Pioneer Daughters honored 1981
The October 1981 meeting of the Williamson County Historical Society honored the Pioneer Daughters of Williamson County, forerunners of the present society. The organization originated in approximately 1935. Pearl Roberts, president gave a resume of the beginnings and included a history of the Pioneer Sons of Williamson County.
In the brief business meeting preceding the program the executive board was directed to offer the Museum as a place for displaying to the public many items of memorabilia now stored in the attic of the Marion Carnegie library. It was felt that some of the material was a part of the Museum’s history stored in the library before the Museum had acquired its present permanent home. Ronald Reed, librarian, has recently expressed the desperate lack of space at Carnegie.
Julia Harrison Bruce, of Herrin a Pioneer Daughter and great benefactor to WCHS, was presented a plaque by the society. Her brother, the late Fred G. Harrison, was the first president, when the sons and Daughters were incorporated April 17, 1939.
Several of the Daughters reminisced about the early days. Winifred Bainbridge Hudgens said she was delighted to be able to wear Judge W. W. Duncan’s wife’s wedding gown at the Centennial celebration in 1939. Mrs. Hudgens weighed 80 pounds and the dress was tight.
Mrs. Ray Miller recalled that the cradle displayed in the Pioneer Cabin, erected by the Pioneer Daughters in 1939 at the Williamson County Fair ground, was a Kilbreth family possession. The Pioneer Cabin no longer exists. Miss Mary Grant regrets that her dress, but not she, was on a float in the Centennial parade. Julia Harrison Bruce related being appointed to locate a team of oxen and a covered wagon to appear in the parade. With diligence she was able to find one in Metropolis. The team, wagon and driver were brought to the parade successfully, even with trepidation for all concerned.
A social hour followed the program with Johnston City members acting as hostesses.
Pictured: Julia Harrison Bruce, Mary Winifred Bainbridge Hudgens, Bess (Dunaway) Ferguson, Eva Stover, Cleo (Dorris) Carter, Mary Grant, Mayme (Harris) DeBruin, Lucille (Vick) Howell, Susan Edith Davis, Betty (Mitchell) Inman, Fern (McDonald) Moore, Ruth (Kilbreth) Miller, Essie (Newton) Wilkins, Mildred (Burks) Bayles.
(Extracted from the Observer dated October 14, 1981)