The loud wail of the train whistle pierced the night at my grandmother's house. The enormous steam locomotive rattled the windows as it thundered past only a hundred feet away. Exciting thoughts of adventure far beyond my hometown of Orange, Texas, bubbled in my mind. This is more than a memoir, it is a portrait of Americana. Train depots were bustling centers of activity, but even more so early in the 20th century when my grandparents were raising their family. I discovered four valuable diaries from 1917-18 written by my grandparents after the death of my mother. These journals held such a...
The loud wail of the train whistle pierced the night at my grandmother's house. The enormous steam locomotive rattled the windows as it thundered past...
