Category Archives: North Texas History

Finding New Markets

Posted on April 7, 2019 by admin

Last week I wrote about feral cattle in Texas before the Civil War. They were the offspring of Andalusian cattle brought to what today is Mexico by Hernando Cortez in 1521. Gradually the cattle migrated north in search of food, … Continue reading →

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Two Centuries of Roads

Posted on April 3, 2019 by admin

Over the years I have written about old roads in Texas and neighboring states. Without a doubt the oldest road to cross the Lone Star State is El Camino Real or as Anglos say, Old San Antonio Road (OSR). Spanish … Continue reading →

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Texas Cattle

Posted on March 31, 2019 by admin

I am having an absolute Writer’s Block right this minute. The deadline is only hours away. I feel like those Parisians just before the guillotine dropped. My mind keeps going to a presentation I will make next Thursday in Lafayette, … Continue reading →

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A New Decade

Posted on March 24, 2019 by admin

If local newspapers are any indication of public interest, it seems that 1919 was finished with World War I and ready to tackle a new decade. The Paris Peace Treaty, for all of President Woodrow Wilson’s efforts, was more about … Continue reading →

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Ruby Allmond, the National Champion Woman Fiddler

Posted on March 13, 2019 by admin

The Fannin County Historical Commission has become one of the most active commissions in Northeast Texas. During the month of March this year, members posted brief articles for Women’s History Day. Here’s an interesting piece I wrote several years ago … Continue reading →

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Dismantling Prohibition

Posted on March 6, 2019 by admin

Last fall a friend of mine offered me two challenges. Without hesitation I avidly took on both. The first one is a presentation at the New Deal Conference in Fort Worth on June 8. The other is a biography of … Continue reading →

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Chug Holes Galore

Posted on March 3, 2019 by admin

Even more than a hundred years ago, citizens were complaining about roads in this part of Texas, and probably in other areas that received winter snows and rain. Our blackland soil, often referred to as gumbo, is not receptive to … Continue reading →

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Tax Problems in 1846

Posted on February 20, 2019 by admin

This year we have new tax laws, the federal government closed for the longest period ever, and everyone is complaining. But I found an incredible letter from Henry Banta, the first Hunt County Tax Accessor and Collector to the State … Continue reading →

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Who Was Bishop Kavanaugh?

Posted on February 17, 2019 by admin

One of the earliest churches to still be at its original site is Kavanaugh United Methodist Church. The red brick structure with white columns has served congregations since that particular church opened in 1924. The church congregation was organized in … Continue reading →

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Remedy for Cold Feet

Posted on February 13, 2019 by admin

I really hate to complain about my cold feet with others throughout the United States and Canada having such frigid cold weather this winter. But the truth is, my feet are cold. Years ago, I found this contraption in an … Continue reading →

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