Category Archives: Thoughts and Ramblings

It’s International Women’s Day; Nachthexen; Boudica; The Trung Sisters; Jane Long; Catherine Magill Dorman

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It’s International Women’s Day, so I can cross borders with my regional blog. (I don’t make the rules!) Florence Stratton, the Beaumont newspaper journalist who wrote for both the Enterprise and the Journal, crossed borders in 1920 with her best friend Willie Cooper-Hobby and her husband, Texas Governor W. P. Hobby. They went to Mexico to see Álvaro Obregón Salido being sworn in as the country’s nuevo presidente. Florence had a knack for mingling, but it was done on Willie’s tab at first, or should I say on that of Sam Bronson Cooper, Willie’s father. He was a congressman, which is why his daughter Willie and her friend Florence went to Washington DC to do socialite things, such as going to a party at the White House in 1908. I should also state that thanks to Sam Cooper, Beaumont has a deep-water port. I’ll leave a link in Sunday’s blog.

Nachthexen

During World War II, the Night Witches emerged as a formidable force in the Soviet Union’s 588th Night Bomber Regiment. Made up entirely of women, this courageous regiment struck fear into the hearts of its Nazi adversaries. Operating obsolete biplanes under the cover of darkness, they executed daring bombing raids, relentlessly harassing German troops on the eastern front. Flying low to avoid detection, they faced constant danger from enemy fire. Despite the odds, the Night Witches displayed unparalleled bravery and resilience, and their stealthy, lethal attacks earned them their nickname. Their extraordinary feats continue to inspire awe and admiration, and they highlight the indomitable spirit of women in wartime. I will also add that Yevdokiya Yakovlevna Rachkevich traced the regiment’s path during the war and managed to locate the remains of some of the women who were listed as missing in action so that they could receive proper burials.

Boudica

Boudica, the Celtic warrior queen of the Iceni tribe, remains a symbol of rebellion and defiance against Roman oppression during the first century in Britain. After the brutal annexation of her kingdom and the mistreatment of her family, Boudica led a fierce uprising against Roman forces. With her rallying cry for freedom, she united various tribes in a formidable resistance, wreaking havoc on Roman settlements and armies. Despite facing overwhelming odds, Boudica struck fear into the hearts of her enemies with leadership and determination. Although her rebellion was eventually crushed, her legacy endures as a symbol of courage and resistance against tyranny. Don’t ever dis this miss!

The Trung Sisters

Trưng Trắc and Trưng Nhị are legendary figures in Vietnamese history. They are revered for their bravery and leadership during the first century. During the Chinese domination of their country, these sisters ignited a widespread rebellion and united Vietnamese clans against their oppressors. Fearless in battle, these charismatic leaders led their army to numerous victories, reclaiming territory and inspiring hope among their people. Even though they were eventually defeated, they are still remembered as symbols of Vietnamese independence and female empowerment. The Trung sisters’ unwavering spirit continues to inspire generations, reminding the world of the power of determination and unity in the face of adversity.

Jane Long

A pioneer and heroine of early Texas, Jane Long embodied resilience and courage during the tumultuous nineteenth century. Jane arrived in Texas in 1819 with her husband James Long, and she faced the challenges of frontier life with determination. Following her husband’s death and the outbreak of the Texas Revolution, Jane found herself a widow with children in a hostile land. However, she refused to succumb to despair, becoming a symbol of strength and self-reliance. Her ingenuity and resourcefulness—she delivered her own child in a difficult situation—epitomized the pioneer spirit. Jane Long’s legacy is integral to Texas history, and it showcases the indomitable spirit of its early settlers.

Catherine Magill Dorman

Kate arrived in Southeast Texas in 1851. Most historians believe that she lived in Sabine as early as 1847; however, the census records of her home state of Georgia show that both Kate and her husband, Arthur Magill, were still living there as late as 1850.

In 1852, Kate and her husband built the Catfish Hotel, a two-story dwelling located about three hundred yards from Fort Griffin. The hotel housed around two dozen permanent residents, along with the standard passing trade, which comprised merchants and seamen.

The Catfish had a wharf where steamers would dock regularly to indulge in the fare at the hotel’s popular eatery. During the Civil War, one patron, a certain William Berry Duncan (confederate officer, Liberty County sheriff, and cattleman), wrote that he made frequent visits to the hotel, sometimes leaving his post at Grigsby’s Bluff to dine and enjoy what he called “some tolerable good music.”

On November 2, 1859, tragedy struck. Arthur Magill, by then the chief engineer on the T. J. Smith, a Neches River mail packet, was killed when its boiler exploded. This left Kate alone to care for their two young daughters. Kate would later sue Captain H. C. Smith, the owner of the T. J. Smith, for her deceased husband’s wages. This would be one of many legal confrontations between the two.

H. C. Smith wasn’t the only thorn in Kate’s side. One day, a woman nicknamed Dutch Margaret entered the Catfish Hotel while Kate was serving meals. Dutch Margaret proceeded to vilify and yell obscenities at Kate in front of all the diners. Kate immediately retaliated with her own set of obscenities before resuming her duties. Unbeknownst to Kate, three of her friends met Dutch Margaret on the street and caned her with a parasol (an umbrella).

Dutch Margaret filed a lawsuit on the grounds that she had suffered a miscarriage from the caning. The plaintiff’s attorney, H. C. Pedigo, questioned the legality of a juror named Will J. Collins and the claim that he lived in Jefferson County. This resulted in the first survey of the West Jefferson County line. The case was postponed until Mr. Collins’s legitimacy as a county resident was verified, and it was eventually thrown out. Three months later, Dutch Margaret gave birth to a son.

In 1860, Kate married a widowed friend of her deceased husband. His name was Captain John Dorman, and he was the master of the Neches River cotton steamer Doctor Massie.

In July 1862, the yellow fever epidemic hit Sabine after a vessel ran the blockade put in place by the Federals. At least one thousand people fled the area afraid of what was known as yellow jack. The fever killed a hundred people in Sabine and Beaumont, forty of whom were Confederate soldiers.

With the tenants of the Catfish Hotel fleeing and nearly everyone else in Sabine escaping due to the dreaded disease, Kate stood strong. With no regard for her health, she, along with her two friends Sarah Vosburg and Sarah Ann King, turned the hotel into a makeshift hospital to care for the sick and the dying.

In October of that same year, fifty Federal troops came ashore in Sabine with a howitzer. They were on their way to burn the Confederate cavalry barracks. While marching through Sabine, they confiscated Captain Dorman’s horse and cart in order to mount the howitzer on it.

Witnessing this, Kate’s Irish temper boiled. Without thinking about the consequences, she began shaking her fist in the air and scolding the Federal invaders, telling them she hoped the Confederate boys would kill every last one of them. She added that if she had twenty-five men, she could take out the Federals and their cannon herself.

After the Federals burned down the Confederate barracks and stable, they marched through Sabine again. They returned Captain Dorman’s horse and cart with a word of warning—if he did not keep his “damn wife’s mouth shut,” they would hang him. Also, if she did not apologize to them, they would burn down the hotel. Kate replied that she would see them in hell first and that they could set fire to the building if they wanted to.

A week later, the Federals sent another patrol ashore. They burned a quarter of the town, including a sawmill and some residences, but they left the Catfish Hotel untouched.

All the stories above—some local, some international—show women’s will and determination to succeed.

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

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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

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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

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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:

S.O.S.

Thoughts and Ramblings: The Five People Who Have Positively Influenced Me During My Life.

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This week, I listened to a few oral histories I collected back in the day. I’m not a good interviewer, but these oral histories did bring out many insights into how people thought and acted in the 1930s and ’40s. The five people I interviewed have since passed, and I will say that they all positively influenced me during my life. The first two, for sure.

I mentioned Roy Temple and his impact on my life a few weeks ago. Roy was a product of the Depression and lived his life accordingly. He also lived the way he wanted—doing what he wanted to do and not bothering about anyone else. Roy may have come across as mean and ornery at times, but under that gruff demeanor, he had a heart of gold. Roy would help anyone who showed up on his doorstep, and there were many who showed up.

Roy was a carpenter by trade and a farmer by habit. He grew up in the 1920s and worked on his parents’ farm from a young age. He spent countless hours tending the fields and learning the art of agriculture (there is an art to it, as he explained to me one day). He also attended school, learning the basics—even some Latin. Later in life, he dropped out of school for a short time, but a teacher convinced him to go back, thus changing his life. Roy was no scholar, but he learned early in life that hard work and an education (in any field) could only help you succeed. And he did succeed—he worked in many fields during the more than 90 years he lived.

One thing I remember from our numerous talks was his involvement in the New Orleans shipyard during WWII. Roy helped build many a ship to the specifications of the naval fleet. “Everything had to be perfect, or they would make you do it again and again,” I remember him saying. I also remember him telling me of ships that had headed out to the Mississippi delta and to sea only to end up at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico courtesy of a German U-boat torpedo.

I’ve left a link to Roy’s story at the bottom of this blog.

Charles Irwin was a client-turned-friend of mine for 19 years. A true Texas historian, he was born in San Antonio and moved to this area in 1957. There was nothing about Texas history that he didn’t know, and he wrote three books about it: The Creed Taylor Story, Alamo Courier Benjamin Franklin Highsmith 1836, and Peerless Texas Empresarios. He even introduced me to the Republic of Texas Navy—I had no idea. (My second-grade teacher failed to mention this detail about Texas history, but we did look at the moon through a telescope on Woodrow Avenue in Port Arthur.) Yes, Texas had a navy, but it didn’t have any money. I’m sure hilarity ensued when the New Orleans shipyard needed payment to release one of their ships.

I remember our 2012 trip to the Chambers County Historical Commission in Anahuac, when we toured the T. J. Chambers House. In my files, I have many historic entries that Charles fed me. Sometimes I have to recheck who these people are and if they pertain to Texas history or SETX history.

We had other similar interests, including World War II aviation. Charles grew up in San Antonio, and he saw many planes from the war fly daily. He even attended the 50th D-day anniversary in Normandy, France. We were also both interested in English history. I will add that I believe this doesn’t connect to my Welshiness because Welsh history is different. Just ask a Welsh person—they’ll answer in Welsh and not care if you don’t understand. Because they’re Welsh!

Archie Wallace was a client of mine, but we would end up reminiscing about Port Arthur, the interurban, those rich people in Griffing Park, our mutual friend Roy Temple, and Port Arthur Mayor Bernis Sadler’s annexing quests. When asked how the city would pick up the offshore rig’s garbage, Bernis said, “Just leave it on the curb; we’ll pick it up.”

Archie was one of the few people I asked about their life during World War II. He was a child then, and the main thing he remembered was the sugar rationing; also, he had no idea where Pearl Harbor was. I’m sure those rich folks in Griffing Park had encyclopedias, but I digress. In his younger years, Archie worked on the streets in Griffing Park, so he knew the answer to my question of another road leading into Griffing Park. Back in 2015, I found a photo in the Beaumont Enterprise, taken where it is now, at the intersection between Thirty-Second Street and Twin City Highway. It was a then-and-now photo. The first one was taken in 1929, while the second was from 1959. It was nothing special, but it did show that looking south in 1929, you saw nothing, and the road curved to the right instead of making a 90-degree turn like it does today. In 1959, you could see the newly constructed auditorium and gymnasium in the background. There were no trees, and the road still curved to the right. If you stand at the traffic lights on Thirty-Second today, you don’t see the school, but if you glance to your right, you notice a street leading into Griffing Park that was blocked off by a barrier long ago. Since Thirty-Second Street runs west to east, and Twin City Highway runs north to south, you really couldn’t have a fifth road there. Hell, most drivers in Port Arthur can’t figure out a four-way stop.

Millie Rougeau was another person from my past who gave me the real deal when it came to stories of growing up in the ’40s during World War II. She even gave me her uncle’s ration book. I will leave a link about her at the bottom of this blog.

Another link I will add is for the interview I did with my uncle Roy to find out what life was like in Beauxart Gardens. I love these interviews for the history they contain, but the best thing in the cases of Charles Irwin, Millie Rougeau, and my uncle Roy is that I can still hear their voices. I have other interviews that I cherish, and I hope to bring them here fully in the future.

Until next week, reach out to a family member or friend to talk, and you may rediscover some good stories and history that you had forgotten. Do it!

Remembering Roy:

Remembering Roy

Life in Jefferson County During World War II:

Life in Jefferson County during World War II

Living in Beauxart Gardens in the 1930s:

Living in Beauxart Gardens in the 1930’s

Rediscovering Anahuac / Wallisville:

Rediscovering Anahuac / Wallisville

Thoughts and Ramblings: Texaco History with Elton Gish; Talking Port Arthur in H-E-B; Sarah Bringing Out My Tora (Triggered); a Few Words on Florence

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Last week, a couple of people asked me about books written on Texaco, and I immediately thought of Elton Gish. Elton authored Texaco’s Port Arthur Works: A Legacy of Spindletop and Sour Lake. Elton worked for Texaco for decades, and he became interested in its history early when he noticed old photos hanging on the walls of its offices. One day, he asked if he could have an aerial photo of the refinery; eventually, he was given an 8 x 10 photo and was hooked on the company’s history ever since. I have an hour of audio of him speaking at one of the Jefferson County Historical Commission (JCHC)/Certified Local Government meetings in 2016. I’ll get into that briefly, but first I want to go down the Texaco books road.

I forgot the year, but I found another book on Texaco at an estate sale (another shout-out to Heather at Ready, Set, Sale). I found both the paperback and hardback versions. The book was The Texaco Story: The First Fifty Years 1902–1952 by Marquis James. The hardcover version had a letter attached to it, signed by the chairman of the board and the president of the Texas Company. I don’t translate scribble, and the names are not significant to me, so I will skip the who’s who of Texaco’s grand pooh-bahs. However, I do believe that the letter was important to both the receiver and the company at the time.

Both books have some great photos from long ago, and I will also throw in an awesome box set of postcards I have from 2001 from the Texaco Inc. historical collection (again, Heather rocks!). I could, and did, spend hours looking at these photos and postcards.

The Elton Gish audio file from 2016 brought back many memories. I had forgotten about his journey at Texaco, and the other speakers at the meeting were also fabulous. Sarah Bellian, a JCHC member and the then curator at the Museum of the Gulf Coast, definitely added some color to the history at the meeting. Sarah is currently the curator at the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii (more on this later). Elton’s presentation at the meeting in question was nothing less than superb. He brought many Texaco product containers, cans, and boxes from throughout the company’s history. He even donned a Texaco uniform and hat! My only regret is that I didn’t make a video of the meeting because he had a PowerPoint presentation with his talk. I do have a few photos of it, which I will post.

I ran into a good friend at H-E-B this week. I won’t go all in—like Toodlum, a.k.a. Martha Ferguson, did in the ’90s about Adam Troy Rodriguez—but I will state that there is no one else I will stand next to in the cheese section in front of the meat aisle for over 30 minutes talking about Port Arthur history. The fajita potato at his restaurant, Mi Ranchito in Groves, Texas, was all I needed back then. (Pie Face’s jambalaya was also pretty good at the time.) I got to know his family, and I loved all of them. So, I guess I’m having a Toodlum moment. It may be controversial, but I will go ahead and say that Troy’s dirty rice is the best. I don’t care what your grandmother cooks (unless her name was Mrs. Domec and she made crab cakes when I was five years old—heaven!).

Last week, I asked if anyone would be interested in volunteering for a cleanup project. Thanks to those who responded. This project is in the works, so it may take some time to dot the i’s and cross the t’s, but I will keep you informed. When the ball gets rolling, we will do a piece on it here.

I have a few audio files from the past that I want to revisit next week. One includes my uncle. I did an oral history about when he lived in Beauxart Gardens in the ’30s. I also want to listen to my friend Millie’s oral history of when she lived in Port Arthur during World War II. I have many things to do, but not the time to do them, but I’ll try.

I mentioned earlier that Sarah is now in Hawaii, at the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum. In April of 2020, while everyone was locked down and masked up, I received a message and two photos of a letter printed with the letterhead of the Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation. The second page contained a plethora of events that happened during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. I will say that Sarah knew of my excessive interest in the movie Tora! Tora! Tora!, and that day she threw this old mediocre dog the most significant bone from his childhood. Courtesy of the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum at Pearl Harbor (USS Bowfin)! Everyone knows I’m obsessed with this movie and World War II history. To have a crumb of insight into what was going on at the time and the film’s preparations was gold for me. There will be a day that I will go all Yukari Akiyama 秋山 優花里 in on a blog about this movie, along with the original Midway. Heck, Les Nessman (Richard Sanders) was in it before he made history by reporting on the infamous turkey drop on WKRP in Cincinnati. I will do a whole blog on this stuff and publish it as a Sunday Extra Edition, and no one will read it because it doesn’t mention Beaumont or Port Arthur, but I will not care because it’s Tora! Tora! Tora!.

Eighty-six years ago tonight, SETX lost a friend—Florence Stratton died at Touro Infirmary in New Orleans. I’ll post the tribute to her at 6:30 this evening, but I did want to get into a few things first. I’ve been doing this blog since May 2012. Along the way, I’ve learned many things and researched many people, but Florence is the one person I’ve continuously investigated. I’ve spent an enormous amount of time and money trying to bring her story to light. Yes, there are articles written about her, and their authors did a good job with what information they had at the time. In my work, I wanted to uncover her story, which is hard to find because she was always in the background. Despite all the Susie Spindletop Weekly Letters, she offered little insight into her life. The letters mostly promoted her friends and readers, as she knew people would be interested in them. This is why there were 200 people inside her small house at 1929 McFaddin Avenue for her funeral. It is also why the funeral procession to Magnolia Cemetery was a mile long.

Thirteen years of digging into her family’s and friends’ history has been a treat, and I will continue to dig. I’ve noticed that more people, especially women, are becoming interested in her story, and I’m glad to see this because she was there in 1918, in the background, doing her part to try to get women the right to vote. They succeeded, but to my knowledge, she never wrote about her role in this struggle in her weekly letters. (Her weekly letters began on February 28, 1926, so eight years later, but it was still a special achievement.) I just hope that I have allies so that when I’m gone, someone will continue digging into the life of Florence Stratton (a.k.a. Susie Spindletop). And I think I do. I hope I’ve given them a good starting point. Florence Vor! Full speed ahead!

Until next week, I hope we can put the life preservers away while driving to H-E-B. I’m about ready for a hot drought.

Farewell To A Valued Friend:

THE DEATH of Miss Florence Stratton brings genuine sorrow to a numerous company. It is with a feeling of the greatest personal loss that those of us who had been closely associated with her through the years in newspaper work mourn her passing. And all of us who knew her well feel quite certain that when she entered that corridor of eternal darkness she did so unafraid, her head held high and her spirit uncowed.

First as a public school teacher and then as a newspaper woman, her whole life from youth to death was busy and useful. She loved her work, found no diversion that equaled it in pleasure and satisfaction,and to it devoted her talents and energy to the full. On her last assignment when she suffered a slight stroke she stood by her guns until her chore was completed, then left the office never to return. Into her work she put the sympathy and sentiment that marked her character. She was always a womanly woman, concerned primarily with the interests of women, and always a gentlewoman in the broad and best sense of the word. In the course of her long and honorable service she made and kept innumerable friends, by all of whom she will be tenderly remembered, and the still larger circle who knew her through her work will not soon forget…

                                       Bill Beaumont

Beaumont Journal January 29, 1938

Elton Gish—Texaco History:

https://www.texacohistory.com/

Martha ‘Toodlums’ Ferguson:

https://www.rediscoveringsetx.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/1498881_499869243458550_1847275268_o.jpg

U.S.S. Bowfin; https://www.bowfin.org

Tora! Tora! Tora! The Movie:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066473/

Tribute to Florence Stratton:

Tribute to Florence Stratton

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!

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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: New Year, New Plan

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The New Year is a time when some people try to change their lives for the better. Some try to get fit, while others focus on getting their life in order. Here, under the oaks on Ye Olde Block Formosan Farm, we think it’s time to revisit some of what we collected over the past twelve years. We also think that some of our treasures need a good home, so those items will be sent to a better place as we see fit. Stay tuned.

Last week, we sent a few Beaumont directories (1978–1984) to the Tyrrell Historical Library for safekeeping. This was a no-brainer, but I do have some small collections that may not fit on a larger scale. A few years back, I did a few estate sales. Shout-out to Ready, Set, Sell Estate Sales (thanks Heather!). We found a lot of interesting things that should be preserved in SETX history. One in particular was the Norma Davis World War II scrapbook. This is where I found out about Taro Kishi penning an article in the Beaumont Enterprise about wanting to serve his country. As he was Japanese American in the 1940s, there was definitely a problem with this for the powers that be, and he was denied the chance to serve. Eventually, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team was formed with Japanese Americans, but unfortunately without Taro, and it fought in the Italian campaign. They fought proud and true. Their motto was Go for Broke!, and they did!

I also learned about Kichimatsu Kishi, whom I put on the pedestal of those who had many successes and failures in life; he was the one with the most common sense. Kichimatsu and his family lived as American citizens, but after Pearl Harbor, he knew that anti-Japanese sentiment would peak. So, that Monday, he turned himself in to the FBI in Port Arthur. I guess that’s what you do when you have no idea what just happened, but you know how people will react. He spent two months in an internment camp but was released after his hearing because, according to his son Taro, he answered all the questions correctly.

One of the questions the authorities asked Kichimatsu was the following: “If the Emperor ordered you to bomb the oil refinery in Port Arthur, would you do it?”

Kichimatsu replied thus: “First, I am a farmer and businessman and know nothing about explosives. Suppose I was adopted into another family and my biological parent ordered me to harm my adopted family. I could not do so.”

He was a better man than me—I hate politicians at all levels—but he had no choice except to participate in their dog and pony show. It backfired, though, and it made way for the family to return to normality.

Another treasure I found at an estate sale was an almost complete collection of World War II Time Life Books. I have twenty-seven of the thirty-nine that were published. I think that was the total of the series.

Speaking of books, we have acquired many regional SETX history books over the years. I really don’t want to add up how much we spent on purchasing these treasures, but some of the money went to local museums. A few favorites we purchased locally were the Centennial History books from Port Arthur and Nederland, a few pictorial-history books from Hardin County, and some from Chambers County. There are many others that need to be cataloged and listed for their preservation.

Of course, we took the eBay route on a couple of occasions and visited a few bookstores. Some of these were local. All five Florence Stratton books were purchased online, along with the great find of the original edition of The White Plume in the Bunker’s Monthly magazine, published in 1928. I will also admit that an autographed Arthur Stilwell book was purchased by accident. You know the scenario. You were shopping online, and it was left in the cart, but then a month later you wanted to purchase Willie Cooper Hobby’s memorial book, which you had only seen at the LBJ library and in Woodville. Yes, the Arthur Stilwell book is autographed, but as most of you know, I’m not a fan of Mr. All Hat and No Cattle. Truth be told, I have a few other books written by him, and they are of little use to me in researching history.

My Beaumont books are many—the Walker sisters (Judy and Ellen), their father (John H. Walker), and a copy of the 1939 American Guide Series book for Beaumont. Thanks to a friend, I also have an American Guide Series book for Port Arthur from 1940. All these volumes offer a wealth of information, and they are an inspiration for me.

A couple of prized possessions from 1946 and 1947 are two phone books from Port Arthur, which were given to me by my late friend Jerry Burnett. Last week, on our Facebook page, there were many people who wanted to prank call their ancestors. Before you dial, just remember Yukon!

As I dig deeper into my collection, I see the Betty Maggio Port Arthur Collection (1979). It states “fine art for correspondence” on the stationary, and I believe this is magnificent art! I have a couple of buttons from the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electrical Railway Employees, Division 241 May 1918 and Division 1031 February 1936. I also have a Beaumont City bus token that was given to me by Beaumont History Bits. I’ll have to ask the mayor, Roy West, whether it is still valid.

I could go on and on about these treasures, and I will throughout the year. Today, though, I will end with one that was given to me by a family friend, Millie Rougeau, a few years back. She was the oral-history source for my article “Life in Jefferson County during World War II,” which was published in May 2013. Millie gave me her family’s World War II ration book, with stamps. I’ve posted a few photos of it through the years. She passed in 2023, and I thank her for trusting me with this treasure. I will find it a home.

Audio and video recordings of family and friends (oral histories) are a hell of a lot better than photos because you can still hear people’s voices.

Until next week.

Life in Jefferson County during World War II

Thoughts and Ramblings: I’ve Worn Many Hats, Just Don’t Thank Me; Hanging with the Mari Lwyd; Searching for Minesweepers; and W. T. Block Books

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Well, I was going to begin with a totally different subject, but things kind of got a little wonky this week, and a bit of hilarity ensued. With that said, I wear many hats, both for business purposes and to cover my balding head. Without getting into the business part, I will focus strictly on what I put on my balding head.

For years, I wore a Lamar Cardinals hat at work. I stopped wearing a Houston Texans hat because people kept asking me how the Texans were doing. I will say that I’m not a fan of professional American football and have no idea how the Texans are doing because I don’t pay attention. I was once a fan of football, but after Jimmy Johnson left the Dallas Cowboys, I was done. Nevertheless, no one asked me how the Cardinals were doing back then. Shout-out to the Lamar University women’s soccer team (it’s called football everywhere else)! #Peckem

When not working, I would wear my Lehman Brothers 2008 Risk Management hat. If anyone got the reference, I would just say that working at Lehman was a heck of a lot more interesting than my accounting job at Arthur Anderson back in the early 2000s, but I digress.

In February, I bought a USS Texas hat when I visited the ship at the drydock in Galveston. In fact, I bought two to do my part in making sure the Texas will survive as a museum ship (along with paying $150 to tour the drydock). The problem is that I don’t feel right wearing it because it is a navy hat, and many veterans who served rock their ships’ hats. I think this is a good thing, but I don’t want to take credit for someone else’s service. I do wear my NOAA ship USS Thomas Jefferson hat. NOAA is a branch of the military, but they also have civilians working on their vessels.

This morning, I set off to visit the Jefferson County Historical Commission (JCHC) office, drop off a donation to the Tyrrell Historical Library, and take a few copies of a calendar to a friend. It’s not just any calendar, but a JCHC calendar. Our commission has been producing one for four years now, I think. If you want to see it, follow the Friends of the Jefferson County Historical Commission on Facebook! I’ll leave a link.

Old Hoodoo U.S.S.Texas 1895-1911

While entering the courthouse, someone saw the hat and immediately thanked me for serving on the USS Texas. I do have a spiel about how I may or may not have served on Old Hoodoo in a past life, but I wouldn’t go into it with someone who is sincere, as this person was. To clarify, Old Hoodoo was the first USS Texas, which was in service from 1895 to 1911. The actual museum ship that we love was decommissioned in 1946. I was also thanked at a friend’s house, and I had to repeat the explanation “It’s a museum ship, and I’m not that damn old.” As I said, these people did this to sincerely thank veterans. I think this is a good thing, so I will no longer rock my USS Texas hat. I will stick to my NOAA ship hat. For some reason, people read “NOAA” and think I have ties to the Weather Channel, and we never thank those dastardly people. In fact, the NOAA ship USS Thomas Jefferson offers a great service, especially after hurricanes, when it makes sure the shipping lanes are clear of debris. Those guys and gals rock. I will always put them on a pedestal of greatness!

It’s 2024, and I’ve been away for a while, so I’m looking to venture out and about. I guess I could call Albert, but I’d rather ask y’all. Spam away if you have an event going on this month! The only public event on my agenda is on January 19 at the Tyrrell Historical Library. I will be attending the lecture “Preserving the Legacy of William T. Block Jr.” with William T. Block III. I’m definitely looking forward to it. Hope to see you there.

While I was absent from this blog in December, I did nothing except hang out with the Mari Lwyd and eat tamales in Tomball, Texas. Two different cultures clash here, but I believe the Mari Lwyd could get used to tamales since Welsh food and English food don’t use spices. While I was away, I did a little research for a friend who had some blueprints from a minesweeper that was decommissioned in the 1960s and sent to the Orange/Beaumont reserve fleet. My friend wanted to donate the blueprints to either the National World War II Museum in New Orleans or the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg. The problem was that these institutions wanted a little more history to accept the documents, and we didn’t know the ship’s name, so we had to research World War II minesweepers built in 1942. Easy, right?

Initially, I thought it had to be an Auk-class ship because that was the main class I was seeing. Nope. In the blueprints, the ship was around 184 feet long, which was shorter than the 221 feet of Auk-class vessels. Based on length, the Admirable class (around 181 feet) seemed an option. After searching for ships in this class, we found a link. Actually, 250 links. At the time, minesweepers were sent to Soviet Russia and China through the Lend-Lease Act. In the 1960s, some were sent to Taiwan or sold to Mexico. I did find maybe two candidates that fit the timeframe of our ship, but this search made me realize that the navy was scrapping most of these vessels. This search also made me look at the Orange shipyards and the reserve fleet, as all the navy’s paperwork usually states that the ships were sent to Orange, Texas. Kudos to the navy for leaving a paper trail. I doubt future generations will have a trail to follow, except their Facebook feed, and that’s a bit speculative.

I have said earlier that I will attend the lecture “Preserving the Legacy of William T. Block Jr.” with William T. Block III. The one thing the latter Block has said that I agree with is that the former Block’s books are too expensive to purchase online. William T. Block III is making the books available to those who want to buy them at a more affordable price.

William T. Block Jr. was a very good writer, and he inspired me to start researching Southeast Texas. Awhile back, I acquired one of his books, Sapphire City of the Neches and a book by Jon Buck Ford, Down Trails of Victory: The Story of Port Neches-Groves Football that someone abandoned. I will be keeping Mr. Block’s book on Port Neches, but I’m not into this NDN football, even though I live in Grigsby’s Bluff. So, I’ve decided to donate it. I guess that the libraries of Port Arthur High School and Nederland High School probably wouldn’t take it, so next time I’m in Dallas, I’ll drop it off at South Oak Cliff. I’m sure they will be giddy. Until next week.

Lehman Brothers 2008:

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

Old Hoodoo (1895-1911)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Texas_(1892)

U.S.S. Texas:

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAsLjV

NOAA Ship U.S.S. Thomas Jefferson

https://www.omao.noaa.gov/mo/ships/thomas-jefferson

Friends of the Jefferson County Historical Commission (Facebook):

https://www.facebook.com/friendsofJCHC

Mari Lwyd:

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

Admirable Class Minesweeper:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Admirable-class_minesweeper

United States Naval Station Orange:

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

W.T. Block (Historian):

http://www.wtblock.com/

Grigsby’s Bluff:

http://wtblock.org/smith.htm

Sapphire City of the Neches:

Down Trails of Victory: The Story of Port Neches-Groves Football: https://www.pngindians.com/football/down-trails-of-victory/

Thoughts and Ramblings: A Look Back

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It has been a most intriguing year for me, to say the least. We found the “Elks Love Nest,” which was given away in a raffle in December 1926. The house still stands in 2023.

We also found Beaumont’s “daredevil,” Louis Sacker, eating horseshoes and nails in 1926 while doing other strongman stuff. Grrr! (These are the types of stories that appear when you search in old newspapers.)

Eunice Stephens, Florence Stratton’s niece, was proven right about the discovery of a town called Florence. Yes, I ate crow at dismissing this because Florence, Texas, was established in 1857 in Williamson County, but a fellow researcher (thanks Kate) found an article referring to a train stop called Florence Switch in Hardin County. The depot/stop had no post office but lasted until at least 1912. I nicked a 1912 train stop map from the internet as proof. Sometimes we can be a bit dodgy, but it was the original map and I just wanted proof of the location of Florence Switch. I’ll pay $150 for a signed book by Florence Stratton and $150 to walk around the U.S.S. Texas in drydock, but I do have my limits.

I was honored to speak to the Daughters of the American Revolution, Captain William Sanders Chapter, in Port Arthur in February. And, heads up, I will be doing the same this February.

In February, I also visited the U.S.S. Texas at Gulf Copper in Galveston. I was five minutes late but managed to drive from the ferry to the shipyard parking lot in those five minutes (you do the math and the wind speeds—sorry/not sorry). On my visit, I noticed that most people there were not from Beaumont, but they opined about Beaumont being a drive-thru city and that they would hate to see the ship moored there. I had assumed it would be moored in Galveston, but for some reason, they didn’t mention it after Beaumont and Baytown were taken off the list. However, it will be moored near the Elissa.

In March and April, I participated in a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey at the Sabine Pass Cemeteries. Our goal was to find the mass grave of yellow fever victims from the mid-1860s, but due to the clay soil and lack of permission to access the known site, our efforts didn’t yield much. This investigation is ongoing!

In April, I visited the Tallship Festival in Galveston. Touring the four ships, plus one modern ship, was fantastic, and I managed to do it in an hour and a half. My main love at this festival was the U.S.S. Thomas Jefferson. This modern National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ship is a federally operated hydrographic vessel out of Norfolk, Virginia. It does ocean mapping and is a vital tool for scanning shipping areas after a hurricane or any other problem that could endanger the maritime sector. The ship is here to scan the waters and make sure they are clear of debris and hazards. It was here for Hurricane Delta in 2020, and it did its thing for Hurricane Maria in 2017.

This year was Port Arthur’s 125th anniversary, and there were many efforts to tell the story. My favorite was the online map of historical markers. Les McMahen did an excellent job on this!

The 49th Galveston Historic Homes Tour was one to remember for me, at least for me. As some of you know, I take the tour on the first day and then volunteer with the candy lady Bev from Liberty County on Sunday. I stayed at a friend’s Airbnb this year, so I didn’t have to drive from Jefferson County to Galveston via Winnie. Between waiting for the ferry and that drive, it usually drives you insane. Whatever the insanity, Mama Theresa’s Pizza is there, and this is my dinner waiting on the ferry! Hope to see you at the 50th in May. I hear there’s something exciting planned!

The drought hit us hard this year. It was worse than in 2011. If you remember, that was the year that many forest fires threatened Plantersville. There was a lot of damage between Houston and Austin that you can still see today. Well, this year was more of a look at how low the river has become “and is that a ship?” While we heard about a few incidents from the news media, many boats have sunk along the Neches. If you take the Ivy Bill Tour along the Neches, they’ll point them out to you! That crew is impressive!

In May, two veterans interred at Evergreen Cemetery received headstones. The new headstones were for Sergeant George Shaw, who died in France during the Great War (WWI), and Jerry Lloyd, a Buffalo soldier who fought in the Indian wars. The replacement headstone for George Shaw was necessary because the original one erroneously stated that he was a private. Thanks to the research conducted by a member of our Jefferson County Historical Commission, a headstone with the correct information was sent, as Sergeant Shaw deserves. The situation with Jerry Lloyd’s headstone was a bit different; as far as we know, he never received one. If there was a regular one marking his grave, it had disappeared. Research confirms that he was buried in Evergreen Cemetery, but we’re unaware of his specific location.

In September, fallen Deputy John E. Hutcheson received a headstone in a ceremony at Magnolia Cemetery. Thanks to Operation Blue Remembrance (OBR) for making this happen and paying for it. OBR is a nonprofit organization from Baytown, 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 the graves of fallen officers in Texas and a few other states. OBR’s motto is Nemo Oblitus, which is Latin for “No One Forgotten.” The organization stepped in because neither the family nor the county had purchased a headstone for Deputy Hutcheson when he was buried in Magnolia Cemetery.

The 3rd Annual Historic Magnolia Cemetery Tour was well received, with record attendance this year. The Texas Historical Commission even included us in its Project Spotlight publication. This is basically their way of giving county historical commissions throughout the state a shout-out for what they are doing to preserve history. This is excellent because a lot of people involved in the tour work tirelessly to preserve various aspects of our county’s history. The stories from the tour usually stem from their own research, and they do a wonderful job. See you next year for the fourth annual tour!

So, what’s in store for 2024? I have no idea, but I’m sure it will be full of shenanigans, history, and anime references that no one gets, but that’s okay. I do know that no one here will be participating in “dry January.” Cheers!