Category Archives: Places

Thoughts and Ramblings: Cemetery Tours, Ghost Tours, Reid Tevis, Wings over Houston, Texas Raiders Memorial, and the Legend of Bragg Road

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Photo Credit: Rivers Fulton, Fans of Wings Over Houston Airshow

Cemetery tours and ghost tours present pretty much the same thing, but they have different aspects. They both talk about history, which some ghost hunters hate, but you cannot separate the two. Without referring to history, you can’t talk about someone or something haunting your trailer in Deweyville, can you? The Blackshirts/weather people rely on SB-7 Spirit Boxes to communicate with the dead (not talking about anyone specific from this area—cough!). Do they work? I have no idea.

An SB-7 is supposed to work like a broken radio. You ask it questions while it turns the radio dial. Some say that you will hear answers from departed folk in the white noise. I have one, and it has never worked. I know a few people who think it works, and that’s okay, but the aggressiveness these people show when you call them out is hilarious. I’m not saying that you didn’t hear an Indian say “ugh” in a trailer in Deweyville, but the electronic voice phenomenon you put on your YouTube channel (which has since disappeared) was about as legit as that time when the Ghost Adventures show—I digress. Do what you want, just don’t charge people $50 to “educate” them on your BS.

As ridiculous as a broken radio thingy sounds, I can take it even further. This time, I can only chastise myself for this ridiculousness. Years ago, I downloaded an app on my phone called Ghost Radar. There is a free version and a paid version. I think I paid $4.99 for it. I don’t know how it is supposed to work, but here is the description:

“Ghost Radar® is the original application designed to detect paranormal activity. Ghost Radar® attempts to detect paranormal activity by making various readings on the device. Traditional paranormal equipment can be easily fooled when simple mundane bursts of normal energy occur. Ghost Radar® sets itself apart by analyzing the readings and giving indications only when interesting patterns in the readings have been made.”

Scientifically, this is impossible, but even a broken clock is correct twice daily. I’ve used it in my home, and when I go to the cemetery, I get nothing 90% of the time, but there is that 10% that I can’t explain. Like that time when I was on the hill at the cemetery, and the app began its usual spouting of words that do not make any sense together. I was alone and not really paying attention to the area in front of the cemetery. Then it started throwing out words such as “animals, front, danger.” Yes, that will get your attention. I poked my head out toward the front of the cemetery and saw nothing. I will also say that I was near Police Chief Reid Tevis’s headstone when this occurred. Was Reid still on watch that day? Probably not, but it did make sense to check my surroundings. Reid Tevis is yet another story on the hill during the cemetery tour—no ghost talk, just history and greatness. I’ll leave a link below.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16044144/reid-tevis

Another episode took place when I was near Sheriff Thomas Langham’s grave. The app emitted just one word: “run.” I laughed then, and I still laugh today. Nothing was going on, but if Thomas Langham had a sense of humor, I might have experienced it. I have other stories, but I don’t know if I’m allowed to tell them. (Some people don’t like other people knowing that their house is haunted.) I’ll get back to you.

Next week, it’s time to Niitakayama nobore 新高山登る一二○八 (climb Mount Niitaka) at Wings over Houston at Ellington Field. Not seeing the Texas Raiders B-17 Flying Fortress will be rough. Her participation in the Tora show always added a special touch to the reenactment of the history of the Pearl Harbor attack. That big bomber flies in from the mainland, weaponless and out of fuel, and tries to land during a full-scale attack. The iconic movie Tora! Tora! Tora! which the show was born out of, is the longest continuously performing nonmilitary airshow act in the United States. Most of the planes flying in the reenactment were designed for and flew in that movie.

This blog comes out on Sunday, October 8. So, today, the Montgomery County Veterans Memorial (MCVM) Park will be hosting members of the Commemorative Air Force. They will honor the B-17 Texas Raiders that was lost last year; they will also unveil the MCVM Park’s newest monument. The events will be live streamed on the park’s Facebook page. I’ll leave a link at the bottom of this blog.

Last week, I added my most read blog of all time, “The Legend of Sarah Jane Road.” I believe my second most read blog needs love too. “The Legend of Bragg Road” was a paranormal investigation of sorts. It was the ’80s, and we didn’t have any fancy gadgets or black shirts. Common sense was the next best thing, together with a paperback edition of ESP, Hauntings and Poltergeists: A Parapsychologist’s Handbook by Loyd Auerbach.

Until next week.

Legend of Bragg Road

My last venture into the spooky realm might have been eerie, but Bragg Road has always been much more so, mainly because I have seen the light, so to speak. In the late 80s, a few friends and I frequented the sandy eight-mile road, which runs between Highways FM 787 and FM 1293 near the town of Saratoga.

Located in the heart of the Big Thicket, one could definitely lose oneself in the pitch blackness of the forest. Except for the single light that mysteriously shines on occasion. But what is this all about? Let’s delve into the history of this lonely road.

In 1902 the Santa Fe railroad cut a line through the dense thicket between Saratoga and Bragg. These tracks were needed for hauling oil from the Saratoga oilfields, along with logs and cattle. For a long time, just one trip per day to Beaumont and back seemed to be enough to progress this wilderness into civilization. However, perhaps inevitably, the wilderness won and the city of Bragg is all but forgotten.

In 1934, the tracks were removed leaving behind a sandy road, which was used mostly by hunters who inadvertently kept the thicket from reclaiming it. It was around this time that some began seeing a strange light. (Note: In the book Tales from the Big Thicket by Francis E. Abernethy, there was one sighting of the light even before the tracks were removed.)

So what is behind this strange light that has been seen for nearly 80-plus years? The foremost story is that a railroad man was decapitated in a train wreck, so now he holds a lantern high while he looks for his head.

Other explanations include the Mexican cemetery where a foreman, rather than pay his road crew, killed them and kept the money. They were swiftly buried. Now their restless spirits haunt the road.

Whatever the source, there is a light on that darkened stretch. Skeptics will tell you that it is a reflection from car lights, but that would not explain the earlier sightings when there were few cars traveling down or near the road. Furthermore the old Model T’s headlights wouldn’t have shined brightly enough.

Another possibility is swamp gas. I could entertain this theory because of an investigation I was a part of 25 years ago.

In the late 80s, I made numerous trips to Bragg Road. The first was a day trip, and my friends Bryan and Hector tagged along. I only mention this because, after unsuccessfully identifying the road, we stopped at a store in Saratoga where Hector asked a lady where Bragg Road was. She explained to him how to get there and asked why we were looking for it. Without pause Hector explained we were going to a friend’s house that was located on the road. The woman grinned and wished us well. We did find the road and traveled down all eight miles never seeing a house or any sign of life. We had a good laugh over this.

My second trip down Bragg Road was a night-time journey done solo, but I saw nothing, only the blackness of the thicket. Fortunately my next jaunt into the forest did pay off. A few friends and I did see the light. It looked like an oncoming train if you were standing on the tracks. Try as we may, we could never get close to it. The light would flicker and then disappear.

On one occasion Paul Newman and I (Note: Not the actor turned racecar driver turned salad-dressing king) did an investigation to find out just what the light was. We started by removing all evidence of tire tracks at the entrance to the sandy road, followed by all three turnarounds. We figured that if we saw a light then we would have some idea if it was from a vehicle traveling down the road or something else.

As the night progressed, we saw the light several times, but only one vehicle, other than ours, passed down the road. We checked each turnaround and found only one set of tracks. Our investigation ended without a clear answer as to the cause of the light, or if it was indeed paranormal. We did conclude however that the light, at the very least, was not from a vehicle.

Usually when I go down that road, I see the light, except on full moonlit nights. Although the light seems to be far off, I have talked to people who know people who have seen the light close up, but sadly I have never personally met anyone who has done so, nor have I been privileged to witness it in close proximity. So please take the last statement as is.

So if you’re ever along FM 787 or FM 1293 and want a thrill, just turn onto that dark sandy road. You may just see that ghostly train headlight coming toward you. And what a sight it will be.

Niitakayama nobore 新高山登る一二○八:

https://todayshistorylesson.wordpress.com/2010/12/02/climb-mount-niitaka/

Montgomery County Veterans Memorial (MCVM) Park:

https://www.facebook.com/honoredmission

Wings Over Houston 2022; Tora! Tora! Tora! WWII Demo:

Tora Tora Tora Airshows

https://toratoratora.com/

Thoughts and Ramblings: THC Project Spotlight; Operation Blue Remembrance; Deputy John E. Hutcheson; The Legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers in the 20th Century

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Good news on the state front (still waiting for national publicity, though): the Texas Historical Commission (THC) has added the Historic Magnolia Cemetery Tour to its Project Spotlight publication. It is good to know that the THC actually reads all the counties’ annual reports. The tour didn’t start out as a Jefferson County Historical Commission (JCHC) project, but some of our members went above and beyond the call of duty to make it happen. And they are still bringing the history. I’ll leave the dates and times at the end of this blog.

John E. Hutcheson

While at Magnolia Cemetery last week, I learned that Operation Blue Remembrance (OBR) will be hosting a memorial service for the fallen deputy John E. Hutcheson, whose end of watch was June 28, 1925. The OBR is a non-profit organization from Baytown that was approved by the state and the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization on June 2, 2020. Its primary focus is “assisting the law enforcement community in any way” they can and visiting all the graves of fallen officers in Texas and a few other states. I’ll leave a link to their full story at the end of the blog.

The OBR’s motto is Nemo Oblitus, which is Latin for No One Forgotten. The reason the organization is coming here is that neither the family nor the county purchased a headstone for Deputy Hutcheson when he was buried in Magnolia Cemetery. The man was forgotten until the OBR went boots on the ground and discovered that he had no marker. Well, that will change on Wednesday, September 20 at 10:00 a.m., when they will set a brand-new headstone for the fallen deputy, paid for by the organization. Indeed, no one must be forgotten. Ever. Kudos to this group for doing this. Now that I know about them, I want to know about their next projects.

So, what happened to John E. Hutcheson? Here is what we know.

Deputy Hutcheson was shot and killed with his own revolver by an unruly prisoner in the county jail. The man was in jail for public drunkenness and was working off a $21 fine. At around 1000 hours, the prisoner threw a piece of metal at Deputy Hutcheson, grazing his head. The deputy reported the incident to the sheriff, who told him not to give the prisoner lunch without the assistance of the sheriff.

Deputy Hutcheson did not heed the warning and enlisted the help of two other prisoners to help serve lunch to the prisoner. As he entered the cell, the man hit him in the head with a pot and knocked him down. The prisoner then grabbed the deputy’s .45 caliber service revolver and shot him in the chest. The two other prisoners immediately attacked the prisoner and during the struggle, the suspect was shot in the head and fatally wounded.

The two prisoners who assisted Deputy Hutcheson were released from prison for their heroic actions.

Deputy Hutcheson was survived by his wife and four daughters. He was buried at Magnolia Cemetery in Beaumont, Texas.

Source: https://www.odmp.org/officer/17099-deputy-sheriff-john-e-hutcheson

A wife and four daughters usually don’t have the money for a headstone, especially if it’s 1925. I haven’t delved into the story here, but I want to learn more about it. The public is welcome to come out to the cemetery and attend the memorial service in remembrance of John E. Hutcheson, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office will be well represented on the occasion.

On Thursday, I attended a virtual presentation by the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission. It was called “The Legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers in the 20th Century.” Cale Carter II, director of exhibitions at the Buffalo Soldiers Museum in Houston, did a superb job. He enlightened me on a few things about the 24th and 25th Infantry units in the Pacific theater of World War II that I would like to research.

The buffalo soldiers’ history is new to me, and I’ve only begun to discover their past. Here in SETX, we can confidently say that we have a buffalo soldier buried in Beaumont’s Evergreen Cemetery. For years, people speculated that there was a soldier buried there, but the facts weren’t available. Then, a researcher named Kate Hambright, who is also on the JCHC, found the last piece of the puzzle, which identified him as a soldier who fought in the Indian Wars.

Jerry Lloyd is an actual buffalo soldier because the units that originated this term were from 1866–1898. There were some Black units who fought in the Civil War on the Union side, and there were a few who fought for the Confederacy. I won’t get into this because I am not knowledgeable about the Civil War except that my great-great-grandfather came to this country in 1868 from Italy when “y’all got your sh*t together!” Some say we still haven’t, but we’re trying. I believe this is true!

George Shaw, who is also buried in Evergreen Cemetery, died in France in the Great War in 1918, along with our recognized fallen. He wasn’t a buffalo soldier, and that’s all right, but he did receive a new headstone, at the same time as Jerry Lloyd. Shaw did have a headstone, but it stated that he was a private. George Shaw was a sergeant, and when you die in a war that you didn’t ask for but participated in, accuracy matters. Thanks again to Kate for also discovering this! I will leave a link to the full video of the presentation. Thank you, Kristy Peloquin, development manager at the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission.

Well, that’s about it for this week. Until next time, Nemo Oblitus. Ever!

The times and dates of the Historic Magnolia Cemetery Tour are as follows:

Thursday, October 19 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 21 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

2022 CHC Project Spotlights:

Click to access 2022%20CHC%20Project%20Spotlights.pdf

Operation Blue Remembrance:

https://operationblueremembrance.org/#

Buffalo Soldiers Museum: https://buffalosoldiersmuseum.org/

12 News Now: Jerry Lloyd and George Shaw

https://www.12newsnow.com/article/news/local/two-black-fallen-soldiers-receiving-headstone-evergreen-cemetery/502-872d65aa-a1a9-4ec4-b621-529bf8d3d6de

Friends of the THC:

http://www.thcfriends.org/

Texas Historical Commission:

https://www.thc.texas.gov/

The Legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers in the 20th Century (Full Video Presentation)

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=267001102819972

Thoughts and Ramblings: 100 Things to Do in Beaumont? Is the USS Texas Homeless? A Drive down Memory Lane

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Someone wrote a book called 100 Things to Do in Beaumont Before You Die. My first thought was, “That’s nice,” but I can get this kind of information at most museums and attractions in our area. The Beaumont Conventions & Visitors Bureau has a website that offers this information for free. So, why the book? Who is the audience? And who wrote it?

I learned a lot about people’s thoughts about Beaumont from my covert operations regarding the USS Texas. At the time, they were looking at which city should host it. Everyone dismissed Beaumont as a drive-through city and wasn’t cordial about it. I have the audio! I believe 秋山 優花里 Akiyama Yukari would have been proud of me and my shenanigans, but I digress! We know many visitors frequent both the Museum of the Gulf Coast in Port Arthur and Spindletop Gladys City Boomtown Museum in Beaumont. Some of them are international. Not the numbers that the USS Texas needs to stay afloat, but the numbers are good (but not that good to vacation here unless you fish).

The book’s author is Lauren Monitz, a freelance journalist who has moved to Beaumont. She’s written other books like this one and has a travel blog called The Down Lo. Let’s just say that her travels are global, as is her following. Her Instagram rocks about 101,000 followers (and I didn’t even see one cat video). It’s obvious that she wrote the book because she saw a lot of good things in this area and wanted to spread the word. Kudos to her for this. I’ll leave a link to her blog below.

Regarding the USS Texas, there is no certainty that the foundation will moor it to Pier 21 in Galveston next to the Elissa. Is Tilman Fertitta getting cold feet? Probably not. The problem may be similar to that of Beaumont hosting it. There are restrictions in the waterways that may have to get Congress involved, and we already have too much incompetence in politics. I know the ship needs 250,000 paid visitors a year to break even, so the foundation wanted it in Galveston. If not Galveston, then where? Corpus Christi is not in the mix, and that is interesting because they know how to take care of museum ships. I’m sure it will end up somewhere on Galveston Island, but I wonder about the repairs needed in 30 years due to the salt water. The state of Texas has given the foundation 35 million dollars to go away. Hopefully, there will be some sort of GoFundMe page in 2053 to crowdfund the repairs.

Last Sunday, I took a drive down memory lane. I wanted to check Eddingston Court on Procter Street in Port Arthur. The site is privately owned now and fenced in, so I knew it would only be a drive-by. The structures haven’t changed much since the sale, but at least the grass is mowed, and Dionicio’s conch shell wall is intact behind a chain-link fence. This was a sight to see when it was built in 1929 by tugboat captain and businessman Ambrose Eddingston. One can only hope something will come of this property so that it can shine again.

I also noticed new construction next door at the old Pond Estate, at least along the road, but the land goes back to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The Ponds owned Greenlawn Cemetery in Groves before selling it to the corporate entity known as Dignity Memorial, which is not question friendly unless you have your checkbook out. This is really sad because most of my family is buried there. Last year, as part of the Texas Historical Commission’s cemetery inventory project, I tried to get in touch with someone of substance at this Dignified Dog and Pony show. I needed to know if Johnson Cemetery is separate from Greenlawn. I know it used to be separate, but the goal of the inventory project was to answer questions about how many cemeteries were in a county. I still haven’t heard back from them. I will also add that the same company owns Forest Lawn in Beaumont. I asked them a similar question, and I did get an answer. The person on the other end of the phone wasn’t happy to talk to me, but at least I got an answer. I’ll just leave it there.

The old interurban office on Austin Avenue and the Adams Building were my next drive-bys down memory lane. I really hope they do this building proud! Kudos to Motiva!

Whenever I drive through Port Arthur, I am drawn to Ninth Avenue and the good memories of the area, but before reaching the memories, we stop at Saigon Market for sweet bread. Yes, I do miss Howard’s Grocery and JPOTS (Just Part of the Store), but I miss Alston’s Nursery even more. If you grew up in Port Arthur, and depending on how old you are, you will know this nursery by different names. Back in the day, it was Eagleson Nursery, then Norman Alston purchased it and spent many years selling the regular stuff, but you could always go in and purchase just one vegetable plant instead of a pack of six. Corporate Walmart failed in this case.

I had a good relationship with Norman. He was full of knowledge of the industry and had common sense. At the time, my neighbor Roy was also a frequent shopper at the nursery, and there was a certain rivalry between them concerning who could grow the biggest cabbage. Of course, Roy, who was born in Leesville, Louisiana, was to me the ultimate farmer. He educated me on many things, from growing red potatoes to changing all the gas lines in the house. Usually, they would compare produce, and the winner would usually be Norman. I did a write-up on Roy; I’ll leave the link at the bottom of this blog.

Of course, as I was surrounded by nurses during my life, I have to mention St. Mary’s Hospital. It’s now an empty lot, but the flagpole and a plaque memorializing its existence are still there. It’s sad for those who worked there and remember the place; the original building was mutilated by redevelopment and expansion. Even if they had wanted to, they could never have saved the original structure. I have a few photos of the front of the original building with the name on it.

Across the street from St. Mary’s Hospital, there was an apartment complex that was moved to the beach as rentals. The ’70s maybe? I have no idea if they are still standing. St. James Catholic Church and School was south of the hospital. I remember the five-story addition of the hospital being built in the ’70s. I also remember the cement circle where a few nuns would exercise by taking walks along it. Someone told me there was a building in the middle, but I didn’t follow up on this. And even after all this talk, penguins were not referenced.

I’ve previously mentioned on the blog why Ninth Avenue gets all curvy near the Bob Hope School, which was once the Hughen School. The interurban depot stood in the middle of two dead-end roads. After 1932, I guess people figured out that this spot would make a good shortcut over the tracks, or it’s possible that the shortcut began during the war in the ’40s because almost no one had a car in this area in the ’30s. I know that the interurban tracks were removed and used for the war effort.

I didn’t mention Calvery Cemetery, where I also have family, nor my frequent visits to TG&Y across the street from the cemetery. I also didn’t mention Ace Hobby Shop on Twenty-Fifth Street, where I usually purchased World War II carrier models, and Gerald Schnieder’s store. Good times.

Occasionally, I like to drive through the old neighborhood on Nineteenth and Twentieth Streets, but things have changed. Some of my old neighbors and friends have gone, including the Tremonts, Myers, Duhons, Domacs, Fontenots, Romeros, Belangers, Les, Trans, Garcias, Broussards, and Boones. All good people. Some have moved on; others have moved up. I’ll end it here, but I do want to say that five-year-old me ate the perfect crabcake thanks to Mrs. Domac.

100 Thungs to do in Beaumont, TX Before You Die:  https://www.reedypress.com/shop/100-things-to-do-in-beaumont-texas-before-you-die/

Lauren Monitz:  https://www.instagram.com/lmonitz/

The Down Lo:  https://thedownlo.com/

U.S.S. Texas: https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/battleship-texas-future-uncertain/285-4dc0930c-a758-48d3-8322-51ad9287e316

Interurban: https://www.rediscoveringsetx.com/2013/07/10/interurban-railway/

Old Roy:  https://www.rediscoveringsetx.com/2012/07/24/remembering-roy/St. James School Photos:https://flic.kr/s/aHsjHbBt2P

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

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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: It Didn’t Come Home; Sunken Ship on the Neches; the Ivory Bill; the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission Webinars; Herring Coe

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Coe Plot

Regarding non-SETX news that haunts my interests, the English Lionesses came up short in the Women’s FIFA World Cup Final. They fought to the end and did their country proud, unlike the men’s team, which is made up of wankers (I’ve already told my story of 40 years of pain for the Three Lions). The thing about the US teams is that here the tables are switched. The women’s team is supposed to be better than the men’s one because it won the World Cup in 2019, and it used to be this way, mostly because the female players are underpaid and hungry, but not this year. They looked like they didn’t care, even after multiple losses. Kudos to the men for attempting to be a team, but please send Pulisic to rot in Caney Head or in a part of hell where I will not meet him. OK, that’s now out of my system.

The current heat and severe drought have taken their toll on SETX, especially in terms of freshwater levels. But as a result of this misery, a piece of history was discovered on the Neches River in Jasper County. A local resident found a submerged wooden structure along the banks of the river. From the looks of it, the structure was some kind of boat or ship. A few known wrecks happened along the Neches and Sabine Rivers, and I hope they discover the story of this one. The Texas Historical Commission (THC) is now involved in searching for this vessel’s origin.

If you want to cruise the Neches and see and learn about some of the wrecks or sunken barges in Jefferson County and Orange County, you need to book a trip on the Ivory Bill at Neches River Adventures. The ride is excellent and is mostly informative. I’ve taken the tour a few times and written about it before. I’ll leave a link at the bottom of this blog. The history lesson, as well as the wildlife, is something you must experience.

Speaking of the THC, the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission are offering free learning opportunities and webinars, and I will be taking advantage of some of these talks. They start at six in the evening, which is different from anything the THC usually does. Normally, their events start at noon on a weekday because they seem to think that everyone is either retired and has nothing to do or works at a university, where they can disappear and tell the powers that be that they were in a Zoom meeting. This is a problem for me because I don’t work at a computer all day, and I have to plan meetings. But I will be definitely attending the webinar on “The Legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers: Buffalo Soldiers and Their Service in the 20th Century.” I will leave a link to the webinars below.

I like this type of content because I don’t have to get off early, shower, and look presentable. I just want to hear the speakers. This worked well for me during COVID, and my continuing education classes with AgriLife and the Texas Department of Agriculture were good. The head guy at Jefferson County Extension told me, “Make sure you have pants on because we have had issues.” I didn’t ask about the issues; I just made sure I was dressed. I hoped they would keep doing this, but, sadly, I was at Ford Park in November the day of the McFaddin–Ward lecture and had to deal with the same talks, plus some jackass put the thermostat on 58, and I had no jacket. At least I had a good view of the traffic backed up all morning, and the 18-wheel tanker on fire in the afternoon, but I digress.

Like last week, I wanted to highlight another Magnolia Cemetery resident from past tours. Sculptor Herring Coe has always been a popular figure on the tour, and even though he is not focused on this year, it is worth your while to check out his carved headstones, which he made for himself, his parents, his siblings, and their spouses. The carvings on the blocks represent each person’s unique interests or talents. The stones are a fitting tribute to each life lived. Some of Herring’s other sculptures and carvings include the Dick Dowling monument on the battlefield in Sabine Pass, carvings on the Biology and Geology buildings at Lamar University in Beaumont, carvings on the 1931 Jefferson County Courthouse, and a memorial for the schoolchildren killed in an explosion in New London, Texas, in 1937.

The times and dates of the Historic Magnolia Cemetery Tour are as follows:

Thursday, October 19 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 21 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Until next week, it’s never coming home, so I guess I’ll go cry in my bucket of Vindaloo! Nah Nah, Nah!

12 News Now Shipwreck:  https://www.12newsnow.com/article/news/local/discovery-shipwreck-neches-river/502-5754f63e-6d22-4600-87e0-483a52ab8981

THC Upcoming Events & Webinars:  https://www.thcfriends.org/#projects

Neches River Adventures:  https://www.nechesriveradventures.org/

Neches River Adventures Tour (2012):  https://www.rediscoveringsetx.com/2012/10/01/neches-river-adventures-tour/

NRA Tour Photos (2012):  https://flic.kr/s/aHsjCd9Weh

NRA Tour Photos (2014):  https://flic.kr/s/aHsjUEPEHe

Herring Coe:

https://www.lamar.edu/public-art/herring-coe.html

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

Vindaloo:  https://youtu.be/va6nPu-1auE?si=ZBv4o_iWOlPvj2pc

Thoughts and Ramblings: The Origins of the Historic Magnolia Cemetery Tour, Oscar “Speedy” Eldridge, and Never Trust Your Neighbors.

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Oscar Newell “Speedy” Eldridge

The Historic Magnolia Cemetery Tour will soon be upon us, along with the usual reporter nudging us on and asking us where spooky stories can be found in SETX, given it’s October. I get it, and I also want to know, but our tour is history based. Most folks know this, except for a particular local tourist website that hasn’t updated its “Things to Do” page since 2017. No, we aren’t a ghost tour, but if you are inclined to delve into that realm, we can talk after the tour. Wink wink!

This will be the third annual tour since we brought it back after Hurricane Harvey screwed up everyone’s lives. One of the perks of the recent tours is having people speak who have personally researched their subjects and/or who are related to the individuals in question. I have done a lot of research on the residents of Magnolia Cemetery and have found many interesting stories as well as a significant amount of lost history concerning this area. I’m glad I’m not alone. Most of the presenters show their passion for talking about local history and the stories of lives once lived. I believe you will enjoy listening to our historical tour. And the best thing about it is that it’s free to attend! I’ll give the times and dates at the end of this blog.

This tour has gone from two people sharing stories with the docents of the McFaddin-Ward House to a few more speakers on a couple of Heritage Happy Hours with the Heritage Society (which went really well!) to an organized tour for Magnolia Cemetery. I want to thank the volunteers of the past two tours for rediscovering some forgotten stories that are relevant to our history. One story that I especially enjoyed was from the research collection of Don Smart. On the first tour (2021), he presented Oscar “Speedy” Eldridge. Here is Don’s blurb on Speedy:

Oscar Newell “Speedy” Eldridge was born in 1878 in Illinois. By 1900, Eldridge was living in Brenham, Texas, with his sister and brother-in-law, working as a carpenter.

In November 1900, he took a job with the Beaumont Fire Department at the central fire station, where he actually lived. Over the years that he worked for the fire department, his duties included, but were not limited to, driver (1903), driver of hook and ladder (1910–11), pipe man (1914), truckman (1916), and captain at fire station no. 5 (1924). He also served as a constable for a few terms. Eldridge served the Beaumont Fire Department from November 1900 to December 1944; that is, 44 years and one month.

Eldridge engaged in a pastime that many Beaumonters enjoy, which is often called “America’s favorite pastime.” He played baseball for the Beaumont Athletic Club in several leagues: Rice and Lumber League (1901), Sunset League (1902), and South Texas League (1903) to name a few. Eldridge earned his nickname “Speedy” not because of his running ability but because of his pitching.

“Speedy” Eldridge married Daisy Long in July 1918. They were married for 26 years, but the federal census never listed any children.

Oscar Newell “Speedy” Eldridge died in February 1945, just two months after retiring from the Beaumont Fire Department.

In addition to that awesome photo of Speedy galloping down a Beaumont street in a horse-drawn wagon, what I love about this story is that he was also a fireman and a baseball player. That hits close to home in a good way because my father was a fireman in the late 1950s and early ’60s in Port Arthur. While visiting the Museum of the Gulf Coast with my sister, we found his photo on display in one of the exhibits. He was also a pretty good baseball player for Lamar State College. To be fair to Speedy, though, my father never rode in a horse-drawn wagon looking that cool.

I have some stories from the Port Arthur Fire Department, but a few are not that good. The main one I remember concerns some firefighters who were training at an “abandoned” house. Back in the day, the fire department would set fire to abandoned houses and then put out the fire. They did this multiple times in a day, with the neighbors sometimes watching. Well, on that particular day, the owner of the house came home to find his property burned multiple times and ruined. The neighbors had said nothing; they had just watched the actions of the fire department all day. Based on this story, I’ll just say that your neighbors are not your friends. Never trust the *%^*%^.

I will end this blog early with this epiphany because the Third Annual Magnolia Cemetery Tour is being planned, not because the English Lionesses are in the FIFA World Cup Final. No one wakes up for that at five o’clock in the morning on their day off. No one! But it is coming home!

The Historic Magnolia Cemetery Tour will be part of the Museum Madness Weekend. The times are as follows:

Thursday, October 19, 4:00–6:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 21, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Hope to see you there!

12 News Now Story on the Cemetery Tour from 2022 :

 https://youtu.be/RoCpn9zV6wk

The Stringbean; The Historic Magnolia Cemetery; Researching for a Historical Marker

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After listening to the Bayoulands podcast, I was triggered by just one word: Stringbean. Probably because I’ve been thinking of my late friend Jerry, and he was the one who introduced this Port Arthur/Pleasure Island train history to me. We will get into this supposed death trap of a vehicle in a minute, but I want to add that the safety standards in 1914 were not up-to-date with modern technology. I guess you can look at things like ski lifts in the 70s and 80s, which would be the same thing, I guess. Many people rode the ski lifts to the top of the mountain—even with children on their laps—unharnessed. “Oh, the horror!” In the end, people do what they can, by necessity, and you can’t judge them by the era you live in. But I do judge people on what they put on their toast. (I’m old and don’t care.) You have to see the whole history, not your 2023 observations. But it’s wild all the same.

Looking at the photo, and knowing the history of the trolley, which charged five cents for a ride across the waterway, it seems there were a lot of people who didn’t pay five cents and walked across the small walkway beside the tracks. I’m sure some safety person would be triggered at this photo for a totally different reason than I am, but back in the 1910s, people did what they could. I’m just amazed that they could produce ice in August 1906 in Beaumont. To me, that’s Egyptian-grade history. We don’t have pyramids in Beaumont, but we do have a fire hydrant. Thanks, Disney!

The Historic Magnolia Cemetery Tour is a name we’ve been throwing out there for the past two years, but this year, we can actually promote it as a cemetery tour in a historic cemetery. Why? As of this week, the cemetery has been legally acknowledged by the Texas Historical Commission (THC) as a historic cemetery. Up the road a bit, Evergreen Cemetery has had this designation since 2001, and I know that someone is currently in the process of trying to get Pear Orchard Cemetery designated, too. How does a cemetery become a historic cemetery in the eyes of the Texas Historical Commission?  To be honest, hard work and research by some determined people who get it done is usually the recipe. Legitimate research is a must, because hearsay doesn’t cut it.

Historic cemetery designations are generally a lot easier to achieve than designations for places, people, or historic events, which have their own rules and timeframes to go by. This type of research is solely for the passionate, and I don’t suggest that anyone do it unless they are ready to help. I’ve had someone email me about researching an old family name in SETX, wondering where the cemetery was. That part is easy, but they didn’t stop there—they wanted me to research their old families’ histories in the Netherlands. No. I don’t spend my time and money researching West-end Wanda’s kinfolk. No, I can’t blame this on Wanda (unless it was her cousin from Missouri emailing me), but the sentiment is there. I’ll help out, but you’re going to do the work.

Usually, in the summer months, I can’t do as much research as I would like because of work, so my goal for digitizing all the Susie Spindletop Weekly Letters will have to be extended to the winter months, along with my desire to delve into Toodlum’s Port Arthur News articles. Martha “Toodlum” Ferguson was someone I never met, but I found her articles helpful, especially when researching the Interurban. I also find her honest when bringing up Port Arthur’s history. I will add that scanning through a copy of the Port Arthur News, the Beaumont Enterprise, orthe Journal is much easier nowadays than when I started. Expensive, but easier. I spent two and a half years at the Tyrrell Historical Library on a microfiche machine, keeping them in quarters. It was like being in a casino, but with no alcohol, and hitting the jackpot a few times. (The Tyrrell was a Baptist Church before it was a library, so they may have frowned upon drinks.)

Until next time, tot de volgende keer!

Thoughts and Ramblings: Texas Point, William D. Quick, John McGaffey’s Gold, Legends, and Fireworks

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Last week, when someone mentioned that they had visited Texas Point, where the coastal gun positions were during the Spanish–American War and World War II, I wanted to use a photo of mine dating back to when I last went to the area. I thought the search would be easy—boy, was I wrong. On my Flickr page, which contains more than 8,000 photos, I found many of Sabine Pass, but not of this spot. Then, I checked my photographic database, which is probably three times bigger than the Flickr page, and I still couldn’t find one. So, I ended up searching the blog’s Facebook page, and I finally found what I needed. I also found many more interesting photos that I had forgotten about. Some of these were from the William D. Quick archive. There is one photo of what looks like a saloon with people near the front playing cards; other people are standing outside on the walkway, probably posing for the picture, with nine barrels dumped on the dirty street. Who are these people? What are they doing? Why? These are a few of the questions that came to my mind.

I would assume that the photograph was taken in the 1890s. According to Blanche Morgan’s recollection of early Port Arthur, you could have seen the same scene around 1905. I will also throw in the Catfish Hotel in Sabine from the 1860s. No one went thirsty in those days. Although no one in the photo resembles Dutch Margaret, I doubt that someone was assaulted with a parasol. I’ll leave a link at the bottom of the page for this story. I think Sabine Pass was the Wild West before the Wild West existed. I guess I’d have to talk to Sam Houston about this because he’s one of the folks who founded the city.

One mystery that has intrigued many is the legend of John McGaffey’s gold. According to historian W. T. Block, it’s folklore. However, in the past, many people have searched for the gold booty of the Spanish, which Josiah Carton stated was buried by pirates on a beach in the area. My first thought was the following: If he knew where it was, why didn’t he dig it up? Legends are fun until people start desecrating cemeteries looking for precious metals. “In 1936, one hunt resulted in considerable vandalism to an above-ground brick burial vault in McGaffey Cemetery, so desecrated that bones were left scattered about on the ground.” I’ll leave a link to W. T. Block’s article at the bottom of this blog.

Bragg Road

There are many legends in our area; some are more factual, while others are more speculative. The Bragg Road/Saratoga lights? Maybe. Sarah Jane Road? I’ll leave a photo that shows that Sarah Jane Bridge did not exist in 1938. By the way, there were no trees to hang oneself from on that nonexistent road. If you are interested in reading my 15 minutes of fame, which came with no monetary value, you can check out the links to the “Legend of Sarah Jane” and our antics on Bragg Road. These two are my most popular articles by far. People like spookiness. If you know of any spooky stories here in SETX, then get in touch with me at rediscoveringsetx@gmail.com.

I hope everyone had a happy holiday and an amazing time at your local fireworks show. I know Nederland’s display went off without any incidents. There was no word from Beaumont, but I’m sure that the Beaumont Camera Club was there to document the display’s awesomeness. I’m only bringing this up because in Port Arthur there was a “situation”. No one got hurt, but there may have been a snafu in terms of firework etiquette. It does suck when you are launching fireworks during a drought. Nothing major happened except a grass fire, which was put out with the help of the fire departments of Port Arthur and Bridge City. But that photo by Ricardo Chavez was awesome! Photo Credit: Ricardo Chavez. Story by KBMT 12 News Now.

I know the Port Arthur fireworks display well. I was lucky to have the keys (with permission) to set up on what I call a hill, though it’s actually a wave brake. To translate from engineerspeak, a wave brake is a barrier placed on a property to save its structures from being destroyed during a hurricane. Not to spoil the ending of this episode, but it didn’t work during Hurricane Ike, and it took 10 years for them to rebuild. During that time, I took my first photos of the fireworks show, locked in a property away from the public. Yes, I lost a lot of blood because you don’t use DEET or anything else around lenses. I was new, okay, and I preferred having my blood sucked out of me than ruining a shot with slimy hands. I took some nice pictures. However, in the end, I figured that hanging out in Beaumont to photograph the fireworks was much less blood consuming.

Well, I have many links this time, but some of them are worth a click. This week, Facebook stole all the good parts of Twitter and put them into Threads. I am on it, and the reason I will be putting my blog there is that Instagram doesn’t do links. Also, the only reason I’m on Instagram is that I hate Facebook, which owns Instagram. I digress. Don’t follow me on Instagram unless you are okay with bog witches, World War II, Tankery, and cats. You have been warned.

Until next week.

Flickr photo page: https://www.flickr.com/people/25032584@N05/

Blanche’s Journey:   https://www.rediscoveringsetx.com/2014/04/16/blanches-journey-an-early-look-at-life-in-port-arthur/

W.T. Block Kate Dorman and Dutch Margaret:  http://www.wtblock.com/wtblockjr/catherin.htm

John McGaffey’s Gold by W.T. Block:  https://www.ned.lib.tx.us/john1.htm

Legend of Sarah Jane:  https://www.rediscoveringsetx.com/2012/10/23/legend-of-sarah-jane-road/

Legend of Bragg Road:  https://www.rediscoveringsetx.com/2012/10/30/legend-of-bragg-road-saratoga-light/

 12 News Now Port Arthur Fireworks Display:   https://www.12newsnow.com/article/news/local/port-arthur-fireworks-display-ignites-fire/502-86392137-c3fa-4928-a605-6db67babad9d

Flickr Fireworks Port Arthur (2014):   https://flic.kr/s/aHsjZky5Pj

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/paulprosperie/

Threads:  https://www.threads.net/@paulprosperie

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

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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:

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: Susie Spindletop Edition

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It’s been a busy week here, Under the Oakes on Ye Olde Block Farm. So I’ll be back next week with more nonsense and shenanigans. In the meantime, Susie is here to guide you through some SETX life in 1929.

                              Susie Spindletop’s Weekly Letter Snipetts 1929

Dear Della:

   Rumor is telling it around that some doctors are going to build a clinic right alongside of Stratton’s flat in Magazine street. Della, if this is true I DO hope they won’t throw all amputated legs, arms, tonsils, adenoids and appendixes out of the back window into the front yard of the flat. You know I’m in debt for that flat. However, that mortgage I have plastered all over the place may keep this human debris out. Guess I had better ask Miss Pearl Brock—she is the yes-and-no man for the building company.

   So with a clinic next door, it looks like I will inherit the burden lifted from Mrs. Sol Elisha’s shoulders when the baseball park was moved. Mrs. Elisha had a tub full of baseballs which had fallen into her yard after inflicting damage to the roof of her home. Well, Della, I’ll promise you not to carry the burden that far. I’m not going to save things in my yard until I get a tubful.

                                                          May 19, 1929

                 *                                                      *                                           *

DELLA, the passing of the old homes of Beaumont brings many heartaches. But there are heart throbs along with the aches, for as in the case of the old Keith home on Willow street, recently sold, it awakened sweet memories… carries the mind and heart back to yesteryear.

   Mrs. Bucklin once kept a boarding house in the Keith home and I recall the days when Seawillow and Will Keith, Marjorie and “brother” boarded with Mrs. Bucklin. It was from there that Marjorie Bucklin Solinsky finished school.

   Eleanor Ives (now Eleanor Wiggins) was born in one of the big old rooms.

   No one thought then that the place where hospitality reigned supreme, where infants with their cooing songs were romping on the floor, where youth was spending its evenings in innocent merrymaking would one day give way to the pounding of the machinist’s hammer as he worked over automobiles, something almost unknown at that time.

                                                           July 7, 1929

   *                                                     *                                               *

DELLA, my boy friend, I mean one of them, left the Shawnee high and dry on the flood waters of the Neches river when he heard that about the only spirits he would find on the West Indies cruise would be those that might slip out of Davy Jones’ locker for a peep at what was going on on the surface. But there were a lot of fine fellows aboard who only thought of flowers, good wishes from their friends and the pleasures of a cruise among tropical islands.

  That reminds me that the dearest folks on earth are the thoughtful ones, the ones who think about the happiness of people who might otherwise be overlooked—maybe jump overboard in despair. Acting upon this impulse Sadie Wiess sent Jim Edwards a bouquet to take to his state room. Said she knew nobody else would send one.

SINCE the flood I am strong for short skirts and natural stockings. Really natural shoes would come in handy.

   Truth is, the Neches river and all of its little rivers up the country have been cutting up like a seashore party. Motor boats and airplanes have been about the only means of transportation in some sections but Beaumont is high and dry with the exception of a little water around the hem on a skirt.

  The Enterprise delivered papers by airplane and I expect you got my last letter that way. Carried yeast up the country too, saying that the people wanted to make some bread.

                                                June 9, 1929

*                                                    *                                                     *

SOMEHOW, my dear, we can’t get ahead. For geographic prominence we started out with Spindle Top which seemed to carry an impression that we had a mountain that looked like a spindle top until somebody discovered that there was a Spindle Top gulley because some boy lost his top there.

  Then Captain Plummer caught a whale down on the beach and somebody came along and wrote “Down to the Sea in Ships,” showing more whales somewhere else than the average person has advice when you have a bad cold. Then we produced our Big Hill which at least sounded big, but it hardly got on the map before Sour Lake came along and produced a crater.

  Just why they didn’t ask my advice about it I don’t know, but it promises to be constantly widening until it gets up where I can afford to give it a little attention.

                                              October 20, 1929

   *                                               *                                                      *

 MARY AUTRY HIGGINS came along with the epitaph she found somewhere:

Here lyeth the body of WILLIAM STRATTON

buried May 18, 1734

Age 97

Who had by his first wife 28 children

By his second, 17

Own father to 45,

Grandfather to 86,

Great-grandfather to 97,

great great- grandfather to 23…in all 251

A gravestone in Yorkshire, England

                               June 16, 1929

*                                         *                                             *

LAST Sunday the printer made an error in the last paragraph of my letter. I was worried until a member of my family pulled this: “Why worry? Nobody ever reads to the last paragraph of your letter anyhow.”

  Yours for more and longer miles between relatives, SUSIE

                                     October 13, 1929

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Must leave you now. The ground is broke for my new home and so am I

                                             September 29, 1929

                                  Florence Stratton, aka Susie Spindletop

Born in Brazoria County in 1881, Florence moved to Beaumont in 1903. She was a newspaper reporter for both the Beaumont Journal and the Beaumont Enterprise. She is credited with starting both the Milk and Ice Fund (1915) and the Empty Stocking Fund (1920), charities of the Beaumont Journal. Florence authored The Story of Beaumont, published in 1923, which was the most successful of her five books. In 1929 Florence built her home at 1929 McFaddin Avenue, using plans from a New England cottage and brick from the 1892 Jefferson County courthouse. She also wrote a weekly column for the Beaumont Enterprise under the pen name Susie Spindletop from 1926 until her death in January of 1938.

A Brief History of Florence Stratton Part 1:    

https://www.rediscoveringsetx.com/2017/03/21/a-brief-history-of-florence-stratton-part1/

A Brief History of Florence Stratton Part 2:

https://www.rediscoveringsetx.com/2017/03/28/a-brief-history-of-florence-stratton-part2/