By Joseph Hamrick
Herald-Banner Columnist Jul 11, 2021
15 hrs ago
Bettina Zvanut, secretary and local history librarian for the Commerce Public Library, sent me another essay about the life of a family who made their mark in Commerce.
The following story details the lives of the Knight family, which included philanthropists, entrepreneurs, and farmers â and sometimes all three in one person. I think it is worthwhile to look back at the lives that helped shape this community into what it is today.
Here is her essay over the Knight family:
The Knight Family
Jonathan Thomas Knight, Sr. was born in Alabama on December 4, 1840. He married Susan Elizabeth, and, around 1860, they accompanied Jonathanâs parents to Winnsboro in Franklin County, Texas, where they farmed. When the Civil War broke out, Jonathan returned to Alabama to serve with the 448th Alabama Regiment and with the 11th Cavalry State Guard.
In the same way that people who only focus on national elections miss out on the value and important role local elections have on their daily lives, so too are
On March 27, 1918, a new women’s group, The Delphian Club, was established in Commerce, Texas. A social club devoted to studying and service, the Delphians have remained actively involved
By Joseph Hamrick
Herald-Banner Columnist Jan 31, 2021
Jan 31, 2021
I attended the Commerce City Council meeting on the third Tuesday evening as one of the representatives of the Commerce Public Library Board.
The libraryâs boiler went out and it had to be closed because itâs just too cold in there.
I hadnât been to a city council meeting in years, not since I was a reporter in 2015. Nostalgic, stepping into the room. Like seeing an old friend. I sat down and began to watch and listen to the meeting, what was talked about and who said what.
Naturally, I pulled my notebook out and wrote stuff down.