Tag Archives: #Galveston #HistoricHomesTour

52nd Annual Galveston Historic Homes Tour Recap

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Another Galveston Historic Homes Tour has come and gone, and I was quite happy with the result. We took a different approach to this year’s tour than we have in the past, for a few behind-the-scenes reasons I won’t get into. Normally, I take the full tour on the first Saturday and then volunteer on Sunday. I also usually rent a house for the first weekend to make things easier on the body. The less driving and waiting for the ferry, the better!

This year, however, I was unable to rent the house that weekend, so I knew travel time was going to be a factor. Fortunately, the ferry crews were awesome, and I do not associate them with TxDOT, because TxDOT is the devil—but I digress. Shoutout to the Ray Stoker Jr., Robert H. Dedman, and the Dewitt C. Greer. As Miss Rachel would say, “Good job!”

My drive on the first Saturday to volunteer was wonderful. Actually, the whole weekend was wonderful. Temperatures in the 50s in the mornings and beautiful weather both days? Yes, please!

I volunteered at the 1909 Frances Wiley House at 2922 Bernardo de Galvez (Avenue P). Of course, I was part of the volunteer crew with Bev Davis from Liberty County, as I have been since 2015. Since I usually volunteer on Sundays, I finally got to meet her Saturday crew, who are also from Liberty County. Most of these volunteers are with the Liberty County Historical Commission (LCHC). I’m the oddball of the bunch, being from Jefferson County, but they’re great people, and we all share the same goal: volunteering for Bev!

The house had a constant flow of visitors. It wasn’t overwhelming like some years, but it was definitely busier than other homes on the tour. We heard there was especially heavy traffic at the Cover House, the 1951 Sam and Edna Maceo House, which is to be expected on a tour like this. There was also a long wait at both the 1886 Fredrick and Mary Bessner House and the 1886 Adolph and Lena Nitsche House. I know this because those were the two houses that took the longest to tour on Sunday.

The 1909 Frances Wiley House itself was beautiful, and I toured it twice! Booties were required at every house this year, something I discovered firsthand on Sunday.

When we drove back to Galveston on Sunday to take the tour, we didn’t leave early enough to make it to the Cover House first. Instead, we headed to the 1886 Fredrick and Mary Bessner House and the 1886 Adolph and Lena Nitsche House, thinking the lines wouldn’t be too bad. Unfortunately, when you only allow six people inside at a time and add booties to the process, congestion happens quickly.

One thing I have to mention about the Bessner House: the neighbor used wine corks as mulch around their trees, which was absolutely hilarious. I want this person to be my neighbor.

We also toured the 1886 Mollie Walters House at 2528 Postoffice. This was the Bordello House featured on last year’s tour while it was still being restored. They did a wonderful job with the property and turned it into a bed-and-breakfast. I was originally supposed to volunteer there on Sunday, but after switching days, my only regret was not posting: “I’m with the Candy Lady at the Bordello. Come on by!”

Week two began with the usual question: “Is it going to rain or not?” We took the gamble and ended up having a great time finishing the tour. We started at the 1951 Sam and Edna Maceo House, and it was a treat. I’ll just call it the “Gangster House.”

The best part of the second weekend was the lack of lines. We had all of Saturday to tour the homes, and there was no pressure to rush through everything in a single day. Honestly, I kind of liked that approach.

The 1914 Charles J. Wolfer Tenant House, the 1911 German Methodist Parsonage, and the 1892 Carlos and Jane Hickenlooper House were all must-sees, but in general, every house on the tour was beautiful. We especially enjoyed spreading the tour across multiple weekends instead of cramming it all into one day.

I’ll always support the Galveston Historic Homes Tour, but I think I’ve officially become a fan of the multi-weekend approach. Until next time!

P.S. I’ve already rented the house for next year. I learned my lesson.

52nd Annual Galveston Historic Homes Tour

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The 52st Annual Galveston Historic Homes Tours is here, and the Galveston Historical Foundation, along with its many volunteers, will be there to guide you, inform you, and hopefully educate you on these precious structures, but please note that there will be delays, long lines, and booties at some of the homes. Which ones, I have no idea, but I’ll definitely find out on Sunday when I take the tour.

People tend to take this tour in different ways, and I want to help you as much as possible so you can have a wonderful experience visiting these treasures. First off, buy your tickets online. Keep them on your phone and/or print them. This should make it easy for you to pick up your tour book/ticket when you are at your first house. It shouldn’t be a secret that credit card machines, and the many gremlins inside their wires, like to screw with this technology. Most of the time it works, but I’ve volunteered for 12 years, so… Also, cash for tickets will be taken, but I haven’t heard if there will be cash boxes. There wasn’t last year, so we couldn’t give change. Keep this in mind. This was a new arrangement last year, so any disgruntled persons should contact the Galveston Historical Foundation. As a volunteer, I will quote Sgt. Oddball on this: “Don’t hit me with them negative waves.” My animal spirit, Yukari Akiyama (秋山 優花里), backs me up on this.

When taking the Historic Homes Tour, you should have a plan.

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

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

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

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

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

6. Volunteers. Most of the people who check your ticket, sell you the excellent wares that the Galveston Historical Foundation offers, and are stationed throughout the properties are volunteers. This means they are not getting paid. The white shirt–black pants army is there to keep the tour rolling and help you visit these beautiful homes. I say this because when you find yourself in a line, know that most of these people are doing the best they can to give you a great experience.

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

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

I’ll be at the 1909 Frances Wiley House 2922 Bernardo de Galvez (Ave. P) on Saturday. Hope you stop by!

See you on the tour!

Thoughts and Ramblings: 51st Annual Galveston Historic Homes Tour is One Week Away; George Ball House; Pear Orchard Cemetery Marker Dedication; My Olive Loaf Addiction

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We are less than a week away from the 51st Annual Galveston Historic Homes Tour, and I, for one, am ready. To heck with my sciatic nerve, which made me miss Wings Over Houston last year. We are a go! Here, I should quote Kate Dorman and “Damn it to the nether regions,” but that would be a whole other issue. I’ll pass, but I’ll leave a link to Kate’s feisty confrontation with the federals for taking her horse and cart during their visit to Sabine Pass in 1862, at the time of the Civil War. She was not happy! They returned it, though. Word to all: never mess with a 4 ft 11 in woman of Irish descent—I digress.

The homes on the tour lineup look good, and I can’t wait for my annual visit to City Cemetery for the wildflower photos. Who knows, I may find Beaumont’s first mayor, Alexander Calder (c. 1806 – August 23, 1853). He is interred there, but the exact spot is a mystery. We have a photo of the broken headstone, but it was lying on the ground and may have been covered by the foliage. I mention this because a friend and fellow researcher has been trying to find all the mayors of Beaumont. I have no problem spending a bit more time walking through the Indian paintbrushes and black-eyed Susans. Trust me, the site is worth the visit, and please bring your camera with you.

I’m sure that most of you who are interested in this tour will have heard about the George Ball House fire. It is devastating for Galveston’s history. Even worse, someone died from the injuries they sustained in this tragedy. I won’t get into this more because there is an ongoing investigation, as there should be. I didn’t know the owners and hadn’t visited the house. All the same, here is a bit of history about the George Ball House.

The George Ball House was constructed in 1857 by the prominent Galveston businessman and philanthropist George Ball (1817–1884). Originally located at the northwest corner of 23rd and Sealy Streets, the house was built using sturdy pine timbers shipped from Maine, reflecting Ball’s wealth and the ambitions of mid-19th-century Galveston. In 1902, to accommodate the construction of the Rosenberg Library, the house was relocated six blocks south to its current site on 24th Street, in the Silk Stocking historic district. During the move, the house was divided. The rear section became a separate residence at 1401 24th Street; by 1903, a third house was added at 1411 24th Street, forming a remarkable architectural trio. The George Ball House was recognized as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1962 and featured in the Galveston Historical Foundation’s Homes Tour in 1977.

Under a bright spring sky on Saturday, members of the community gathered to witness the unveiling of a new marker designating Pear Orchard as a historic cemetery. During the ceremony, speakers also highlighted the recent discovery of six Buffalo Soldiers buried at the site — one from the 9th Cavalry, four from the 24th Infantry, and another from the 25th Infantry. The event served as both a celebration of local heritage and a solemn recognition of the individuals who served with honor.

The dedication ceremony was the result of ongoing research and planning by Historic Sacred Spaces, a nonprofit organization “dedicated to preserving, protecting, and honoring Military Veteran and historic resting spaces and graveyards, both marked and unmarked,” according to their Facebook page. Their efforts not only bring attention to Pear Orchard Cemetery, but also to Nona, Blanchette, and Haven of Rest cemeteries. If you would like to join, volunteer, donate, or learn more about Historic Sacred Spaces, I have included a link at the bottom of this blog.

Now, I’m going to get into something that has nothing to do with Southeast Texas history. It’s something that irritates me more than when Hormel discontinued Little Sizzlers. I want to talk about Oscar Myer’s discontinuation of Olive and Pickle Loaf. I damn them to the nether regions (I’m channeling Kate Dorman here). Yes, this is a big problem for me because I’m not a torta-de-jamón person. Ham and cheese sandwiches are not my go-to. Ask my doctor! She would just tell you I’m a lost case.

Like a junkie, I get my fix from an undisclosed source (we’ll call him Henry Butt, though I call him Harry because I’m nine)—not the Eckerd over-the-counter type, but the Usinger’s brand from the deli. I accumulate Olive and Pickle Loaves like I accumulate Bitcoins or gold. It is an addiction. I’ve always been addicted to olives. It’s probably my 24 percent Spanish heritage—I have never understood what Spaniards eat besides olives.

I will have a blog on Friday about what to do on the Galveston Historic Homes Tour. It will be about the dos and don’ts of the tour. Until next week.

Galveston Historic Homes Tour:

Galveston Historic Homes Tour

Kate Dorman:

http://www.wtblock.com/catherin.htm

George Ball House:

The Silk Stocking Historic District and The 1857 George Ball House

Historic Sacred Spaces:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569514327368

Thoughts and Ramblings: Beaumont Heritage Happy Hour; Galveston’s Historic Homes Tour; Section W and X at Magnolia Cemetery and the Mayumi Child

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The Beaumont Heritage Society will be hosting a happy hour at Magnolia Cemetery on Thursday, March 20th, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sources say that this is the most requested place to host their event, and I believe them. There have been at least two happy hours at the cemetery, and both went well. Actually, they went very well after most of the guests indulged in their second beer on tap. Most of them went walkabout and did their own tours, while we had a significant number of people on the official tours. This year, we are doing 20–25-minute tours beginning every 20 minutes, so you don’t have to be there at the start. But get there early so you can partake in the craft beer that is offered.

In 2016 and 2017, Magnolia Cemetery and the Beaumont Heritage Society hooked up to do the same kind of event, and on both occasions, it was a success. We did a two-hour walking tour back then, and it still worked! On a side note, I’m up for a two-hour tour if you want, as long as it doesn’t clash with my work time. Have a group? Email me at rediscoveringsetx@gmail.com!

Galveston’s Historic Homes Tour is approaching fast (the first two weekends of May), and I already have my marching orders for Sunday, May 4, with the Candy Lady! I’m certain that there will be many “May the fourth be with you” references, especially because it’s a Sunday—I digress. I’ll be at the 1896 James and Pauline Foster House from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., then off to Mama Theresa’s before I board whatever boat is running to Bolivar Peninsula. I always seem to get the Robert H. Dedman. So, the song “Down Among the Dead Men” by Flash & the Pan usually plays. Yes, I’m a bit demented. Shout-out to the Titanic’s band, which continued to play!

The fifty-first Historic Homes Tour looks good; we’ll be doing it on Saturday, May 3rd. As usual, we will give you a heads-up regarding long lines and traffic, but when taking the tour, it is always good to have a plan, especially if you want to do so in one or two days. We’ll post the “What to Expect” on Friday. I also intend to make my yearly visit to Old City Cemetery that Friday evening to photograph the wildflowers and look for the resting place of Beaumont’s first mayor, Alexander Calder, who died in 1853.

I’ve been hibernating this winter, but I have received a few calls from a friend to offer some help concerning Magnolia Cemetery. He had a few questions about veterans and finding former mayors of Beaumont. My friend is determined. He has done a lot of volunteer work on the database to find all the World War I Beaumont Boys in order to inscribe their names on the World War I memorial, which The Beaumont Journal intended to do in the 1930s. He hates it when I put him on a pedestal, but the fact is that he goes above and beyond in his research. He is awesome, and I will call him Don in my praise so I don’t ruffle his feathers by stating his full name. He is one of the Smart est people I know when it comes to doing research, and I am constantly in awe when he brings history to life at our yearly Historic Magnolia Cemetery Tour!

Speaking of the Historic Magnolia Cemetery Tour, I’ve stated that we will be starting the tours at the front entrance of the cemetery, which is where we begin our yearly tour in October. We usually plan our tour to ensure that the public can participate, with all our presenters on Thursday evening and Saturday morning. This is difficult because the cemetery is eighty acres, and we have more than thirty thousand stories to tell. This is why we stick to the older parts at the front, but there are many tales to tell in other sections, such as Sections W and X. These areas have many tales to tell, and you’ve heard a few of them.

On our tour, you’ve seen one of our presenters, Katherine Leister, talk about the story of Florence Stratton, a.k.a. Susie Spindletop. Florence and family are at the top of the road, catacorner from the Herring Coe plot, which, as you may know, is located near Pine Street in Section T. As we travel through Sections W and X, you’ll notice many people who perished in 1918–1919. I would assume that some of these deaths have to do with the Spanish flu; there are also a few Beaumont Boys who died in World War I.

One grave that I checked, which usually isn’t widely known, is the Mayumi child. He is the only member left of the Mayumi family, which grew rice in Fannett. Unlike the Kishi family of Orange County, which stayed in our area, the Mayumis sold their land in 1924 due to the negative sentiment toward Japanese people that was prevalent in the 1920s. Here is their story!

In December 1917, Toshiko, Yasuo’s wife, bore her and Yasuo’s first child; unfortunately, the baby was born premature and lived only for one day. In a Beaumont Enterprise article, Gwendolyn Wingate wrote the following:

One evening in early December, Mayumi rode horseback up to the Bailey Wingate home. For days, it had been raining a cold drizzle, and the roads were underwater. Apologizing for what he said was an intrusion, Mayumi explained that his first child, a son, had been born, but after only one day of life, the baby was dead. Mayumi needed help.

Wingate’s sturdy widowed mother, Artemise, who had borne nine children and had seen three buried, bundled up against the cold and rode back to the Mayumi place with the men. She found Mayumi’s wife with the dead child in her arms, rocking back and forth in mute grief. She tried to comfort the woman who spoke no English and helped prepare the baby for burial.

Hope to see you on Thursday, March 20th. I want to remind you that there will be alcohol! Cheers! Come join the fun!

Galveston’s Historic Homes Tour:

Galveston Historic Homes Tour

Mayumi Family:

https://hirasaki.net/Family_Stories/Mayumi/Mayumi.htm

Flash And The Pan – And The Band Played On (Down Among The Dead Men) [1978]

Thoughts and Ramblings: USS Texas Is Terminated; Rediscovering Eddie Trunk; Jeff, Jeff, Jefferson City; Remembering Paul Di’Anno

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The Battleship Texas Foundation had a bit of a reality check this week when the Galveston Wharves Board ended the negotiations for USS Texas to moor at Pier 19. I know the foundation’s goal was to keep the ship in Galveston, and they possibly will, but not near the Elissa. The restaurants along the pier complained that it would prevent customers from seeing the waterfront. You know, the wharf that overlooks Gulf Copper shipyard. To me, this is hilarious, but who am I to comment on what some subpar elite person thinks? Charles Barkley was right! It is “dirty ass water,” and you shouldn’t get too excited about it.

If I’m going to throw out quotes here, then I have to mention this one from the movie Blazing Saddles. Yes, I’m going there! When Jim, the gunslinger (Gene Wilder), is consoling Bart, the new sheriff (Cleavon Little), he says, “What did you expect? ‘Welcome, sonny?’ ‘Make yourself at home?’ ‘Marry my daughter?’ You’ve got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know… Morons.”

This quote is dedicated to those weekend Galvestonians from Houston who support USS Texas but who made it clear to me that Beaumont is worse than sad and just a drive-through city on their way to New Orleans. When they told me this, I was just a fly on the wall, and I didn’t have my Bring It to Beaumont pin, which was given to me by a friend in support of mooring the ship on the Neches River in Beaumont. But I still have the audio file of my drydock tour! Now, it looks like we are one and the same degenerates. I can live with that. You, not so much.

Although I am not a member of the Galveston Historical Foundation, I volunteer every year at the Historic Homes Tour. I will continue to do this every year as long as Bev, “the Candy Lady,” keeps asking me. I love the tour and the houses, but there is nothing else in Galveston that I really care to see apart from Kathleen Maca’s tours.

If it wasn’t for the Historic Homes Tour, I wouldn’t even go to Galveston. Well, maybe for Mama Theresa’s pizza, and Shrimp and Stuff. As for the Strand, that’s really not my thing. I will now end this episode of Where USS Texas Will End Up. It can’t stay at Gulf Copper forever, and since they threw Beaumont and Baytown under the bus, they definitely need to find another home for it. I’m sure that the $35 million that were given to the foundation by the state of Texas to make it “go away” are running out. To be continued!

The Wings Over Houston airshow was this week, and unfortunately, I could not attend. I had a problem. My wings were good to go, but my landing gear had an ongoing issue. Getting old sucks, but it is better than the alternative! Rather than walking through Ellington Field’s many mazes to get to the show, I attended Eserbet’s birthday party. For those not in the know, Eserbet is my three-year-old granddaughter. She is pretty good with a plastic knife, and she has been developing her skills with the new pew-pew gun. I feel I won’t survive her wrath in the next couple of years, but I hope she can learn the ways of the katanas in my office. Kids grow up fast!

Photo Credit: Jackson Guitars

Lately, I rediscovered Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM. For those who don’t know, Eddie has been the face of rock and metal radio shows for over 40 years. I’ve written about my musical interests before, and it is good to listen to someone who shares some of them and has seen earlier bands before they were famous. Eddie brought up the rock-n-roll Hall of Fame, and this year’s inductees, including Ozzy Osbourne, were mentioned. I will say that I’m a fan of the musicians and songwriters around Ozzy, and I’m glad that he mentioned Randy Rhoads as the springboard that launched his solo career. He was, and after Randy’s untimely death, Jake E. Lee took over as Ozzy’s guitarist. For all the fact-checkers out there, Brad Gillis was only on a live album of Black Sabbath songs Ozzy released before Bark at the Moon. And that album was all Jake’s! I will die defending this hill!

Photo Credit: Ironmaiden.com

Another band I gladly think I introduced to many people in the early 1980s was Iron Maiden. I first saw them at the Beaumont Civic Center opening for the Scorpions. I’ll have to ask Mikey Mayhem if the band Girlschool opened for Maiden. Mikey remembers all this stuff better than I do because I was too busy trying to develop the standing-on-the-back-of-two-chairs technique. Ninety minutes of switching legs to stay up on those chairs to see the stage. I’m sure Richard Simmons would have been proud, but I wasn’t dancing, and this wasn’t the oldies! (It is now!)

I want to mention Iron Maiden’s early years because the tour I attended was the one for The Number of the Beast. That was their third album and the first with singer Bruce Dickinson. The two previous albums, Iron Maiden and Killers, had a different singer named Paul Di’Anno. My interest in this band was fed by my favorite record store in the Jefferson City Shopping Center—Ted’s Record Store—which sent me down many musical paths. On a side note, we all remember the jingle: “At Jeff, Jeff, Jefferson City where there’s everything under the sun!” I digress.

Photo Credit: Ironmaiden.com

I learned a couple of days ago Paul Di’Anno passed. After Maiden, he had been performing and making records for forty years. He had a lot of health problems, and this year, he performed in a wheelchair because of his ailing legs. He was a trooper and performed because he had to because of a lack of funds. Rest in Peace, Paul.

Photo Credit: Ego Trip Media
Photo Credit Ego Trip Media

It’s turnip carving time, and I particularly like this season because we usually receive no visitors. Unfortunately, no one appreciates the smell of turnips! One might ask why we carve turnips around Halloween. The tradition goes back to the old countries of Ireland and England and Ye Olde Stingy Jack. Jack was not a good man; he screw up his life and afterlife. After hearing the story of Stingy Jack and his worthless life, I’d put him in either the Senate or Congress. It’s pretty bad when even the devil feels for you. I’ll leave a link to his story.

Until next time, “Up the Irons! For Paul!” He was a West Ham United fan. That is an even greater loss…

U.S.S. Texas:  https://www.12newsnow.com/article/news/state/texas-news/battleship-texas-is-in-limbo/502-eccb3e2d-3831-45df-a91c-a7ed51accd05

Eddie Trunk: https://eddietrunk.com/

RIP Paul Di’Anno: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PX2FkO0b-o

https://yourlastrites.com/2024/10/21/r-i-p-paul-dianno-1958-2024

Stingy Jack:   https://vimeo.com/113006486

Thoughts and Ramblings: Galveston, Galveston, Galveston!

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Talk about tired. I was truly Madeline Kahn tired last week because of the whole rain and power outage thing. To those wondering, our area experienced the solar eclipse late. On Thursday, May 2, at 8:30 a.m. it was pitch black with a tad of green. Then, the hail came. Many certain words were said to the sky that week. Around midnight, we got the power back and prepared for our journey to Galveston. I left home after another lightning storm on Friday afternoon, but to be honest, I had a great weekend. No worries at all, and luckily, all the people I volunteered with on Sunday (most were from Liberty County) were good and made it home safely without the flooding affecting their homes.

As I said last week, it was a joy to see Kathleen Maca before one of her cemetery tours on Friday evening. Also, I’ve never seen the flowers in the Broadway cemeteries so gorgeous. You should add this to your bucket list—yes, both the cemetery tour and seeing the wildflowers at City Cemetery on Broadway Avenue in May!

On Saturday morning, some of us took a walk on the seawall. Afterward, we were supposed to meet at Denny’s for breakfast before taking the Galveston Historic Homes Tour. I left my Airbnb and proceeded to walk a block and a half to Denny’s. When I arrived, there was no Denny’s; instead, there was an empty lot that looked like a demolition site. I guess I need to listen to the news—unfortunately, Denny’s burned down in October last year. So off we went to IHOP near the San Luis Resort.

We took the whole tour on Saturday. There were 11 stops, and we had done 10 by four o’clock. So, after eating our leftovers from IHOP (the omelets are huge) as lunch/dinner, we headed to our final destination, which was the 1883 William L. Moody Building at 2206 Strand. I nearly skipped this part of the tour, not because it wasn’t worth it, but because of Galveston’s parking. Last year, you could park for free on weekends and after six in the Strand district, but they’ve changed this. They’ve doubled the price from $10 to $20 in the parking lots on weekends. I did find a parking lot that claimed you could park all day for $4. The tech wasn’t up to date, but the parking was glorious! Basically, you shove $4 folded in a slot with your parking-space number. Could it be sketchy? Maybe, but I parked, shoved a fiver in the slot, and proceeded to tour the 1883 William L. Moody Building. The parking lot is located at 1916 Postoffice Street, if you dare. I think you’ll be all right.

After visiting the Moody Building, we set off to photograph the USS Texas. The ship is out of the dry dock and currently doing fine in the water at Gulf Copper Ship Yard. It will be there until they build a permanent home for it near Pier 21. This information is both official and nonofficial because the authorities have not yet stated that Galveston will be the ship’s new home. They’ve just put out a drawing of how great its new home will look, and they have said that it will be built near Pier 21. Another advantage of the place where I parked was picking up my pizza from Mama Theresa’s Flying Pizza, which is located just a few blocks from Pier 21. I got everything I wanted for that fiver and more!

When we left the Strand, a few of us wanted to experience the San Luis Resort. I’ve never been. It is a beautiful resort, and it has security. So, seeing the inside might have been a problem. Our plan was to head to the lobby and, if stopped, say that we were there to meet our friends Ruth and Florence Chambers, who were probably running late. (Shout out to the Heritage Society!)

For a second time that day, we parked at IHOP. We did see the lobby. A wedding was going on outside to the right of us, and all the prom photoshoots were happening to the left. Unfortunately, the concrete gun emplacements of the Hoskins battery were off limits to tourists. Oh well, I’m sure the Chambers sisters would not have cared about looking at gun emplacements, but Ruth may not have liked us using their names as references—I digress!

Volunteer Sunday was cloudy and cooler, but at least it didn’t rain as much as it did north of Interstate 10. As I said, all the other volunteers made it home to dry houses in Liberty County. I always enjoy my stint with these folks and the Candy Lady, and I will continue to help as long as she and our group are there.

Since today’s blog is an all-Galveston blog, I want to give a shout-out to blog reader Don Dickerson, who, on Facebook, recommended the podcast Galveston Unscripted. I will provide a link to the podcast’s rebroadcast about the Great Storm of 1900. This is probably the best roundup of what happened before and after the hurricane that you can listen to in under 23 minutes. If you have more time, then read the book Isaac’s Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History by Erik Larson. When I first read it, I was not a fan of the meteorologist Isaac Cline, nor am I today. He probably would have fit in at the Weather Channel today, but this book triggered me so much that I added some of his philosophies to my 2013 book Blood of the Innocent. In the book, my character is meeting someone at the Menard House to purchase land in 1875. I’ll let Lady Annabel Falsworth explain my thoughts.

Mr. Stiles, a friend of the Menard family, was just beginning his journey into the world of land brokering and was grateful to have full use of the magnificent house. He felt the environment provided him with the credibility to do business. It was a jewel compared to his modest “two-roomed shack,” as he called it.

“So, Lady Falsworth, Miss Sterling, I do hope you are enjoying our young up-and-coming city by the sea,” Mr. Stiles said in an attempt to draw attention to the island’s attributes.

“Yes, it is a quaint little place, but I don’t know if I would be comfortable living by the sea,” Annabelle responded.

“What do you mean? Living near the water is the best part!” Mr. Stiles feigned astonishment. “There is always a breeze, and a dip into the ocean is most gratifying on a hot summer’s day.”

Annabelle looked at him in a bemused manner. “True, it is definitely wonderful, but I do feel that this area is plagued with storms, is it not?”

“Hmmm. . . We have our fair share of storms of a tropical nature but nothing to worry about. Those that do the most damage tend not to come this far west.”

Annabelle looked at him in disbelief. “Oh? Well, that is good to know. Unfortunately, your brethren in Indianola cannot say the same, can they?”

“Pardon? Oh yes.” Mr. Stiles remembered almost a month to the day that a strong hurricane had blown into Matagorda Bay, Texas, destroying almost the entire port town of Indianola. “Yes, what a terrible and tragic situation,” Mr. Stiles recalled, “but here in Galveston things like that just don’t happen. I believe God shines down on our glorious little city and protects it.”

Annabelle’s smile grew wider on hearing his words. She looked into his eyes mischievously, “Well, if I may give you some advice regarding the future of your glorious little city. Heed this warning and remember those who perished in Indianola, because it may be you who finds yourself in the eye of destruction with no warning or means of escape.” Annabelle paused for a moment and, noticing Mr. Stiles’ blank stare, continued, “Well, enough of that. I believe we shall continue with other business at hand.” She smiled graciously.

Until next week!

https://www.galvestonunscripted.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac%27s_Storm

Thoughts and Ramblings: The 50th Galveston Historic Homes Tour

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The Galveston Historical Foundation’s Historic Homes Tour has finally reached fifty. I’ve been taking and/or volunteering on the tour for at least fourteen years. It is special to me because I love old houses and talking to some of the owners. By simply asking, you can learn about their journeys restoring these precious abodes. They love to talk about their treasures, and I love to listen.

Our journey to Galveston began Friday afternoon, down the beach road to the ferry. After checking into our Airbnb, we headed straight for City Cemetery to photograph the wildflowers. I highly hoped that we could get some good photos this year because of the recent soaking rains, and we were not disappointed! The cemetery looked like a blanket of yellow and red. It was gorgeous. And to make the visit even greater, we bumped into author Kathleen Maca, who was giving one of her cemetery tours that evening. I love these kinds of surprises, especially when they involve good people.

Yesterday, at around two in the morning, a storm popped up and rocked our abode with hail; there was also lightning. So, as you can imagine, everyone was talking about this at our first stop on the tour. The first house was the 1871 Frederick and Minna Martini Cottage at 1217 Market Street. This is where I’ll be today from ten to two in the afternoon, so come by! It is a lovely house and definitely worth a visit. I especially love the office near the front entrance. Note: this was the first of eight homes on the tour where we had to wear booties on our feet. So, keep this in mind. This will slow down the tour, and long lines will occur, but at this house, the lines were fine.

Our next stop was the 1905 Charles Marschner Building at 1914 Mechanic Street. It’s been on the tour before, and the owners did a wonderful job restoring it, but when you are parking in the area, and this also includes the 1883 William L. Moody Building at 2206 Strand Avenue, be aware that parking is NOT FREE on weekends this year. So, it’s probably best to tour these gems later in the day if you also want to shop at the Strand. By the way, the 1883 William L. Moody Building isn’t fully restored yet, but it will be a sight to see and worth a peek.

In my opinion, the 1887 Albert Rakel House at 1808 Postoffice Street is the house to see on this tour, but there were long lines, and booties were worn. This visit had many staircases, but I think it took gold. It also had many restored antique furniture, which looked beautiful. Furthermore, there is a sketch of Old Red, the Ashbel Smith Building at the University of Texas Medical Branch, in the parlor (no one mentioned it, but that’s all right). I get excited when I see things like this.

Next on the list was the 1896 William and Adele Skinner House at 1318 Sealy. This is a wonderful house to tour, and no booties! I volunteered at this house in 2018. It was a day of happiness. I was the gatekeeper on that Sunday of the first week of the tour. I remember the neighbor’s cat being a constant visitor and having lunch while people were waiting to enter the house. He dined on a bird he had caught, which didn’t go down too well with the tourists. I talked to the homeowner next door, and he mentioned that the cat loved to hang out at the church across the street and tour the neighborhood. The next year, we were visiting a home in the same area, and he showed up. I have to admit the animal loves the social life. Unfortunately, the neighbor’s cat was a no-show this year, but I’m sure he was catting around somewhere. Check out the birdhouse in the parlor and the stained glass, and enjoy the air conditioning.

The 1928 Sally Trueheart Williams House at 1616 Broadway had long lines all day. It’s a beautiful house and worth the wait, but booties and no shade create a problem.

The 1888 Alphonse Kenison House at 1720 Avenue K was a gem—no booties, no lines, and just a pleasure to tour. They even had what I call a “ringy thing” attached to the door—it rings when you turn it (others call it a doorbell). I also loved the porch.

There were no lines at the 1859 John Henry Moser Cottage at 1208 Twenty-Fifth Street. We toured it after lunch, so there was less traffic in the area, as well as near the other houses on Avenues P and Q. But let’s not dismiss these properties as places not to see. They were superb additions to the tour.

The 1891 Christian Wolfer Tenant Cottage at 3101 Avenue Q is a nice house. My only beef with it is the photo of the Mexican terrorist Marcos on the wall. I first visited this Green Revival house in 2012, I thought it was nice, and they kept promoting its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design credentials. This year is much of the same. It’s a short tour, and booties were worn.

The 1839 Samuel May and Sarah Scott Williams House at 3601 Avenue P was interesting because it is the second oldest house in Galveston. Its story is worth your short wait in a shaded, short line. To be honest, as a volunteer on the tour, I can say that this house was made to be included. Perfect shade and the perfect gate for traffic. Stop by the Galveston Historical Foundation’s temporary shop to pick up some of their wares.

The 1929 Edward and Katherine Randall House at 3502 Avenue P is in the process of being restored. This structure is massive. I hope to see this one finished on a future tour.

Well, that’s it. I hope you enjoy the fiftieth anniversary of the Historic Homes Tour in Galveston.

Evening Edition: 50th Annual Galveston Historic Homes Tour F.Y.I.

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It’s finally upon us. The 50th Annual Galveston Historic Homes Tours is here, and the Galveston Historical Foundation, along with its many volunteers, will be there to guide you, inform you, and hopefully educate you on these precious structures, but please note that there will be delays, long lines, and booties at some of the homes. Which ones, I have no idea, but I’ll definitely get into that on Sunday.

People tend to take this tour in different ways, and I want to help you as much as possible so you can have a wonderful time visiting these treasures. First off, buy your tickets online. Keep them on your phone and/or print them. This should make it easy for you to pick up your tour book/ticket when you are at your first house. It shouldn’t be a secret that credit card machines, and the many gremlins inside their wires, like to screw with this technology. Most of the time it works, but I’ve volunteered for 10 years, so… Also, cash for tickets will be taken, but there will be no cash boxes, so we cannot give change. Keep this in mind. This is a new arrangement, so any disgruntled persons should contact the Galveston Historical Foundation. As a volunteer, I will quote Sgt. Oddball on this: “Don’t hit me with them negative waves.” My animal spirit, Yukari Akiyama (秋山 優花里), backs me up on this.

When taking the Historic Homes Tour, you should have a plan.

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

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

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

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

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

6. Volunteers. Most of the people who check your ticket, sell you the excellent wares that the Galveston Historical Foundation offers, and are stationed throughout the properties are volunteers. This means they are not getting paid. The white shirt–black pants army is there to keep the tour rolling and help you visit these beautiful homes. I say this because when you find yourself in a line, know that most of these people are doing the best they can to give you a great experience.

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

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

See you on the tour!

Thoughts and Ramblings; Eclipse; An Exit Plan; Scarlet O’Hara’s Younger Sister, and the Museum of the Gulf Coast are Awesome; 2024 Hurricane Forecast, and More on the 50th Annual Galveston Historical Homes Tour .

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I hope everyone got a peek at the solar eclipse on Monday. It was cloudy here, so there was a filter effect, and you could actually get a photo or two from a regular camera. I took a few cell phone photos. I’m not that into photographing the sun. In contrast, I will go to great lengths to get a shot of a lunar eclipse. I have a few on my Flickr page. I’ll leave the link to it at the bottom of the blog.

For the past 12 months, I’ve been going through some things I’ve collected over the years, and I feel that some of this stuff needs a home now. Other things, such as the regional history books, need an exit plan—my exit plan, to be blunt. I have a considerable number of books on the history of Southeast Texas (SETX), and although most of them do not have monetary value, the references they contain are priceless for researchers, and they eventually will need homes.

My research on SETX history and my twelve years of researching Florence Stratton are in good hands. This data shouldn’t be lost because it is currently held by multiple people and a few organizations. History should be available to everyone; it should not be locked up! For the most part, this blog and its Facebook page have sought to uncover little-known SETX stories and facts. I’ve tried to show the glory of these stories because I think that they are as good as any well-promoted celebrity in our area who has a billboard dedicated to them stating “X lives in our museum.”

On a side note, I know a celebrity who doesn’t live in a museum, although part of her is in a genie lamp interred in one. That would be Scarlet O’Hara’s younger sister, and she is as awesome as the museum. I’ll leave the links at the bottom of the blog, and I will state that the Museum of the Gulf Coast is a top-notch museum, which you must visit!

Not to cause alarm, but those weather people are getting a bit giddy. No, not the ghost-hunting weather people in our area, which I wrote about in October, but those folks who think that weather forecasting should always be dramatic. Hell, they even name snowstorms now! Apparently, we are supposed to run out of names for tropical storms during this season. If that’s the case, then I hope they add phi, slama, and jama from the Latin alphabet (a couple of these characters may or may not be in the Latin alphabet). A friend at the University of Houston suggested that I recommend these names. Sometimes, I question her input concerning facts.

Honestly, I do believe that if I ever see Jim Cantore in my area, I will run like hell. He has a bit more cred than anyone at WeatherNation. I only know about this channel because I had Dish during Hurricane Laura, and they were reporting “from Lake Charles, Texas.” It’s not that I put the Weather Channel on a pedestal, but WeatherNation is its Dollar Tree version, if you see what I mean.

The 50th anniversary of the Galveston Historic Homes Tour is a few weeks away, and I acknowledge that I am a bit dizzy because of this tour. I kind of know where some of the ghosts are hiding, but they will not be on the tour, and as volunteers, we do not talk about such things. If you want to talk about such things, you can hit me up while I’m standing in the line on Saturday, May 4, as I will be taking the tour. Alternatively, you can ask the expert, Kathleen Maca, and take one of her tours. Whether it’s a Galveston cemetery tour or learning about ghosts on the strand, she is the best when it comes to Galveston history and those stories you can’t find anywhere else. I’ll leave a link to her tour schedule.

Today, I smelled summer, or at least I smelled May. The ligustrums are beginning to bloom, which is lovely for me but a death knell for those of you with allergies. I refuse to quote Lynyrd Skynyrd, but “Ooh, that smell!” Growing up, I loved the smell of ligustrums in the morning, at noon, and during the night. Unfortunately, one of my siblings is not too keen on this hedge, and she’s a step away from the ER if she goes near it. I’ll just state that I love ligustrums, but it’s bad when you invite people over for a garden party and the heads of half of your peeps explode.

Most people know that I don’t have garden parties, and if I did, I would have cetirizine as an appetizer.

Since it’s the 50th anniversary of the Galveston Historic Homes Tour, I will insert a few additions to this blog from the early days. Looking back, I’ve blogged, promoted, and taken the tour since 2012. I love the tour, and I treasure the Candy Lady, whom I volunteer with. I will also state that the homes are haunted. As far as the Galveston Historical Foundation goes, I’ll give them a positive nod and say that they have rid themselves of the parasites who used to run what was a dog-and-pony show. The tour is now a decent event to visit and volunteer for. I hope to see you on the tour on May 4 and at the 1871 Frederick and Minna Martini Cottage on 1217 Market Street on Cinco De Mayo!

Rediscoveringsetx Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/25032584@N05/albums

Museum of the Gulf Coast: https://www.museumofthegulfcoast.org/

Evelyn Keyes:

Tales From Hallowed Ground: Evelyn Keyes

2024 Hurricane Forecast:

https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2024-04-04-hurricane-season-outlook-april

44th Historic Homes Tour (Flickr photos):  https://flic.kr/s/aHsmj557xC

39th Historic Homes Tour:

39th Annual Galveston Historic Homes Tour

Thoughts and Ramblings: Middle Passage Marker; 50th Anniversary Historic Homes Tour; So Said Susie on Easter Sunday

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There’s a new marker in Martin J. Popeye Holmes Park in front of the sub-courthouse. It was installed and dedicated last Saturday by the African American Cultural Society and the Middle Passage Ceremonies and Port Markers Project. The marker states that its purpose is to “Commemorating the Lives of African Ancestors Who Perished During the Middle Passage and Those Who Survived and Were Transported Through Sabine Pass, Texas” (1817–1837).

Seeing the wording of the marker makes more sense to me now because I heard in November that the organizations wanted to put up a marker in Port Arthur. It makes sense that it was a passage through Sabine Pass because, at that time, there was no Port Arthur, nor any other town or port existing on the northern banks of Lake Sabine. The township of Aurora came later, but it was wiped out by the hurricane of 1886.

To my knowledge, slave traders, such as Jean Lafitte, usually used the land where the city of Prairie View (Bridge City) would develop, and around Deweyville, on the Sabine River. For those not in the know, yes, Jean Lafitte was a slave trader. I guess that changes your search for his treasure—I digress. Note, I’m not a fan of anything French, especially if they’re running slave ships for the Spaniards—my twenty-four percent Spanish ancestry digresses as well.

According to their Facebook page, the Middle Passage Ceremonies and Port Markers Project was supposed to dedicate this marker on December 1, but I’m sure things happen, like markers not being ready at the foundry. I’m not in the know, but it’s up and in a good place to see it. I will add a link to the Port Arthur News article written by Mary Meaux. I also want to add this quote by Gail Pellum, president of the African American Culture Society: “You can’t let [history] go. If you don’t learn from it, you will repeat it and it will not be good on either side.”

As someone interested in many histories, this is the truest quote that you will hear. This is why it is important to remember all histories and learn from the past, as there are those who will try to repeat it.

The Galveston Historical Foundation finally released the addresses of this year’s 50th Historic Homes Tour. I, for one, am ecstatic to see a home on the tour that I volunteered at in 2018. It was the cover house that year, and according to the owner, it’s haunted, but don’t tell the GHF because they don’t like people talking about that—or so I was told a few years ago. It was also the house where the neighbor’s cat used to hang out on Sunday mornings in the nice Catholic church (which looks like a mosque) and then look for dinner. That year, he hung out in the front yard and dined on a bird that he’d caught. I can’t say it was much fun for the lines of people waiting to enter the house. I saw him the following year on the tour, as there was a house on the tour about a block away. He certainly got around and loved the attention.

All the houses look great, and I’m ready to tour these gems. I am also ready to volunteer! I will be at the 1871 Frederick and Minna Martini Cottage at 1217 Market Street on the first Sunday, so stop by! I hope to see you there. The Galveston Historical Foundation is always looking for volunteers, so if you think you might be interested in volunteering for this tour or other projects they have going on, I’ll leave a link at the bottom of this blog.

It’s Easter Sunday, and I hope you and your peeps are doing well. As a closer, I’ll let Susie Spindletop finish the blog, as she knows she has to carry me sometimes. Who does that better? Well, Susie, of course!

                                                   March 28, 1932

OLD-TIME Easter in Beaumont meant seeing Mrs. Messenger drive in from Rosedale with her buggy filled with dogwood, honeysuckle and palmettoes to trim St. Mark’s church. One year Mrs. Messenger created a sensation by managing to get a calla lilly to bloom in time for Easter.

Dr. Messenger was the rector who held the service here one Sunday and in Orange the next. He swelled his salary by raising fine fruit.

                                *                                       *                                    *

NOW, Della, did you ever hear of live chickens being party favors? I didn’t either until I learned that Elizabeth Tyrrell gave them away at her Easter party. Ann Page Carey named hers Susie. Thank you, Ann Page.

                               *                                        *                                    *

Did I tell you that I hear that Lois Cunningham has bought the C. F Graham senior house corner of McFaddin and Fifth? Ruth and I.D. Polk are living there now, but some day I predict Mrs. Cunningham and Lois will move in.

When I first came to Beaumont it was the A.L. Williams home.

                                          March 28, 1937

Easter gives us one diversion. Instead of arguing over which came first, the hen or the egg—we can switch off to the rabbit and the egg!

                                   *                            *                            *

Every Easter brings forth a different egg. Just a few years ago everybody speculated on what the minister’s wife was going to wear Sunday, or what tie Mr. Flapjacks would sport. Then came the day of movie stars and they do some strutting for they don’t have to depend on papa or hubby to open up diplomatic relations with the milliner and dress maker.

Take Constance Worth featured in “China passage” falls for sport effect with a little Juliet cap of bright colored raffia instead of sports hat with her simple silk, which is belted in braided Raffia.

Remembering the late news from Ethiopia with Ras this and Ras that we should change raffia to raf.

Della, I had to stop here to keep all these dress names from driving me to the tung nut house.

 *                         *                             *

Today, Easter will be exactly 12 hours and 23 minutes long. You spend 12 hours dolling up to show off 23 minutes.

SUSIE.

Port Arthur News: Middle Passage Marker

Middle Passage Marker in Port Arthur commemorates ancestors, provides history of local slave trade

Jean Lafitte:

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/jean-lafitte

50th Historic Homes Tour:

Galveston Historic Homes Tour

Galveston Historical Foundation Volunteer Opportunities:

GHF Volunteer Opportunities

Florence Stratton (Susie Spindletop):