Texas History Forum

The following correspondence to Lone Star Junction is posted so that viewers might share information about the history of early Texas. Inquiries of interest to specific families are posted in the Texas Genealogy Register.

Sat, 18 Sep 1999 [Subject: Early Houstonians]
I am trying to find out information on John W. Reagan and Dick Bowling and the role if any that either man played in the history of the City of Houston.  Any information you could provide will be invaluable. –C. L. Cline, Houston


Mon, 13 Sep 1999 [Subject: Zimmerman Telegram]
I am a graduate student at Baylor University studying history.  I am researching the private responses of Texans toward the Zimmerman Telegram.  Any information (memoirs, diaries, letters to the ediotr) about this would be appreciated. –Jason Odom, Waco, Texas

Mon, 12 Jul 1999 [Subject: General Tom Green]
I am researching the life and times of General Tom Green CSA. I am especially interested in his pre-War Between the States life. Any information will be greatly appreciated. –John P Pate, DeRidder, LA …..If you haven’t already read it, first see Lone Star Junction’s biographical sketch on General Green, which includes an image in Civil War uniform. The most comprehensive source is General Tom Green: A Fightin’ Texan (1963, Texian Press). Good luck with your researches. –Lyman Hardeman

Mon, 12 Jul 1999 [Voting Rights during Civil War]
Can anyone tell me (or suggest where I may find) the qualifications for voting and for holding office in Texas during the Civil War period of 1861-1865? Obviously, voting rights were restricted to free males, with women and slaves excluded during that period. But was there a minimum age requirement? Was voting restricted to property owners? (If so, what sort of property and how much?) Was there any systematic or organized effort to exclude Mexican-Americans or others from voting? I understand that the Texas constitution at that time was the same as was adopted by the Republic of Texas, so I assume the same voter qualifications were used. –Sam Fletcher, Houston, TX

Mon, 5 Jul 1999 [Subject: “History of Texas”] I received some information from a correspondent citing a book “The History of Texas” (no author or publishing company) as a source. I checked my library and found 5 different books with that title, none mentioning the ancestor I am interested in finding. I’d like to find out how many books might have this same name? –Leslie Harvison, Boulder, CO

Fri, 2 Jul 1999 [Subject: Texas Citizenship]
Joseph L. Hood applied for Texas Citizenship at Nacogdochas in 1829. From where would I be able to obtain a copy of this request for Texas citizenship? –Julie Perry, Moore Haven, FL

Wed, 2 Jun 1999 [Subject: Gainsville Hanging]
I am looking for info about the great hanging of Gainesville in 1862 (names of those hanged and where are they buried). My husband has an ancestor who was involved. –Angela Pavloff, DuQuoin, IL
…..The best source is a book by L. D.Clark titled “Civil War Recollections of James Lemuel Clark and the Great Hanging at Gainesville Texas in October 1862” (Republic of Texas Press, 199?). It lists the names of those hanged and a personal account of the ordeal leading up to this event. There were 38 names on the list of those hanged. –Cindi Davis, Arlington Texas

Thu, 6 May 1999 [Subject: Mason County War]
I am seeking information on Scott Cooley or any of the other prominent charaters in the Mason County War of 1875-1876. Does anyone know where Cooley was from? –Glenn Hadeler, Austin, TX

Mon, 12 Apr 1999 [Subject: Wilbarger County]
I’m trying to find information on Wilbarger County, Texas where my family is supposedly from. Any help would be most appreciated. –Chris Wilbarger, New Orleans, LA
…..Wilbarger County is located on the Red River near the base of the Texas panhandle. It was named after brothers Josiah and Mathias Wilbarger–of the family you are no doubt referring. However, these brothers settled near Bastrop (in Bastrop County) around 1830, and the family never lived in Wilbarger County. If these are your ancestors, you will surely want to read the 1889 classic, Indian Depredations in Texas, a compendium of narratives of hundreds of encounters between Texans and Indians on the frontier. The book was compiled by John W. Wilbarger, a brother of Josiah and Mathias. Recent reprints are available. Coincidentally, Wilbarger County borders Hardeman County, named after my ggg-grandfather Thomas Hardeman and his brother Bailey. Thomas Hardeman also settled on the Colorado River near Bastrop–not far from the Wilbargers. –Lyman Hardeman

Tue, 23 Mar 1999 [Subject: Davis Mounted Rifles-CSA]
According to enlistment records in the Texas Archives, two of my ancestors joined the CSA in June 1861 in Washington Co., TX ( Union Hill area). They are listed as being in the “Davis Mounted Rifles.” I find no further reference to the group anywhere. Would appreciate any information. One did wind up in Company F, 5th Texas Mounted Rifles, Sibley’s Brigade, and was killed at the battle of Val Verde, NM. –Craig Morin, Houston, TX.

Sat, 6 Mar 1999 [Subject: Mexican War “Spies”]
My gg-grandfather Nepolean Conn served in the Mexican war in a unit called the Texas Mounted Spies. Does this name indicate that they were scouts or some other kind of undercover unit rather than the usual military group? –Maryanne Walsh, New York, NY

Tue, 19 Jan 1999 [Subject: Battle of Concepcion]
Your history archive has excellent summaries of the key military events, but a reference only to the Battle at Concepcion, 28 October 1835. Where can I find some further details of this battle? –Tony Jaques, Melbourne, Australia
…..The Battle of Concepcion is usually thought of as the opening shots of the Siege of Bexar. You can read a first-hand account in Chapter VII of Noah Smithwick’s Evolution of a State. There is a summary account of the battle in the online version of the New Handbook of Texas. –Scott Chafin, Houston, Texas

Sun, 17 Jan 1999 [Subject: The Texas Road]
Beginning in about 1821 or 1822, when Mexico opened Texas to settlement, [some] people came from the north, through what is now Oklahoma, via the Texas Road (roughly U.S. Highway 69). Can you tell me what route(s) they took after they entered Texas? Could one have been what is now U.S. Highway 69 from Dennison to Alto, which is on what was the Old San Antonio Road? –Don Russell, Muskogee, Oklahoma

Tue, 12 Jan 1999 [Subject: Yellow Rose of Texas]
I am looking for information on the “Yellow Rose of Texas.” Please let me know if you have any info on this famous lady in Texas History. Thank you. –Bruce White, Alberta, Canada
…..Please refer to our Texas History Forum entry of 22 May 1996 for details about Emily Morgan, who is said to have inspired the famous song. –Lyman Hardeman

Sun, 28 Dec 1997 [Subject: Baylor’s Texas Cavalry]
My great-great grandfather’s grave marker bears the inscription D. G. Boone, Co. G, Baylor’s Texas Cavalry, C.S.A. I would appreciate any info regarding Baylor’s Texas Cavalry. Thanks. –Kerry Weikel, Houston, TX

Tue, 16 Dec 1997 [Subject: Importance of San Jacinto]
When I was younger, I believe I read that the battle of San Jacinto was one of the 10 most significant battles ever fought. Is there any basis to this? –Steven Johnson, Spring, TX…..The Battle of San Jacinto marked the turning point in a series of events that would dramatically affect the geographic sovereignty of North America. A panel at the base of the San Jacinto monument near Houston perhaps states it best: “Measured by its results, San Jacinto was one of the decisive battles of the world. The freedom of Texas from Mexico won here led to annexation and to the Mexican War, resulting in the acquisition by the United States of the States of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Utah, and parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas and Oklahoma. Almost on-third of the present area of the American nation, nearly a million square miles of territory, changed sovereignty.” –Lyman Hardeman

Sat, 6 Dec 1997 [Subject: Weslaco, Texas]
I believe that the town of Weslaco was named after the W. E. Stewart Land Co. Where can I locate information about this Land Company in the early 1920’s. –William Nicholson, Surrey, B.C., Canada

Sun, 16 Nov 1997 [Subject: Early Texas Cattle Drives]
I’m researching my ggg-grandfathers alledged connection to a cattle drive that originated in Texas in 1829 and traveled east into Alabama. Was there ever such a cattle drive moving east from Texas? Where can I find info on cattle drives from that period of time? –Bob Page, Converse, TX


…..There are records of cattle drives in the early 1830’s from the coastal plains of Texas and the Atascosito District (centering on present-day Liberty, Texas) to New Orleans, ports on the Red River, and Natchez, Mississippi. It does not seem improbable that your ancestor might have participated in an 1829 drive that went as far east as Alabama if he lived in that part of Texas, but it might be difficult to find a record of that drive. There is information on these early drives in Terry Jordan, Trails to Texas: Southern Routes of Western Cattle Ranching (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1981, pp. 71-72). –Lonn Taylor

Thu, 13 Nov 97 [Subject: Texas Navy]
I am doing research on the first Texas Navy, 1835-1837. I have already exhausted the Texas State Archives, Rosenberg Library, DRT Library @ Alamo and own all printed books and several unpublished manuscripts on the subject. Is there anyone in the outer regions of Texas that might have any family papers, info, etc? This is for the National Underwater Marine Agency (search on Clive Cussler) which is still searching for the Invincible, which went down off the bar in Galveston while doing battle with two Mexican warships. –Gary E. McKee, La Grange, TX

Sat, 18 Oct 1997 [Scott Joplin birthplace]
Researching actual birthplace for Scott JoplinLone Star Junction biography lists Joplin as being born near Linden, Texas. World Book Encyclopedia lists birthplace as Texarkana, Texas. Need help in locating exact place of birth for City Officials in Linden, Texas. Also would like to know if there are relatives or decendents remaining in Texas/Louisiana area? –Tom McClurg, 402 East Emory, Marshall, TX 75670. (903-935-3296 or
…..Joplin’s exact birthplace is not currently known. Several authoritative sources, including the New Handbook of Texas, show the probable birthplace as Caves Springs, near Linden, in northeast Texas. The family moved to Texarkana about 1875. –Lyman Hardeman

Mon, 6 Oct 1997 [Subject: Early Texas Furniture]
Looking for collections of any furniture manufactured in Texas and for information on craftsmen who created fair amounts of furniture in Texas in 19th & early 20th Century. My concern is to document what exists! –Darryl Patrick, Huntsville, TX

Mon, 29 Sep 1997 [Subject: Brownsville Guards]
I would appreciate information on posse which operated during 1850s in Cameron County known as “Brownsville Guards”, and also on the Karpeles brothers of Brownsville, one of whom (Leopold) served in the Union Army during the Civil War. His brother Emil served in the Confederate Army, unit unknown. –Dr. Frances A. Bock, E. Williston, NY

Thu, 14 Aug 1997 [Subject: Buffalo Soldiers]
Help! My daughter is a 6th grade teacher trying to locate info on the Buffalo Soldiers. She has an article that was printed in Texas Highways Magazine, but would like other sources also. Thanks. –Kathy Faul, Angleton, Texas 77515
…..The most comprehensive book on the buffalo soldiers in the West is William H. Leckie’s The Buffalo Soldiers; A Narrative of the Negro Cavalry in the West (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1967). It is a little advanced for most sixth graders but it would give your daughter a good background on the subject. –Lonn Taylor

Mon, 14 Jul 1997 [Subject: Saint John Colony, TX]
I am currently researching the all African-American community of Saint John Colony, TX. It is said to have been initially called Winn Colony after a Rev. Winn who established it about 1870. It is still in existence today. I would like to know where I might go to get a history of the place or at least more information. –Vanessa Schatz; Tustin, CA
…..There is a Saint Johns Colony in Caldwell County about 10 miles NE of Lockhart, the county seat. I have no other information on it, but I’m sure someone in Caldwell County does. –Charles M. Yates, Ausitn, Texas

Sat, 7 Jun 1997 [Subject: History of Barbed Wire in Texas]
I am a student at Mary Hardin Baylor in Belton, Texas. I am working on my degree in elementary education, history minor. My project for a Texas History course is to give a history of barbed wire in Texas in 10 minutes or less. My assigned source is an article written in 1957, but I would like to tell my professor something that he does not already know. I would appreciate any input. Thank you. –Deborah A. Trahan, Belton, Texas
…..Take a look at The Wire That Fenced The West by Henry D. and Frances McCallum, published by the University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK, 1965, Lib. of Congress CC No. 65-11234. –Charles Crabtree, Casa Rio Brazos (Hood County, Texas)
…..You probably already know this, but Barbed wire was first introduced in Texas by Mifflin Kenedy in the present Kenedy County, when he decided to fence his ranch, the La Parra. Kenedy’s Partner, Richard King owner of the King Ranch, wished to fence in his ranch also but refused to use barbed wire, thinking it may damage his horses. He used smooth wire instead, run through holes drilled in each fence post. You will find this story in the two volume book entitled the King Ranch by Tom Lea. Good Luck on your report. –Burney Parker, Brenham, Texas

Sat, 31 May 1997 [Subject: First Black Texans West of Colorado River]
The first Black Texans west of the Colorado River appear to be James Kerr’s slaves Jack, Shade and Anise who accompanied him and daughter to Kerr Creek near Gonzales in 1825 and probably removed with him to Old Station on the Lavaca after the settlement was abandoned due to Indian attack. Am interested in their fate and descendants. –Wallace L. McKeehan, Bellaire, TX 77401

Fri, 30 May 1997 [Subject: Texas Crafts]
My mother left me a chair-in-a-bottle, made in Nacogdoches, TX, May, 1934 by E. B. Wise. This information in penciled onto the chair itself, which is inside the bottle. The chair is a typical East Texas straight back chair, with the seat of the chair being made of woven string. The bottle appears to be an old medicine bottle, 8″ high, 2.75″ square, with a stopper in the top. This one bottle/chair is too well made and unique to be the only one made by Mr. Wise. Would like to hear from someone who has knowledge of Mr. Wise and his unique craft. –J. Pat Smith, Denham Springs, LA

Wed, 28 May 1997 [Subject: Dead Men’s Hole]
I’d like to learn more about the Civil War incident where Captain Duff and his Partisan Rangers captured four Kerr County residents, Sebird Henderson, Gus Tegener, Frank Scott, and Hiram Nelson, took them to Spring Branch near Harper in Gillespie County, hung them, then threw their bodies into the creek in what is now called “Dead Men’s Hole.” What was the actual date of the incident? Is the gravesite marked, or has it been obliterated by the passage of time? –Nathan Sebird Henderson, Jr., Fresno, CA
…..After to some “digging around,” Lone Star Junction‘s History Advisor Lonn Taylor found that the hanging probably occurred between July 20 and August 10, 1862. The four men you mention are buried in nearby Spring Creek Cemetery. Because of the length of Taylor’s detailed response, it is provided on a separate web page.
…..Further on the subject of Captain Duff and the Battle of the Nueces: an article titled “Historical Friction” by Helen Thorpe appeared in the October 1997 issue of Texas Monthly, about a presentation given in Fredericksburg in March of ’97 by Paul Burrier titled “Nueces Encounter 1862: Battle or Massacre.” Burrier is working on a book on the subject. The article gave lots of historical detail on Duff and the Nueces episode, included a photo of the Comfort Monument, and indicated that the subject matter remains emotionally charged and controversial today, especially in Comfort. –Steven Saylor, Berkeley, CA

Fri, 23 May 1997 [Subject: Designer of Texas Flag]
Who was responsible for the design of the first Texas flag. I know there were several but I have heard that the first Texas flag or maybe the present day Texas flag was designed by a woman. If so what was her name? –Craig Byrd, Lubbock, Texas
…..The first official flag of the Republic of Texas (used from 12/10/1836 until 1/24/1839) was proposed by David G. Burnet, but its designer is unknown. It was replaced by the familiar Lone Star Flag on January 24, 1839–based on legislation introduced by William Wharton. The designer of this flag, also, is unclear. There were many “Texas Flags” used during the Texas Revolution that preceded these. Probably the majority of the earlier flags (such as Joanna Troutman’s “Flag of the Georgia Battalion” and Sarah Dodson’s “Dodson Flag”) were designed and made by women. For further background, see Flags of the Texas Revolution, as well as the History Forum entry of 2 May 1997. –Lyman Hardeman

Thu, 22 May 1997 [Subject: Government of Texas Promissory Notes]
I’m trying to find information on promissory notes from the Government of Texas dated 1838-41. We have had these notes in our family for over sixty years. Thank you. –Leslee Hughes, Queensland, Australia
…..We’ve just “beefed-up” our article, Money of the Republic of Texas, which hopefully will answer some of your questions. –Lyman Hardeman

Thu, 15 May 1997 [Subject: Texas Culture]
Hi! I’m in the 6th grade and live in Brazil. Every year, the school makes a event involving all grades between 5th and 8th. Each class receive a state or country to research about it and we have to make a stand, a panel, display, etc. My class chose the Lone Star State, and we need your help. 1) Is Texas the biggest american state? 2) What are the typical dance and food of Texas? 3) What about Texas’ culture? Thanks. –Rodrigo Rocha Gomes e Souza, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
…..Hello Rodrigo. Thanks for your email. Texas is the largest of the 48 “contiguous” states, but smaller than Alaska. Country dancing (two-step, line dancing, etc.) is popular in Texas, as well as a barbecue, chili and Tex-Mex food (fajitas, enchiladas, tacos, burritos, etc.). The best way to learn more about Texas culture, in general,
is to browse through the pages of Lone Star Junction. We wish you the best of luck with your project. –Lyman Hardeman

Sat, 10 May 1997 [Subject: Grigsby’s Bluff]
I am seeking any information, including the location, regarding a Confederate fort at Grigsby’s Bluff on the Neches River in or near the city of Port Neches in Jefferson County. Was it on the Jefferson County side of the Neches River? I’ve been asked to gather information as part of a historical marker project. Thank you. –Gary Stretcher, Port Arthur, Texas
…..There has always been a lot of confusion between Fort Grigsby and nearby Fort Griffin at Sabine Pass. Both forts were built by General Magruder’s Chief Engineer, Valery Sulakowski. Acual on-site supervisor and designer was Getulius Kellersberger. He built the Port Neches site before the Sabine Pass fort in the Spring of 1863. I believe that Fort Grigsby was named for a Joseph Grigsby, a local politician in the Orange/Beaumont area. You my find help in Kellersberger’s published account of his days in Texas–Erlebnisse Eines Schweizerischen Ingenuirs (Zurich: Juchl and Beck, 1896). –Gerard P. Moran, La Porte, Texas

Tue, 6 May 1997 [Subject: French Role in the Republic of Texas]
I am looking for information and/or web ressources on French involvement in the politics of the Republic of Texas, and more specifically, on diplomatic relations. I am also interested in facts or resources about immigration from Alsace during this period (I understand some of these immigrants settled in Medina County). Thanks for your very interesting Web site (my start page). –Jean-Marie Metzger, Geneva, Switzerland
…..I suggest The French Legation in Texas, by Nancy Nichols Barker, published by the Texas State Historical Association in 1971. –Lisa G. Kalmus, Curator of Education, Star of the Republic Museum, Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas

Mon, 5 May 1997 [Subject: Ft. Worth Explosion]
I am searching for information on an explosion that occurred in Ft. Worth in July or August of 1915. My grandfather’s brother, Clarence Thomasson was fatally injured in that explosion. He and a Mr. Ernest Dutt were employees of the Pierce-Fordyce Co. and they were delivering oil to St. Joseph’s Infirmary. Apparently, a 600 gallon tank of oil exploded causing both men to be hurled “30 feet into the air.” I believe Mr. Dutt survived. Any other information on this incident would be greatly appreciated. –Lisa Bass

Fri, 2 May 1997 [Subject: Texas Star]
In the film “Lonestar”, the old sheriff’s badge unearthed near the beginning of the film has five points while the contemporary Texas sheriff badge has six. Does anyone know why? –Marie Caloz, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
…..Since the office of sheriff is a county office, rather than a state-wide one, and since there are 254 counties in Texas, there is a wide variety of designs for sheriff’s badges. Some have five points and some have six–it just depends on the county. –Lonn Taylor

Sun, 27 Apr 1997 [Subject: Fort McCavitt]
Am seeking information on the history of Fort McCavitt and those who lived there after the Army left in the 1870’s and 1880’s. –Fred O. Bell, P. O.Box 952, Edmonds, WA 98020
…..Fort McKavett was first established as a military installation in 1852 under the name of Camp San Saba. It was abandoned in 1859 and reestablished as Fort McKavett in 1868. The last troops were withdrawn on June 30, 1883, although civilians had moved into abandonded post buildings several years before that date. I do not have the names of any of the civilians who occupied the post buildings in my files but you might be able to locate them in the Menard County Historical Society’s Menard History: An Anthology (San Angelo, Texas, 1982). You might also want to consult two articles: “Fort McKavett,” West Texas Historical Association Yearbook, Vol. 34; and “Old Fort McKavett,” Frontier Times 31:2 (1954). –Lonn Taylor

Sat, 26 Apr 1997 [Subject: Civil Frontier Units]
I am seeking information about a peace-keeping and a military Texas group during the Civil War period: the Indian Scouts with Capt. N. D. McMillen’s Texas Rangers, and also the San Saba Mounted Cavalry, 31st Brigade. Would like to learn more about what actions and activities these two groups were involved with during this period. The Texas Ranger group may have had an Indian engagement around Llano or San Saba County. –A. J. Taylor, Tempe, Arizona

Thu, 24 Apr 1997 [Subject: French Fort “Le Dout”]
Looking for information on a fort or trading post established in 1713 in present day Hopkins County by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis. The fort was called “Le Dout” and was near the Caddo Indian village Nondacao. –Danny L. Teer, Yantis, Texas

Sun, 20 Apr 1997 [Subject: Early Legislator]
My husband, John Keenan Muzzy, has been told by other family members that he is a direct descendant of a US Army surgeon by the name of Charles Grandison Keenan who was Speaker of the House for the Republic of Texas from 1849 to 1850. Can anyone verify this? –Linda Muzzy, Austin, Texas 78739
…..Charles Keenan (1813-1870) served as a surgeon in several Indian campaigns before coming to Texas. He is credited as being the first physician in Huntsville, Texas. For many years, he was active in the Masonic order, and achieved the rank of Junior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of Texas in 1850. Keenan served in the First, Second, and Third Legislatures of the State of Texas. He became speaker in the Third Legislature, and ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in 1851. –Lyman Hardeman

Sat, 19 Apr 1997 [Subject: Illicit African Slave Trade]
I am beginning a study of the trade in slaves illegally imported into Texas from Africa to 1865, with particular reference to the importance of Cuba in that business. Any suggestions would be appreciated, especially ideas for pursuing unpublished sources. –Jerry Buttrey, Austin, Texas

Tue, 15 Apr 1997 [Subject: Texas Flag]
Could you please provide the true proportions of the Texas flag so that I can paint one on the roof of my brother’s barn? It’s in the flight path of Houston Intercontinental Airport. –Ronny Pylant, Crosby, TX
…..Sounds like a fun project. We have added the official specifications for the Texas flag to our page about The Texas State Flag, accessible directly from Lone Star Junction’s home page. –Lyman Hardeman

Mon, 14 Apr 1997 [Subject: Woodruff Field]
I would like to know about Woodruff Field and where it is located. I was told it was named for Lt. Dennis Woodruff, who is buried in Fairview Cemetery in Gainesville, TX. He was reportedly the first Texas Aggie killed in World War II. –Ron Melugin, Gainesville, TX 76240

Sat, 12 Apr 1997 [Subject: First Longhorn Drive to Colorado]
Who is credited for making the first drive of Texas cattle to the area then referred to as the Pike’s Peak Region, the gold rush area of Colorado? It is known that Oliver Loving took a herd there to peddle beef to the swarming population of miners in 1860, with the help of his Palo Pinto county neighbor, John Dawson. Is there any evidence that Texas stock had been taken to Colorado prior to that date? –Randy Leonard, Evergreen, Colorado

Mon, 7 Apr 1997 [Subject: Texas Ranger Culture]
Howdy! I’ve been reading your site for a long time. It’s very interesting and informative and it’s my startsite on my browser. I take very much interest in the good old Dixieland. Here in Germany we have many Country and Western Clubs. So I’m also a member of a “Special Western Club.” We are a German Texas Ranger Traditional Club, foundet 1989. Our intention is to preserve the way of life of the Texans from 1840 to 1890. Our special fields are the Texas Rangers in these time. Now we need exact dokuments about weapon, clothes and many other things of these old days. It would be very helpful if you could arrange connections to the Gouvernment or better to the Texas Rangers headquarters. I’m looking foreward to hearing from you soon. Thanx for now. –Mike Schmutzer (on behalf of Texas Rangers Regensburg), Bavaria, Germany
…..Hi Mike. We were not aware that the Rangers had such far reaching impact. We have forwarded your note to the Public Information Office at Texas Ranger headquarters in Austin. Meanwhile, we recommend that you locate a copy of Walter Prescott Webb, The Texas Rangers: A Century of Frontier Defense (reprints are available from the University of Texas Press, Austin). Originally published in 1935, this well illustrated classic is both scholarly and entertaining, and should answer most of your questions about the daily life of the early Texas Rangers. –Lyman Hardeman

Wed, 26 Mar 1997 [Subject: Battle of Dove Creek]
Can anyone provide me with the source of a comprehesive report of this battle which occurred near present day San Angelo in 1865. Apparently, the Confederates and Texas Militia took on a large party of Kickapoos and were rather soundly defeated. Thanks. –Joe Lee, Evant, TX 76525
…..Try William C. Pool, “The Battle of Dove Creek,” Southwestern Historical Quarterly 53 (April, 1950) and Arrell M. Gibson, The Kickapoos, Lords of the Middle Border (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1963). –Lonn Taylor

Sun, 23 Mar 1997 [Subject: Texas Inventions]
My son Daniel is 10 years old and he is doing a school report on Texas. He needs to know for his report something that was invented by a Texan in Texas. Could you help us? Thank you. –Chris Schmidt, Broken Arrow, OK
…..If it had not been for a very profound invention in Texas in 1958, we likely would not be exchanging these emails over the internet today. The invention, by Jack Kilby of Dallas-based Texas Instruments, Inc., was the silicon-based integrated circuit (IC). The IC led to the invention in 1971 of the microprocessor, also at Texas Instruments. The rest of the story, as they say, is history. Thousands of other devices have been either invented or significantly refined in Texas. Some that come to mind immediately include the “field testing” of the “six-shooter” revolver, development of many variations of barbed wire, scores of patents for oil field equipment, and numerous lesser known inventions in agriculture, oceanography, space-flight, and other fields. Good luck with your report. We hope that you make an “A.” –Lyman Hardeman
…..Perhaps the greatest of Texas inventors as well as contributor to the Republic was Gail Borden, Jr. who established the first national Texas newspaper in 1835 (Telegraph and Texas Register). Among his inventions were a “locomotive bath house” for Galveston women who desired to discreetly bathe in the Gulf of Mexico, a terraqueous prairie schooner that would go on land and water, a dry and tasty ready-to-eat meat biscuit, concentrated fruit juices and condensed milk. –Wallace L. McKeehan, Bellaire, TX

Sat, 22 Mar 1997 [Subject: Alcorn Homestead]
I am looking for information on the Alcorn Place. It is suppose to be located in Brenham, Texas. I need a little history (who owned it, etc…) Any help appreciated! Thank you. –Deanna Steiner, Naples, Florida
…..The homestead built on property originally owned by Elijah Alcorn, an Austin 300 settler, was recently purchased by John and Jane Barnhill of Brenham. They are restoring the property and researching the history now. The former director of Clayton Library in Houston, Maxine Alcorn, is a direct descendant of Elijah Alcorn. and visits here regularly. If you will let me know what it is you are specifically looking for, I will try to help you further. –Burney Parker, Brenham, TX

Wed, 12 Mar 1997 [Subject: Life in the Republic]
I am researching what life was like in the Lone Star Republic after it gained its Independence from Mexico and before it was annexed to the United States. If you could help me it would be greatly appreciated. –JT Traister, 7th Grade, Scarsdale, NY
…..Hi JT. Thanks for your email. For starters, you may want browse our Texas History Timeline for a review of the major events during the period of the Republic. Soon, we will be launching a new section of online books which will include one or two titles devoted to life in early Texas. Check back in early April. We wish you much success and enjoyment in your study of Texas history. –Lyman Hardeman

Mon, 10 Mar 1997 [Subject: First Texas Newspaper]
Would appreciate any information on the first newspaper in Texas, Gaceta de Texas, published in 1813 in Nacogdoches. –Onara Garcia, Texarkana, Texas

Sun, 2 Mar 1997 [Subject: 30th Texas Cavalry]
Would like to share information on the 30th Texas Cavalry, which recruited many of its members from the Central Texas area. This unit mainly saw its action in the Indian Territory (Oklahoma) and in Arkansas during the Civil War. –Michael Goodrich, Beaumont, Texas

Sat, 1 Mar 1997 [Subject: Stage Routes in Central Texas; Civil War Period]
For work with a diary of my great grandfathers, I would like to contact anyone with information on stage coach routes between Brenham, La Grange, Bastrop and Austin around 1865. –Peyton O. Abbott, 8 Crownbridge Ct., Pueblo, CO 81001 719-544-8655
…..I researched this topic pretty thoroughly about twenty years ago but unfortunately I cannot locate all of my notes on it. I do remember that the Brenham-La Grange-Austin route was operated in 1865 by a firm called Sawyer and Risher (later Risher and Hall). This same firm operated a number of stage routes in central Texas. The stage road ran more or less along the present route of US 290 from Brenham to Burton, then more or less along State 237 from Burton through Round Top to La Grange, then more or less along Highway 71 from La Grange through Smithville and Bastrop to Austin. I say “more or less” because the Washington and Fayette County Commissioner’s minutes show that the road was occasionally moved to benefit some local landowner. In 1867 the route between Burton and Round Top actually ran about a mile east of present State 237, passing over the La Bahia Prairie and through the little community of Winedale. There is an excellent description of a trip from San Antonio to Alleyton in 1863 on a Sawyer and Risher stage in Walter Lord, The Freemantle Diary (Boston: Little, Brown, 1954), pp. 45-49. Feemantle says that there were nine passengers in the stage and nine on top, and that if you put your head out of the window you risked being showered by tobbaco juice from the “Southern gentry on top”. I think that there is a Sawyer and Risher schedule in the 1871 Texas Almanac that describes the Brenham-Austin route, and shows that the trip was made without an overnight stop. I hope that this information will be helpful. –Lonn Taylor

Tue, 25 Feb 1997 [Subject: Sul Ross and Cynthia Ann Parker]
I’m working on a PhD in English at Rice Univ. and am examining texts related to Cynthia Ann Parker. I know that Capt. Lawrence Sullivan (Sul) Ross “rescued” her Dec. 19, 1860 and according to James T. DeShields’ “Cynthia Ann Parker” (1886), had a long conversation with her. I am interested in their conversation or any record of her conversations with other whites at the time. Any suggestions? Family diaries? Do you know where I could find a despatch from Capt. Ross to his superiors about this? I am also looking for a (cheap) facsimile reprint of DeShields’ book. Any other references related to Cynthia would be greatly appreciated. Thanks to all. –Dorothy Fontaine, Rice Univ., Houston, TX.
…..I believe you can obtain a copy of DeShields’ book from Sam Malone in San Augustine for about $10.00. His address is 114 North Harrison, San Augustine, TX 75972. –Burney Parker, Brenham, Texas

Tue, 25 Feb 1997 [Subject: Researching land in northwestern Blanco Co.]
We are researching our land in northwestern Blanco Co. that is part of the 640 acre Elisha Champion land grant and 177 acre Gail Borden grant. Appreciate any genealogy and general information on Elisha Champion, Benjamin Phillips Sr., John Rufus (Code) Phillips, Gail Borden, Sr., Gail Borden Jr., and John P. Borden. They all owned land in northwestern Blanco Co. around 1840-1890. –Ralph Arvesen, Rte 8, Box 185, Llano, TX 78643

Sun, 23 Feb 1997 [Subject: Origin of the Lone Star]
Why is Texas called the Lone Star State? Thank you, –Gigi Ray, 4th grade, Plano, TX
…..Hi Gigi. Thanks for your inquiry. It is the most frequently asked question at Lone Star Junction, so you are in good company. For an answer, see our History Forum entry of 20 Jun 1996. –Lyman Hardeman

Tue, 13 Feb 1997 [Subject: Mexican Constitution of 1824]
Does anyone know where I can find a copy of the Mexican constitution of 1824? –Mike Kreps, Cherry Hill, NJ
…..A copy of the Mexican Constitution of 1824 can be found in H.P.N. Gammel’s “The Laws of Texas, 1822-1897”, Austin, Gammel Book Co., 1898. Vol I, pp. 59-93. –Charles M. Yates

Mon, 10 Feb 1997 [Subject: Burkeville, Texas]
For whom was the town of Burksville, Texas named? Thank you. –Lynda Rangeley, Corpus Christi, Tx.
…..Burkeville, population 515 in 1990, is located in Newton County. It was named after John Burke, who laid out the town plots in 1844, and later donated a tract on which a courthouse was located for a brief period. –Lyman Hardeman,

Sun, 9 Feb 1997 [Subject: Will You Come to the Bower]
At the Battle of San Jacinto the Texians are supposed to have charged into battle singing a popular ditty of the day. We learned one verse and the refrain in junior high school history class many years ago, but I have never been able to find out more about the song. Supposedly their band was a fiddle and a flute or something similar. If anyone knows the details or where I can find out about them I will be grateful. Thanks. –Dan Flanders, Anchorage, Alaska
…..Frank X. Tolbert has a good account of the band and its music in The Day of San Jacinto (Austin: Pemberton Press, 1969). The music, as we all learned in grade school, was a popular Irish song called “Will You Come to the Bower.” The words were actually a poem by the Irish poet Thomas Moore; they were set to a folk tune identified by Francis Sheridan, the British consul in Galveston, as “Dilley, Dilley Duckling and Be Killed.” Tolbert says that the band consisted of four men: a black drummer from New Orleans remembered only as Dick and three fifers named John Beebe, Luke Bust, and Frederick Lemsky. Tolbert suggests that either Lemsky or Mirabeau Lamar, who was a poet and an admirer of Thomas Moore, chose the tune. Other writers have speculated that it was the only song that all four musicians knew. –Lonn Taylor

Thu, 6 Feb 1997 [Subject: 10th Texas Infantry]
I am searching for a roster of the 10th Texas Infantry, CSA. Can anyone help? Thanks. –Joe Lee, HCR 62, Box 14, Evant, TX 76525
…..As far as I have been able to ascertain there is no compiled roster for the 10th (Nelsons/Mills) Texas Infantry regiment. This regiment formed part of the 4th Brigade of Walkers’ Texas Division and saw most of its service in Arkansas and Louisiana. The nearest you will be able to find is the compiled service records for members of the 10th in National Archives Record Group M323, Rolls 337 to 343 inclusive. Hope this helps. –Gary White, Houston, TX

Thu, 6 Feb 1997 [Subject: Sam Houston’s Wound]
Please settle a major dispute between two students that I work with after school. Where was Houston wounded? Was it in the ankle or the knee cap? Thank you for your assistance. –Bruce Tabor, Burnet, TX
…..Hi Bruce. Thanks for your email. We assume you are referring to Houston’s wound to the Battle of San Jacinto (he was almost mortally wounded in the War of 1812). At San Jacinto, Houston received a severe wound just above his right ankle (well below the knee). –Lyman Hardeman

Wed, 29 Jan 1997 [Subject: The Battle of Velasco]
I’d like to know more about the Battle of Velasco, as I had an ancestor, Sylvester Bowen, who died there. I’m stuck in California where Texas history books are not plentiful, so I’d appreciate recommendations for a reference that might be obtained through inter-library loan. –Linne Gravestock, 2220 Marshall Way, Sacramento, CA 95818-3546
…..Hi, Linne. We’ve added a brief article about the Battle of Velasco in our Events of Early Texas section. Perhaps someone will be able to suggest a good reference that contains more detail. –Lyman Hardeman

Mon, 27 Jan 1997 [Subject: Governor Data]
I work at the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum and am in the process of entering data on some Governors of Texas. I have a list of only 42, these being the governors we have historical object related to. I do not have information on the Governors themselves. Dates and places of birth and death, full names … general information. Is there a publication, internet site, something quick that would list all these governors and the general information? –Karen Anderson, Panhandle Plains Historical Museum
…..Complete lists of Texas governors and the dates of their terms of office can be found in the “State Government” section of The Texas Almanac and in the article entitled “Governor” in the New Handbook of Texas. Biographical data can be found in separate articles under their names in the New Handbook. –Lonn Taylor

Mon, 20 Jan 1997 [Subject: Boardwalk on Lake Wichita]
Growing up in Wichita Falls, I remember my grandparents telling me about a place on Lake Wichita that had a “boardwalk” and pavillion where gatherings and music concerts were held, but later burned down. Can anyone suggest where I might find more information about these? Thanks. –Baine Morrow, Bryan, Texas
…..I’d suggest that you direct an inquiry to the Wichita Falls Museum and Art Center, Two Eureka Circle, Wichita Falls, Texas 76308. They have a good local history collection and could probably tell you what you want to know–they might even have a photo of the boardwalk. –Lonn Taylor

Mon, 20 Jan 1997 [Subject: Danes in the Republic]
I am currently working on a textbook, in Danish, on the Texas War of Independence and would be grateful if anybody could help me dig up information on Danish settlers in Texas 1825-1848. Information on Danish participants in the Mexican War is of equal interest to me. –John Christensen, Avenue A. Ryckmans 11, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium, Europe

Sun, 12 Jan 1997 [Subject: Texas 7th Infantry]
I am trying to locate a roster of the Texas 7th Infantry (Confederacy) and possibly any history on that unit. Will appreciate any help. –Joe Lee, HCR 62, Box 14, Evant, TX 76525

Thu, 9 Jan 1997 [Subject: Texas Navy]
I’m looking for information about the Texas Navy, its ships, battles, and the role it played in the Texas Revolution. Any information would be helpful. –Martin Hill, San Diego, CA
…..I recommend The Texas Navy by Jim Dan Hill, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, 1897 and reprinted by State House Press in 1987. It will give the reader almost everything you’d ever want to know on the aspects of the Texas Navy. –Gary White, Houston, TX

Fri, 2 Jul 1999 [Subject: Texas Citizenship]
Joseph L. Hood applied for Texas Citizenship at Nacogdochas in 1829. From where would I be able to obtain a copy of this request for Texas citizenship? –Julie Perry, Moore Haven, FL

Wed, 2 Jun 1999 [Subject: Gainsville Hanging]
I am looking for info about the great hanging of Gainesville in 1862 (names of those hanged and where are they buried). My husband has an ancestor who was involved. –Angela Pavloff, DuQuoin, IL

Wed, 26 May 1999 [Subject: Fort Bend]
I am trying to find out anything relating to a military history of Fort Bend. The only thing I have been able to find out so far is the mention of this place concerning the fight with Santa Anna. Was Fort Bend a military post? What dates did it exist? Was Fort Bend active during the Indian Wars Period? Thanks. –Tim Bradshaw, Columbia, SC
…..Stephen F. Austin’s Old 300 established Fort Bend in November 1822, in a bend of the Brazos River west of present Houston. Called a “one-room shanty,” the post was soon surrounded by a small settlement. Due to its importance during the Texas Revolution, the surrounding county formed in 1837 was named in its honor. The Fort Bend settlement was absorbed by nearby Richmond when the latter was selected as county seat in 1838. Finally, no, Fort Bend was not active during the Indian Wars. –Jerry M. Sullivan, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Austin, TX

Thu, 6 May 1999 [Subject: Mason County War]
I am seeking information on Scott Cooley or any of the other prominent charaters in the Mason County War of 1875-1876. Does anyone know where Cooley was from? –Glenn Hadeler, Austin, TX

Mon, 12 Apr 1999 [Subject: Wilbarger County]
I’m trying to find information on Wilbarger County, Texas where my family is supposedly from. Any help would be most appreciated. –Chris Wilbarger, New Orleans, LA
…..Wilbarger County is located on the Red River near the base of the Texas panhandle. It was named after brothers Josiah and Mathias Wilbarger–of the family you are no doubt referring. However, these brothers settled near Bastrop (in Bastrop County) around 1830, and the family never lived in Wilbarger County. If these are your ancestors, you will surely want to read the 1889 classic, Indian Depredations in Texas, a compendium of narratives of hundreds of encounters between Texans and Indians on the frontier. The book was compiled by John W. Wilbarger, a brother of Josiah and Mathias. Recent reprints are available. Coincidentally, Wilbarger County borders Hardeman County, named after my ggg-grandfather Thomas Hardeman and his brother Bailey. Thomas Hardeman also settled on the Colorado River near Bastrop–not far from the Wilbargers. –Lyman Hardeman

Tue, 23 Mar 1999 [Subject: Davis Mounted Rifles-CSA]
According to enlistment records in the Texas Archives, two of my ancestors joined the CSA in June 1861 in Washington Co., TX ( Union Hill area). They are listed as being in the “Davis Mounted Rifles.” I find no further reference to the group anywhere. Would appreciate any information. One did wind up in Company F, 5th Texas Mounted Rifles, Sibley’s Brigade, and was killed at the battle of Val Verde, NM. –Craig Morin, Houston, TX

Sat, 6 Mar 1999 [Subject: Mexican War “Spies”]
My gg-grandfather Nepolean Conn served in the Mexican war in a unit called the Texas Mounted Spies. Does this name indicate that they were scouts or some other kind of undercover unit rather than the usual military group? –Maryanne Walsh, New York, NY

Wed, 3 Mar 1999 [Subject: Texas Ranger action at Bandera Pass]
I am looking for any detail of an action at Bandera Pass in about 1843 between Texas Rangers under Captain Jack Hays and a Comanche Force. The ambushed Rangers are said to have driven off the Indians by use of their new colt revolvers, but beyond that I know nothing more. Can anyone help? –Tony Jaques, Melbourne, Australia

Tue, 2 Feb 1999 [Subject: The Golden Standard]
Does anyone know what happened to Santa Anna’s brass cannon,”The Golden Standard,” captured at The Battle of San Jacinto? –Bill Morris, Chappell Hill, TX.

Tue, 19 Jan 1999 [Subject: Battle of Concepcion]
Your history archive has excellent summaries of the key military events, but a reference only to the Battle at Concepcion, 28 October 1835. Where can I find some further details of this battle? –Tony Jaques, Melbourne, Australia
…..The Battle of Concepcion is usually thought of as the opening shots of the Siege of Bexar. You can read a first-hand account in Chapter VII of Noah Smithwick’s Evolution of a State. There is a summary account of the battle in the online version of the New Handbook of Texas. –Scott Chafin, Houston, Texas

Sun, 17 Jan 1999 [Subject: The Texas Road]
Beginning in about 1821 or 1822, when Mexico opened Texas to settlement, [some] people came from the north, through what is now Oklahoma, via the Texas Road (roughly U.S. Highway 69). Can you tell me what route(s) they took after they entered Texas? Could one have been what is now U.S. Highway 69 from Dennison to Alto, which is on what was the Old San Antonio Road? –Don Russell, Muskogee, Oklahoma

Tue, 12 Jan 1999 [Subject: Yellow Rose of Texas]
I am looking for information on the “Yellow Rose of Texas.” Please let me know if you have any info on this famous lady in Texas History. Thank you. –Bruce White, Alberta, Canada
…..Please refer to our Texas History Forum entry of 22 May 1996 for details about Emily Morgan, who is said to have inspired the famous song. –Lyman Hardeman

Wed, 23 Dec 1998 [Subject: Gainesville Orphanage]
Hello! I’m attempting to locate information about a Gainesville orphanage that burned down in 1929. My grandmother was adopted from this orpahage and I would like to find out where any remaining records may be stored. Anything you have to offer would be appreciated. –Heather Baum, Richmond, VA

Mon, 14 Dec 1998 [Subject: Image of Surrender of Santa Anna]
Hi. I am looking for information on the painting of “The Surrender of Santa Anna.” I would like to find out where it was painted and if the men in the painting were all identified. How can I find out who these men were? Thanks. –Lori Parks, Moore, OK
…..In his book Painting Texas History to 1900 (University of Texas Press 1992), Sam DeShong Ratcliffe gives a brief overview and descriptions of the various people in the painting (pp 42-43). Of more interest to you may be his notes on the painting on pp 110-111 which site several other references. Good hunting. –Charlie Yates, Austin, TX

Wed, 9 Dec 1998 [Subject: Texas Baseball]
My grandfather played baseball in Limestone and Robertson Counties in the early 1900s. I am sure that he played in Waco as well. Is there some place or book that would have archives or information on Texas baseball 1910-1920? Thanks. –Billy Euell Prichard, Hobbs, NM

Sun, 6 Dec 1998 [Subject: Fort Le Dout]
I am seeking information on a French fort established in 1713 by Louis St. Denis. It was named “Le Dout” and is supposed to be on the Hokins-Wood county lines. –Dan Teer, Yantis, TX

Mon, 19 Oct 1998 [Subject: Origin of the names “Texas” and “Dallas”]
Hello! I am interested in what is the origin of the names “Texas” and “Dallas.” I would be happy if someone could explain me where these names come from? –Heikki Ahonen, Helsinki, Finland
…..Several variations of the word Texas were used among the Indians in East Texas, and the word generally had the meaning of “allies,” or “friends.” From this early usage, the Spanish adopted the word tejas in referring to the both the region and some of its native inhabitants. The name of the state, as well as the state motto, “friendship,” is derived from these origins. –Lyman Hardeman
…..[The origin of the name Dallas is uncertain.] The naming of Dallas is not a quandary for lack of candidates so named ‘Dallas,’ but the profusion of them. James Alexander Dallas, a [financial] hero after the War of 1812, has seemed the most likely. John Neely Bryan, one of the town’s founders, also makes a cryptic mention of “…my friend Dallas… .” That could possibly be Joseph Dallas, of Arkansas, then living a few miles upstream at Cedar Springs, Texas. There was a contest to name the town, as well, further bewildering the question. Adding to the confusion: the city of Dallas sits in Dallas County. The county, created in 1846, was named in honor of Geo. Mifflin Dallas. The town of Dallas had already been established and named, years before. –Eliot Greene, Dallas

Mon, 12 Oct 1998 [Subject: Consultation of 1835]
I am trying to find out when and where the Consultation of 1835 was held and the outcome of the meeting. My 4th great-grandfather (Daniel Parker) was apparently a member. –John R. Wallace, Enterprise, AL
…..An overview of the Consultation of 1835 is provided another section of Lone Star Junction (from our home page, see Archives: Events: Index of Events). Parker, a Baptist minister, was a delegate from Nacogdoches. Later, in 1839, he established a log church in Elkhart, Anderson County, where he presided until his death in December 1844. –Lyman Hardeman

Fri, 25 Sep 1998 [Subject: Bright, TX]
Does anyone know where the town of Bright, Texas is located, or was located? –Alton O’Neal, Jr., 604 W. Dale, Winters, TX
…..The short-lived town of Bright was located eight miles north of Dawson in western Navarro County. A post office served the community between 1900 and 1904. –Lyman Hardeman

Sat, 15 Aug 1998 [Subject: Indian Agent Robert Metcalfe]
I am doing historical research and am looking for any information on Robert Metcalfe (also known as R. B. Metcalfe) who was an Indian agent here in Oregon in the 1850’s. He wrote a letter from Independence, Texas, in 1860 to a newspaper here, so I assume he was living there at that time. Any information would be appreciated. –Susan Van Laere, Philomath, Oregon

Sat, 15 Aug 1998 [Subject: Blue-Light Presbyterians]
In his novel “Lone Star Preacher,” about a Texas preacher in the Civil War, John W. Thomason, Jr., has one of the characters declare himself to be a “blue-light Presbyterian” (page 18 in Scribner’s 1945 edition). Can anyone explain the meaning and origin of this expression? Thanks. –Arnold Romberg, La Grange, TX
…..I think that this term simply means a fervent and conservative Presbyterian. In the 1830’s the Reformed Presbyterians, a conservative branch of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, split into two factions over the issue of whether or not believing Christians could vote or hold public office. Those in favor of voting were called “New Lights” and the conservative faction, “Old Lights”. The conservatives were jocularly referred to as “Blue Lights,” both from the rhyme with “new” and the connotation of blue as staunch or constant, as in “true blue.” Stonewall Jackson, because of the combination of his Presbyterian piety and his blue eyes, was called “Old Blue Light” by his men. I think that this is the sense in which Thomason employed the term to describe Praxiteles Swan. –Lonn Taylor

Mon, 13 Jul 1998 [Subject: Dr. Barnard, Goliad Survivor]
I am interested in further information about the lives of Drs. Barnard and Shackelford, survivors of the massacre at Goliad. Where might one find further details of their lives before and after the incident at Goliad? Do documents other than Barnard’s journal exist? Many thanks for any assistance. –Denee Thomas, San Antonio, TX
…..Dr. Joseph Barnard lived in Fort Bend County after the Texas Revolution and served as County Clerk there in 1838-1839. He represented that county in the Congress of the Republic in 1843-1844. He later moved to Goliad, and, according to the New Handbook of Texas, died on a visit to Canada in 1861. You might check with the Fort Bend Historical Museum and the Center for American History at the University of Texas to see if they know of additional Barnard documents. Jack Shackleford left Texas after the Revolution and returned to Courtland, Alabama, where he died in 1857. –Lonn Taylor

Tue, 9 Jun 1998 [Subject: Fort San Felipe]
I have a nineteenth century document headed “Roll of Spanish prisoners at Fort San Felipe” that lists over ninety names of individuals, including two whose names begin with the title “Don.” There is no date on this document, other than the heading; the only other identifying marks are the names themselves. Can anyone give me suggestions on how to positively identify this document with early Texas history? Thanks. –John Howell, Los Angeles, CA

Tue, 19 May 1998 [Subject: Mexican 1836 Flags]
Recently I found out that four Mexican Flags captured at the Battle of San Jacinto still exist. One is on display at the San Jacinto Museum, two are in storage at the Texas State Archives and one is held by the Dallas Historical Society. Are pictures, drawings or descriptions of these flags available? Any help is appreciated. –Cliff McLeod, North Bay, Ontairo, Canada

Sat, 2 May 1998 [Subject: H.E.B. grocery]
I am a 2nd grade teacher looking for information on the early stores of Texas, namely the first H. E. Butt grocery in Kerrville. Any info on early trading would be great, too! Thanks! –Barbara Mohs, San Antonio

Sat, 2 May 1998 [Subject: Texas Sawmills]
I would like to identify Texas counties that had at least one sawmill as of 1933. Can anyone help? Thanks! –Bill Bateman, Midland, Texas

…..You will no doubt be interested in reading Thad Sitton and James H. Conrad, Nameless Towns: Texas Sawmill Communities, 1880-1942 (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1998). –Lyman Hardeman

Fri, 1 May 1998 [Subject: Col. Wheat’s Brigade]
I’m trying to find information on Col. Wheat’s Brigade, CSA. I have a distant relative who served with this unit during the civil war, but I’ve found no listing. –L. H. Dickerson, Leonard, TX

Mon, 13 Apr 1998 [Subject: Chili Queens of San Antonio]
I am looking for information on the “Chili Queens” that worked in the Plazas of San Antonio selling Chili at night from their chili stands. I am particularly interested in first hand accounts by someone that may remember them when they were last in Market Square before they were shut down in 1938 by the Health Department. Any information at all would be helpful. –Debbie Jones, Seguin, Texas
…..In an article published in the July 1927 issue of Frontier Times, San Antonio Commissioner of Taxation Frank H. Bushick describes the Chili Queens and their origin at Military Plaza before they were moved to Market Square in 1887: “The chili stand and chili queens are peculiarities, or unique institutions, of the Alamo City. They started away back there when the Spanish army camped on the plaza. They were started to feed the soldiers. … Every class of people in every station of life patronized them in the old days. Some were attracted by the novelty of it, some by the cheapness. A big plate of chili and beans, with a tortilla on the side, cost a dime. A Mexican bootblack and a silk-hatted tourist would line up and eat side by side, [each] unconscious or oblivious of the other.” The Chili Queens and their stands became famous far beyond the limits of San Antonio, and even outside of Texas. According to Bushick, a sign in front of a booth on the grounds of the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 invited hungry visitors to “The San Antonio Chili Stand.” –Lyman Hardeman

Mon, 6 Apr 1998 [Subject: Dodson Flag]
I’m looking for anecdotal information on Sarah Dodson, the woman who sewed the “Dodson Flag” for her husband to use in one of the battles during the Revolution. Who was this woman? What prompted her to make the flag in the first place? –Michele Tomiak, Grand Prairie, TX
…..Sarah Rudolf Bradley came to Texas from Kentucky with her parents, as an eleven year old girl, in the Spring of 1823. Archelaus Bynum Dodson had moved to Texas from North Carolina, and by 1826 he had settled in Harrisburg. The couple was married on May 7, 1835. In September of 1835, due to mounting tensions with the Mexican government, a volunteer company was formed at Harrisburg under the command of Andrew Robinson, Jr. to oppose the Mexican forces. A. B. Dodson volunteered to serve in this company and was elected first lieutenant. After the formation of the company and the election of officers, it was concluded they should have a flag, which was made by Sarah Dodson (see flag number 7 in Lone Star Junction’s display of Flags of the Texas Revolution). Sarah Dodson died on October 5, 1848. –Charles M. Yates, Austin, Texas

Sat, 4 Apr 1998 [Subject: International & Great Northern Railroad]
I am looking for any information on the International & Great Northern Railroad that operated in Texas around 1912. My g-grandfather was killed while working for this RR and I am unable to find who absorbed this particular company. Any information would be helpful. –Karis Schirmer, Denison, TX

Fri, 3 Apr 1998 [Subject: Travis’ letter]
Hello. I teach 4th grade at Floresville Elementary. My students have all just finished memorizing Col. Travis’ letter from the Alamo, and I’ve been looking for a really good image of the actual letter so that the students can see just what the real letter looks like. Do you know if such a thing exists? Any help appreciated. –Diane Berger, Floresville, Texas
…..We have re-scanned and posted our facsimile copy of the famous letter written from the Alamo by William B. Travis. The original of the letter is held at the Texas State Archives in Austin. You might be able to obtain a facsimile copy by sending an email to Donaly Brice, Supervisor of Reference Services at the Archives. –Lyman Hardeman

Wed, 18 Mar 1998 [Subject: Texas Recovery Fair 1932]
Among family heirlooms, I recently found a small jewelry pin about the size of a postage stamp that reads “Texas Recovery Fair, 1932, Opening Day.” We are trying to find out what exactly was the Texas Recovery Fair? Would appreciate any information. –Debi Starr, Dumas, TX

Mon, 16 Mar 1998 [Subject: Houston and Texas Central Railroad]
I am looking for anything (memorabilia, articles, advertisements,etc.) about the Houston and Texas Central Railroad which operated from the 1850’s to 1930’s when it was absorbed by the Texas and New Orleans Railroad. –Warren Johnson, Allen, TX
…..Box G-398 of the Archives and Records of the Texas General Land Office contains information pertaining to this company, which initially went under the name of The Galveston and Red River Railway Co. The documents found there include a contract for building part of the track, correspondence with various state officials on matters pertaining to the company, and engineering reports on the construction of several sections of the track. Photocopies of these documents can be provided for a fee by the TGLO Archives and Records Division. –Galen D. Greaser, Austin, Texas

Thu, 12 Feb 1998 [Subject: Lone Star Flag]
I was asked recently by a friend: Why is the flag of Texas allowed to fly at the same level as “Old Glory” when all the other states I’ve lived in require the state flags to be flown at a lower level? Can anyone help with the answer? –Linda Petersen, Dallas, TX

Wed, 11 Feb 1998 [Subject: Alamo Survivors]
From years ago when I took Texas history in middle school, I remember thata single person and perhaps her slave and/or child(ren) survived the Seige of the Alamo. Can anyone recall what any of the survivors names were? –Jeremy Derr, Plano, Texas
…..Although there were a few survivors of Mexican descent (mostly women and children), the only “Anglo” survivors were Susana Dickinson, her infant daughter Angelina, and Joe, a Negro slave of Alamo commander William Barret Travis. For more details, see Susana Dickinson in our People section, and browse the list of Alamo participants in our Texians Database (see “Heroes of the Revolution“). –Lyman Hardeman

Fri, 6 Feb 1998 [Subject: Alsatians in San Antonio area]
I recently was told of group of Alsatians that settled long ago near San Antonio. I am familiar with other cultures that have settled in Texas during its history, but am unfamiliar with the Alsatian settlement. Could anybody please tell me who these people were, where they came from, how long they’ve been here, and whether their culture is still visible in the San Antonio area? Thank you for any information. –Jeremiah Friddell, College Station, TX.
…..Between 1844 and 1847 empresario Henri Castro settled a large number of familes from Alsace to the valley of the Medina River about 30 miles west of San Antonio. Today their descendents live in the communities of Castroville, D’Hanis, Quihi, and Vandenburg. Their Alsastian heritage is manifest in their architecture, their foodways, their Catholic religion, and, among the older residents, their language. Castroville is still a city of Alsastian stone buildings, 97 of which are on the National Register of Historic Places. The Feast of St. Louis is celebrated there every year on August 22 with traditional music and good food. You might want to look at Bobby Weaver, Castro’s Colony (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1985) and Cornelia Crook, Henry Castro (San Antonio: St. Mary’s University Press, 1988) for more information. –Lonn Taylor

Wed, 4 Feb 1998 [Subject: Chipita Rodriguez]
Because of the Carla Faye Tucker execution, newspapers are running stories about Chipita Rodriguez’ hanging [before Tucker, Rodriquez was the last woman executed in Texas, in 1863]. The stories say she was hanged from a tree along the Aransas River. But as I understand the situation, the murder took place along the Aransas, but the hanging took place outside old San Patricio along the Nueces River. Which river was she hanged by and reportedly haunts today, the Aransas or Nueces? –Charlie Rose, Carrollton, TX
…..According to the New Handbook of Texas , Josefa “Chipita” Rodriguez lived on the banks of the Aransas River near San Patricio but was executed at San Patricio, which is on the Nueces River, in November 1863. The Handbook goes on to say that the facts in the case are sketchy and the court records have been lost. Perhaps she haunts both rivers. –Lonn Taylor

Sat, 31 Jan 1998 [Subject: Right to Secede]
I am in a Texas history class and the professor said that Texas, once becoming a state no longer had the right to secede. I remember hearing or reading somewhere that there was a time period of twenty years that Texas could secede, but not after that. Does anyone have any information on this question? Extra-credit points are hanging in the balance! Thanks. –B. D. Marshall, Cleveland, TX
…..The question of whether or not a state had the right to secede from the Union was an open one until the outcome of the Civil War in 1865 settled it for all time. There was no provision for secession in the Joint Resolution of Congress under which Texas was annexed to the Union in 1845. What your professor probably meant was that between that date and the end of the Civil War many Americans felt that states had a right to secede. The Civil War showed that they did not. –Lonn Taylor

Sun, 11 Jan 1998 [Subject: Mier Expedition]
I would like to know more about the Mier Expedition or where to find the info. –Lauren Ostergren, Plano, TX
Sat, 10 Jan 1998 [Subject: Mier Expedition]
Would appreciate any help you can give me in locating specific information about the “Mier Expedition.” This information is for a g/t class in grades 3-5. Thanks. –Judy Curtis, East Bernard, TX
…..Because we recieved these two like inquiries in the same number of days, we decided it was time to add a write-up about the Mier Expedition to our Events of Early Texas section. For a more detailed account, you may want to refer to William Preston Stapp, Prisoners of Perote (Philadelphia, G. B. Zieber, 1845). Recent reprints of this excellent source should be available in many libraries. –Lyman Hardeman

Thu, 8 Jan 1998 [Subject: Hotel Adieu in Beaumont]
My grandmother Louise Pessarra attended a nursing school at the subject facility. I would like to know more about it and locate archived record of its operation, students, etc. –Jim Stiebing, Arlington, TX

Thu, 8 Jan 1998 [Subject: Flag of France]
Can you explain what the emblems on the flag of France that flew over Texas during the time of LaSalle, mean? Why on a white background? Thanks. –Kara Young, Tuscola, Texas
…..The gold devices on the French flag that La Salle flew over Texas are called fleur-de-lys. They have been associated with the kings of France since the 12th century. Tradition says that they represent the lilly given to Clovis, the first Frankish king, by an angel when he was baptized. In about 1370 Charles V reduced the number on the French royal standard to three, representing the Holy Trinity. The white background of the flag comes from the standard of the Bourbon family, rulers of France from 1589 until the French Revolution. It probably represents purity. –Lonn Taylor

Tue, 31 Dec 1996 [Subject: Bonnie Blue Flag]
Howdy. I am in the Corps of Cadets, Company L-1 (Lone Star One), at Texas A&M University. One of the flags on our crest is the Bonnie Blue Flag. Yet for some reason it is extremly hard to find a picture of it anywhere on the net. Could you please aid me in finding it. I have searched your site and can’t seem to find one. Thank you for your help. –Jonathan Fricke, College Station, TX
…..Take a look at Bonnie Blue for both an image and a brief history of the flag. –Lyman Hardeman

Tue, 24 Dec 1996 [Subject: Historically Correct Novel]
I’m writing a western novel and would like to make it as historically correct as possible. I would like the setting to be on a ranch, with a neighboring ranch nearby, and a small town semi-close to the ranch. Would it be unreasonable for there to be ranches around Austin during the 1840’s? If someone could offer me some help I would greatly appreciate it. –Lisa Scoville, 352 Co. Hwy 146, Gloversville, NY 12078
…..A ranch near Austin in the 1840’s is possible but not probable since Austin was on the very western frontier of settlement when it was founded in 1839 (people thought Mirabeau Lamar was crazy for locating the capitol there). A more plausible location would be in one of the river valleys south and east, say near La Grange, Gonzales, Victoria, or Goliad, or on the coastal plains near West Columbia, Refugio, or Matagorda. You might want to look at the maps in Terry Jordan’s fine book about ranching in Texas at that time, Trails to Texas to see where the concentrations of cattle ranches were. I look forward to reading your novel. –Lonn Taylor

Fri, 20 Dec 1996 [Subject: Celebration]
Can someone help me find any information on a big celebration of Texas that took place I believe in 1986 or 1987. My husband is trying to get a video or some kind of documention on that celebration. Thanks in advance. –Olga DeLeon, Houston, TX
…..You are probably thinking about the celebration of the sesquicentennial of Texas independence in 1986. This was not one event but a number of events all over the state, many of them on Texas Independence Day, March 2, and on the anniversary of the battle of San Jacinto, April 21. Your best bet for locating video footage of some of these events might be to write the Texas State Library and Archives, Box 12927, Capitol Station, Austin, Texas 78711 (512-475-2166). If they do not have footage they should know who does, and they should also have the records of the Texas Sesquicentennial Commission. –Lonn Taylor

Tue, 17 Dec 1996 [Subject: Railroads Routes]
I am trying to identify the name of the railroad for which my grandfather worked in the 1895-1925 timeframe. It ran from New Orleans thru Jacksonville, Texas to El Paso. I’ve been told it could be the Texas Railroad or even the Southern Railway. Are there any existing records that list railroad employees? Any information would be much appreciated. –Genie Buffaloe, P.O. Box 676, Edgewood, TX 75117
…..The T&NO, now part of Southern Pacific, is the only RR I know of running from NO to El Paso. Santa Fe used to run from Fort Worth out through west Texas and connect with SP east of El Paso. Southern Pacific looks like your best bet. Hope this helps. –Dan Flanders
…..Your grandfather might well have worked for the Texas and New Orleans Railroad, which ran from New Orleans to Dallas through Jacksonville and connected with Southern Pacific to El Paso. It was a subsidiary of Southern Pacific from 1888 until it was absorbed by them in 1961. I do not know of any way to ascertain if someone worked for a railroad by using public records, but there is a Southern Pacific History Web Site that might be helpful. Another possibility would be the International and Great Northern Railroad, which also ran through Jacksonville but did not link New Orleans and El Paso over its own tracks. Good luck in learning more! –Lonn Taylor

Tue, 3 Dec 1996 [Subject: Richland Springs Newspaper]
I am interested in researching newspapers for Richland Springs, San Saba County, TX circa 1906. Is there a library in Texas that has old newspapers for Richland Springs? –April Bivens, San Angelo, TX

Mon, 2 Dec 1996 [Subject: Morgan family]
I am looking for information on the Morgan family who owned Emily Morgan, the “Yellow Rose of Texas.” I understand that they came from Wilcox County, Alabama (my home county). Will appreciate any help. –Scott Mitchell, Due West, SC
…..According to the New Handbook of Texas, James Morgan (1787-1866) was born in Philadelphia, PA and lived in North Carolina as a child. Although he was a slaveholder when he moved to Texas, he brought a number of Scottish highlanders and free blacks from New York in his role as agent for a land development company. Emily D. West, better known as Emily Morgan, or “The Yellow Rose of Texas,” was one of this group. –Lyman Hardeman

Sun, 1 Dec 1996 [Subject: Glenwood Cemetery]
I was visiting Houston’s Glenwood Cemetery where I met someone who informed me that the first elected president of the Republic of Texas was buried there. I have since forgotten the name, but the headstone indicated that he was a mason as well. I would appreciate any information about his name. Thanks, –S. David Cho, Rice University, Houston, TX
…..Anson Jones, a mason and the fourth and last president of the Republic of Texas, is buried in Houston’s Glenwood Cemetery. The first elected president of the Republic, Sam Houston, was also a mason. However, Houston is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Huntsville, his home at the time of his death. –Lyman Hardeman

Fri, 15 Nov 1996 [Subject: Brazos Co. in 1870s]
I would appreciate any information or suggested sources about what it was like to settle in Texas in the 1870s, specifically in Brazos County. –Heidi Sauer, College Station, TX
…..Both the town of Bryan and the A&M College of Texas were founded in Brazos Co. during the decade of the 1870s. Any of several early histories of A&M should provide the answers you need. Try the two-volume A Centennial History of Texas A&M University by Henry C. Dethloff (College Station, Texas A&M University Press, 1975) or A Pictorial History of Texas A&M University by the same author.
…..The following are a few excerpts from the second reference: “In those early years the area served as an assembly point for drives that took Texas beef to Dodge City. Longhorns and mustangs could still be seen nearby. It was a wild, unlikely environment for the beginnings of a great institution of higher learning. One young student came to enroll and was attacked by wolves during the day, in full sight of the main building. Another was jumped by a hungry pack just after dinner….Visits to Bryan required special permission from the president, as that town had ‘fourteen or fifteen saloons, an average of two per block, and incidental gunplay.'”
…..You may also want to contact the Bryan Public Library, now celebrating the city’s 125th anniversary. They can be reached at 201 E. 26th Street, Bryan, TX 77803 (409-361-3715) –Lyman Hardeman

Tue, 12 Nov 1996 [Subject: Cone Johnson]
Can someone tell me about Cone Johnson (or Johnston)? I understand he was a fairly well known Texas politician around 1900. Where was he from and what happened to him? Did he ever run for Governor or other high office? Thanks! –Mike Moffitt, Charlottesville, VA
…..According to the New Handbook of Texas, Cone Johnson was born in Georgia in 1860. He settled in Tyler, Texas in 1880 and soon afterwards was admitted to the Texas bar. He served terms in both the Texas House and Senate, and in 1910 made a bid for the governor’s office, but failed to secure the Democratic nomination. Although starting his political career as an opponent to prohibition, Johnson later reversed his position and became known as staunch prohibitionist, as well as an effective orator. He remained active in Texas politics until his death in 1933. –Lyman Hardeman

Fri, 1 Nov 1996 [Subject: Fort Bolivar]
One of my ggg-uncles, James T. Collier, is said to have died during the Civil War at Fort Bolivar. Does anyone know anything about such a place? Is it related to Bolivar Pennisula? I believe that he was part of the 11th (Spaight’s) Battalion, and was active in the region around Jefferson Co. Any help would be greatly appreciated. –Susan Weaver, 2040 Chevy Chase Lane, Beaumont, TX 77706

Wed, 30 Oct 1996 [Subject: Camp Moss]
I am looking for info on Camp Moss, a confederate training camp, supposedly located in Limestone County, TX, possibly near Kosse (Heads Prairie). I can’t seem to locate any info about it. Any help would be appreciated. –Michael Nance, P. O. Box 157, Thornton, TX 76687

Thu, 24 Oct 1996 [Subject: Frontier Life in Texas]
Looking for a copy of “Frontier Life in Texas…” by Capt. Jeff Maltby. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you. –Carl Berry, P. O. Box 773, Ramona, CA, 92065

Thu, 24 Oct 1996 [Subject: State Flag]
I am especially pleased to read about the Texas flag and the 6 flags that flew over Texas. I am a keen student of vexillology–the study of flags–and my particular interest centres on state and provincial flags. I am desparate for some help in obtaining material to study and understand the flag of Texas, its historical development and the current protocol with regards to its use. Are there some brochures, publications that at I could obtain to help in this study? Thank you. –Thomas W. Koh, Singapore

Tue, 15 Oct 1996 [Subject: Stacy, TX]
I am looking for history about a little town called Stacy. I have forgotten what county it was in, but my mother grew up there. Stacy, Texas no longer exists so I would like any info about it and/or the neighboring towns. –Ruth Hill, Cedar City, UT
…..There is a tiny community in McCullough County (Brady is the county seat) called Stacy. It is located on FM 503 a half mile south of the Colorado River and six miles north of Doole. The post office there was opened in 1897. There may be other communities called Stacy in the state but this is the only one listed in the New Handbook of Texas. I hope this information will be helpful to you. –Lonn Taylor

Tue, 15 Oct 1996 [Subject: Oldest Texas Town]
What is the oldest Texas town that is still populated today? –Charley Holloway, Houston, TX
…..”Oldest,” like “first”, is a term that historians shy away from because of the difficulty of defining the other terms in the proposition (for instance, exactly what is meant by “town”?), but here are three candidates: (1) Ysleta, just southeast of El Paso, was founded in 1680 by Indians from Ysleta Pueblo in New Mexico who had remained loyal to the Spanish during the Pueblo Revolt and had fled from New Mexico with them. It was originally on the south bank of the Rio Grande, but in 1829 the river shifted and placed it within the present boundaries of Texas. (2) A Spanish mission was founded at Nacogdoches in 1717 in order to Christianize Caddo Indians who had been living there in organized communities since about 1250. The mission was abandoned from 1719 to 1721 and again from 1772 to 1779, but the Indians continued to live there, and there has been a continual European-American presence since 1779. (3) Missions and a presidio (military post) were founded at San Antonio in 1718, and a villa (town) was formally created there by the Spanish government in 1731. Legal purists might therefore hold out for San Antonio, but I’d say there were other candidates. –Lonn Taylor

Fri, 11 Oct 96 [Confederate Articles of War]
I am looking for a copy of the Confederate Articles of War as I had an ancestor court martialed several times under provisions of that document. –Marylee W. Knight, Panola Co., TX

Sun, 6 Oct 1996 [Subject: Texas Rangers]
Where might I find a list of Texas Rangers during the 19th century? Thanks. –Richard Gage, Winters, CA
…..See the inquiry (and detailed response by Lonn Taylor) posted on this forum dated 20 June 96.

Thu, 3 Oct 1996 [Subject: First Harris County Courthouse]
Does anyone know what happened to the first Harris County Courthouse? It was reportedly built in 1837 and remodeled in 1841. One source says it burned, but as far as I know that cannot be documented. I would appreciate any related information. –David D. Itz, Houston, TX

Wed, 2 Oct 1996 [Subject: O. M. Roberts]
Much has been written on the career of Oran Milo Roberts (Governor of Texas from 1878-1883), but little seems available on his wife and seven children. Who were the children? –Bob Puff, 9606 27th NW, Seattle, WA 98117
…..I cannot give you any information about Governor Robert’s children, but his second wife was Catherine Border from San Augustine, Texas, the widow of my grandmother’s uncle John Border, who was an early settler of San Augustine and a Confederate colonel who commanded a unit with the wonderful name of “Border’s Batallion of Dismounted Cavalry.” They were married, I believe, in the mid-1870’s and she survived him by many years. –Lonn Taylor

Sun, 24 Sep 1996 [Subject: Poetry Book]
I believe that a book (perhaps poetry) was written by a lady by the name of Isabel or Isabella Lambert from the Port Isabel-Brownsville area. Would like to know more about the book (title, publisher, etc.). Thank you. –Ernestine Grace, Moreno Valley, CA

Tue, 24 Sep 1996 [Subject: Donation Land Certificates]
Would appreciate any information about Donation Land Certificates, one of which was issued to Juan Antonio Ximenez (1810-1877) in 1855 for his participation at the Siege of Bexar (1835). –Arthur F. Talamantes, 209 Twin Oaks, San Angelo, TX 76901
…..Donation Land Grants were issued for participation in specific battles of the Texas Revolution. Those who participated in the Siege of Bexar and the Battle of San Jacinto, as well as heirs of those who fell at the Battle of the Alamo and in the Goliad Massacre, were eligible to receive 640 acres each. Altogether, more than 1800 certificates were issued under this program for well over 1,000,000 acres of land. Records of these grants are on file at the General Land Office in Austin. –Lyman Hardeman

Sat, 21 Sep 1996 [Subject: Medina County History]
I am interested in any information about Rio Medina, or Hondo, TX from 1905 to 1915. I have spoken to a nice librarian at Hondo and she is trying to research what she can for me since there is no written history of Medina County. –Cheryl Straily

Sat, 21 Sep 1996 [Subject: Source for Texas Flag]
I’m a homesick Texan living in New Hampshire. Do you know where I can get a real Texas State Flag? Thank you. –Cindy Irvine
…..Hi Cindy. If you don’t get a better offer, I’ll be glad to handle the purchase and mailing of one to you. I live outside Austin and am sure we can find one somewhere close. There are also flags available which have flown over the Capitol; a new one each day. Let me know if you’re interested. –Wayne Clampitt

Wed, 11 Sep 1996 [Subject: Stephen F. Austin’s Siblings]
Does anyone know how many siblings Stephen F. Austin had (primarily sisters). I am trying to trace one of his sisters who supposedly married someone named Coffee, then later a Scott. Thank you for any light you might shed on this search. –Tim Way, Fort Worth, TX

Wed, 11 Sep 1996 [Subject: El Paso History]
I am a graduate student writing a paper on the history of El Paso. If anyone can recommend any good sources on El Paso history, please let me know. –Rob Inerfeld, University of NC at Chapel Hill

Thu, 5 Sep 1996 [Subject: Ranch in Pecos County]
I am trying to find information on Leon Springs Irrigated Lands, which I believe is a ranch located in Pecos County. My research indicates that my g-g-grandparents met and worked on this ranch and I would like to find out some background information on it (location, owners, etc.). Is there anyone out there who can help shed some light on this ranch? Thanks! –Mary Lopez, Bedford, MA
…..I am a cartographer for the Texas Dept. of Transportation and do not find any place name for Leon Springs on my maps. If you know the approximate year, my suggestion would be to write the Pecos county clerk’s office and pay them a small fee to research the name in the Brand Book. This official register should have all the brands used and registered in that county. I hope this helps. –Wayne Clampitt
…..I had the opportunity to look through a book that came through our library called Pecos County History. On page 18 there is a description and a picture of Leon Water Holes. The picture is titled “One of the big springs, Leon Valley, 8/21/15.” The article goes on to describe the springs and mention an irrigation company that was formed. The article was taken from Pioneer Surveyor, Page 102. –Virginia Davis, Information Specialist, Will C. Miller Memorial Library, Southwest Texas Junior College, 2401 Garner Field Road, Uvalde, Texas 78801 (210-591-7248)

Thu, 5 Sep 1996 [Subject: Moses Austin]
I need any information on Moses Austin. The encyclopedia says he was a Connecticut Yankee who settled in Virginia but does not list his birth or death dates. –Ruth L. Ward
…..Moses Austin was born October 4, 1761, in Durham, Connecticut. He died on June 10, 1821, and is buried at Potosi, Missouri on land he once owned. After leaving Connecticut at the age of 21, Austin moved first to Philadelphia, then established a business in Richmond, VA. By 1800, Austin was operating a successful lead mining operation south of St. Louis, Missouri. Nineteen years later at the age of 58, he developed a plan to settle a colony of Americans in present-day Texas. Although Austin’s death in 1821 prevented implementation of the plan, his deathbed wish was that his son Stephen complete the task. Over the next fifteen years, Stephen Austin accomplished just that. In the process, the younger Austin emerged as a central figure in the Texas revolution, and became known as the “Father of Texas.” –Lyman Hardeman

Fri, 30 Aug 1996 [Subject: Texas Folklore]
I have heard most of my life that when Texas joined the union several conditions were placed on the agreement. Three of these which I have heard repeated on many occasions are: (1) that the Texas flag would be flown at the same height as the U.S. flag; (2) that Texas reserved the right to leave the Union; and (3) that Texas reserved the right to divide into as many as four states. Any truth in these favorite claims? Thanks for any help you can give me on this as my son says his history teacher says those tales are nothing more than folk tales and are definitely not true. –Bob Landingham
…..For now, we’ll defer on the first two parts of this three-part inquiry…
…..(Part 3) The claim that Texas could divide into multiple states has a basis in its annexation agreements. The Resolution Annexing Texas to the United States was adopted by the U. S. Senate in the Spring of 1845. It was subsequently accepted in an Ordinance passed by the Convention of the People of the Republic of Texas on July 4 of the same year. Both agreements contained the following clause: “New States, of convenient size, not exceeding four in number, in addition to said State of Texas, and having sufficient population, may hereafter, by the consent of said State, be formed out of the territory thereof, which shall be entitled to admission under the provisions of the federal constitution.” Although Texas was never divided into “New States,” the original boundaries claimed by Texas at the time of annexation included portions of the present states of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and Wyoming. It was not until the Compromise of 1850 that disputes over these territories were finally resolved. Some of the plans leading up to the Compromise of 1850 did provide for the division of Texas into two or three separate states. –Lyman Hardeman

Fri, 23 Aug 1996 [Subject: Redden Russell and Sam Houston]
My ancestor, Redden Russell, came to Texas from Illinois with his in-laws the Rattan family. They settled in Peters Colony. Redden was made Sheriff of Paris, Texas in 1840, but two years later he just disappeared. I have spent years looking for what happened; killed, died, divorced, moved, etc. Family history says that Sam Houston was a very close friend to Redden and that the Russells and the Rattans had a very interesting business arrangement with Sam. Sam would “aquire” cattle and my ancestors would “clean them up for re-sale”. Or in plain talk the Russells would change the brands and sell them for Sam and then split the money. I don’t know if it is true but my grandfather and his brothers would recount the story time and time again when I was very young. Does any one know about Redden and if he “worked” with Sam Houston. –Cliff Russell

Sat, 17 Aug 1996 [Subject: Civil War Units]
I would like to know if unit histories or rosters are available for two Texas units of the Civil War: Co. A, 1st Texas Heavy Artillery; and Co. I, 2nd Regiment Texas Calvary (2nd Texas Mounted Rifles). Ancestors are known to have served in each. Thanks for any information. –Juanita Naron, Santa Anna, Texas
…..The Harold B. Simpson Confederate Research Center, Hill College, Hillsboro, Texas (Dr. B. B. Patterson, Director) has the histories of nearly all of the Texas Regiments, as well as service records of their members. I located my g-grandfather’s regiment and service records there and obtained copies of same for a small fee. They are most helpful in searching if supplied with a minimum of information. They are not listed as having an E-mail address, nor a URL. However, Hill college had one, and maybe they will forward a request for the Research Center to mail you information on how to obtain what you need.. Wishing you success, –Bill Woodard

Fri, 2 Aug 1996 [Subject: Powhaton Archer]
For a book I am writing on Texas Republic patriot Branch Tanner Archer, I am seeking information regarding his son, Powhatan Archer who served in the Civil War. I have been unable to locate his Texas regiment and would greatly appreciate any leads you might generate. If my information is correct, Powhatan Archer was a medical doctor and was killed in action in the Civil War. I have no further information. Thanks in advance for any help you might provide. –Patty Macsisak

Thu, 1 Aug 1996 [Subject: William Barrett Travis]
Am trying to locate early history of William Travis before he came to Texas. –Russell S Luce, Jr.
…..Two fairly recent books about Travis should be useful to you: Archie P. McDonald’s Travis (Austin: Jenkins Publishing Company, 1976) and Martha Anne Turner’s William Barrett Travis: His Sword and Pen (Waco: Texian Press, 1972). Your local library should be able to obtain both through inter-library loan if they do not have them on their shelves. –Lonn Taylor
…..Note: a reprint of Archie McDonald’s book is currently available from Eakin Press, who is also a sponsor of Lone Star Junction. –Lyman Hardeman

Thu, 25 Jul 96 [Subject: Historical Marker]
Can anyone tell me what happened to the “Despain Bridge” historical marker that was on the highway between Sulpher Springs and Cooper. It was just south of Cooper in Delta County. I made a special trip from Louisiana to take a picture, and all I found was the cement it used to stand on. –Elaine Emmons, Mooringsport, LA

Fri, 19 Jul 1996 [Subject: Notable Texans after 1900]
Hello, I’ve been surfing a long time for information on Harry F. Wurzbach who was a US Congressman from San Antonio during the 1920s. Haven’t found anything. Can you point me in the right direction to find information on this man? Thank you. –Peter Wurzbach
…..Note: because of the length and detail of the responses to this inquiry, they are presented on a separate web page. –Editor

Wed, 3 Jul 1996 [Subject: Temple Lea Houston]
I named my youngest daughter “Temple Lea” after Gen. Sam’s youngest son. I am interested in knowing more about Temple Houston so that I can tell her about her namesake as she grows. I am also interested in knowing how my daughter can join the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. Thanks –Bob Mims
…..There is a biography, Temple Houston, written by Glenn Shirley (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1980). I have a copy in my library and can vouch for its thoroughness. –Gerard Moran, LaPorte
…..Temple Lea Houston was the first child born in the Governor’s Mansion in Austin. He achieved some prominence as a lawyer in the Texas Panhandle and in Oklahoma Territory in the 1880’s and ’90’s. You can read more about him in Glenn Shirley’s book (see above) and in Bernice Tune’s The Golden Heritage and Silver Tongue of Temple Lea Houston (Burnet, Texas: Eakin Press, 1981). Both of these books are out of print but your public library could obtain them for you through inter-library loan. I think it’s great that you named your daughter after him and that you want her to know more about him. –Lonn Taylor
…..Just another interesting lil tid-bit on the “Temple Lea” name. Temple Lea was the name of Margaret Lea Houston’s father. Therefore, the name has an ancestory background, also! 🙂 –Patty Smoot

Wed, 26 Jun 1996 [Subject: Robert Potter]
I am interested in sharing info on the family of Robert Potter, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and participant in the Battle of San Jacinto. He settled near Nacogdoches where he was killed at his home in 1842 during the Regulator-Moderator War. His only surviving son, I believe, was John David Potter. My great grandparents were James Travis Potter and Ellen Barnham Potter. I have been told that we are direct decendents of the above Robert Potter and am trying to estabish this. Any help or info is greatly appreciated. –J. Travis Potter
…Howdy Travis. I have a fairly lengthy biography on Robert Potter, and can say that John D. Potter was his only surviving child. His mother, Harriet A. Page Potter Ames, wrote a manuscript, “The History of Harriet A. Ames During the Early Days of Texas,” in 1890 at the age of eighty-three. She wrote it while living with her youngest daughter, Adeline (Addie), the wife of Dr. Frank Marreo, a skilled physician and member of a prominent New Orleans family. The date of Harriets’ death is unknown, but her grave was located across Lake Ponchartrain in Covington, Louisiana, in the 1930’s. Her manuscript is supposedly with relatives in Florida, so you might have some new cousins! Harriets’ memoirs were retold in “Love is a Wild Assault” by Elithe Hamilton Kirkland in 1959. By many, Robert Potter was considered among the “baddest” men in Texas and Harriet one of the “bravest” women. Let me know if you have specific questions I might be able to answer. Good luck. –Wayne Clampitt

Mon, 24 Jun 1996 [Subject: San Saba Mob]
I am the great grandson of James Turner. He was murdered by vigilantes known in 1889 as “The Mob.” He was the Postmaster for the Locker community northwest of San Saba. I wish to locate other descendents of James Turner. –George Loudder

Sun, 23 Jun 1996 [Subject: Capt. Brees of Texas Navy]
Looking for information on Capt. Brees or Breese who was in the Texas Navy with his own boat out of New Orleans. Thanks. –Arthur L. Brees

Thu, 20 Jun 1996 [Subject: Why is it the “Lone Star State”?]
I live and work in Santiago, Chile, but I am originally from Wichita Falls, TX. As you know, the Chile flag and the Texas flag are very similar and I receive many questions about this fact. But the one question I cannot answer is: “Why is Texas called the Lone Star State”? I regret that I do not know the answer. –David Waggoner
…You’re not alone, David. Many others have asked the same or similar questions (see inquiries on the Forum dated April 15 and May 1, 1996). There is no definitive answer, such as an early event or legislative act that proclaimed Texas as the Lone Star Republic, or later, as the Lone Star State. The origins of the “Lone Star” go back to the time of the Texas revolution. Members of the Convention of 1836, only days after the fall of the Alamo, adopted a resolution providing for “a single star of five points” to be used as the “peculiar emblem” of the Republic of Texas. Later that year, after Texas independence was won at the Battle of San Jacinto, the first official flag of the new republic was approved by President Sam Houston. It consisted of a single golden star of five points placed on a dark blue field. The Lone Star Flag that we know today was adopted a few years later, in January of 1839. It served as the national flag of the Republic of Texas until annexation in 1845, when it was adopted as the state flag. Texas’ nickname as the Lone Star State evolved from these early emblems. –Lyman Hardeman

Thu, 20 Jun 96 [Subject: Texas Rangers]
Does anyone know how to find out if a person was actually a member of the Texas Rangers. An uncle of mine says my great-grandfather, Robert Lafayette Malpass, was once in the Texas Rangers, as well as a great-uncle, Jesse “Buddy” Malpass. R. L. Malpass was born in 1865 in Georgia and died in 1937 in Mississippi. I do not have dates for Jesse Malpass. Any advice on how to proceed would be appreciated. –Claudia Brocato
…An individual’s service in the Texas Rangers can be verified by consulting the Ranger Records at the Texas State Archives in Austin. These records are Record Group 104 of the Adjutant General’s Papers, and they include lists of everyone who ever served as a Ranger along with their dates of service. There is a card index by name and, I think, an electronic index. You can visit the Texas State Library and Archives web site at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/, and you can read a long description of the Ranger Records by navigating that site to the holdings of the Texas State Archives, under “executive” and then “adjutant general”. You can also call their reference desk at 512-463-5455. I have tracked down individuals in these records and have found the staff to be extremely helpful. –Lonn Taylor

Thu, 13 Jun 1996 [Subject: Mexican Army after San Jacinto]
I am researching the retreat of the Mexican Army through Wharton County after the battle of San Jacinto. They entered what is now Wharton Co. on April 26th 1836 and were in our county for 3-5 days. Artifacts have been found over the years and we are trying to document their exact whereabouts. I have read most of the accounts of the Mexican officers but have found little info from any of the Texans that trailed them out of the state. Any additional information would be helpful. –Gregg Dimmick

Wed, 5 Jun 1996 [Subject: Salt and the Civil War]
Hi, I have a question that so far no one seems to be able to answer. Where in Texas might there have been salt mines during the Civil War where salt (or perhaps saltpeter) was mined for the Confederate Army? Someone told me the Houston area might be the spot, but so far I’ve had no luck finding out. My family apparently came down to Texas from Missouri when the Civil War started and worked there mining salt until the war was over. They returned to Missouri. There are no family records indicating where they were during those “lost” years. Anyone have any ideas? –Sidney Stevens
…During the Civil War, salt was in short supply for the Confederacy. As a result, the Confederate government operated an important mine at Grand Saline in northeast Texas. This site, by the way, is not far from Marshall, Texas–the wartime capital of Missouri. It might therefore be the best place to start looking for your ancestors. Other significant salt plants in Texas during the Civil War were located at Palestine, also in east Texas, and at El Sal del Rey, in south Texas. The state took over production of salt at El Sal del Rey in 1862, but the site was captured by Federal forces the following year. Good luck in you search. –Lyman Hardeman

Wed, 22 May 1996 [Subject: Yellow Rose of Texas]
Sorry, again a question and no information. We’re looking for ANY information on the legendary Emily Morgan. Where would one search for such an elusive figure? There are few references to her and no facts (even pseudo-facts) that I can find. Thanks. Great site! –Bob
…As you indicated, there are very few “facts” known about Emily Morgan. One of the more in-depth accounts of her and the song that she inspired is found in The Yellow Rose of Texas: Her Saga and Her Song, by Martha Anne Turner (Austin, Shoal Creek Publishers, 1976). While the book includes speculation and “pseudo-facts,” it is based on actual events and is documented with detailed bibliographic endnotes. Check your library or perhaps an out-of-print book dealer. –Lyman Hardeman
…We have also received a reply to your inquiry from Marjorie Walraven, who with her husband Bill authored the book The Magnificent Barbarians, Little-Told Tales of the Texas Revolution. About one page of the book is devoted to the story of Emily Morgan, which we quote here with the authors’ permission. Due to the length of the excerpt, we have presented it on a separate web page. –LJH

Fri, 17 May 1996 [Subject: Gunfight in 1890s]
How can I find information on a gunfight between some members of my family and another family around 1890-1910. Evidently members of the Collings family rode against members of the White family and shots were fired. I would like to find out what really happened. I have heard that several people were killed. My grandfather (who was a small child at the time) had nightmares about it his entire life. Any suggestions? It could have been somewhere else between Texas and Oklahoma, but my ancestors had lived in Grayson Co for about 30 years then moved to Oklahoma Territory. Guidance in where to look will be greatly appreciated. –Linda L. Andrews

Fri, 17 May 1996 [Subject: William Goyens]
I read in a Texas Dept. of Education information sheet on Social Studies curriculum for K-6 that a famous Texas figure was one William Goyens. Our surname, which has Belgian roots, is extremely rare in North America. Do you have any information on this person and his role in Texas history? –Chrys Goyens
…According to the Handbook of Texas, William Goyens came to Texas in 1820 and settled in Nacogdoches in east Texas. His father was a free mulatto and his mother was white. He married a white woman, Mary Sibley, in 1832. Goyens was one of the few that enjoyed the trust of the Texans, the Mexicans and the Indians alike. During the revolution, he assumed the critical role of negotiating to maintain friendly relations with the Indians. Afterwards, he became a successful businessman in Nacogdoches, where he died in 1856. –Lyman Hardeman …”His skin was black; his heart, true blue” reads the historical marker on William Goyens grave five miles east of Nacogdoches. He was born a freeman in NC. Check the book Monument to a Black Man by Daniel James Kubiak for his life’s story. –Wallace McKeehan

Tue, 7 May 1996 [Subject: Joshua Parker]
I am researching my ancestor, Joshua Parker, one of the Old 300 led by Stephen Austin. Do you know if the publication Handbook of Texas gives any detail on Joshua Parker and his role in Austin’s colony? If so, how do I obtain a copy of this book? Thanks. –Patrick Fern
…According to a brief write-up in The New Handbook of Texas, Joshua Parker (1790-1838) met Moses Austin in Arkansas in 1821 and signed up to settle in Austin’s planned new colony in Texas. He and a partner received title to land in what is now Wharton County on July 24, 1824. A census in 1826 listed Parker as an unmarried farmer and stockman. Two years later, he married Nancy Sophronia Bell. Records show that Joshua was acquainted with William B. Travis at San Felipe in 1833. He died on July 24, 1838 at Independence, Texas …. The New Handbook of Texas, just off the press, is available from the Texas State Historical Association, 2.306 Sid Richardson Hall, University Station, Austin, Texas 78712. Telephone 512-471-1525. Price for the monumental 6000-page six-volume set is $395. –Lyman Hardeman

Wed, 1 May 1996 [Subject: Austin Colony Petitions]
Several of my ancestors petitioned Stephen Austin to move to Texas – some from Tenn/others from upstate NY – apparently some of these petitions remain in the archives – how do I obtain copies – they would make wonderful additions to the family book I am working on – the names were Goodman & Peck – also some of the Goodman sons and my gg grandfather Nathaniel Peck Sr served in Houston’s army – how do I get more information on their service? Thanks. –Faye Cox

Wed, 1 May 1996 [Subject: State Nickname]
Please help us with a homework question. “Why is Texas known as the ‘Lone Star State?'” –Jessica Triska
[see response to Forum inquiry dated 20 Jun 96. –Lyman Hardeman

Sat, 27 Apr 1996 [Subject: Texas Cemeteries]
Is there a source you know of which lists, preferably by county, public and private cemeteries? –Bert Dimock
…Hi. Our organization, Save Texas Cemeteries, Inc., maintains a database of cemeteries by county and currently lists approximately 10,000 of the estimated 50,000+ cemeteries in Texas. They do not contain inventories of individual graves, but some inventories are available in the State Archives Geneology Section. Our database lists cemetery names, location, care taker, and physical condition. Email and reports of vandalism or destruction can be posted to me. Membership and information may also be directed to: Save Texas Cemeteries, Inc., PO Box 202975, Austin, TX 78729, (512) 258-5688, (Attn: Karen Thompson). –Wayne Clampitt

Mon, 15 Apr 1996 [Subject: French Presence in Texas]
Hello. I was told during a recent visit to Austin that there are actually regions of Texas where French is spoken. Is it true? If so, would you have any additional info. I work with a very well-known musical group from Montreal called Hart-Rouge that would be very interested in such a topic. I thank you in advance. Regards, –Roland Stringer
…French influence in Texas dates from La Salle’s landing in 1685, to Jean Laffite’s pirate operations on Galveston Island in the early 1800s, to French envolvement in politics and the establishment of colonies during the Republic of Texas. We’ll leave it to our viewers, however, to identify the areas of strongest French influence today, and perhaps provide you some points of contact. Good luck in your search. –Lyman Hardeman

…I think that the only place in Texas where French is spoken today, outside of university classrooms, may be in the Beaumont-Port Arthur area of southeast Texas where migration from southern Louisiana has brought speakers of Acadian French. This is documented in the cultural geographer D.W. Meinig’s book Imperial Texas. There are still a few Alsastian speakers in Castroville and other Medina County communities just west of San Antonio who are descendents of the Alsastian colonists who settled there in the mid-1840’s. Also in the mid-1840’s there was a French utopian settlement called La Reunion a few miles west of Dallas, but it broke up after a few years and many of the settlers moved to Dallas. Some of their descendents are still in Dallas, but they do not form a distinctive French-speaking community. I hope that this information will be helpful. –Lonn Taylor, Washington, DC

Mon, 15 Apr 1996 [Subject: Flag of the Lone Star]
Please answer this question. Why is there 1 star on the State Flag and what does it mean? This will end an argument. Thank you, –Charles A. Beltram

Mon, 15 Apr 1996 [Subject: Flag Height]
Hi, my mother (80) wanted some info about the flying of the Texas Flag. We know you can fly it at the same height as the US, but she is looking for info to prove it to a friend! Thanks. –Larry Hilley

Sat, 13 Apr 1996 [Subject: Twin Sisters and Jenny]
I have been invited to a San Jacinto Celebration Party in Raleigh, North Carolina. The host gave us some historical “challenges” associated with The Battle of San Jacinto. I have solved most of the challenges. Two challenges remain to be solved. Who/what were the “twin sisters” and who is Jenny, without whom San Jacinto may not have been possible. I found the quote, “A volley from the Texan’s “Twin Sisters” artillery brought him (Santa Anna) to a sudden halt.” This quote does not enable me to conclude whether the twin sisters were people or weapons. Can you help me with pointers on the “twin sisters” and Jenny? Thanks. Sincerely, 
…Sounds like a fun party! As your reference suggests, the “twin sisters” were a pair of desperately needed cannons used by the Texans at the Battle of San Jacinto. They had been donated to the Texans by the citizens of Cincinnati, Ohio, and received not long before the battle was fought. We are not sure about identity of Jenny, unless this is perhaps a reference to Emily Morgan, a twenty-year-old slave girl captured by the Mexican army under Santa Anna. At least by tradition, she is credited with “keeping Santa Anna occupied” just prior to the battle, thus contributing significantly to the overwhelming victory by the Texans. She is also credited with inspiring the writing of The Yellow Rose of Texas, the popular song known today throughout the world. –Lyman Hardeman

Thu, 11 Apr 1996 [Subject: Birdville, Texas]
Greetings from Tennessee! I am a history major at East Tennessee State University and I am currently doing some research on a man named Benjamin Bowman. Mr. Bowman moved to Birdville, in Tarrant Co. Texas sometime before 1860. In correspondence with his brother back here in Tennessee, Mr Bowman stated that he was planning on moving to a larger farm in Collin Co. The letter that I am researching deals with topics such as the Texas slave insurrection of 1860, and a very severe drought that hit that area in 1860. If anyone has any information, or directions on how to get at this information over the internet, I would greatly appreciate it. Please feel free to e-mail me with any suggestions. Thanks in Advance. –Nathan Gough

Wed, 10 Apr 1996 [Subject: Elena Colony]
I’m doing some genealogical research on Nathan Blevins, who once lived in Elena Colony, Texas (in the last half of the 19th century). Does anyone know precisely where Elena Colony was, and where its records would now be? I believe it was around what is now Austin, but I’m not sure. Thanks in advance. –Mike Jewett

Tue, 2 Apr 1996 [Subject: Edwards Plateau]
At the risk of being accused of hogging these pages, I further invite anyone with historical interest in the Edwards Plateau to contact me. I must confess that I have only snippets of information but when jigsawed with that of others who have similar snippets, our joint efforts might add up to something significant that would otherwise be overlooked. I am working toward establishing a site for the exchange of information regarding this area and hope that we may unearth untold stories that will supplement those that have been told over and over, but which don’t necessarily reflect the true history of the region. I lived in that area as a schoolboy and now that I am retired I find that there is very little recorded about the area that I knew as a boy. Time is running out, and those who have family tales about the area may think them inconsequential, but when they are gone, there will be little left to remember them by. But if we get the information down now, countless generations will thank us for preserving their heritage. –Harry Geron

Mon, 1 Apr 1996 [Subject: Charcoal Burners]
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century there dwelt a group of people along the Guadalupe valley near Sisterdale who were employed in the industry of burning charcoal. Apparently for some of the settlers it was an off season method of making a cash crop from the leavings of land clearing. Among others it became a predominating occupation and way of life. There are indications that other people immigrated into the area from the Appalachians and even from Europe. In the thirties there were migrant people who traveled and lived in gypsy style caravans in the hills of the Edwards Plateau following land clearing and making charcoal. I had a boyhood encounter with some of these people. Twenty to thirty years ago the Topperweins of Boerne published a study of those residing along the Guadalupe. I would like to hear from anyone with information regarding these interesting people. –Harry Geron
…You might enjoy reading E. J. Rissman’s short article, “The Charcoal Burner” in Wilson Hudson and Allen Maxwell, The Sunny Slopes of Long Ago, Publications of the Texas Folklore Society, No. 33, Dallas, Southern Methodist University Press, 1965. Rissman describes the charcoal burners of the Texas Hill Country and the process they used to produce charcoal. The book could be obtained by inter-library loan. –Lonn Taylor, Washington, DC

Sun, 31 Mar 1996 [Subject: Captain John Bird]
Greetings! I am a descendant of Captain John Bird who died at a battle now known as “Bird’s Victory.” Does your organization have internet facilities that can be used to research this Texas pioneer? Thank you. Regards, –Pat Ryan
…Pat, thanks for your e-mail. We don’t know of any internet resources that would provide such details. You are probably aware of the reference to your ancestor in the Handbook of Texas, quoted as follows: “John Bird, son of William Bird, was born in Tennessee in 1795. After serving under Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812, he returned to Tennessee, where he married Sarah Denton, by whom he had four children. Bird came to Texas about 1829 as a member of Stephen F. Austin’s colony and was given title to a league of land in present Burleson County in 1831. As captain in the colony militia, he built up a reputation as an Indian fighter. In 1832 he led volunteers against the Comanche on the Brazos River. In November, 1835, he engaged Mexican cavalry near San Antonio. He left San Felipe in March, 1836, in command of sixty volunteers and a wagon train to guard the western Brazos frontier. In 1839 he was in command of Fort Milam in Falls County; while on a scouting party with thirty rangers, Bird was killed in a campaign against some three hundred Indians on May 26, 1839. A marker near Temple commemorates the Bird’s Creek Indian Fight.” –Lyman Hardeman
…I, too am looking for Byrd relatives. The Brazoria Co. Museum web page (www.tgn.net/~bchm/default.html) lists the “Old 300” original settlers with a _____ Byrd and a Micajah Byrd as receiving grants. Does anyone know more about these two? –Joan Elwell

Sat, 30 Mar 1996 [Subject: Guadalupe Valley; Edwards Plateau]
The quality of your web-site is superb, and deserves commendation… As a long time displaced Texan I am searching for HISTORICALLY oriented web-sites in the predominantly German cities and particularly interested in the Guadalupe valley and the Edwards plateau. I have found city pages which are predominantly civic and commercial with little historic content, Can you help with links? Thanks, –Harry Geron
…We aren’t aware of any websites (yet) with a theme that is that narrowly focused. However, we are posting your e-mail in the hope that perhaps others may be able to help with your research and contact your directly. Good luck. –Lyman Hardeman

Fri, 27 Dec 1996
I enjoyed your page with Texas events and Texans on stamps. I think you could add another stamp. A Texas Windmill was depicted on a stamp about 20 years ago. See the following page: http://keynes.fb12.tu-berlin.de/luftraum/konst/stamps/texas.html. –Joseph Ward, Salt Lake City, UT
…Hi Joseph. Great find! And thanks for your email. We will add the windmill stamp to our Texas Scrapbook pages soon. Its interesting that someone in Utah located the Texas stamp on a web server in Germany, then notified someone in Virginia (where I now live). With the internet, the world’s getting smaller every day. –Lyman Hardeman

Thu, 5 Dec 1996
During the last legislative session, the Legislature designated the Monarch Butterfly as the Official Insect of the State of Texas. Rep. Arlene Wohlgemuth sponsored the resolution at the request of school students in her district. Recently, the same school district informed us that they will have access to the internet. Rep. Wohlgemuth would like to direct the same students to your internet site. The students will be able to learn more and better enjoy Texas history. Would it be possible to place a picture of the Monarch on your web site? We can assist with a photo if you are agreeable. Please contact us if you have any questions. Thank you. –Chris Britton
…Hi, Chris. Thanks for your email. Yes, we will be delighted to place the image on Lone Star Junction. Just send the photo and we will get it “on the net” within a few days. Will send more via email. –Lyman Hardeman

Mon, 18 Nov 1996
Congratulations! Just found your site this evening and was very impressed with its structure and historical content. Good job! –Byron A. Johnson, Director, Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, Waco

Fri, 15 Nov 1996
What a joy to find your page!!! I remember sitting around the piano as a kid listening to my dad play many of those same songs! Especially the Scott Joplin Rags!!!! He’s gone now for 13 yrs, and I had forgotten the rich treasure of being able to listen to him play! I have five children that he never got to see; I just wish I had recorded his piano playing! Thanks so much for the memories. PS: We are a home schooling family and I intend to use your website for a Texas History unit in the near future. –Kate Huffman, Hickory Creek, TX

Fri, 8 Nov 1996
I’m writing to offer my services as a volunteer to help with the site, per your appeal. I’m a native of Liberty, graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University (1978) and Baylor (1980). Since 1985 I’ve been an editor with the Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS). Right now I’m in Mbabane, Swaziland and have disposable time. I’ll help anyway I can. –Rick Rhodes, Mbabane, Swaziland
…We sincerely appreciate your offer, Rick. We’ll be in touch via email soon. –Lyman Hardeman

Wed, 6 Nov 1996
Love your site…So much so that I finally decided to move home to Austin around the first of the year. Thanks. –Jim Murphy, Medford, Oregon
…Hi Jim. We’re flattered that Lone Star Junction helped convince you to move back to Texas. As indicated on our “About Lone Star Junction” page, we are also exiles, now living in Fairfax, VA, and hope some day to move back to the Lone Star State. –Lyman Hardeman

Sat, 2 Nov 1996
A million pardons, but the Texas Horned Lizard is NOT a/k/a a horned frog. Rather, it is commonly known, at least in North Central Texas, (Dallas) as a “horny toad.”
…..Yes, it is understood that this could well develop into the great debate as to whether the creature at hand is more often referred to as a “horned frog”, or a “horny toad”, but such is not the intent of this correspondence. The intent is just to bring to light the fact that after 30 years in this state (since the day I was born), and having captured many of the above described creatures, I have never heard them refered to as “horned frogs.” [Students at] TCU may disagree, but I still think of the cold blooded suckers as “horny toads!”
…..Anyway, I think your page is great, and I just wanted to share a few of my thoughts concerning the possible misnomer of this famous Texas creature with you all. I would hate for the rest of the nation to be misled as to the common nomenclature used to describe some of our more unique wildlife. Heaven knows, as we all put our horses to stable on our thousand acre ranches each night, and have someone stand watch for the Indians, we would all sleep better knowing the world has an accurate picture of our rich and independent culture in this great State. Very truly yours,
 –David Rankin
…David, you are absolutely correct, and we have changed the reference to our Horny Toad Image accordingly. I guess we were being a little too accommodating to our friends at TCU. Thanks for your input. –Lyman Hardeman

Wed, 30 Oct 1996
This is the most wonderful website, and sure helps the homesick blues! My son actually is impressed that I could sing Texas, Our Texas (back when I went to school in Round Rock, we had to memorize it in 2nd grade). Your great website is now my number one favorite spot. I’m helping with the family tree, and your site also gives some great links. Once again, thanks–and please, keep up this website! –Carol, Fayetteville, AR

Sat, 26 Oct 1996
Hi, I’m a student at the University of Houston. Y’all seem to have a skill at music. How are y’all “recording” this music to midi files? I am a member of a fraternity at UH and we have been racking our brains trying to figure out how to convert a couple of songs out of our fraternity song book into midi files for our home page. Thanks for any suggestions. I really enjoy the Lone Star Junction. –E. Ty Thomas
…Hi Ty. Thanks for your interest in Lone Star Junction. The easiest and most common way to record midi music is with a keyboard. We use a Roland E-86, a full-featured stand-alone model. Other less expensive units can be obtained, however, that plug directly into your computer, and make use of the computer’s sound card, storage, software, etc. Check with someone in your music department to see if a keyboard (and more importantly, a keyboard player) might be available. Good luck. –Lyman Hardeman

Thu, 24 Oct 1996
You have most probably been told this many times before. But once more, all the way from Singapore: you have a GREAT website and I have thoroughly enjoyed dropping in to savour the sights and sounds of Texas. –Thomas W. Koh, Singapore

Thu, 17 Oct 1996
This web page is fantastic. Its loaded with information, and I can’t wait to send the URL to my buddies. –Mark Slagle

Thu, 19 Sep 1996
What a joy to this old Texican! Love what you are doing. Thanks for Lone Star Junction! –Rolfe Wagner

Sun, 1 Sep 1996
Finding your web site was like striking oil! I love the songs and I am very interested in the early Texas folklore, some of which may involve my ancestors. –M. B. Barbre, Sacramento, CA

Sat, 24 Aug 1996
Your web site is awesome and much appreciated. I’ve added a link to your site in my web page so more folks can enjoy what you’re doing. –Charles M. Yates, Dripping Springs, TX

Tue, 20 Aug 1996
Keep up the excellent work you’re doing as editor of Lone Star Junction. This web site was a godsend to say the least. I’m always amazed at the wealth of knowledge that exists with people from so many parts of the state! I plan on visiting the site daily, and look forward to any and all information on Texas history. Thanks again. –Bill Liles, San Antonio, TX

Sat, 17 Aug 1996
As a Texan currently living in “foreign parts” (Atlanta, GA), I’d like to thank you for this great site. Just by browsing through it, I can almost feel like I’m back home in southeast Texas. Thanks. –Russell Goforth

Wed, 14 Aug 1996
This has got to be the best website I have ever seen. –Alice Benson, Austin, TX

Tue, 30 Jul 1996
Howdy from Sarajevo. Just a little note to say howdy to y’all from Sarajevo, Bosnia. I’m currently serving with the U. S. Army here with the IFOR information campaigne. I was surfing the net and found your site and downloaded the (Texas) screen-saver. Some of the (out-of-state) guys aren’t to happy with it, but, hey, I out-rank them! Keep up the good work. Will be coming home in October and am looking forward to going home and spending Christmas with my family. Serving proudly in Sarajevo, –SSG John M. Seagraves, Sarajevo, Bosnia

Sat, 27 Jul 1996
This is a terrific website! Wonderful photos and bios are a real treat to find. You do, however, have a mistake in one of your biographies. For David G. Burnet, the article says that he is buried in the State Cemetery in Austin. This is not correct. He is buried next to Sidney Sherman in Lakeview Cemetery in Galveston. Thanks for the great efforts on this website. More historic photos are always welcome. –Bill Liles, San Antonio
…Thanks Bill, for your kind words about Lone Star Junction and your valuable input on David Burnet. We have made the correction. We appreciate your interest in our website and always welcome critique of our pages. Thanks again. –Lyman Hardeman

Wed, 10 Jul 1996
Absolutely Fabulous! A friend discovered your page this morning and we have been rockin’ to Texas music, history, people, etc., all day long. I have the screen saver up and runnin’ and can’t say enough good things about this place. I will try to pass the good word along to correspondents far removed so they can have a bit of Texas too. I am listening to “Deep in the Heart” as I write this. –Barbara Lee Gates

Mon, 8 Jul 1996
Loved it! Your Website definitely makes my Top Ten List! It is very well done and you have made some great resources available to those of us who love Texana. Please tell Mrs. Hardeman thank you very much for sharing her Texas stamp collection. It made for delightful browsing! Keep up the good work. I’ll be back often. –Jan

Sun, 7 Jul 1996
Great Site. I just finished a quick tour of the Lone Star Junction. What a great site. Thanks for the opportunity to visit Texas from my desktop. –Mike Godfrey

Thu, 4 Jul 1996
Love your website. As a seventh generation East Texan and longtime member of Daughters of the Republic of Texas, I am a true “Texasphile”. I look forward to more good things on your site. Your genealogy and history section is great. Keep up the good work. –Bonnie Woolverton

Thu, 27 Jun 1996
Hi. I am a senior editor at Texas Monthly in Austin and am researching part of a major feature we are doing on Texas web sites [scheduled for our August issue]. I came across Lone Star Junction, which I consider a real find. The area I am researching is Texas history sites, and I’d love to know if you have any favorite history sites, particularly about the Alamo or heroes of the Revolution. –Pat Sharpe, Texas Monthly
…Hi Pat, and thank you for the kind words about Lone Star Junction. Our favorite Texas history sites are listed on our Weblinks page, accessable directly from the home page. Of particular interest for your present project would be The Alamo: An Illustrated Chronology, provided by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, and Texas, Texans and the Alamo, sponsored by the Center for American History in Austin. For thumnail biographies of about thirty five early Texans, including about twenty that took part in the Texas Revolution, see Notable Texans Before 1900 found in The Archives section of Lone Star Junction. –Lyman Hardeman

Sun, 26 May 1996
This is one of the best www sites I have seen on the net. I will be moving to Texas (Houston) from Norway this summer, and I like the patriotism you people down there have. Just like home. Keep it up. –Owe Hernes

Tue, 14 May 1996
I love the Lone Star Junction web site!! As a former resident of Corpus Christi and a distant relative of Sam Houston, it makes me proud and homesick! Keep up the good work! –Scott Houston

Fri, 3 May 1996
I recently found your location and I love it. I live in Montana now, but was born and raised in Mexia, Texas and graduated from Texas A&M. Even though I love my new home, I have been known to get homesick and your site is a shot in the arm. I also enjoy being able to show pictures of armadillos and horny toads to my kids. Keep up the good work. –Bruce F. Fain

Fri, 3 May 1996
Hello! Great site, I am enjoying reading about Texas-especially since my partner and I are being transfered there from Alberta, Canada, very soon. –Jeanne Ross

Mon, 29 Apr 1996
Thanks for some solid and handsomely presented material. I’m researching locations for a historical mini-series that may be filmed in Texas, and this is a great place to learn what happened where. Good work!! –Carol Pirie, Texas Film Commission

Sat, 20 Apr 1996
Uncle Lyman, Lone Star Junction is GREAT!!! I love it! I’m sure any Texan loves it! I know I do. I have one comment about Lone Star Junction. You might want to include an area or just a small section for kids. Like have a puzzle about your homepage or Texas History or a test or quiz-like section with questions about Texas History. I read your E-mail page. It was neat. –Ginger Hardeman
…Ginger, it’s really nice to receive your e-mail–from 1500 miles away in cyberspace. I’m glad that you are enjoying our website. You make a pretty convincing case to start a new section on Lone Star Junction. With such an outstanding idea from such a smart niece, how can I say no! We’ll get to work on a kid’s section soon. –Uncle Lyman

Thu, 11 Apr 1996
Thanks for your great page. I have added a link from my own home page to help others find you. Do you have any suggestion regarding my problem with the screen saver? I get the starry background, but not the revolving icon. Thanks again. –Jerry Mullen
…Thank you, Jerry, for the heads-up on the problem with the Texas screen saver, accessible free of charge from Lone Star Junction’s home page. Upon investigation, we have been able to replicate the problem on another Windows machine. The problem is related to the process of installing the screen saver into the same directory as that used by the installation files. To correct the problem, we have revised the installation procedure, as outlined on the screen saver web page. Please let us know if you have any further difficulty. –Lyman Hardeman
…Fri, 19 Apr 1996: YES! Your new instructions fixed my problem with the screen saver. Thanks again, and keep up the good work! –Jerry Mullen

Thu, 21 Mar 1996
You are to be commended for your effort to represent the State to create the feeling of a special place without the usual feeling of overt bragging. Thank you. –David Sturges

Sat, 9 Mar 1996
What you have done is great. I love it… Thank you. I will be back to your site! Keep up the good work. –Daphne Gerald

Sat, 2 Mar 1996
Hi, thank you for your page on Stephen F. Austin. My daughter has a report to do about this famous Texan and your information is a big help… thanks, –Carl Twilley

Tue, 27 Feb 1996
What a great web sight. I needed a picture of Stephen F. Austin for my son’s school project and found you by searching for this. –Bob Cox

Sat, 20 Jan 1996
I’m a (temporarily, I hope) displaced Texan living in Alexandria, Virginia. Wanted to register that I’ve put a link to the Lone Star Junction in my home page. Thanks for a nice service. –Stephen Strom

Mon, 15 Jan 1996
Hi, Just thought I’d let you know that my homepage has a link to your Lone Star Junction. Let me know if you should object for any reason. Thanks, –Jeff Chavez
…No, Jeff, we don’t object at all. In fact, we encourage such links and are delighted that you chose to provide it. –Lyman Hardeman

Thu, 4 Jan 1996
Howdy, from a fifth-generation Texan in Oxford (England, not Mississippi, unfortunately). Just wanted to let you know that I’ve encountered your web site, and appreciate what you’re doing. Have a nice New Year. Via con Dios, –David Key Canfil

Sat, 2 Sep 2000
I have been using and appreciating your web site for almost 5 years now. Thank you for creating such a wonderful tool for Texans for research and learning. It is also fantastic for public relations all around the world. I have referred your site to friends from all over the world who also now love your site. –Barbara Dorff, Johnson Middle School, McKinney, Texas

Thu, 9 Mar 2000
I’ve been teaching in Texas public schools for thirty years and find myself a “bit” of a Texas History fan. This year my 4th grade class has discovered your web page. It’s very useful and student friendly. Keep up the excellent work. –Phyllis Ridgway, Rockport, TX

Fri, 20 Aug 1999
Just finished looking at the Lone Star Junction site.  Extremely informative!  Thanks for such an informative site. –Gary McEnery, San Antonio, TX

Tue, 20 Apr 1999
I absolutely love Lone Star Junction. I refer the site to others all the time! Thanks again for an excellent site! –Connie Prater Reed

Mon, 12 Apr 1999
I teach Texas History at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. I find the materials on your website are very well done. Some are downright powerful. –Anthony Quiroz, Corpus Christi, TX

Sat, 13 Mar 1999
This is a fabulous site! It is exciting to see such a wonderful representation of our history and I am thoroughly enjoying reading all the information listed. I checked out the Leaders of the Republic listing and found my ggg-grandfather, John William Smith, who was the Senator representing Bexar during the 7th, 8th and 9th Congresses. I haven’t finished reading everything but your site is bookmarked as a Favorite. It will come in very handy when my nieces and nephews need to do reports. The info from your site combined with the family records will surely result in dynamite papers! Thanks for all your hard work! –Tinka Rote, San Antonio, TX

Mon, 1 Feb 1999
Just wanted to say thank you for a wonderful website. I hope this one will stay up forever. The midi-files are truly wonderful, as are the remainder. –Bernice Decker, Jefferson City, MO

Mon, 18 Jan 1999
As a homesick and displaced Texan, I can’t thank y’all enough for your web site. Up here in Pittsburgh I feel like a lonesome and lost “horny toad.” San Angelo is home. I really love the Texas song section. My 3 year old daughter was born here but she knows about Texas…she claps and dances to all the songs. My 1 year old daughter’s name is Dallas..need I say more? Once again thank you from the bottom of my heart…I love Texas and one day I’ll be back. –Joe Thibodeaux, Pittsburgh, PA

Thu, 3 Dec 1998
Thank you, thank you, thank you, for providing this website. I am not a Texan by birth, in fact I have just been a resident for 18 months. I know very little about Texas history, and was a little afraid to tackle this project [helping Cub Scouts earn a “Texas” badge]. Now, with your help, these Cub Scouts will learn about Texas and its history in a fun, rewarding way. Thank you again for your help!!! –Ginny Boucher, Baytown, TX

Sun, 6 Sep 1998
I wanted to tell you how much I enjoy visiting your site. I am a Hoosier by birth, but I’m a Texan by choice…and always will be. Since discovering your website earlier this year, I have visited it numerous times to learn more about my adopted home state. It’s like a little bit of home on the Internet and I am grateful to all of you for the effort you put forth to construct and maintain the site. Thanks again for such a wonderful website. –Mitch Hurley, Greenfield, IN

Wed, 19 Aug 1998
I was a conductor for the Santa Fe Rail Road for 37 years and traveled all over our great State. After all that travel, I find that your site is the best way to see Texas. Keep up the good work; I do enjoy it very much. –Bill Day, Gun Barrel City, TX

Mon, 17 Aug 1998
I am so thrilled at finding The Texians database! We “knew” that an ancestor of my husband was a member of Congress some time during the Republic years. Now we have confirmed it! Archibald Wynns shows up [in the Texians Database] in the 6th Congress as a member of the House. Your have a very well designed and executed web site. Informative without being didactic. Keep up the great work! –Joan Lockwood, Newfield, NY

Wed, 24 Jun 1998
I find this to be the best site on the internet for it’s purpose that I have ever seen. I have overseas pen pals that will be thrilled… –Steve DeBord, San Antonio, TX

Wed, 17 Jun 1998
Thanks for the AWESOME screen saver …. NEAT! You are now in my ‘favorites’ list and I will most likely check on y’all several times a week!! Looks great! I’m upstate NY by birth ….. TEXAN by choice …. 35 yrs ago!!!! –Jay Domser, Houston, Texas

Wed, 8 Apr 1998
I teach Texas History in Lubbock, Texas and have found that this is the best site on the Internet for classroom resources. We are currently studying the events of the Republic of Texas, and I would like permission to use the file on the Somervell and the Mier Expeditions to set up a reenactment of the Black Bean Lottery. This is the best summary of each event that I have found–including [the one in] my textbook. Thank you. –David Owens, Lubbock, Texas
…..Yes, David, you have our permission to use the files for classroom purposes. And thanks for your support for our website. –Lyman Hardeman

Sun, 1 Mar 1998
Thank you so much for this web site. I am a professor at TAMU have been working with several school districts to train their teachers to use the WWW as a tool for their teachers and students. Lone Star Junction filled a much needed void; there are not many quality sites on Texas history. You will be pleased, I think, to know that tomorrow the Third grade and Kindergarten classes at Montgomery ISD will be participating in a lesson via internet on Texas History. Of course, the featured site is Lone Star Junction. –JoAnn Martin, College of Education, Department of Educational Human Resource Development, TAMU, College Station, Texas
…..Thanks JoAnn, for your email and your kind words about Lone Star Junction. We hope that the teachers and students enjoy their visit to our website, tomorrow, on Texas Independence Day. –Lyman Hardeman

Thu, 26 Feb 1998
Just wanted to say THANKS for putting such a great site on the internet. You have made Texas proud!!!! I spend a lot of time every night surfing through all the great stuff you have put here. I can’t give you enough praise. –Bill McKee, West Tawakoni, Texas

Mon, 16 Feb 1998
I cannot believe how thorough this site is! I found it through a search about information on Jane Long for my son’s report. When I saw the lyrics and the music to all of those great Texas songs, I became extremely excited. I teach kindergarten and I love to teach my students Texas songs. I have internet access in my classroom and I cannot wait to show them your site tomorrow. I am so impressed with the presentation of the site. It is really eye-catching and intriguing. There are not many sites that are on your level. I am going to share this site with every teacher I know. Once again, thank you. I am so glad that I discovered the Lone Star Junction web site–and right in time for Texas Public School Week! –Toni Murguia, San Antonio, Texas

Sun, 18 Jan 1998
Bless you for this web site! Wish it had been available when I was a homesick Texan living in California years ago. As is, I will be sending the address to my daughter who is overseas in the Air Force. Again, thanks and blessings from the bottom of my heart! –Ann Ball, Houston, Texas

Sat, 10 Jan 1998
Your music on the Internet is wonderful. I have spent all morning long listening. Have sent your address to several friends. –Joe McDaniel, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Wed, 10 Dec 1997
Every time I go to Lone Star Junction I find it has improved even more. You are doing such a great job! Keep it up. –Billie Bryant, Kerrville, TX

Tue, 11 Nov 1997
Yours is a masterwork, and very obviously a labor of love. I stumbled onto it by accident, while looking for some information about the Texas Rangers. I have found things here that the State’s official page doesn’t have, and probably should. You’ve really done us proud. Thanks again for your work, and keep it up! –John Barton, Englewood, CO

Fri, 26 Sep 1997
I just had to tell you that this is absolutely and positively the most outstanding web site about Texas (or anything else) that I have ever come across. Y’all do a fantastic job covering all things Texas. I am, unfortunately, in California and very homesick. This site really picks up my day. Keep up the good work. –Mary Newman, Irvine, CA

Tue, 22 Jul 1997
Just wanted to tell you how much I’ve enjoyed browsing through the Lone Star Junction. Have spent a couple of hours there already, and thoroughly enjoy its content. As a 8th generation native Texan, the historical content is facsinating to me and goes a long way to explain the Texas Spirit. –Jeff Youngblood, US Army, Ft. Hood, TX

Thu, 19 Jun 1997
Thanks for this wonderful site! –Bill Grammer, Palestine, TX

Wed, 14 May 1997
I wanted to take a moment and thank you for the excellent site. I was able to find the information my 10 year old son needed for a school project very easily. Thanks again & keep up the good work. –David Curtiss, Corpus Christi, Texas

Sat, 3 May 1997
I have really enjoyed your site. When I want to relax, I turn it on and sample some of your music. Keep up the good work. As far as requests: a good Texas site should have “Cotton-Eyed Joe!” What do you think? Can you do it? Thanks, –Ken Hall, Willis, Texas
…..Just so happens that we recently recorded Cotton-Eyed Joe. Your request reminded us to post it on our Songs of Texas page. Enjoy, and thanks for your continued support. –Lyman Hardeman

Thu, 1 May 1997
Wow. What a fabulous site!! This site has been the perfect finale for my son’s Texas history project. I’ve enjoyed it probably more than him only because it is not a project for me. Thanks so much for putting together a site that would be impossible to duplicate through the use of book, video, magazines, cd’s, etc. It’s all right here on ONE screen at your fingertips—-it’s “virtual reality”!! –Beryl Hartwig, Richmond, Texas

Sun, 20 Apr 1997
In the Archives under Places, you write in your opening paragraph on Austin that “Austin was a baron hill on a bend in the Colorado River.” Being a native Texan myself, I realize all Texans are royalty, but did you mean to write: barren hill? Well, it ain’t barren any more! Great web site! Many thanks. –Martha Dillon, Austin, Texas
…..Oops! Thanks for your email, Martha. The correction has now been made. –Lyman Hardeman

Tue, 15 Apr 1997
I am co-authoring a 7th grade Texas history teaching resource for Cobblestone Publishing. My partner and I would like to mention Lone Star Junction and its WWW address in the text as an additional resource for teachers and students. Would this be agreeable with you? Thank you, –Patti Woolery-Price, Austin, Texas
…..Hi Patti. Thanks for your email. We would be delighted to have you reference Lone Star Junction. In fact, we hope to add a new section later this year for young readers. If you have ideas for its content or would like to contribute any material, we would like to hear from you. We are a non-profit organization dedicated to the distribution of educational material about Texas and its early history. Thanks again for your interest in our website. –Lyman Hardeman

Sat, 12 Apr 1997
THANK YOU for running such an incredible web site!! –Randy Leonard, Evergreen, Colorado

Wed, 9 Apr 1997
At Lanier Middle School in Houston, I am doing an essay on the history of chewing gum, which involves Santa Anna. I need to convert it to an HTML file and I was hoping that I could use your picture of him on my page. Thanks. –Danny Stuyck, Houston, Texas
…..Hi Danny. Thanks for your email and your interest in Lone Star Junction. As our Copyright Notice states, students are free to use material from our web site for developing essays or reports for classroom use. Any use of our material on a web page must be with permission (which is hereby granted to you for the Santa Anna image), and we ask that it include a credit line and link to our home page. We wish you the best with your essay. –Lyman Hardeman

Sun, 6 Apr 1997
Your page is the best we have seen on the net. It was very helpful in doing my daughter’s homework assignment on Stephen F. Austin. Keep up the good work. –Chris and Amanda De Long, Bay City, Texas

Fri, 14 Mar 1997
We are children’s librarians and found your entry on Gail Borden to be perfect for one of our patrons. We are in Galveston, Texas and Texas History is of supreme importance to us, so I’m sure we’ll be consulting your site again and often. Thanks so much! –DJ & Lilly, Children’s Librarians, Rosenberg Library, Galveston, Texas

Thu, 13 Mar 1997
As a newbie to the Internet and an inveterate Texas fan, here is a note to let you know how much I am enjoying Lone Star Junction. It is a wonderful miscellany and a great tool. If variety is the spice of life, you certainly have a great selection to offer here. Thanks again for your time, skill, scholarship, and the pleasure you are providing for lots of us. –Margaret Waring, Director, Comanche Public Library, Comanche, Texas

Sun, 9 Mar 1997
I would like to know where I can purchase the Texas State gemstone — a blue topaz with the “Lone Star” cut. Texas Country Reporter had a feature story on March 2, but I didn’t catch the gentlemen’s name or city. Can anyone help me locate this product? –Rose Ward, San Antonio

Wed, 19 Feb 1997
I really like this site. And I just wanted to let you know that we will be providing a link from our website as of February 24. It will be in conjunction with a piece we’ll be running in our History section about the “Crash at Crush.” If you want to check out the piece Monday, go to www.discovery.com and then click on the History icon. That will take you to our History highlights page. Hope you enjoy it. Again, my compliments. –Randy Rieland, History Editor, Discovery Channel Online

Sun, 26 Jan 1997
This is THE most interesting website yet. Thanx for all the info. It won’t be long now and we’ll be back in Texas after a military stint in Hawaii. We’ve missed Texas so much. The screen saver is just grand!! We’ll be back often. –Frank & Cynthia Bolding, Schofield Barracks, HI

Tue, 21 Jan 1997
Hello. I wonder if you have the lyrics for “Jambalaya?” –Geir Helge Svenøy, Stavik, 6443 Tornes I Romsdal, Norway
…..Hi Geir. It’s good to learn that y’all sing “Cajun” in Norway. Because of numerous requests similar to yours, we’ve started adding lyrics to the music on our Songs of Texas page. Lyrics for “Jambalaya” were among the first to be added. Enjoy. –Lyman Hardeman

Fri, 17 Jan 1997
I was delighted to stumble across your website. Your inclusion of Mike Cox’ articles is to be commended. What I like most about his reviews is that they are often more of what he finds of interest to write, and less the normal banalites of a reviewer or literary critic. –Jim Guleke, Austin, TX

Wed, 8 Jan 1997
I am homeschooling my 5th grade son and have found your historical information to be a wonderful service! I have bookmarked your site to use during our unit for more in-depth study of Texas. Keep up the good work! –Lana Shryock, Yukon, OK

Fri, 3 Jan 1997
Thanks so much for the screen saver. I installed it and I love it! Although I live in Kansas, my mother was Texas-born, as was her mother before her and her mother before her! Anyway, thanks again. –Karen Rocher, Fort Scott, Kansas

About Lyman

Lyman Hardeman has held a deep interest in Texas history. He spent his youth in College Station, Texas and received a degree in Electrical Engineering at Texas A&M in 1966. In 1995, Lyman created Lone Star Junction, a popular Texas history website that later merged with TexasProud.com. Lyman is a life member of the Texas State Historical Association and the author of Texas A&M The First 25 Years.