Years ago, I was invited each year to talk history at the annual Ragland – Hartless Reunion hosted by Dorthia Hartless and her children. I met her sister, Ima Lee and her husband, Alva Lee Hawkins and we became quick friends. I was always entertained by their stories of growing up in the area and memories of their parents. I especially enjoyed trips with Alva Lee to his farm which was located where Caseyville Crossing is on the Brazos River. When Alva Lee passed away in 2011, his wife brought me his photos. This photo struck my eye, it’s Alva Lee Hawkins’ great-grandfather,

Ebenezer “Ebb” Smith. He was born on January 13, 1840, in Tishomingo County, Mississippi, and died on August 17, 1911, in Young County. He’s buried in the Glen Cove Cemetery in Coleman County, Texas.

Telling a story with a photo is something special. I spend hours researching and writing family histories and there’s magic when I write a story based on a photo. Studying a photo helps me understand their story, it feels priceless to me. That’s what the Archivist project wants to do. There’s a story in every photo, just ready to be told.