tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13186664872753868042024-02-24T23:29:25.766-08:00Lone Star HistorianAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-8340022169304183292013-08-21T20:13:00.001-07:002013-08-21T20:13:40.119-07:00Bill O'Neal Hall<h2>
"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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 <em>True West</em> Magazine. In 2013 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by his alma mater, Texas A&M University - Commerce.</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbkql3dxY4xR4ViyzDafRtAJaQmUsPKEwQG0UZ7Hmolp3De-w3qto8_aCdUbbjREwESgh7UfDA3Sgpk0GnIobG3YXzbVZydYi0lpvNa7OuePjeB9A93Rh5W4e1SotiXlMqeFmgoZaJst0/s1600/hall+first.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbkql3dxY4xR4ViyzDafRtAJaQmUsPKEwQG0UZ7Hmolp3De-w3qto8_aCdUbbjREwESgh7UfDA3Sgpk0GnIobG3YXzbVZydYi0lpvNa7OuePjeB9A93Rh5W4e1SotiXlMqeFmgoZaJst0/s320/hall+first.JPG" width="320" /></a>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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0XSG6Oa69JbA0pI4cOdVAd84JcNtQw5LEwGZ3Qox9gqzptmyn9VxogZI2ern0eziIYSb0BZvcmu0yZRBnUzOaTlX_zg6Ug7W2pmUBIF0tHuSykftLBeQGjxTRQOHZXnIJyFzV0xgBEYc/s1600/Powell+welcome+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0XSG6Oa69JbA0pI4cOdVAd84JcNtQw5LEwGZ3Qox9gqzptmyn9VxogZI2ern0eziIYSb0BZvcmu0yZRBnUzOaTlX_zg6Ug7W2pmUBIF0tHuSykftLBeQGjxTRQOHZXnIJyFzV0xgBEYc/s320/Powell+welcome+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Powell welcomes the crowd.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaD2x7c7tfCwfrXYpWRalin-XuMjxbf53vcoqiawy3bBHAUHUE3Ehw26Bt3yMscziodOT0NJFh3VPvjqTfjPjrRN4RjCNUQ0h0-KXXbvn8I9eqQe8ztGDmmys1qqsND2-5mK22J7sUTOM/s1600/hall+crowd+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaD2x7c7tfCwfrXYpWRalin-XuMjxbf53vcoqiawy3bBHAUHUE3Ehw26Bt3yMscziodOT0NJFh3VPvjqTfjPjrRN4RjCNUQ0h0-KXXbvn8I9eqQe8ztGDmmys1qqsND2-5mK22J7sUTOM/s320/hall+crowd+3.JPG" width="320" /></a>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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP2L4RFbUbSa8YLNunnsVHGMnghKerT9UFNJIAdVr7ooAc9QG8Br1Je7yku_8AFzWIk9be1VvnL9svh27b_yawssBoEwYxRgonKb9H1K9jCp1iaZ4U0y-ddE74hTkPbWYKI6KgeGjXutA/s1600/Bill+Leslie+Jessica+12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP2L4RFbUbSa8YLNunnsVHGMnghKerT9UFNJIAdVr7ooAc9QG8Br1Je7yku_8AFzWIk9be1VvnL9svh27b_yawssBoEwYxRgonKb9H1K9jCp1iaZ4U0y-ddE74hTkPbWYKI6KgeGjXutA/s320/Bill+Leslie+Jessica+12.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill with Panola colleagues, Leslie Glaze and Jessica Yates</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgMfCRCOObEhryzx2uuo2i5Od3p_x1UCJ2jvucrSGZn42-Z9CDIaI_rTENu7U8aIMK5ClEWnn2Ij4Ip6QFTTOxmAvj90Fkq-KEOPk_MkMLq0LRarui0cpQZPPtMLDBO_o5ndGvXX4d3-s/s1600/Bill+Larry+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgMfCRCOObEhryzx2uuo2i5Od3p_x1UCJ2jvucrSGZn42-Z9CDIaI_rTENu7U8aIMK5ClEWnn2Ij4Ip6QFTTOxmAvj90Fkq-KEOPk_MkMLq0LRarui0cpQZPPtMLDBO_o5ndGvXX4d3-s/s320/Bill+Larry+7.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill with Larry McNeill</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zCGB1zZFpOKb6j3-aHsebX6uoPNpvMBMOqebomhEHD7xDqljJ0q0EnEdsiThdmcoobw_gUBBRYQuoKEhsbNAYISBXsQ1azbshQ93G8tHb4uF0uonTuMgY60OWuH-I5iWCVJRROJlLVY/s1600/Porter+Calhoun+Bill+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zCGB1zZFpOKb6j3-aHsebX6uoPNpvMBMOqebomhEHD7xDqljJ0q0EnEdsiThdmcoobw_gUBBRYQuoKEhsbNAYISBXsQ1azbshQ93G8tHb4uF0uonTuMgY60OWuH-I5iWCVJRROJlLVY/s320/Porter+Calhoun+Bill+9.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill with former students, Amy Calhoun and Dr. Donna Porter</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Powell and board member Bobby Phillips with Bill</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">For the second consecutive year Panola has been <br />named to the Honor Roll of the nation's top twelve Great Colleges To Work For.</span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-34556193446822030472013-08-12T11:44:00.000-07:002013-08-12T12:31:59.509-07:00Honorary Doctor of Letters<h2>
"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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 <em>True West</em> Magazine. In 2013 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by his alma mater, Texas A&M University - Commerce.</h2>
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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<b> East Texas State College</b>. One year later the college was elevated to university status, and in 1969 I was presented an M.A. degree from <b>East Texas State University</b>. Decades later <b>Texas A&M University - Commerce</b> 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. </div>
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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.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Linda King, at left in white jacket, arranged for my<br />
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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.</div>
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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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdR7zwvfT_jS_80P1S6xHjBblAG9KF_pShOcgM7wRJxgc7uqZTzgCA6OtGbekhk7rHl7w5rr_Zs9GO3_hQUSJ85XFpz-IEJceJiA6MWZtDAr99GaD_pj8xsgTrOrf0AYcszUrWqDxV2w/s1600/DSC_4031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdR7zwvfT_jS_80P1S6xHjBblAG9KF_pShOcgM7wRJxgc7uqZTzgCA6OtGbekhk7rHl7w5rr_Zs9GO3_hQUSJ85XFpz-IEJceJiA6MWZtDAr99GaD_pj8xsgTrOrf0AYcszUrWqDxV2w/s320/DSC_4031.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Dan Jones presents Bill with honorary<br />
Doctor of Letters degree.</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSlpswE_5kB6Ge2LCXhLysLH-SmKTlCKEaNyk4hNw8wGG24cfS1-tJBx8EddfKolzGF0lWykhdxPVXpaNLQTFUSy642FsGv72gu7t1nKYePz6J9KpcbRxj2DkgCRPwxtNRVjsmNvWn30Y/s1600/DSC_4040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSlpswE_5kB6Ge2LCXhLysLH-SmKTlCKEaNyk4hNw8wGG24cfS1-tJBx8EddfKolzGF0lWykhdxPVXpaNLQTFUSy642FsGv72gu7t1nKYePz6J9KpcbRxj2DkgCRPwxtNRVjsmNvWn30Y/s320/DSC_4040.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill is hooded by Dr. Benevides.</td></tr>
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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, <i>honoris causa</i>. 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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-ZzT29Ra4ngVpVXM97WVywojFaOM0_zTplN0XviHOzBoD3QrNvAFYTN-tMx8p6wcbM2Dowh2kkFhO7UMYzm7qxMA1-UFO24pqNr88sPREshk-wmX_9HnmNidganDoOQtbhJTC4yhBy0/s1600/IMG_7742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-ZzT29Ra4ngVpVXM97WVywojFaOM0_zTplN0XviHOzBoD3QrNvAFYTN-tMx8p6wcbM2Dowh2kkFhO7UMYzm7qxMA1-UFO24pqNr88sPREshk-wmX_9HnmNidganDoOQtbhJTC4yhBy0/s320/IMG_7742.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delivering the commencement address</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-Iz9zyqwMxrahpDFZCAVt4q8FPOK1z6GEwKgrVnVKQo_g7OAtZ2raoxcqSFVImtZBBV49xQ6oy8VHEQBrs5FWvxrsZGLEXCC8KHNQVxu7pBKnovENHfHz53COZGYSRj4UtCVco9Jtkw/s1600/DSC_4085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-Iz9zyqwMxrahpDFZCAVt4q8FPOK1z6GEwKgrVnVKQo_g7OAtZ2raoxcqSFVImtZBBV49xQ6oy8VHEQBrs5FWvxrsZGLEXCC8KHNQVxu7pBKnovENHfHz53COZGYSRj4UtCVco9Jtkw/s400/DSC_4085.JPG" width="400" /></a>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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTNREN8EzGKDLguDUxyJYXAfV8ytOvpYtI2qyJT4GLYmhaip3-qgoRQV_XeS8IPA7Dtg2lAG-I3qEAjA9Nfj-kTY070OmVdv1IikznWjRbeiPyZTzx8w1dR9kBygKP4W6g4GspEQy2pBg/s1600/IMG_1094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTNREN8EzGKDLguDUxyJYXAfV8ytOvpYtI2qyJT4GLYmhaip3-qgoRQV_XeS8IPA7Dtg2lAG-I3qEAjA9Nfj-kTY070OmVdv1IikznWjRbeiPyZTzx8w1dR9kBygKP4W6g4GspEQy2pBg/s320/IMG_1094.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bud Worley with Bill</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlFS8y1bPyx-oDmEM3vRGBbVKfByE0uHG7FRjad8NiX1S4ok8GB2alBWpGr3siHoEno2XgXUW3I1PSYJqXfzyV3i0yNCYcwidqJldWUSp8uXwOEizqvg_NW66qGHpJDfevwmVAqTEtGQ/s1600/DSC_4117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlFS8y1bPyx-oDmEM3vRGBbVKfByE0uHG7FRjad8NiX1S4ok8GB2alBWpGr3siHoEno2XgXUW3I1PSYJqXfzyV3i0yNCYcwidqJldWUSp8uXwOEizqvg_NW66qGHpJDfevwmVAqTEtGQ/s320/DSC_4117.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill speaking with Dr. Keith McFarland, retired<br />
president of TAMUC. Dr. McFarland joined the history<br />
faculty in 1969, while Bill was completing his M.A. Dr.<br />
Jones stands at right, and Dr. Benevides is seated at center.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Berri O'Neal, at right, introduces her father at the reception.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLpTj8fCeW_YfQJJK7u51jgS69210SkaxtHlAmj0BreqtzOF_eJx_SDapObF63YRfz2VjthyqTzHKt_09aT070fsykEryAblyrkWpLVBJXUlgU3u2q83QTQvBB5acnXaffA2Ifm2ZoZuk/s1600/DSC_4143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLpTj8fCeW_YfQJJK7u51jgS69210SkaxtHlAmj0BreqtzOF_eJx_SDapObF63YRfz2VjthyqTzHKt_09aT070fsykEryAblyrkWpLVBJXUlgU3u2q83QTQvBB5acnXaffA2Ifm2ZoZuk/s320/DSC_4143.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closing remarks at the reception</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-16759993790399804382013-08-03T19:49:00.000-07:002013-08-03T19:49:18.618-07:00Timber Industry<h2>
"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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 <em>True West</em> Magazine. </h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Loz_t1639PbMtTN0oBjfEU-5WIa1akii1Gfv4IPIh4EOvtHJvoIWE-rvT3qPuFOVFaMuVGw5uaqehXwYxEF4vBmCkSZGhJQMz9F-t2K7XqXWI9fqd8s8v3aMT_cP3zdt5-ER4iEsVz4/s1600/IMG_0715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Loz_t1639PbMtTN0oBjfEU-5WIa1akii1Gfv4IPIh4EOvtHJvoIWE-rvT3qPuFOVFaMuVGw5uaqehXwYxEF4vBmCkSZGhJQMz9F-t2K7XqXWI9fqd8s8v3aMT_cP3zdt5-ER4iEsVz4/s320/IMG_0715.JPG" width="320" /></a>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. </div>
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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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Texas Forestry Museum</td></tr>
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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. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill with Laurie Vaughn</td></tr>
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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. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Research room at The History Center</td></tr>
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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. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Logging train at The History Center</td></tr>
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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. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Logging train at SFASU</td></tr>
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<div>
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.</div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d;">For more information: </span></div>
<div>
www.treetexas.com</div>
<div>
www.thehistorycenteronline.com</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-19150018424209754682013-07-27T19:54:00.000-07:002013-07-27T19:54:57.549-07:00Texas State Railroad<h2>
"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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. </h2>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEebiFQQftRxUNajKrVPqbSO_6pKFQbxxEPERQ2gQCLD8K8rxpuOxBTQOTwwhk20owl4iylceWO5b3aIycdFMddVuIx0j7Hdhn-lPnYDB31CnKnguUmu39W4JhScV6QMrtVUyGs6vfOQ/s1600/IMG_0953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEebiFQQftRxUNajKrVPqbSO_6pKFQbxxEPERQ2gQCLD8K8rxpuOxBTQOTwwhk20owl4iylceWO5b3aIycdFMddVuIx0j7Hdhn-lPnYDB31CnKnguUmu39W4JhScV6QMrtVUyGs6vfOQ/s320/IMG_0953.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<h3>
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<h3>
"All aboard!" </h3>
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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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rusk Depot</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill with TSR Marketing Manager Janet Gregg</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOxWx880LOKD8wjafYwZtBUoKHoNNTLo9PHytdAHgVwD5JFClzUMl9DuNAh0pGrGO-CC5e0ye_Xj99ayy8KQg0UYC9cZmI342KfI9HhM6AOlAFsANp0BHIrd1ORE57S79HfdehGkCu2Q/s1600/IMG_0970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjOxWx880LOKD8wjafYwZtBUoKHoNNTLo9PHytdAHgVwD5JFClzUMl9DuNAh0pGrGO-CC5e0ye_Xj99ayy8KQg0UYC9cZmI342KfI9HhM6AOlAFsANp0BHIrd1ORE57S79HfdehGkCu2Q/s320/IMG_0970.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Brakeman C.B. Gunter</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palestine Depot</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghN_fAEftbDwfFVJMILY2Mzl9HSHdBzWhVIERH5KthpwfurYsgFdgKHyZAqAcHjGHrqXPpte4NK0eNQMYUN7eb0DUWo2ABoTtAmYKSX3ivyP5kE4rPzF9_JfmhGro5zsD3LQS82utWa-M/s1600/IMG_1010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghN_fAEftbDwfFVJMILY2Mzl9HSHdBzWhVIERH5KthpwfurYsgFdgKHyZAqAcHjGHrqXPpte4NK0eNQMYUN7eb0DUWo2ABoTtAmYKSX3ivyP5kE4rPzF9_JfmhGro5zsD3LQS82utWa-M/s320/IMG_1010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our friendly and informative attendant, Joyce</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch in the shade</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rare 1890s Turntable</td></tr>
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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. <em>The Polar Express</em> is a perennially favorite animated movie first released during the 2004 Christmas season. <em>The Polar Express</em> 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.<br />
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For more information:<br />
<span style="color: red;">www.texasstaterr.com</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">www.texasstaterr.com/polar</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">www.tsrrsociety.org</span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyIPOl7H8sJ1Kzv5GOWcNn2HIdZUQCfYAXaKlMS7Otc3Utqbeu6gkmKGywDI2ssQ1s2-r3yfNbzkVp05kUM6RdHM3CYRW1gqYdvmPtEDZBhVxxTsW9j3OFU2sDr5HxH9g3d49XeQcONpI/s1600/IMG_1004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyIPOl7H8sJ1Kzv5GOWcNn2HIdZUQCfYAXaKlMS7Otc3Utqbeu6gkmKGywDI2ssQ1s2-r3yfNbzkVp05kUM6RdHM3CYRW1gqYdvmPtEDZBhVxxTsW9j3OFU2sDr5HxH9g3d49XeQcONpI/s320/IMG_1004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At midpoint the trains pass each other on a<br />siding. I'm photographing the other train -<br />and my lovely wife, Karon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPvo9X6G-6uLravBu2MKzqbmXEE4qe4qvCK4InzLhwz33luHs-S0tNe2RcqKLEDPuHUBG1pISKJqxsLNewLCtPmAufsla5aTSrp2V2ExbWqwZ_MPfbxivUiKLmexFKqlIT0jaxB5RGI8/s1600/IMG_1013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGPvo9X6G-6uLravBu2MKzqbmXEE4qe4qvCK4InzLhwz33luHs-S0tNe2RcqKLEDPuHUBG1pISKJqxsLNewLCtPmAufsla5aTSrp2V2ExbWqwZ_MPfbxivUiKLmexFKqlIT0jaxB5RGI8/s320/IMG_1013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were welcomed back to Rusk by TSR staff members.</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-41414977251805680752013-07-19T11:13:00.001-07:002013-07-19T15:17:35.580-07:00L.Q. Jones<br />
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"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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 <em>True West</em> Magazine. </h2>
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"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."<br />
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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.<br />
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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."<br />
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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 <em>Battle Cry</em>, 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 <em>Cheyenne</em>, <em>Wagon Train</em>, <em>Perry Mason</em>, <em>Tales of Wells Fargo</em>, <em>Laramie</em>, and <em>Johnny Ringo. </em>In an episode of <em>Men of Annapolis</em>, 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."<br />
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Five years passed before he first played a heavy, in a 1960 episode of <em>The Rebel</em>. 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 <em>actor - </em>he usually played a character <em>lead</em>.<br />
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In 1962 <em>Ride the High Country</em> 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: <em>Major Dundee</em> (1968), starring Charlton Heston; <em>The Wild Bunch</em> (1969), a film noted for its violence and superb cast; <em>The Ballad of Cable Hogue</em> (1970), starring Jason Robards ("The best movie actor of his era," stated Jones) and Stella Stevens; and <em>Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid</em> (1973), with James Coburn and Kris Kristofferson in the title roles. <br />
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In <em>Cable Hogue</em> 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."<br />
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Early in his career Jones demonstrated a flair for costume. "I love wardrobe," he explained. "'Our business is a <em>picture</em>." Jones arrived on the set of <em>Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid</em> 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.<br />
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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 <em>Casino</em>, "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."<br />
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Between motion picture assignments he continued to work steadily in television. In guest appearances on <em>Rawhide</em>, <em>The Big Valley</em>, <em>Have Gun Will Travel</em>, T<em>he Rifleman</em>, <em>Ironside</em>, <em>Charlie's Angels</em>, and <em>The Dukes of Hazzard</em>, his roles usually were major characters. In <em>The Virginian</em>, a 90-minute weekly series, he played Andy Belden in a recurring role. In 1983 and 1984 he portrayed Sheriff Lew Wallace regularly on <em>The Yellow Rose</em>. 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." <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiygjcnreEcYssx6yRACWx8w6cIe9fpknBhZFha7OodJLLTbD9yq2NxV-kPueS_0029I4fKbOb22Msew2Ma3q3df3uQFhGlKJKaYEAgjBbQtYg0aKaLfPf8lGChg097hbxIo096z7dfzg/s1600/MV5BMTk1MzQzNDQ3NV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzMzNzQwOA@@._V1._SX214_CR0,0,214,314_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiygjcnreEcYssx6yRACWx8w6cIe9fpknBhZFha7OodJLLTbD9yq2NxV-kPueS_0029I4fKbOb22Msew2Ma3q3df3uQFhGlKJKaYEAgjBbQtYg0aKaLfPf8lGChg097hbxIo096z7dfzg/s1600/MV5BMTk1MzQzNDQ3NV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzMzNzQwOA@@._V1._SX214_CR0,0,214,314_.jpg" /></a>In 1998 Jones gave a memorable performance as California outlaw "Three-Fingered Jack" in <em>The Mark of Zorro</em>, starring Anthony Hopkins, Antonio Banderas, and Catherine Zeta Jones. He already had acted with Hopkins in <em>The Edge </em>(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."<br />
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<em>The Edge</em> 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."<br />
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When I phoned L.Q. in California, he was in meetings to re-release <em>A Boy and His Dog</em>, a film he wrote and directed in 1975. <em>A Boy and His Dog</em> 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.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-72166566713343667072013-07-13T09:23:00.001-07:002013-07-13T09:23:42.362-07:00Spring Ho<h2>
"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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 <em>True West</em> Magazine. </h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhSlDHPjUAcbb9htNe1trYSrPI0j1fm9ktaNDpBcZH-CVpqptIdnK3yLuMmZCB0TlwQj19lt2ZSFSe3hOECLDZ5K0Es74Zqgj3Wkb1Vsbf2KAL6-C6WMt1_rUnTkzOGjIEnnE0BS9GwU/s1600/dr+degree+AATM+Commerce.tif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhSlDHPjUAcbb9htNe1trYSrPI0j1fm9ktaNDpBcZH-CVpqptIdnK3yLuMmZCB0TlwQj19lt2ZSFSe3hOECLDZ5K0Es74Zqgj3Wkb1Vsbf2KAL6-C6WMt1_rUnTkzOGjIEnnE0BS9GwU/s320/dr+degree+AATM+Commerce.tif" width="320" /></a>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. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgASinMIXxJZBm9mOYIDzpSBDqLwfmFj66eZiwCbORAK0M1ZpAhsdsZW9J3mKYv8VWX3d-AN1io8wB1ey9JHO6iedPBbkbP_2WhvPeJ4VRpI8Q6yC5JVnCOTfiQLKSsP7shKHSKuQkyd0Q/s1600/IMG_0660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgASinMIXxJZBm9mOYIDzpSBDqLwfmFj66eZiwCbORAK0M1ZpAhsdsZW9J3mKYv8VWX3d-AN1io8wB1ey9JHO6iedPBbkbP_2WhvPeJ4VRpI8Q6yC5JVnCOTfiQLKSsP7shKHSKuQkyd0Q/s320/IMG_0660.JPG" width="320" /></a>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, <i>West Texas Cattle Kingdom</i>. 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 <i>West Texas Cattle Kingdom</i> 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. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFkwqZ95BV34j5Ry3VpSyYRHKfl_o02Qg06UxghgMLkmjI6euw3Rwpqt7jTC7aKLd1iE6E8YeoLXim0NXtnVBgWSyJp6WmJKAJIfOh3SNDpbesHh4blkduKI9FvOonbsgtkpHpFLNJjcw/s1600/IMG_0650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFkwqZ95BV34j5Ry3VpSyYRHKfl_o02Qg06UxghgMLkmjI6euw3Rwpqt7jTC7aKLd1iE6E8YeoLXim0NXtnVBgWSyJp6WmJKAJIfOh3SNDpbesHh4blkduKI9FvOonbsgtkpHpFLNJjcw/s320/IMG_0650.JPG" width="320" /></a>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. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZ_7tq-B-bjyEvQVFb1h-h34_yArTdw_08mSPOa6pOLd7-Vd3e8R52G18WYQm4VAXwQfFdTTIpmUl6ifz2xeCr_ckCnWoP7e2YBkxTHW1xWkYgcjltAh6umf1QDE_qE_pWuB6UdJVTDQ/s1600/IMG_0702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZ_7tq-B-bjyEvQVFb1h-h34_yArTdw_08mSPOa6pOLd7-Vd3e8R52G18WYQm4VAXwQfFdTTIpmUl6ifz2xeCr_ckCnWoP7e2YBkxTHW1xWkYgcjltAh6umf1QDE_qE_pWuB6UdJVTDQ/s320/IMG_0702.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill with Sheryl Hausmann</td></tr>
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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. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsI8_rQjHuf66PxaNSv-f-qaQQj8MNeUFjuHZDhnMGvJig5YHlU4DUiF-BTx3Uu0uDrx8pfmaNsfk5PokkjlbcdnrYgMWfFGAym_Rbr5K63bmR8EgfqOa85bikCcKj0PSQwKWMo3E8pM/s1600/IMG_0677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsI8_rQjHuf66PxaNSv-f-qaQQj8MNeUFjuHZDhnMGvJig5YHlU4DUiF-BTx3Uu0uDrx8pfmaNsfk5PokkjlbcdnrYgMWfFGAym_Rbr5K63bmR8EgfqOa85bikCcKj0PSQwKWMo3E8pM/s320/IMG_0677.JPG" width="320" /></a>Sheryl asked me to present a program about the book. <i>West Texas Cattle Kingdom</i> 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 <i>East Texas in World War II</i>. 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.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YHHOe_LhwUuMPxZu9ghwGBko56yRmFixzZRgY2qeDzXi21zgOyxuhsUbohPWF7lCtDr6AmwupbmnauXyQk0evG2PDJRkxmbr4KnCZzxLi-bFW4i5jyddMHPl0oPUrRfxpvhJVG-iXd0/s1600/IMG_0701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YHHOe_LhwUuMPxZu9ghwGBko56yRmFixzZRgY2qeDzXi21zgOyxuhsUbohPWF7lCtDr6AmwupbmnauXyQk0evG2PDJRkxmbr4KnCZzxLi-bFW4i5jyddMHPl0oPUrRfxpvhJVG-iXd0/s320/IMG_0701.JPG" width="320" /></a>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 <i>Red River</i>, <i>Giant</i>, <i>Lonesome Dove, </i>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.<br />
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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.<br />
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For more information:<span style="color: blue;"> www.springho.com</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-57525767155528076542013-07-06T12:16:00.000-07:002013-07-06T12:16:47.522-07:00Camp Ford<h2>
"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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 <em>True West</em> Magazine. </h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQGer57lgAHkOgX6AXiEvZB2Z1qh3A0kAsRlyWoehxTOlIxKxbzCZL04eVL9MjmunLkxfUEcivm-DNrtxEC1QvE8sg1ouPRZGyhBSBTb8mOruVtW3UBg2hm-SSfweaWMIaQ0t5IRswUl8/s1600/Camp+Ford+Entrance.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQGer57lgAHkOgX6AXiEvZB2Z1qh3A0kAsRlyWoehxTOlIxKxbzCZL04eVL9MjmunLkxfUEcivm-DNrtxEC1QvE8sg1ouPRZGyhBSBTb8mOruVtW3UBg2hm-SSfweaWMIaQ0t5IRswUl8/s320/Camp+Ford+Entrance.JPG" width="320" /></a>Established as a Confederate recruit camp four miles northeast of Tyler in 1862, Camp Ford was named after Col. John S. "Rip" Ford. In July 1863, following the fall of Vicksburg and Union seizure of the Mississippi River, federal prisoners of war were transferred to Camp Ford from confinement in Shreveport, Louisiana. At first there was no enclosure at the undeveloped encampment. Confederate guards supervised their prisoners in the open until November, when a stockade was erected around an area of about three acres. The water supply was a large spring inside the south wall. Prisoners built their own shelters from logs and brush and canvas. They also made small items - clay bowls, brooms, woven baskets, clothing - for personal use or for trade with local citizens for food. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prisoner sketch of Camp Ford</td></tr>
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In April 1864 a Union invasion force was defeated in western Louisiana at Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, and 3,000 prisoners were sent to Camp Ford. The inmate population exploded to more than 5,000 prisoners. The stockade was tripled in size, but shelter materials now were in short supply. Food was also scarce, for guards as well as prisoners. Union officers obtained at least two shipments of clothing, and a prisoners exchange relieved overcrowding. Camp Ford was the largest prion camp west of the Mississippi. During the two years of its existence, about 6,000 Union prisoners were in and out of the camp, When the war ended about 1,200 prisoners remained at Camp Ford, and in May 1865 they were taken to Shreveport. Two months later occupation troops destroyed the compound. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dugout shelter completed with<br />logs and a canvas roof.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lt. Col. J.B. Leake, ranking Union officer,<br />sketched the cabin built for him near the<br />spring, permitting an accurate reconstruction</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5y6wZnGRTqS1eAgzV_LqKKVADm510Nps6EZb35FvjlItTmL-x2LrVRRgG3tRxeVgGSJcRfrlFPP9Pa5nfvBDcwFXXzuFoumzwP3cXKv3csmX9yKlD8IuGPFeII5YjCd87MxK8WtPgWpo/s1600/Joan+Bill+shelter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5y6wZnGRTqS1eAgzV_LqKKVADm510Nps6EZb35FvjlItTmL-x2LrVRRgG3tRxeVgGSJcRfrlFPP9Pa5nfvBDcwFXXzuFoumzwP3cXKv3csmX9yKlD8IuGPFeII5YjCd87MxK8WtPgWpo/s320/Joan+Bill+shelter.JPG" width="320" /></a><div>
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The site was acquired in 1959 by the Smith</div>
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County Historical Society. I have been a member of the Camp Ford Historical Association for a number of years. On July 1, I revisited Camp Ford, where I met Joan Hallmark and camera man Phillip Stauts of Channel 7, KLTV in Tyler. Joan has interviewed me a number of times through the years about various books of mine that pertain to East Texas. Recently she learned of my appointment as State Historian, and she called me about taping a feature. I responded eagerly, because many Texans still are unaware that there is a State Historian. Joan conducted the interview with her customary charm and expertise. The two-minute feature will air on Channel 7 and 9 on Saturday, July 20, on the 10 PM Evening News. The feature will be shown again on Midday News at 11:30 AM on Thursday, July 25, and afterward it may be viewed on www.kltv.com.<span style="color: red;"> </span><span style="color: red;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: red;">For more information: </span><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://smithcountyhistoricalsociety.org/">http://smithcountyhistoricalsociety.org</a> </span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"> </span><span style="color: red;"> http://www.48ovvi.org/oh48cf.html</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill showing Joan Hallmark the type<br />of pistol that was manufactured in Tyler</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-46356224837678135332013-06-29T18:53:00.002-07:002013-06-29T18:53:46.415-07:00Gunfighter Conference<h2>
"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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 <em>True West</em> Magazine. </h2>
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Since assuming the office of State Historian I've wanted to host a history conference at Panola College in Carthage. I taught history for four decades at Panola, and as State Historian I have been provided an office and financial backing by the college. Dr. Gregory Powell, President of Panola College, and Vice President Dr. Joe Shannon have graciously afforded me institutional affiliation and constant encouragement. One of my goals as State Historian is to bring an historical event to my home campus. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A number of my books and articles have explored the subject of frontier violence, and I have been invited to speak on this topic throughout the West. These activities have shown me the widespread interest in various aspects of this subject. Nothing is more dramatic than life and death conflict, and when that conflict occurs in a frontier setting, there is a special appeal for many Americans. Of course, gunfighting is generally regarded as an activity of the Wild West. But in reality there were frontier-style shootouts, horseback desperados, violent bank robberies, and murderous blood feuds in 19th-century East Texas. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FeZx9Rn77SceUyWc5rJczB25quYG_JBm89w_Br9uZA3yLsUQyZtBaCwfimpD84WPGIZ5FZaNe5swDVh2eVQJCan6jU-FD2Pd2joaVlPgYkSuAE5HibCyWGTru3YovPHu2Cg1BRh5qkg/s1600/IMG_0562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FeZx9Rn77SceUyWc5rJczB25quYG_JBm89w_Br9uZA3yLsUQyZtBaCwfimpD84WPGIZ5FZaNe5swDVh2eVQJCan6jU-FD2Pd2joaVlPgYkSuAE5HibCyWGTru3YovPHu2Cg1BRh5qkg/s320/IMG_0562.JPG" width="320" /></a>"Gunfights and Blood Feuds of Old East Texas" was scheduled for Saturday morning, June 29, at Panola College. The college provided facilities, publicity, refreshments, and other necessary support. I enlisted a longtime friend and award-winning author, Chuck Parsons. Chuck and I have appeared together at a number of similar events. With another friend, Norm Brown, Chuck has co-authored <i>A Lawless Breed</i>, an excellent biography of John Wesley Hardin. A notorious gunfighter, Wes Hardin was a native of East Texas, and a majority of his shootouts occurred in this region. <i>A Lawless Breed</i> was released last month by North Texas Press, and Chuck readily agreed to share with us the latest about Hardin's exploits in East Texas.</div>
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Chuck and I greeted a lively crowd numbering nearly 100. I began the vicarious action with an account of the Regulator-Moderator War, fought in our back yard from 1840-1844. The Regulator-Moderator War was the first blood feud in Texas, and the largest in scale, with 200 Regulators and 100 Moderators maneuvering against each other in Shelby County in 1844. I also related the 1869 death of desperado Cullen Baker, who was buried in Jefferson, and an 1884 street shootout in Nacogdoches involving Sheriff A.J. Spradley. The 1879 shooting of actor Maurice Barrymore in Marshall brought unwanted attention to East Texas across the nation and in Europe. Headlines across Texas in February 1888 were dominated by a grisly robbery-murder-lynching in Carthage, involving the county treasurer and a deputy sheriff - and a large lynch mob. In 1894 Bill Dalton led a gang to Longview to rob the First National Bank, and a wild street battle erupted. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh8pSlekgApZYzj6W89FqMAE0j8BUaSvFSS90aihUiEVZ2bB3pWTg9fm-v08A88_7DjY4YwlKdX3OWWg508urjeYTzvIpIdEBrKJTgSIBepO0w8XRo43Jwq-5qUTJNkHHa0Mwx_8En0MM/s1600/IMG_0528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh8pSlekgApZYzj6W89FqMAE0j8BUaSvFSS90aihUiEVZ2bB3pWTg9fm-v08A88_7DjY4YwlKdX3OWWg508urjeYTzvIpIdEBrKJTgSIBepO0w8XRo43Jwq-5qUTJNkHHa0Mwx_8En0MM/s320/IMG_0528.JPG" width="320" /></a>A highlight of the morning was Chuck's presentation of Wes Hardin. There also was considerable interest in my demonstration of the evolution of revolving pistols and holsters. Chuck and I both autographed books, and we enjoyed visiting with fellow aficionados of frontier violence. It was a most enjoyable event, and a number of attendees expressed interest in a future conference. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graduate student Jake Keeling, Bill, and college<br />security officer Sheila Ritter</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-87418356337153684142013-06-23T16:27:00.000-07:002013-06-23T16:27:46.572-07:00Mason<h2>
"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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 <em>True West</em> Magazine. </h2>
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One of my favorite Hill Country towns is Mason. More than four decades ago I carefully researched Fort Mason and crafted a scale model of the frontier outpost. The model still is displayed in the Mason County Museum, which is housed in the community's two-story rock school, built in 1887. I also brought my Traveling Texas History classes to Mason, principally to show them the superb 19th century architecture produced by German-Texan settlers.</div>
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Fort Mason was established in 1851 atop a rocky hill, and a community named Mason developed below the hill to the north. Fort Mason was a makeshift outpost until 1856, when it became regimental headquarters for the newly-organized Second Cavalry. Col. Albert Sidney Johnston brought six companies of the Second Cavalry to Fort Mason, while the other troops of the regiment were scattered at smaller outposts. Permanent construction at Fort Mason placed stone buildings around a square military parade ground. The lieutenant colonel of the Second Cavalry was Robert E. Lee, who later was promoted to colonel of the regiment. Colonels Johnston and Lee inhabited the commanding officer's quarters, which has been reconstructed on the original foundation.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mason County Museum, housed in 1887 school</td></tr>
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Patrols from Fort Mason saw considerable combat against Comanche war parties. But when the Civil War began the post was abandoned by Union troops. Fort Mason was regarrisoned after the war, but the army left for good in 1868. The deserted buildings provided construction materials for the growing town down the hill, including the school which now houses the county museum.</div>
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During the 1870s the county was wracked by the vicious Mason County War, also known as the Hoo-Doo War. The end of frontier violence brought steady but slow growth as a ranching center. Skilled German masons erected solid handsome churches, homes, and commercial buildings, many of which still stand as tangible connections to the community's past. The town's large square features shops and restaurants, as well as the Odeon Theater, the oldest continuously-operating movie house in Texas. On the south side of the square is the quaint 1882 jail. The picturesque courthouse was built in 1909.</div>
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The Mason County Historical Society hosts an annual symposium on some aspect of frontier history. Three years ago, for example, I was privileged to be one of the speakers at a symposium on early Texas Rangers. Noted author Fred Gipson is from Mason, and the Mason County M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library has a fine exhibition on Gipson and his classic novels, <i>Old Yeller</i> and <i>Savage Sam</i>. An Old Yeller statue stands outside the library. There is a new museum on the square, as well as numerous historical markers around town. Mason offers much to be savored by Texas history buffs.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIl8vnWCy9WgidTkqgCpvZvpydg0Nf4-wQvRTwkB7cU0l4i7DcIz0o8QocgpB2RGYj6KQbP8sgYrnNx7v-i0iHiqajSjpWixc9V_EMN_GC2qq0e1PNkc4TbOLWLXmrAazm4TTlzCKupE/s1600/old+yeller+statue+Mason.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIl8vnWCy9WgidTkqgCpvZvpydg0Nf4-wQvRTwkB7cU0l4i7DcIz0o8QocgpB2RGYj6KQbP8sgYrnNx7v-i0iHiqajSjpWixc9V_EMN_GC2qq0e1PNkc4TbOLWLXmrAazm4TTlzCKupE/s320/old+yeller+statue+Mason.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Old Yeller" statue in front of library</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">For more information : <a href="http://masonchc.org/">http://masonchc.org</a></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 1909 courthouse is undergoing renovation<br />
through the Texas Historical Commission.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1882 jail</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3bl44j91hzNkhyV99OeHrRkb3bwkVeXYPp8j3UTLZJAaIvFr_FcNhCILyHcM2kfqrhQMVkJcD2M0YMZXKDB-Z-HXNw2OD8GSfOmOOavrKY26I1wv7GGwzA0bLiiOf_0e5Jr3OGGpWokg/s1600/Mason+museum.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3bl44j91hzNkhyV99OeHrRkb3bwkVeXYPp8j3UTLZJAaIvFr_FcNhCILyHcM2kfqrhQMVkJcD2M0YMZXKDB-Z-HXNw2OD8GSfOmOOavrKY26I1wv7GGwzA0bLiiOf_0e5Jr3OGGpWokg/s320/Mason+museum.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early stage stop and hotel</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-17064664314762715682013-06-15T10:54:00.000-07:002013-06-15T10:54:11.580-07:00Mansfield Battlefield<div style="text-align: right;">
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"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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 <em>True West</em> Magazine. </h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The approach to the Visitor Center is flanked by the<br />Texas (right) and Louisiana monuments, while two<br />artillery pieces are sheltered at right.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pink granite Texas monument<br />was emplaced in 1964, the<br />centennial of the battle.</td></tr>
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The Mansfield Civil War Battlefield is located in Louisiana, more than 20 miles outside the border of Texas. But even though the battle was fought in Louisiana, it was very much a Texas event, worthy of a visit by history-minded Texans.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At right is a 3-inch rifled cannon, and the other <br />artillery piece is a 6-pounder field gun.</td></tr>
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Early in 1864, with the Mississippi River controlled by Union forces, Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks launched a campaign to march through western Louisiana, capture Shreveport (at that point the state capital), then invade East Texas. Banks assembled an army of 36,000 men at New Orleans, while Admiral David Porter readied a large flotilla of gunboats and supply vessels. The combined force marched and steamed up the Mississippi, then angled northwestward up the Red River toward Shreveport. This "Red River Campaign" hoped to confiscate perhaps 150,000 bales of cotton for resale to northern textile mills. Upon entering East Texas west of Shreveport, other targets would include the vast munitions plant outside Marshall, the quartermaster depot at Jefferson, and the arms factory at Tyler, where Camp Ford also held a few Union prisoners.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOJ8bMHit4HKQUZl8BkxJvD-1H1fHhbUsqspuuTk1z2I4vw_XHooMKqnck50aHundkCagXGAEpAlzBMCUiUpN3yI8AuoyjHbVV3bkq-4VJgWUIsKiX-R4NV3llii4aRvtsZDSg-U12oc/s1600/cannons+at+Mansfield.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOJ8bMHit4HKQUZl8BkxJvD-1H1fHhbUsqspuuTk1z2I4vw_XHooMKqnck50aHundkCagXGAEpAlzBMCUiUpN3yI8AuoyjHbVV3bkq-4VJgWUIsKiX-R4NV3llii4aRvtsZDSg-U12oc/s320/cannons+at+Mansfield.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The renovation of the display exhibition<br />should be completed by the time this<br />blog is posted.</td></tr>
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Major General Richard Taylor put together a Confederate force to oppose the invasion. Taylor was the son of President Zachary Taylor and the son-in-law of President Jefferson Davis. Well educated and experienced in military matters, Taylor was a competent leader during the war. To halt the Union invasion,<br />
Taylor assembled an army of <br />
10,500 men comprised of<br />
Texas and Louisiana units.<br />
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Taylor's army was outnumbered three to one, but Banks marched away from the Red River - and from his naval support - northward into western Louisiana. Banks did not feel threatened by Confederate forces, and he allowed his column to spread out to great length along the narrow Mansfield road. When Taylor confronted the Union column early in April 1864, his Confederate troops actually outnumbered the Yankees facing them. There was a two-hour cavalry fight on April 7, and the following day Taylor arrayed his army in battle formation four miles south of Mansfield. The advance column of Union troops, numbering only 6,400 men, quickly formed a battle line along a rail fence and an adjoining ridge.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_iZ2Y4D41Xiu4p5-l_DRo1BGvrcWPnQbNZMYWOFK_2JoB6VXMOGWVz3B7xVBO0vg9L1ktvhpdUytC2WmAIbAdSpZuLe6udsR85iRovMQIrgGH19de9ylHzMFIOh5Nw7vOKFZMRa81J9U/s1600/Red+River+Campaign.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_iZ2Y4D41Xiu4p5-l_DRo1BGvrcWPnQbNZMYWOFK_2JoB6VXMOGWVz3B7xVBO0vg9L1ktvhpdUytC2WmAIbAdSpZuLe6udsR85iRovMQIrgGH19de9ylHzMFIOh5Nw7vOKFZMRa81J9U/s400/Red+River+Campaign.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Taylor ordered Gen. Alfred Mouton to lead his division in attack. At the head of his troops Mouton, who had been severely wounded at Shiloh, was killed instantly by a Union bullet. Promptly assuming command was Brigadier General Camille Armand Jules Marie de Polignac, a French nobleman who was called the "Lafayette of the South." He also was called "General Polecat," by Texans who had trouble with the pronunciation of his last name. General Polignac continued the charge, overwhelming the Union line. Driving home their attack, the Confederates soon encountered another battle line formed by 2,000 fresh Union troops. The Confederates routed this line, too, capturing a great many prisoners, small arms, and abandoned wagons.<br />
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Union forces established a new position at Pleasant Hill, a few miles to the south, where fierce combat took place throughout April 9. Both sides suffered heavy losses, but the entire Union column began a withdrawal the next day. Reuniting with Admiral Porter's flotilla at Natchitoches, the Union expedition engaged in a compete retreat, and the Red River Campaign ended disastrously. Camp Ford swelled rapidly and became the largest POW camp west of the Mississippi. The Prince de Polignac was promoted to major general.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMu43J4ApviflBOMxTbHc-ZJBdKFmWStNDBorFrydRzXYWgNsspdgdMw1B7QukkDcXGlSYpBDa-hQj6FvP79JAAwwpDwdIBLbuI9r3jBJSt9tkqF6t1fo4z3gTrFlvtpZEakNsJTtkaA8/s1600/Mansfield+monuments.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMu43J4ApviflBOMxTbHc-ZJBdKFmWStNDBorFrydRzXYWgNsspdgdMw1B7QukkDcXGlSYpBDa-hQj6FvP79JAAwwpDwdIBLbuI9r3jBJSt9tkqF6t1fo4z3gTrFlvtpZEakNsJTtkaA8/s320/Mansfield+monuments.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These monuments are near the park entrance.<br />The large monument at left marks the spot<br />where Gen. Mouton was killed leading <br /> a charge, and where Prince de Polignac <br />took command.</td></tr>
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The Mansfield Historic Site is a 177-acre park featuring a museum that has just undergone a major renovation. There are handsome monuments, and an interpretative trail and a long rail fence. During the Civil War Centennial, 1961-65, the Texas Civil War Centennial Commission conducted a program to place monuments across the nation to honor the contributions of the Lone Star State's military units. The monuments were of native pink granite, cut from historic Texas quarries, and in 1964 one was placed at the Mansfield site. And in April 2014 a weekend-long reenactment will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Confederate victory at Mansfield.<br />
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For more information: <a href="http://www.crt.state.la.us/parks/imansfld.aspx">http://www.crt.state.la.us/parks/imansfld.aspx</a><br />
<a href="http://www.friendsofmansfieldbattlefield.org/state.asp">http://www.friendsofmansfieldbattlefield.org/state.asp</a><br />
<a href="http://www.friendsofmansfieldbattlefield.org/">http://www.friendsofmansfieldbattlefield.org/</a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-49454467416219609482013-06-08T10:35:00.000-07:002013-06-08T10:35:18.979-07:00Sam Houston and Huntsville<h2>
"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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 <em>True West</em> Magazine.</h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sam Houston Memorial Museum</td></tr>
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Sam Houston is a Texas icon, an incomparable military and political leader of the 19th century. The restless Houston traveled throughout the Texas of his day, but the most tangible reminders of his remarkable past are clustered in Huntsville. As a boy in the early 1950s I remember my excitement when my parents brought me to the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, located across the street from the college campus named after the Texas hero (in the 1950s the school still was known as Sam Houston State Teachers College). We toured Houston's "Woodland Home," as well as the "Steamboat House" where he died. In later years I brought my daughters for a visit, and I toured numerous classes of my Traveling Texas History Course from Panola College.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Woodland Home</td></tr>
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Before coming to Texas in 1832 Houston was a United States congressman, major general of Tennessee militia, and governor of Tennessee. In Texas Houston became a leader of the independence movement, famously signing the Declaration of Independence from Mexico on his 43rd birthday. Appointed general of Texan forces, Houston's "Runaway Scrape" campaign climaxed at San Jacinto in a spectacular victory over Santa Anna's army. "Old Sam Jacinto" was overwhelmingly elected president of the fledgling Republic of Texas, and later he would serve a second presidential term. When Texas achieved statehood Houston served as U.S. senator from 1846-1859, then as governor from 1859-1861 (he is the only politician ever to serve as governor of two states).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAh1nKafSSc1wJb8kqXZSTX7GI9L-fO6gJc8ARxl2557FFYiEEcXaIgqwOhN988Mk7zc9Wy5WOutIigtp9cHmAb6MESnpbCljfSjxeDZTruMD0fm-ogCJdvBnLcR-_zXDvidcAfsAymY/s1600/parlor+of+Woodland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAh1nKafSSc1wJb8kqXZSTX7GI9L-fO6gJc8ARxl2557FFYiEEcXaIgqwOhN988Mk7zc9Wy5WOutIigtp9cHmAb6MESnpbCljfSjxeDZTruMD0fm-ogCJdvBnLcR-_zXDvidcAfsAymY/s320/parlor+of+Woodland.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parlor</td></tr>
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In 1840 the twice divorced Houston, now 47, married 21-year-old Margaret Lea. Despite his late start, the couple would have eight children together, four boys and four girls. In 1847 Senator Houston acquired a 233-acre farm just south of Huntsville for his growing family. "It is a bang-up place!" wrote Houston proudly. There was a one-room log cabin on the property, but Houston added a second room, with a dogtrot separating the rooms. One room was a parlor, while Sam and Margaret used the other room as their bedchamber. A dogtrot stairway led to two sleeping rooms under the roof: the boys slept in one loft and the girls in the other. Two small rooms connected by a porch were added to the rear. One was for guests and the other for Margaret's mother. Surrounded by trees, the house was dubbed "Woodland Home," and Houston sometimes called it his "Wigwam."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwpKuXAUeoMSeprAnDEUICbeqy5KkAz9v61CQwI55TWzWj5ADHLGuEulJaYIWIIXsSE7w0e1_WuqZS8M-6xau1TawUG42Er1B5urUHQ77SWayIkg0Y4EYMAEHyjCuYM2NbQ12RyGkM08/s1600/back+of+Woodland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwpKuXAUeoMSeprAnDEUICbeqy5KkAz9v61CQwI55TWzWj5ADHLGuEulJaYIWIIXsSE7w0e1_WuqZS8M-6xau1TawUG42Er1B5urUHQ77SWayIkg0Y4EYMAEHyjCuYM2NbQ12RyGkM08/s320/back+of+Woodland.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back gallery</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wDrkXvbaLt7CSmVbn2FQYcMYVcrGDn8RlWgizNHNCLlZfyRc9jCMt_zdRG7XZ4B54u8xXxRHeJtv8wJJs6Uempy9-aEGNkBzb0OzOs4JLBKMNYQpjptfRegwI01c0VyVW_y5QDQQSIA/s1600/kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7wDrkXvbaLt7CSmVbn2FQYcMYVcrGDn8RlWgizNHNCLlZfyRc9jCMt_zdRG7XZ4B54u8xXxRHeJtv8wJJs6Uempy9-aEGNkBzb0OzOs4JLBKMNYQpjptfRegwI01c0VyVW_y5QDQQSIA/s320/kitchen.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reconstructed kitchen</td></tr>
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In the yard a one-room log building served Houston as a law office. There also was a kitchen, smokehouse, barn, stable, carriage house, chicken coop, outhouse, and slave quarters. The furnished house and law office remain intact, and much of the rest of the complex has been reproduced. In 1859 Governor Houston moved to the three-year-old Governor's Mansion in Austin. There Margaret gave birth to her eighth child in 1860, and Temple Lea Houston became the first baby born in the Mansion. But when Texas seceded from the Union and joined the Confederate States of America, Governor Houston refused to swear an oath of loyalty to the Confederacy. The office of governor was declared vacant, and the Houstons moved back to Huntsville.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Law office</td></tr>
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Houston had sold the Woodland Home, but he found a rental property on a hill east of his old home. In 1858 Dr. Rufus Bailey, president of Austin College in Huntsville, built the "Steamboat House" as a wedding gift for his son. The house was built to resemble a Mississippi River steamboat. But the newlyweds hated this eccentric house and refused to live in it. Therefore it was available when Houston returned to Huntsville. By the time he was 70, Houston was ill, and he died in the Steamboat House on July 26, 1863, muttering, "Texas...Texas...Margaret." Houston was dressed in a black suit and his Masonic apron, and his coffin was built by Union prisoners of war. Funeral services were held in the upstairs parlor of the Steamboat House, followed by burial with Masonic rites in Oakwood Cemetery. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Governor Houston's bedroom was upstairs, front left</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Houston died downstairs in the Steamboat House.</td></tr>
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In 1879 Sam Houston Normal for Teachers opened in the old buildings of Austin College, which had moved to Sherman. The historic log and clapboard Woodland Home became a boarding house for young ladies who attended the nearby teachers college. In 1910 students raised the modest sum necessary to purchase the aging house. The Texas Legislature appropriated $15,000 in 1927 "for further restoration and Maintenance of the old home." In 1936 owner J.E. Josey donated the Steamboat House to the State of Texas, and it was moved to the 15-acre site where Woodland Home and Houston's old law office stood. The buildings were opened to the public, and the Sam Houston Memorial Museum was erected.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHitBW3y_chddLD-6TfHILi_tZav1Uz9q_eiuN9g7N67Mux-Rc5wp7M4YkNjLZcSv7QXXsR2DQ1LHwOTv53705NLN8Z-CsM1k1itRq3PVCrt0v_U1mASapphsYkNdCFpdGGtxgj7-cwgs/s1600/Bill+at+Hunt+grave.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHitBW3y_chddLD-6TfHILi_tZav1Uz9q_eiuN9g7N67Mux-Rc5wp7M4YkNjLZcSv7QXXsR2DQ1LHwOTv53705NLN8Z-CsM1k1itRq3PVCrt0v_U1mASapphsYkNdCFpdGGtxgj7-cwgs/s320/Bill+at+Hunt+grave.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill at Houston's grave</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUxwijIlY61_eRi5B8PiLnkFgTPbEI8c6rL6Z-XqDA-UIOOyKXo2NcfGHB2gf2px8ZFdprEc5vjr7J3Y7ZOVB63f8R9rziJp60O8vzbZLvC1Gu5oYr-o07WpDvVTOGDl5WM-jaBYzV0a8/s1600/Houston+statue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUxwijIlY61_eRi5B8PiLnkFgTPbEI8c6rL6Z-XqDA-UIOOyKXo2NcfGHB2gf2px8ZFdprEc5vjr7J3Y7ZOVB63f8R9rziJp60O8vzbZLvC1Gu5oYr-o07WpDvVTOGDl5WM-jaBYzV0a8/s320/Houston+statue.jpg" width="208" /></a>Today the park has been supplemented with a modern visitor center. There is an impressive monument at Houston's grave at the center of Avenue I and Ninth Street. And a towering image of Houston, south of Huntsville on I-45, is visible for more than six miles. Made of 60,000 pounds of concrete and mounted atop a 10-foot granite base, the 66-foot statue is an appropriate representation of the larger-than-life Houston. A visit to Huntsville offers a rich tribute to one of the most important and colorful figures of Texas history.<br />
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For more information: <span style="color: red;">www.samhoustonmemorialmuseum.com</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-54271553454280654112013-06-03T08:26:00.000-07:002013-06-03T08:26:54.263-07:00Fort Belknap<br />
<h2>
"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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 <em>True West</em> Magazine.</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgb73xqwe003rEZ4F6nYTEKNQh6I99uKUZeff2rNaxY_uH4uEvi43CwWiiCONsrm4it6PkyaUVb1-jy5Pm6iV5mrNf2tX8H45la66cTJ2kz5MdunffxTf57ga8ADt8iEDesR_pXMfvkCo/s1600/Ft.+Bel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgb73xqwe003rEZ4F6nYTEKNQh6I99uKUZeff2rNaxY_uH4uEvi43CwWiiCONsrm4it6PkyaUVb1-jy5Pm6iV5mrNf2tX8H45la66cTJ2kz5MdunffxTf57ga8ADt8iEDesR_pXMfvkCo/s320/Ft.+Bel.JPG" width="320" /></a>I first toured Fort Belknap in 1965, but it has been a decade since my most recent visit. There is a new caretaker, Eddie Perez, who as a boy toured the old fort annually as part of the field trip program of the Olney Elementary School. Eddie enthusiastically showed me around and answered a great many questions. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eddie Perez at the Corn House exhibits</td></tr>
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Fort Belknap was founded in 1851 by Gen. William G. Belknap, commander of the Department of Texas. The army tried to establish the post a couple of miles to the north, where Newcastle now stands, but two water wells were dry. Fort Belknap shifted to its present location, although the water supply continued to be a problem. A four-company post was erected, and several buildings were constructed of stone.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Corn House</td></tr>
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In 1854 the State of Texas provided 70,000 acres for two Indian reservations, Brazos Reservation and Clear Fork Reservation. Fort Belknap provided supplies and tools, as well as troops to control trouble between the Indians and white settlers, who coveted the reservation lands. The reservation experiment lasted only until 1859, when the Indians were removed to Oklahoma and the reservations were opened to settlers. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the three barracks</td></tr>
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A Butterfield Overland Stagecoach station was located at Fort Belknap, and just outside the military property the town of Belknap developed. But in 1859 the fort was closed, although a maintenance detail remained until 1861, when all federal troops left Texas. During the Civil War, Texas Confederate troops occupied the old outpost for a time. There were strikes by Comanche warriors, including the ferocious Elm Creek Raid of October 1864. In 1867 federal troops returned to the Texas frontier and began refurbishing the fort's buildings. But the establishment of Fort Griffin in the region resulted in the final abandonment of Fort Belknap. The town of Belknap declined rapidly; today only the community cemetery remains.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Powder magazine</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Commissary and museum</td></tr>
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There was a great deal of "midnight requisitioning" at Fort Belknap, as area settlers took building materials from the abandoned fort structures, which fell into ruin. But during the Texas Centennial of 1936 there was a restoration effort. Fifteen acres of the eastern part of the old military reservation were set aside as a county park. The massive stone powder magazine remained intact, and the long walls of the old "corn house" (where grain and fodder were stored) still stood, and were repaired. Some of the buildings in Newcastle that had been constructed of fort materials were purchased and dismantled for the stone. Five buildings were rebuilt with original materials on original foundations. Three barracks stand in a line, with a reconstructed kitchen nearby. The two-story commissary also was rebuilt, with a museum on the ground floor. There also are displays on exhibit at the corn house. Family reunions often are held at Fort Belknap, and so are conferences by history groups. School field trips still tour the fort, along with vacationers. A large brush arbor frequently is utilized. During the 1850s Fort Belknap was a substantial and important outpost, one that is well worth a visit today.<br />
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For more information: <a href="http://www.legendsofamerica.com/tx-fortbelknap.html">http://www.legendsofamerica.com/tx-fortbelknap.html</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Museum exhibits</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brush arbor</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-68803882967850014122013-05-23T20:52:00.000-07:002013-05-23T21:02:34.451-07:00Stamford<br />
<h2>
"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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 <em>True West</em> Magazine.</h2>
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I first visited Stamford in 1994. I was researching <i>Historic Ranches of the Old West</i>, and I needed to stop at the headquarters building of the far-flung SMS ranches, located just off the Stamford square. I noticed several fine old buildings in town, but I had a pressing schedule. Despite promising myself to return as soon as possible, in subsequent years I've been in a hurry each time I've passed through town. Finally, early in May, I was able to spend half a day in Stamford while en route to an evening speaking engagement.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Country Cowboy Museum</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curator Sandy Rhea</td></tr>
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My first stop was at the Cowboy Country Museum on the square. I assumed I would be in the museum no more than half an hour. But I was greeted by curator Sandy Rhea, who enthusiastically led me from room to room, revealing one treasure after another. I was enthralled, and when I asked questions, Sandy enhanced her answers with artifacts or photographs. The museum receives frequent donations of artifacts, and expansion of the facility is in progress. Stamford's first professional photographer donated a superb photo collection, which was added to by his son, also a local photographer. In the museum gift shop copies of <i>Stamford</i>, an Arcadia pictorial history were on sale. When I was told that the museum's photographic collection formed the basis of the book's illustrations, I immediately bought a copy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SMS headquarters</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2BGWhAbKELD3kRePRwdMzt2Xfhqru0ZMEttTKDgsAyhNijXfoVzypKALYD7bQFCVYMXVogiSy9GRS1kK4zxU7T5o0Lr3P0UVFJ-8qoXYnqJRdhI5uXe8u_CUO_kRKBrjAFk7S9CS1qfs/s1600/Stamford+hostelry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2BGWhAbKELD3kRePRwdMzt2Xfhqru0ZMEttTKDgsAyhNijXfoVzypKALYD7bQFCVYMXVogiSy9GRS1kK4zxU7T5o0Lr3P0UVFJ-8qoXYnqJRdhI5uXe8u_CUO_kRKBrjAFk7S9CS1qfs/s200/Stamford+hostelry.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old Stamford Inn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After leaving the museum I inspected a massive three-story commercial building on the square. Although now abandoned, the big structure long was a focal point of downtown activity. Across from the SMS headquarters building stand the majestic ruins of the Stamford Inn, for many decades the town's principal hostelry. Several blocks down the street, and still in use, is a three-story Carnegie Library.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSDLD-PMYX0EduVh7xqNU1PgWuaTTREX5UG8Vxo6JW4_1XMYh1mheYSTGRzr_U__xNABOA6vztIJ0L4hHHgrd9TGVkjSe9uFj1t-QI8zEkq2jDhvmyRGiz5S-C6a_L0NPaIW7UadDnoKs/s1600/Carnegie+Stamford.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSDLD-PMYX0EduVh7xqNU1PgWuaTTREX5UG8Vxo6JW4_1XMYh1mheYSTGRzr_U__xNABOA6vztIJ0L4hHHgrd9TGVkjSe9uFj1t-QI8zEkq2jDhvmyRGiz5S-C6a_L0NPaIW7UadDnoKs/s200/Carnegie+Stamford.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carnegie Library</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSN00MLWOKEPlRZW_gA6lS-iA7C5ru_PmIVo8YyajmdnJtssRMfKSg_rjQHwpM7rgIm_XVxbwpzJR3ry9Z2FPpuEaZvzdPz0LWhej4nsRfs-zeQrIJoB14CxjyK7svR8cImkv8OiIAXlg/s1600/FBC+Stamford+exterior.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSN00MLWOKEPlRZW_gA6lS-iA7C5ru_PmIVo8YyajmdnJtssRMfKSg_rjQHwpM7rgIm_XVxbwpzJR3ry9Z2FPpuEaZvzdPz0LWhej4nsRfs-zeQrIJoB14CxjyK7svR8cImkv8OiIAXlg/s200/FBC+Stamford+exterior.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Baptist Church</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While driving through town on previous trips I had noted two magnificent churches. I toured the First Baptist Church, which was erected in 1908, during the pastorate of Frank S. Groner. When Groner was called to Stamford in 1905, the Baptists were meeting in a small frame building. Groner, soon to become a major leader of the Southern Baptist denomination, launched a building program. The church features a dome and an auditorium with a large balcony, handsome pews, and a pipe organ. Faithfully maintained, the church remains a fine place to worship.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM6PwzPm7b1XWuLu5vpxNSH8z5DLOuoZyc7YrL7O2lKrn-mESndboZ9uWw9m8J9TWRoxzw-DbF0okfFf4Ub5kmlHsy30P-ARPT4Jl9E1uvK79Tx60DdP9OP2m6P6xIzf3PdNXDD_qSN8I/s1600/FBC+Stamford+interior.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM6PwzPm7b1XWuLu5vpxNSH8z5DLOuoZyc7YrL7O2lKrn-mESndboZ9uWw9m8J9TWRoxzw-DbF0okfFf4Ub5kmlHsy30P-ARPT4Jl9E1uvK79Tx60DdP9OP2m6P6xIzf3PdNXDD_qSN8I/s200/FBC+Stamford+interior.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FBC interior</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4a598TlakhQnFRtBh18vH1Xg3BnK3RqbhLQmuErUdqlSVsUF36GybnQc5EwGgPYx4W0GlL6HyniejKcCAZbH_z33DWATrB0E0jJWK6QGQBlZI6oSfN1CRpQXUkl6rQ7uFF1gwGgSzzE/s1600/FUMC+in+Stamford.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4a598TlakhQnFRtBh18vH1Xg3BnK3RqbhLQmuErUdqlSVsUF36GybnQc5EwGgPYx4W0GlL6HyniejKcCAZbH_z33DWATrB0E0jJWK6QGQBlZI6oSfN1CRpQXUkl6rQ7uFF1gwGgSzzE/s200/FUMC+in+Stamford.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Methodist Church</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So does the First Methodist Church. Built in 1910, the auditorium has a vast balcony and beautiful stained glass windows. Outside, the bell tower soars to a height of 100 feet, and the Methodists could boast of "the tallest church building between Fort Worth and El Paso."<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBF7Qj4FrUiW0Zonpdg3pKJYlyMd3FcwPj68bj7W4mESO4ND6re-D5KeJogTiAIa08166v76tiVZyP5t4D7q18v9ZWhXMH-9YPtvfoOQXo1MglPwE892STA-5ARgbYnjz4R-PvMyHD2k/s1600/FUMC+Stamford+interior.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqBF7Qj4FrUiW0Zonpdg3pKJYlyMd3FcwPj68bj7W4mESO4ND6re-D5KeJogTiAIa08166v76tiVZyP5t4D7q18v9ZWhXMH-9YPtvfoOQXo1MglPwE892STA-5ARgbYnjz4R-PvMyHD2k/s200/FUMC+Stamford+interior.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJb8IR-UEcQAT2BDLTGcyuBnnsmj_C4eV0aQtESFBS1nCrLPG3312R3dIYDeHEzr32KGBLwKXRqqro1N9VAsOpSA7NIdIJ31GfbhyphenhyphenASqnv1YT03Nr_vsWW2fqGIZJP8-ZjfxS8VpBZ-Y/s1600/Stamford+saddle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJb8IR-UEcQAT2BDLTGcyuBnnsmj_C4eV0aQtESFBS1nCrLPG3312R3dIYDeHEzr32KGBLwKXRqqro1N9VAsOpSA7NIdIJ31GfbhyphenhyphenASqnv1YT03Nr_vsWW2fqGIZJP8-ZjfxS8VpBZ-Y/s320/Stamford+saddle.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2001 championship saddle on loan<br />
to the Country Cowboy Museum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2xgmAJe613qL5ro8HnxcbAhw3CFVgQxX7Da44nCxLTSRp8-GyEZA0IFKl8CshWNbAqxXw3l1mEOpnuGokiXG0wIfIATgO5wwMhSuZ38iqjv1sA19n71ucHnQqilI0A31Ea3SEe7K55kY/s1600/Cowboy+Reunion+Stamford.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2xgmAJe613qL5ro8HnxcbAhw3CFVgQxX7Da44nCxLTSRp8-GyEZA0IFKl8CshWNbAqxXw3l1mEOpnuGokiXG0wIfIATgO5wwMhSuZ38iqjv1sA19n71ucHnQqilI0A31Ea3SEe7K55kY/s200/Cowboy+Reunion+Stamford.JPG" width="200" /></a>Since 1930 Stamford has hosted the "Texas Cowboy Reunion." During four days of events around July 4, the population of Stamford triples. Famed cowboy humorist Will Rogers attended an early reunion, describing it as "a real celebration in a real cowtown by real old-timers." On my way out of town I drove to the reunion grounds on the west side of Stamford. I knew that my long-delayed tour of Stamford would not be complete without a visit to the site of the Texas Cowboy Reunion.<br />
<br />
For more information: <a href="http://tcrrodeo.com/">http://tcrrodeo.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://www.stamfordcoc.110mb.com/index.php?p=1_10_Cowboy-Museum">http://www.stamfordcoc.110mb.com/index.php?p=1_10_Cowboy-Museum</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-55188660186877056092013-05-17T08:59:00.002-07:002013-05-17T08:59:47.808-07:00End of the School Year<br />
<h2>
"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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 <em>True West</em> Magazine.</h2>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjm9htxgqkQhQSbwTC46oWBMoOHmU31ZMfkntIU-zoOmuCTpLVECnSvFM6837CN2e6GqtaVoUfUxNZesWyZ2w4TpReUXhXbMTi2ez98upA_Awjyt1lnvdoCdTstuteLtjAokQuuXVXRPk/s1600/Dr.+Greg+Poell+color+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjm9htxgqkQhQSbwTC46oWBMoOHmU31ZMfkntIU-zoOmuCTpLVECnSvFM6837CN2e6GqtaVoUfUxNZesWyZ2w4TpReUXhXbMTi2ez98upA_Awjyt1lnvdoCdTstuteLtjAokQuuXVXRPk/s200/Dr.+Greg+Poell+color+pic.jpg" width="162" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Greg Powell</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlI2l-xY9b1-7XPT71H5BnQDdq9-Cd1aU0j53Ifg0I6ukX9xgd139cu8PHvhHBny0TiVWztnmofgjrq1PYjMONMR9gYXZRONwukQphRaOmTswEcAQMAcu6YWayRNM01GJxMFVCNe5oUAY/s1600/EarlyVoting-400x266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlI2l-xY9b1-7XPT71H5BnQDdq9-Cd1aU0j53Ifg0I6ukX9xgd139cu8PHvhHBny0TiVWztnmofgjrq1PYjMONMR9gYXZRONwukQphRaOmTswEcAQMAcu6YWayRNM01GJxMFVCNe5oUAY/s200/EarlyVoting-400x266.jpg" width="200" /></a>As the 2012-13 school year comes to a close, I want to blog about several end-of-the-semester items. On my last blog I mentioned commencement exercises at Panola College, where I still have an office as State Historian. My office is in the Science Building, which was built in 1965. When I came to Panola as a history instructor in 1970, I was assigned an office in the "new" Science Building. More than four decades later the building still is handsomely maintained, but it no longer is a cutting edge home for modern science instruction. A new and updated science building has been proposed, along with other construction projects. Opened in 1948 in surplus World War II army buildings, Panola County Junior College erected two permanent brick structures with $400,000 in bonds. That initial bond issue, passed 65 years ago, is the only one in the history of the college. The student body has more than tripled since my arrival, and subsequent buildings have been financed through the general fund, grants, and donations. So this year a $35 million bond issue was passed and promoted tirelessly by President Gregory Powell. On May 11, Saturday, following the Friday night commencement exercises, the bond issue passed by a resounding 84 per cent of the vote. During the next five years construction projects will transform the campus. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzANDp-jcOY8ROQefaSnFsT4iRcqU_p6YQW_eTlwHSZ4U-dhBmhMQjjw6bIl61CbsLJWtcbNU23AWHUXmTb8o2hmG1DJ1fUDZiLTtKfn_PS8cp_BjDTfQpUIpZVSZ2j0KRWxKgPs9R_xs/s1600/Topher.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzANDp-jcOY8ROQefaSnFsT4iRcqU_p6YQW_eTlwHSZ4U-dhBmhMQjjw6bIl61CbsLJWtcbNU23AWHUXmTb8o2hmG1DJ1fUDZiLTtKfn_PS8cp_BjDTfQpUIpZVSZ2j0KRWxKgPs9R_xs/s320/Topher.JPG" width="249" /></a></div>
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In December 2012 I was interviewed by Topher Paddie, a young student from Marshall. Topher's parents are Chris and Brooke Paddie (Chris is in his first term in the Texas House of Representatives). As part of his social studies project on the Texas Governor's Mansion, Topher interviewed the State Historian. Recently Topher learned that his excellent project had earned first place in statewide competition in the elementary division. At the awards banquet he was present a gold medal - a proud climax to his school year.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbenZsnCA6uBgvWkBMxrCA_Hl6ifM_MWqaolGFj1UHzsrz13FbeGGGmPoGhyphenhyphen448GwZyiVYC3miZokvEei_uPrnCu0uFO1NZdZ9K6lrQpqv7sXT20ViTfoJ4HHhNxxXDbr8cGADyvOIeo/s1600/Katy+essay+winner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbenZsnCA6uBgvWkBMxrCA_Hl6ifM_MWqaolGFj1UHzsrz13FbeGGGmPoGhyphenhyphen448GwZyiVYC3miZokvEei_uPrnCu0uFO1NZdZ9K6lrQpqv7sXT20ViTfoJ4HHhNxxXDbr8cGADyvOIeo/s320/Katy+essay+winner.jpg" width="213" /></a>Another deserved award was presented to my niece, Katy Ashby of Lake Jackson. A fourth-grader at Bess Brannen Elementary, Katy won first place in the Enchanted Tree Essay Award competition. The "Enchanted Tree" is a big oak that was standing when Abner Jackson - for whom Lake Jackson was named - established a plantation. Each year Lake Jackson fourth- and seventh-graders are told about Abner Jackson, the Enchanted Tree, and related historical events. Students are then asked to write an essay from the perspective of the Enchanted Tree. Katy described the tree observing Civil War soldiers before the Jackson plantation was formed. Katy's tree saw Abner Jackson found his plantation, and later the tree viewed one of Abner's brothers kill another brother. The tree survived the ferocious hurricane of 1900. Katy's first-place essay earned her a sack of gold coins (mostly Sacajawea dollars), and it is on display at the Lake Jackson Historical Museum. Katy's fourth-grade year has climaxed on a high note.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmvjfkEaopqJBKx0Iqgf81tVjrSFdEn2hQUf9fG69A3brtLATxG46aedzp9WAohU0NlJ98wR_QqzZE2eszrqveULsIxWPM25dL0yXUnKC5nCEJ-xcZSIVtCF5GPHlymZrBQ3iMkRIW1g/s1600/Spring+Hill+grade+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmvjfkEaopqJBKx0Iqgf81tVjrSFdEn2hQUf9fG69A3brtLATxG46aedzp9WAohU0NlJ98wR_QqzZE2eszrqveULsIxWPM25dL0yXUnKC5nCEJ-xcZSIVtCF5GPHlymZrBQ3iMkRIW1g/s320/Spring+Hill+grade+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRtPpfZW34pNrNu95TLHwwvDoPkBDiUaGupS3rEpwy6Sx5BlDGYg11q7e3-ha3199bGkdet1aHu39QU1pSgECVoqqU6bhChyphenhyphenNvRfHWb8xORyroiTK4G88YzOgGi7wGVokYIchs1mDu9k/s1600/Bill+and+Karon+at+Spring+Hill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRtPpfZW34pNrNu95TLHwwvDoPkBDiUaGupS3rEpwy6Sx5BlDGYg11q7e3-ha3199bGkdet1aHu39QU1pSgECVoqqU6bhChyphenhyphenNvRfHWb8xORyroiTK4G88YzOgGi7wGVokYIchs1mDu9k/s320/Bill+and+Karon+at+Spring+Hill.jpg" width="320" /></a>For the final time this spring I presented a program on "Texas Cowboys." To the fourth-graders of Spring Hill Intermediate School, I showed sombreros and ten-gallon hats, spurs and branding irons, saddles and high-heeled boots. But a big difference in this program was the presence of my wife, Karon. She happily terms herself the "Chief of Staff" of the State Historian, and if not for Karon's technical expertise and efforts this blog would not exist. We have appeared together in period costume at programs and conferences throughout the West. Karon has accompanied me on State Historian weekend trips, but she teaches math at Panola College and has been unable to accompany me during the week. At Spring Hill Intermediate, Karon wore a fine cowgirl outfit, to the delight of the young ladies of the fourth grade. I look forward to the company of my Chief of Staff during the State Historian activities of the upcoming summer. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-83045426353713769222013-05-11T18:44:00.000-07:002013-05-11T18:44:56.114-07:00Final Exam Week<br />
<h2>
"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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 <em>True West</em> Magazine.</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg08nhjWHJeTwH1onvxUMWRIAlkWypyv5oD7orTUWYdE5UizzRMOM3ovDJAYffh6_mSc3sTDTK_-ci-nd2VztNrP02SSXmS-bf2-hZh6Tg0pMwxHXKMiHlJT4uZ79d0rjPLXRKs9iydflo/s1600/state+historian+talks+May+2013+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg08nhjWHJeTwH1onvxUMWRIAlkWypyv5oD7orTUWYdE5UizzRMOM3ovDJAYffh6_mSc3sTDTK_-ci-nd2VztNrP02SSXmS-bf2-hZh6Tg0pMwxHXKMiHlJT4uZ79d0rjPLXRKs9iydflo/s320/state+historian+talks+May+2013+004.JPG" width="320" /></a>For decades at Panola College I spent Final Exam Week grading Blue Book essays, averaging grades, and attending commencement exercises. This past week, while my wife Karon spent Monday through Friday with these activities in the math department, I left Carthage early Monday morning. By mid-day I was in Van Alstyne, where I unloaded a saddle and miscellaneous cowboy paraphernalia at the elementary school. Librarian Becky Seevers turned over her room to the fourth grade teachers and students, and in costume I presented a program on "Texas Cowboys." Each year the entire fourth grade is bused to Austin, where they tour the State Capitol, the Bob Bullock Museum, the Texas State Cemetery, and other historic sites. One day after my visit, the fourth graders were bused to the famous Mesquite Rodeo. The teacher who has long spearheaded these trips is Rajonia Carnley, and as State Historian it was my privilege to present her a Certificate of Achievement for outstanding service and commitment to Texas History Education. The event was covered by the Van Alstyne <i>Leader</i>, and the youngsters were primed for their rodeo visit.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Presenting the certificate to Rajonia Carnley</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The museum's schoolroom<br />
is enhanced by a school-<br />
marm painted by<br />
Wynell Terry</td></tr>
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I left Van Alstyne headed to West Texas. Along the way - and on the return journey to Carthage on Wednesday - I stopped at a variety of historical sites and gathered material for future blog topics. On Tuesday evening I was in Roby, seat of Fisher County, to deliver a program on the Johnson-Sims Feud, which was the last blood feud in Texas. This 1916-18 conflict occurred in the area and local citizens were involved. Years ago I was informed about this feud by Bob Terry, a native of Roby and a highly knowledgeable local historian. His ancestors, lawmen Nath and Frank Terry and Judge Cullen Higgins, were involved in the feud, and Bob was instrumental in my research efforts. I first wrote about these events in my 1998 biography of Pink Higgins, then in <i>The Johnson-Sims Feud</i>, published by the University of North Texas Press in 2011. I came to Roby at Bob's invitation, and the program was scheduled for the Fisher County Museum on the square. Roby is a small town, but the museum offers a rich collection of the community's pioneer past. At the museum I enjoyed renewing old acquaintances and meeting new friends. A large audience gathered to hear my account of the feud, and they purchased a great many books for personal inscriptions.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The museum crowd before the program; Bob Terry <br />
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I arrived back in Carthage on Wednesday afternoon, and the following evening, I drove to Longview to deliver a program to the History Club of East Texas. The members are dues-paying history buffs who attend monthly gatherings throughout the school year with the sole purpose of enjoying a program on a history topic. I am a longtime member, and I am asked to deliver the leadoff program each year in September. This spring a speaker was unable to make the May meeting, so it was my pleasure to provide another program for my fellow history enthusiasts.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdTTJOedTjdIMBq8v7U4F1jhLVtIeNNsMBZafJrN7BoFO3tYMsyJAos621kDlFsMAlgead03JlWZ2lpWteLvhroUpi5A_l6U_YvpMWSemBEqEcAvNM_4EnJ5sTDnAjClAX-qgKpwHeuk/s1600/2013-05-09+19.41.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdTTJOedTjdIMBq8v7U4F1jhLVtIeNNsMBZafJrN7BoFO3tYMsyJAos621kDlFsMAlgead03JlWZ2lpWteLvhroUpi5A_l6U_YvpMWSemBEqEcAvNM_4EnJ5sTDnAjClAX-qgKpwHeuk/s320/2013-05-09+19.41.37.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Presenting to the History Club of<br />
East Texas</td></tr>
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The next day, Friday, my wife and I welcomed our daughter, Dr. Berri O'Neal Gormley, and her family to Carthage. Berri was a 1995 graduate of Panola College, where for two years she served as the school mascot, Fillis the Fillie; performed in the drama and music departments; was an officer of the student government and of Phi Theta Kappa; and generally had a rousing good time. Today she is the Director of the Universities Center of Dallas and the immediate past president of TACRAO (Texas Association for Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers). Berri was invited to deliver the commencement address at her community college alma mater. Commencement exercises were held in the main gym. There was a packed house, with an overflow crowd that watched the ceremonies on closed-circuit TV from the next-door auditorium. Berri was excited and proud - and so was her father.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Panola College speaker's podium was at <br />
the far end of this aisle.</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-2726703341715036072013-05-05T12:10:00.003-07:002013-05-05T12:10:26.090-07:00Hearne POW Camp<br />
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"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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 <em>True West</em> Magazine.</h2>
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During World War II more than 425,000 Axis prisoners of war were incarcerated at over 650 POW camps across the United States. More than 50,000 of these POWs were housed in Texas at 22 base camps and 60 branch camps. About 48,000 Germans were held in Texas, along with 2,500 Italians and 1,000 Japanese prisoners. One of the most important POW installations in Texas was Camp Hearne.</div>
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I first examined the site of Camp Hearne in 2009 while working on a book for Arcadia Publishing, <i>East Texas in World War II</i>, which was published in 2010. A portion of this large site was under development as a museum, and when I returned last fall I found a reconstructed POW barracks open to the public. I was given a tour by a genial docent, Melissa Freeman, who informed me of other plans that were in progress. When my wife Karon and I passed through Hearne a few weeks ago, we drove to the camp site to find that, indeed, considerable progress had taken place. Melissa Freeman pointed out various artifacts that had been added to the barracks museum, while outside a "Victory Garden" was under cultivation. But the most striking addition was a reconstructed guard tower, one of nine which once had been manned throughout Camp Hearne.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlhT_w4Hx0IZESfBfbHT38hoHYntwt1h2a1wCV9V9KSb2vV5hSWHVxqyPuD-3yxfmlaDDp2ey-Ius5TZh_jNuQ7k_enX36tqUL9YM-9L9vIzShUm6hXNOucl-JZ9g5FCb05_6NUYJ5gM/s1600/Camp+Hearne+Mekissa+Bill.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlhT_w4Hx0IZESfBfbHT38hoHYntwt1h2a1wCV9V9KSb2vV5hSWHVxqyPuD-3yxfmlaDDp2ey-Ius5TZh_jNuQ7k_enX36tqUL9YM-9L9vIzShUm6hXNOucl-JZ9g5FCb05_6NUYJ5gM/s320/Camp+Hearne+Mekissa+Bill.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill with Melissa Freeman</td></tr>
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Camp Hearne was built on a 720-acre site just north of town. Construction of this POW base camp began in September 1942, and was completed within six months. There were three POW compounds, a hospital area, a recreation area, and an "American sector" for the force of 500 guards. A camp cemetery was located northeast of the buildings (about a dozen POWs died of illness or accidents, two committed suicide, one was murdered, and one was shot while trying to escape).<br />
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Over 4,800 Germans were incarcerated at Camp Hearne, which also acquired a few hundred Japanese POWs in mid-1945. Camp Hearne had the unique distinction of being the headquarters of the German Postal Unit in 1944 and 1945. The Camp Hearne Postal Unit received and distributed letters and parcels from Germany for German POWs anywhere in the United States. The volume often soared above 40,000 letters and parcels daily, and 22 buildings in Compound I were utilized by the postal unit, which organized three eight-hour shifts six days per week.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Melissa reading <i>Rise and Fall of the Third Reich</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Several fire hydrants,<br />
stamped "1942," still stand.</td></tr>
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Camp Hearne closed in January 1946. Like the structures at U.S. military facilities, POW buildings were sold as inexpensive surplus. Barracks, for example, often were purchased for as little as $100 - the cost of moving a building often exceeded the purchase price. Through the years, Germans traveling in the United States often visited Camp Hearne or their other places of incarceration. In Texas there are remains of POW camps at Princeton, Seagoville, Lufkin, and other sites. But the best site is the Camp Hearne Museum, and I intend to return periodically to watch the progress at this intriguing historical location.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcj2gMVIL_IreAkCxyr7xR67AlkakYiD29nUxpQD0j4scfaVuAUmIO8AAktuswN-rySydilr8EPqjtFz-bJJqQ8YE-P2CgBIKgBH1mtxvG7Rd3EE36OKnMOnnlwiqJgG82DwfRzMf1_uk/s1600/Camp+Hearne+canteen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcj2gMVIL_IreAkCxyr7xR67AlkakYiD29nUxpQD0j4scfaVuAUmIO8AAktuswN-rySydilr8EPqjtFz-bJJqQ8YE-P2CgBIKgBH1mtxvG7Rd3EE36OKnMOnnlwiqJgG82DwfRzMf1_uk/s320/Camp+Hearne+canteen.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Intricately carved German canteen</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF22lhUF0Qa2cSwtHyCn6l8p7axAH3p-fnGukODA-2R337EOr7wawasGg_91tj4VWWWr9nZwXal20vBWPwTPFhfe4HdVrBpREPitavZ6CspdVgWbQjOeHIpHDZLmQ3jnbmSE99oiP-4tU/s1600/Camp+Hearne+water+tower.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF22lhUF0Qa2cSwtHyCn6l8p7axAH3p-fnGukODA-2R337EOr7wawasGg_91tj4VWWWr9nZwXal20vBWPwTPFhfe4HdVrBpREPitavZ6CspdVgWbQjOeHIpHDZLmQ3jnbmSE99oiP-4tU/s320/Camp+Hearne+water+tower.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The water tower stands after 70 years.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinkpWpZD9JCyWqbAoOyqx6z6EfBcTmvPsSl3cso15AH1gFsftLjC_4Xyqrv580A4FIhflzr0t8-GWJYWPfIYVie4x4ZFNUvVPYBl-SJpEQb1P4uYMNoRxC4wDGy3hJngK5nBQyVMHSKLE/s1600/Camp+Hearne+model.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinkpWpZD9JCyWqbAoOyqx6z6EfBcTmvPsSl3cso15AH1gFsftLjC_4Xyqrv580A4FIhflzr0t8-GWJYWPfIYVie4x4ZFNUvVPYBl-SJpEQb1P4uYMNoRxC4wDGy3hJngK5nBQyVMHSKLE/s320/Camp+Hearne+model.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many Germans were fine stone masons <br />
and woodcarvers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTF6krRwfR0uMk2cjNYbYhWb5rWAKXkinUIxgV56g-90z2ZZndsloumD00LYJJaTJhhOi3af4yuGfIM73GSMcE4NW9JY_jvtYTEkrOjdpJUJsucz847xW9iJg1EJGlbioB4r2vlkPKPf8/s1600/Camp+Hearne+bridge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTF6krRwfR0uMk2cjNYbYhWb5rWAKXkinUIxgV56g-90z2ZZndsloumD00LYJJaTJhhOi3af4yuGfIM73GSMcE4NW9JY_jvtYTEkrOjdpJUJsucz847xW9iJg1EJGlbioB4r2vlkPKPf8/s320/Camp+Hearne+bridge.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuOAnVEf_RYzrWA1CFwX3Z_uAU7uxDvBUetDk5qNmKsKtL85B9FdMQlopTju5wh6fyX_Nrn5dYPN0MDS37dMkxQOsRiBluew4RLLKmBmkcrjDmL19LrCdKQa4IPNpmEOH-Zpd29V-6NpM/s1600/Camp+Hearne+wooden+engraving.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuOAnVEf_RYzrWA1CFwX3Z_uAU7uxDvBUetDk5qNmKsKtL85B9FdMQlopTju5wh6fyX_Nrn5dYPN0MDS37dMkxQOsRiBluew4RLLKmBmkcrjDmL19LrCdKQa4IPNpmEOH-Zpd29V-6NpM/s320/Camp+Hearne+wooden+engraving.JPG" width="224" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKhnwX9lsMp97U6vDyQ4DWTqHpwZspcCb5wS7mTBbaIYSZJfhp4Qldgf9KDtcAW2xk7W_ig-i3kF3oymNhGobGFxUmOEuuhBi7p3bcb4dikgYeToIrJp17XCHn-wdAcRdREOiwug33BI/s1600/Camp+Hearne+diagram.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKhnwX9lsMp97U6vDyQ4DWTqHpwZspcCb5wS7mTBbaIYSZJfhp4Qldgf9KDtcAW2xk7W_ig-i3kF3oymNhGobGFxUmOEuuhBi7p3bcb4dikgYeToIrJp17XCHn-wdAcRdREOiwug33BI/s320/Camp+Hearne+diagram.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diorama of Camp Hearne</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJmE4BFsUXX-kSm7WcTAWS0Q9zzpmM5aQd2vEE0bkXvYAFJiX_pU7CbWZMO9NgoH9qUknp26QUTgZwDPKCUvwRqxx4XuKrUEudV3K2WDSx1ty0j5zflyo_xnQMwny99sKSWBXh8bLzCXU/s1600/Camp+Hearne+theater+audience.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJmE4BFsUXX-kSm7WcTAWS0Q9zzpmM5aQd2vEE0bkXvYAFJiX_pU7CbWZMO9NgoH9qUknp26QUTgZwDPKCUvwRqxx4XuKrUEudV3K2WDSx1ty0j5zflyo_xnQMwny99sKSWBXh8bLzCXU/s320/Camp+Hearne+theater+audience.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">POWs converted a barracks to a theater.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-R4n6Rs-r7VHiGHg12CF3sukticSan1DDiD30HOIrRgi3zj1mlYIGm1K_cdMaPZkRx2X4f9mqkdCVlJ7lDOskGTrzSVb-vO1ay8NBIVBq_MgMKvq7Z3QjeLZCC_UWvQvYdiIiAclCJY/s1600/Camp+Hearne+theater+play.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8-R4n6Rs-r7VHiGHg12CF3sukticSan1DDiD30HOIrRgi3zj1mlYIGm1K_cdMaPZkRx2X4f9mqkdCVlJ7lDOskGTrzSVb-vO1ay8NBIVBq_MgMKvq7Z3QjeLZCC_UWvQvYdiIiAclCJY/s320/Camp+Hearne+theater+play.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5M7H21H-egBk_QMGoMnAgtZGflTWe2Juv71Ooo8fY_KFYxcjULTFeFez1XoQ0EQxsYDwRGQq9ewM4j_3AZkEOonP1tORcwwI5QMM-1zUu0iy99jm-r3ok73iaW8P2La32q1-mwKsWww/s1600/POWs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5M7H21H-egBk_QMGoMnAgtZGflTWe2Juv71Ooo8fY_KFYxcjULTFeFez1XoQ0EQxsYDwRGQq9ewM4j_3AZkEOonP1tORcwwI5QMM-1zUu0iy99jm-r3ok73iaW8P2La32q1-mwKsWww/s320/POWs.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Former members of the Afrika Korps</td></tr>
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<span style="color: blue;">For more information: www.camphearne.com</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-69432730619558692302013-04-30T16:05:00.000-07:002013-04-30T16:13:42.499-07:00South Texas Historical Association<br />
<h2>
"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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 <em>True West</em> Magazine.</h2>
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During my nine months as State Historian I have attended meetings of the Texas State Historical Association, the East Texas Historical Association, and the West Texas Historical Association. The fourth state or regional historical association is the South Texas Historical Association, and it was my pleasure to meet with this delightful group on Saturday, April 27. Pat Parsons, Vice President of the STHA, arranged a one-day meeting in a most special location. Pat knew that I wanted to attend an STHA meeting, and she asked that I speak to the group about the duties and activities of the State Historian of Texas.</div>
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The Saturday meeting was held west of Three Rivers at Mission Sin Caja, a remarkable conference and recreational center with a strong historical flavor. Kurt House, a native of Three Rivers, built Mission Sin Caja on the family ranch, a property he still owns, along with three other area ranches. Geographically the region is flat brush country, but 10 miles south of Kurt's ranch is a 1,500-foot-tall mesa that long was used by Spanish explorers and other early travelers. A rumored event, described by J. Frank Dobie in <i>Coronado's Children</i>, involved a massacre at the mountain by Lipan Apache warriors. The victims were buried where they fell <i>"sin cajas"</i> - without boxes or coffins - and the plateau is known as "Mesa Sin Caja."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHDrVXSZJnzWLfAK0M7gcWkBWc1MRBh6fQsN3Sx4zpxEGlNUy7YWNd3YCHb3hOYYZsAJ7a1WohgbirCO2hUxBSFbxXTndXBNuvEnvUnVLdOzZnz_uyw9VclhmhZPwU0jX5fNd2f-vo5I/s1600/Caja+chapel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHDrVXSZJnzWLfAK0M7gcWkBWc1MRBh6fQsN3Sx4zpxEGlNUy7YWNd3YCHb3hOYYZsAJ7a1WohgbirCO2hUxBSFbxXTndXBNuvEnvUnVLdOzZnz_uyw9VclhmhZPwU0jX5fNd2f-vo5I/s320/Caja+chapel.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNN9Gw2XuqMrm9tdS5bTlFSYYB6HxpH89WRU0mUxOyCp4_n2ZC7QkwbXdcnk65iCpCxbuyXe5giMtx1kF7-HxZxKWYEr-9fzSSas2-MkxzbvP5l-Htt-fXwEA8T08rUqDI3uc8kB9RYiI/s1600/cart.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNN9Gw2XuqMrm9tdS5bTlFSYYB6HxpH89WRU0mUxOyCp4_n2ZC7QkwbXdcnk65iCpCxbuyXe5giMtx1kF7-HxZxKWYEr-9fzSSas2-MkxzbvP5l-Htt-fXwEA8T08rUqDI3uc8kB9RYiI/s320/cart.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Kurt House has degrees in archaeology and architecture, and he has performed extensive post-graduate and field work. He is a noted collector of antique firearms, as I learned several years ago when he engaged me to speak at an event he staged at San Antonio's Buckhorn Saloon. Later I learned that he is a serious collector of various other items, and he has filled Mission Sin Caja with hundreds of artifacts from his collection. Kurt began Mission Sin Caja in 2005 ("Est. 1755 +/- 250 Years) as a memorial to his parents, and it was opened to the public in 2012. The "mission" was built of authentic indigenous materials: mesquite doors, window frames, mantles, lintels, local stone, Spanish tiles. It is furnished throughout with 18th and 19th century Spanish and Mexican furniture.</div>
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Pat and Chuck Parsons, and my wife Karon and I, spent Friday night at Mission Sin Caja. We explored every nook and cranny of the complex, and we spent the evening enjoying a cool breeze on the patio and listening to the howls of coyotes. Early the next morning I had a splendid walk on the ranch roads, sighting various species of wildlife and getting the feel of the land. About 30 members of the STHA arrived at mid-morning. After a get-acquainted period, Pat Parsons welcomed the crowd and introduced me. I spoke about the office of State Historian. handing out my business cards, talking about my activities, and recommending my blog, all in an effort to let as many Texans as possible know that there is indeed a State Historian.<br />
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The program was turned over to Kurt House, who explained the origins and purposes of Mission Sin Caja. He emphasized that while it is a hunting lodge and family recreation retreat, he promotes it as a living history museum for school children and as an educational center for groups such as the South Texas Historical Association. Kurt then conducted a building by building tour of his mission, taking time to point out one artifact after another.We all were in Historian Heaven.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOxLO4PV5N1dimBfznniWGJU3uog9JJgnZYkcQwJ_3B-AE05sm71vUWIFDK5FVVN39DsYkc8RgN97eRIEiygT3CA4boWHNRLIACIlZ753kwSEQn6BmmVAFhHyZ4dGUpDWTCoCdKTS5chk/s1600/Mission+sin+Caja+and+blogs+082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOxLO4PV5N1dimBfznniWGJU3uog9JJgnZYkcQwJ_3B-AE05sm71vUWIFDK5FVVN39DsYkc8RgN97eRIEiygT3CA4boWHNRLIACIlZ753kwSEQn6BmmVAFhHyZ4dGUpDWTCoCdKTS5chk/s320/Mission+sin+Caja+and+blogs+082.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill with President Homero Vera</td></tr>
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Finally, STHA President Homero Vera of Sarita conducted a business meeting, after which the group reluctantly departed Mission Sin Caja. For me, it was a remarkable introduction to the South Texas Historical Association.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8-3OMYODHB2fgyzy7qUQzSbXLHcsLCuIMfUq1gUc2s0TCGTg2dZhECPyhw8azTrZRin4pzwnPKk3dsonOT41hi5Xp13XX20K6F5HVBT8V4oPSkWU0KRD3bI-qpD9uwV5eIojXd0jwbA/s1600/Mission+sin+Caja+and+blogs+074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8-3OMYODHB2fgyzy7qUQzSbXLHcsLCuIMfUq1gUc2s0TCGTg2dZhECPyhw8azTrZRin4pzwnPKk3dsonOT41hi5Xp13XX20K6F5HVBT8V4oPSkWU0KRD3bI-qpD9uwV5eIojXd0jwbA/s320/Mission+sin+Caja+and+blogs+074.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kurt House addresses the STHA</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1oaMtSxQ4guQCuGiqZCYheIJCzOitHnPkHBUtdIcZxylQJSWeBJxamh9_yzOpdTHmM5Ml8aGWrh9rD97E47a1yW_zL88gQxSk3xNX8-4XWObq46N1LFUzxeDTvRMjjWo2H9poNOcnGlo/s1600/Mission+sin+Caja+and+blogs+072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1oaMtSxQ4guQCuGiqZCYheIJCzOitHnPkHBUtdIcZxylQJSWeBJxamh9_yzOpdTHmM5Ml8aGWrh9rD97E47a1yW_zL88gQxSk3xNX8-4XWObq46N1LFUzxeDTvRMjjWo2H9poNOcnGlo/s320/Mission+sin+Caja+and+blogs+072.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">VP. Pat Parsons introduces Kurt House</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">For more information: www.missionsincaja.com </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCt891N0tROwlUStLqc7Lnhi4TYfJkXqShn3t5CnKL6vAMktmcpwcgpgcRyR5rAaqLdlegoWaC4Ivxd1hwfWDMMlVZk3i7xLRFpPYuJViE-F_j9pTxA-OHzTI4IDufekMz4u_g1zKW_A/s1600/Mission+sin+Caja+and+blogs+063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCt891N0tROwlUStLqc7Lnhi4TYfJkXqShn3t5CnKL6vAMktmcpwcgpgcRyR5rAaqLdlegoWaC4Ivxd1hwfWDMMlVZk3i7xLRFpPYuJViE-F_j9pTxA-OHzTI4IDufekMz4u_g1zKW_A/s320/Mission+sin+Caja+and+blogs+063.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kn-PUhVTIl2VYsa6leL7i0-cHJbImv8SK_0AKLTH0afjjm4qkgHJWRMAiZOn04eRTZZM0Dq0ZjhA300oMY_OPcFDehanJM3WnCmSOiycOFEfuPUgwWElUcKCOBUl6-_rhLmVBgE9nd0/s1600/Mission+sin+Caja+and+blogs+084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kn-PUhVTIl2VYsa6leL7i0-cHJbImv8SK_0AKLTH0afjjm4qkgHJWRMAiZOn04eRTZZM0Dq0ZjhA300oMY_OPcFDehanJM3WnCmSOiycOFEfuPUgwWElUcKCOBUl6-_rhLmVBgE9nd0/s320/Mission+sin+Caja+and+blogs+084.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kurt (upper right corner) guides a chapel tour.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTP8q_F5B7QiUCKgDfGXiRjVak-0O2QwGby_G19Zbbk8nsa1wn3OubDFPSPTcfhkqUwiWqLu_HHQjvF13gs9SEy8Yirhke4VI8kO-Jap6IC1Zh-hjOboKGixPdhNfgp-oSocVBIjT7iCM/s1600/Mission+sin+Caja+and+blogs+087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTP8q_F5B7QiUCKgDfGXiRjVak-0O2QwGby_G19Zbbk8nsa1wn3OubDFPSPTcfhkqUwiWqLu_HHQjvF13gs9SEy8Yirhke4VI8kO-Jap6IC1Zh-hjOboKGixPdhNfgp-oSocVBIjT7iCM/s320/Mission+sin+Caja+and+blogs+087.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was thrilled when Kurt loaned me an authentic <br />
<i>Rurale</i> sombrero, complete with eagles on the crown.</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-70162445159105892422013-04-24T21:23:00.000-07:002013-04-26T06:32:07.741-07:00Graham<br />
<h2>
"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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 almost 40 books, half about Texas history subjects, and in 2007 he was named Best Living Non-Fiction Writer by <em>True West</em> Magazine.</h2>
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My first teaching position was in Lampasas, as 8th-grade language arts instructor and coach of junior high football, basketball, and track. During my three years at LJHS, one of my finest student-athletes was Mark Bumpus. Mark was an excellent student and a standout basketball player, as well as a member of my Sunday School class at the First Baptist Church. Today Dr. Bumpus, a graduate of Baylor and the Southwestern Theological Seminary, is pastor of the First Baptist Church of Graham. He has a keen interest in history, and he is a member of the History Commission of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpeANGVkjdkkk6FMx0JcZh32wdPs0KrJw6vcEwWewmbQeUq_pEPBInvahmRM7_pkjHcnOI_vtKe3PxZ3igho3gf6fZTRZ_nEvhay5uGCAGhmoTWBTRtPbkUH0Of8WThpm_IH9nG3etAYA/s1600/Bill+and+Bump.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpeANGVkjdkkk6FMx0JcZh32wdPs0KrJw6vcEwWewmbQeUq_pEPBInvahmRM7_pkjHcnOI_vtKe3PxZ3igho3gf6fZTRZ_nEvhay5uGCAGhmoTWBTRtPbkUH0Of8WThpm_IH9nG3etAYA/s320/Bill+and+Bump.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Bumpus with Bill</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9z2TFGMnYgDncadgoVrkNXuMFNDd-9Wh9ep-obXdrhRHwg4PHa1HrAH7kye7j7t0b4fBXZQUXls78xX0H3oradwYY3qwwnZ90wKXPnKhVDffNbJxkByt6xJA8f4Llu0as1jXY5lX-7c/s1600/FBC+Graham.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9z2TFGMnYgDncadgoVrkNXuMFNDd-9Wh9ep-obXdrhRHwg4PHa1HrAH7kye7j7t0b4fBXZQUXls78xX0H3oradwYY3qwwnZ90wKXPnKhVDffNbJxkByt6xJA8f4Llu0as1jXY5lX-7c/s320/FBC+Graham.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFXR5cXjgixLqXEQwuPNc-JoJW6Lc32eye2iVaiYJJlP8IEpupAFcOYu3reAdGw2lCloHTnrKr83KUSOWAD4EmtmZZ4Fq2Hs_RGMb0QcmJE5EBejb79aOr0IYB4eTaNjowzGyyKQKWiY/s1600/Shellie+in+Graham.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFXR5cXjgixLqXEQwuPNc-JoJW6Lc32eye2iVaiYJJlP8IEpupAFcOYu3reAdGw2lCloHTnrKr83KUSOWAD4EmtmZZ4Fq2Hs_RGMb0QcmJE5EBejb79aOr0IYB4eTaNjowzGyyKQKWiY/s320/Shellie+in+Graham.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwqDWjYokWiMVtf5iy35igki8RGT845GD45yKm3wEQmTUGofOFAbSG6OlvywUwJ9BO6Bcio1guExuF45Dfdr-Z4__zt3O0vFlyLHyeARYPYZ0IkJvqc7QJVnVdq33a1h1CFGjJZuK7oBE/s1600/Welcome+to+Graham.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwqDWjYokWiMVtf5iy35igki8RGT845GD45yKm3wEQmTUGofOFAbSG6OlvywUwJ9BO6Bcio1guExuF45Dfdr-Z4__zt3O0vFlyLHyeARYPYZ0IkJvqc7QJVnVdq33a1h1CFGjJZuK7oBE/s320/Welcome+to+Graham.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjfWJXgilFWbpj3fjfR346NVRLFPrx1kkzZGUVZiT_limBJj-jeZIXohyDYsGIPCzKavfOjSOzfpfC-TinTeID7xLEoNvYQ4fn3P7KVtt0ujcPfJ5tbJmJ0IV4v1k1g86qR4fo-SlTcI4/s1600/National+Theater+Graham.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjfWJXgilFWbpj3fjfR346NVRLFPrx1kkzZGUVZiT_limBJj-jeZIXohyDYsGIPCzKavfOjSOzfpfC-TinTeID7xLEoNvYQ4fn3P7KVtt0ujcPfJ5tbJmJ0IV4v1k1g86qR4fo-SlTcI4/s320/National+Theater+Graham.JPG" width="320" /></a>Dr. Bumpus has been pastor at FBC Graham for less than a year. He had hoped to stage a men's night of fellowship and activity, and he asked me to present a Saturday evening program on "Gunfighterology." I pointed out to Mark that I've presented a version of this program for years, but never to a church audience! He laughed and told me he intended to focus on the theme of justice (in conversation he heard me emphasize that a gun is a tool, as good or as bad as the person who uses it). To illustrate the program I use replica pistols, along with different holsters, to demonstrate the evolution of revolvers and gun rigs. Of course, nothing is more dramatic than life and death conflict, and when that conflict takes place in a Western setting, a strong appeal is generated. Mark and his staff had hoped to attract perhaps 30 men, but more than 80 attended. We enjoyed a superb steak dinner, and the men provided a responsive and enthusiastic audience. The next morning I thoroughly enjoyed the worship service, in part because I was greeted by many new friends.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2EqNGrpHPlvJH8eafOlyrqVhi1nKOJCbq2xmDXRk8Z-WC9OCkR9njw7WEbm9ZWCf3ztIfbpedgxFhZh6NzDkPxUnWfaB0fLiwfb3oyXz_BwWS7qYt-MjZfdeybq1qw52wyZ4z95Era0/s1600/Victory+in+Graham.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2EqNGrpHPlvJH8eafOlyrqVhi1nKOJCbq2xmDXRk8Z-WC9OCkR9njw7WEbm9ZWCf3ztIfbpedgxFhZh6NzDkPxUnWfaB0fLiwfb3oyXz_BwWS7qYt-MjZfdeybq1qw52wyZ4z95Era0/s320/Victory+in+Graham.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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At the evening service my daughter, Dr. Shellie O'Neal, performed her one-woman play about blind hymn composer Fannie J.Crosby. It was Shellie's 30th performance, and I was privileged to escort "Fannie" onto the pulpit/stage area. Shellie's play is a fine piece of musical biography, and her powerful performance moved the congregation.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Ms8p3n-45Sdja6waOKKUNzrGCyO9xSrnT-t7KxL086mYpwGB1H89H1Y3g8yppXG9SZCGSm_5oBcdULBMPVd7gme75nA9uLu1vTaWSDbDeLRV2jqc1roHy7oBxenC0KX1_ytIqKPhmlo/s1600/1885+FBC+Graham.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Ms8p3n-45Sdja6waOKKUNzrGCyO9xSrnT-t7KxL086mYpwGB1H89H1Y3g8yppXG9SZCGSm_5oBcdULBMPVd7gme75nA9uLu1vTaWSDbDeLRV2jqc1roHy7oBxenC0KX1_ytIqKPhmlo/s320/1885+FBC+Graham.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1885 First Baptist Church</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikiv_5NBo0eIsulCps8GyycAd0BUtlgWa5hNZcihJIejynikNSR3oNQkWUTFTe3fxh4I7NxMOwY4O6ipXKu31A_trrXAlLkRLiN-nb_efuy3qCBe99B-M6ljNfXN-B3vFVvZeMq7hrUQ0/s1600/house+in+Graham.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikiv_5NBo0eIsulCps8GyycAd0BUtlgWa5hNZcihJIejynikNSR3oNQkWUTFTe3fxh4I7NxMOwY4O6ipXKu31A_trrXAlLkRLiN-nb_efuy3qCBe99B-M6ljNfXN-B3vFVvZeMq7hrUQ0/s320/house+in+Graham.JPG" width="320" /></a>On previous trips to Graham I hardly had ventured away from downtown, but I had more time than usual on this pleasant weekend. I returned to the town square - actually a rectangle, a vast area that is touted as the largest town square in America. Gustavus Graham platted the townsite in 1872, a year after he and his brother Edwin settled in the area. A post office was approved in 1873, and the next year Graham was designated the seat of Young County. In 1879 Dr. J.E. Ryus erected a masonry building on the west side of the square: he operated a drug store on the ground floor, while upstairs was the home of a federal court (until 1896, when the court was transferred to Abilene).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-rwC-bSO8LJZLBFhEs7U1LH9A01YYa3zTr0KQ6M0iT_N_SXWBKGpRePV0zx1LdMenUvL0YiMkBI96YzgWBZUyIPocSo8_cR67OVMyoOt9uDB6aWCMicEwnJfXlofL87tYPabfvLYNoI/s1600/Cattle+Raisers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-rwC-bSO8LJZLBFhEs7U1LH9A01YYa3zTr0KQ6M0iT_N_SXWBKGpRePV0zx1LdMenUvL0YiMkBI96YzgWBZUyIPocSo8_cR67OVMyoOt9uDB6aWCMicEwnJfXlofL87tYPabfvLYNoI/s320/Cattle+Raisers.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Museum on the square</td></tr>
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Also on the west side of the square is the National Theater, which has shown movies since 1919. A few doors to the north is the impressive facade of the 1921 Liberty Theater (no longer a theater, but a reminder of the post World War I era when movie theaters often were named "Victory" or "Liberty"). In the middle of the square an excellent museum is housed in the old post office.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfqddi4LgiGKsPQJUCuNxczMFAFRlYZ_dcKZR_I2iUrPn9_t93HTOYrH8j3jlHhvM_X4CNVQgcxDbSZE16U1tfbFyDoPlDN-l283uGE9gq0pawKE5YP_1szQ_WzNKZcZjzauhTUx0ghQ/s1600/house2+in+Graham.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfqddi4LgiGKsPQJUCuNxczMFAFRlYZ_dcKZR_I2iUrPn9_t93HTOYrH8j3jlHhvM_X4CNVQgcxDbSZE16U1tfbFyDoPlDN-l283uGE9gq0pawKE5YP_1szQ_WzNKZcZjzauhTUx0ghQ/s320/house2+in+Graham.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkWmNpWK3iZlwJEiTs1QEuxj8FThjS9Lsx4JmX4-eaOf68WZkblU307X7mPrKPGEE4LoNJ8ngx7EvvwXidDGch6f_j5esCgzV_qW1EZzYhVc-thjuzbTL4ZR5zPDBWvA1SmUJqGYma7s/s1600/mural+in+Graham.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkWmNpWK3iZlwJEiTs1QEuxj8FThjS9Lsx4JmX4-eaOf68WZkblU307X7mPrKPGEE4LoNJ8ngx7EvvwXidDGch6f_j5esCgzV_qW1EZzYhVc-thjuzbTL4ZR5zPDBWvA1SmUJqGYma7s/s320/mural+in+Graham.JPG" width="320" /></a>Just west of the square is the site where, in 1877, cattlemen plagued by rustlers formed the organization now known as the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. Elsewhere off the square are a number of fine Victorian homes. In 1917 oil was discovered nearby, and the subsequent boom produced fine examples of early 20th-century architecture. All in all, Graham proved to be a good subject for a blog, because on several levels my weekend there proved to be an enjoyable historical experience. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-70296017106941250212013-04-17T19:03:00.000-07:002013-04-18T12:53:03.377-07:00Texas Mountain Trail Writers<br />
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<h2>
"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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 almost 40 books, half about Texas history subjects, and in 2007 he was named Best Living Non-Fiction Writer by <em>True West</em> Magazine.</h2>
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On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, April 12-14, I was one of
the presenters at the 22<sup>nd</sup> annual retreat of the Texas Mountain
Trail Writers. The 2013 retreat was held in Fort Davis, “Where Wild Things
Write.” I was initially contacted by the president of the organization, Reba
Cross Seals. A retired teacher, Reba is an avid writer, and she is highly
organized. Other members also are former teachers who played important roles in
setting up the event. Reba’s key assistants were the two “Retreat Jefes” and
the seven members of the “Retreat Posse.” For weeks before the event, I was
frequently contacted by Reba or one of her capable assistants. Everyone was
enthusiastic and helpful, and every detail was carefully planned.</div>
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I arrived at Fort Davis early enough to spend a couple of
hours at the fort, which I first visited as a college student in 1963. A decade
later I began bringing students from Panola College to the Davis Mountains and Big
Bend as part of my Traveling Texas History Course, and the East Texans always
enjoyed the old fort and two nights of camping in this magnificent country.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RaGXvkfspCapJI9i4YWYuRQwRFBx7w0_sG7Q78Yqg9dxabjHCRPkB4yIVCJegmA4D1AzY0B1JQcWhiVG01Fc340xvxquz-xXnHW4zOHjnO7rqLtYxMsoskLvFixHhqPd32uAUyJIWXk/s1600/Officers'+Row+at+Fort+Davis.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RaGXvkfspCapJI9i4YWYuRQwRFBx7w0_sG7Q78Yqg9dxabjHCRPkB4yIVCJegmA4D1AzY0B1JQcWhiVG01Fc340xvxquz-xXnHW4zOHjnO7rqLtYxMsoskLvFixHhqPd32uAUyJIWXk/s320/Officers'+Row+at+Fort+Davis.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Officers' Row</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3dyKAe2DDWu98e_dX82nBFR3b1SGeHcUUKxHUL8uRRTsJfTzpY1pR6vxUhzTvYU9BTmsgk0c_4ge-49r7RR8sV8qAkCm0m48I-zjBlz399riQZg-s-EyLkcJAY3kK_7V1e4QqTdFvpDM/s1600/Post+Hospital+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3dyKAe2DDWu98e_dX82nBFR3b1SGeHcUUKxHUL8uRRTsJfTzpY1pR6vxUhzTvYU9BTmsgk0c_4ge-49r7RR8sV8qAkCm0m48I-zjBlz399riQZg-s-EyLkcJAY3kK_7V1e4QqTdFvpDM/s320/Post+Hospital+(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post Hospital</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyX44ynnedHanI2o7_Sfy1axmCauGcIZPSWCgt6epqPE2_4LG2ACfePDehNyYcrbCB6woEmCLJY3plfllqLhy1VxD1XueaOhfz-kAg-BgO6InUzfG40KrOjp71F68kzM7bPZ4bV451mQ/s1600/Post+Hospital.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyX44ynnedHanI2o7_Sfy1axmCauGcIZPSWCgt6epqPE2_4LG2ACfePDehNyYcrbCB6woEmCLJY3plfllqLhy1VxD1XueaOhfz-kAg-BgO6InUzfG40KrOjp71F68kzM7bPZ4bV451mQ/s320/Post+Hospital.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1910 Courthouse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZY6BW4qL0Cvl8-6vHWLzOH4drLD8S_6bwkFZT_TD_gEh6cGtg3LeJkFSqFFdB2bwB0f3TnkZm1AJ0X8YS7bfrtBkKWnK9PhY_DxM-2IkxYSEUWPnra8auJ6hK0mbgdYyFukoccd266g/s1600/1904+Presbyterian+Church.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZY6BW4qL0Cvl8-6vHWLzOH4drLD8S_6bwkFZT_TD_gEh6cGtg3LeJkFSqFFdB2bwB0f3TnkZm1AJ0X8YS7bfrtBkKWnK9PhY_DxM-2IkxYSEUWPnra8auJ6hK0mbgdYyFukoccd266g/s320/1904+Presbyterian+Church.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1904 Presbyterian Church</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our retreat headquarters was the Mountain Tails Lodge,
located just east of Fort Davis on a hill overlooking the town. I was surprised
and elated to learn that the owner is Scott Turner, a friend from the Wild West
History Association. Scott and his lovely wife Jenny have operated the lodge
for less than a year, along with a river rafting service along the Rio Grande
through the towering canyons of Big Bend. Scott and Jenny were gracious
hosts, providing excellent meals and
looking constantly to our needs.</div>
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Checking in on Friday afternoon, I soon drove through the
mountains to Alpine, where an opening reception was held at the Front Street
Book Store. It was a delightful evening, with delicious refreshments and warm
company. More than 40 men and women attended the retreat. Many were from Alpine
or Fort Davis, but some came in from other parts of the state, and others came
from Colorado, New Mexico, and California. There were fiction writers, poets,
and non-fiction writers.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNEevHtCBPwpvP9V4XlOZjfzC8xHs4JKlwKo1-Q9dVqc8z091_V6LK60xvI-fBajmIjqazjpl0XpJMnRHRj0QiGddsASBD4lk4HYrSbEL92md06eTMgxLuffZNkRrHFxCUyhrL9ZgDZg/s1600/Fort+Davis+and+blog+April+2013+128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNEevHtCBPwpvP9V4XlOZjfzC8xHs4JKlwKo1-Q9dVqc8z091_V6LK60xvI-fBajmIjqazjpl0XpJMnRHRj0QiGddsASBD4lk4HYrSbEL92md06eTMgxLuffZNkRrHFxCUyhrL9ZgDZg/s320/Fort+Davis+and+blog+April+2013+128.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjGd7_C2x5i_YYfpyW3J5lrM0PihaXM1NO4E8wrCFCaibp-6hAbPofhMCNKKvRbwwlqTpFBynldq1_5vZiiO2_5n8dqM1WINxLADoLd1X7bcunHhDRr9e_LprQLrZkKPHuuLywRJ-WAY/s1600/Bookstore+reception.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjGd7_C2x5i_YYfpyW3J5lrM0PihaXM1NO4E8wrCFCaibp-6hAbPofhMCNKKvRbwwlqTpFBynldq1_5vZiiO2_5n8dqM1WINxLADoLd1X7bcunHhDRr9e_LprQLrZkKPHuuLywRJ-WAY/s320/Bookstore+reception.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bookstore reception</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At mid-morning on Saturday, Juan Perez was the opening
speaker, and he would conduct another session during the afternoon. Tall and
handsome and charming, Juan is a military veteran and a history teacher. He
writes poetry, often with a horror twist, and two years ago he was voted Poet
Laureate of the San Antonio Poets’ Association. Nina Amir, a non-fiction writer
and editor from San Jose, California, also presented a session on Saturday, and
another on Sunday morning. On Saturday morning I spoke about “An Author’s 3
R’s: Reading’, `Riting, and Research,” emphasizing nuts and bolts of writing
techniques. On Saturday evening I was the after-dinner speaker: “An Author’s
Journey Through Texas History.” Audience members were responsive to all of the
sessions, and I enjoyed numerous lively conversations with attendees seeking
tips on how to write and how to publish those writings. I had the pleasure of
autographing a number of books, and of making many new friends.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdfU50kP0wdIfFHOx94dLg52B3NgkWqUvrM5ARGlEJEkcQHWfaSEau07XlLEizTzjCLVgjukULo7IOZ11-K2O0O5GuFUNJAa21b1hs42Up-hkYliJENIRb2RFiDz9jflQ3uYvHdiZcaM/s1600/Reba+Cross+Seals+welcoming+retreat+crowd..JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdfU50kP0wdIfFHOx94dLg52B3NgkWqUvrM5ARGlEJEkcQHWfaSEau07XlLEizTzjCLVgjukULo7IOZ11-K2O0O5GuFUNJAa21b1hs42Up-hkYliJENIRb2RFiDz9jflQ3uYvHdiZcaM/s320/Reba+Cross+Seals+welcoming+retreat+crowd..JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reba Cross Seals opening the first session</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPNAaT3Wo5tFNLmF16yJgAgsEnKJMSPxtXF-xtR6trujBe1g0FjVMXdRzRAtcTwdNAZWHJ4IgqDSRxpCMWLNnJm27jhBvXqVwcHgarYbbUCKlMDfW67D65g18qppB-CHzizU1ddeIBk4/s1600/Juan+Perez.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPNAaT3Wo5tFNLmF16yJgAgsEnKJMSPxtXF-xtR6trujBe1g0FjVMXdRzRAtcTwdNAZWHJ4IgqDSRxpCMWLNnJm27jhBvXqVwcHgarYbbUCKlMDfW67D65g18qppB-CHzizU1ddeIBk4/s200/Juan+Perez.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juan Perez</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On the drive back I stopped to stretch my legs at historic
Presidio de San Saba, just west of Menard. My most recent visit was last
August, as I described in my second blog. But I wanted to see again the recent
improvements, and I had the grand fortune to be welcomed by Jim Goodall, the
new supervisor of the park. Jim enthusiastically pointed out to me the letters
“BOWI” carved into a stone at the main entrance. Jim Bowie visited this site in
1831 in his search for a lost Spanish silver mine, and I had walked through the
gateway many times without noticing his carved name. Jim Goodall took me to the
San Saba River, just beyond the remains of the south wall. Spanish <i>soldados</i> reportedly dug a tunnel from
the wall to the river, and when they departed buried a cannon in the tunnel.
Jim showed me his recent discovery of the likely exit of the tunnel along the riverbank,
and told me of the arrangements he is making to explore the site properly. It
is an enormously exciting prospect!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMVq5d0iVgovhJYN2Bs2KJbyw3E6RPhv_seR9g8PdRXa_VwH4hXqbbNRYj8j7dR04QAYdmWq83tySYvjDT6t-5B2ftGKwwOK8pUr7PgxtJrk960w1kY8I_JRBZ65j9EbG68WTck3CKWQ/s1600/Nina+Amir.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMVq5d0iVgovhJYN2Bs2KJbyw3E6RPhv_seR9g8PdRXa_VwH4hXqbbNRYj8j7dR04QAYdmWq83tySYvjDT6t-5B2ftGKwwOK8pUr7PgxtJrk960w1kY8I_JRBZ65j9EbG68WTck3CKWQ/s200/Nina+Amir.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nina Amir</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-dE32bhCbcTjlz21zb_b7amOQglgWQ9QFkPpCNvTzWM4R88Wlu5WS5ZCrycAMER-o4ObwNx7eZQj4wWUzg6swicVoikw5lIayi1RgA54cg50HHTCXAs2C7Zx-yjWn-PmvMBWEb33scc/s1600/Jim+Goodall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-dE32bhCbcTjlz21zb_b7amOQglgWQ9QFkPpCNvTzWM4R88Wlu5WS5ZCrycAMER-o4ObwNx7eZQj4wWUzg6swicVoikw5lIayi1RgA54cg50HHTCXAs2C7Zx-yjWn-PmvMBWEb33scc/s320/Jim+Goodall.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jim Goodall</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh637Bo0inX99kdbmufgT4cuPQ3EcypEcX5Sa0a0eUxeboBP7_YEaJlzvKM8rSWprrFCgguJoBaT8WvZ47yzZeD_ZjsoNW686n8Mq6HGRh_AkNDt-n3s2AYkHVCoZvI-2E3EXbE30IzVt8/s1600/Tunnel+opening+on+riverbank..JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh637Bo0inX99kdbmufgT4cuPQ3EcypEcX5Sa0a0eUxeboBP7_YEaJlzvKM8rSWprrFCgguJoBaT8WvZ47yzZeD_ZjsoNW686n8Mq6HGRh_AkNDt-n3s2AYkHVCoZvI-2E3EXbE30IzVt8/s320/Tunnel+opening+on+riverbank..JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tunnel opening</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdnseIKirRYQnVyAuBpdZdaA2O_29l5kaX8PzwwP8cnjxzxemWt11Sfyia2wFzMiVZzPgMlTWQUKJZ3L2rWyJ0nbUW0je2KtD6ki1V_ko81c9_TvYMsZq2hBZ9wM3-JeNiscMcitZvpw/s1600/Bill.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdnseIKirRYQnVyAuBpdZdaA2O_29l5kaX8PzwwP8cnjxzxemWt11Sfyia2wFzMiVZzPgMlTWQUKJZ3L2rWyJ0nbUW0je2KtD6ki1V_ko81c9_TvYMsZq2hBZ9wM3-JeNiscMcitZvpw/s200/Bill.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-28072610999880944482013-04-09T21:04:00.002-07:002013-04-09T21:07:39.484-07:00WTHA, 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h2>
"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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 almost 40 books, half about Texas history subjects, and in 2007 he was named Best Living Non-Fiction Writer by <em>True West</em> Magazine.</h2>
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The 90th Annual Meeting of the West Texas Historical Association was held April 5 and 6 on the beautiful campus of Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls. An enthusiastic crowd exceeding 200 attended, providing large numbers for programs, the WTHA banquet and luncheon, and the display room of booksellers. In between sessions clusters of attendees staged their own lively discussions.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9yY-Nbo-Dpe16tcH5Tr4k4YIxQp1epVeB-aX2OH1dJj0mr1troB89vFQGbIkU-5ankuuA77AtsNuuL3W7EcVrp8I5oEmbnKxxV6_TNsMPPKUCFPkxXdC1ruuSAAKs8yjFLBVtcwG0ZPM/s1600/court+house.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9yY-Nbo-Dpe16tcH5Tr4k4YIxQp1epVeB-aX2OH1dJj0mr1troB89vFQGbIkU-5ankuuA77AtsNuuL3W7EcVrp8I5oEmbnKxxV6_TNsMPPKUCFPkxXdC1ruuSAAKs8yjFLBVtcwG0ZPM/s320/court+house.JPG" width="320" /></a>The Friday-Saturday meeting actually began on Thursday, with several activities for early arrivals. More than 20 WTHA members gathered in Henrietta, where the Clay County Historical Commission proudly opened the superb museum they have created in the old county jail, as well as the handsome domed 1884 court house. In the evening there was a large informal gathering at a barbeque restaurant near the Best Western University Inn. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1890 Clay County Jail/Museum</td></tr>
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Friday morning began with two nine o'clock sessions: "Tracking the Nineteenth Century Texas Rangers" and "Buffalo Hunters and West Texas Trails." Experts explored these two exciting topics, and for the next day and a half, highly regarded authors and researchers presented the latest findings on a broad array of West Texas historical topics. Each presentation period was an hour and 15 minutes in length, and there were two or three sessions featuring at least three speakers during each period. Sometimes an attendee would listen to the opening speaker in one session, then scurry to another session in hope of hearing a later speaker. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Award-winning author<br />
Bill Neal and President<br />
Marisue Potts.</td></tr>
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On Friday evening at the downtown Kemp Center for the Arts, a reception was held in honor of President Marisue Potts. A banquet followed, and the featured speaker was the eloquent John Miller Morris, Professor of Geography at the University of Texas at San Antonio. </div>
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The 90th Annual Meeting climaxed at noon on Saturday, with the Awards and Business Lunch. Two new WTHA Fellows were announced, past presidents David Murrah and Darlene Bilinghausen. It was announced that another Fellow, accomplished author Paul Carlson, was not in attendance because on this weekend he was being admitted to the prestigious Texas Institute of Letters. The Rupert Richardson Best Book Award was presented to Pat Dearen for<i> Devil's River</i>, while Clint Chambers received the Ruth Leggett Jones Best Article Award. There were other awards, followed by the election of officers. J.T. Tillapaugh of Odessa College was named the new president (and I was honored to be elected vice president). The final event was a delightful presidential address by lifelong rancher Marisue Potts, "Don't Bring a Mare to the Roundup: The Cowboys' Unwritten Rules." Afterward participants lingered to say goodbyes, and everyone already is looking forward to the 91st Annual Meeting in Odessa. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrnxB0PVn7LzM30S5ScvGpWEdf7OazEzZspXi66u16fXs0bg2TnWg4i_KkO0a_H_yuVFc66S_SMPDMextuabDVzI36RISlM425K8rW1Aa2TIMR5MLGtnON6GX86So_I4xdbQc82O8xEMU/s1600/student+center.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrnxB0PVn7LzM30S5ScvGpWEdf7OazEzZspXi66u16fXs0bg2TnWg4i_KkO0a_H_yuVFc66S_SMPDMextuabDVzI36RISlM425K8rW1Aa2TIMR5MLGtnON6GX86So_I4xdbQc82O8xEMU/s320/student+center.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All WTHA sessions were held at Midwestern's<br />
Clark Student Center.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWnbTAdIGJLpEbDNrPKZn4gokKGAqg5wonELf-u3v5x3pgjvI8YeZD0qlbn9zLVfS3_dB_kpVzSsPNJfyPIRVqjcGFMjRDG8I4bFmVjOK9v5_BEAPzgbz9jOZod4J8o9ZugIPcpFGg5w/s1600/book+display.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWnbTAdIGJLpEbDNrPKZn4gokKGAqg5wonELf-u3v5x3pgjvI8YeZD0qlbn9zLVfS3_dB_kpVzSsPNJfyPIRVqjcGFMjRDG8I4bFmVjOK9v5_BEAPzgbz9jOZod4J8o9ZugIPcpFGg5w/s320/book+display.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the Exhibitor's Room Ron Chrisman, <br />
Director of the UNT Press, examines a book <br />
while Dr. Harold Weiss looks on. </td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvQ40lxb5uk_draeK5cWYiZ34MRYEbzRmrB-doKWeP_vwBvGPHv-GACI2Ev-LC4b0V-avVd2g6TK284QSi4eb8vLquQ2Du2leus3yZajJdTeoBUP97m-C-krl_BKyYQtANUEl5L9LCyo/s1600/Donaly.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvQ40lxb5uk_draeK5cWYiZ34MRYEbzRmrB-doKWeP_vwBvGPHv-GACI2Ev-LC4b0V-avVd2g6TK284QSi4eb8vLquQ2Du2leus3yZajJdTeoBUP97m-C-krl_BKyYQtANUEl5L9LCyo/s320/Donaly.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three of the Texas Ranger presenters (L to R):<br />
Michael Collins, Tom Crum, and Donaly Brice.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQctJyhiG1h1mYx8rtlYBi-gsqnIvm_MLx4SATn-bDjcr8mouT5iFrMCFGmZ2zSrnS2kd73bGlBqLlQBik0z47IKseGAgurXqtG1VHAFZjYXKHPOdP1pUO5ia_DDTqj9seEVV3M_wudPM/s1600/WTHA+lunch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQctJyhiG1h1mYx8rtlYBi-gsqnIvm_MLx4SATn-bDjcr8mouT5iFrMCFGmZ2zSrnS2kd73bGlBqLlQBik0z47IKseGAgurXqtG1VHAFZjYXKHPOdP1pUO5ia_DDTqj9seEVV3M_wudPM/s320/WTHA+lunch.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Large crowd at the Saturday luncheon. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGOg1PhSKNfNtsyJMMX1DuOV1hupBZmXrWwZjvJ7j0RjfSoq7bEFJb67xb438kqpkPM-LqKiKvtcRRWajdj32tNSseJdWvoi_KE0plFsreQFQc3gf3omqXtLmGF1MopXbv2Y0-x0UsKw/s1600/presidents.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGOg1PhSKNfNtsyJMMX1DuOV1hupBZmXrWwZjvJ7j0RjfSoq7bEFJb67xb438kqpkPM-LqKiKvtcRRWajdj32tNSseJdWvoi_KE0plFsreQFQc3gf3omqXtLmGF1MopXbv2Y0-x0UsKw/s200/presidents.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New President J.T. Tillapaugh</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefjXswaGwXJGPJlEsbRPuR-B7YFN4iuq4n1DRe8ntZMB-Jp3rhoxq_SeA7R1Cpczfopt6DfZc97d6f97nF55VbJxiK74aK4mVtc0yCr-qoQOsHgNnKF8vGA7mgpKBB-FsxhgHzLrMDu4/s1600/book+award.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefjXswaGwXJGPJlEsbRPuR-B7YFN4iuq4n1DRe8ntZMB-Jp3rhoxq_SeA7R1Cpczfopt6DfZc97d6f97nF55VbJxiK74aK4mVtc0yCr-qoQOsHgNnKF8vGA7mgpKBB-FsxhgHzLrMDu4/s320/book+award.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Allen Anderson presents <br />
book award to Pat Dearen </td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgER_zMBHfGdQtRKpLj1Q5xWs445vjy-fxYGEljnpabw2lsOTLwHeECbgPMcm4LDzWLOChC-SoKodPRti89sSQPY7gaZ_pRm0wGYfiHWQlwyhVJNdAm_jjIRfWQHhspqfP5RdFQd-r-hNg/s1600/Tai.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgER_zMBHfGdQtRKpLj1Q5xWs445vjy-fxYGEljnpabw2lsOTLwHeECbgPMcm4LDzWLOChC-SoKodPRti89sSQPY7gaZ_pRm0wGYfiHWQlwyhVJNdAm_jjIRfWQHhspqfP5RdFQd-r-hNg/s200/Tai.JPG" width="158" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WTHA Executive Director<br />
Tai Kreidler</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqm85OLnC8I6wrxX0l-pjllQEFDKjjGY7XTihaYVX0ZhpwVFJ0PIuMux_SJddhVc-kvU1BeLC19x0fU-6261PofSexW66ggTnzniAizA35OtoQHDTur85B6gBUghpNbDZcfFt70vVU5g/s1600/Gary+and+David.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqm85OLnC8I6wrxX0l-pjllQEFDKjjGY7XTihaYVX0ZhpwVFJ0PIuMux_SJddhVc-kvU1BeLC19x0fU-6261PofSexW66ggTnzniAizA35OtoQHDTur85B6gBUghpNbDZcfFt70vVU5g/s320/Gary+and+David.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gary Nall with new Fellow David Murrah</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-9038260228598422052013-04-02T17:40:00.000-07:002013-04-02T20:05:50.652-07:00Salado<br />
<h2>
"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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 almost 40 books, half about Texas history subjects, and in 2007 he was named Best Living Non-Fiction Writer by <em>True West</em> Magazine.</h2>
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Recently my wife Karon and I spent the night at the Stagecoach Inn in Salado. For more than a half a century I have had the pleasure of stopping in Salado - to eat at the superb restaurant at the Stagecoach Inn, to overnight at the Inn, to tour students of my Traveling Texas History Course through the historic town, and to shop (actually, to walk to historic sites while my wife shopped). One weekend ago I took another walk around Salado, this time armed with a camera in order to blog about one of the most charming and popular small towns in Texas.</div>
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I hiked up the hill to the site of old Salado College, now handsomely stabilized and landscaped. Before Texas A&M became the first publicly-funded college in Texas, more than 50 private - and often denominational - colleges were founded, beginning during the Republic of Texas. There was Rutersville College, San Augustine "University," Galveston University, and Marshall University. Baylor was established at Independence in 1845, and Austin College in Huntsville four years later. Since there were no high schools in Texas, most of these grandly-named colleges and universities taught teenaged students, and subject matter was mostly on the secondary level. But there was a growing demand for education, and private colleges proliferated.<br />
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Bell County needed an institution of higher learning, and in October 1859 a tent meeting convened at Salado Springs to pursue the project. Salado Springs, a campsite for Native Americans for centuries, was an attractive location. Since 1852 a stagecoach line between Waco and Austin had used Salado Springs as a stopover, and a post office was opened at Salado in 1852. At the tent meeting the Salado Joint Stock Company was organized, and Col. E.S.C. Robertson - son of area colonizer Sterling C. Robertson - donated 100 acres of land. A two-story stone building was erected in 1860, and by the outbreak of the Civil War 124 students were enrolled. After the war attendance averaged 250 for several years, and in 1871 there was a two-story addition to the building. During 24 years of operation, Salado College was funded solely by tuition.<br />
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After Salado was missed by the railroad, the town declined, dropping to a population of 200. In 1885 the building was turned over to the Salado public schools, and eventually the property was abandoned and overgrown - until the reclamation of recent years. Governors James and Miriam A. Ferguson attended Salado College, and so did historian Charles Ramsdell, and Lieutenant Governor Edgar Witt.</div>
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Elsewhere around town I photographed commercial buildings, historic homes, and the old Shady Villa Inn, which was transformed in the 1940s by the Dion Van Bibbers family into the Stagecoach Inn, home of a nationally famous restaurant. Salado has been revitalized, and much of the new construction has adhered to the style of pre-existing buildings.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCr4AJR5jrGLIEzAhzmWSacwP0ofZAXEHWztTUUZus3OBehrIU_QLhs_T8ZhjTG3QY7xyqV6o-CAC_M5cP3gyEksIfHap2VmHhtEMZXUH7c3jgitkQmx6PxiKoPe9iet0uaz5ml8iCyKY/s1600/Salado+Villa+Inn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCr4AJR5jrGLIEzAhzmWSacwP0ofZAXEHWztTUUZus3OBehrIU_QLhs_T8ZhjTG3QY7xyqV6o-CAC_M5cP3gyEksIfHap2VmHhtEMZXUH7c3jgitkQmx6PxiKoPe9iet0uaz5ml8iCyKY/s320/Salado+Villa+Inn.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Judge Orville Tyler built this hillside home in 1857.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAk5R2slrWcp0iMbgI_nkHpy2P9qm_1GbzReyStHJL0iwL-iMTMxLQQCxnAJ-0SkAa2DS7yyODToi2fLzTO07LZtncYfPgIL0zxpT9LH1IG9BJA6CJmkk0wGQUCG_PH-C_w_peNQESGs/s1600/Salado+commercial+bldg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAk5R2slrWcp0iMbgI_nkHpy2P9qm_1GbzReyStHJL0iwL-iMTMxLQQCxnAJ-0SkAa2DS7yyODToi2fLzTO07LZtncYfPgIL0zxpT9LH1IG9BJA6CJmkk0wGQUCG_PH-C_w_peNQESGs/s320/Salado+commercial+bldg.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOA1ui28uEBfxtp29sXeCP4htTmSVuJEJ19pHdWKO7wbNXH-9ntukPLK8VZoCq-TV1_BAi64XoRkr08p2HJCYvmY4hv9whVAaua1IO06GwkNXl90hmXULuhzlHKQ3Y2_yVDQGPUvYp5K8/s1600/Salado+yellow+house.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOA1ui28uEBfxtp29sXeCP4htTmSVuJEJ19pHdWKO7wbNXH-9ntukPLK8VZoCq-TV1_BAi64XoRkr08p2HJCYvmY4hv9whVAaua1IO06GwkNXl90hmXULuhzlHKQ3Y2_yVDQGPUvYp5K8/s320/Salado+yellow+house.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Future governor James Ferguson roomed at this<br />
boarding house while a student at Salado College.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHpbjaBDwJa7MsLAp3HtFulPvEO2vo3HprSMQDRgcTDe6c4l0Aod3QTWv5_KEjKjSqGv1w77k6MssvwpLIlp114PhDvMhqb57hm6LKL2jcGHjaHZa7f2GWDArPmLTnPgCL9iHCWwUjlA/s1600/doctors+house.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHpbjaBDwJa7MsLAp3HtFulPvEO2vo3HprSMQDRgcTDe6c4l0Aod3QTWv5_KEjKjSqGv1w77k6MssvwpLIlp114PhDvMhqb57hm6LKL2jcGHjaHZa7f2GWDArPmLTnPgCL9iHCWwUjlA/s320/doctors+house.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Built ca. 1870, this home became the residence <br />
of a succession of Salado doctors.</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-15884801480341522142013-03-26T15:29:00.001-07:002013-03-26T15:58:51.447-07:00A Busy Week<br />
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"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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 almost 40 books, half about Texas history subjects, and in 2007 he was named Best Living Non-Fiction Writer by <em>True West</em> Magazine.</h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was introduced to the Shelby <br />
County Historical Society by a <br />
former student, Shana Brittain.</td></tr>
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Last Tuesday evening I drove to Center to address the Shelby County Historical Society. Monthly meetings are held in the Shelby County Museum, a couple of blocks northeast of the courthouse square. The museum houses a nice collection of artifacts and photos, as well as excellent archival files of county history, individuals and genealogy. I've presented programs to the Society several times through the years, and this time I was asked to speak about "Texas Women." From the 19th century I selected a succession of frontier women, who proved the old adage that "Texas is hell on horses and women." I tried to stress the isolation, hardships, and dangers faced by hardy, courageous women of the Texas frontier. The 20th century women I discussed were Margie Neal, the first woman to serve in the Texas Senate; Governor Miriam A. Ferguson; Colonel Oveta Culp Hobby, who was asked to form the Women's Army Corps ("I never did learn to salute"); and Governor Ann Richards.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shana Brittain brought several of her Center High School<br />
students to the book signing on the square.</td></tr>
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Two days later I returned to Center. Ann Bowen, an officer of the Shelby County Historical Society, owns and manages an antique mall and had advertised a book signing schedule from 10 AM to 1 PM, featuring my two new titles, <i>West Texas Cattle Kingdom</i> and <i>Lampasas, 1855-1895, Biography of a Frontier Texas Town. </i>There was an excellent turnout which included a number of my former students, and the three-hour signing turned into four hours. </div>
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Two days later, on Saturday, my wife Karon and I drove toward Austin, with a stop in Corsicana to see the Easter cycle play which I described in the previous blog. A crowd of more than 300 followed the "cycle" from one church to another, and a large chorus and instrumentalists maintained the mood of the pageant as we moved to different stations. The scenes were carried off with imagination and power, and I learned that on the next day, Palm Sunday, the crowd was even larger.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIts3ucihj_KvBDJX95fjmPXZ0dbs6OAHaRo2r5AAHtmHUbeWPCW10qo0enNA7MFzC-_ROQhwd1dpg_xstCSfkDXbBrkDzaCw2Bzo_LtoC2MnJoetwEpTIfCIf31QirXNSYvnHUgsbFk/s1600/bb+museum.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIts3ucihj_KvBDJX95fjmPXZ0dbs6OAHaRo2r5AAHtmHUbeWPCW10qo0enNA7MFzC-_ROQhwd1dpg_xstCSfkDXbBrkDzaCw2Bzo_LtoC2MnJoetwEpTIfCIf31QirXNSYvnHUgsbFk/s320/bb+museum.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicEBz2W3KjdsTBg-nvDBoIxJrrMG8Eca-QlzBa3Xy9UIEYvA_UrEetKY6kXq9cqFqJUZlx3C0A4BgN69VXi0_an-hG8n4j4MSRMHGbXKA9BferKQeDatmKxXFBEqfmii60oOqFcG9p9rk/s1600/Bill+at+BB+museum.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicEBz2W3KjdsTBg-nvDBoIxJrrMG8Eca-QlzBa3Xy9UIEYvA_UrEetKY6kXq9cqFqJUZlx3C0A4BgN69VXi0_an-hG8n4j4MSRMHGbXKA9BferKQeDatmKxXFBEqfmii60oOqFcG9p9rk/s320/Bill+at+BB+museum.JPG" width="213" /></a>My wife and I spent Saturday night at the Stagecoach Inn in historic Salado. I was scheduled to speak at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum early Sunday afternoon. We arrived with time to spare. I checked in at the gift shop, which had planned a signing for my most recent book, <i>West Texas Cattle Kingdom</i>. Esther Rivera of the museum staff took me to the Texas Spirit Theater for a sound check with the technicians. As the audience arrived I greeted as many as possible, expressing my appreciation for their attendance. I was delighted to see a former student, Wade Parsons, who had brought his family. My oldest daughter, Lynn Martinez, a teacher in the Mansfield ISD, also was present with her family, husband Rudy and daughters Chloe and Jessie. Lynn had hoped for years to bring her daughters to the Bob Bullock Museum, and I was proud that they were able to coordinate the museum visit with my appearance. I was introduced by the museum director, Joan Marshall, who had invited me to prepare an address on "The Leadership Roles of Sam Houston." I relished this assignment, and the audience seemed quite receptive. There was a brisk book signing afterward, and I was deeply privileged to have been asked to provide an event at the flagship museum of Texas History. </div>
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The following evening I again was in Center to provide a program for the Capt. Jesse Amason Camp, #282, of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. There are 80 camps, or companies, of the Texas Division of the SCV. Three of my great-grandfathers defended their homes - in Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama - as youthful soldiers of the Confederacy, and they each migrated to Texas after the Civil War. I had met with the Center SCV on past occasions, and it was a pleasant evening for me. As I drove home afterward, I reflected on what a busy and rewarding week it had been, full of State Historian activities, with more around the corner.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-81328104458167565912013-03-16T21:04:00.000-07:002013-03-16T21:07:54.169-07:00Dr. Shellie O'Neal<br />
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"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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 almost 40 books, half about Texas history subjects, and in 2007 he was named Best Living Non-Fiction Writer by <em>True West</em> Magazine.</h2>
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Dr. Shellie O'Neal, director of he Theatre Department at Navarro College in Corsicana, has utilized her skills and training as a dramatist to create historical theater. Shellie, one of my daughters, was a faculty member at the University of Texas in Tyler when, in 2001, she was selected to revive Navarro's Theatre Department, which had been discontinued years earlier. Because her budget was limited, she began to write her own plays to avoid the royalties required for published plays. Through the years she has written, produced directed, and occasionally acted in more than 20 plays. Shellie has created comedies, romances, children's plays, and religious plays. Some of her work has a Texas setting, such as <i>Love in Lampasas</i>, and <i>Bluebonnets in the Back Yard</i>, set in Nacogdoches County. <i>Hope in Hemphill</i> won the Texas State Playwriting Award of the Texas Educational Theater Association. <i>Traveling the Gnome Star State</i> is a children's play in which a band of gnomes make their way across Texas encountering longhorns, bluebonnets, mockingbirds, and other icons of the Lone Star State.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtUGm9j9Dtk4CGImYvA6y0FXSsoRaLRt_847N-iOXFxInQJRIWuw-DkCKjYUQS-ofQzsNFSyClC1FLkCyuj7cWp_crhIF01Q262BM02kR_Mg_Qoas7P4rH0bTwUdbQjJtxRCRunrW2u4I/s1600/116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtUGm9j9Dtk4CGImYvA6y0FXSsoRaLRt_847N-iOXFxInQJRIWuw-DkCKjYUQS-ofQzsNFSyClC1FLkCyuj7cWp_crhIF01Q262BM02kR_Mg_Qoas7P4rH0bTwUdbQjJtxRCRunrW2u4I/s320/116.JPG" width="320" /></a>For several years Dr. O'Neal has researched medieval cycle plays, including work in England. While cycle plays remain popular in England and Canada, there is no record of a cycle play ever having been performed in Texas. On Palm Sunday weekend, the Navarro College Theatre Department will present <i>Clothed in Glory: A Palm Sunday Pageant</i>, written and directed by Dr. O'Neal. Her students have constructed two medieval-style pageant wagons, and numerous costumes have been assembled. The cast is composed of Navarro students and faculty members. Within an area of a few blocks in Corsicana, four churches form a rectangle. Shellie consulted with each of the four pastors of these churches, and an appeal was made to the church choirs.</div>
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The pageant will begin at the ornate 1896 First Methodist Church, then will proceed to the nearby First Presbyterian Church, where scenes from the life of Jesus will be portrayed by 43 cast members, 34 members of the combined choir, and assorted sheep and horses. The crucifixion will be dramatized at St. John's Episcopal Church, and the resurrection scene will take place across the street at the First Baptist Church. There has been enthusiastic support from Navarro College, the four churches, and the community, and this unique event is widely anticipated. Performances will begin at 3 PM on Saturday, March 23, and the next afternoon, Palm Sunday. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryggrQF8mBxoWM_KC708VFNMprnPXkdQ-JzNdR5OZYutVYX_A9GpT86j-CHVCSblzYljZksUKDdO40ltRe6njy9e4YbeCpW7Iv6vIYHMV_u7EUdDFcXu3cs4bQFkGrnBnWxa2jCviouU/s1600/ShellieFanny.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhryggrQF8mBxoWM_KC708VFNMprnPXkdQ-JzNdR5OZYutVYX_A9GpT86j-CHVCSblzYljZksUKDdO40ltRe6njy9e4YbeCpW7Iv6vIYHMV_u7EUdDFcXu3cs4bQFkGrnBnWxa2jCviouU/s320/ShellieFanny.JPG" width="213" /></a>Shellie's other major venture into historical drama is a one-woman play about Fannie J. Crosby, the blind composer of more than 8,000 hymns. Shellie approached the project with the methods of an historian. She read and noted Crosby's two autobiographies, her hymns, and her nine biographies. She conducted primary research in New York City, the site of Crosby's home life. Shellie first performed the play in November 2011, and numerous appearances since have included two performances in New York. <i>This is My Story, This is My Song: An Evening With Fannie Crosby</i> features several of Crosby's most beloved hymns, and Shellie will next perform as Fannie on Sunday evening, April 7, at the First Baptist Church of Graham. </div>
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<span style="color: blue;">For more information: www.shellieoneal.com</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGitKZQ1oUA4N2nwcjrFVMBAKiEDW2kiOWNvMl4xyyP5UzJRWSTPzaEaGDigyXDMTZFWdfdfn6xFgUkwXKTRc74cBO4JD8AFh_PtsI9SYxOgMZOeqWCKBNRZZblr66OYg5zL3vlVw9dU/s1600/DSC00023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGitKZQ1oUA4N2nwcjrFVMBAKiEDW2kiOWNvMl4xyyP5UzJRWSTPzaEaGDigyXDMTZFWdfdfn6xFgUkwXKTRc74cBO4JD8AFh_PtsI9SYxOgMZOeqWCKBNRZZblr66OYg5zL3vlVw9dU/s320/DSC00023.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shellie in New York City</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9HHZbHJbkFCShfotA8Y9OLqLJY-qt8PXjYunTPwZ4DEhDUuasc6qbD7UFk4yEV2FSshy9uG5hLKrAMUafaNhvR6oB-d7Ca23PRn_mHEglEbgRc3Qxo-wrsHhC8kePr0LcA3CUANGMi94/s1600/ShellieFanny+Bill.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9HHZbHJbkFCShfotA8Y9OLqLJY-qt8PXjYunTPwZ4DEhDUuasc6qbD7UFk4yEV2FSshy9uG5hLKrAMUafaNhvR6oB-d7Ca23PRn_mHEglEbgRc3Qxo-wrsHhC8kePr0LcA3CUANGMi94/s320/ShellieFanny+Bill.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portraying a blind woman Shellie must <br />
be escorted onto the podium, a service<br />
I proudly provide whenever possible.</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-13580329254846303462013-03-09T21:07:00.004-08:002013-03-10T12:24:52.959-07:00Boundary<br />
<h2>
"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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 almost 40 books, half about Texas history subjects, and in 2007 he was named Best Living Non-Fiction Writer by <em>True West</em> Magazine.</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTWBP8BRtWl2GtDpMj5MbVKG9WVHDM8ZMtHafi8oL0p0HVvVX2CQxa-Mjq1XsPU6cqb2cTDGdVrNCdlNaYI479xeE2fBVCnHVBAM-pXWGJL7HNTjP8_BTjFpT2RMignHHNU28b7m3VoJ0/s1600/March+blog+2013+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTWBP8BRtWl2GtDpMj5MbVKG9WVHDM8ZMtHafi8oL0p0HVvVX2CQxa-Mjq1XsPU6cqb2cTDGdVrNCdlNaYI479xeE2fBVCnHVBAM-pXWGJL7HNTjP8_BTjFpT2RMignHHNU28b7m3VoJ0/s320/March+blog+2013+018.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The only original boundary marker in the contiguous United States stands in southeastern Panola County. On June 1, 1840, the steamboat <i>Albert Gallatin</i> stopped its northbound journey up the Sabine River at Logan's Ferry (later Logansport). Passengers included a commissioner and a surveyor from the United States, and a commissioner and a surveyor from the Republic of Texas. These men were setting the border between the United States and the Republic of Texas from the Gulf of Mexico to the Red River. The southern part of the boundary was the Sabine River, but just above Logan's Ferry the river turned toward the northwest. At this turning point a meridian line was surveyed northward to the Red River, and a granite marker was placed on the north-south meridian. One side of the marker has the letters "R.T.," while another side announced, "Meridn [<i>sic</i>] Boundary Established AD 1840." (A larger marker - ten feet tall - at the nearby Sabine River has been lost to erosion.) This unique historical artifact may be found in a small park on the north side of Highway 31 below the rural community of Galloway.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigXW3oqxMB29NwfzLKPm3BT1aA9o6RT8GVBcppKyaIOS9y0fOjS9Pz-dCMkcy1tc7TB51YQrXIuoJ-LLMcsSiIeOoEGysnikHvR42R5u4jweWy2p-kod_N4WBEiY-HuwdGOeJfpHQBTn0/s1600/March+blog+2013+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigXW3oqxMB29NwfzLKPm3BT1aA9o6RT8GVBcppKyaIOS9y0fOjS9Pz-dCMkcy1tc7TB51YQrXIuoJ-LLMcsSiIeOoEGysnikHvR42R5u4jweWy2p-kod_N4WBEiY-HuwdGOeJfpHQBTn0/s320/March+blog+2013+009.JPG" width="213" /></a>Pulaski, the seat of Panola District, was about 12 miles to the northeast of the boundary marker, perched on a bluff overlooking the east bank of the Sabine River. A river ferry just to the north gave birth to the log cabin village. The log structures of Pulaski were arranged in a rough triangle, and included a one-room log courthouse. When Harrison County was organized in 1839, Pulaski served as the seat of government until 1841, when Marshall was founded as county seat. Panola District became Panola County in 1846, and Pulaski was the first county seat, until Carthage was founded near the center of the county in 1848. No trace of Pulaski remains today, except the roadway and ferry site. The deserted townsite is on private property and is difficult to reach.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirfzUOUR45Z6MTzM7PFDxtIz82FoEJYtafx3oFhaaqPah3Dape6i4pM5vYkj1zT_gh754BNMtByJ_ul6fEXsL4yjMcF6XIeAxM536GTBO9DxEajaQE-OmR17Ma48wgkKQ9wkVfBZpJZCA/s1600/March+blog+2013+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirfzUOUR45Z6MTzM7PFDxtIz82FoEJYtafx3oFhaaqPah3Dape6i4pM5vYkj1zT_gh754BNMtByJ_ul6fEXsL4yjMcF6XIeAxM536GTBO9DxEajaQE-OmR17Ma48wgkKQ9wkVfBZpJZCA/s320/March+blog+2013+014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My oldest granddaughters, Chloe and Jessie Martinez,<br />
accompanied me and my wife Karon on our trip through<br />
eastern Panola County. Chloe (left) and Jessie stand<br />
beside the marker to provide size perspective. </td></tr>
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Another nearby relic of the Republic of Texas is a private cemetery located about five miles southwest of the international boundary and less than a mile inside Panola County's southern boundary. The Regulator-Moderator War was a blood feud that swept across Harrison County, Panola District, and Shelby County during the 1840s. There were almost 40 deaths, and the murderous leader of the Regulators was "Colonel" Watt Moorman. Moorman was slain with a shotgun blast, and he was buried in a family cemetery that is today bounded by four posts. A former student of mine at Panola College graciously permitted me access to this venerable cemetery.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtm4yKKtDb-hObiXDK0vPHhKTZAu7RM2vQjo0TGYvbL4u14BUGhBaBX3dzDoccfkMfWA6ODbYqvqOk8WDIYWCswyApeb4vVac2BtzP2lQr7vQTowHsmIN3MTVF6BzmTTeA7wl2OYeugg/s1600/boundary++Sabine+River.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtm4yKKtDb-hObiXDK0vPHhKTZAu7RM2vQjo0TGYvbL4u14BUGhBaBX3dzDoccfkMfWA6ODbYqvqOk8WDIYWCswyApeb4vVac2BtzP2lQr7vQTowHsmIN3MTVF6BzmTTeA7wl2OYeugg/s320/boundary++Sabine+River.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking north at the Sabine River from the bluff<br />
occupied by Pulaski. A wagon road at right went<br />
down to the east bank and a ferry. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3F03lYhgATDPxB3SiucxiF8Fce-L9ZHRy0Bs7icWBaQ1gXh5Pucwm9WMrVGuH0xLfgaowYL7Ig1b5zDGmq76FR5IAHGxTvELGZvfybUHq7-Jxx_E_zVmkhSdDppMAM3Jl0OdhZe6GwuI/s320/boundary++Sabine+River_0001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="211" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watt Moorman was buried in this<br />
private cemetery atop a hill near<br />
his family home, which was<br />
downhill to the right. Bounded <br />
today by four posts, the little<br />
cemetery has ten unmarked graves.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMwxifTeupCsOZ565ge0TJKjemcHXwvpd-qr77UKt_hbWLDAqc00nCe_fPNOROID9KkM818hEdPA_VcUZ100t9H-YKnGbL578LyDeFLu6DIH9LGdr5a9oGuSoEjPMSIF1RjljaI6Mj67Y/s1600/March+blog+2013+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMwxifTeupCsOZ565ge0TJKjemcHXwvpd-qr77UKt_hbWLDAqc00nCe_fPNOROID9KkM818hEdPA_VcUZ100t9H-YKnGbL578LyDeFLu6DIH9LGdr5a9oGuSoEjPMSIF1RjljaI6Mj67Y/s320/March+blog+2013+035.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Logan's Ferry from Texas to Louisiana crossed the<br />
Sabine River at the location of this modern traffic bridge.<br />
In 1850 Watt Moorman took the ferry from the Texas<br />
side to the point where I am standing with my camera.<br />
As he stepped off the ferry Moorman was shotgunned<br />
by an intended victim, Dr. Robert Burns.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04515175200682494417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318666487275386804.post-36394827029482111222013-03-03T16:21:00.000-08:002013-03-03T16:30:35.919-08:00TSHA 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h2>
"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 (<a href="http://www.panola.edu/">www.panola.edu</a>) 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 almost 40 books, half about Texas history subjects, and in 2007 he was named Best Living Non-Fiction Writer by <em>True West</em> Magazine. </h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTItRkSNyftfLC4HiNpQxTadN3n-yAiZ9WtayGr5QGJQ4b5L41In4SqEochD5mKIPsyL8sSCW75k553Q9yObF5tmYpatUJWlaG4UpTXezic757U8D5mit_Lnb2yHjZDxTstOGZbaqPUg/s1600/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTItRkSNyftfLC4HiNpQxTadN3n-yAiZ9WtayGr5QGJQ4b5L41In4SqEochD5mKIPsyL8sSCW75k553Q9yObF5tmYpatUJWlaG4UpTXezic757U8D5mit_Lnb2yHjZDxTstOGZbaqPUg/s320/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+019.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Book Exhibitors' Hall</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg0KXTdwSOfp9QY370fqJMUq3pbKy47iTpePfYvWLnFGv7hz3uxfev4aCvf4bJP_-lVLRiTecWLpo1iRJDKwFTaTOuTBJ2JIEf6VzNKkc2687-FR-Ju5z3HxApJE0Q0OATRiwxThORYAI/s1600/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg0KXTdwSOfp9QY370fqJMUq3pbKy47iTpePfYvWLnFGv7hz3uxfev4aCvf4bJP_-lVLRiTecWLpo1iRJDKwFTaTOuTBJ2JIEf6VzNKkc2687-FR-Ju5z3HxApJE0Q0OATRiwxThORYAI/s320/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+033.JPG" width="213" /></a>Fort Worth was the recent site of the 117th Annual Meeting of the state's oldest scholarly organization, the Texas State Historical Association. The Worthington Renaissance Hotel, across from lively Sundance Square and one block south of the historic Tarrant County Courthouse, provided the TSHA with hospitality and spacious facilities. From Thursday through Saturday, February 28 through March 2, more than 670 attendees enjoyed a buffet of historical activities. A large number of exhibitors and benefactors provided $32,000 in sponsorships, helping the TSHA to stage program sessions and events honoring and celebrating the incomparable historical heritage of the Lone Star State. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSm72Me-xjgVYWK5qPSrToML84mg-Mphi9Npt6l5NHhviVrXIHymVKhRp4hglOesTf1D9VOrjd3hQymmij6OEHrn8PTi_Twsk_glCnUwa2W-5FVNjc-nfeUHgRwJ6ASvJvEUmNptFxcXE/s1600/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSm72Me-xjgVYWK5qPSrToML84mg-Mphi9Npt6l5NHhviVrXIHymVKhRp4hglOesTf1D9VOrjd3hQymmij6OEHrn8PTi_Twsk_glCnUwa2W-5FVNjc-nfeUHgRwJ6ASvJvEUmNptFxcXE/s320/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Gregory W. Ball. of the U.S. Air Force History<br />
and Museums Program, is the author of <i>They <br />Call Them Soldier Boys</i>, which was released by UNT<br />
Press during the Annual Meeting.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqSdbQ-bwpNjgsvbZ4PbmpOmC6By9Cv7qEp_P1CJojuPa6hIJlN_KTuPrr43mZ0R3pWeuDA9WR62wZLPMrXl9WDgeWxSfs5-Y-8q2y2Dlp3AiLb1D0nem27GEN2kmNbewJOBNOx9NpmcQ/s1600/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqSdbQ-bwpNjgsvbZ4PbmpOmC6By9Cv7qEp_P1CJojuPa6hIJlN_KTuPrr43mZ0R3pWeuDA9WR62wZLPMrXl9WDgeWxSfs5-Y-8q2y2Dlp3AiLb1D0nem27GEN2kmNbewJOBNOx9NpmcQ/s320/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+012.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Sanders Marble, of the U.S. Army Office of<br />
Medical History. Dr. Marble and Dr. Ball were<br />
the presenters during the Thursday session,<br />
"New Perspectives on Texas Soldiers in WW 1."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGaYtjUDgiFnxLuqEHldkR1bH7Fbm13vVIJQgcTmp7NWX8EYjEuKCNTR6rObudcJSXEPvOyc9nCz-9E-p1tuvmCOfs9kPWXMpiKd7xI1u4ciCN03vAdgD6Jr2ZrHhp5pieBAzRcalHg5E/s1600/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGaYtjUDgiFnxLuqEHldkR1bH7Fbm13vVIJQgcTmp7NWX8EYjEuKCNTR6rObudcJSXEPvOyc9nCz-9E-p1tuvmCOfs9kPWXMpiKd7xI1u4ciCN03vAdgD6Jr2ZrHhp5pieBAzRcalHg5E/s320/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+035.JPG" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Women in Texas History Luncheon<br />
Dr. Mary Scheer was presented a<br />
Book of the Year Award for<br />
<i>Women and the Texas Revolution.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
There were 42 sessions, each offering two or three presentations and the latest research from an impressive gathering of scholars and authors. Other activities included a Women in Texas Luncheon, a Book Lovers' and Texana Collectors' Breakfast, an Awards Luncheon, a Graduate Student Mixer, the Presidential Banquet honoring outgoing TSHA President Watson C. Arnold, and field trips to the historical delights of Cowtown. Adding to the historical variety were sessions provided by the Texas Folklore Society, Texas Historical Commission, Texas Archaeological Society, Texas Catholic Historical Society, Texas Oral History Association, Texas Supreme Court Historical Society, and the Society of Southwest Archivists. There were several book signings with the authors of exciting new releases.<br />
<br />
<br />
The most accomplished history professors in Texas were present, and so were successful businessmen, lawyers, doctors, librarians, dedicated public school teachers - all with a passion for Texas history and a determination to perpetuate the TSHA and other organizations devoted to the study and promotion of elements of the rich tapestry of the history of the Lone Star State. At these annual meetings it is a delight to encounter old friends and kindred spirits, and to meet new individuals who are steeped in Texas history. We left Fort Worth already looking forward to the 118th Annual Meeting in San Antonio.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">For more information: www.tshaonline.org</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5lKF0moRIgiTgUDwgYyTKNBHW8yzBTs6FAzyE8j0FN9PSNkMxA2DEk2R_X2Vk3-BgkT-N37VqDpYEVg5C366bvtjLqcvVpP_2x8ljWlEdHsuLk-PmT412po5khxNTuK0AeYoCckLItV0/s1600/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5lKF0moRIgiTgUDwgYyTKNBHW8yzBTs6FAzyE8j0FN9PSNkMxA2DEk2R_X2Vk3-BgkT-N37VqDpYEVg5C366bvtjLqcvVpP_2x8ljWlEdHsuLk-PmT412po5khxNTuK0AeYoCckLItV0/s320/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+023.JPG" width="185" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prolific author Chuck Parsons<br />
presided over a Thursday<br />
afternoon session on<br />
Law and Order.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZPLjR3aYGSb2u7jV6MnXa7bG8VQ7POuZO_hNepdiKQwkTW6oY2oudxkaWV5z8_WunfrWFidq88FGvR_Ic-FvWjIoJwTofrjceL9j9epxqV5eWA42ruBJUYuf9r0uDKXtDVzoVfg7e0A/s1600/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZPLjR3aYGSb2u7jV6MnXa7bG8VQ7POuZO_hNepdiKQwkTW6oY2oudxkaWV5z8_WunfrWFidq88FGvR_Ic-FvWjIoJwTofrjceL9j9epxqV5eWA42ruBJUYuf9r0uDKXtDVzoVfg7e0A/s320/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+030.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were two distinguished presenters during the Law<br />
and Order session: Fort Worth Historian Richard Selcer,<br />
at the podium, and senior archivist of the Texas State<br />
Archives Donaly Brice, seated.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3bLrpfaTdSgd7-6CyKT2qZdyuThZp3O7oKQ50avOtpd1zmzuzcO5SAiPqN3xM_lVbESACc0HEcharyg5XF4dCnOvtptF2Mg0-lYTBuXYJ-ebr0iwb2pOlPl1g4fciChjkZaTikWH0q-g/s1600/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3bLrpfaTdSgd7-6CyKT2qZdyuThZp3O7oKQ50avOtpd1zmzuzcO5SAiPqN3xM_lVbESACc0HEcharyg5XF4dCnOvtptF2Mg0-lYTBuXYJ-ebr0iwb2pOlPl1g4fciChjkZaTikWH0q-g/s320/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+037.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The TSHA Education Committee met on Friday morning.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOf2Sg7ZIKzaRM-_gmw_A6kmPqWtsxJbdDvM1aBFO_YnwpAl3Zy0DbNk-v0INOJ5i4AsRcfRJ5bY_lKbjoRmoWAaj2yF9EpPCcAfrXXoMQxGaQy5wN20MxeUIIHlI5UJ4V8iKSTyh8lBk/s1600/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOf2Sg7ZIKzaRM-_gmw_A6kmPqWtsxJbdDvM1aBFO_YnwpAl3Zy0DbNk-v0INOJ5i4AsRcfRJ5bY_lKbjoRmoWAaj2yF9EpPCcAfrXXoMQxGaQy5wN20MxeUIIHlI5UJ4V8iKSTyh8lBk/s320/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+084.JPG" width="218" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rick Miller, author of a new biography<br />
of Major John B. Jones, relates events<br />
of Jones and the Rangers, while<br />
the Major looks over his shoulder.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAuOyj8DKyK2IA3WIsVm0esmPn7F14RpEektSNncXPLS1Hl6iBf4XIe36tP-jfrcTi5C1fe7tY43Q3yilmkO3aCgVf-XJRnLimXxvSntWW5HrfWlkJZJyI5kMeacCHMUHjvqn9Dw2M1o/s1600/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAuOyj8DKyK2IA3WIsVm0esmPn7F14RpEektSNncXPLS1Hl6iBf4XIe36tP-jfrcTi5C1fe7tY43Q3yilmkO3aCgVf-XJRnLimXxvSntWW5HrfWlkJZJyI5kMeacCHMUHjvqn9Dw2M1o/s320/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+090.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was privileged to preside over a session on<br />
Major John B. Jones. I am flanked by the presenters -<br />
Peter B. Rose (left) and Rick Miller.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFzWdCt0yEFT5Y9yhlGikeSHhWZUuVI6r1ro5xdlmvlOb7if0jUjZnJYGlh3lC6_AT-JD7-yhI0VptfxVKNHj3cSfPXgowlAED2oXWc2nwVpcMy3R_l8w-cGzZGdS9bx3K2BnU8NR_J8/s1600/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFzWdCt0yEFT5Y9yhlGikeSHhWZUuVI6r1ro5xdlmvlOb7if0jUjZnJYGlh3lC6_AT-JD7-yhI0VptfxVKNHj3cSfPXgowlAED2oXWc2nwVpcMy3R_l8w-cGzZGdS9bx3K2BnU8NR_J8/s320/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+040.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Less than one block from the convention
hotel<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"> is the Sid
Richardson Museum, featuring a superb<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">collection of
Western art by Charles Russell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">and Frederic
Remington. The museum welcomed<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">TSHA members with
free admission and a new<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">exhibit of
Remington bronzes. Museum historian<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Deborah Carl, who
hosted my Traveling Texas<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">History students
and who visited the Panola College<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">campus with an
enlightening lecture, graciously<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">conducted me to
the new bronzes with her<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">customary
insightful comments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0pV2xtKE_fAydEZ4bGESAkxC_oeZC4SX7Nlsoh7_FZkjZzx-OUOUpgjS1D6RH-5QsoYx_1x_bX-b81jSDGHy7ytzH6zK16rjRFsE4hExyWbLJlobJTcRObvu9LoK2W6B1OFGYk0aZQHc/s1600/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0pV2xtKE_fAydEZ4bGESAkxC_oeZC4SX7Nlsoh7_FZkjZzx-OUOUpgjS1D6RH-5QsoYx_1x_bX-b81jSDGHy7ytzH6zK16rjRFsE4hExyWbLJlobJTcRObvu9LoK2W6B1OFGYk0aZQHc/s320/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+051.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A large crowd gathered for the Fellows Luncheon<br />
and Presentation of Awards.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRJqoU5eSyUCJFN8ur8lj1HT9sXeiJG3bscJksu-g9d6YesqOKiYB-ZbZoln5SXf7Kivz_PFKXXV0nG7MEDZaxHz9nXwv9WFfUiXGtQ-95EXNaGEJIZ-tnqt7vnBc9785895MbJyV-ifo/s1600/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRJqoU5eSyUCJFN8ur8lj1HT9sXeiJG3bscJksu-g9d6YesqOKiYB-ZbZoln5SXf7Kivz_PFKXXV0nG7MEDZaxHz9nXwv9WFfUiXGtQ-95EXNaGEJIZ-tnqt7vnBc9785895MbJyV-ifo/s320/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+049.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TSHA Executive Director Kent Calder<br />
welcomes the luncheon crowd.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbObg8AH9YVWzWSg2DMZ4cCBRSbMtpYeSxL3ZcXmx6xGk967PMUleVbdmni16XighRShcP7kqMXz23xuSzctoPFj05EePExxI4CrGDSeJPE_PgOMv_rY190hHDJqtuPz7LgQ47MprXag4/s1600/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbObg8AH9YVWzWSg2DMZ4cCBRSbMtpYeSxL3ZcXmx6xGk967PMUleVbdmni16XighRShcP7kqMXz23xuSzctoPFj05EePExxI4CrGDSeJPE_PgOMv_rY190hHDJqtuPz7LgQ47MprXag4/s320/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+070.JPG" width="205" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Randolph "Mike" Campbell,<br />
chief historian for the TSHA.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6xhH45pkDy0ZxVG7iK4305jdTgcUKBpcovg47DcdH3fAPm7tsuy0t-g3MsxQYzfi84yVZfqVJFhZlQZ69S6nG29t6-e937nHiK_V7WYvJ8awEAopkm-c7291HCMCyHSZyIEluIlcP-U/s1600/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6xhH45pkDy0ZxVG7iK4305jdTgcUKBpcovg47DcdH3fAPm7tsuy0t-g3MsxQYzfi84yVZfqVJFhZlQZ69S6nG29t6-e937nHiK_V7WYvJ8awEAopkm-c7291HCMCyHSZyIEluIlcP-U/s320/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+074.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Scott Sosebee reads Resolutions in memoriam<br />
of 17 deceased members. Outgoing President<br />
Watson C. Arnold, at right, would deliver a delightful<br />
address at the President's Banquet<br />
Friday evening.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJGgjQqy7kKHQ0ZOmPcssY-A9YpTcOdvayhHoNniFH1nLfa1FqqGiGp5ppsaFDeU55I35z4Fq9RkBEhyphenhyphenxZ7xrXis9FGQlM9flS0mSZxAYFqkSV9TJMhhMiTxakNre6HqdDCJ0reBDhNoE/s1600/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJGgjQqy7kKHQ0ZOmPcssY-A9YpTcOdvayhHoNniFH1nLfa1FqqGiGp5ppsaFDeU55I35z4Fq9RkBEhyphenhyphenxZ7xrXis9FGQlM9flS0mSZxAYFqkSV9TJMhhMiTxakNre6HqdDCJ0reBDhNoE/s320/Fort+Worth+TSHA+2013+066.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Ty Cashion was named<br />
a Fellow of the TSHA.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezo69m6rT770Ft9XEEoMRNZI98IOt3jEn413nKuA0vgZGIlLbXrCJX0AkiozVe5i10VgLyJrt43TgFpvVyZmPzrj2bWB80XJoQgqxWfuRWaJdU94dwOz_WpZoGOqVRH6fdI6Ikf-BaIw/s1600/IMG_8897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezo69m6rT770Ft9XEEoMRNZI98IOt3jEn413nKuA0vgZGIlLbXrCJX0AkiozVe5i10VgLyJrt43TgFpvVyZmPzrj2bWB80XJoQgqxWfuRWaJdU94dwOz_WpZoGOqVRH6fdI6Ikf-BaIw/s320/IMG_8897.JPG" width="207" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">During the business meeting<br />
which followed the Fellows <br />
Luncheon, J.P. Bryan -<br />
a descendant of Stephen F.<br />
Austin - enthusiastically<br />
informed TSHA members of<br />
new fundraising tactics.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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