Lloyd Renfro Photo by Leonard Elder
Facebook site shares history (Posted 7/20/2010 12:00 pm)
By Christopher Amos

Alvarado has grown in population, school and business, but Alvarado is growing fastest on the Internet.

What started as curious conversation among a handfull of friends has turned a Facebook site into a growing community of people who love Alvarado’s past and present. At last count, Alvarado, Texas -  Past & Present has 764 members.

Its members, many of whom have lived in the town for years, share stories and photos of Alvarado’s past and talk about old friends, history preservation (or lack thereof) and memories of school days. Old classmates rekindle new friendships, and questions are answered about what building used to be where.

When Mildred Crow passed away in April at age 87, her former students posted photos and memories of the retired Alvarado teacher.

“Mrs. Crow was one of the finest teachers Alvarado schools ever had,” wrote one member. “Mrs. Crow, you didn’t have to let me slide by that many times when I was busy talking in your study hall,” reminisced another.

One member posted a photo of the “stand pipe” and recalled when the vertical water tower fell and flooded part of the town.

Alvarado, Texas – Past & Present’s co-founder, Keith Renfro, is of Alvarado High School Class of 1970. The Alvarado Star spoke with Renfro last year when he and his classmates reunited at the downtown square to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the gazebo the students raised money for and helped build with their own hands.

Renfro lives in south Alvarado on land his great-grandfather, Newton Lenard, worked as a cotton sharecropper before purchasing the property.

“It is amazing the things people will share on the site,” Renfro said. “There is history that has never been recorded that is being shared. People talk about their old friends or their teachers. It is just a place for people to learn about Alvarado’s past and present.”

In its beginning, old photos from the 1950s and advertisement from a 1956 Alvarado High School yearbook was forwarded to Renfro from Pat Basham. Renfro posted them on his own Facebook page and received enthusiastic responses from friends.

Through his site, Renfro connected with Beverly Short, who had large collection of old Alvarado photos she was posting on her own page. The two decided to start a new Facebook site dedicated to Alvarado memories and teamed up with Frank McCurdy, who had a faster Internet hookup than Renfro. The trio collaborated to combine the collections to kick-start the site.

“There have been over 325 pictures posted, an uncountable list of memories stirred and stories told,” Renfro said.

Tracy Ratliff shared one of her memories on the site. As a child, Ratliff rode the Central Texas bus line from Cleburne to Alvarado.

“During the 60s the bus driver’s name that ran the route to Alvarado from Cleburne was Boots,” she recalled. “I loved the smell of the old bus station. It was sparkling clean and I used to ride the bus from the station in Cleburne to Alvarado Drug. I sat on the very front seat behind Boots or the front seat next to the door. Daddy would follow the bus back and pick me up when I got off — of course, usually a fountain Coke was enjoyed before going home.”

Gene Reagan answered her note with a photograph of the beloved bus stop.

“My Dad drove that bus. Boots Reagan,” Gene said.

Renfro’s recent acquisition for the Facebook site are photos donated by Brookshire’s. When Level’s Grocery Store was purchased by Brookshire’s, the new owners requested old photographs from the community, which were enlarged and placed in the store. These will soon appear on Alvarado, Texas – Past & Present.

Search for the site on Facebook and click “Join” at the top of the page, or go directly to it with the link at www.alvaradostar.net.

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