By P.A. Geddie
Gerald Turner was born and raised in rural New Boston in the Upper East Side of Texas. From his small town beginnings he went on to serve as president of Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas for three decades. He’s retiring this summer and transitioning to the full-time role of president emeritus for the next year, helping the new president get acclimated to the position.
Of all the important things Turner has on his plate this summer, he makes sure not to miss his regular meetings with his hometown friends, a group they humorously refer to as the “New Boston Mafia.”
Joining Turner for decades to talk about growing up in East Texas are Robert Bonham, Mitch Hart, Dennis Strickland, Bob Ferguson, and formerly the late Ross Perot and Bobby Joe Prange. Also from Bowie County, Truman Arnold was invited into the group, as well as Bobby Lyle originally from Shreveport with strong East Texas ties.
In a letter to New Bostonians a few years ago, Turner introduced the group.
“There is a group of us in Dallas who are all graduates of New Boston High School and regularly meet under the moniker, The New Boston Mafia. Mitch Hart, as the senior member, is appropriately called our ‘Don,’ and Bob Ferguson serves as the “Consigliere.” At least twice a year, we have lunch together and tell stories regarding our growing up years in New Boston. If one were to do a ‘fact check,’ some of the stories might actually be found to be true!”
Besides “shooting the breeze” among long-time friends, this band of highly successful, rural-raised brothers like to pitch in to help their hometown every now and then.
One project they helped build is the 3 Bostons Museum, the golden treasure of New Boston.
The instigator for building a museum to honor New Boston was local citizen DeWayne Hardage in 2015 who began looking for funding and gained some support from the City of New Boston’s hotel/motel tax program. At the same time, Hardage contacted Turner to see if he could help. Turner took the plans to the New Boston Mafia and they agreed to help fund it. It took about two years to build and the grand opening was June 1, 2018.
The exquisite structure was modeled after the town’s old train depot used when the railroads started coming in the 1870s. It’s located next to the T&P Trailhead Park, a popular stop for travelers of the Northeast Texas Trail created for walkers, bikers, and horseback riders along an old railway bed that goes 130 miles west to Farmersville, Texas. The building is two stories with a cupola that has a view of the railroad tracks.
The name 3 Bostons Museum comes from the history of name changes of the town. It originated as Boston, Texas, in the early 1830s, named for W.J. Boston who operated the first store there. In 1890 citizens established a new Bowie County seat in the center of the county for easier access for all to the courthouse built that same year. Four miles north of Boston, they gave the original site the name Old Boston and the new county seat was named New Boston.
Museum curator Elisabeth Lea says local citizens are eager to preserve their history and visitors enjoy seeing the exhibits.
“The old furniture is intriguing,” she says. “Some 150 years old. We have a lot of artifacts from all the people that have lived around here. There are lots of old photos of things in the early 1800s.”
Other items in the museum include clothing from the old high school, uniforms, jackets, annuals, and other local school memorabilia.
The spacious building also houses space for the New Boston Genealogical Society, and the local chamber of commerce and economic development corporation.
Lea is a big fan of the New Boston Mafia and the town is grateful for their contributions.
“They don’t do it for the glory of it or for show,” she says. “They do what they do behind the scenes because they love this place.”
Besides the main museum, the group has provided funding for renovating a barn on the grounds, the town’s library, and other projects.
New Boston is a typical small town with annual events and a sprinkling of amenities, all with a hometown feel. Earlier this year was the Music Country USA Show, a spring carnival, and the Juneteenth Parade and Festival. Freedom Fest is set for July 4 and their biggest event of the year, Pioneer Days Festival, takes place October 8-11 at the T&P Trail Head Park.
September 4-8 the town is hosting The Moving Wall, a replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C.
The New Boston Mafia continues to look at ways to help those in need and they don’t forget where they came from. Their rise to success grew from the strong foundation they had in rural East Texas.
The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, noon to 3 p.m. Sunday and for special events. Visit www.3BostonsMuseum.org for more information.
