Last week, I was tired beyond Madeline Kahn tired; however, I made a journey to Mansard House on Sunday morning, bravely driving down the beach road to the ferry. This is because I thought either the jeeps being driven by drunk 20-year-olds at spring break had already been arrested or that they were still sleeping it off. You know, we see their frowning faces or mugshots on the Galveston County Sherriff’s Office website each year. But I digress.
The drive was pleasant, and it had stopped raining by the time we began our journey through the beach road in the Bolivar Peninsula. The ferry wait was minutes on the Bolivar side, and we made it to Mansard House at around 10:30 am—and yes, at every step of my journey, from the ferry to Harborside Drive, I checked to see if I could locate where USS Texas was docked. I did see her in all her glory. However, I’m not paying $20 for parking near Pier 21 across her temporary home just for one photo. I rely on many great photos from members of the Battleship Texas Foundation’s Facebook group. I’ll leave a link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/450347275643485/.
I will admit that I don’t watch much television; however, I watch a few property restoration shows, and my favorite is Restoring Galveston. It’s mainly because it’s Galveston, and the Cordrays from Save 1900 sometimes restore houses that may end up on the Galveston Historic Homes Tour. This year—or should I say “in the last two years”?—Save 1900 purchased the 1912 Smith–Perry Boarding House and restored it to a pristine inn now called Mansard House. The show is available on Discovery Plus and now on Magnolia Network.
After watching the six episodes about the restoration of this gem, I was utterly amazed at how it looked on the small screen and how much better it was in person. The best part of visiting the house was meeting those involved in the property and the show. Indeed, the Cordrays are legit. They are down to earth and are at hand on the property to meet and greet you and to answer your questions—and they did. I wish them all the luck of my 10% Irish heritage, as claimed by my ancestry.com profile on St. Patty’s Day!
After our tour of Mansard House, we headed to Shrimp and Stuff to grab some oysters and shrimp to eat in the line to the ferry; however, we had to eat quickly because the ferry was running three boats, and there wasn’t much traffic—yay!
Yes, I’m a day late and probably a dollar short on the blog, but I was tired and still visited this great place. I’ll leave a link to the Flickr photo page from Sunday.
On Tuesday, the USS. Texas was moved from her 18-month refit on a Gulf Copper dry dock in Galveston to a water dock at the same shipyard for interior and deck repairs. One of the most important restorations will be restoring the ship’s pine deck to its original historical specifications. They will also be renovating the interior, such as the restrooms, which would be a plus if you’re going to be a museum ship. I added a few videos of the move on Tuesday, which I was unable to attend because I have a job most of the time, but that morning, I was at the Relaxation Station at Central Mall—because when carpal tunnel and shoulder pain become allies, you need more than Tylenol.
One recurring fodder that the Battleship Texas Foundation keeps regurgitating is that, when the ship is finished, they’ll tell you where it is going to dock. I can tell you exactly where it will be moored. And here’s an overview photo of where it will be placed in all its glory! It will be next to the Elissa at Pier 21. I don’t know why they are doing this. It’s annoying, and it looks like they’re trying to hide something. As far as I know, they plan to reopen to the public in late summer 2025. I’m going to make the call that it will be spring 2026 before a public opening is allowed. That’s okay with me. Just do things right, and come on, Texas!
Samuel Bronson Cooper was a prominent figure in the political landscape of both Texas and Washington during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Born on May 30, 1850, in Caldwell County, Kentucky, Cooper moved with his family to Woodville, Tyler County, Texas, that same year. By his early 20s, he was establishing himself as a respected lawyer. In 1871, at age 21, he was admitted to the bar, and in 1872, he began private practice. He served as prosecutor for Tyler County from 1876 to 1880, and in 1881, he was elected to the Texas Senate, where he served for four years.
As an aside, the story that interests me the most at this point is that Asa Stratton was also serving in the Texas Senate at the time. If that name rings a bell, as it should, Asa was the father of journalist Florence Stratton. I believe this was the crossroads where Florence and Samuel’s daughter Willie would eventually meet and become friends in their youth. Throw in W. P. Hobby’s living and growing up in Woodville, and we have a history in the making that I’ve spent many hours (years) researching!
In 1885, Cooper was appointed as the collector of internal revenue for the First District of Texas in Galveston by President Grover Cleveland, where he served for three years. He ran for Texas state district judge in 1888 but was unsuccessful. His political prowess wasn’t yet done. Samuel would go on to seek a higher calling.
In 1893, Samuel B. Cooper was elected to the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas’s 2nd Congressional District as a Democrat. During his tenure in Congress, Cooper championed several issues important to Texas, including agriculture, land-use policies, and transportation infrastructure. He played a significant role in securing federal funding for projects such as railroad expansion and the improvement of navigable waterways, which were vital to the state’s economic development. His tenure would end in 1905, when he lost the election to Moses L. Broocks, but his absence was brief. He would be back in the US House of Representatives in 1907 and serve until 1909. I will mention here that during this time, Sam Bronson Cooper is the reason Beaumont has a deep water port.
Cooper was nominated by President William Howard Taft for a seat on the Board of General Appraisers in May 1910. He was confirmed by the US Senate on May 24, 1910. His service was terminated by his death on August 21, 1918.
Well, those Cordray kids have done a thing and become hoteliers. If you have access to the Discovery App, then you may have seen their restoration of the Mansard House. I only mention this because the Mansard House will be open to the public for tours on March 16 and 17 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day. The cost of the tour is $25 per person. All proceeds will be donated to Restoring Galveston Together—a nonprofit that funds home repairs for local families in need! I’ll be there—how out you!
Speaking of Galveston and families in need, I can’t forget my tour of the Sealy Mansion in 2013. Magnolia Sealy was the wife of George Sealy, an entrepreneur, and she opened up the Sealy mansion during the Great Storm of 1900. Magnolia opened her doors to 200 people, giving them food and shelter when those whose homes were still standing did not. And she let them stay for a few months, while other well-to-do individuals turned their backs on Galvestonians. I put her high on my list of SETX women who made a difference for good. You don’t hear this story very often, but it’s true and it happened.
Magnolia Willis Sealy is pictured. In 1875 Magnolia Willis Sealy married George Sealy. George and his brother John Sealy were wealthy Galveston businessmen with extensive interests in cotton, banking, and railroads. It is generally believed that the Magnolia Petroleum Company, owned by John’s son John Hutchings Sealy, was named for his aunt Magnolia Willis Sealy. That company would later merge into the Mobil Oil Corporation, and today it is Exxon-Mobil.
Magnolia’s story could have fit into my Friday blog for International Women’s Day, but truth be told, I wanted to go more international, and the stories I chose are actually my favorites. The Nachthexen were laughed at and dismissed by their male counterparts, yet they fought and died, achieving victory on two fronts—victory over the Wehrmacht and their Soviet male comrades.
The Trung sisters fought against Chinese tyranny. Trained by their father in military tactics, they taught peasants to fight with weapons and for their freedom. This is a unique story in the world of combat, witnessing two women instructing others to defend their land.
Boudica had no problem defending her land, especially after the Romans killed her husband. Again, the Romans dismissed her army as minimal, but they paid the ultimate price in the beginning. (Never diss this miss!)
I will also throw out the names of Jane Long (Mother of Texas) and Kate Dorman because there are no others that can size up to these Texans.
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.
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!
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.
I thought I would start by throwing some shade on certain Galveston family elites while singing the praises of Magnolia Sealy and her part in helping Galvestonians after the great storm of 1900. However, before I get to that, it seems that the Texas Battleship Foundation has decided to take two of the three cities off the list without committing to the third. Baytown and Beaumont now have no chance of hosting the ship. I sort of understand why they made this decision, but I don’t know why the Foundation hasn’t figured out where she is going. Is there an actual plan? I assume there is, but when you throw out legal/political wording in your statement, to me, that means you have no clue what you’re doing.
Let’s get into the facts of this situation, and if someone at the foundation, or dare I say, someone in Austin, calls me out on this, I would love an accurate reply to what the hell is going on. So let’s go.
The Texas Legislature approved $35 million to fix the ship. In my opinion, it wasn’t out of the goodness of their hearts because politicians have no hearts or souls. This was a “Here is $35 million, so go away” moment. Some ask why the U.S.S. Texas wouldn’t go back to San Jacinto. I’ll tell you why: It’s because Texas Parks and Wildlife, which funded the ship, no longer cares where it’s moored, as long as the state of Texas doesn’t have to pay for it. So where are we now?
The U.S.S. Texas will find a new home, but it may not be Galveston. Will Corpus Christi get involved because they seem to know how to care for a ship? I have not heard anything about the U.S.S. Lexington being in disrepair. I also believe that the Texas Battleship Foundation has run out of options. Mooring it in saltwater will probably be their only option. Additionally, in a video made before the U.S.S. Texas was dry docked, someone stated that they receive 80,000–90,000 paid visitors per year at their old mooring in LaPorte, but to be self-sufficient, they would need about 250,000 paid visitors a year. That is a lot of required traffic, to say the least.
Wherever they move her, I’m still ready to help out, just as long as they have competent leadership and a plan. I’ve certainly burned a few bridges with organizations, both local and afar, two of which I’ve heard good things about, but we will see.
Speaking of the Galveston Historical Foundation, I toured the Sealy Mansion in 2013 and learned much about Magnolia Sealy. Although there is much history to the Sealy’s, I want to add that during the Great Storm of 1900, Magnolia opened her doors to 200 people. She gave them food and shelter when others whose houses were still standing did not. And she let them stay there for a couple of months, while other well-to-do individuals turned their backs on Galvestonians. I’m not going to bring up Mattress Mack and a certain megachurch in Houston during Hurricane Harvey, but I’m pro-Magnolia and Mack. I have no opinion on Galveston and mega-church elites.
There are many women in SETX worthy of praise, and I would like to add a few more here. Some are featured on our annual Historic Magnolia Cemetery Tour, such as Catherina Jeanette Stengele. I’ve talked about her many times and told of her journey from Holland to Baltimore, Maryland, and then to Beaumont in the 1890s. She was a milliner and also financed at eight percent; this is where she made her money. She was successful in life and made a good living in the 1890s without a husband, and since she was a female and an immigrant, she could not vote during her time. Yet she prospered.
Of course, I must bring up Florence Stratton, whom I spent ten years researching. I am glad to donate what I uncovered to whomever is interested. Florence was an influential and beloved character in Beaumont’s history who contributed much to this city. She documented the “who’s who” of SETX in her weekly letter to the public, which ran from 1926 to 1938, and she started both the Milk and Ice Fund and the Empty Stocking Fund to aid low-income families. She was a charitable person behind the scenes as well, helping out regular people in need. I’m very happy about the increased interest in her life because she deserves it.
Well, this week is done, and I’m tired, so hopefully, we won’t have any more boat talk until they make a clear decision. Until next week. Ahoy!
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