Purveyor of Texas history and culture. Cowboy boots junkie and advocate of all things Lone Star. 100% organic, free-range Texas content. A 100% apolitical feed
After Chas McCormick made "The Catch" he fell back onto the warning track. One of Traces of Texas reader Lorri White's friends was sitting right there and snapped this photo of the impression Mccormick's body made in the dirt there and sent it to Lorri seconds afterward. Awesome!
Willie Nelson and his grandmother, Nancy Nelson, circa 1950. Willie was born 90 years ago today in 1933. His mother left soon after he was born and his father remarried and also moved away, leaving Nelson and his sister Bobbie to be raised by their grandparents, who had taught…
The entire state of Texas as photographed by NASA from space, 2018. This is a fascinating image to look at if you're at all familiar with Texas geography. Not only can you see all of the major cities but even towns like Temple-Killeen, Midland-Odessa ... even small towns like…
Willie Nelson at home in Tennessee, late 1960s. His house subsequently burned down on Dec. 23, 1969. While the fire was raging Willie dashed in to retrieve two things: Trigger, his guitar, and a pound of marijuana. Willie later said "I wasn’t being brave running in there to…
The Texas Quote of the Day:
"It's been a pretty good song. It was written in five minutes about a hot day in Austin, Texas with a margarita and a beautiful woman. I finished it in Key West. I had no idea."
----- Jimmy Buffett, who passed away yesterday, talks about how he wrote…
Every Easter I post this photo of San Antonio farmer Sam Smith celebrating rain after a prolonged drought on Easter Sunday, 1951. I do not apologize for it as it's my all-time favorite Texas photo. Taken by AP photographer Harvey Belgin, it was nominated for a Pulitzer.
It's currently 4° in Amarillo. Can y'all imagine being out on the plains 140 years ago on such a night and not knowing what was about to happen, or how long it would last? You would be out there with your horse, the wind would suddenly shift, and you would say, "uh-oh."
A friend sent his in to me and said "we were part of the last invincible generation." I had to smile. You had to be there to understand. It was a different time.
Arcane Willie Nelson fact:
@FarmAid
has dispensed close to 80 million dollars to farmers since 1985. Willie reviews each grant and signs the checks himself. I, personally, know of two farmers here in Texas who would have lost their farms after the 2011 drought. One of those…
Comanche leader Quanah Parker and his friend Burk Burnett, legendary cowman and founder of the famed 6666 Ranch. Burnett was also, of course, the namesake of Burkburnett, Texas. Burnett's friend Teddy Roosevelt suggested the name for the town because it was situated on Burnett's…
Y'all, people have been getting personal and political with one another here on Traces. Please stop. My vision for this feed is one that, like Texas itself, is welcoming, kind, and tolerant. So much of Twitter is filled with strife. I'd like Traces to be an uplifting respite.
The Arcane Texas Fact of the Day:
Rudder Tower at Texas A&M University is the exact same height, 110 feet, as the cliff that James Earl Rudder and his band of Rangers scaled in Normandy on D-Day 77 years ago. That is by design.
72 years ago today, on August 8th, 1950 Harmon Dobson --- a bold man, a man with a vision --- opened this little old Whataburger at 2609 Ayers Ave. in Corpus Christi. Burgers were 25 cents. He grossed $50 that first day.
To the young lady who flipped me off when I honked at her as she was leaving the HEB parking lot: I doubt your cell phone is on the roof of your car anymore.
One of my own photos. Sunset while heading in to Fort Stockton. That is Squawteat Peak on the horizon to the right. I took this a few years ago on one of those magical Texas summer evenings. You cross that Pecos River and your mind feels like an unsaddled horse.
The Arcane Texas Fact of the Day:
In 1969, while staying at the Fort Worther Motel in Fort Worth, Waylon Jennings saw an advertisement in a newspaper promoting Tina Turner as a "good hearted woman loving two-timing men", a reference to Ike Turner. Waylon went to talk to Willie,…
The Texas Quote of the Day comes from Stevie Ray Vaughan:
“I took music theory for one year in high school and flunked all but one six-week period. That’s because I couldn’t read music and the rest of the class was already eight or nine years into it. The teacher would sit down…
The Texas Quote of the Day:
"To understand me, you need to understand Texan logic. If you come from Texas, you're 100 per cent American but you'll do things the Texan way. We're independent. We've got our own way of doing things. Try to build fences 'round us and we'll run you…
I tweet this every Easter but I don't apologize; it is without doubt the greatest Easter photo in Texas history. The unabashed joy on San Antonio farmer Sam Smith's face as he celebrates rain on Easter Sunday after a severe drought, 1951 is too much! Taken by Harvey Belgin.
Traces of Texas reader Laura Rowe took this rather amazing photo of a storm cloud between Earth, Texas and Littlefield, Texas and graciously sent it in. I've been around Texas and seen some crazy stuff, atmospherically speaking, but this is something else! Thank you, Laura!
73 years ago today, on August 8th, 1950, Harmon Dobson --- a bold man, a man with a dream ----- opened this little 'old burger stand at 2609 Ayers Street in Corpus Christi. The price of the original Whataburger was 25 cents. Total business for 1st day? 50 dollars. I only mention…
The Rolling Stones are in Austin to play a show tonight, so naturally Mick Jagger stopped at the iconic Broken Spoke last night to drink a beer.
#brokenspoke
#rollingstones
@RollingStones
Happy Birthday, Texas! 187 years ago today, on March 2nd, 1836, 59 men signed the Texas Declaration of Independence, officially breaking from Mexico and creating the Republic of Texas. We've been through a lot since then --- had our share of bad characters and tough times ---…
The great Babe Ruth poses in front of the Menger Hotel in San Antonio, 1930. On March 31st of that year, Babe Ruth and the New York Yankees arrived in San Antonio to play an exhibition spring training game later that afternoon at League Park against the San Antonio Indians…
Another one of my favorite Willie stories:
One of the things that I like best about Willie is that he's always followed his own moral compass. That's why, in 1966, when his Willie Nelson Show package tour rolled across South Texas and Louisiana, he added African American…
Shawn Sullivan sent in this photo of Sam Elliott at a CVS store in Weatherford, Texas last month. Shawn said he doesn't know what Sam was doing there. I say "Does it matter?" It's Sam freakin' Elliott at a CVS in Weatherford, Texas!" So utterly random. I love it!
One of my own photos. Sunset heading into Fort Stockton. That is Squawteat Peak on the horizon to the right. I took this one summer on a magical evening. You cross that Pecos River you notice that your pulse starts slowing down, you breathe more freely, and your mind feels like…
It's been more than 32 years and I still have a hard time accepting the fact that he's gone. I was lucky to see him perform many times, even for free at small venues like the Hole in The Wall in Austin before he became famous. May his spirit forever roam these windswept prairies.
In 1971, Mariano Martinez, Jr. adapted a Slurpee machine to create the world's first frozen margarita machine at Mariano's Hacienda restaurant in East Dallas. So it's true that not all heroes wear capes. 😀 Photo courtesy Mariano Martinez Jr. via
@DMagazine
.
The Arcane Texas Fact of the Day:
A while back I posted this map of the ecological regions of Texas, adding that it seemed the most sensible way to envision the state in terms of terrain. What I failed to do was to include the acreage of each of these regions:
1) Piney Woods -…
Legendary Panhandle cowboy Tom Blasingame, who was born in Waxahachie in 1898. He rode his first horse at the age of six. At ninety-one, he was still on the job at the JA Ranch south of Amarillo. Two days after Christmas in 1989, he dismounted his horse, Ruidosa, stretched out…
My favorite mailbox in Texas. It has a nice view of Texas' highest point, Guadalupe Peak, from about 45 miles away. One of my own photos. I felt lucky to be here on this particular day.
Jacob Luckenbach, the man who founded Luckenbach, Texas. He was 90 years old when he passed away in 1907. I can hear the conversation now: "No, really, Jacob ... 75 years from now two men who aren't even born yet are going to record a song about Luckenbach, Texas and sell…
71 years ago today, on August 8th, 1950, Harmon Dobson --- a bold man, a man with a dream ----- opened this little 'ol burger stand at 2609 Ayers street in Corpus Christi. The price of the original Whataburger was 25 cents. Total business for 1st day? 50 dollars.
@Whataburger
A huge live oak tree near Shiner, Texas. When I see one of these regal old oaks I think of the cows and people who have sought shelter under it on scorching hot days or during a storm. This was a huge tree during the days of Sam Houston. He may have stopped here. Who can say?
Cormac McCarthy has passed away at the age of 89. His border trilogy is one of the greatest things ever written about Texas. Indeed, I read "All the Pretty Horses" about once per year. After all, there's nobody else who writes like this:
"That night he dreamt of horses in a…
The Arcane Texas Fact of the Day:
Robert Duvall patterned his mannerisms, voice, and gestures for the part of Gus McCrae in "Lonesome Dove" from Sammy Baugh, the hall-of-fame quarterback from Temple, Texas.
Said Duvall, "About a month before we started filming, I looked up a…
Are you kidding me? Earl Campbell and Willie Nelson in Houston, 1980 ... and Willie with a Lone Star beer in his hand? It don't GIT more Texas than this!
#tracesoftexas
70 years ago today, on August 8th, 1950, Harmon Dobson --- a bold man, a man with a dream ----- opened this little 'ol burger stand at 2609 Ayers street in Corpus Christi. The price of the original Whataburger was 25 cents. Total business for 1st day? 50 dollars.
The Arcane Texas Fact of the Day:
When Elizabeth Sullivan turned 104 years old back in 2015, she told CBS DFW that the doctor she turns to is none other than Dr Pepper. "People try to give me coffee for breakfast. Well, I'd rather have a Dr Pepper," she said. "I started drinking…
One of my all-time favorite Texas photos. A woman selling life-saving tamales in Brownsville, 1937. And I ask: who among us hasn't been in need of a little life support now and then? Taken by Carl Mydans.
As I've said umpteen times, sometimes it's not the photo, but the story. Traces of Texas reader Jim Bob Sims kindly sent in this snapshot and, when I first opened up his email and looked at this photo I thought that I wouldn't post it because, technically, it leaves some stuff…
In March, 2015, a Holstein cow gave birth to quadruplets in De Kalb, Texas. There is a one in 180 million chance that a cow will have quadruplets. This one beat the odds. Their names are Eeny, Meeny, Miney, and Moo.
A man with a horse on top of Mount Bonnell in Austin, early 1950s. I believe he is a Texas Ranger. These days, all of that area in the background is filled with mansions, boat docks etc... Crazy to see it so undeveloped.
Y'all, Johnny Hardwick, the voice of Dale Gribble on the TV show King of the Hill, has passed away at the age of 64. Johnny was born and raised in Austin and went to school at Texas Tech. As Dale Gribble, he was the exterminator who lived next door to the titular Hill family…
Tom Blasingame was born in Waxahachie in 1898. He worked 73 years as a cowboy. At 91, he was still working on the JA Ranch south of Amarillo. Two days after Christmas in 1989, he dismounted his horse, Ruidosa, stretched out on the grass, folded his arms across his chest, & died.
I have seen maps of Texas divided up into all kinds of ways and with any number of divisions. This is the one that makes the most sense: a map of Texas divided into 10 natural regions. Naturally, the Blackland Prairie is the best one. 😉
On Monday I was honored with a special resolution by the Texas Legislature for Traces of Texas. I didn't know that I needed to have a sport coat so
@codyharris
, who sponsored it, loaned me his .. but we are not the same size. Here I am on the dais w/ Rep. Harris and
@DadePhelan
.
This is Private Felix Longoria. On February 16, 1949 he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. He had died in the Philippines near the end of World War II. When his recovered remains were sent to Three Rivers, Texas, for burial, the funeral director refused the use of his…
Texas Rangers in Austin. This daguerreotype is circa 1850, making it one of the very oldest photos I have ever posted. Pretty sensational, don't y'all think?
Future Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry points to a spot on a map of France when he was a co-pilot of a B-17 flying fortress in World War II. From November, 1944 to April. 1945 he completed a combat tour of 30 missions, and survived a crash landing in Belgium after his bomber…
I'm sure I don't have to remind readers of this Twitter feed that it was exactly 175 years ago today, on Dec. 29th, 1845, that Texas allowed the United States to join it.
The 2020 senior class of Fredricksburg High spent 4 years doing fundraisers to get money for their senior trip to Six Flags Fiesta Texas. The coronavirus nixed that, so they donated the money they had already raised, almost $11,000, to the local food bank. Way to go, seniors!
French cannons, buried by the Spanish at Fort Saint Louis in 1689 and uncovered on a private ranch by archeologists from the Texas Historical Commission, confirming the site’s location. Found exactly where Alonso De León left them 300+ years ago. More:
The very first Schlotzsky's restaurant on South Congress in Austin, 1971. It is now an Amy's Ice Cream. I remember being blow away by my first Schlotszky's a few years after this was taken. Still really like their food.
It was 88 years ago today that the inimitable Ann Richards was born just north of Waco in Lacy Lakeview. No matter what side of the aisle you happen to stand on, politically speaking, I think we can all agree that she was a Texan through and through.
35 years ago tonight, on Feb 5, 1989, Gus and Woodrow rode across Texas TV screens for the very first time. The series was originally broadcast by CBS from February 5 to 8, 1989, drawing a huge viewing audience, earning numerous awards, and reviving both the television Western…
The greatest Texas Easter photo of all time? The unabashed joy on San Antonio farmer Sam Smith's face as he celebrates rain on Easter Sunday after a severe drought in 1951 is too much! Taken by Harvey Belgin and nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
The 6666 Ranch, recently bought by an ownership group led by screenwriter, director, and actor Taylor Sheridan, is enormous. With three divisions totaling over 266,000 acres, it’s larger than San Antonio, nearly twice the size of Chicago, and about six times the size of Brooklyn.
Some sad news today. Oscar-nominated actor and Texan Frederic Forrest has passed away at the age of 86. Frederic was born in Waxahachie and is probably best known to Texans for playing the role of Blue Duck in Lonesome Dove. Forrest first came to public attention for his…
Here is the population and rank of Texas' 10 largest towns in 1850:
1. Galveston (4,177)
2. San Antonio (3,488)
3. Houston (2,396)
4. New Braunfels (1,723)
5. Marshall (1,180)
6. Gonzales (1,072)
7. Victoria (802)
8. Fredericksburg (754)
9. Austin (629)
10. Corpus Christi (533)
Nora Washington with a catfish she caught on the Colorado River in Bastrop, 1950s. Catching a fish that big with a cane pole is no easy feat!
Part of the wonderful collection archived by UT San Antonio.
Edwin Jackson Kyle, the man for whom Texas A&M's Kyle Field is named, as a Sr. at Texas A&M in 1899. Kyle subsequently became a professor at A&M. In the fall of 1904, Kyle, who was also the director of the General Athletics Association, wanted to secure and develop an athletic…