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Lone
Star Diary - Texas History Columns |
Last
President of the Republic 5-13-13 new
Like
so many other men who came to Texas during those trying times proceeding war with
Mexico, Anson Jones had a colorful past. At times he was successful but, more
often than not, failure seemed to follow this man who would end up being the last
president of the Republic of Texas. Wild
Willie's Picnic 4-15-13
Willie Nelson, for many years, has been regarded
as an outlaw in his music and his lifestyle. No doubt, he attracts many fans —
but he also stirs up feelings in some folks that are somewhat negative to say
the least. Such was the case in Gonzales County in July of 1976. Because you see,
Ol’ Willie was coming to town. Small
Texas newspaper reports: U.S. declares war on Japan 3-5-13
President Roosevelt’s
message to a joint session of Congress, asking for a declaration of war against
the Empire of Japan
From the front page of The Gonzales Inquirer, December
8, 1941 issueWhen
Camels Came to Texas 2-7-13
Some Texans may not be know that once upon
a time the Lone Star State was home to not only longhorns and buffalo, but another
ornery and smelly beast — the North African camel. Sugarland
Express 1-18-13
Movie star Goldie Hawn and actor Ben Johnson were in Belmont,
Texas, in March of 1973, filming portions of the movie, "Sugarland Express." The
changing face of Texas from 1860-1960 12-3-12
What Texas was like just
prior to the Civil WarOne
piece at a time 11-16-12
Oliver Albert, a resident of Gonzales, and his
hand-built Longhorn II automobileDr.
Pat Wagner and the "Come & Take It" Cannon 10-16-12
"He
was determined to prove that the cannon he purchased from Robert Vance of Refugio
was truly the little gun that had started the Texas Revolution at Gonzales on
October 2, 1835."
The
Deadly Tower 9-18-12
One of the saddest days in Texas history occurred
August 1, 1966. On that day a crazed man started firing from the observation deck
at the University of Texas tower — picking random human targets on the ground
and hitting them with deadly accuracy... Born
to be a Texas Ranger, the life of John Coffee (Jack) Hays 8-27-12
It seems
that from the day he was born, Jack Hays was destined to be a Texas Ranger – when
you consider his roots, it shouldn’t have been any other way.
Remembering
Lavaca County's old Grieve School 7-27-12
Not long ago, I was going through
files from the Lavaca County Tribune... I came across an old article about the
Grieve School which was located in the Novohrad community in Lavaca County. Gonzales
County Courthouse 6-18-12
From the original April 23, 1896, issue of The
Gonzales Inquirer, on the front page.Slave
Ada Stone 5-28-12
109-Year-Old Ex-Slave Recalls Days Long Past The
War to End All Wars 4-7-12
A Gonzales County boy, Courtney C. Buchanan,
served with the 36th Infantry Division in World War I and some of the letters
that he wrote home to his family and friends were published in The Gonzales Inquirer.A
Texan by Choice 3-17-12
A story about James Charles Wilson who was born
in England and became, “by choice,” a Texan and patriot from Gonzales County.
Stealth
Weapon of the Confederate Navy 2-10-12
H.L. Hunley, world's first combat
submarine Step
back in time at Gonzales' Pioneer Village 1-13-12
I’ve often been surprised
at the number of folks living in Texas who have never paid a visit to a historic
treasure located in Gonzales County. The treasure that I am referring to is Pioneer
Village...John
Clayton: Rebel with a Cause 12-10-11
Dialogue from an old movie came to
mind when I read the obituary of John H. Clayton. The film depicted an intense
battle and many men were being killed. One of the actors said, “Where do we find
men such as these? Men who will charge into combat and die for a cause, without
any regard for their own life.” Apparently, Clayton was that type of man.Top
dollar paid for Texas cattle in 1870s 11-9-11
A newspaper becomes an eyewitness
to history as it documents the story of those cattle drives and markets in 1874."A
River, A Town, and Memories" 10-10-11
Remembering Tillie McGill Bright
"I met her one time and I will always cherish those few hours that we spent
together — talking about the memories of her childhood in Gonzales, Texas..."Mystery
of Lavaca River cannon remains unsolved 9-9-11
"I’ve written about
the cannon more than once, the first time being some 14 years ago when I was working
for The Gonzales Inquirer – that original column brought folks out of the woodwork
providing me with more information than I could ever have imagined..."Gallant
Texas Ranger killed in Mexico 8-12-11
This story was found in an old Hallettsville
Herald from 1893 and describes a fight between Rangers and smugglers on the Rio
Grande... Lavaca
County's Old Brown School 7-25-11
Recently, I came across this article
describing the history of the old Brown School near Hallettsville. People who
were raised in Lavaca County, Texas, are probably familiar with the old school...
in hopes that it would stir some memories and perhaps more information would come
forth. Lives
of two Texas Rangers Lee Hall and John Barclay Armstrong 6-27-11
There’s
not many times when people are doing research on the history of Texas that they
don’t come across that illustrious group of lawmen known as the Texas Rangers...
The
Revenge of 'Devil John' McCoy 6-3-11
John McCoy, called “Devil John”
because of his bravery and daring, lived near Concrete in DeWitt County. One of
his neighbors was killed and horribly mutilated. Suspicion rested upon a tribe
of friendly Lipan Indians in the neighborhood...Recalling
the lesser-known heroes of the Alamo 4-11-11
Texas history contains much
information about the famous men who died at the Alamo, but what about the others;
the messengers?Rev.
Marcus Valenta achieves longest active-duty record in U.S. history 2-4-11
Of
all the chaplains in the U.S. Armed Forces, one has seen longer continuous combat-theatre
duty than any other... The
Legend of Campbell’s Branch 12-9-10
If you leave Hallettsville traveling
on FM 957 towards Breslau, you will cross over a small creek named West Campbell
Branch – known as just plain “Campbell Branch” to most folks. Recently I came
across a fascinating story, from 1944, about the legend of Campbell’s Branch...
“Law
West Of The Pecos” 10-11-10
You will look in vain for Eagle’s Nest on the
map of Texas today, for the town of Langtry has taken its place. But in the old
days of 40 years ago Eagle’s Nest was famed for just one thing – a saloon. On
the front of this building was a sign which read “Judge Roy Bean, Justice of the
Peace, Law West of the Pecos.” Old
Moulton: The Queen of the Prairies 9-1-10
In his book, The History of Lavaca
County, well-known local historian Paul C. Boethel has several pages describing
some of the towns in the county, including a location known for years as Old Moulton...Claude
Hinton’s Great Pencil Collection 8-1-10
Back in 1969, The Gonzales Inquirer
ran a feature story about a man named Claude Hinton and his somewhat unique hobby.
You see, Claude collected pencils — over 5,000 of them... List
of Dead in WWII 7-3-10
Back on June 27, 1946, the War Department released
a booklet with a list of the war dead and those considered missing in action.
According to authorities this was the first consolidated listing of Army dead
and missing in World War II... Did
the Dalton boys ever visit Lavaca County 6-4-10
In the year 1895, reports
were circulating around Victoria, Texas, that a member, or members, of the famous
Dalton Gang were in the Victoria and Lavaca County area...
'Kid
Mendoza' and the Battle of the Bulge 4-19-10
The story of Medal of Honor
recipient Jose Mendoza Lopez.Rocks
From The Sky 3-9-10
One story appeared first in the Yoakum Times and the
Halletsville Herald printed it on July 16, 1903. This fascinating piece was about
a fellow named Benedict Manning who was witness to several strange occurrences
during his lifetime... All
were welcome at Fink's Hotel in Hallettsville 2-6-10
It has been said that
Mr. and Mrs. A. Finkelstein always had a room in their hotel and a home-cooked
meal for any who appeared at the door...G.W.
Fly: Confederate soldier and Texas statesman 1-1-10
The Fly name is very
prominent in the history of Gonzales...This
Wild Bill Was No Hero 11-20-09
The Legend of Bill LongleyThe
Adventures of Spencer Houston Jack 10-6-09
Students and researchers of
Texas history are inundated with information about the heroes of the Texas Revolution.
But more often than not, the history books don’t tell us much about ordinary soldiers
who also served Texas in the cause of freedom. One such man was Spencer Houston
Jack... Texas
outlaw Sam Bass inspired tall tales 8-24-09
He was only 27 years old when
he met his maker, but during his short life he became the subject of cowboy songs
and tall tales which were told around many a campfire in Texas...Early
Cattlemen saved Texas from financial ruin 7-10-09
After the Civil War,
Texas and the rest of the South were in a bad economic situation. The war had
drained the resources of the defeated states and when the soldiers returned home,
they found it extremely hard to make a living. But Texas had an untapped resource
roaming wild on the open range – longhorn cattle provided an industry that grew
to become the largest in the state. Hallettsville
was booming in the early 1900s 3-17-09
With the construction of a new light
system in the summer of 1900, Hallettsville started a nine-year run of development
that included the construction of new buildings, the beginning of new businesses,
and renovations to existing structures... Hazel's
Whip 2-13-09
I came across several articles in the old Hallettsville Herald
that I found to be very interesting, if not downright hilarious... Recollections
of a Mier Expedition Survivor 1-18-09Pearl
Harbor attack teaches a valuable lesson 12-11-08The
story of Emil Kreklau's self-propelled fan 11-1-08Terrible
Memories of Hurricane Carla 10-13-08One
saloon for every editor in old Hallettsville 8-29-08All
Veterans Should Be Honored 8-8-08Former
slave recalls memories of old Lavaca County 7-7-08Longhorn
Branded Murder 1889 6-2-08
The
life and times of F.W. Neuhaus 5-8-08Warrior’s
Weekend at Port O’Connor, Texas 4-10-08The
adventures of John Himes Livergood 3-20-08Black
Cowboys 2-3-08Mystery
Creatures 12-24-07A
time to honor our military veterans 11-9-07Is
Jesse James really in that Missouri grave? 10-4-07Old
Tunes Bring Back Memories 8-8-07Deaf
Smith - Eyes of the Texas Army 7-5-07Remembering
the Bastrop Chronicler 5-19-07
John Holmes JenkinsLetters
from the Alamo 3-27-07Yoakum's
Soda-Pop War 1-24-07It's
a Wonderful Life 12-6-06"The
Grand Old Lady On The Square" Lavaca County Courthouse 10-18-06The
Demise of Bad Man Buckley 9-1-06
During the days of early Texas, there
were many a scoundrel packing guns and causing panic and mayhem amongst the town
folk. Hallettsville had one of the worst of these villains..A
True Texas Woman 7-20-06The
Most Distinguished Tramp 6-21-06Murder
of Local Doctor During Reconstruction 5-22-06The
Half-breed Savage 4-20-06
Quanah ParkerThe
First Shot May Have Been Second 3-18-06
'Come and Take It' and the Battle
of Velasco
Texas
Rangers and the Battle of Plum Creek 2-19-06The
Old Iron Bridges of Lavaca County 1-19-06Christmas
is a special time 12-20-05Hallettsville
Photographer Left a Legacy of Memories 11-18-05
Henry Jacob Braunig Black
Soldiers in the Confederate Army 10-17-05Wild
Woman of the Navidad 9-13-05
"The Navidad isn’t really much of a
river, as rivers go – it’s not very famous and can’t be compared to the stunning
Guadalupe or majestic Colorado, when it comes to beauty. But the little old Navidad
just might have a claim to fame that the others can’t equal. You see, the Navidad
has a past of mysterious and wild creatures, of the two-legged variety, living
along its winding path...."
The
Man From Nickel: Leslie Jones Askey 8-19-05
The classic example of an
entrepreneur.
Rustlers
and outlaws were common in early days 7-19-05
"Folks living in Lavaca
County in this day and time might be surprised to know that back in the 1870’s,
1880’s and 1890’s this was quite a wild place..." Bunting
Family Cemetery 6/15/05Richard
Gaertner's Story 5/14/05
Every town needs a storyteller and Moulton is
fortunate to have a mighty good one in a feisty fellow named Richard Gaertner.
Thomas
Lenz 5/2/05
"All three of the high-school pals saw action in Vietnam
– two survived and one, Tommy Lenz, would die a month after his 21st birthday
and just a week before he was due to come home. He had volunteered to go on a
mission to replace a man who was ill..."
Old
Turner Hotel Uncovered by Hallettsville Fire 3/21/05 Macario
García, Veteran of D-Day 2/16/05The
Lost Treasure of Padre Island 12/11/04Remembering
Leesville 10/15/04
Survivor tells of dreadful ordeal... A captive of the Comanche 9/8/04
The Horrors of Bataan 7/17/04
The story of one survivor... Brazoria
County brothers make guns for the South...
The Dance boys and their guns
6/9/04The
Angel of Goliad 5/19/04
"A tenderhearted Mexican lady who will forever
be remembered for her many acts of kindness during those dismal days of the Texas
Revolution."Richard
Kimble and Almaron Dickinson, Heroic hat makers at the Alamo 5/12/04Savior
of The Alamo... Remembering Adina De Zava 4/20/04
"If it hadn't been
for her efforts, the Alamo might well have been replaced by a parking lot."
The
history curse... It's got to be true or I'm not interested! 9/1/03
"It
seems to me that these moviemakers should strive for authenticity when it comes
to portraying history. Anyone who studies Texas history can tell you that these
"true" stories are an adventure all their own."This
family tree has roots made of cedar 8/03
The early cedar choppers didn't
really maintain a home - many lived out of a wagon, sleeping in tents and traveling
from one cedar brake to another ... Living off the land, they hunted their meat
....
The
story of Gregorio Cortez 7/03
He was considered a hero by the Mexican
people; to the Anglos he was the "sheriff killer" and needed to be hung.
Eyewitness
to the Battle of the Alamo -
An Unidentified Mexican Soldier's Personal Account
of the Historic Struggle 9/5/01Midget
sub commander tells of his role in the attack on Pearl Harbor 7/17/01
Glad to be first Japanese prisoner of war!The
Killing of John Wesley Hardin 5/6/01
"...There are several different
versions as to how Hardin was killed. ... Regardless of which version is true,
the fact remains that John Wesley Hardin died as he had lived - violently. ..."
The
Battle of San Jacinto, April 21, 1836 4/19/01
Saturday, April 21, 2001,
will mark the 165th anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto. Because of the eventual
consequences of this encounter, the battle is considered, by many historians,
as one of the most important in world history.1st
Lt. Loye James Lauraine, Jr. 4/8/01
"He was young, only 26 years
old, when he gave up his life to save others...... He was a hero and was posthumously
awarded this nation's second highest honor, the Distinguished Service Cross. ....."
Life
and Times of a Goliad Survivor 3/24/01
"..... the young man could
have avoided all the misery he endured at Goliad because the Mexicans offered
all captured Germans the opportunity to join their cause - Ehrenberg refused the
offer saying that he considered himself a Texan......"A
Survivor's Account of the Goliad Massacre 3/11/01
"There is a day in Texas history that quite possibly could be considered
one of the most tragic. On that day, March 27, 1836, General Santa Anna ordered
the execution of some 380 Texas army soldiers - they were prisoners of war. ....."
Life
on the Trail 2/12/01
"The cowboy legacy is very much alive
in Texas and it has been that way for a long time. After the Civil War, times
were tough in Texas and throughout the South. Men returning from that devastating
conflict found it hard to make a living. Texas, it seemed, was short on everything;
everything that is, but cattle. ....."The
Crusty Old Baptist 1/29/01 "Little
Butch" Comes to Gonzales, Texas 1/15/01 The
Great Elephant Stampede 1/8/01 The
Lost Cannon of Lavaca County 12/18/00 Riding
the Stage, in Old Texas - Stagecoaches from Gonzales to Galveston 12/6/00
The
Wreck of the Acadia - This blockade runner sleeps with the fishes just off
the coast at Surfside 11/21/00Wild
Times in Old McDade - Outlaws and vigilantes in McDadeDogs
in Church - Vintage wit from Gonzales County 10/27/00 Mass
Grave in Gonzales (1905) - Still a mystery today 10/10/00
From
Cost, Texas to Normandy Beach - A World War II hero 9/26/00
Bailey's
Light - A Brazoria ghost tale 9/15/00 The
Alcalde Hotel, Gonzales, Texas - Rooms with a past 9/3/00 |
Published
with author's permission. Since September, 2000
Murray Montgomery
is a photographer and writer based in Hallettsville.
Lone Star Diary
also appears regularly in these Texas newspapers: The
Hallettsville Tribune Herald, The
Moulton Eagle, The
Shiner Gazette, and The
Yoakum Herald Times. | | |
