Kissin’ Kuzzins – January 24

 (1) Sara Boehne, Curator of the Stark Museum of Art in Orange, Texas will talk about the original artworks of the renowned John James Audubon that are there in the Museum for the February 3, 2020 meeting of the Deep East Texas Archeological Society in downtown Newton, Texas.  The location of the meeting is the Iris and Anne Howard Civic Center on 213 East Court Street in Newton, Texas. Finger food, desserts, and refreshments will be served to guests and members of the Society beginning at 6:30 p.m. thanks to the indefatigable work of Sandra Litton and company.  After a short business meeting led by incoming president Ruth Dusan, Sara will discuss Audobon’s work there.  For more information, contact Terri Woods at terri.nchc@yahoo.com or (409) 379-2109, Kathy Knighton at kathy.nchc@gmail.com or (409) 379-2109, Ruth Dusan at jrdusan@windstream.net or Dickie Dixon at dixonhershel51@gmail.com or (936) 671-1419. (2) The Newton County Historical Commission, John Jefferson, Chairman, is pleased to announce its Newton County Genealogy Conference and Pre-Conference on Friday, February 21, 2020, and Saturday, February 22, 2020, respectively.  Both days, genealogical, history, and family history presentations will be delivered in the same place:  the Iris and Anne Howard Civic Center on 213 East Court Street in downtown Newton, Texas.  The pre-conference, held on Friday 21, 2020 from 2 p.m. from 2-5 p.m. is free of charge to the public, but the Conference itself, held on Saturday, February 22, 2020, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. will cost $20, which includes breakfast snacks and box lunches as well as the cost of the conference.  To pre-register, contact Terri Woods before February 10. 2020 at (409) 379-2109 or terri.nchc@yahoo.com (3) Herman Wright, of Jasper, and Jamie Bollich, of Beaumont,  will serve as members of a panel discussion on freedom colonies in Texas at the February 28, 2020 meeting of the Texas State Historical Association in Austin, Texas.  Some of the land Herman owns in Jasper County was once the location of the Mount Union freedom colony.  For more information, contact Jamie at jamiebollich@yahoo.com  (4) Herman Wright, of Jasper, and Jamie Bollich, of Beaumont, will serve as members of a panel discussion called “A Celebration of Freedom Colonies” at 4 p.m. on Monday, February 17, 2020, for the Angelina County Genealogical Society meeting in the Community Meeting Room of Kurth Memorial Library on 706 South Raguet in Lufkin, Texas.  It is hoped that residents and/or historians from Trinity County will serve also to talk about Nigton as a freedom colony.  Herman now owns the land where the Mount Union freedom colony was outside of Jasper, Texas.