TolarFoundersDay

Hood County Texas Genealogical Society

FOUNDER'S DAY FUN IN TOLAR

From Hood County News On-Line Edition dated 5 May 1999

Tolar High School alumnae read papers they had written 20 years ago. The papers were among items buried in a time capsule on the football field. Other items included a rusted container of Skoal wintergreen chewing tobacco, a bicentennial silver dollar, a Hood County News article and a small rock.

Fun, fellowship and fond memories were hallmarks of the day at Tolar's Founder's Day Celebration Saturday.

Close to 500 people enjoyed the day's activities, which included the opening of a time capsule buried in May 1979.

The time capsule contained several manila envelopes filled with papers written by Tolar students. Some alumnae in attendance read their papers aloud which brought laughter from many of their schoolmates. Tolar resident Stan Weinberg said, "If it were a movie, the background music would be the Statler Brothers hit song, 'The Class of `57 Had Its Dreams.'"

More than 130 Tolar residents and visitors were fed fresh fried fish and all the trimmings at the Tolar Volunteer Fire Department.

The only interruption to the meal and camaraderie was the fire alarm that sent several Tolar firefighters to their vehicles.

City officials dedicated Tolar's newest water well and treatment plant, made possible by a number of grants and TOLAR ISD land contribution, after the fish fry.

More than 300 turned out for an open house and tour of the new Tolar High School. The state-of-the-art facility is a far cry from the one-room schoolhouse many of the attendees remembered as children.

Tolar High School principal Bruce Gibbs pointed out some of the building's features, such as 17 classrooms, a 1200-seat gymnasium, two computer labs and a fully equipped chemistry and biology lab. The new high school will begin holding classes for 170 students at the beginning of the 1999-2000 school term.

The photos and copies of school annuals from 1937 - 1960 drew a large crowd during the open house in the new high school library, which also featured hundreds of photos of Tolar people and places.

Organizers said the historical significance of the day was highlighted by Bun Eddleman, 103, the oldest Tolar resident to attend the festivities. Mrs. Eddleman taught music in the Tolar schools for many years.

Weinberg said that the town's first founder's day celebration was a success. "The entire day was small town, rural Texas at its best."