I never thought of corporate communications as historic research material, but now that I have found some, it makes total sense. Internal company publications are amazing snapshots of the day-to-day lives of working people, and usually include everything from professional milestones to posed and candid photos to articles about the period’s relevant issues through the context of the business. Some have some “funnies,” too, but the humor can be a bit…dated, so I don’t highlight those as much.

The Lufkin Foundry, later Lufkin Industries and then Citation, was one of Angelina County’s biggest employers, and also gave us the famous Lufkin Rudolph. And like other employers in the region, it closed its doors in the mid-aughts. These publications, the company’s “Foundry Roundup” show a different era that is worth a look, whether you’re revisiting memories or seeing it for the first time.

Complete digitized magazines from 1944-1992 are in the online collection of The History Center in Diboll.