Linden Lions Club History
The Linden Lions Club has been in operation for some time and is still active today. As of April 16, 2026, the Linden Lions Club will be 80 years old.
The first meeting of the Linden Lions Club was called to order on April 16, 1946, by Mr. O. Hickey, field Representative of Lions International, at the Land Hotel in Linden.
There were 22 charter members present at this first meeting. The following officers were elected to serve until July 1, 1946: D.H. Boon, President; W.C. Fant, First Vice President; E.M. Trew, Second Vice President; J.D. Betts, Third Vice President; Robert K. Hoague, Secretary; G.C. Ford, Treasurer; Roy B. Temple, Lion-Tamer and Chas. E. Allen, Tail-Twister.
The Board of Directors were B.H. Rountree, R.C. Wood, Milton Caver and J.C. Eller.
The Club became an active civic organization and under the leadership of President Boon carried out many worthwhile city projects.
Lion Ted Trew became president at one point and he gave a great deal of his time to the active leadership of the club.
On January 2, 1947, the Club moved its meeting place from the Land Hotel to the George Hotel Coffee Shop. This action was taken due to the Coffee Shop providing the club with a private meeting place.
Under the leadership of President Trew, the Club continued to grow and take on larger civic responsibilities.
On February 27, 1947, President Trew submitted his resignation as President and member of the Club due to the fact he was moving to Lamar County. First Vice President J.D. Betts became President and served until July 1, 1947.
President Betts devoted considerable time to his new position and refused renomination due to other civic activities.
July 1, 1947, the following officers were duly elected and installed to carry on the activities of the Club until July 1948: Roy B. Temple, President; Chas. E. Allen, First Vice President; Geo. W. Morse, Second Vice President; Robert L. Williams, Secretary-Treasurer; W. C. Daniels, Tail-Twister and J.W. Ayers, Lion-Tamer.
The Board of Directors were R.C. Wood, Wylie Daniels, Chas Elrod and Otis Reynolds.
The following projects and activities have been sponsored by the club since its organization: two city-wide clean-up campaigns, co-sponsored with the Linden Chamber of Commerce, City Produce Market where the farmers could market their produce, a small city playground for the smaller children of the city, a donkey-soft ball game along with several soft ball games, a steak supper for the 1947 football team, accepted sponsorship of the Local Boy Scout Troop, paid two months’ salary of the City Cemetery caretaker and the Linden Centennial Celebration. Some of the advertisers for the Club included Leon Blakey Motor Co. of Atlanta, the Cass County Sun Established 1876 - Oldest Business Institution in Cass County – Newspaper, Fant Hardware Co. - Established 1911, First National Bank - Established Jan. 20, 1914, Allen Bros. - Dry Goods – Shoes, Bennett & George - Established January 18, 1935 and more. The Club also posted some interesting facts about Linden and Cass County.
Linden was named for Linden, Tennessee, the hometown of W.W. Story and the surveyors located the site for Linden, June 29, 1848.
The Cass County Sun, Linden, was established in 1876 but before that Judge H.F. O’Neal edited the first Newspaper, “Linden Times” in 1858.
Cass County has had four different names - Paschal, Red River, Davis and Cass.
Cass County was called Paschal County under the Spanish reign from 1824-1836, Red River county under the Republic of Texas 1836-1846, Cass County from 1846–1861 and Davis County from 1861-1871. In 1871 Cass County was the designated name and it still is this name today. Daingerfield was the county seat of this county when it was Paschal County and Jefferson was the county seat of this county when it was first Cass County.
The first Court House was built in 1852, the Methodist Church of Linden was organized in 1853, the first school was taught in 1854, the Baptist Church of Linden was organized in 1855 and the Church of Christ of Linden was organized in 1932.
The Linden Lions Club, striving toward the ideal and purpose of Lions International in rendering unselfish service, presents this Historical Calendar to the community as the first part of the Linden Centennial Celebration, with the sincere hope that it will add some pleasure, satisfaction and profit to the people now living, and be a source of information and bring some happiness in retrospection to future generations.
The members of Linden Lions Club believe in the people of Linden and its institutions and look forward to making some contribution in making Linden a happier place in which to live, and here offers this Calendar as a token of a pledge to make the community, state and nation a better place to live and serve.