That's because the handwritten business journals represented his ancestors. "They're here," he said, pointing to a handwritten page. "This is my family history."
His great-grandfather Spencer Maslone Wooley and his grandfather Pink Wooley were both listed in the books as customers of L.D. Murphy Mercantile Store. Grinning with his new treasure, Wooley was the successful bidder for his genealogical treasures.
The estate of prominent Holland resident Leslie Doyle "L.D." Murphy (1860-1933) and his wife, Ella Octavia Long Murphy (1861-1952), went on the auction block Saturday. Nearly 250 registered to bid on a house full of items - from clothes and furniture and mantles to old photos and business records. The estate eventually came to their granddaughter, Lynn McKenney Cherry of Paducah, Ky., who died in January.
Cherry's son, Robert "Capt. Bob" Cherry of Paducah, Ky., and her granddaughter, Cherry Wittelsberger of Suffolk, Va., were on hand to watch and occasionally bid on family items. Other Murphy descendants were among the crowd of bidders. "Capt. Bob" said earlier, "If there's something I want, I'm going to bid on it, just like them."
Auctioneer Bill Hall of Salado and 13 helpers drummed up excitement. Spotter Richard "Pee Wee" Reaves of Killeen admitted he and his fellow spotters "show-boated a little, but that was to keep things moving." "We want people to have fun, so they'll come to another auction sometime," he said.
Hall wanted them to be comfortable, too, with two portable toilets and a concession stand whipping out cold drinks, breakfast and barbecue.
The curious and the collectors were ready to spend their bank accounts and the day as evidenced by their lawn chairs, drink coolers and calculators. An estimated 300 milled in and out throughout the day. Also helping generate the crowd was a gentle, mild breeze, a welcome relief from a three-digit August.
It took 117 years for the Murphy family to build their household of art, antiques and memorabilia. However, it only took six hours and 15 minutes for Hall to sell all their earthly possessions. By 3:15 p.m., everything was scattering hither and thither to eager bidders, pleased with their bargains, priceless artifacts and pieces of vanishing Central Texas history.
Included in the sale was the spacious home the family bought in 1892. Holland Mayor Mae Smith parked her lawn chair at the edge of the action, worry frowns popping in bas-relief across her face. "I feel sick about this," she said.
She said that Lynn Cherry wanted the home and its contents to go to a historical group or the city of Holland as a museum. However, her heirs maintained Cherry's will and intentions were vaguely worded. So, they decided to sell.
"I hope the house will go to somebody who will restore it and keep it as a historical house that will be open to the public," Smith said.
The house, on tax rolls for $29,219, sold for $41,000 to Joe Warner Liles of Holland. He also owns or co-owns 19 other Holland properties, according to the Tax Appraisal District. When asked his plans for the 2,600-square-foot dog-trot house, Liles said he didn't know yet.
Monk Ivicic of Holland bid on four other ledgers ranging from 1891 to 1901. "I wanted to keep these in Holland. This is Holland's history, and they need to stay here," he said. The collection of business ledgers sold individually anywhere from $25 to $165.
Generating the most intense dollar volleys were five heretofore unknown landscapes by noted Texas artist Ella K. Mewhinney. Creator of a sixth work, a watercolor, was uncertain, so it was not promoted as such. Spotters were busy on cell phones with out-of-town bidders eager to own a Mewhinney, who lived and painted in Holland.
However, all five works went to Bell County homes. Winning those were Robert Secrest of Temple, untitled summer landscape, $7,000; Shannon Cagle of Salado, cotton pickers, $10,000; Bill Messer of Belton, Holland river scene, $7,100, and smaller meadow scene, $3,300; Paul Boston of Salado for the Bell County Museum, fall landscape, $4,900.
Museum director Stephanie Turnham said she was pleased with the purchase, which will be an excellent addition to the museum's Mewhinney collection.
Cagle, who recently moved to her new home, was pleased with her rural agricultural work. "I bought it because I like it, and I have a place to put it," she said.
She also bought 57 vintage hats, some 100-year-old hand-wrought chapeaux, ranging in price from $10 to $65 each. "My daughters and granddaughters like to play dress up and have tea parties," she said.
County commission Tim Brown bid on a Dutch watercolor. His buy for $195 was a bargain, he said. "I liked it, so I got it."
As the final "hammer price" rang out, Hall sat back, popped a beer. "A very good sale," he said. "Pretty good day."
In all, the auction and Holland's historical riches grossed $61,394.85.
pbenoit@temple-telegram.com
