Business History Month: Hampton House Jewelry
Hampton House Jewelry is owned by a husband and wife duo on Main Street near downtown Sulphur Springs. Angela and Wes Hampton have owned several businesses in the past twenty-five years, but believe the jewelry business is their calling. Wes Hampton installed insulation for over thirty years of his life, but always had a deep interest in fossils, gemstones, and prehistoric life. Angela worked in the antique store that was located in the building where their current jewelry, and rock shop, exists for about a year and then the two purchased the...
read moreAnimal of the Week: Natasha
Natasha, who has been at the Shelter for roughly ten days, is a 4-5 month old pit mix who was found by a household that had returned from vacation only to discover two puppies outside their door. “Boris is a little retriever mix and is shorter than Natasha,” Animal Shelter Officer Barbi Blanch said. “Natasha was a tall, slender lady, so that’s how they got their names.” The names of the two puppies come from the 1950s-60s animated cartoon Rocky and His Friends and The Bullwinkle Show. The two puppies were close...
read moreBusiness History Month: Marlene’s Sass and Class
Having always loved fashion and accessories, when the opportunity presented itself Marlene open Sass and Class Boutique in August of 2015. One of the satisfying joys of her business is to allow women of all ages to have an out-of-the-ordinary shopping experience with personal help to not only get the right size and fit, but to experiment beyond a normal wardrobe. Even if you haven’t got the time or talent for coordinating the “new and trendy” with what’s already in your closet, each lady can reach beyond her comfort...
read moreBusiness History Month: Yard By Yard
Henry and Janice Keller had humble beginnings with their nursery business. In 1979, the Keller’s had a greenhouse in their backyard on Morris Dr. in Sulphur Springs, Texas and began to sell plants they had raised themselves. Ten years later, in 1989, the two had a full grown business and decided to move to a separate location. Henry Keller, a Vietnam War veteran and plant enthusiast, bought a house with an acre lot on Church St. He turned the house into a gift shop and office for the business and moved his greenhouse onto the land next...
read moreBusiness History Month: Blacklands Railroad
Blacklands Railroad started in 1999 by Wayne Defebaugh who opened the business after the state-owned railroad running through Sulphur Springs was looking to be abandoned and needed an operator. He quickly leased the track and began his shortline railroad in the middle of the town. He owns the locomotives and provides the crews to work the railroad. “My father was retired from the railroad as a conductor out of Kansas City,” Defebaugh said. “I went to college, got a degree, and decided I wanted to do something on my own. In...
read moreAnimal of the Week: Mufasa
Mufasa is a male long-haired cat of roughly 2-4 years of age. He is currently the only cat at the Animal Shelter.”Somebody found him running around on Whitworth ST, which is a pretty busy road,” Animal Shelter Officer Barbi Blanch said. “They decided to bring him here before he got hit by a car. He’s very sweet and he gets into everything.” Based on Mufasa’s interactions with humans and dogs, Shelter Officers believe that the cat had once lived in a household with other dogs before being abandoned by his...
read moreBusiness History Month: Reilly Springs Jamboree
It may be off the beaten path, but the Reilly Springs Jamboree remains contentedly at home in the country near Hopkins County’s southeastern border. The show’s slogan “Hopkins County’s original music venue” harks back to the Autumn of 1956, when a couple of local musicians, Bob and Joe (Attlesey) Shelton put the abandoned Reilly Springs schoolhouse back to work as their concert hall. The brothers and their band began regular broadcasts of hillbilly and country music “oprys” and early-bird radio shows...
read moreBusiness History Month: Osborn’s Jewelry
Trudy Osborn found her first job in a jewelry store called Gold Connection in Sulphur Springs’ Windsor Plaza Shopping Center. She learned on-the-job about jewelry repair from owners Betsy and Jerry Whitson, who were also her in-laws. Her apprenticeship ended when she moved back to the Metroplex, and it was quite a few years later when Trudy Osborn decided to open her own shop. In 2001, Trudy returned to the Windsor Plaza Shopping Center and opened the doors of Osborn’s Jewelry. Knowing that diamonds are the first choice to mark a...
read moreSSHS UIL One Act Play Advances
Following district competition earlier this week, the Sulphur Springs High School UIL One-Act Play advanced with their performance of “The Madwoman of Chaillot” by Jean Giraudoux, adapted by Maurice Valency. SSHS students Sydney Hawkins and Josh Thompson were named to the All-Star cast. Hailey Farmer received the Outstanding Technician Award. Logan McGraw was All-Star Honorable Mention. One-Act will compete at Bi-District in Lindale next week.
read moreBusiness History Month: ABC Autoplex
ABC Autoplex opened its doors in May 2002 by Ronnie Parris who is now in charge of sales at the auto dealership. He started the business after working for a number of years in sales for Price Ford dealership in the sales division. “I sold cars at the Ford dealership here for about 13 years and they sold out, so we came over here and built this.” Parris said. “I had another partner at the time, Holly Swatsell, he owned the property. We built the building, and that’s how we started.” ABC’s first year saw...
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