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  Home : Forum
June 2004

Texas Forum | Travel Forum

This Forum for the exchange and sharing of travel/Texas information.

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  • West Texas
    I happened to stumble across your web site today, and was truely impressed. I grew up in west Texas (Val Verde Co, and Presidio Co), and know that there is not much there for the "passer-by". Just wanted to say thank you for helping to let others know that there is more to Texas than meets the eye. - Deena Smith, June 30, 2004

  • Quanah, Goodlett Texas
    My Montgomery great grandparents lived in the Quanah area. My dad was born in Goodlett. I have some old photos that were in my grandmother's papers. Some have names and some do not. I'd like to have a place online that serves the Quanah area to post the names and possibly the photos or links to the photos. I will gladly give the photos to families related to the people in the photos or a local museum or other interested parties. My great grandparents were Henry Franklin and Nancy Louellen Montgomery. - Mrs. Beth Pearce in Oklahoma, June 30, 2004

  • Valentine Texas
    I was born in Valentine on December 18, 1973. After I was born, my family and I moved north to Maple Texas where I started school. We moved back to Valentine on the summer just before my second grade year and lived there to finish my sixth grade year.

    As a small child, Valentine was so much fun. My friends and I would ride bikes for entertainment. We would get so many flats and my father would get tired of repairing my tubes so he installed a rubber hose, the same size as a regular tube and we rode forever. We would play cowboys and indians through the mesquite fields, heck, we couldn't get flats anymore... we rode worry free... School was so much fun. Well, it was for me. It was a very small school, everyone knew everyone. What is interesting to me now, as I look back, was how we walked to school every morning. We didn't have a cafeteria, so if you didn't bring a lunch, you walked home to eat and then walked back to school. There were times that the busses would run... hahahaha, or should I say "the bus" would run. On the north side of the railroad tracks, which is the same side as the school was, I remember the bus actually traveled through a couple of roads but on the south side, there was one major street. The bus would stay on that main street and everone walked to it.

    I've gone back to visit Valentine not too long ago, a couple of years ago, and boy is it scary. The house that we lived in is right off the main highway. Across the street, there was a restaurant called "Tino's" back then. It changed names a few times while I lived there and I heard that it was a church last. I do think back and wonder what it would be like if I had stayed in Valentine. What would I be doing now? Where would I have gone to college? Would I have had the opportunity to travel all over the United States like I have done now? I just wonder. - Ray Guillen, Lubbock, Texas, June 29, 2004

  • Photos
    I have sent some pictures for your consideration... I finally made it to Big Bend; a place that I have wanted to go to for quite some time. The very dark picture of an actual Marfa Light; I thought the whole thing was a hoax, but I can't explain what showed up in the picture...maybe you can. The cemetery is a small one on the Texas side of the Rio Grande near the town of Redford and the other photo was taken in Big Bend National Park. ... Thanks. - Julie McConnell, June 27, 2004

  • Menard
    Hi, I'm (James) Coe Linn, and I was born in 1937 in Menard and was raised there. I noted the great photos on your website.

    The old drive-in theater was the Mission Drive-In as was the old theater downtown... the Mission Theater owned and operated by Henry Reeve. I went to the Saturday matinees at the downtown theater as a child and then to the drive-in while in junior high and high school.

    The crossing on the San Saba was called the Stock Pen Crossing. There was a swimming hole just a few yards east of the crossing that we called "High Banks." We had a very long rope in a big pecan tree and could swing almost to the other side of the river. Many happy memories swimming there.

    A short distance to the west of the Stock Pen Crossing was the Baptist Encampment, and open-air revival facility with cabins and camping facilities.

    I really enjoyed your website. Please check out http://www.menardroots.com/.

    I graduated in 1954 from Menard High School. The section on MHS Annuals is a great compilation of many of the High School yearbooks.

    Regarding Fort McKavett, Theodore Roosevelt’s son, Elliot Roosevelt, spent time in the Fort McKavett area hunting and relaxing in the sunshine. Best wishes. - Coe Linn Austin, Texas, June 24, 2004

  • Nueces River bridge in the Valley Wells Cemetery
    When I was a kid, there was a metal sign on the Nueces River Bridge in Valley Wells. The sign stated that the bridge was built in 1909 by an iron company in Iowa. Someone pried the sign off in the 60s. The bridge was replaced in 2001. There was talk about moving the old bridge to the park in Carrizo Springs. I do not think that the County wanted to pay the cost to transport it that far and left it in the cemetery. I am going to question your statement about finding a flowing spring in Valley Wells. The current water table is 300'. Thanks - Tom Nuckols, Land owner in Big Wells and Valley Wells, June 23, 2004

  • Waco
    1) The "Hall of Fame" museum that you mention in the Waco writeup is the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum.
    2) The Strecker Museum has been incorporated into the brand new Mayborn Museum Complex. You can learn more about this new addition to the Baylor campus at www.maybornmuseum.com

    Thank you for your efforts to bring Texas -- and Waco -- into people's homes. - Best regards, Cheryl Taylor Mayborn Museum, June 24, 2004

  • Belton Carnegie Library
    Editor's note: Anna Thomas' mention of the Belton Carnegie Library piqued our interest and so we asked if she'd mind writing about her patronage. Her story follows:

    Dear Texas Escapes, As a child growing up in Belton, my fondest memory of going to the Carnegie Library was sitting in the rear room to the right. There lying on the table would be an old fashioned Stereo Photo Viewer. It was wooden and had a sort of telescopic lens that you could see through and at the far end was a postcard holder . Being hand held, you could insert the card and slide it near or far and it was very interesting . My favorite cards were about history and animals.

    I dont recall the name of the lady Librarian, but I do remember that she was very nice and always so helpful to me. I enjoyed looking through different books there, and yet I never did have a library card.

    There are many fond memories to share as a child in Belton and events that I recall - even after so long a time. All the old landmarks that I knew and loved are all gone now, but each time I go downtown Belton, I can see each one and remember......each event.

    I encourage other visitors to Texas Escapes to share their stories, as we all have a story just waiting to be told. Thank You, again, for allowing me to tell a small part of mine. - Anna Thomas (Anna Jane Davis) Belton, Texas, June 24, 2004

  • Belton
    My Grandfather ( Herod G. Dupree), was of Belton, Tx. and he died in 1920. He owned the corner lot of 201 N. Main St. in Belton, where he had a Blacksmith Shop for many years. He also owned the lot directly behind it , where he had a Livery Stable. I use to make many visits to The Carnegie Library, when I was a child and I'm sure there are many old horse shoes buried underneath it today. Thanks for allowing me to share this bit of my family history. They are all now deceased. - Anna Thomas, Belton, Tx, June 23, 2004

  • Wart Removal
    I know the perfect cure for removing warts. It takes only a couple of minutes and two weeks later with no more thought on the matter they are gone! I gained this knowledge from an old aunt of mine who, upon seeing a woman with an wart on her nose offered to help her rid herself of this unsightly intrusion.

    As children, we grew up with this story in the 50's so when my husband had a wart on his finger for a couple of years I decided to take my old aunt's remedy seriously and applied, wait for it, a snail to the area! My husband and I watched, fascinated and possible repulsed (depending upon how you feel about snails) as the snail made its way across the wart. Courageously we turned it around to cover its tracks then decided enough was enough. A couple of weeks later, miraculously the wart had disappeared.

    Now 30 years on, our son started to have warts, first on his finger then on his chin. For months he tolerated them and at intervals visited doctors to have them removed which, need I add, did not work! I did mention my old aunt's cure to him from time to time until at last he decided what had he got to lose? His reputation as a serious businessman? His faith in conventional medicine? No probs there. Be a laughing stock in front of his colleagues should the snail story leak out? No, of course not! Just the idea of subjecting oneself to having a slimy creature crawl all over you! I think it's hilarious and amazing, but who cares if it works? I hope this helps any readers with wart problems. Please, before you think of going to the docs to have your wart burned out or frozen or whatever, try this, it's so simple. Peace be with you. - Dotti, June 23, 2004

  • Wart Removal
    Cut into a potatoe skin and place a small peice over the effected area. Then wrap both the area and the potatoe skin in duct tape, keep it on for several days (5 - a week). Continue until warts have disappeared. - Ward, Alaska, June 22, 2004

  • Shelby
    I am interested in volunteering at Shelby Cemetery, in Shelby, Texas, Austin County. I need to find out how and whom I need to be in contact with. My relation to the site is several German ancestors are buried there. I visited this past weekend, and noticed that the place needs some TLC and I want to help. Thanks - Travis Brown, June 21, 2004

  • Toyah, Texas
    It is with great sadness that I report to you, that the bank building in Toyah was destroyed by a tornado at 7:00pm on June 17th, 2004. That building and two trees were the only things damaged in the whole town. We talked to the man who had bought it and was restoring it. He was making it into a residence, antique shop and convenience store. He said he is selling the salvaged materials. In this picture, you can clearly see the old safe, right behind the cement columns.

    My husband is B.G. Johnson, borned and raised in Toyah Tx. His father is Garland Johnson. His mother is Ruby Cleveland Johnson Cunningham. Both are deceased. Many may remember her as the woman with the place to park RV's and trailers for the weary traveler.

    We were there this morning, doing some work on his grandfather and great grandmother's graves. The flood that came through a few months ago caused a great deal of damage to the cemetery west of town. The flood caused a lot of damage to many houses in Toyah. Water was four feet deep in some places. The woman who bought my mother in law's house, said she woke with a strange feeling, got out of bed only to hit the water. She told us of going to unplug appliances and seeing the light on the refridgerator glowing from under the water. The flooding occurred once before in 1941. My dear mother in law was always fearful of it happening again. - Mrs B. G. Johnson, Midland Tx, June 20, 2004

  • Toyah - Toyah Hit by Double Whammy
    An article by David J. Lee in the Odessa American reported that the town’s 100-year old bank building was destroyed by high winds on June 17th, and that “only a section of the west wall and a vault were left standing.”

    The town had also been flooded on April 4 of 2004 when storms delivered eight inches of rain in about two hours. A dike built to protect the town was overwhelmed by the volume of water and nearly every house in Toyah was flooded as a result.

    Toyah did receive some state funds to repair basic infrastructure, but there won’t be any money forthcoming for the privately-owned bank building which was sitting vacant at the time of the storm. It’s not known whether the lot will be cleared, but Toyah has lost several buildings in the last few years.

    Our thanks to Charlene Beauchamp of Kermit and Lexie Nichols of Monahans for notifying us and forwarding the Odessa American article.
    - June 19, 2004

  • Maydelle
    The caption shown for the picture shown for a hotel in Maydelle is incorrect. This building was never a hotel. My grandparents owned this building beginning in the 1940's (Glidden Grocery and Market) and it is still owned by my cousin. They used the bottom floor for their grocery store and a kitchen, and the top floor was their residence. They built out the bedrooms and living room on the top floor, which originally was just one big room, and added an inside staircase.

    Before that, the bottom floor was occupied by a bank and the vault, which my grandparents used as a pantry, is still there, with an inscription written in the vault dated 1919.

    The Cushing Hotel sign was put on the building when the movie "The Long Summer of George Adams" starring James Garner was filmed there in 1981. The movie was about a town called "Cushing, Oklahoma" and that is the reason for the sign. Thanks! - Margaret Haney, June 15, 2004

  • The Kyle Hotel in Temple, Tx
    This is an update on the Kyle Hotel in Temple Tx. It was renovated in 1991 to be used for housing for the elderly, handicapped-disabled, and low income households. Residents pay 30% of their adjusted income per month. Each apartment is furnished with a stove and refrigerator in the kitchen. Central air and heat is supplied. All bills--utilities, water, sewer, garbage--are included in the rent. Cable, phone, Internet are the responsibility of each resident, as desired. There are 64 apartments in the building. They consist of 1 and 2 bedrooms and efficiency size apartments. These apartments are unfurnished. I moved in to The Kyle in 1991, moved out for one year, returned to The Kyle, and have been living here since. We have Meals-on-Wheels lunches here Monday through Friday. We enjoy conversation in the lobby, pool and ping-pong, music, cards, checkers, and dominoes in the "Game Room". We celebrate birthdays each month with cake and ice cream and have potluck suppers on special days--holidays. We have "Saturday Morning Brunches" with coffee, hot chocolate, and donuts and "Movie Night" every other Wednesday, with popcorn, drinks, and sandwiches. We have fund raisers several times a year to help defray the costs of parties, dinners, movies, and other various activities. All in all we are a Community--made up of many different individuals from many different backgrounds and customs. But we are in a sense a Family too. We care about each person that lives in The Kyle by checking on them if they have not be seen for a day or two. We make sure that each person has food, clothing, and other necessities. If one of us is in need of something that someone else cannot or does not have, we will help that person in need to locate it through an agency what is needed. I do enjoy living here and will do so as long as my health holds out. Thank you for including The Kyle Building in your website. - Karen Lary, The Kyle Hotel Building, Temple, Texas, June 15 2004

  • Richmond - Rosenberg
    While surfing the net gathering info for a newspaper article I'm writing, I happened upon your website. Though I located one of the cities my chamber represents, Richmond, on your site, I noticed that Rosenberg is not described. Can you let me know what do you need in order to incorporate an additional community? What sort of photos are you interested in?

    I also enjoyed the photos of Victoria -- My children (now grown) are 6th generation Victorians, and we have only lived in the Houston area/Fort Bend County for 3 years, so I'll always think of Victoria as "home". My near-80 year old mother still lives there, so thankfully it's a quick drive! - Gail Parker, President/CEO Rosenberg-Richmond Area Chamber of Commerce 4120 Avenue H, Rosenberg, TX 77471 281-342-5464, June 14 2004

  • The Madison County Museum
    Your reference to the Museum is appreciated. This is Madison County's Sesquicentennial Year. The Museum opened March 6, 2004. It is adjacent to the Madisonville Meteor at 201 North Madison. Hours are 10a.m.-2p.m. Wednesday-Saturday Phone 936-348-5230 Interim Curator: Nancy Page Mailing Address: P. O Box 61, Madisonville, TX 77864 Thank you very much. - Nancy Page, June 12, 2004

  • Rock Crusher, Coleman County
    Comment "missed chance of the ultimate team name"
    There is a community on U.S. Hwy 90 west of San Antonio in Uvalde Co. named Knippa whose high school teams are called the “Purple Rock Crushers”. - Jon Young, AFP Vista Shipping, June 11, 2004

  • Golinda, Texas
    Ignacio Galindo was a priest yes, however he did not receive a land grant. He purchased land directly from Sam Houston. This sale included all the land along the Brazos River including Waco, McAllen, and Nacogdoches, TX. My family still holds the original deeds of purchase which we have contemplated giving to a museum when my uncle is ready to part with these precious documents. My grandmother met with the United States (d. 1988) government years ago (with Henry Kissinger) as the good Father Galindo left his heirs his property. (According to law the family can fight for the land up to five generations my mother being one member of that category) The US government believed the descendants to be in Mexico and thus put the money in trust with the Mexican government, (who claimed to have no recollection of any monies) took over our family property and began building, selling and granting squatters rights to our family land.

    It is unfortunate that we did not fall into the land grant category for if we had, we would have been able to join the class action suit which enabled many displaced Texas land grant owners monetary compensation. Instead, we found we were met with a hostile Mexican government and family members who disappeared while trying to fight both governments for what is still rightfully ours. - Sincerely, Anne Michaels A Galindo family descendant, June 08, 2004

    Might I add that to date we are not aware of any grants which we were a part of, perhaps they may exist, however our documented history on hand makes no mention of same. I appreciate the correction. - Sincerely, Anne Michaels Galindo family descendant, June 17, 2004

  • Salt Flat, West Texas Ghost Town
    Salt Flat Cafe
    Will Turn 75 years old and being run by Granddaughter
    I just wanted to let you know that after the death of my mother, Isobel Hammack Gilmore, I have started taking care of the Salt Flat Cafe. It will be 75 years old on November 20, 2004. I don't plan a great big celebration but would like people to know that it is still in operation, we still have bus service and are still cooking good meals. We still offer the same friendly service that my Grandparents and Parents offered. Come and see us. I am still working on getting the many many pictures of the history my family left me. Thanks - Shirley J. Gilmore Richardson, June 08, 2004

  • Raven Hill
    The location of the site of Raven Hill is south of Oakhurst about 2.5 miles off the main road. Take Raven Hill Rd. S.W. until it ends. Take a left (dirt road) go another 100 yds. or so. The marker is in a cow pasture on the right. - Robert Surguy, June 08, 2004

  • Music
    I just found your great web site and it has much to explore! I would like to add a short bit of info. My father was Charles James Davis, known as "Blackie Davis", in Bell County , TX. ( Belton, TX). In the 1940's, he had a band called, " Blackie Davis and the Rhythm Rascals" and they played in Belton on East Central Ave. As Belton was "wet" in those days. Now the date may be before the 1940's? He was born May 13, 1890 and was 57yrs. of age when I was born. He died in 1946 , in Belton. Thanks, for your time. - Anna Pearl Thomas, Belton, TX, June 08, 2004

  • Texas Ghost Towns
    I am very surprised on my first visit to your web site to not find Sabine Town in Sabine County (Piney Woods Region) listed. You have an article about Sallies house, and Bob Bowman writes about going to Hemphill in the 60's and how the county seat was moved from Milam, surely he had to have stumbled across some info on Old Sabine Town or Sabine Town. Apparently it was a good size town near the banks of the Sabine River. A bluff overlooking the river there where Palo Goucho creek flowed into the Sabine was a site where cannons were stationed during the Civil War (now called Rebel Ridge).

    Happened onto your site looking for marriage vows. I grew up on the El Camino Real about 2 miles from the state line in Sabine County, graduated high school at Hemphill in 1969. I will come back to your site, I live in Anderson county now and found Ghost Towns listed in Cherokee County and Anderson. - Peanutwhistle, June 07, 2004

  • Cleburne TX
    Your page on Cleburne shows a photo of "A railroad car in downtown Cleburne" but does not show off the building in the background, which is the {drum roll, please} former Carnegie Library! I visited today, and have attached a photo of the library (now a museum). My photo is taken from the east, across the road, and the train caboose is out of sight on the left side of the Carnegie building. - Cheers, Scott Murdock, June 06, 2004

  • Ghost Town Clairemont (Former Kent County Seat)
    I have another set of images I'd like to send you, it will be three images this time. They are of the jailhouse, community center and of another building in Clairmont. I took these images during the same trip I took the images of the church in Verbena, on 11-18-03.

    I had first thought that the community center was probably built from the bricks of the old court house after it was razed, but when you look at the 1939 image you have of the courthouse, it actually appears that they removed the second floor of the courthouse and left the first floor intact. You can tell from pictures that the windows match up perfectly. I did some research on the net today and from what I found, the courthouse was a victim of a fire and the second floor was destroyed. I didn't find anything verifying the date it burnt.

    The jailhouse was pretty interesting. From what I could see, there were five to six cells in the building. There are four cells built into the walls, each being at one of the four corners. They were pretty bare inside, each just having a bed frame, a window and a cell door. In the center of the jail was a large cage type cell, made entirely of riveted metal slats. I think it had multiple doors, but I'm not totally sure about that. The cage in the center was probably seven feet tall. When I peeked into one of the rear windows, I was really looking across the top of the cage and it was difficult to make out the internal details.

    When I was reading up on the net about the jail, I did find something humorous, for a whole $15.18 you can have your very own HO scale replica of the Jail at http://www.internettrains.com/308-110.html. I wonder how many HO scale Kent county dioramas are out there, and if there are any, does the train bypass Clairmont there also?

    I don't really have any information on the other building I'm including, it is across the street from the old courthouse. I didn't venture into it to see what it might have been. - Erik Whetstone, June 03, 2004

  • Leakey founders
    I am one of many Leakeys in the UK, and stumbled upon your history of Leakey in Real County, Texas. I was interested to read that the founders, John and Nancy Leakey are interred in the Leakey cemetery and were the last to be killed by Red Indians in Real County. I wondered if you know anything about the origins of the founders. Do you know where they came from and can you direct me to any websites to help? - Chris Leakey, June 03, 2004

  • Ben Ficklin stage coach house
    There's a house out there used for the Stage Coach with stone walls 3 feet thick. Are there any online pictures of that house? - Kelly A. Allison, June 02, 2004

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