The ad that ran in the local newspapers said the sale was for the estate of the late Coma L. Hoven. I didn't know who this Coma Hoven was but later found out it was Pee Wee Hoven. Why didn't they say so to begin with? I doubt anyone knew Pee Wee as Coma.

Suzanne and I went to the auction at Pee Wee's home on Mulberry Street Saturday. The offering was an assortment of household goods with a few unusual items thrown in. Pee Wee was quite the pool shooter in his day and pool balls and cue sticks were among the offerings with a real nice pool table being the last item to be auctioned.

A Michael Jackson record album brought over $50 and four Beetles albums brought over $200. I suspect these were some of the Hoven children's and not Pee Wee's. He didn't seem like the Jackson or Beetles type! The auctioneer said the prices were a bargain when compared to what the albums are bringing on e- Bay.

What caught my eye—and my pocketbook—were items of local historical interest. I bought a 1968 Jackson City Directory; copies of "The Booster," a promotional piece on Jackson by John Graham published in the 1920s; and a photograph of the "Red Top," a store and service station owned by Joe D. Bedwell in the early 1900s in the forks of the Coffeeville Road and College Avenue.

The directory was quite a book, listing all of the residents of Jackson and its businesses. In addition to an alphabetical listing of residents, residents and businesses were listed in order along city streets too.

The citizen listing gives a lot of information: The names of husband and spouse, number of children in the household under 18 and the occupation and place of employment of the head of household.

Phone numbers are included. Interestingly, the "246" prefix was already in use in 1968.

The directory was a promotional piece for the city. Chamber of Commerce Executive Secretary Bessie S. McCrary offered details: Jackson had a population of 6,000 in 1968 (or, 6,206 according to the Mullin-Kille, the directory company that canvassed the city). In 1960, the population was 4,959.

Today the city's population is 5,125. The county's population was 25,738 in 1960 and is 26,496 today.

Mrs. McCrary—Jean Payne's and the late Betty McCorquodale's mother—detailed Jackson's history that dates to 1815. She also noted that there were 31 Protestant churches and one Catholic church in the Jackson trade area.

Her photograph is in the directory along with Louis M. Finlay's and Fred L. Huggins. Finlay was chamber president in 1968 and Huggins was immediate past president.

Jackson's assets were detailed—its schools, medical facilities, recreational offerings and more.

The assets of the city's two banks were related: Jackson Bank and Trust and Merchants Bank were nearly equal. Both had just over $9 million in deposits.

An interesting footnote to the above is Merchants Bank's ad, which notes that the FDIC insured accounts up to $15,000. Today, accounts are insured up to $250,000. Does that mean we are wealthier today—or that money isn't worth as much?

There were 10 policemen on the police force. Marlyn Cranford was police chief. The volunteer fire department boasted 26 members. George Skipper was fire chief.

A photograph showed the Jackson City Council: G.B. Espy Jr. was mayor. Councilmen included H.E. Williams, Alexander Stanley, G.E. Woodson, William F. McCorquodale and Dr. J. E. Fleming.

Henry Evans was city clerk. John E. Adams was city attorney, J.W. Morton Jr., water works board chairman; A.C. Reeves, water works superintendent; and John T. Nash, street department superintendent.

Jackson had not long landed Allied Paper, today's Boise paper mill, and was proud of the accomplishment. Members of the city's industrial development board included Chairman J.P. McKee, Price Stanley, Carl Green, Herndon Coate, J. G. Bedsole Jr., V. O. Slayton, Dr. W. F. DeShazo, Dr. R.M. Shackleford and Douglas McGowin.

Some of the above also served on the chamber's industrial committee— Bedsole, Slayton and DeShazo. Others included H. W. Pearce, G. E. Woodson, R. A. Harper, Joe M. Gillmore, Isaac P. Espy, Ernie Byrd and G. M. "Mike" Coulter.

I'll relay some other interesting tidbits from this 41-year-old directory in a couple of weeks.