In Hughes Springs, Texas, the shady trees in Spring Park make for a restful place to visit near the town's business district.
The park's softly gurgling stream, turned red-orange by iron salts, adds interest to one's visit. A number of informative historical plaques can be read. At one spot, a 100-year time capsule is buried, to be opened in 2078.
Veterans have a memorial here. An open-air stage is ready for speech or song. People come to reflect, maybe to eat lunch.
One brick, flower-planter box, large enough to be a sitting place, is especially noticeable. It commends a club with a winning name-the H.U.G. Club.
The H.U.G. Club was organized in 1919 at the home of Mrs. J.S.D. Taylor and its membership comprised 12 young women with two older ladies as sponsors.
The name stood for Hughes Useful Girls, but this identification was kept secret and members jokingly told everyone that H.U.G. stood for Hughes Ugly Girls.
One of their projects was the addition to Spring Park of a square, concrete planter. It has seats on the side and a marble slab in the center engraved with the names of members.
Through the years, vandals wrecked the planter but it would be restored by several local civic organizations. The current engraving tells of restoration in 2002 by the Red Radiance Garden Club and the family of Lola "Bill" Williams Traylor.
H.U.G. disbanded during World War II. Here are names of those first H.U.G. Club members:
Buena Daniel, later Mrs. Jim Evans
Anna Mae Taylor French
Helen Williams Castling
Ethel McMillan
Fonnie McMillan, later Mrs. Ira Glass
Reba Newby, later Mrs. Henry Earl Evers
Vassie Reeder, later Mrs. Ennis Newby
Zoie Traylor, later Mrs. Reno Newby
Minnie Wallace, later Mrs. G.E. Judge Traylor
Lena Williams, later Mrs. Grady Doss
Erin Wood, later Mrs. Roy Guinn.