Vignettes of Early 20th Century Farm Life in Ellis County, Texas

David C. Paul

Foreword From The Book These sketches of life on the farm in Ellis County in pre-World War II days were not originally meant for publication. I wrote them at leisure after I retired in 1985. Friends and relatives who read them encouraged me so much to submit them for publication that I finally fell victim to their flattery. Commercial publishers and university presses were not interested. Alice C. Evett of Watercress Press has introduced me to subsidy publishing. That was a new and strange term to me. At first I wondered who was going to subsidize the publishing of my little book-some unknown benefactor, a government agency, an historical society? None of these. I would be the subsidizer. There is not a long list of those to whom I am indebted for help. At the beginning of a short list there is especially my wife, Lorraine. Although she was not a part of my life on the farm in those days, she encouraged me to write and to undertake publication. She is the real subsidizer of this publishing project. Alice Evett has been especially cooperative and helpful. She has corrected my grammar and smoothed the style of my writing. Paul Hudgins' illustrations have just about doubled the value of the book. I am especially indebted to my good friend Floyde W. Burnside, Jr. He has been lavish in his praise and encouragement. He made subtle, and sometimes not too subtle, suggestions as to how I might proceed toward publication. It was he who pointed me toward Watercress Press. I am also indebted to Randell Tarin, who made a failed attempt to find funding for publication. He improved the manuscript and provided the subtitle: "Vignettes of Early 20th Century Farm Life in Ellis County, Texas."

Why Publish This Web Page? Six MilesTo Town is a book Copyrighted by David C. Paul. The book was published in 1996 by The Watercress Press, San Antonio, Texas. Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 96-61585 ISBN 0-934955-34-4 This website is intended to invite e-mail about the subject matter of the book. Guests to this website may wish to contact the author below in the caption titled 'Submit" at either of the email addresses shown at the end of this web page.

Text from back cover of the book, Six Miles To Town Six Miles To Town chronicles a way of life which disappeared forever by the end of World War II. The author was born to that way of life, and he lived it for 21 years. He enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps in September of 1941 and was discharged in december of 1945. After college and seminary, he was ordained a minister in the United Methodist church and served various churches in San Antonio and south Texas until retirement in 1985. The author has an eye for detail. He distinctly remembers and describes farm operations seldom recorded elsewhere. He gives an account of digging a well in solid limestone rock with blasting powder. He tells from memory what it was like to work as a member of a threshing crew. He gives many details about growing and harvesting cotton. This book tells the way it was. It is both nostalgic and documentary.

Excerpt from preface to the book, Six Miles To Town I was born in the Buena Vista community of Ellis county, Texas, February 23, 1920. During my childhood and youth we lived on four different farms. The first was the Ralston place, located about a mile and a half northwest of the Buena Vista church and school. About 1924 we moved to the Gross place, which was about a half mile closer. Then in 1929 we moved to the Hawkins place, which was located on the Buena Vista Road about a half mile east of the church and school and about six miles west of Waxahachie. David C. Paul 1996

Currently, Six Miles To Town is in several libraries, including the partial list above. The entire first printing was sold out. Below are the email addresses to make your thoughts and comments known to the author.

sixmilestotown@webtv.net

or

dcpaul@prodigy.net





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