Garland’s dual celebration for the 100th anniversary of the Bankhead Highway and the city of Garland’s 125th birthday continued April 23 in the Landmark Museum at Heritage Crossing at Sixth and Walnut Streets. The festivities featured several guest speakers.
Caleb Pirtle was the first speaker in the lecture series at the Landmark Museum Saturday, April 23. The former Southern Living magazine travel editor’s talk was called “Conversations along the Highway.” Pirtle’s was the first of several lectures that featured the Bankhead Highway and its 100th anniversary. The Bankhead Highway was the first year-round road to go from coast to coast beginning in Washington, D.C. and ending in San Diego. Pirtle is the author of more than 60 books, both fiction and nonfiction and a speaker whose humorous, inspirational talks have taken him across the country.
Nan Morris Maxwell of Fayetteville, Tennessee, lived on Bankhead as a child and recalled some of the neighbors who lived nearby. The Morris home was the location of Nan’s mother, Zona Morris’, beauty shop. That location is now the area where the Good Shepherd Catholic Church is constructing a new building. Nan was a childhood friend of Kay Wheeler Moore, who with her husband, Louis Moore, worked to have some of the South 11th Street homes open for tours during the Heritage Celebration. Morris Maxwell showed slides of her former Garland home and other scenes.
Mike Hayslip, Garland historian and current president of the Landmark Society, gave a talk entitled “A Bankhead traveler sends photo.” He explained where the current places were shown in the photo, adding humor along the way. Hayslip also spoke about the history of the Bankhead Highway at a double celebration held Friday, April 22, — the highway’s 100th anniversary and Garland’s 125th birthday.
Rose-Mary Rumbley, a frequent and favorite speaker in Garland, presented “Garland: A City That Has Everything.” She discussed the Bankhead Highway making its way through Garland where it is known as Main Street. She also found items of interest along the highway, including museums and Old Rip, the horned toad encased for many years, remaining alive when discovered, then honored in a display at the Eastland courthouse.
Also during the Heritage Celebration lectures, Robert Smith, a local investor and downtown Garland advocate, showed slides of Garland locations that have been updated and are currently in use. Smith began his restoration work with what is now the Generator Coffee Shoop on the west side of the square. He also improved the building on the north side of the square which is now Intrinsic Brewery. He suggested other possibilities for downtown as well.
Patty Granville, manager of the performing arts center now named for her, introduced the speakers.