Long before 322 Texas Street began hosting Drink and Thinks, this living room was home to something quite similar…

Among the seven or so owners of this house during its almost 100 year existence, none stands out as much as Mrs. Anna Burgoon.  Anna was born Anna Bushong in 1875 in Grapevine – the  log cabin where she was born continues to be an historic landmark in that town.  While there, Anna was a charter member of the Bay View Club, a women literary club.  Following the early death of her husband (and while still pregnant with her 10^th child, George Bushong Burgoon), Anna moved to Denton, perhaps due to the educational opportunities for her 6 children (four had died in infancy).  Despite her unfortunate circumstances and her heavy load of mothering responsibilities, Anna served the Denton community well.  She was a prominent member and chairperson for the Shakespeare Women’s Club of Denton where she hosted events in this home, played piano at events, and presented lectures on a range of topics from great operas, to the preservation of trees, to artistic movements in the US, to Chinese folk music, to the necessity of promoting Americanism over the errors of communism, fascism, and the like.  In addition, she served as president of the CIA (TWU) Mother’s Club, home group leader for First Baptist Church bible studies, and was appointed to the Denton Parks Board where she was instrumental in approving the site of the first Denton library.  An early feminist, newspaper articles point to her encouraging other women to vote.  She even served as chairwomen for the local committee charged with the campaign of Texas Gubernatorial candidate Dan Moody in 1926.

Below you’ll find an article out of a Denton Record-Chronicle clipping from the 1940s detailing the content of Anna’s lecture on Americanism and other isms:

TRANSCRIPT:

From the Denton Record Chronicles, 1946:

American Ideals Club Topic

Two talks upholding American ideals were heard Thursday afternoon in the meeting of the home economics department of the Shakespeare Club in the S.C.W. tea room with Mrs. Walker King and Mrs. C.N. Adkisson hostesses.

“Americanism Versus Other Isms” was the subject discussed by Mrs. Anna Burgoon, who said that socialism, communism, sovietism, bolshevism, Nazism, and Hilterism are subversive elements actively at work in America today, and that all are in direct opposition to the American form of government.  A study of all these isms is of important to Americanism, and a thorough knowledge of the constitution of the United States is necessary for every patriotic citizen, she said.

“Americanism tends to perpetuate American ideals and to uphold the principles of democracy, “ the speaker pointed out.  “The security of America lies in its citizenry, in whose minds and hearts is ingrained a true love and understanding of the ideals and principles upon which the nation is founded; and awakening to the duties of citizenship and a willingness to perform the sacrifices to uphold these ideals.  Americianism work is largely educational, and usually divided into three phases – work with the youth, the adult and the community.  All matters pertaining to the flag or patriotic education are rightly classified as Americanism activities.”