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CLEBURNE,
TEXAS Johnson
County Seat, North
Central Texas
Junction of US 67 and Hwy 171 and 174
51 miles
SW of Dallas
30 miles S of Fort
Worth
Population 26,005(2000) 22,205(1990)
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Johnson
County CourthouseThe
Layland Museum
Formerly
the Carnegie Library.
Historic
Homes Tour - Several
1800s homes have been restored and are open for the Candlewalk Historic Home Tour
- Second Saturday in December Cleburne
State Park
12 miles SW of Cleburne. US 67, Park Rd. 21.
Admission.
800-792-1112
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/cleburne/Acton
State Historic Site
Located
in Hood County
Texas' smallest state park - with a cemetery.
c/o Cleburne
State Park
5800 Park Rd 21
Cleburne TX 76031
817/645-4215
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/acton/ |
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Cleburne's
depot
Photo courtesy Jim & Lou Kinsey, 3-03 |
| | A
railroad car in downtown Cleburne
Photo courtesy Jim & Lou Kinsey, 3-03 |
Cleburne
Tourist InformationCleburne
Chamber of Commerce - 817-645-2455
Visitor Center
1511 W. Henderson Cleburne,
Texas 76033
P.O. Box 701
http://www.cleburnechamber.com/ |
| | Esquire
Theatre in Cleburne
July 1985 photo courtesy Billy
Smith | |
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Cleburne
Texas ForumThe
Esquire Theater of Cleburne
MY NAME IS MIKE RAY HARTMAN. I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN FORT WORTH. SINCE 1986,
I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF JOSHUA. WHEN OUR CHILDREN (BOTH GROWN NOW) WERE YOUNGER,
WE USED TO GO TO THE ESQUIRE AND SEE MOVIES FOR A $1.00, OR A $1.50...FROM MAYBE
THE LATE 80'S THROUGH THE EARLY 90'S. ONE OF MY LIFELONG DREAMS WAS TO BE A SINGER.
SOME-TIME, IN THE EARLY 90'S, THE ESQUIRE BECAME AN "OPRY". I WENT THERE, ONE
NIGHT, TO AUDITION. I REMEMBER SEEING A MAN NAMED NORMAN ABBOTT, SOMEONE I HAD
GONE TO THE SAME HIGH SCHOOL WITH (TRIMBLE TECH, FORT WORTH). HE WAS THEIR STEEL
GUITAR PLAYER. NOT TOO LONG AFTER THE AUDITION, I HEARD FROM A FRIEND AT WORK
THAT THE ESQUIRE HAD CLOSED. FORTUNATELY FOR ME, THE MANAGER OF A SMALLER OPRY,
IN OCEOLA, WAS PRESENT DURING MY AUDITION, AND CALLED ME TO SING AT HIS PLACE.
I DO, HOWEVER, WISH I COULD'VE SANG AT THE ESQUIRE. THOSE OLD THEATRES HAVE SO
MUCH ATMOSPHERE, AND GREAT ACOUSTICS, TOO. AS YOU KNOW, THE ESQUIRE LATER BECAME
A CHURCH. I HOPE THAT CHURCH WAS ABLE TO RELOCATE TO ANOTHER BUILDING, AFTER LEAVING
THE ESQUIRE. IT SADDENED ME TO SEE THE THEATRE DEMOLISHED. ON A PERSONAL NOTE...I
AM FULFILLING MY LIFELONG DREAM. I RETIRED FROM GENERAL MOTORS, IN JUNE 2006,
AFTER 36 YEARS SERVICE. A LITTLE OVER A YEAR BEFORE THAT, I PURCHASED A PORTABLE
SOUND SYSTEM, A CD PLAYER, AND BACKGROUND TRACKS. MY SPECIALTY BECAME MY FAVORITE
MUSIC, 50'S AND EARLY 60'S ROCK AND ROLL...WITH A LITTLE COUNTRY. SINCE JULY,
OF 2005, I HAVE BEEN THE THURSDAY NIGHT REGULAR ON THE GRANBURY
RIVERBOAT. I HAVE PERFORMED AT NEARLY ALL THE "OPRYS", HERE IN THE DALLAS/FT.WORTH,
AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES AREA. I ALSO SING AT FESTIVALS, RESTAURANTS, PRIVATE
PARTIES, NURSING HOMES, RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES, ETC. MY WIFE OF 31 YEARS(AND STILL
GOING) MANAGES ME AND ALSO RUNS THE SOUND. I APOLOGIZE FOR GETTING A LITTLE "LONG
WINDED", ON THIS E-MAIL. IT WAS A JOY FOR ME TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU. I HOPE I
DIDN'T BORE YOU. LONG LIVE OUR TEXAS
THEATRES...AND I WISH THEY WOULD QUIT TEARING THE DARN THINGS DOWN !! THANK
YOU. - MIKE RAY HARTMAN, Joshua, Texas, December 05, 2006
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