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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 Courthouse
The
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 |
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A
railroad car in downtown Cleburne
Photo courtesy Jim & Lou Kinsey, 3-03 |
Cleburne
Tourist Information
Cleburne
Chamber of Commerce - 817-645-2455
Visitor Center
1511 W. Henderson Cleburne, Texas 76033
P.O. Box 701
http://www.cleburnechamber.com/
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Esquire
Theatre in Cleburne
July 1985 photo courtesy of Billy Smith |
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Cleburne
Texas Forum
The 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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us.
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