Patricia K. Benoit, who has been commissioned for more than a dozen books for the Santa Fe Railway, Scott & White and other local institutions, wrote the book. Ms. Benoit is also a part-time writer for the Temple Daily Telegram.
“My assignment was to distill more than 125 years of very complicated history into about 18,000 words,” Ms. Benoit said. “The intention of the book is to be an overview and not a comprehensive history.”
The book contains photos chronicling Temple’s history and growth from 1873 to present day. The photos were provided from personal collections, Temple Public Library and Railroad and Heritage Museum.
The source material for the book came from state archives and numerous libraries from Waco, Austin, San Antonio, Galveston and Fort Worth, Ms. Benoit said.
Along with the historical account, the book contains little nuggets of information called “Temple Firsts” sprinkled throughout the book. These information boxes include facts such as “The Texas Telephone Company stretched the phone line in 1886 to service 12 customers” and “The Santa Fe’s first commercial railcar pulled into town of Sept. 1, 1881. The engineer was James L. Stanton.”
An interesting page in the book covers “Curious City Ordinances” that many years ago had a specific purpose, but seem odd today. One such ordinance in the book is that “Only taxi drivers could talk to prostitutes on the street.”
The publication is also a gathering of the historic profiles of businesses, organizations and families that have contributed to the development and economic base of Temple. The profiles feature the sponsors of the book.
“It’s impressive to see that many businesses featured in previous publications have continued to prosper and contribute to the rich history of Temple and how blessed the residents are to benefit from that growth,” said Seleese Thompson, 2009 board of directors chairman. “The book shows the growth of the city and how the businesses have grown along with Temple.”
The book was published this spring and can be purchased at the Temple Chamber of Commerce for $34.95 and $29.95 for members. The Chamber is at 2 N. Fifth St., Temple.
rrenfrow@temple-telegram.com
