“Scenes from Stark Family Life”
Frances Ann & Automobiles
Frances Ann Lutcher was an automotive pioneer. In her 70s, she became one of the first people to travel the country by car. With a caravan of vehicles that flew a large American flag, her journeys became the subject of many newspapers and even a national Pierce-Arrow advertisement campaign.
She did most of her traveling as a passenger with her trusty chauffeur, Herbert Fiedler, at the helm. But this rare photo from the early 1920s captures her behind the wheel of a Ford Model T. Where this photo was taken remains unclear, and so does whether Frances Ann could actually operate the vehicle by herself.
Needless to say, cars and travel were a big part of her later life. Her daughter, Miriam Lutcher Stark, often joined her on road trips, annoyed that her mother tended to ride in the front seat beside her chauffeur rather than in the back of the vehicle like a “proper” lady.
Images from the Eunice R. Benckenstein Library & Archive, Orange, Texas.
Lutcher Family Candid Photo
Drawn by the area’s long leaf pine forests, Frances Ann and Henry Jacob Lutcher left Williamsport, Pennsylvania in 1887 to expand their lumber interests in Orange, Texas. In doing so, they left behind a large, extended family network. Miriam Lutcher Stark, 18 years old at the time of her parents’ move, had the opportunity to stay in the north with relatives. Ultimately, she chose to move to Orange and marry William Stark (who spent much of their courtship selling her on the area). Though the couple spent their lives making a home in Orange, Miriam remained close and connected with the Lutcher family.
This photo was likely taken on a trip to Williamsport around 1900. It provides a rare example of a candid, silly group shot in the early days of photography. In the center of the frame, Frances Ann stares stoically into the distance while her husband, Henry Jacob, stands behind her and directly gazes at the camera. Her grandson, Lutcher Stark, giggles along with his cousins at the bottom of the frame. William and Miriam, positioned to the left of Frances Ann and Henry Jacob, appear rather serious. The rest of the family members surrounding the center make faces at one another, laugh hysterically, or stare (without amusement) at other relatives.
Images from the Eunice R. Benckenstein Library & Archive, Orange, Texas.
Lutcher Stark & His Four-Legged Friends
Historically, pets were a common sight at The W.H. Stark House. With a property situated on a bustling downtown street, William and Miriam had a particular proclivity for taking in strays when their son, Lutcher Stark, was growing up. Some of the family’s earliest letters give the names of family dogs as Orphan Boy and Mrs. Barker, along with Duke, Prince, and Rover.
This love of animals is something Lutcher carried throughout his life. Though the location and date of this photo are unknown, Lutcher Stark is clearly happy to make the acquaintance of a new four-legged friend. While he owned dogs throughout his life, perhaps the most prominent and infamous of his later animals was a King Charles Spaniel named Trouble-Go-Ferdidand (known simply as “Trubbie”). This furry companion was well-known throughout Orange and had rights and privileges not normally bestowed on animals. He wore decorative collars from Tiffany’s in New York, enjoyed a Coca Cola every afternoon, and sprawled out on the conference room table at the annual Lutcher & Moore Lumber Company Board Meeting.
Images from the Eunice R. Benckenstein Library & Archive, Orange, Texas.
Nita & Sorority Life
Lutcher Stark attended college at the University of Texas in Austin. While there, he met and fell in love with Nita Hill. Nita’s parents were well known on the UT campus, which meant from a young age she was as well. Her father, Homer Barksdale Hill, served as the university’s primary sports physician and students affectionately called her mother “Granny Hill.”
During her time as a student at UT, Nita joined the Phi Beta Phi Sorority. In this comical photo, taken around 1910, she stands dressed in a suit and top hat with a pipe in her mouth, posing with her sorority sisters during a costume party. After graduation, she married Lutcher Stark and moved with him to Orange. However, the couple remained close with her family in Austin and stayed financially involved as major donors for the university. For Nita, this included continued support of her Greek life chapter.
Images from the Eunice R. Benckenstein Library & Archive, Orange, Texas.
William Stark, Doting Grandfather
Few things brought Miriam and William Stark greater joy than becoming grandparents. Their son, Lutcher Stark, and his wife, Nita, had struggled through multiple pregnancies. This included numerous miscarriages, a stillbirth, and the death of one child at only a few days old. These were traumatic experiences for both the couple and their families. But in 1925, the family celebrated when Nita and Lutcher Stark finalized the adoption of twin boys from Radford, Virginia. They named them after their fathers, Homer Barksdale Hill Stark and William Henry Stark II.
In this photo, William holds Homer Stark while riding on horseback. Homer is obviously not enjoying the ride, but William laughs it off in a jovial, grandfatherly way. This is just one of the many moments William spent with his grandsons. He was a steady presence in their lives until he passed away in 1936.
Images from the Eunice R. Benckenstein Library & Archive, Orange, Texas.
