Freestone County, Texas Reflections Freestone Past & Present By J.R. ‘Sonny’ SESSIONS Special to The News Manhattan Revisited Son James and Lori on trip to New York to visit Grandson JR who in West Point and kind enough to let Grandma and I tag along. Flew into Newark, New Jersey, rented a car and drove up the Hudson River to the United States Military Academy at West Point. This is a pleasant and scenic drive with the Fall Foliage turning. Given a Grand Tour of the Academy by JR with its historic buildings and past. In Grant Hall their are paintings of many of our famous military leaders, Gen. Marshall, Eisenhower, Bradley and Gen. Patton who was always controversial but a great leader. It took Patton 5 years to complete the Academy who said this because he couldn’t find the library; in later years a statue dedicated of him faced the library. We stayed at a hotel close enough for the subway and enough to walk to Broadway and Times Square. Points of interest toured, some of JR friends from the Academy joined us for dinner, saw a Broadway show Monty Python’s “Spamalot”. The seats for the show on the 3rd. balcony and so high the players looked very small, was a pleasant experience though. Some even walked in Central Park, the weather was nice too. Returned JR to the Academy Sunday evening as needed to study for coming exam. With this we started our return trip home after a great visit with JR and touring. Brought to mind my first visit here in the winter of l944-45 during the war years and while waiting to go overseas. My time spent in the US Navy a great experience with things seen and done probably not possible with out it. Fortunate to be stationed in Maryland a few months, which close to Washington, DC, Philadelphia and New York City with train service to all. I visited the Capital and historic sights there, Philadelphia and other including New York City and Manhattan. A shipmate and I took the train into Grand Central Station which on Manhattan. We toured a great deal, rode the subway to Coney Island and other points. We made the acquaintance of a Scottish soldier who joined us dressed in his kilts and such. We went to the top of the Empire State Building, which the highest in the world at that time. A few days later a military Bl7 accidentally crashed into the building. This country boy had never seen so many people as seen here and in my wildest dreams never thought I return to visit a grand son at West Point. I was scheduled to go on a destroyer at Norfolk, Va. But fortunately this was changed and sent across the country by train to Sam Francisco and shipped out from there. What followed was tour of much of the South and North Pacific, the Philippines, Japan and other exotic Asian places and a run in with Gen. Eisenhower and many pleasant and educational experiences. Thank you JR we are very proud of you, James and Lori for making this trip possible for Grandma and I. **** Grandpa’s Report Grand Opening of McCord’s new modern Country Store and Restaurant in Kirvin, congratulations and best wishes, this the first in Kirvin in many years. ... Saw in Corsicana paper where former longtime Teague pastor passed away and buried there. Bro. Bill Hart a friend who very involved in everything. Freestone Co. Historical Commission meeting with information on Robert Longbotham on whose Texas Land Grant the city of Wortham located. His great grandson Jerry Calame of Wortham presented the program. Longbotham led very interesting life, born in England, came to America, “pressed” into the British Navy during the War of l812. He returned to the US, came to Texas and received Land Grant from Mexico, participated in the Texas Revolution, later moved onto his land grant here and lived to a very old age; was buried in the Longbotham Cemetery. The Historical Comm. November meeting will be at the Training Center on US84 with the time change starting at 7pm. A program on the Freestone Co. Website will be presented by Eric Wood who has a long Freestone Co. family history here. I don’t know enough about this and e-mail to tell more. All are invited to attend. Teague will have refreshments.