Ross Fountain Family Collection

Collection

Identifier: A-0331

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

A pair of scrapbooks, family photographs, genealogy materials, and a bomber jacket makes up the majority of this small collection. The scrapbooks have photographs, newspaper clippings, telegrams, and letters about Ross Fountain and other Nacogdoches men serving in World War 2. Researchers might find the bombing mission notes in Folder 2 interesting, as they list the date of the mission, the location targeted, the number of bombs, and their yield. Researchers may also like the rare class portraits from the Libby School (circa 1915) in Nacogdoches County.

The bulk of the collection is family photographs. Names marked with a (*) are in the collection. The connection between Cicero Fountain and Joseph G. Fountain remains unclear, but they likely were related.

1 William H. Swift m. Nancy Walker

...2 Josephine Swift m. William Brown (1)

......3 Collie Brown*

...2 Josephine Swift m. John E. Fountain (2)

......3 Cicero T. Fountain* m. Vallie Price

1 Joseph C. Fountain m. Ida E. Mills

...2 Walter McKinley Fountain m. Hesta Martin*

......3 Ross Martin Fountain* m. Ernestine Smith

.........4 Sandra Kay Fountain

1 John Daniel Martin m. Sarah Elizabeth Crawford

...2 Columbus Henry Martin “Lum” m. Carrie Austin Brown

......3 Hesta Martin*

...2 Charles Martin*

...2 Leola Brown*

...2 Ida Martin*

...2 Addie Martin*

Dates

Event: Donated 11/10/2016

Language of Materials

The collection is in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Open for research.

Biographical / Historical

Ross Martin Fountain was born July 3, 1921 in Nacogdoches, Texas, the son of Walter and Hesta Fountain. He grew up in Nacogdoches, playing as a guard on the varsity football team and graduating from Thomas J. Rusk High School. Fountain attended Stephen F. Austin State Teachers College until his entrance into the U. S. Army Air Corps in June 1942. He received his wings as a bombardier January 28, 1943 at Midland, Texas and graduated gunnery school several months later in Harlingen, Texas. Fountain was assigned to a B-24 Liberator stationed in the South Pacific. He flew 46 combat missions between November 1943 and May 1944. He married Ernestine Smith November 12, 1944 in Nacogdoches at the First Baptist Church. Fountain stayed in the Air Force until 1972, achieving the rank of Colonel. He was stationed around the world and held command positions in Louisiana, New Mexico, South Korea, and Spain. After retiring from the military, Fountain worked at Commercial National Bank in Nacogdoches. Ross M. Fountain passed away January 15, 1994 and is buried at Sunset Memorial Park in Nacogdoches.

Extent

0.20 Cubic Feet

Additional Description

Arrangement

This collection consists of 57 items that are described in 11 folders and housed with other collections in a banker's box. There are also four oversize items stored in three bundles. The collection is organized at the folder level.