The Old Timer magazine began in 1975 as an extracurricular activity for Albany High School students. The idea for the magazine was created by Barney Nelson and later sponsored by Albany High School teacher, Winifred Waller. The Old Timer – named after a character from the Fort Griffin Fandangle – documented Shackelford County history, people, and places. It was an immediate success within the local community and new editions were published annually for the next ten years.
Nearly every aspect of the Old Timer’s publication was organized by a staff of high school students. Operating on a shoestring budget, they managed the research, interviews, and photography for their articles.
In an effort to include more students, the Old Timer Staff decided to affiliate itself with the Texas Junior Historian organization. In 1978, they became Chapter 14 – which was the number of Albany’s previously inactive chapter. The students began submitting articles to the Junior Historian Writing Contest where the top six articles were published in Texas Historian, which was a state wide publication.
Between 1975 and 1981, eight editions of the Old Timer were published, with many of its stories going on to be featured in Texas Historian and another magazine called Big Country: Places, Events, and People. The students of Chapter 14 also submitted yearly articles to statewide contests, receiving multiple awards for their work.
Although local history articles continued to appear in other Texas publications, as the years passed many high school students became busier and busier with other extra curricular activities and jobs outside of the classroom. Interest in the magazine, with its extra time requirements, began to wane and the Old Timer magazine was discontinued in 1986.
To discover more about the creation and history of the Old Timer, check out this SPOKEN oral history video featuring former Albany High School teacher Winifred Waller!
Molly Sauder, Archivist/ Librarian