Category Archives: Places

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Galveston’s Historic Homes Tour:

Galveston Historic Homes Tour

Mayumi Family:

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

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

Thoughts and Ramblings: Cemetery Preservation Workshop; Florence Stratton Research Findings, and Mistakes; Battleship Texas May Have a New Home

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On Wednesday, February 12, I attended the Cemetery Preservation Workshop and African American History Harvest, where I enjoyed the presentations by Carlyn Copeland Hammons, Jenny McWilliams, and Alan Garcia from the Texas Historical Commission. I also want to give a shout-out to the Jefferson County Historical Commission (JCHC) and the Tyrrell Historical Library for organizing this event and making it free to the public.

I loved seeing a few friends and fellow historical researchers that I hadn’t seen in a while. This was a plus, especially during the cemetery inventory talk, which took place after lunch. During this talk, we had some questions answered, and we received a couple of new assignments that I need to research. One topic that was discussed was multiple headstones, or headstones that were thrown away because the family bought a new one. This is definitely a thing. Every year, the JCHC gets a few calls asking whether there is a grave on properties in the county. Ninety percent of the time, the headstone was discarded from a cemetery because the family bought a new one. An attendee also brought up the subject of Anthony Cemetery. It seems that there are some headstones in a wooded area off Gill Street, which I need to investigate. If you have any information on Anthony Cemetery that you would like to share, please email me at rediscoveringsetx@gmail.com.

It rained while we did the walk-through at Pear Orchard Cemetery, but all in all, I think the event was a success! Hopefully, we can have a practical workshop at the cemetery to teach how to repair a headstone.

Finally, I want to give a shout-out to Chuck’s Sandwich Shop at 493 Pearl St. in downtown Beaumont. A friend recommended this place for lunch, and I WILL BE BACK! Support local businesses, especially if they are as excellent as Chuck’s Sandwich Shop!

Last weekend, a colleague brought to my attention a possible abandoned cemetery about 300 yards from Sarah Jane Bridge in Groves. He was told by someone that when they camped in the woods years ago, there were a couple of vaults near the waterline of the swamp in the area. This was before Jefferson Chemical (now Indorama) purchased the land in question. My colleague was also told that the vaults may now be under water. To be continued.

Also, last Saturday, I was out of town attending a wedding in Crosby. The venue was beautiful and surrounded by cows. Everything was perfect (except for the rain). The only thing I would suggest is knowing your clients. Play the right music when no one is dancing, and you keep edging them on. Both sides of the family were pro-Los Tucanes de Tijuana and didn’t want to listen to “Brown Eyed Girl”—I digress. “La Chona” it is!

Sunday was a good day for digging into my Florence Stratton files for someone who is writing an article on her for their newsletter. Once it’s out, I’ll share the link. On Monday, I was the Uber driver for some members of our family who took a cruise; I brought them to George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Of course, I gave them lots of information on Galveston’s history. I’m not Kathleen Maca, but after 14 years of visiting and volunteering there, I can pretty much fake it. And yes, I did drive through Old City Cemetery. I also want to give a shout-out to our lunch stop, Taco Mezquite at 422 Aldine Bender Road in Houston. Five stars!

When I began my research on Florence Stratton, a.k.a. Susie Spindletop, in 2012, I knew nothing about her. After more than 12 years, you’d think that I’m an expert on the subject. I would say yes and no. Every time I look into something, I find more information to file. This doesn’t include all of Florence’s family members and friends, who are relevant to telling her story. It’s a massive undertaking. My research on her is ongoing. I will keep the lines open for more info about her to come in. Her story will be told. Also, when I find an error in my research, I change what I’ve said. Unfortunately, some errors come from past information found by other researchers, but some are my fault. We’ll deal with two of my mistakes first.

On Wednesday, I was still trying to understand why Florence had taught at Miss Anne’s Private School around 1903. I found this detail in one of her obituaries from The Beaumont Enterprise, which was published on January 29, 1938. My copy from the relevant microfilm is mostly illegible. I visited the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center in Liberty to get a scanned copy of the obituary, and the one I got is better than my microfilm copy, but it’s not perfect. I also checked the Beaumont directories from 1903 and 1904, and there was no Miss Anne’s Private School. Basically, what happened was that I misread the obit—I thought it said “Miss Anne’s Private School” when it was actually “Miss Austin’s Private School.” This changes everything because we know that Florence also taught at Bell Austin’s Private School around that time. So, I can say for sure that Miss Anne’s was, in fact, Bell Austin’s.

My second mistake is not due to an error of mine but to the possible misnaming of a high school or a nickname used for it. In a few places, it is stated that Florence taught English at Central High School, but as we all know, this school did not exist in 1904. In an article from The Beaumont Enterprise dated September 2, 1903, we learn that Florence taught Grade 6 in North End (at the Millard School). Another article, dated September 19, 1904, states that Florence was teaching grammar at the high school. This article also mentions teachers from the other four Beaumont schools, the two in North End (one for Whites and one for Blacks both part of the Millard School) and the two in South End (one for Whites and one for Blacks). I’m 90 percent certain that Central High School was Beaumont High, but you never know what will suddenly appear and prove you wrong.

Well, I believe that the battleship Texas has found a home. It appears that BB-35 will be moored at Pier 15 near the Royal Caribbean International Terminal. I’ll leave it to the followers of the Battleship Texas Foundation’s Facebook page to decide whether this is a good or bad site because I have a life—I don’t have time for this jibber-jabber.

Until next time, my forecast has no cows, weddings, or family taxi services this weekend. “La Chona” it is!

Battleship Texas Foundation: 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/450347275643485/user/61555563144973

La Chona:  https://youtu.be/4gA5iaZ11lU?si=xgldfuR9UC3E4kIV

Thoughts and Ramblings: Mildred Wright; Headstone Cleaning Etiquette; Remembering Those Who Served

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Well, it’s a new year, and it’s a new me! Are they still saying that? I’m not new, and I probably smell like Reed Timmer’s chase car. If you watched the video from last week, Reed complained about mold in his Subaru Forester. He blamed it on the Hurricane Milton chase in Florida, but what do you expect when you drive your Subaru on the coast of Florida just in time to meet the eye of a hurricane? In January, many people set out to do new things but give up two weeks later. I’ve done it, and so have you. Be honest! But I think that eating black-eyed peas, corn bread, and cabbage somehow makes it right—or maybe not. You be the judge.

Last week, I mentioned that I was digitizing and organizing my historical research files. Some of these files contain considerable material about people I’ve never met as a researcher and member of the Jefferson County Historical Commission (JCHC). Still, I honor and cherish this information because some of these people have passed. One of them is Mildred Wright. Some of you may remember her as the Cemetery Lady. Her research went beyond my meager input for the cemetery chair position at the JCHC. She wrote three books on the cemeteries of Jefferson County, which you can download for free from the JCHC website. I’ll leave a link at the end of this post.

During the last week of 2024, I spent a few good hours in Section 19 of Magnolia Cemetery. Back in May, I was contacted by a person who lives out of town who wanted someone to clean their family’s headstones. There are three of these, and since I’m usually haunting Magnolia, I agreed. There is an etiquette to cleaning headstones, especially in the world of the Texas Historical Commission (THC). I will get into this in a moment, but first I want to explain how I clean headstones: I spray D/2 Biological Solution on them and go away. I do not scrub, nor use any other cleaner. Yes, it takes months longer than using a pressure washer, but this way, the headstone remains intact as there is no abrasion. Sure, you can use a soft brush if need be, but the main goal is to clean the stone without doing any harm to it.

If you are interested in cleaning headstones, you should know that you will not become a hero to those who care about cemetery preservation by pressure washing and cloroxing everything you see. Doing this is wrong, and you must have permission from the families. As far as the gray area in this scenario is concerned, if you see a headstone with lichen on it and accidentally spray it with D/2, the result will be that people may be able to read it a hundred years from now. Actually, the gray area is that in most cases, the older headstones have no one left to take care of them, or the families no longer care. So, what are we to do when lichen grows on a headstone and makes the name and dates illegible? You spray it with D/2 and say oops (this is not recommended by the THC). I understand what the THC is worried about: We have yahoos entering cemeteries with heavy equipment and their views of what preservation is because they read a blog post or watched a few YouTube videos—I digress. In this case, I will always go rogue because 1) I have common sense and 2) I want to preserve the old stones to remember who they are for.

In other news, we may have a cemetery workshop in February with the THC. Stay tuned!

My end-of-year visit to Magnolia Cemetery wasn’t just to clean headstones. A friend of mine has been very busy with a project there that some of us began a few years ago. The project wanted to recognize all the veterans in Magnolia. Initially, we only had a few names; then, my friend (we’ll call him Don S.) took it upon himself to walk the rows of the cemetery to find those who served. He is on a mission to find every veteran in Magnolia. However, the birth and death dates on a headstone simply coincide with war or peace times; the stone doesn’t tell you if someone served.

I want to ask you a favor. If you have a loved one buried at Magnolia who was a veteran and whose headstone has no mention of their service, please email me at rediscoveringsetx@gmail.com. It will also be helpful if you tell me which section they are in. We want them remembered!

Until next week.

Today’s weather report mentions tornado watches. Don’t go fishing in Stanolind Reservoir or any other fishing spot while an EF3 tornado travels from Brazoria County to Lake Sabine. I don’t care how good the fishing is. Your best friend and your dog will thank you.

Cemetery Books for Jefferson County:

https://co.jefferson.tx.us/Historical_Commission/Jeffco_History_Cemeteries.html

Texas Historical Commission Cemetery Preservation Program:

https://thc.texas.gov/preserve/preservation-programs/cemetery-preservation

Fisherman Explains What Happened:

https://www.facebook.com/TheWeatherChannel/videos/10008850882475666

Twisters!

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It’s been a while, and I know I’ve been a bit of a slacker, but sometimes you get in a rut and have to deal with what life throws your way in the moment and let history wait. Well, my research history has been waiting for over a year for an update, so I’ve been working on my research database. Frankly, I’m tired of looking at piles of documents covering every table in my office, and I know my better half is too.

Update: Most of my research papers are digitized, and I’m down to just one pile. This will allow me to spread the joy of tax season across all my other tables—but I digress!

Another bit of news that has kept me from my unpaid endeavors is a new addition to the family. Yes, Erzsébet is a big sister. In this blog, the “new” addition will be referred to as the Laddie until he is old enough to protest my choice of name to honor his Scottish heritage. I look forward to seeing these two grow up together over time.

During my absence, I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube. One particular person who has piqued my interest is an old favorite: storm chaser Reed Timmer. I’ve always been interested in weather, and while I’ve never officially run around chasing tornadoes, I do have some history with hurricanes. (I also have a history of filming lightning on a roof with a camcorder, but I was in my 20s, and amazingly, there was no alcohol involved. I know there is video footage, though.)

Earlier this year, I saw that Reed had a live stream during Hurricane Milton’s landfall in Florida. I’m particurely interested in a hurricane making landfall in Florida because my brother-in-law lives there. A three-hour live stream turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Florida because Milton weakened rapidly, resulting in minor damage from what could have been a disastrous situation. To put this into perspective, Hurricane Milton’s winds reached 180 mph off the north coast of Mexico.

After that, I began to revisit some videos of his chases in Oklahoma, including a few seasons of the Storm Chasers series on Discovery Plus. Most of the time, I shake my head and wonder why this guy isn’t dead. And that thought brought me back to 2013 when Tim Samaras died during the El Reno, Oklahoma, tornado. Tim was the exact opposite and basically felt that safety came before the glory of getting data on an incoming storm, but that particular storm expanded and injured a lot of chasers and killed some residents. There’s a book about Tim, and I’ll leave a link at the bottom of this blog because if you’re into this type of information, it gives a good perspective on how the evolution of data accumulation. 

Okay, I’m done geeking out about the history of weather, so I’ll move on to Reed Timmer’s livestream on Thursday evening in Liberty County. I’ll leave a link to it. It was fun to watch because, yes, he actually did get into an EF0 tornado on the ground, and he was yelling a lot, but on the live stream, you could follow him on Google Maps and locals could figure out where he was and follow his progress. The live stream ended at the intersection of College and I-10, with his phone inputting the coordinates for L’Auberge Casino Resort. Great choice!

On Saturday’s live stream, Reed said that areas near the coast would experience big supercells. As of Saturday morning, I thought Louisiana was going to be toast, but then we had a repeat of 2020 and 2021. A supercell born in Brazoria County continued through Chambers and Jefferson counties, producing a much bigger tornado than the usual water spouts in this coastal area.

Shout out to 12Newsnow KBMT for their live coverage: Patrick Vaughn, Jordan Williams, and Jeremiah Stewart! Love the radar.

I’m tired and have a headache as I write this, but luckily, there are no more warnings out, so we can relax.

Stay safe!

12 News Now Live feed of the EF3 Tornado:

https://www.12newsnow.com/article/weather/severe-weather/tornado-warning-southeast-texas/502-f69ab34e-7942-4a07-be91-2d135590043c?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_12NewsNow&fbclid=IwY2xjawHdjgVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHSoGMSwuA-f8CvRxfI6kV2cNz2FGKNMLNuvlwXiQSi4RQcSJ-Uh3Y_dI2g_aem_WLCtERJ9iPcxNtiUpPVLEA

Reed Timmer Live Stream Full: Dayton Tornado at 4:08:00

Dayton Tornado Stream:

Remembering Tim Samaris:

Tim Samaris Book:

Thoughts and Ramblings: Hurricane Erzsébet; Hangin’ With Aggies (2024); The Chambers House Museum

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This week’s blog will be short and maybe sweet, but who knows—Hurricane Erzsébet is currently ravaging my office, and the damage a three-year-old can do can be off the scale. Truth be told, I’ve dealt with a few poltergeists in my lifetime, but noisy ghosts have nothing on this kid. I digress.

On Thursday, I attended my yearly continuing education classes offered by the Texas Department of Agriculture, or as I call them: Hangin’ with Aggies at Doggett Ford Park. I used Zoom last year because I could, but this year I had no choice but to attend in person. The last time I was there, I nearly froze to death; then, I had to give a lecture at the McFaddin-Ward House Museum in the evening. That was not a good day for me.

This year, I talked with one of the speakers over lunch, and he noticed my USS Texas hat. He told me that his father was a dive-bomber pilot on the USS Yorktown. This was the conversation I wanted to have from then on; however, unfortunately, we changed rooms, and the topic was not World War II ships. The topics were the life of a fire ant and why this new imported fly is making his/her  (sorry, I don’t do pronouns well) head explode. I will say that this was an interesting class, but I’m always up for a talk about the greatest generation.

Saturday was a special day for the Chambers House Museum on Calder Avenue in Beaumont. The house, which is run by the Beaumont Heritage Society, received and dedicated a historical marker from the Texas Historical Commission. I’m sure that both Ruth and Florence Chambers would have been proud. Heck, Papa and Edith would also have been ecstatic. This family has an excellent story. You must visit the house. It’s my favorite one in Beaumont.

Until next week here’s some more Chambers House reads from the archives.

Chambers House Museum (2012)

It was a festive mood at the Chambers House last Friday evening. In celebration of what would have been Florence Chambers’ 100th birthday, we partied like it was 1929! And what fun we had going back in time.

As the guests made their way up the porch toward the front door, one could not help but notice the black, orange, and gold streamers hanging from the porch lights, along with an array of flowers in planter boxes.

Upon entering, we were immediately greeted by the delightful Homer Chambers who welcomed us to his daughter’s 17th birthday celebration. In the background, the Charleston could be heard along with the numerous dancing partygoers who were already in full swing.

This re-enactment of Florence’s 1929 birthday party could not have been better. Not only were the guests given a tour by the docents, but a live peek at history as well. All the actors portraying the Chambers family did a wonderful job! Most of the cast were from the Beaumont Community Players, with the exception of two who were the Beaumont Heritage Society’s own.

After the tour, guests were treated to refreshments of cake and punch. (Note: I still dream of that cake.)

The Chambers House, built in 1906, provides my favorite tour in Southeast Texas. There is a story here worth telling, and I would urge all to take the tour of this fantastic house and its even more fascinating occupants.

I had a great night and hope that Ruth, Papa, Mama, and Florence looked on with the same vigor. I believe their spirits were present at this celebration. Life was good in 1929.

Homer Chambers Funeral (2022)

Back in 2015, the Beaumont Heritage Society did its annual Florence Chambers birthday celebration. Florence was born in 1912 and lived in the same house her whole life. As I’ve said before, this house/museum is my favorite because it’s a house that we could live in without millions of dollars. The story of the two sisters—Ruth and Florence—is an excellent historical view of women succeeding in life at a time when most said they couldn’t function unless they were married. Visit the museum, take the tour, and enjoy their story.

That year, the actor who played Homer Chambers (Papa) couldn’t attend the event, so they decided to reenact the funeral of Papa Chambers. Broussard’s Funeral Home provided the casket, and the event went well. I even have a photo of the ghostly images of a few women walking in the background in a time-lapse. I saw at the time that the picture looked ghostly, and I even asked a friend who knew the Chambers sisters to look at it. I said, “Hey, this could be the Chambers sisters,” but she shut me down immediately, responding, “Not in those heels!” Reenactor problems, but gold to me. Everyone did a great job that night, as they do every year.

Chambers House

Thoughts and Ramblings: Bring Back the Beach Road; Euro 2024; Historic Magnolia Cemetery Tour

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Today is June 2, and I hope you have a plan ready for the next six months. I do because it’s that windy season, and we need to stock up. I’ve loaded up on canned goods, and I have a strategic beer reserve, just in case all hope is lost. The reserve is at 20%, in case you’re wondering. I don’t expect Jim Cantore to show up on my street within the next couple of weeks, but you never know. It will be at 100% the day something is in the Gulf!

I’ve got a complaint, and it’s an expensive one. Yes, it’s the beach road. I love stopping at Whataburger in Winnie when I head down the highway to hell (Interstate 10), but when I want to go to Galveston, I don’t want to be near this highway. It was good when we could travel down Texas State Highway 87. Yes, most of us stopped at McFaddin Beach to enjoy a day of dodging jellyfish and tar balls and eating sandy hotdogs, but we loved driving from Sabine Pass to High Island. Hurricane Chantal wiped out the road in 1989. There was an outcry to build it back, but it has fallen on deaf ears. The powers that be didn’t listen. I will end this discussion by saying that a 20-minute drive is a hell of a lot better than risking your life driving down an interstate that they’ll never finish, then having to drive down Highway 124. Yes, some of the wild mallow hibiscus are nice, but I can do without them. By the way, did you know that hibiscuses belong to the okra family? Or is it the opposite? Okra is just a crappy seed version of a hibiscus flower. You don’t believe me? Just ask the local Aggie weatherman.

June brings many things to me. The first one is my work with regard to what this hurricane season has in store. The second one is Euro 2024. Yep, although this is a blog on Southeast Texas, I can’t abandon my interest in Welsh/English history or my love of real football. This year, you will not hear me hum the sweet tune of “Yma o Hyd” (“We’re Still Here”) by Welsh singer Dafydd Iwan because the Welsh are sitting this one out. Hopefully, the Scotsmen and the Three Lions will have good runs.

Another June project is to work on the Historic Magnolia Cemetery Tour. For those not in the know, we, along with the Jefferson County Historical Commission and Magnolia Cemetery in Beaumont, do an annual cemetery tour the third weekend of October. As always, many of your favorite stories will be mixed in with new historical evidence brought to you by researchers who sometimes work on their topics all year. This year, we are thinking of expanding our Thursday tour. Normally, our tour runs from four to six thirty in the afternoon. Although we would love to move it to a later time, the October darkness creeps off Brakes Bayou, and it’s pitch black around seven. In most cases, this would add to the atmosphere, but there is one big problem lurking in the bayou—mosquitoes! Remember what happened in the movie Ghost when someone evil died? First, there was silence. Then, there was a rumbling. Finally, a massive dark blob enveloped the spirit of the newly deceased and dragged it to the nether regions. That’s similar to what happens with the mosquitoes when you stand in the middle of the cemetery after dark—I digress.

We are aware that those who work usually can’t attend the tour until around five, and that’s fine. We also have a Saturday tour from ten in the morning to two in the afternoon. But we do have some attendees who are retired, and maybe it would be possible to start the Thursday tour at two or two thirty. What say you?

Our tour has many presenters, and there is really no start or ending point other than the sign-up table where you receive your program. Unlike walking tours, where you have to be there at a certain time, you can start whenever you like. This is helpful if you have limited time for your visit to our hallowed ground. However, if you had more time, would you be interested in a walking tour on Thursday? What are your thoughts on this? Email me at rediscoveringsetx@gmail.com, or comment on the Facebook page. Well, that’s about it for this week. I hope to get back to Mrs. Sol Elisha vs. Baseball next time, before all eyes go to Euro 2024 on June 14.

Until next time,

It may be coming home, but I’m not holding me breath! #ThreeLions #42yearsofhurt Never stop me dreaming!

Thoughts and Ramblings: Galveston, Galveston, Galveston!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Until next week!

https://www.galvestonunscripted.com

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

Thoughts and Ramblings: The 50th Galveston Historic Homes Tour

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See you on the tour!

Thoughts and Ramblings: World War II Prisoner of War Camp Marker Dedication in 2000; There Were Stalags In SETX; Hans Keiling

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Before I get into this week’s blog, I want to give much credit to my good friend Mr. Don Smart. I’m sure his wife, Darlene (another awesome person in our historical-preservation crew), would agree with me that he goes above and beyond in his research and that he is constantly there if an organization needs a volunteer. Actually, both Don and Darlene are two treasures when it comes to preserving and teaching history!

Last week, during our Lincoln Rest Cemetery cleanup day, Don handed me a DVD of the Texas Historical Commission marker dedication at the World War II prisoner of war (POW) camp in China, Texas, that he filmed in 2000. A while back, he told me that he had footage of the dedication and the person I wanted to see. The person was Hans Keiling, a German tank commander who immigrated to Port Arthur. I posted his story back in 2022, and I will add it to this blog, but there was more information about his journey to Southeast Texas in the video. The footage also mentions letters written by relatives a some who were incarcerated at the China camp and even those who were young when the camp was established and who got to know the prisoners. This was a great video, and I thank Mr. Smart for always bringing these things to light; without his journey into history, a lot would be lost to time. For example, there would have been no video of the marker dedication. I will add that we also wouldn’t know the story of Wong Shu, who we believe is the person who lies under the Chinese stone on the tree line near the bayou at Magnolia Cemetery. It was Mr. Smart’s research on the Beaumont Enterprise that gave us Wong Shu’s story. I’ll leave a link at the bottom of this blog.

Getting back to Hans Keiling and the POW camp dedication, there were three camps in this area—one in Orange County, one in China, and one in Tyrrell Park in Beaumont.

By 1943, the war and its effects had been felt by people throughout the world. This was also true for our brave men and women here in Southeast Texas. Without hesitation, they answered the call of duty on three levels, doing their part in both the Pacific and European theaters as well as on the manufacturing front. Sacrifice and effort were given freely in support of the cause. Because of the need for wartime laborers, other sectors, such as timber and agriculture, suffered.

At the time, the number of German and Italian POWs was increasing, especially in North Africa. The surrender of 150,000 soldiers of General Rommel’s Afrika Korps resulted in their transfer to the United States where they remained incarcerated until the end of the war.

The Geneva Convention of 1929 required that POWs be located in a similar climate to that in which they were captured. This made Texas the ideal place for the Afrika Korps prisoners. At the time, Texas had twice as many POW camps than any other US state. In August 1943, there were 12 main camps, but by June 1944, there were 33. The need to house, feed, and care for these POWs was enormous, but Texas embraced the challenge.

In Southeast and East Texas, the arrival of (mostly German) POWs couldn’t have come at a better time. Smaller camps were erected throughout the region to aid timber and rice farmers. As I stated earlier, three sites—China, Tyrrell Park in Beaumont, and Orange County (off Womack Road)—housed prisoners who worked on the rice farms under the Texas Extension Service of the Texas Agriculture and Mechanical University.

During the camps’ existence, there were escape attempts. This was a significant problem for the sites near the Mexican border, but for the most part, the prisoners spent their time incarcerated without incident. And now for Mr. Keiling’s story.

Hans Max Keiling immigrated from Germany in 1956. His story should be a movie, as he is one of those immigrants who loved this country for its freedom.

Hans was from Frankfurt an der Oder, a German town on the Oder River, near the Polish border. He was drafted into the German army and became a master sergeant and a tank commander at 23. In a few newspaper articles, he stated he only fought the Russians (the Soviets) and never faced the Americans. From what I know of the Russian front, it was a logistic nightmare during which everyone waited for Der Failüre to see how many soldiers would die in order to hold at all costs some land they shouldn’t have taken in the first place. Keiling did his duty, but when the Germans surrendered, he didn’t want to surrender to the Soviet Army because he would have been executed. He stayed in an American camp for two days. However, he was turned over to the Soviets because of an agreement the Americans had with them to transfer prisoners who fought against either army. So, Keiling was handed to the Soviets, but without his uniform that showed he was an SS tank commander. He was put in a labor camp near Stalingrad, where he spent three and a half years working in a coal mine 14 hours a day.

In 1948, some of the POWs who had special training were sent to East Germany to train “police forces.” Keiling said he had to choose between staying in the coal mine, where he could perish any day, and going to East Germany. He chose the latter, signing an agreement under pressure from the KGB.

Keiling became a special-weapons training officer at the “police academy,” but he soon “found out that this training had nothing to do with police work.” Germany was secretly working to establish a new army, although prohibited from doing so under its terms of surrender.

Still, Keiling said he had no choice in the matter. One night in 1950, while walking to the post office, he was kidnapped by two KGB officers and was jailed for six months, during which he received monthly “hearings.” He was then sentenced to 10 years in a slave-labor camp. He was sent to a coal mine in Vorkuta, Siberia, 80 miles above the Arctic Circle. Each day, he marched three miles from the barracks to the coal mine, with the temperature usually around 45 degrees below zero. He was released when Stalin died in March 1953, but he remained in custody in the USSR. While being transported back to East Germany, he escaped to West Berlin.

In 1954, he settled in West Germany, where he met the niece of Bruno Shulz, the man who founded Gulfport Shipyard in Port Arthur. Keiling was finally able to emigrate from Germany in 1956. He moved to Texas and worked for Shulz, managing a trailer park he owned in Kerrville and working on his ranch in Comfort. It was in Texas that Keiling learned to speak English, in part from television. Keiling worked for Schulz until the latter’s death in 1981. Then, he moved to Port Arthur, where he worked as a security guard until 1984. Afterward, he moved to Temple and back to Port Arthur.

Hans passed in 2008, and he currently rests in Magnolia Cemetery in Beaumont, near fallen Beaumont police officer Paul Hulsey, who ended his watch in March 1988. This is another tale from that hallowed ground I may get into someday.

Until next week.

World War ll Prisoner of War Camp China:

https://co.jefferson.tx.us/Historical_Commission/pdfjs/web/viewer.html?file=files/markers/11954_1.pdf?Marker%20No.=11954

https://co.jefferson.tx.us/Historical_Commission/pdfjs/web/viewer.html?file=files/markers/11954.pdf?Marker%20No.=11954

World War ll Prisoner of War Camp Orange:

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=172281

World War II Prisoner of War Camp Beaumont:

https://secrethistoriesnow.blogspot.com/2016/12/tyrell-park-wwii-prisoner-of-war-camp.html