Texas Main Street: Linden Reimagined

~ lindenheritage ~ 1 Comment

Have you thought about how to reimagine Linden?  The Main Street America Program provides historic downtowns with the opportunity to effectively redevelop through specially-targeted public and private investment.  Operated in Texas by the Texas Historical Commission, the Texas Main Street Program (TMSP) is one of the oldest and largest in the nation, with 87 fully-designated communities.  The mission of TMSP is to provide technical expertise, resources, and support for Texas communities in the preservation and economic revitalization of historic downtowns and commercial districts.  The City of Linden has filed a Letter of Intent with the Texas Historical Commission to participate in the 2017 Texas Main Street Program.

Event participants included (left to right) Joe Lovelace, Ruth Halleck, Sue Lazara, Tracy Cox, Linda Goller, Marshall McMillan, andy Clarence Burns. Photo courtesy of Jo Anna Duncan.
Event participants included (left to right) Joe Lovelace, Ruth Halleck, Sue Lazara, Tracy Cox, Linda Goller, Marshall McMillan, andy Clarence Burns. Photo courtesy of Jo Anna Duncan.

On Monday, April 11th, the City of Linden, Linden Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) and Linden Heritage Foundation (LHF) welcomed downtown-Linden business owners, members of “Linden 2025” Committee, LEDC and City officials, and LHF members to a Texas Main Street Information Event.  Tracy Cox, Main Street Director for San Augustine, Texas served as facilitator. With help from San Augustine Main Street Advisory Board Members Marshall McMillan and Linda Goller, Ms. Cox presented information on and answered questions about TMSP’s benefits to San Augustine, a city similar in size to Linden, that was awarded Texas Main Street City status in 2013.

Ms. Cox, Mr. McMillan, and Ms. Goller explained that TMSP has been a crucial tool for revitalizing the economic and social health of their community.  In addition to being the heart of local heritage and community pride, San Augustine’s historic downtown is the most important indicator of economic health.  Historic buildings are turning into prime locations for unique entrepreneurial businesses that attract tourists, keep local dollars at home, and add to the community’s sales tax collections, hotel tax, and property values.

A second Texas Main Street Information Event will be held Thursday, May 5th from 1:30 to 3 pm in the Fellowship Hall of the Linden United Methodist Church.  Carolyn Teague, Main Street Director for Mt. Vernon, Texas, will lead the program.  Everyone is welcome to attend and participate.  There will be designated seating for Linden-downtown business/property owners, members of the Linden City Council, and LEDC Board of Directors.

How do you reimagine Linden?

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Cass County Sun: “Community brings ideas to Linden 2025 forum”

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Screen Shot 2016-03-09 at 3.15.50 PM
Photo courtesy of “Cass County Sun.”

The Cass County Sun (Vol. 141 No. 10) published an article on Linden 2025 in the March 9, 2016 edition of the paper.  Sam Higdon, President of the Linden Heritage Foundation, spoke in support of the plan at a public forum held on March 3rd. Ruth Halleck and Catherine Knapp officially represented the Foundation on the Linden 2025 Committee.  Other members of the Foundation who served on the Committee were Carla Surratt, Jeanie Stevens, and Kay Stephens.

Screen Shot 2016-03-09 at 3.45.17 PMScreen Shot 2016-03-09 at 3.16.55 PM

Linden & Atlanta Newspapers: Preservation Texas chooses Linden’s Old Firehouse as Texas’ Most Endangered Local Public Building in 2016

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Linden's 1939 Firehouse
Linden’s 1939 Firehouse is adjacent to the City’s 1934 Historic Water Tower.

The Cass County Sun and Atlanta Citizen’s Journal published an article by Erin Wells on February 24, 2016 announcing the decision by PreservationTexas.org to include the Old Linden Firehouse in their 2016 Texas’ Most Endangered Places list in the category of local public buildings.  The article is available at http://goo.gl/fzG73a.

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Barbara Teachey – Foundation Board Member Recalls 2014 Walden Woods Global Environmental Awards

~ Joe Lovelace ~ 1 Comment

Barbara Teachey was elected to the Linden Heritage Foundation’s Board of Directors in January 2016 for a 2-year term.  With encouragement from Joe B. Lovelace, she agreed to share an exciting time in her life after entering the “Don Henley Walden Woods Sweepstakes” sponsored by chideo.com in 2014.  Barbara won a prize package consisting of a two-day trip to Boston to attend the Walden Woods 2014 Global Environmental Awards dinner/reception, a “meet and greet” with Don Henley, awards presentation, and a benefit concert by the Eagles. The event took place on September 16, 2014 at the Wang Theater.  Her memories of the event follow.

The Walden Woods Project is a nonprofit organization founded by Don Henley that is committed to “preserving the land, literature, and legacy of Henry David Thoreau through conservation, education, research and advocacy.”  The Project uses the land it has protected in Walden Woods to foster an ethic of environmental stewardship and social responsibility, both cornerstones of Thoreau’s philosophy.

Robert Redford, Jerry and Barbara Teachey, and Don Henley (2014)
Robert Redford, Jerry and Barbara Teachey, and Don Henley (2014)

In 2014 my husband, Jerry, and I had the honor of attending the Walden Woods Global Environmental Awards dinner/reception at which Mr. Robert Redford received the Global Leadership Award.  He is an ardent conservationist and environmentalist; and a man who stands for social responsibility and political involvement, as well as an artist and businessman who is a staunch supporter of uncompromised creative expression.  Mr. Redford’s life-long passion for nature and issues of justice has resulted in him being widely acknowledged as a highly effective and dedicated political and environmental activist.

I have been an Eagles fan for many years; and found from my experience with the Walden Woods Project, that Don had a high school teacher, Margaret Lovelace, in Linden, Texas who introduced him to the writings of Thoreau and Emerson.  He developed an early appreciation for the natural world that evolved into a lifelong commitment to the preservation of open space and wetlands, and environmental advocacy on a wide range of issues.

In 1989, while watching the news on CNN, Don learned of two major commercial development threats to historic Walden Woods.  He immediately offered support to a local grassroots organization in Concord, MA that was coordinating the opposition to a proposed office park and condominiums in Walden Woods.  Mr. Henley founded the Walden Woods Project in 1992; and is also the Founder and Chairman of the Caddo Lake Institute in Northeast Texas.   The Institute is a nonprofit scientific and educational corporation with the mission of “protecting the ecological, cultural and economic integrity of Caddo Lake, its associated wetlands and watershed.”

Barbara and Jerry Teachey live in Richmond, Virginia.  Barbara visited Linden in September of 2015 with several other members of the Don Henley Appreciation Group.  She is planning a return trip for June of 2016.

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Award Presentation for 2016 Texas’ Most Endangered Places

~ lindenheritage ~ 1 Comment
2016 Most Endangered Places Awards Photo
2016 Texas’ Most Endangered Places Awards Presentation in Austin, Texas on February 18, 2016.

Linden Heritage Foundation Secretary John Knapp (bottom right in blue shirt) holding  photo of Linden’s 1939 Firehouse at announcement of Preservation Texas’ 2016 Most Endangered Places awards.  Photo by Anne Wheat from tweet posted by Texas Historical Commission.