  Dallas Morning News In
common with my contemporary brethren of the press, I can see the
maximum of good and the minimum of bad in my home town. The
curriculum of the average country newspaper office, from printer's
devil to publisher, teaches optimism and enables the student of that
course to perceive the silver lining of every ominous cloud that
appears on the horizon of his community. It seems to be the
accepted province and habit of the country editor to write commendatory
of the activities of the inhabitants and to magnify the advantages of
the community in which he lives and labors. He develops no
vocabulary to express his dislikes, but is constrained to spread the
mantle of charity over the faults of the people and the shortcomings of
his town. Hence, it will require more space to record what I like
about Whitewright than to chronicle the few dislikes I may cherish. I like Whitewright and community first in sentiment because this is my native home. Then I like my home town because it is well balanced and well proportioned in the requisites of a desirable town to live in. No one of the cardinal requirements of a good town have been featured to the disparagement and disadvantage of the other necessary public utilities and services. Good City Government Whitewright
has a system of government that distributes and expends its revenues in
a manner that produces satisfactory results and brings good returns. The governing body consists of a Mayor and two Commissioners, who are elected by the qualified voters. All other positions are filled by appointment. The mayor is supervisor of all departments and activities and is employed for his full time. The plan has provided a compact and real business form of government under which all major criticisms and complaints have been eliminated and substantial progress made. The town has a few less than 2,000 population, but has more than $200,000 worth of permanent public improvements paid for, not including its churches and lodge buildings. The municipality owns thirteen parcels of real estate and appurtenances, all serving a useful purpose in the well-ordered life of the community. Once a year clean-up days have been replaced by a thorough and continual collection of garbage and street cleaning, weeds are cut and trash and cans are not permitted to litter the streets and alleys. Street sprinkling eliminated the dust nuisance in the business district, abandoned wells and stagnant pools are oiled or drained, health and fire prevention literature is distributed at frequent intervals, and in many other ways people are encouraged to appreciate and promote better living conditions. Whitewright's public school system of two commodious and modernly equipped brick buildings, twenty teachers and twenty-two recognized credits of affiliation, places the community's educational advantages in the forefront. In addition to the regular courses, vocational agriculture, home economics, music, art and physical training are fully developed departments. The high school building is heated with steam and has shower bath and sewer connection. The schools have attracted a large transferred attendance from outlying districts. I like my home town because the people are willing to supply every legitimate need for a first-class school system. I like my home town because it has been fortunate in securing an abundant supply of germless deep well water of the very best quality, which the people may use with prodigality at a charge that is not burdensome. Whitewright has improved its streets and brought its waterworks, police and fire departments to a degree of efficiency out of the ordinary, which has resulted in a reduction of the town's fire insurance key rate from 75 cents to 37 cents, with the further prestige and incidental advantage of being classified as an insurance city of the first class by the State Fire Insurance Commission. Whitewright's insurance key rate is the index to Whitewright's public improvement. Has Good Roads I
like my home community because it is a good roads community. The
people of Whitewright and section are pioneer believers in improved
highways, as a result of which a splendid system of good roads carry
the traffic of this section. Whitewright also has a modern
municipal sewer system, which has been in operation six years, and
which contributes to the health and sanitary conditions of the
town. Whitewright's resourceful banking institutions, its modern
stores and pretty homes, well-lighted streets and very complete system
of cement sidewalks and street crossings are assets and conveniences I
am not inclined to ignore in reciting what I like about my home town, nor should its representative churches and religious activities be omitted from the catalogue of noteworthy advantages. I particularly like Whitewright because of the tolerance, harmony and friendly relations between its religious denominations. I like Whitewright because it has a Chamber of Commerce that is well supported, working harmoniously and doing constructive work for the town and community. An active Parent-Teacher Association is also serving a useful purpose. But I like my home town and community especially because it is peopled in the main by an intelligent, law-abiding, God-fearing citizenship, with the townspeople and farmers united in a community of thought, effort and purpose. There is a wholesale spirit of rivalry and competition between the business men, but there is no noticeable envy, dissension or business divisions among them. In Productive Farm Belt Whitewright
is situated in the heart of a vast expanse of productive black land in
the rain belt, but out of the malarial district, "where the cotton
opens beneath the moonlight and the bearded wheat locks the sunlight in
its sheath;" where all the staple products are grown, and where there
is never a disastrous crop failure. The farms of this section
command a high class of tenantry. With infrequent change of
residence tenants remain, rear and educate families in the community
and are indistinguishable from land owners. They live in
substantial farm homes, have high ideals and demand the comforts of
improved living conditions. They are willing to work and pay for
the betterments of town and country life. But I would like Whitewright better if it has more parks and play grounds - more wholesome recreation for young people; if its capital was more active; its vision of industrial development and community growth awakened and enlarged, more permanent street paving and more people. It would not be fair to leave the impression that my home town hasn't a regular share of habitual knockers and some petty law-breakers, whom nobody likes.  Whitewright History Susan Hawkins © 2024 Grayson County TXGenWeb |