The Highest Scoring Team

1951 Boys' Basketball Team

The highest scoring Cluster Springs team in the history of the school swept to an easy victory over all the foes in both regular season and tournament play. The team compiled a 18-1 record against county foes and made one of the strongest bids against Meadows of Dan who went on to capture the State title. The team was composed of four seniors and a junior and the first five played most of the time.

The Reflector 1951

FOREWORD

The students of Cluster Springs High School are proud of the achievements of their basketball teams, the "Bluebirds". The Seniors are taking you now into the nest of the "Bluebirds", Cluster Springs High School. They hope this edition of the REFLECTOR will hold many pleasant and happy memories of the year 1950-'51 for all of you.

The bluebird deserves to be popular, for it is useful as well as beautiful. Like the bluebird which builds its nest in farmyards, loves the green fields and dales of the countryside, and seeks the companionship of man, the students of Cluster Springs are country folks who love country things and get as much enjoyment from them as the bluebird, which is the symbol of happiness.

The above is the foreword written in the Cluster Springs High School 1951 yearbook The Reflector.

1951 Cluster Springs Yearbook

One source I have not used much is a relative's yearbook. Last spring I came into possession of this yearbook from Cluster Springs High School in Cluster Springs, VA. (Cluster Springs is located in the southern part of Halifax County, VA where my Talbott ancestors lived.) I was actually able to drive by the school's old location, however a fire station now sits on the property. The empty lot next to the school that served as the playground/ball field is still there and looks to be waiting for the next game of kick ball.

Over the next several posts, I will be sharing pages from the yearbook. I was surprised by how many surnames I recognized as I read through the pages. I really should not have been. Cluster Springs was (and still is) a small community. I found faces to go with names and names to go with faces. Best of all, the yearbook stirs the memories of my relatives. More stories are remembered and told to the younger generations. And isn't that what it's all about?

What I've Been Up To Recently.....

What have I been up to lately? Making football t-shirts and memories with the youngest generation.

My Great Grandparents

Winifred Davis Haley and Silas Baker Carr

Baker Carr

1878-1968

Winnie Haley Carr

1891-1970

Wordless Wednesday - Raiff's Department Store

Raiff's Department Store

South Boston, VA

Postcard form San Antonio, Texas

"A Driveway in Brackenridge Park. San Antonio, Tex."

This postcard is another from my great-grandmother's collection. It is postmarked 8 May 1911 in San Antonio, TX and addressed to her while she was living in Ringgold, VA. It reads:

Hello,

Received card this a.m. are getting on fine. Give all my love. I am sending D. T. [Esther's father Daniel Thomas Richardson] a paper. had a very nice Easter. write soon. By Be_j__ Elliott

I have not researched the Elliott family extensively, however I believe to be from Benjamin Elliott, a cousin to Esther. (Please note that I have not confirmed that completely.) Esther' mother Harriet was an Elliott before her marriage.

Wonder what Benjamin was doing in Texas?

Buffalo Lithia Springs, VA

Buffalo Lithia Springs, VA today is known as Buffalo Springs or Buffalo Junction and located in Mecklenburg County, VA just east of the Halifax County line. This postcard depicts one of the natural springs in the area. The postcard is addressed to Miss Esther Lee Richardson, living in Kentuck,Pittsylvania County, VA . The postmark is difficult to read but is 190_. The sender of the card was her friend "Edna". Interestingly, after her marriage to Boss Henry Talbott, Esther lived in this area of Mecklenburg County.

I do wonder if a child got hold of a pencil and used the postcard to scribble. Some things do not change over the years!

Danville, VA Postcard

This is a postcard of the Danville, VA Post Office. It is addressed to my great-grandmother Esther Lee Richardson of Ringgold, VA and postmarked 2 May 1911 from Danville. The message portion of the postcard is stained, but it is signed by Sara Henderson. Was Sara perhaps a cousin? A friend? I'll have to look into this.

Look Out for Those Transcribed Numbers!

I happily settled in at the microfilm reader at our local genealogy library this weekend. I just knew I would find more information on my elusive great x 4 grandfather Jesse Haley in the deed records for Halifax County, VA. I knew the book and page number to find the deed I needed. I zipped along the microfilm to the correct page. Oh dear, the handwriting was more difficult to read than usual. Looking closer I discovered why. The deed was written in Spanish! In ordering the film from the FHL library I and the librarian had transcribed two numbers resulting in my receiving deed records from Mexico. It was disappointing not find more on Jesse Haley this weekend, but the episode was rather comical (and another lesson was learned!).

Happy hunting!

Another Unexpected Short Break

Oh, dear! It seems I have taken another unplanned short break from blogging. That can only mean two things:

1. I have been spending quality time with the microfilm reader. I have had some small successes there.

2. I am needing to live in 2010 instead of 1910 or 1810 or .......

Watch for more posts later this week!