To The Editor:

In your Shopper, I read about you wanting something of the past history of this country.

I would like to tell about Girard as I remember it from 1923 until now.

My Uncle, Jim Koonce, came to Girard from Desdemona, Texas in 1923. We moved here in a covered wagon. It took a week to make the trip. Now you can drive it in 3 hours.

When we came to Girard and on until in the early 1930’s Girard was a striving[thriving] little city—4 grocery stores; 2 drug stores; a bank; a theatre; 4 gas stations; a post office; one hotel; one boarding house; 2 cafes; a lumber yard; 2 dry goods stores; 2 doctors; maybe three; 3 churches; our school; a barber shop; and a furniture and hardware store. For a while we had a laundry. I wasn’t too old then, but can remember it all well.

To see Girard now, no one would ever think Girard use to be that large. And the high light of the day was when the train made its daily run from Stamford to Spur. We would get on the train and ride to Spur, do our shopping and back home in about 3 hours.

In 1924 the business men in Girard gave away a new Model T Ford at Christmas. Uncle Jim had the lucky ticket and won the car. Now that was the happiest Christmas we had ever had for we didn’t know nothing but horses and wagons. There Uncle Jim and Aunt Edna were with a brand new car and couldn’t drive it. Uncle Jim never did learn to drive, but now Aunt Edna “backed her ears” and learned to drive, sometimes hitting a tree or post, but she finally conquered it. That was the big day when we could pass all the neighbors in their wagons going to town. On through the years Girard began to drindle away. Now just the old settlers are here with just two churches; one station and the post office. A few young families stayed on farms, but after losing our school this year, I just wonder how long they will be here. Girard to a lot of people would or could be called a ghost town—but to us that have seen good times and bad times—Girard will always stand proud and tall—and let old Glory Fly.