Thoughts and ramblings: U.S.S. Texas, Sam Bronson Cooper, Mansard House, International Women’s Day

Photo Credit: Stephen Rivers
Battleship Texas Foundation Group Facebook Page

On Tuesday, the USS. Texas was moved from her 18-month refit on a Gulf Copper dry dock in Galveston to a water dock at the same shipyard for interior and deck repairs. One of the most important restorations will be restoring the ship’s pine deck to its original historical specifications. They will also be renovating the interior, such as the restrooms, which would be a plus if you’re going to be a museum ship. I added a few videos of the move on Tuesday, which I was unable to attend because I have a job most of the time, but that morning, I was at the Relaxation Station at Central Mall—because when carpal tunnel and shoulder pain become allies, you need more than Tylenol.

One recurring fodder that the Battleship Texas Foundation keeps regurgitating is that, when the ship is finished, they’ll tell you where it is going to dock. I can tell you exactly where it will be moored. And here’s an overview photo of where it will be placed in all its glory! It will be next to the Elissa at Pier 21. I don’t know why they are doing this. It’s annoying, and it looks like they’re trying to hide something. As far as I know, they plan to reopen to the public in late summer 2025.  I’m going to make the call that it will be spring 2026 before a public opening is allowed. That’s okay with me. Just do things right, and come on, Texas!

Samuel Bronson Cooper was a prominent figure in the political landscape of both Texas and Washington during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Born on May 30, 1850, in Caldwell County, Kentucky, Cooper moved with his family to Woodville, Tyler County, Texas, that same year. By his early 20s, he was establishing himself as a respected lawyer. In 1871, at age 21, he was admitted to the bar, and in 1872, he began private practice. He served as prosecutor for Tyler County from 1876 to 1880, and in 1881, he was elected to the Texas Senate, where he served for four years.

As an aside, the story that interests me the most at this point is that Asa Stratton was also serving in the Texas Senate at the time. If that name rings a bell, as it should, Asa was the father of journalist Florence Stratton. I believe this was the crossroads where Florence and Samuel’s daughter Willie would eventually meet and become friends in their youth. Throw in W. P. Hobby’s living and growing up in Woodville, and we have a history in the making that I’ve spent many hours (years) researching!

In 1885, Cooper was appointed as the collector of internal revenue for the First District of Texas in Galveston by President Grover Cleveland, where he served for three years. He ran for Texas state district judge in 1888 but was unsuccessful. His political prowess wasn’t yet done. Samuel would go on to seek a higher calling.

 In 1893, Samuel B. Cooper was elected to the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas’s 2nd Congressional District as a Democrat. During his tenure in Congress, Cooper championed several issues important to Texas, including agriculture, land-use policies, and transportation infrastructure. He played a significant role in securing federal funding for projects such as railroad expansion and the improvement of navigable waterways, which were vital to the state’s economic development. His tenure would end in 1905, when he lost the election to Moses L. Broocks, but his absence was brief. He would be back in the US House of Representatives in 1907 and serve until 1909.  I will mention here that during this time, Sam Bronson Cooper is the reason Beaumont has a deep water port.

Cooper was nominated by President William Howard Taft for a seat on the Board of General Appraisers in May 1910. He was confirmed by the US Senate on May 24, 1910. His service was terminated by his death on August 21, 1918.

Well, those Cordray kids have done a thing and become hoteliers. If you have access to the Discovery App, then you may have seen their restoration of the Mansard House. I only mention this because the Mansard House will be open to the public for tours on March 16 and 17 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day. The cost of the tour is $25 per person. All proceeds will be donated to Restoring Galveston Together—a nonprofit that funds home repairs for local families in need! I’ll be there—how out you!

Speaking of Galveston and families in need, I can’t forget my tour of the Sealy Mansion in 2013. Magnolia Sealy was the wife of George Sealy, an entrepreneur, and she opened up the Sealy mansion during the Great Storm of 1900. Magnolia opened her doors to 200 people, giving them food and shelter when those whose homes were still standing did not. And she let them stay for a few months, while other well-to-do individuals turned their backs on Galvestonians. I put her high on my list of SETX women who made a difference for good. You don’t hear this story very often, but it’s true and it happened.

Magnolia Willis Sealy is pictured. In 1875 Magnolia Willis Sealy married George Sealy. George and his brother John  Sealy were wealthy Galveston businessmen with extensive interests in cotton, banking, and  railroads. It is generally believed that the Magnolia Petroleum Company, owned by John’s son  John Hutchings Sealy, was named for his aunt Magnolia Willis Sealy. That company would later  merge into the Mobil Oil Corporation, and today it is Exxon-Mobil.

Magnolia’s story could have fit into my Friday blog for International Women’s Day, but truth be told, I wanted to go more international, and the stories I chose are actually my favorites. The Nachthexen were laughed at and dismissed by their male counterparts, yet they fought and died, achieving victory on two fronts—victory over the Wehrmacht and their Soviet male comrades.

The Trung sisters fought against Chinese tyranny. Trained by their father in military tactics, they taught peasants to fight with weapons and for their freedom. This is a unique story in the world of combat, witnessing two women instructing others to defend their land.

Boudica had no problem defending her land, especially after the Romans killed her husband. Again, the Romans dismissed her army as minimal, but they paid the ultimate price in the beginning. (Never diss this miss!)

I will also throw out the names of Jane Long (Mother of Texas) and Kate Dorman because there are no others that can size up to these Texans.

Until next week!

U.S.S. Texas—Enjoy!

Samuel Bronson Cooper:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_B._Cooper

Mansard House:

https://www.themansardhouse.com/

Jane Herbert Wilkinson Long:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Herbert_Wilkinson_Long

International Women’s Day:

Thoughts and Ramblings: Women’s History Month; the Struggle for Women’s Suffrage; Emmons B. Scott-Grogan; Ida Luvonia Graham; Ms. Mary Sandell; Catherina Jeanette Stengele; the GOAT: Babe

March is Women’s History Month. No, I’m not going to give you a list of famous musicians, singers, Playboy bunnies, or whatever floats the boat of the Houston Chronicle concerning SETX history in 2016. I’ve done that before. Yes, I was kind of ticked off about an article that the newspaper wrote; I still am.  

Here at Rediscovering SETX, we try to bring you stories, or the history of those who were not in the limelight, so to speak. I mean, the McFaddins, the Starks, and the other fine, established museums do not need our input because they do a great job of telling the stories of the families in question (and we definitely promote them!). That is why we look for forgotten stories and the history of people who deserve to be remembered. I will add that even though they do a great job of telling the stories and the history of the house, we are sentimental about the Chambers House Museum. We love the property’s history, and let’s be honest, would your grandmother live in the Chambers House or the other one down the street that has a carriage house? Actually, my grandmother’s house didn’t even have a second story, but she lived near her church, which was something she couldn’t live without.

The struggle for women’s suffrage was a pivotal movement in the fight for gender equality and political representation in the United States. Spanning several decades, it was characterized by relentless activism, political lobbying, and grassroots organizing, all aimed at securing the right to vote for women.

The roots of the women’s suffrage movement can be traced back to the mid-19th century, with the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 marking a significant milestone in the struggle. Organized by suffragists such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, the convention demanded the right to vote for women, igniting a spark that would fuel the movement for decades to come.

Despite facing widespread opposition and discrimination, suffragists persisted in their efforts to challenge the status quo. They organized rallies, marches, and petitions, tirelessly advocating for their cause. However, progress was slow, and the road to suffrage was fraught with setbacks and obstacles.

One of the most significant difficulties was the deeply entrenched societal norms and beliefs about women’s roles. Many opponents of the movement argued that women were incapable of participating in politics or that it was against their nature to do so. Others feared that granting women the vote would disrupt the traditional family structure or lead to social disorder.

However, the suffragists remained undeterred, continuing to push for change with various means. They lobbied politicians, delivered speeches, and engaged in acts of civil disobedience. Their dedication and perseverance eventually began to produce results.

The tide began to turn in the early 20th century, with several states granting women the right to vote in local and state elections. This momentum culminated in the passage of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution in 1920, which finally gave women the vote across the nation.

The struggle for women’s suffrage in the United States was a long and arduous journey, marked by resilience, courage, and determination. It paved the way for future generations of women to participate fully in the democratic process and helped advance the cause of gender equality in the country. Though the fight for equality continues, the achievements of the suffragists serve as a reminder of the power of collective action and the importance of never giving up in the face of adversity.

Teachers are role models and on the front lines when it comes to making a difference. We all had that one teacher who was tough on us, but they wanted us to better ourselves. Mrs. Emmons B. Scott-Grogan was certainly that one teacher who made an effort for her students. Respected by all in the education community, she was the first female and first African American principal in Beaumont. She taught and became principal at Charlton-Pollard High School in the 1920s. Her story is still being uncovered by Lynn and Caroline Simon, who are great sources of Beaumont history. I will update you about their journey to find out more concerning Mrs. Grogan.

Ida Luvonia Graham spent her life helping people in the African American community along with her husband, Charles Frank Luckett Nordman Graham. Whether it was helping people in need through the Christmas Tree Project (1920), organizing the first Black YMCA (1930), helping with the plans for a YWCA (1931), or improving race relations in Beaumont, Ida played a significant role.

Ms. Mary Sandell was elected the first female school superintendent in Jefferson County in 1918. She served in this position for 10 years. She was also a rural teacher and principal in Hamshire. At the time, there was a clear shift in the norms regarding women holding this type of office. The winds of change were coming.

Catherina Jeanette Stengele moved to Beaumont from Holland in the 1880s to start her millinery business. She was an entrepreneur who was also involved in the finance business. Known throughout the region, she made her fortune as a milliner, financier, and landowner. She even owned a three-story brick building on Pearl Street in 1899. Although she couldn’t vote as an immigrant and a woman, she was well respected in the business community of her day.

In my open letter to the Houston Chronicle article mentioned above, I also cited Babe. There is no disputing her inclusion on this list. Babe was in a class of her own, whether in terms of sports, self-determination, or the ability to succeed. Her accomplishments are many and should be honored. By the way, I’ll just say that she was born in Port Arthur—not Beaumont—because some of you get irritated when I mention this. I will also state that she is big enough for everyone to claim her as their own. She is the GOAT, and her greatness is well deserved throughout the world.

There are many other women whom I could mention, and I will, but so can you. There are many important stories to tell—whether they pertain to your grandma, teacher, or neighbor. These are stories about who you are.

Until next week.

Seneca Falls Convention 1948:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seneca_Falls_Convention

19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Women’s Right to Vote (1920):

https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/19th-amendment#:~:text=Passed%20by%20Congress%20June%204,decades%20of%20agitation%20and%20protest.

Babe Didrikson Zaharias:

https://www.museumofthegulfcoast.org/babe-zaharias

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babe_Didrikson_Zaharias

Thoughts and Ramblings: D. A. R. Talk; Ezerbet Says Hi; Three Millionaires Want to Build Mansions in a Swamp; Vuylsteke House

Many thanks to the Captain William Sanders chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR). I was again honored to be a speaker at their February meeting this week. More people showed up this year, but they weren’t there to listen to my ramblings. This chapter reaches out to the local high schools and asks the faculty who the outstanding students are, and the faculty and counselors give their shout-outs. The students receive one hundred dollars in cash, a certificate, and information on obtaining a scholarship through the NSDAR. I think this is an outstanding idea for local organizations, and they deserve to be mentioned whenever possible.

The talk went well, but the refreshments were better. I only had one heckler this year. My two-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter Ezerbet was in the audience and greeted everyone, repeatedly (“Hi!”). Thanks to the person who sent a bag of Fritos her way. She enjoyed them, along with anything that caught her eye and her stomach after the meeting. By the way, her name isn’t Ezerbet, but when I mention her in future blogs, I will refer to her like that just to irritate one of her parents.

One of the advantages of being part of the Jefferson County Historical Commission is being around people who know a lot more than you do about a subject or how to do certain things, such as presentations. Shout-out to Dr. Steven Lewis, who is a wiz at creating PowerPoint files and Excel spreadsheets. He is the only reason I can produce some of these things. I’m pretty savvy when it comes to technology, but not this type of stuff. I think that, deep down, I just hate Mister Softy (MSFT), a.k.a. Bill Gates.

Speaking of another Mr. Gates, part of my talk was about some of the old houses in Port Arthur, especially the few ones standing on Lakeshore Drive—the Vuylsteke House, the Pompeiian Villa, and Rose Hill Manor. One that is no longer there is the John W. Gates House. It was located one house down from the Pompeiian Villa. The John Gates House burned down in the 1960s, but the carriage house is still there, as is the Texas Historical Commission (THC) marker placed in 2001.

Here is the story of the original plan by a few millionaires who wanted to build some pretty nice homes in a swamp.

The Pompeiian Villa is a replica of a Pompeiian home from AD 79; it was built by Isaac Ellwood, the “Barbed Wire King,” in 1900. It was one of three structures to be built on the eight-acre stretch of lakefront property in Port Arthur. The second home was John Warner “Bet-a-Million” Gates’ twenty-room Georgian Revival mansion, a pre–Civil War Gone with the Wind-style home with a carriage house at the back. A third home was planned by an investor, Mr. James Hopkins (president of the Diamond Match Company, St. Louis, Missouri); sadly, Mr. Hopkins could not come up with an idea for a suitable structure, so the land between the two aforementioned homes was never built upon.

After the Pompeiian Villa was completed, Mr. Ellwood lived there for a year. In 1901, he sold it to Mr. Hopkins, who loved the house dearly, so much so that he sent for his wife in St. Louis to live with him in this great abode during the winter months. Mrs. Hopkins took the train down from St. Louis, expecting to see paradise. After the train ride, she boarded a carriage and was taken to her new winter home. When she arrived, she saw the great villa in all its glory—built in muddy marshlands next to a lake. She was not impressed. Without hesitation, she returned to the train station and traveled back to St. Louis without setting foot inside the villa.

I also mentioned the Vuylsteke House, which was built in 1905 by J. E. Alexander in the space of seventy-five days for Adrianus Jacobus Maria Vuylsteke. Mr. Vuylsteke immigrated to the US in 1893 and moved to Texas in 1894. After his marriage to Nettie Minerva White in 1898, they settled in Jefferson County. Mr. Vuylsteke was appointed to the Dutch consulate for Port Arthur in 1906.

In 1908, the Vuylsteke family sold the house to John Tryon, a manager at the Gulf refinery who would eventually become Port Arthur’s mayor between 1917 and 1921. After having multiple owners, the house was moved to its current location on Lakeshore Drive, renovated, and used as a rental property. Finally, after years of deterioration, it was bought by the Port Arthur College Foundation and restored in 1986.

I also showed a couple of pictures taken by Port Arthur News photographer Don Larson, which I purchased at an estate sale. To me, they are iconic because of who is in them. The first one is from the Babe Zaharias THC marker dedication in 1979. (Yes, Beaumont, the Babe was born in Port Arthur!) It shows Sydalise Fredeman holding her hat while Bum Phillips takes the cover off the marker and Bob Hope looks on. The second photo shows Bob Hope looking on again (I think he did that a lot) while a lady with a shovel breaks ground for the new Bob Hope School. And yes, that is Wayne Newton in the background! If anyone knows who the lady with the shovel is, please let me know.

Well, I’ll end this blog the same way I ended my PowerPoint—with a photo of my fat cats and a link to my website. By the way, Ezerbet says, “Hi!”

Danke schoen. Until next week!

Thoughts and Ramblings: A Sunday Drive through Port Arthur; What’s in Your DNA; the Only Time I’ve Ever Been Sorry for a Politician; Maggie’s Drawers; Galveston Historic Homes Tour; Rabbit Holes

Two weekends ago, I took a drive through Port Arthur with a friend who hadn’t been here in many years. Many landmarks are gone, especially the hospitals. Park Place has been gone for years, and St. Mary’s has recently become a grassy field, but at least they left the flagpole. One thing that is left in this area, between Pioneer Park and the water tower, is a concrete circle that I assume was built to walk on. I don’t know why this circular cement path was constructed, but I remember the nuns from St. Mary’s walking on it. My friend Millie told me that there used to be a building in the center of it; I cannot confirm this.

During the drive, we argued playfully about where the restaurants used to be and whether the spirits burned down the nice house on Sixteenth Street (Gulfway Drive) because Madam Dora lived there. On a side note, I wonder if Madam Dora (Port Arthur) and Madam Pearl (Bridge City) knew each other. I guess it’s all in the cards.

Every once in a blue moon, I read through my DNA report, which seems to change yearly. What’s up with that Ancestry website? Am I not still 24 percent Spaniard? The whole world is 24 percent Spaniard, by the way. The dirty little—I digress. In my family history, years ago, someone wrote that my great-great-grandfather Etienne was from an island that doesn’t exist—Lil Decout in Italy. He was from Corsica, a French island that thinks it’s Italian, and that’s ok with me. His mother was Latvian, which may explain my obsession with the weather. Latvia, I believe, is the home of the European hurricane forecast-model group. I will add that Etienne came to this country in 1868, after you guys got your crap together! (This statement never goes down well when I talk to some groups, but the usual reply is “We still haven’t.”)

I’ve looked into family history, and it is about as messed up as my database, so that fits. I have a family member who is in the census 20 years after he passed. Of course, I’m going to mention some sort of vampire link, or even better, an “I’m from a long line of serial killers; I have no proof because they were good serial killers.” This is why I usually go down the rabbit holes of other families and research everyone else on Ancestry! Maybe this is why my account is so screwed up.

According to Ancestry, I’m related to everyone! I say this in jest, but two of my friends are really related to everyone, at least in Magnolia Cemetery. One, one half of the cemetery; the other, the other half. However, I don’t think they are related to each other. It’s true, but it is a pain being from older families in this area. I guess that’s the difference between knowing something about your history and having it laid out in front of you for everyone to see.

I remember that one of my uncles basically harassed Jack Brooks—a politician—because he was mad at the Veterans Administration (VA). I will ask the veterans reading this, “Who isn’t mad at the VA?” Yep, he went to Mr. Brooks’s office in Washington. Jack didn’t see him, though. I’m glad that my family wasn’t remarkable; this was the only time I felt sorry for a politician. I do have something that my uncle wrote about this event. I may put it out at some point.

My uncle also spoke of his time on the firing range. He frequently spoke of “Maggie’s drawers.” I guess this was because he kept missing his target. That’s all right, though, because he ended up on permanent KP duty. This is the reason he introduced us to SOS. His recipe was ground meat in cream gravy. During the Great War, this was called Save Our Souls or Same Old Slop; in the ’40s, though, they just called it what it was—S**t on a Shingle. I was told that the only people who knew about this delicacy were those in the military or in prison. Regardless of whether this is, I still think it is comfort food, and at my age, I’m thankful that I’m in neither of those sectors.

Well, the emails have started rolling in. Galveston’s 50th Annual Historic Homes Tour is currently looking for volunteers, and I’m already lined up with Bev, “the candy lady,” for Sunday on the first weekend. The house list hasn’t been released yet, but there is a rumor that something special is scheduled for this year. Stay tuned! If you are interested in volunteering for this event or want to learn about all things Galveston, you can click on this link: https://www.galvestonhistory.org/support/volunteer-opportunities.

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been going down many rabbit holes. I want to put out most of this research in March, for Women’s History Month, but darn, if we hadn’t had to endure a Port Arthur/Hee Haw moment in a county school-superintendent election in 1930. I’ll add the newspaper clipping to the blog. The journey was a somewhat positive ride until politics showed its ugly head. Sorry Jack—at least you wore a cowboy hat!

Until next week. RIP Toby Keith. You know that your friend Wayman (Tisdale) has the stage set, and Barry (White) is in the audience. Time to sing it again. Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up. By the way, we’re not crying for you, we’re crying for us who liked your songs. See you on the other side, Superstar!

Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up:

Toby Keith – Cryin’ For Me (Wayman’s Song) ft. Arthur Thompson, Marcus Miller, Dave Koz

Maggies Drawers:

https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2017/06/maggies-drawers-at-camp-perry/#:~:text=Origin%20of%20’Maggie’s%20Drawers’%20Term&text=This%20term%20%E2%80%9Crefers%20to%20the,on%20long%2Drange%20rifle%20targets.

S.O.S Recipe:

Thoughts and Ramblings: I Miss Mr. Heat Miser; The Seagull; Ronald, Texas; Preserving the Legacy of W. T. Block Jr; Remembering Roy; Red Cross Armband; Don’t Ever Mess With My Bananas!

Good morning to everyone except Mr. Snow Miser. Here he comes now, the big ham. His icy crap and low temps suck. I prefer Mr. Heat Miser because he’s Mr. Green Christmas. He’s Mr. Sun. He’s Mr. Heat Blister and Mr. One Hundred and One. They call him Heat Miser because whatever he touches starts to melt in his clutch. He’s too much!

I hope you all survived this icy nonsense called mid-January. I blame all the folk participating in dry January. January is never dry, just frozen for the weekend, then we deal with rain and the Canadian thistle weeds, clover, and other growing stuff that appears in spring. Not to brag, but I am certified in afterlife heat-tolerance training. This does not matter in January, though. It basically means that I have a jacket on when the temperatures fall below 67 degrees.

This week, I have been focusing on the Port Arthur High School yearbooks that I acquired from a friend who texts me whenever he finds something from Port Arthur. Although I can’t take everything he suggests, he somehow finds a lot of interesting stuff at estate sales. I have five editions of The Seagull, the yearbook of the first years of Port Arthur High School. I have the ones from 1918, 1922, 1923, 1925, and 1927 thanks to Mr. Don Smart. All the years are digitized and can be viewed at the Portal to Texas History. I’ll leave a link at the bottom of the blog.

I’ve also been looking at my maps, and the city of Ronald stands out because it was, I believe, a place where the train stopped. I have a map of the city from a Texas and New Orleans Railroad Survey. I did find a “Ronald, Texas” stop on the Houston and Sabine Pass Railroad. It was just south of Fannett and northeast of Big Hill on an 1898 map that I purchased from the Spindletop Boomtown Museum over ten years ago. I will state that this map keeps on giving, whether it’s finding Catherina Stengele’s rice farm and land or Ronald McDonald touting that he and N. A. Gallagher founded a city (yep, that’s his name, and now I really want to look into the story). I will also give kudos to the Spindletop Boomtown Museum for selling this treasure.

On Friday, I attended the “Preserving the Legacy of W. T. Block Jr.” lecture. Bill Block, W. T.’s son, did a fantastic job of explaining why we need to preserve history and how to do it. His journey of reclaiming some of W. T.’s files and learning the ropes of self-publishing to bring his books back to print for a decent price is commendable because some of these online stores are ridiculous. In the end, though, will you pay for what they offer? Luckily, the reprints of his father’s books are accessible at a decent price. I’ll leave a link at the bottom of the blog.

This event really had a good turnout, and I hope to attend more of these gatherings at the Tyrrell Historical Library. My only regret was not knowing that the Listen Closely podcast hostess/“Old News” Facebook page creator was in the audience. If you haven’t checked out the podcast and the Facebook page, I have the links! If that’s okay with you, Mrs. Marble! I love your work.

A few weeks ago, a reader sent me down memory lane. I found out that someone in her family lived basically across the street from the house I lived in during the 1990s. Also, we had a mutual interest in one of our neighbors. I have many spirit animals that have influenced me (isn’t that what the kids say? Or is that the new-aging community?). Margaret Hamilton (Wizard of Oz), Bunny Rabbit (from Captain Kangaroo), Oscar the Grouch (from Sesame Street), and Yukari Akiyama 秋山 優花里 (Tank Enthusiast from Girls Und Panzer) have all had an influence on my life, but not as much as Roy Temple. My neighbor, who was a living being, had a major impact on me on many levels. He taught me a lot and told me stories of coming to Port Arthur from Leesville, Louisiana, in 1957. I did a tribute for him in 2012. I’ll leave a link.

I don’t know if I ever told this story here before (I could go back and look for it, but it’s cold and my search engine is sketchy). A friend—we’ll call him Doug—saved a few treasures from a garbage pile. Unfortunately, someone passed, and the nieces and nephews threw out many boxes of gems. (This happens all the time, so if you have something to pass on, you should know that your family members are the worst people to trust to pass it on. Make a plan.) These boxes contained oil stock certificates, abstracts, lawyer stuff, a map of Hardin County, and a World War I Red Cross armband. The stock certificates were never given to me. Although worthless, they were cool, so the finder decided to keep them. They gave me the other stuff. I contacted the Hardin County Historical Commission and agreed to give them the map and all the papers. I decided to keep the armband. Everything was good to go the day before. That evening, as I was photographing and digitizing as many papers as I could, I became ill—ill enough to recognize the sign that a treasure needs to be in a certain place. The next afternoon, I dropped off all the papers, along with the armband, because that is where I suspect Mr. Cruse wanted it to be—I digress.

Today, if you visit the Hardin County Museum, you will see the Red Cross armband in the case, among other historical relics. I don’t go there often, but I love this museum, and I hope it continues to grow.

Would you be interested if there was a volunteer day to help clean up an abandoned cemetery in Jefferson County in late January? If you think you might want to help, reach out to me so I can give you the details. I will definitely be talking about this in future posts; for now, we need to get the details in order.

Until next week, make sure your bananas are secure in your kitchen because Ratatouille paid the ultimate price for sneaking in under the oaks on Block’s Formosan Farm and trying to eat my bananas at 3:30 a.m. The bananas are safe now, but my Tanto short sword is chipped.

Don’t ever mess with my bananas!

The Seagull -Port Arthur High School Yearbook 1918: 

https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139825/

W.T. Block website

http://www.wtblock.com/

To Purchase His Books:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/W.-T.-Block/author/B001JS50ES?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Listen Closely Podcast:

https://www.facebook.com/HTTLISTENCLOSELY

Old News:  

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555333351969

Tribute to Roy:  

https://www.rediscoveringsetx.com/2012/07/24/remembering-roy/

Museum of Hardin County:  

https://www.facebook.com/MuseumHardinCounty

Thoughts and Ramblings: The Bad, the Good, and the Disgusting; Tales from the Hill

Photo credit Ryan Pelham
Ogden Tree

Some of us received some needed rain on Sunday after temperatures reached record highs. However, unfortunately, the Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum was hit by straight-line winds; the saloon’s roof was ripped off, and a wooden tank from the original site of Spindletop was destroyed. Luckily, there was minimal damage to most of the other buildings, but some of the collections did get spoiled by water.

Although I don’t know many of the details, I do know the people there, and Lamar University has the best person for this kind of situation. Director Rayana Hoeft will fix it. Though she’s not from this area, she is passionate about preserving history and does it well. There is no better person to handle this problem.

Photo Credit: 12 News Now

Good news from Port Arthur. Motiva stated that they are going forward with renovating the Federal Building and the Adams Building in downtown Port Arthur for their offices. The project had been ongoing but was halted because of COVID. It is always a good thing when someone brings a city’s downtown back to life. I look forward to seeing the transformation. The Adams Building—or as some call it, the World Trade Building—has always stood out as a beautiful piece of architecture. I hope it shines again.

After this breaking news, my trip to H-E-B. Finding a new product wasn’t that special. On my daily visit, I noticed that they were pushing a new item. I’m good with new things, but some products at Mr. Butt’s grocery store are kind of dodgy. Lately, I’ve been seeing pallets of a new item from the Central Market branch of H-E-B (this means Austin stuff). Basically, it’s pallets of seaweed roasted with sea salt and other flavors. Yes, I get it, it’s supposed to be a healthy chip without corn or potatoes. Hey, the whole package is only 20 calories! I did purchase one and thought I’d give it a try. My review of the product is as follows. Remember when you were eight years old and you were playing in the surf at McFaddin Beach? Your mom or dad were making hotdogs, but the south wind blew and threw sand on your soon-to-be lunch. While playing with your obnoxious brother, sister, or cousin, you turned around, and a two-foot wave hit you in the face. Of course, you had your mouth open, which wasn’t a pleasant experience. This is what the Central Market seaweed product tastes like (without the tar ball flavor in the waves that we endured growing up on McFaddin Beach). I’ll give it two stars for nostalgia.

Magnolia Cemetery has many stories to tell, and the original plots are no exception. Here is a brief history of its origins.

Back in the 1840s, William McFaddin, Jefferson County pioneer and veteran of the Texas War for Independence, created a private graveyard on his land for his family and friends. The plot overlooked Brakes Bayou and was located on the highest knoll in Beaumont. The first recorded burial on the larger site was in 1847 when John D. Gilbert was laid to rest. The first recorded burial on the McFaddin family’s personal plot was William’s son John Andrew McFaddin, who was killed during the Civil War on September 29, 1863, at the Battle of Fordoche Bayou.

During the 1860s, another burial area, adjacent to the McFaddin’s, was marked for the Odd Fellows Lodge. William McFaddin then saw the need for even more space on the hill to give other Southeast Texans a place to bury their loved ones; so, in 1876, he deeded two and a quarter acres of land next to his private graveyard. Initially, the area was used primarily for Civil War veterans and their families, but many others rest on the hill, including another Texas War for Independence veteran, a Union soldier, a deputy marshal of Beaumont killed in the line of duty on September 25, 1881, and many victims of the 1918 influenza pandemic.

I want to delve deeper into the history and names of Magnolia Cemetery. First, I want to thank Judy Linsely for lending her talent and expertise on its history. She should know, as she is related to at least half the family names here in Magnolia. I also have another friend who is related to the other half, so I believe everyone is covered!

John D. Gilbert is thought to be the first burial, and I believe this to be true. But the first burial of the McFaddin plot might not have been John Andrew McFaddin, as he may not have been brought back from the Battle of Fordoche Bayou, where he died. Not to get too morbid, but putting a body on a wagon or horse and traveling for a couple of weeks wasn’t done back then for obvious reasons. I know that the miniseries Lonesome Dove did some sort of traveling with a body, but this didn’t happen in Louisiana. Heat and humidity are unbearable to the dead as well as the living. I’ll stop here because I don’t want to make a comparison with you returning from evacuating due to Hurricane Rita ten days later and cleaning out your refrigerator—but I digress. It’s quite possible that he was relocated here later, but no records show this, so we believe that his headstone is actually a memorial.

Many prominent family plots are here, and a walk on the hill will do you good. There are so many things to see besides the stories of lives lived. One truly awesome site is the Ogden tree. We know that this tree is not a Woodmen of the World monument; it is something to see. The huge structure stands in front of the Ogden plot with all the headstones in the back resembling cut logs. I assume the correct interpretation is that this is the Ogden tree, and those are its descendants.

Another mystery of sorts is the grave of Jorge Mireles, who rests behind William Patterson. Billy Patterson was the first Beaumont police officer killed in the line of duty. I will not say the name of his murderer because he is one of two people I don’t mention—ever (except if I’m at a cemetery tour in Magnolia, then I’m like a parrot. Let the bad-mouthing begin!). My research shows that Jorge’s family was from San Antonio, but they lived in Beaumont and were the owners of the Tampico Café. The headstone is in Spanish, and pieces of the rectangular plot have markings similar to Dionicio Rodríguez’s work. Dionicio was a sculptor who perfected the process of carving concrete so that it looked like wood. His works in this area include the benches in front of Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital and the Eddingston Court shell wall in Port Arthur. He did a lot more work at the Phelan Mansion, but as far as I know, the benches are the only surviving examples of it.

I doubt that Dionicio made the petrified wood sculptures at Jorge’s grave, but they are certainly copycats of his work. Both the Mireles and Dionicio had ties with San Antonio, so it is still a mystery if there is a connection.

Until next week, I think I’m done trying new H-E-B things. Sorry Charlie (Butt)! I will admit that your Sushiya chicken fried rice is decent, but you may need to add some petroleum oil to your seaweed chips in order to achieve that authentic taste here on the Texas coast.

Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum:

Beaumont Enterprise: https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/beaumont-boomtown-museum-damaged-surprise-storm-18334350.php

12 News Now:

https://www.12newsnow.com/article/news/local/spindletop-gladys-city-boomtown-museum-damaged-in-storm/502-b1bd1d6e-f971-490d-aff3-ad56376b66ac

Motiva Downtown Port Arthur Project:  

https://fox4beaumont.com/newsletter-daily/motiva-is-finally-ready-to-move-forward-with-downtown-port-arthur-project

Battle of Bayou Fordoche:

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=94325

William Patterson:

https://www.odmp.org/officer/17671-deputy-city-marshal-william-e-patterson

Dionicio Rodríguez:

https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/rodriguez-dionicio

Thoughts and Ramblings: Thanks, Susie; An Old Building off Highway 90; T. J. Chambers’s House; The Intracoastal Waterway; Photographing the Moon and Being Spotlighted by the Coasties

My shout-out to Susie for stepping in last week. Her Weekly Letter reigned from 1926 to 1938, and I intend to have her take my place every three months to explain what was going on during the times of her writings because her take on what was happening more than 100 years ago will make you think. It will also show you how nothing changes. The fact that my disappearance from the blog last week coincided with the UEFA Nations League Finals is just a coincidence because England or Wales weren’t playing. But I will give kudos to Croatia for hanging tough in the final with Spain, though they eventually lost, as well as for losing to everyone else except when they play England. Again, I digress.

Susie mentioned that they had broken ground on her new home on McFaddin Avenue. The house was constructed using some of the bricks from the old 1893 Jefferson County Courthouse, which was demolished around the same time to pave the way for the current 13-story structure that was finished in 1931. The fireplace bricks were from her grandfather’s Woodlawn Plantation, which he acquired in 1861 and his heirs sold in 1885. This land originally belonged to John McCroskey—actually, it belonged to Stephen F. Austin (SFA), but we may get into that at a later date because due to a marriage of a descendant to a nephew of the Bryan family, which is related to SFA, Florence is technically related to the latter (trust me, it’s an “I’m My Own Grandpa” scenario). Anyway, McCroskey’s log cabin, built in 1824, still stands today. It is the second oldest log cabin in Texas, and Susie talked about this regularly in her weekly letters. She even visited it occasionally because most of her family still resided in Brazoria County.

I need to get back to Brazoria County to do more research on the Stratton family. The help that the Brazoria County Historical Commission has given me has been fantastic.

Two weeks ago, we solved the mystery of where the Florence switch was located. Another mystery that has haunted a few of us is a building located on Highway 90 between Devers and Nome. If you’re driving west from Beaumont, it is just past the rice dryers along the highway. When you see them, look to the left for a building covered in vines. Historian Bill Quick once said that this was where they made munitions during World War I, but he has now passed, and I have found no one else who knows this story. At the time, this piece of information was not known because of the war, but the structure itself stands out, and I want to know more about it. I’ve asked a few people from Liberty County, but they knew nothing about it. Sometimes in these cases, time needs to simmer before we get an answer. So, I will keep watch.

One thing that requires no simmering is the Chambers House. It’s widely known that my favorite museum is the Chambers House Museum in Beaumont. However, back in 2012, I discovered another Chambers House by accident. I was working in Anahuac when I took a wrong turn and came upon T. J. Chambers’s house. The window enchanted me because it was different from other structures. I’ll leave a link to this house’s history and another one about T. J. Chambers’s story and fate.

This week, I was driving down Woodworth Boulevard in Port Arthur when I saw a scene that I’d witnessed many times before but had forgotten about. As I drove closer to Lakeshore Drive, I could see the little flags from a barge passing just over the levee. This is a regular sight if you live near the Intracoastal Waterway, but when you see a tanker passing by, it’s still awesome. Heck, in 2006, I even saw an aircraft carrier there, the Oriskany. A past director of the Museum of the Gulf Coast once told me the sight is one of the many perks of that job, and I believed him!

I wouldn’t say that this extraordinary maritime beauty is limited to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. That little ditch that Arthur Stilwell expanded from the pass when the people in Sabine Pass did some real estate-related price gouging is also lovely. Having worked in this area for many years, my favorite memory is that of a shrimp boat exiting a fog bank, but that was before I had a phone with a camera. I may or may not have been working on the land that the Coasties inhabit, but the scenery was beautiful, especially when looking at the Sabine lighthouse.

When I began my photography journey, I spent many hours practicing taking different types of photos. Shout-out to a few folks at the Beaumont Camera Club for teaching me the art of fireworks photography, but photographing the moon was different. I spent two years taking pictures of the full moon, whatever the weather. It is a good thing that I learned how to photograph fireworks because taking pictures of lunar eclipses is somewhat similar, and boy did we have a few of those between 2014 and 2019 (photo links at the bottom of the page).

These were interesting adventures, and a few were more memorable than others. At the time, I wanted to photograph the moon over the Cheniere LNG Terminal. I planned to park at the Keith Lake Cut Bridge, set up my tripod, and take a few photos before the mosquitoes sucked all the blood out of me. Before I could jump out of my truck and hurriedly set up the tripod, I was spotlighted by a Coast Guard boat. Unbeknownst to me, a car carrier ship had passed through at the same time that I drove up. In this area, car carriers mean military. I guess I was lucky not to arrive a few seconds earlier, or I might have had to explain why I was setting up a tripod in complete darkness while a car carrier was passing. Glad they weren’t trigger happy! I did get the photo though.

Until next week, Semper Paratus!

McCroskey-Stringfellow House:

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=173103

General Thomas Jefferson Chambers’ House:

http://www.anahuactexasindependence.com/house.htm

Rediscovering Anahuac / Wallisville:

USS Oriskany:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Oriskany

Museum of the Gulf Coast:

https://www.museumofthegulfcoast.org/

Mark Wiess, Not Brownies, Told Stilwell Where to Build (August 2014): https://www.sfasu.edu/heritagecenter/9328.asp

Eclipse Photos 2019:  https://flic.kr/s/aHskQS3gxh

Lunar Eclipse Photos 2014:   https://flic.kr/s/aHsk4pnSod

Semper Paratus:

Thoughts and Ramblings: Hillebrandt Bayou; ChatGPT; Bolivar Peninsula; the Beach Road

905 Edmund and Lorena Toebelman House | 1113 Church Street

Despite the many years I’ve spent running the roads of Beaumont, I never realized that Hillebrandt Bayou ran through the city. I always thought it was a ditch. And before some of you get all huffy about me calling Hillebrandt Bayou a ditch, parts of it are paved. Paved = ditch. I guess you wouldn’t be the first to be irritated by my choice of words this week. Earlier, a docent became pretty arrogant when I called the City National Bank Building in Galveston a house after I found out they were going to make it a rental.

Docent: “Oh no, this will be a residence.”

Me: “No, it’s a bank! Maybe event rental?”

Someone else on the tour: “When was it built?”

Docent: “I’m not sure.”

Me: “In 1920. Our book and your script say 1920.”

Docent: “Probably 1921.”

I’m not blaming the Galveston Historical Foundation for this melee with the suspected realtor with the clipboard. Still, unfortunately, you get Wanda’s family when the pickings are slim for volunteers, but I digress.

I’ve meant to do this for a while, and this week I managed to try out ChatGPT. For those who don’t know, ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence (AI) engine used to create content. You type in what person or subject you want to write about, and the bot does the rest. Yes, I’m playing with Terminator-type stuff, but it’s not the liquid metal one at this point. The Florence Stratton essay was interesting but very vague, almost like a political speechwriter wrote it. A friend noted that ChatGPT made Florence sound like a combination of Ida Tarbell and Erin Brockovich. I’ll post the essay unedited, but THIS IS NOT A SOURCE OF ACCURATE INFORMATION, so don’t use it as such.

The 500-word essay describing Rediscoveringsetx.com was better but still a bit off. Finally, I typed my name and asked it to do a bio. Boy, this was interesting. I think it just wrote my obituary! I’ll have to tweak it a bit because I don’t have a degree in AI, but I could replace that with my elf spotting certificate. Yes, I have one, and I didn’t have to pay $4K for it. I’ll leave a link at the bottom of the blog so you can see how I got it.

Today is the last day of the Galveston Historic Homes Tour, and I couldn’t leave them hanging. They need volunteers, and I’m still fed up with work, so it’s a win-win situation. I’ll be at the 1905 Edmund and Lorena Toebelman House at 1113 Church Street. With air conditioning, I might add. I have my script, in case someone from Wanda’s family is around. However, in some weird way, I can coexist with people from her family because they are just there for the shiplap, the plaster, and the pretty flowers at Old City Cemetery.

I look forward to my Mama Teresa’s pizza while parked in the parking lot known as Ferry Road. For all you newbies, don’t cut in line or Maria Maria la Policia WILL get you. She has no patience for idiots, and that’s a good thing.

I heard that they are building multitudes of rentals and possibly also an airport on the peninsula. I guess this is a good thing because an airport would be another way to get off the peninsula during the next hurricane. Hurricane Ike really sucked. At that time, everyone thought that all their properties would be lost and there would be no beach for them. Well, the powers that be have rebuilt, and kudos to all of you Parrot Heads for making my drive to Galveston always interesting. Y’all will never let this line in the sand fail, and I’m happy about that. I guess we need to get our beach-road lobbyist going because we need this back. We just need to put it more inland because I don’t want to pass the nudist beach. Sorry, I am not a fan and don’t care for your struggle. Google Maps won’t even go down that road.

I would really love the beach road back for one reason—it would be twenty minutes to High Island! Not an hour of driving on Highway 73, Highway 124, and Highway 87. I’m not reminiscing about sandy hotdogs on McFaddin Beach; I want less driving time! I’m getting old and can’t afford to live with you Parrot Heads. I doubt this will get fixed soon, but at least the Whataburger in Winnie is my one great breakfast stop.

What is the equivalent of Aloha in Karankawa? Lunch? Until next time and hope to see you on the tour.

49th Annual Galveston Historic Homes Tour

Today is the day, and I will post information all day on our experiences on the tour.

#ICYMI Here is what to expect on this tour and the dos and don’t’s. Hope to see you along the way!

When taking a historic homes tour, you should have a plan.

1.         Each ticket is valid for one visit to every house on both weekends. If you can go both weekends, taking the tour with family and friends is a great experience. However, if you only have one weekend or even only one day, then it is better to take the tour with no more than three people. Long lines can be an obstacle. One year I took the opening-day tour solo, and there was a point when I passed in front of 14 people because they only had enough room for one more person in the group.

2.         Some of the houses are in the same neighborhood, so have a plan to park centrally. You will be able to walk to multiple places without wasting time looking for a parking spot for the various destinations.

3.         NO HEELS! I should have put this up top. This is the one thing I’ve never understood. Why would someone wear heels on a home tour that involves walking upstairs and on lovely restored floors? If you do wear heels, you’ll end up walking through some stranger’s house shoeless. There was an instance when a homeowner had their beautiful restored floor damaged by someone who chose not to wear comfortable shoes. The money raised by the tour paid for the floor to be restored once more.

4.         Booties! Speaking of shoes, it is always inevitable to have one house on the tour that doesn’t want you, prancing around in heels or people walking on their newly restored floors. I get it, restoration is expensive! But then why have your home on the tour? Anyway, I digress. This will undoubtedly slow down the number of people taking the tour. So, there may be some waiting time.

5.         It may be better to visit popular homes, such as the cover house, at the opening, during lunchtime, or close to the last tour (six in the afternoon). I’ve found that these times have fewer lines.

6.         Volunteers. Most of the people checking your ticket, selling you the excellent wares that the Galveston Historical Foundation (GHF) has to offer, and who are stationed throughout the property are all volunteers. This means they are not getting paid. The white shirt-black pants army is there to keep the tour rolling and help you visit these beautiful homes. I say this because when you find yourself in a line, know that most of these people are doing the best they can to give you a great experience. Concerning the historical knowledge of these places, I am looking forward to seeing what the GHF will offer its volunteers. One year, I volunteered to be a docent on the front porch and all I got was a 3 x 5 index card of information. I will admit that it has finally gotten better!

7.         Visit the Old City Cemetery! The wildflowers are lovely and a great photo opportunity for photographers.

8.         Make sure to look for the cemetery tours hosted by Kathleen Maca. They sell out fast! The reason is that she is a great storyteller and has written several books on Broadway’s prominent cemetery.

See you on the tour!

2023 Galveston Historic Homes Tour:  

https://www.visitgalveston.com/blog/galveston-historic-homes-tour-locations/?fbclid=IwAR1kchD2PH3VW1Ixn9i_xwE1OTA59eWBjkydkMkieMghj7QLxmC2BKk1ha4

Thoughts and Ramblings: Watching Darkness Fall; Brothers in Arms; 49th Annual Galveston Historic Homes Tour

761st

Lately, I’ve been spending time and money on my Audible account. I’ve downloaded audiobook after audiobook—mostly World War II biographies but with a few lighter reads on plagues, pestilences, and musicians. I’m still recovering from the bio of Dave Mustaine (Megadeth’s front man) on life on heroin, hating Metallica, and edging on the Northern Irish into a riot. It’s a good read, but I’m still detoxing from the amount of heavy drug use it contained. And I won’t even get into Nikki Sixx’s book The Dirt!

I finished two books this week, and I highly recommend both. The first is called Watching Darkness Fall by David McKean. It describes the situation in Europe leading up to WWII and the four American diplomats who witnessed it firsthand. I’ll admit that this book brings out my hatred for Joe Kennedy almost as much as my views on MacArthur and Roosevelt. Maybe I’ll get into that one day, but I want to discuss the next read.

The second book was Brothers in Arms by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (yes, that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and Anthony Walton. The subtitle reads The Epic Story of the 761st Tank Battalion, WWII’s Forgotten Heroes. The 761st was the first Black mechanized battalion in the army and the first of its kind to see action in WWII. The book follows the struggles, tribulations, and racial discrimination of these soldiers from their training in Louisiana and Texas to being hand-picked by General George S. Patton to fight in his Third Army. And fight they did. They went up against elite Panzer divisions and endured a casualty rate of 40 percent. In the end, they broke the Siegfreid Line, advanced through many German cities, and liberated the concentration camp in Gunskirchen, Austria. In the movie Patton, you will see a tank division advancing across the Rhine River. That was the 761st, but for some reason, some idiot decided to use white actors instead of giving an accurate account of these fighting men. I’ll leave a link to a documentary that provides a complete picture of the 761st below.

The 49th Annual Galveston Historic Homes Tour begins next week, and I want to give a few details about what to expect for the first two weekends of this May event. There are ten houses/properties on the tour (the 1920 City National Bank building is not a house, but it was on previous tours; I hope to see it fully restored). No word on the booty call. Last year there were five houses where you needed to wear booties, and that took a lot of time. Not knowing more about the properties where I will not be volunteering could be a problem, so stay tuned. My house is small and has only one story, so it should be fine.

When taking a historic homes tour, you should have a plan because the ticket is only good for the first two weekends in May. The ticket costs $45. Since 2012, my plan has been to take the tour on the first Saturday and then volunteer on the first Sunday with the Candy Lady. I will post my views during Saturday’s tour and hopefully guide you in visiting the different properties. With that said, I will now offer my guidance to my friend Wanda because she is not the sharpest tool in the shed.

  1. Each ticket is valid for one visit to every house on both weekends. If you can go both weekends, taking the tour with family and friends is a great experience. However, if you only have one weekend or even only one day, then it is better to take the tour with no more than three people. Long lines can be an obstacle. One year I took the opening-day tour solo, and there was a point when I passed in front of 14 people because they only had enough room for one more person in the group.
  2. Some of the houses are in the same neighborhood, so have a plan to park centrally. You will be able to walk to multiple places without wasting time looking for a parking spot for the various destinations.
  3. NO HEELS! I should have put this up top. This is the one thing I’ve never understood. Why would someone wear heels on a home tour that involves walking upstairs and on lovely restored floors? If you do wear heels, you’ll end up walking through some stranger’s house shoeless. There was an instance when a homeowner had their beautiful restored floor damaged by someone who chose not to wear comfortable shoes. The money raised by the tour paid for the floor to be restored once more.
  4. Booties! Speaking of shoes, it is always inevitable to have one house on the tour that doesn’t want you, Wanda, prancing around in heels or people walking on their newly restored floors. I get it, restoration is expensive! But then why have your home on the tour? Anyway, I digress. This will undoubtedly slow down the number of people taking the tour. So, there may be some waiting time.
  5. It may be better to visit popular homes, such as the cover house, at the opening, during lunchtime, or close to the last tour (six in the afternoon). I’ve found that these times have fewer lines.
  6. Volunteers. Most of the people checking your ticket, selling you the excellent wares that the Galveston Historical Foundation (GHF) has to offer, and who are stationed throughout the property are all volunteers. This means they are not getting paid. The white shirt-black pants army is there to keep the tour rolling and help you visit these beautiful homes. I say this because when you find yourself in a line, know that most of these people are doing the best they can to give you a great experience. Concerning the historical knowledge of these places, I am looking forward to seeing what the GHF will offer its volunteers. One year, I volunteered to be a docent on the front porch and all I got was a 3 x 5 index card of information. I will admit that it has finally gotten better!
  7. Visit the Old City Cemetery! The wildflowers are lovely and a great photo opportunity for photographers.
  8. Make sure to look for the cemetery tours hosted by Kathleen Maca. They sell out fast! The reason is that she is a great storyteller and has written several books on Broadway’s prominent cemetery.

Until next week, I believe shiplap will be in our future, and if you complain about seeing shiplap, then you shouldn’t have paid $45 for a historic homes tour—but I digress.

Come Out Fighting: The 761st  https://youtu.be/yDI7zOONVn4

https://www.army.mil/article/1792/the_761st_tank_battalion_fighting_the_enemy_beating_stereotypes

Watching Darkness Fall:

Brothers in Arms:  

Galveston Historic Homes Tour:  

Kathleen Maca:  http://kathleenmaca.com/index.php/book-signings/