Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Bill O'Neal Hall

"Lone Star Historian" is a blog about the travels and activities of the State Historian of Texas. Bill O'Neal was appointed to a two-year term by Gov. Rick Perry on August 22, 2012, at an impressive ceremony in the State Capitol. Bill is headquartered at Panola College (www.panola.edu) in Carthage, where he has taught since 1970. For more than 20 years Bill conducted the state's first Traveling Texas History class, a three-hour credit course which featured a 2,100-mile itinerary. In 2000 he was awarded a Piper Professorship, and in 2012 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wild West Historical Association. Bill has published over 40 books, almost half about Texas history subjects, and in 2007 he was named Best Living Non-Fiction Writer by True West Magazine. In 2013 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by his alma mater, Texas A&M University - Commerce.

On a Monday evening last July I received a phone call from Dr. Gregory Powell, President of Panola College in Carthage. After we exchanged greetings, Dr. Powell informed me that he was in the midst of a board meeting at the college and the call was official. He explained that the board had just voted unanimously to name our new apartment dorm "Bill O'Neal Hall," and he asked my permission to use my name on the building.


My permission! I was profoundly grateful, and tried to say so. But I also was flabbergasted, and it was difficult to express my heartfelt appreciation. I joined the Panola College faculty in 1970, when I was still in my 20s, and for someone who has enjoyed a lengthy association with an institution of higher learning, the greatest honor that can be bestowed is for a college building to bear your name. Later that evening, when I had settled down a little, I articulated my gratitude in a letter to each board member and to Dr. Powell. The next morning I mailed the letters and went to Dr.Powell's office to express my thanks in person.
Dr. Powell welcomes the crowd.
Panola County Junior College was founded in 1947. When I arrived on campus in 1970, I was one of only 25 faculty members, while the student body totaled just 675. There was only one residence hall, a single-story athletic dorm that accommodated 28 young men. But in the decades since my arrival at Panola, the student population has more than tripled. In recent years Panola has been one of the fastest-growing colleges in Texas, with a commensurate need for residence halls. Two large dormitories were built, but after Dr. Powell assumed the presidency in 2000, he located a residence hall model at Navarro College in Corsicana. These halls were compact, two-story apartment dorms built to house 32 residents apiece. During the past few years Dr. Powell and the board have erected three apartment dorms, utilizing the same set of blueprints. But with the continued student body expansion, it was decided to double the size of the next apartment dorm by placing the blueprints end-to-end, thereby accommodating as many as 64 students.

This handsome new building was completed in mid-summer, in plenty of time for the fall semester. Occupants are scheduled to move into all dormitories on Saturday, August 24, prior to the start of classes on Monday, August 26. A few days before move-in day, on Wednesday, August 21, an Open House was staged to show off the newest addition to our growing campus.

Wednesday was clear, and by ten o'clock a large crowd gathered outside the new building. Many members of the faculty and staff were present, along with board members. The Chamber of Commerce came in force, clad in their red blazers. Many of the citizens who came were former Panola students.
Dr. Powell had asked me to deliver brief remarks. He welcomed the crowd, then introduced me. I presented an outline history of residence halls on campus, beginning with a surplus army barracks purchased in 1948 by Panola County Junior College as an athletic dorm for the Pony football team. The price of the barracks was $107.50 - PCJC paid more than that to transport the building to Carthage. Twelve years later this spartan athletic dorm was replaced by a single-story masonry hall for scholarship athletes; amenities were limited by the presence of merely one electrical outlet in each two-man bedroom. Another 12 years passed before a dormitory finally opened for non-scholarship students.The two-story co-ed dorm had a wing for women and a wing for men, providing occasional nocturnal adventures. The later construction of a men's residence hall allowed the co-ed dorm to become an all-women's facility.
Bill with Panola colleagues, Leslie Glaze and Jessica Yates

During the 13 years of his presidency, Dr. Powell has established continuity and long-range planning. He found a dormitory model at Navarro College, a two-story apartment dorm which houses 32 students. Three of these halls have been built on our campus. But rapid student growth caused the recent construction of a hall that is twice as long and which can house 64 students. It is this handsome new facility which now bears my name.
Bill with Larry McNeill

Bill with former students, Amy Calhoun and Dr. Donna Porter
Dr. Powell and board member Bobby Phillips with Bill
Following my remarks there was a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Panola County Chamber of Commerce. Afterward members of the crowd toured the apartments and enjoyed refreshments provided by the college. I had a wonderful time visiting with everyone. I was delighted by the unexpected presence of Larry McNeill, an Austin attorney and former president of the Texas State Historical Association who was instrumental in creating the office of State Historian. While talking with Amy Denton Calhoun, a former Panola student and a current faculty member, I laughed when she told me that she was a resident of the co-ed dorm in the 1990s without realizing that it was built before she was born! In every way the morning was a grand and memorable occasion for me.
For the second  consecutive year Panola has been
named to the Honor Roll of the nation's top twelve Great Colleges To Work For.


Monday, August 12, 2013

Honorary Doctor of Letters

"Lone Star Historian" is a blog about the travels and activities of the State Historian of Texas. Bill O'Neal was appointed to a two-year term by Gov. Rick Perry on August 22, 2012, at an impressive ceremony in the State Capitol. Bill is headquartered at Panola College (www.panola.edu) in Carthage, where he has taught since 1970. For more than 20 years Bill conducted the state's first Traveling Texas History class, a three-hour credit course which featured a 2,100-mile itinerary. In 2000 he was awarded a Piper Professorship, and in 2012 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wild West Historical Association. Bill has published over 40 books, almost half about Texas history subjects, and in 2007 he was named Best Living Non-Fiction Writer by True West Magazine. In 2013 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by his alma mater, Texas A&M University - Commerce.


On May 20, 2013, I was surprised and pleased to receive a phone call from Dr. Dan R. Jones, President of Texas A&M University - Commerce. TAMUC is my alma mater, although there have been name changes. In 1964 I received a B.A. degree with majors in history and English from East Texas State College. One year later the college was elevated to university status, and in 1969 I was presented an M.A. degree from East Texas State University. Decades later Texas A&M University - Commerce employed one of my daughters, Dr. Shellie O'Neal, while two other daughters, Berri and Causby, completed their baccalaureate degrees at TAMUC. Berri was the athletic mascot, Lucy the Lion, and she stayed on to earn master's and doctoral degrees from TAMUC. Whatever the name, I have enjoyed long and rich connections with the institution. 

So I was delighted when President Jones invited me to deliver a commencement address for advanced degree recipients on Saturday, August 10. Then I was rendered virtually speechless when Dr. Jones informed me that the Board of Regents for the Texas A&M University System had unanimously approved his recommendation that TAMUC would award me an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree. Dr. Jones pointed out that in the 124-year history of the institution, only 31 individuals have been awarded honorary doctoral degrees. To be included in such a distinguished group, to be granted such a high honor by my alma mater, was - and is - profoundly moving. I would be further honored by a reception following the commencement activities. I was overwhelmed by the conversation with Dr. Jones, and by his follow-up letter.
Linda King, at left in white jacket, arranged for my
family to be seated just opposite the speaker's platform.


Linda King, the gracious and highly capable assistant to Dr. Jones, handled arrangements and answered my questions during the ensuing couple of months. Invitations were sent to my family and friends. The first person to express his intention to attend was Dr. Greg Powell, President of Panola College, which maintains an academic affiliation with me as State Historian of Texas. My sister, Judy Smith of Lampasas would attend, and my brother Mike and his lovely wife Jerilynn would come from Carrollton. My daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren number 14. It is increasingly difficult to get all four of their families together, even for holidays, so their united presence was a special treat of my special day.

On Friday, August 9, my wife Karon and I, along with her mother, Louise Ashby, drove to Commerce. After checking into our hotel, I went to the vast field house at TAMUC to attend commencement rehearsal. Meanwhile, my oldest daughter, Lynn Martinez, along with her husband and their two daughters, also came to the hotel. The Martinez family took the opportunity for a back-to-school holiday, and we greatly enjoyed the pleasure of their company. Lynn and  her oldest daughter Chloe accompanied me on a nostalgic hike around the campus.

Dr. Dan Jones presents Bill with honorary
Doctor of Letters degree.
My first official duty on Saturday was to attend the Doctoral Luncheon, held in the new Sam Rayburn Student Center. During an excellent meal, 31 doctoral students each expressed their gratitude to various professors, spouses, parents, fellow students, and, for more than half of the candidates, to God. They were an impressive collection of men and women. They would be joined in the University Field House by nearly 400 candidates for master's degrees.

Bill is hooded by Dr. Benevides.
Family and friends of the graduates turned out in large numbers, and the big field house was crowded nearly to capacity. Processional music was provided by a brass band, and I marched in behind Dr. Jones. Early in the ceremony Dr. Jones presented me with a most gracious introduction and awarded me a framed Doctor of Letters degree, honoris causa. I was hooded by Dr. Adolfo  Benevides, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs. It next was my privilege to deliver the commencement address. During my remarks I pointed out that the year I transferred to the campus, 1962, was the year that East Texas State College was authorized to award a Ph.D. in English. When I graduated in 1964 the school's first doctorate was awarded, a Ph.D. in English. I felt that I had come full circle.
Delivering the commencement address

Following the commencement exercise, a reception was held for me and my family at the new Alumni Center. Dr. Jones hosted the event, and I had the opportunity to thank him and Dr. Benevides and Linda King. There was an excellent buffet, and I enjoyed a social hour with my family and new friends. Bud Worley, a former student of mine at Panola College and a 1982 graduate of TAMUC, has just completed his first week at Panola as foundation officer and publicity director. Bud drove to Commerce so that he could make the day's event the subject of his first press release. He taught my daughters at Carthage High School, where he and my wife were schoolmates, so we had a mini-reunion. Late in the afternoon we all headed to our homes, and as I drove I reflected happily on one of the most profoundly meaningful days of my life.
Bud Worley with Bill
Bill speaking with Dr. Keith McFarland, retired
president of TAMUC. Dr. McFarland joined the history
faculty in 1969, while Bill was completing his M.A. Dr.
 Jones stands at right, and Dr. Benevides is seated at center.

Dr. Berri O'Neal, at right, introduces her father at the reception.

Closing remarks at the reception




Saturday, August 3, 2013

Timber Industry

"Lone Star Historian" is a blog about the travels and activities of the State Historian of Texas. Bill O'Neal was appointed to a two-year term by Gov. Rick Perry on August 22, 2012, at an impressive ceremony in the State Capitol. Bill is headquartered at Panola College (www.panola.edu) in Carthage, where he has taught since 1970. For more than 20 years Bill conducted the state's first Traveling Texas History class, a three-hour credit course which featured a 2,100-mile itinerary. In 2000 he was awarded a Piper Professorship, and in 2012 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wild West Historical Association. Bill has published over 40 books, almost half about Texas history subjects, and in 2007 he was named Best Living Non-Fiction Writer by True West Magazine. 

Recently my wife and I drove to the Texas Forestry Museum, the first of three related stops (four, counting lunch!) during a highly interesting day. The Texas Forestry Museum opened in Lufkin in 1976. Indoor and outdoor exhibits trace the history of one of the oldest and most important industries of East  Texas, where  lumbering enterprises have produced forest products for nearly two centuries. 


Outdoor exhibits feature a logging train with locomotive, tender, log loader, log car, and caboose, alongside a venerable depot building. Looming high above these excellent displays is a forest fire tower. Inside the museum are artifacts large and small, including a superb collection of early logging tools and equipment. There is a paper mill room, and enlarged photographs which depict life in sawmill towns.
 
Inside the Texas Forestry Museum
We were greeted by Museum Coordinator Laurie Vaughn, who courteously responded to our questions and introduced us to the new Museum Director, genial Rachel Collins. Director Collins is in her first week on the job, and her background as a teacher will be of help while legions of schoolchildren descend upon the Texas Forestry Museum. Laurie escorted us to the gift shop, where we found Christmas presents for our little grandson. 

Bill with Laurie Vaughn
We drove ten miles south of Lufkin to The History Center in Diboll. Diboll came into existence as a company town in 1894. The previous year T.L.L. Temple purchased 7,000 acres of timberland from J.C. Diboll, and in 1894 his Southern Pine Lumber Company began operating its first sawmill. A school was opened, houses built by the Southern Pine Lumber Company were provided for workers, and a large company store stocked everything from groceries to medicine. There was a company doctor, a post office, and a depot. By 1908 Temple controlled more than 209,000 acres of timberland. Temple's grandson, Arthur Temple, Jr., began managing the company as well as to the town, which was incorporated and elected its first mayor in 1962. 






Research room at The History Center
Diboll's T.L.L. Temple Memorial Library collected an extensive archive of local and area history, including newspapers, documents, photographs, and interviews. To house this growing collection, The History Collection was erected just south of the T.L.L. Temple Memorial Library. The 11,500-square-foot History Center boasts a large, well-appointed research library, with company records, manuscripts, 70,000 photos, and many other resources available to researchers. Nearby an exhibit hall portrays the history of Diboll and of the Southern Pine Lumber Company, as well as general aspects of the East Texas timber industry. Outside a statue of Arthur Temple, Jr., overlooks a 1920 Baldwin-built 68-ton steam locomotive, a tender, a log car, and a caboose. The log train is maintained in pristine condition. 
Logging train at The History Center

On the way home we drove to Stephen F. Austin State University and parked in front of the Arthur Temple, Jr., College of Forestry and Agriculture. Another log train is parked here, a train used by another prominent area lumberman, W.T. Carter. 

Logging train at SFASU
Within 30 miles - from Nacogdoches to Lufkin to Diboll - a trio of historical displays perpetuate the story of the East Texas timber industry. By the late 19th century, logging employed one-tenth of the East Texas labor force. The largest part of Texas's timber production came from three species of pine: loblolly, shortleaf, and longleaf pines. Hardwoods, such as several kinds of oak, also had commercial value for furniture-making, pilings, cross ties, and ridge timbers. Forests across East Texas were abundant, and hundreds of small "peckerwood" mills were set up, while larger mills and operators - such as T.L.L. Temple - began operating on a large scale, with logging trains a key to transportation. A trip to Lufkin-Diboll-Nacogdoches offers fascinating insights to the sawdust trail.

For more information: 
www.treetexas.com
www.thehistorycenteronline.com

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Texas State Railroad

"Lone Star Historian" is a blog about the travels and activities of the State Historian of Texas. Bill O'Neal was appointed to a two-year term by Gov. Rick Perry on August 22, 2012, at an impressive ceremony in the State Capitol. Bill is headquartered at Panola College (www.panola.edu) in Carthage, where he has taught since 1970. For more than 20 years Bill conducted the state's first Traveling Texas History class, a three-hour credit course which featured a 2,100-mile itinerary. In 2000 he was awarded a Piper Professorship, and in 2012 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wild West Historical Association. Bill has published over 40 books, almost half about Texas history subjects, and in 2007 he was named Best Living Non-Fiction Writer by True West Magazine. 



"All aboard!" 


Within moments our vintage steam train pulled out of the Texas State Railroad depot in Rusk, bound for Palestine. Engine No. 316, built in 1917, belched white smoke and hauled us into East Texas pine forests. Steaming along at 20 miles per hour, we enjoyed gorgeous scenery on both sides of our refurbuished coach. Our gracious attendant Joyce kept us supplied with snacks and beverages in the air-conditioned comfort of "Lone Star Seating." And so we commenced a delightful travel experience from the past of the Lone Star State.
Rusk Depot
In the 1850s a few short line railroads transported cotton toward the port of Galveston. The only railroad that extended outside the state connected Marshall with Shreveport, 30 miles to the east on the Red River. By 1860 there were barely 400 miles of track in Texas - a state that eventually would lead the nation in railroad mileage. But after the Civil War railroad construction exploded across the nation, and railroads became America's greatest industry, dominating the economy and politics of that era.

Texas, with its vast size, along with almost limitless agricultural and commercial potential, was the site of feverish railroad construction. Entry of the Texas Republic into the Union as a state was unique, and unlike any other state, Texas retained its public lands, rather than turning them over to the federal government. Therefore Texas was able to emulate the U.S. government in offering vacant lands as an inducement to promising railroad companies. Texas gave a staggering 32,150,000 acres to the railroads. By 1890 there were 8,486 miles of track in Texas, an important factor in a population that soared from 818,579 in 1870 to 2,235,527 in 1890.

Bill with TSR Marketing Manager Janet Gregg
During the 1880s a railroad was built from Rusk to Palestine, with the purpose of bringing raw materials to an iron foundry at the Rusk Penitentiary, and to ship out the finished product. Freight and passenger service proved unprofitable, and after 1921 the line was leased by the state to various railroad companies. In 1972, the Texas Legislature turned the railroad over to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. For many years I offered my students at Panola College bonus credit if they would travel the Texas State Railroad. But by 2006, with the railroad losing more than $1 million annually, the operation was leased to American Heritage Railway, which also operates the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway in Colorado and the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in North Carolina.

With Brakeman C.B. Gunter
Janet Gregg, Marketing Manager for the Texas State Railroad, generously arranged a trip for me and my wife Karon. On Friday, July 26, we drove to Rusk in time to board the 11 o'clock train. We were early enough to visit the gift ship and examine the displays around the picturesque stone depot. I had the pleasure of renewing the acquaintance of C.B. Gunter, a former student of mine from Panola College. He long has had a passion for stream railroading, and he is enjoying a dream job as a uniformed brakeman for the TSR. I had a couple of opportunities during the journey to interview C.B. about operational details of the TSR.
Palestine Depot
The 25-mile trip to Palestine was scenic and relaxing. At the historic depot we picked up box lunches, catered from a varied and tasteful menu. While we ate, the locomotive took on 3,000 gallons of water. The engine starts with 6,500 gallons and uses almost half of capacity going each way. There were displays to peruse around the depot, which is headquarters for the Texas State Railroad Society, a support group of "friends" of the TSR. John B. Price, President of the Texas State Railroad Society, rode our train, and he explained the role of the Society to me. Our return trip to Rusk was delightful, and we pulled into the Rusk depot at 3:30 in the afternoon.

Our friendly and informative attendant, Joyce
Throughout the summer the train runs on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. After the first weekend in August, regular runs will be on Saturdays and Sundays. On Easter weekend the "Easter Egg Express" takes children to meet the Easter Bunny and to enjoy games. On Memorial Day weekend a special journey salutes the armed forces, and at one stop along the way Nazi soldiers emerge from the woods and advance on the train! The "Pumpkin Patch Express" runs every weekend in October, traveling to the Texas State's Railroad's Pumpkin Patch, where kids - often in costume -  pick out their own pumpkin, visit Trick or Treat Street, take a hayride, and sing and dance with a children's entertainer. Scout troops, school and church groups, family and class reunions, all enjoy special occasions aboard the Texas State Railroad.
Lunch in the shade
Rare 1890s Turntable
Most popular of all is the "Polar Express Train Ride," which runs as many as four times per day (and evening) from late November through the end of December. The Polar Express is a perennially favorite animated movie first released during the 2004 Christmas season. The Polar Express stars Tom Hanks (as Santa Claus, the conductor, and four other characters), who escorts pajama-clad children aboard a magical train to the North Pole. The TSR's Polar Express begins a 50-minute round trip from Palestine to an East Texas "North Pole." Last December more than 40,000 children - many clad in pajamas - met Santa and his elves, received a special gift, and enjoyed hot cocoa and caroling. Many children are sponsored by generous individuals and groups, and some kids enjoy their only real Christmas aboard the TSR's Polar Express. At Christmas or any other time of the year, the Texas State Railroad offers an experience not to be missed.

For more information:
www.texasstaterr.com
www.texasstaterr.com/polar
www.tsrrsociety.org


At midpoint the trains pass each other on a
siding. I'm photographing the other train -
and my lovely wife, Karon
We were welcomed back to Rusk by TSR staff members.

Friday, July 19, 2013

L.Q. Jones


"Lone Star Historian" is a blog about the travels and activities of the State Historian of Texas. Bill O'Neal was appointed to a two-year term by Gov. Rick Perry on August 22, 2012, at an impressive ceremony in the State Capitol. Bill is headquartered at Panola College (www.panola.edu) in Carthage, where he has taught since 1970. For more than 20 years Bill conducted the state's first Traveling Texas History class, a three-hour credit course which featured a 2,100-mile itinerary. In 2000 he was awarded a Piper Professorship, and in 2012 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wild West Historical Association. Bill has published over 40 books, almost half about Texas history subjects, and in 2007 he was named Best Living Non-Fiction Writer by True West Magazine. 

"Actors are born, not made," reflected L.Q. Jones. A native Texan from the Beaumont area, Jones is one of the most prolific movie and television actors in screen history. He told me that although he did not act in high school or college plays, he often partnered in comedy acts to earn extra money. He finally began acting in movies in 1954, when he was  27, and a series of lively performances made him a mainstay of Westerns and other films. "I've done between 550 and 600 pieces, in the movies and on TV."

I had the unexpected pleasure of visiting with L.Q. Jones a couple of years ago in Nacogdoches, at a committee meeting of the East Texas Historical Association. A fellow committee member, Dr. Jo Ann Stiles of Lamar University, brought her friend, L.Q. Jones, to Nacogdoches. I was excited at the opportunity to meet an actor whose performances I had enjoyed for more than half a century. L.Q. soon realized that I was a serious fan of his, and he graciously replied to my questions. Recently I related this experience to Larry McNeill, former president of the Texas State Historical Association. He suggested that as State Historian I should interview the noted Texas actor. Larry and Jo Ann helped arrange a phone interview with L.Q., who currently is at his California home, and on Friday, July 12, 2013, he spent well over an hour responding to my series of questions with great depth and courtesy.

Born Justus Ellis McQueen in Beaumont on August 19, 1927, he attended school in Port Neches. As a teenager McQueen formed a comedy duo with a Port Neches buddy, future singer, songwriter, and record producer Lee Hazelwood. The day after his high school graduation, McQueen's legs were shattered in a traffic accident. Following a long recuperation, McQueen attended Lamar Junior College for a semester, before transferring to the University of Texas. In Austin he was part of another comedy duo. "We earned $50, sometimes $100 a week."

In California following a hitch in the Navy, McQueen signed a contract with Warner Bros. He was assigned the part of Pvt. L.Q. Jones in Battle Cry, starring Van Heflin, Aldo Ray, and fellow Texan Dorothy Malone, and directed by the legendary Raoul Walsh. McQueen assumed  the name of his character, "L.Q. Jones." Handsome and athletic, L.Q. Jones appeared in major motion pictures and in episodes of TV series such as Cheyenne, Wagon Train, Perry Mason, Tales of Wells Fargo, Laramie, and Johnny Ringo. In an episode of Men of Annapolis, filmed at the U.S. Naval Academy, he was part of a water polo scene shot during frigid winter weather. "I developed double pneumonia," he recalled, " and they kept two doctors and an oxygen tent on the set."

Five years passed before he first played a heavy, in a 1960 episode of The Rebel. During this period other young character actors were developing compelling personas: Warren Oates, Slim Pickens, and Strother Martin, who became a close friend of L.Q. Jones. These actors often worked on the same projects, and Martin and Jones were memorably teamed in several films. "I learned at least five ways to play a heavy," said Jones, who worked so steadily that he had to develop character variations. His roles became so distinctive that he was more than a character actor - he usually played a character lead.

In 1962 Ride the High Country was released, a beautiful, entertaining Western starring Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott, and directed by the gifted but troubled Sam Peckinpah. L.Q. Jones played one of five scruffy, dangerous brothers who battled Scott and McCrea. Peckinpah cast Jones in other memorable Westerns: Major Dundee (1968), starring Charlton Heston; The Wild Bunch (1969), a film noted for its violence and superb cast; The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970), starring Jason Robards ("The best movie actor of his era," stated Jones) and Stella Stevens; and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973), with James Coburn and Kris Kristofferson in the title roles.

In Cable Hogue Jones and Strother Martin  are trapped in a deep hole by Robards, who begins throwing rattlesnakes onto them. It is a chilling, scary scene that took three days to film. "The snake wranglers sewed up the mouths of the rattlesnakes," related Jones, "but I checked every snake before filming started." The snake wranglers threw each reptile up into the air, and the angry snakes dropped 10 to 12 feet before landing. The largest snake weighed 15 to 16 pounds. "When he fell on me it was like being hit with a log."

Early in his career Jones demonstrated a flair for costume. "I love wardrobe," he explained. "'Our business is a picture." Jones arrived on the set of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid expecting to film for a day and a half. But Peckinpah was not satisfied with costuming, and he asked Jones to help out in wardrobe. Jones stayed for more than a week.

Only a few years into his career Jones no longer was required to audition for roles. Producers and directors knew his work and offered him parts suited to his unique talents. Fans instantly recognized Jones when he appeared onscreen, expecting high energy characterizations that were a little offbeat, a little crazy. He relished working opposite great actors such as Jason Robards, Robert DeNiro, Anthony Hopkins, Clint Eastwood, Charlton Heston, Steve McQueen, Gene Hackman, Robert Ryan. "The best actors are prepared to go many different ways," he explained, pointing out that in three scenes with DeNiro in Casino, "I would do something good, and Bob would do something better." With great stars like DeNiro and Hopkins, scenes would be filmed far more quickly than scheduled, often in a single take. "The better the actor," he emphasized, "the easier it is to work with him."

Between motion picture assignments he continued to work steadily in television. In guest appearances on Rawhide, The Big Valley, Have Gun Will Travel, The Rifleman, Ironside, Charlie's Angels, and The Dukes of Hazzard, his roles usually were major characters. In The Virginian, a 90-minute weekly series, he played Andy Belden in a recurring role. In 1983 and 1984 he portrayed Sheriff Lew Wallace regularly on The Yellow Rose. He told me that 30-minute weekly series were filmed in five days, while one-hour episodes were shot in seven days. "TV movies took 15-16 days."

In 1998 Jones gave a memorable performance as California outlaw "Three-Fingered Jack" in The Mark of Zorro, starring Anthony Hopkins, Antonio Banderas, and Catherine Zeta Jones. He already had acted with Hopkins in The Edge (1997). "Tony is the best actor in the business," he declared emphatically. The actors were lightly clad on the porch of L.Q.'s hunting lodge during a scene that was filmed with the thermometer registering -50 degrees. The actors, of course, were miserable, and Jones pointed out that "crew efficiency fell by 60 percent."

The Edge was filmed in Canada. Jones has shot movies in Europe, South America, and Africa, and he laments that so many films are lensed outside the United States. "Only one of my last thirty pictures was shot in America."

When I phoned L.Q. in California, he was in meetings to re-release A Boy and His Dog, a film he wrote and directed in 1975. A Boy and His Dog was re-released in 1982, and soon will be available in a BLU-RAY edition. Still active in films at 86, L.Q. Jones is a talented Texas treasure.

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Spring Ho

"Lone Star Historian" is a blog about the travels and activities of the State Historian of Texas. Bill O'Neal was appointed to a two-year term by Gov. Rick Perry on August 22, 2012, at an impressive ceremony in the State Capitol. Bill is headquartered at Panola College (www.panola.edu) in Carthage, where he has taught since 1970. For more than 20 years Bill conducted the state's first Traveling Texas History class, a three-hour credit course which featured a 2,100-mile itinerary. In 2000 he was awarded a Piper Professorship, and in 2012 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wild West Historical Association. Bill has published over 40 books, almost half about Texas history subjects, and in 2007 he was named Best Living Non-Fiction Writer by True West Magazine. 

Spring Ho is the annual community festival of Lampasas, taking its name from the cluster of seven mineral springs which gave life to the Hill Country community during the 1850s. Launched in 1972, the week-long festival attracts thousands of tourists to Lampasas each July. Scheduled this year from July 8-14, Spring Ho's 2013 theme is "Saddles, Spurs & Springs: It's a Texas Thing." Events include a parade, a county fair, a carnival, talent contest, beauty pageant, musical entertainments, barbeque cookoff, pet parade, diaper derby, dances, 10K and one-mile runs, horseshoe competition, washer pitching, children's events, and three days of arts and crafts booths alongside the picturesque walkway flanking Sulphur Spring Creek. 

This year's cowboy theme resulted in an invitation to me to bring a program at the Lampasas Public Library on my most recent book, West Texas Cattle Kingdom. The chairman of the library board is Sheryl Hausmann, a longtime friend and, until her retirement a few years ago, proprietor of a local bookstore. Through the years Sheryl has staged several signings for my books, and she felt that a program and signing for West Texas Cattle Kingdom would be an appropriate event for this years's Spring Ho, as well as a welcome fundraiser for the library. The afternoon event was publicized as an air-conditioned respite from the July heat, complete with cold bottled water. 

My wife Karon drove with me to the Hill Country. In Lampasas we met my sister, Judy O'Neal Smith, at the new, $3 million LFD fire station. For 25 years early in the 20th century, our grandfather, Will Standard, was the only paid fireman of the Lampasas Volunteer Fire Department, and our mother grew up in the fire house. Just inside the entrance of the new station is a photo of Will driving a horse-drawn fire wagon, part of a fine heritage display maintained by the LFD. Then I was treated to a tour of the splendid new two-story facility. 

Bill with Sheryl Hausmann
At the library, head librarian Shanda Subia and her staff arranged a seating area while I set up a book display table and program props. When the crowd arrived Shanda and Sheryl, who provided cowboy decorations, had to deal with the happy problem of an overflow audience. The crowd included former students and colleagues of mine from the 1960s, when I was a rookie teacher/coach at Lampasas Junior High School for three years. I'm privileged  to have a number of friends at Lampasas, as well as relatives. The crowd was warm and receptive. 

Sheryl asked me to present a program about the book. West Texas Cattle Kingdom is an Arcadia publication. Arcadia, based in Charleston, South Carolina, has produced more than 8,000 titles, mostly about towns and cities, or universities (academic communities), or military bases (military communities). But in recent years Arcadia has begun publishing topical works, such as my book on East Texas in World War II. Every Arcadia book is 128 pages long, with more than 200 photos and a price of $21.99. Following a two-page introduction, usually an overview of the book, the rest of the topic must be related through photographs and captions. When an Arcadia acquisition editor approached me about putting together a book about Texas cowboys, trail drives, great ranches and ranchers, and longhorn cattle and mustangs, I leaped at the opportunity to apply the Arcadia treatment to the iconic story of the range cattle industry.

During the program I discussed each of the above topics, along with Hispanic origins, Texas cattle towns (Tascosa, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Amarillo, Channing, etc.). trouble on the range (rustling, range wars - including the Horrell-Higgins Feud of Lampasas County, 800,000,000 prairie dogs, etc.) and cultural reflections (rodeos, movies such as Red River, Giant, Lonesome Dove, and such Texas Singing Cowboys as Gene Autry, Tex Ritter, and cowgirl Dale Evans). I illustrated the program with spurs, boots, hats, enlarged photos, and miscellaneous other artifacts. The program was well received, and afterward there was a lively book signing.

Our visit to Lampasas concluded at my sister's house where my niece, Molly Smith, prepared a Tex-Mex dinner suitable to the occasion (the Texas culinary trinity is Tex-Mex, barbeque, and chicken-fried steak with cream gravy). The table was beautifully decorated with a Texas theme. And following a delicious meal, the State Historian was treated to a large piece of his sister's signature chocolate pie.

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