COMING FOR THE 2019 HOLIDAY SEASON!
by Monica Wooton, Project Manager
Writers and Peer Editors for Magnolia’s new book met at Magnolia Public Library on Sept. 23rd to discuss their first drafts and next steps in the process.
Magnolia: Midcentury Memories 50’s & 60’s is going to be a great addition to Magnolia’s written history. I know because I am reading it! First drafts are in and writers are busy doing rewrites. Great photos are being collected from personal collections and local archives! There is unabridged enthusiasm for this collection from the writers to the public.
These decades were diverse, intense and iconic! From the Leave it to Beaver years after WWII, television taking hold, the “British Invasion” of music, to the first Catholic President of the United States being the first President assassinated in modern history. The subsequent assassinations, a World’s Fair, civil rights, the Vietnam War, walking on the moon, the “Summer of Love”, Detroit burning, and “Woodstock”. These decades brought medical advances, vaccinations in schools which defeated polio, fallout shelters and “duck and cover” drills because of the Cold War, paper drives, the best penny candy, good soldiers, draft dodgers, long hair and flower power!
On Magnolia, we watched JP Patches (Chris Wedes lived here), listened to Tom Thumb and the Casuals (Tom Blessing started the band in his Magnolia home), attended Elvis at the World’s Fair at the Magnolia Theater and Magnolia women gardened proudly all over the Bluff in clubs that competed to keep Magnolia blooming beautifully. The new Magnolia Library won design awards, eight churches were built and Blaine and Briarcliff Schools were added to handle the baby boomers.
Over 40 folks are working together to bring you the words and images of these Magnolia times. The Army BRATS (Born Raised And Trained) gather back in Seattle to write their Magnolia story. A Magnolian architect explains the new Modern architecture of this era and we will hear the many memoirs and mini-memories about growing up in Magnolia in the 50’s and 60’s.
