Lighthouse for a Small Town

While I was growing up in Waxahachie, the county courthouse was the heart of my world. Although I truthfully can't remember ever being in the building itself back then, the courthouse was surrounded by places symbolic of my life in Ellis County.

Across the street on the northwest corner of the square was the Texas Theater. It was here that we'd line up every Saturday morning eager to spend our day watching double features. This was low-cost entertainment at its best and kept us occupied well into the afternoon.

Then just a few doors to the east was a favorite hangout, Trinity Pharmacy. Weekends, the kids pretty much took over the soda fountain area. Sometimes the prescription clerk would ask us to “quiet down” so they could conduct business, but typically the proprietors were good-natured about our invasion. 

We'd often walk across the street, making our way to one of the town's dime stores. The girls stayed close to the front, rummaging through cheap lipsticks and perfume while the guys demonstrated their latest yo-yo tricks back in hobby section. I can still hear the sound “walking the dog” made on those old, hardwood floors at the Kress Department Store.

As you kept circling the courthouse, you'd find dress shops, banks, hardware stores and a few professional offices for doctors, dentists and attorneys. Just before school, we'd climb the stairs to Dr. West's office where we'd get our shots and a good “looking over” to make sure we were fit for the school year ahead. All the while, the old courthouse stood strong just outside the doctor's office window. 

It was like a lighthouse for adolescents exploring the treasures of our small town. We gave little or no thought to its true purpose for the citizenry of our hometown area except on the occasion when we'd see the Sheriff escort handcuffed prisoners up the courthouse steps. But other than that, to us the courthouse was the hub of our fun-loving meanderings.

The best part of my inheritance lies within the pink glow of the old courthouse. It's here that our ancestors leave their legacy ... a symbol of tradition and a sign of a life worth remembering and cherishing. It commemorates all that is good about growing up in a small town.