10. Term “homophobic” not yet foist on Christians

11. Judo-Christian values were the norm

12. Strong work ethics 

B.  Proud of my roots in River Oaks -

                     1.    Suggest “A step backwards is a step forward.”

2.    Get back to our moral roots, work ethics, and neighborly ways.

3.   Use our times growing up in Castleberry / River Oaks as a model for people who are seeking a sense of community and family values.

4. Numerous outstanding River Oaks former residents.

“When you come to a fork in the road, take it” - Yogi Berra

5.   I.E. — Lt. General Dwayne Gray, USMC, 5100 Langley, River Oaks, now retired in Falls Church, Virginia.

a.        Castleberry school pipe rail

b.        Freshmen girls at U.T. 

C.  Thank you for the invitation to share some personal information and reflections of our common roots. 

                                                                                                                 V. Aubrey Hallum

                                                                                                                     May 7, 2001