|
|
The "Old
River Bridge"
The Oriana
Camelback Truss Bridge
over the Salt Fork of the Brazos River
Oriana, Texas
Peacock,
Texas
A Letter from
Jean Collom Bachman |
"The
Oriana Camelback Truss Bridge" by Ina Mae Godfrey, 1996
Photo courtesy Jean Collom Bachman |
The
painting of the "Bridge" was painted especially for me by Ina Mae
Godfrey. She has since passed on as well as her daughter, Jimmy Dale
Godfrey Teel. I told Jimmy Dale, one of my class mates, that I was
hoping the painting will be included in the memory book for the Peacock
Alumni Homecoming.
She was touched that I wanted to use the copy! Jimmy has 2 brothers
that still live in Stonewall County....Syl and John Ray Godfrey. John
Ray is the Superintendant of Schools at Aspermont. Syl is now a retired
farmer and has moved into Aspermont. They had to cross the Old River
Bridge at least two times a day...in the mornings to go to school
and in the evenings to go home.
Ina Mae started painting late in her life and I think she did quite
well. She painted several things for my Mother and gave me a choice
of the drawing of the Double Mountains or one of the Old River Bridge.
I selected the bridge!
Ina Mae and my Mother, Helen Collom
Rutherford, were very best friends for so many years. They were neighbors
on adjoining farms when they were pregnant with Jimmy Dale and me....so
the Godfreys have been in my life...all of my life! Our Dads, Olen
B. Godfrey and Ross Collom, were great friends, too.
That
Bridge has wonderful memories for me and other students! When I was
a child, we had school field trips there for Easter Egg Hunts and
end of school parties. Senior classes always went to gather the "River"
flowers to decorate the stage for graduation or other recitals, etc!
I shall never forget the pale lavendar flowers along with salt cedar!
At least the price was right and they looked fairly well. Plus...most
of us did not know the difference at that point in our life!
I also remember the old Bridge ...sort of under it as being a good
place to park. Many of the high school students thought so too! When
I was a student at University of North Texas, I learned to do the
twist and no one in Peacock
had heard of the "new" dance! While home on vacation, I took about
four of the Senior boys out to the bridge, we turned up the music,
turned on the car lights and I taught them to do the twist! One of
the young boys was Carl McMahon....Delores McMahon Mile's brother!
There was not a great deal of traffic at night, thus, we could easily
dance on the old bridge. Many of us regularly danced a great deal
on the Bridge. Our Baptist Preacher always knew when we attended regular
dances and he never failed to give us a lecture in Church! (His daughter
was in high school with us and always tipped him off). |
 |
| I have not been
back to the site of the Bridge in some time. I understand there have
been many changes. I plan to go there when I return to the next Peacock
Classes and Community Reunion on July 13 -15, 2007. As a travel agent,
I have had the opportunity to travel and see most of the world. However,
two of the sites that are the most dear to me is the memory of the
Double Mountains and The Old River Bridge! In summary, I love my roots!
- Jean Collom Bachman, January 28, 2007 |
|
|
