Professor T.J. Ratliff taught three generations of DeQuincy students and was also known as "DeQuincy's Historian." In 1970, Ratliff began writing a column of remembrances and local history for the DeQuincy News and the DeQuincy Journal. He passed away in 1972, but his column was one of thge most read features of these two local newspapers. Ratliff's love of history was transmitted to the majority of his students and many of them became History majors in college because of his teachings. With the goal to preserve the history of DeQuincy, a collection of all of the columns from this fascinating man has been reproduced into this one volume for future generations to come.