Treasures of the past

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November 14, 2009

By Karen Middleton The News Courier Sat Nov 14, 2009, 09:51 PM CST

When Betty Lindsay Taylor agreed to do some local research for the Mormon Church seven years ago she never dreamed it would lead to compiling a 393-page book featuring Athens businesses from 1870 to 1950.

Taylor’s research project for the Mormons has long been completed, but she became so intrigued during her research that she decided to do a book.

“The Mormons wanted someone to go through all the Probate Office’s loose files and copy every name listed,” said Taylor. “About six people worked on this project. I was just fascinated by the old letterheads from the businesses. After we finished the project, I went back through the files again and copied all those letterheads and copied old photos. I gathered information from other books and brought it together in one place.”

She said the late historian and author Faye Axford’s many publications were invaluable to her research.

Taylor’s husband, Houston, said his wife went through a couple of new computers and several printers before her work was completed.

Compiling the book took three years.

“I had four or five people doing the proofreading,” she said. “I had a lot of help gathering all of the information.”

Taylor, a member of Friends of the Limestone County Archives, said the organization is underwriting the printing of the book both as a reference for the Archives and as a fundraising project.

Taylor’s book, “Treasures,” featuring archival photos and letterheads of 200 businesses, is currently at the printer and Taylor said it should be ready for Christmas giving.

Doris Estes, whose husband, Buzz, is a member of the Friends of the Archives, was one of the proofreaders. Their business, Estes & Sons, is featured in the book.

“I told her a lot about my days at V.J. Elmore’s,” said Estes. “I worked there from the time I was 15 1/2 to 21 on Saturdays.”

Both Taylor and her husband say they remember many of the businesses featured in the book from their childhoods when they would make the Saturday trip to town and the Athens square.

Taylor said she has not yet learned printing costs to determine the selling price of the book.

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Treasures of the past

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