Category Archives: World War2

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: Baseball; Tapeworms, Mrs. Sol Elisha, and Memorial Day

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Usually, when I’m spent, I hand the blog over to the reliever Susie, and boy did she give me a rabbit hole to explore this week. I had just finished reading The Wingmen: The Unlikely, Unusual, Unbreakable Friendship between John Glenn and Ted Williams by Adam Lazarus, and I was interested in mentioning Hank Greenberg and other Beaumont Exporters who famously made it to the major league, but then Susie mentioned Mrs. Sol Elisha, and down the rabbit hole I went. I even dragged a couple of other researchers down with me. Although I won’t be getting into the Beaumont Exporters, Hank Greenberg, or the odd couple (Ted and Glenn), I will get into a little bit of the Elishas’ story. Some more will follow next week.

The Elishas lived at 812 Magnolia, right next to Magnolia Park, which opened in 1911. Addresses can change over the years; also, according to Don Streater, a reporter for the Beaumont Enterprise, Piggly Wiggly bought the property in 1939. For researchers, Streater is NOT a source of accuracy. He forgot to mention that in 1929, the Masons bought the property, which was supposed to become a new Masonic temple. Plans change, and to this day, the site is still an empty lot. I’m sure Mrs. Sol Elisha would revel in knowing the absence of people, traffic, and baseballs.

In May 1916, the first lawsuit (for $15,940) was filed against the Beaumont Baseball Club, with Ed Stedman, H. C. Langham, and E. A. Fletcher as defendants. I’m sure some of you can recognize these names. The lawsuit against these property owners and baseball itself did not succeed.

I don’t know if the Elishas’ property was at the back of the home plate and the grandstand (I think it was) or in the homerun derby zone. However, I think they were disgruntled, and they had a good reason to be. Most of their gripes were related to baseballs hitting the roof and windows of their property, as well as other damages. Also, they lived in the same scenario that plagues anyone living near a high school football stadium today—loud, obnoxious fans and lots of people walking down their street. I feel for them, but this article appeared in October 1916. A Quaker Herb Extract advertisement states that this elixir got rid of a 33-foot tapeworm from Mrs. Elisha’s body and that you should buy it for a dollar.

The things you saw in the media in 1916 sucked as much as those in 2024. CHANGE MY MIND!

We’re still looking into the Elishas and this episode in particular, but after all that went on, Mrs. Elisha refused to give the baseballs back, so she accumulated a tub of them. Luckily, Florence did not accumulate the legs, arms, and tonsils thrown out by the new medical clinic built next to her apartments on Magazine Street.

It’s Memorial Day weekend, and I hope you understand what this holiday is all about. It is not about barbecues, beaches, jeeps, and you getting a DWI charge on the peninsula. Memorial Day is a special day that remembers those who died protecting this country and others. Our heroes are scattered in hallowed ground worldwide, and their memory should be preserved.

Here is the origin of the holiday; it goes back to the Civil War. I understand that there were memorials both in the North and the South, but history is mostly written by the victors. Have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend.

Memorial Day is a time to reflect on peace and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our country. It is a time to honor the dead, but many have forgotten its meaning over the years. Most people see this day as the start of summer and shenanigans such as barbeques, beach outings, and vacations. I guess this is acceptable. But we should not forget that those who we remember on this day played a vital role in retaining the freedoms we still enjoy.

Finding the origins of this holiday should be simple, but it’s easy to get bogged down in different timelines and arguments about which city and state first celebrated the day. Everyone agrees that the first ceremony was held during the American Civil War. At the time, both the South and the North observed their fallen by placing flowers on their graves. Warrenton (Virginia), Savannah (Georgia), and Jackson (Mississippi) are a few places where people publicly expressed their love toward the dead during the war. There is even a story about 10,000 people, including recently freed slaves, who held a parade in honor of 257 Union soldiers who had died in captivity in Charleston, South Carolina.

The official National Decoration Day began on May 5, 1868, when General John A. Logan proclaimed that this date would be observed as a holiday nationwide. According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA) website, in 1966, Lyndon B. Johnson declared Waterloo, New York, as the birthplace of Memorial Day because people there honored “local veterans who had fought in the Civil War.” I wouldn’t rely on the USDVA for accurate history. Honor a veteran on Veteran’s Day, and honor the dead on Memorial Day.

There have been many accounts on both sides about when this tradition started; I lean toward the Southern ones. It doesn’t matter if it was Southern women placing flowers on the graves of both Confederate and Union soldiers or 10,000 ex-slaves marching to honor Union soldiers in Charleston, South Carolina. Regardless of the precise scenario, these events happened. A brother against brother war is idiotic; moreover, sisters also died in this Schadenfreude war. Let us not forget this human tragedy.

As we remember, so shall we honor.

Until next week!

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

Thoughts and ramblings: U.S.S. Texas, Sam Bronson Cooper, Mansard House, International Women’s Day

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Photo Credit: Stephen Rivers Battleship Texas Foundation Group Facebook Page

On Tuesday, the USS. Texas was moved from her 18-month refit on a Gulf Copper dry dock in Galveston to a water dock at the same shipyard for interior and deck repairs. One of the most important restorations will be restoring the ship’s pine deck to its original historical specifications. They will also be renovating the interior, such as the restrooms, which would be a plus if you’re going to be a museum ship. I added a few videos of the move on Tuesday, which I was unable to attend because I have a job most of the time, but that morning, I was at the Relaxation Station at Central Mall—because when carpal tunnel and shoulder pain become allies, you need more than Tylenol.

One recurring fodder that the Battleship Texas Foundation keeps regurgitating is that, when the ship is finished, they’ll tell you where it is going to dock. I can tell you exactly where it will be moored. And here’s an overview photo of where it will be placed in all its glory! It will be next to the Elissa at Pier 21. I don’t know why they are doing this. It’s annoying, and it looks like they’re trying to hide something. As far as I know, they plan to reopen to the public in late summer 2025.  I’m going to make the call that it will be spring 2026 before a public opening is allowed. That’s okay with me. Just do things right, and come on, Texas!

Samuel Bronson Cooper was a prominent figure in the political landscape of both Texas and Washington during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Born on May 30, 1850, in Caldwell County, Kentucky, Cooper moved with his family to Woodville, Tyler County, Texas, that same year. By his early 20s, he was establishing himself as a respected lawyer. In 1871, at age 21, he was admitted to the bar, and in 1872, he began private practice. He served as prosecutor for Tyler County from 1876 to 1880, and in 1881, he was elected to the Texas Senate, where he served for four years.

As an aside, the story that interests me the most at this point is that Asa Stratton was also serving in the Texas Senate at the time. If that name rings a bell, as it should, Asa was the father of journalist Florence Stratton. I believe this was the crossroads where Florence and Samuel’s daughter Willie would eventually meet and become friends in their youth. Throw in W. P. Hobby’s living and growing up in Woodville, and we have a history in the making that I’ve spent many hours (years) researching!

In 1885, Cooper was appointed as the collector of internal revenue for the First District of Texas in Galveston by President Grover Cleveland, where he served for three years. He ran for Texas state district judge in 1888 but was unsuccessful. His political prowess wasn’t yet done. Samuel would go on to seek a higher calling.

 In 1893, Samuel B. Cooper was elected to the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas’s 2nd Congressional District as a Democrat. During his tenure in Congress, Cooper championed several issues important to Texas, including agriculture, land-use policies, and transportation infrastructure. He played a significant role in securing federal funding for projects such as railroad expansion and the improvement of navigable waterways, which were vital to the state’s economic development. His tenure would end in 1905, when he lost the election to Moses L. Broocks, but his absence was brief. He would be back in the US House of Representatives in 1907 and serve until 1909.  I will mention here that during this time, Sam Bronson Cooper is the reason Beaumont has a deep water port.

Cooper was nominated by President William Howard Taft for a seat on the Board of General Appraisers in May 1910. He was confirmed by the US Senate on May 24, 1910. His service was terminated by his death on August 21, 1918.

Well, those Cordray kids have done a thing and become hoteliers. If you have access to the Discovery App, then you may have seen their restoration of the Mansard House. I only mention this because the Mansard House will be open to the public for tours on March 16 and 17 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day. The cost of the tour is $25 per person. All proceeds will be donated to Restoring Galveston Together—a nonprofit that funds home repairs for local families in need! I’ll be there—how out you!

Speaking of Galveston and families in need, I can’t forget my tour of the Sealy Mansion in 2013. Magnolia Sealy was the wife of George Sealy, an entrepreneur, and she opened up the Sealy mansion during the Great Storm of 1900. Magnolia opened her doors to 200 people, giving them food and shelter when those whose homes were still standing did not. And she let them stay for a few months, while other well-to-do individuals turned their backs on Galvestonians. I put her high on my list of SETX women who made a difference for good. You don’t hear this story very often, but it’s true and it happened.

Magnolia Willis Sealy is pictured. In 1875 Magnolia Willis Sealy married George Sealy. George and his brother John  Sealy were wealthy Galveston businessmen with extensive interests in cotton, banking, and  railroads. It is generally believed that the Magnolia Petroleum Company, owned by John’s son  John Hutchings Sealy, was named for his aunt Magnolia Willis Sealy. That company would later  merge into the Mobil Oil Corporation, and today it is Exxon-Mobil.

Magnolia’s story could have fit into my Friday blog for International Women’s Day, but truth be told, I wanted to go more international, and the stories I chose are actually my favorites. The Nachthexen were laughed at and dismissed by their male counterparts, yet they fought and died, achieving victory on two fronts—victory over the Wehrmacht and their Soviet male comrades.

The Trung sisters fought against Chinese tyranny. Trained by their father in military tactics, they taught peasants to fight with weapons and for their freedom. This is a unique story in the world of combat, witnessing two women instructing others to defend their land.

Boudica had no problem defending her land, especially after the Romans killed her husband. Again, the Romans dismissed her army as minimal, but they paid the ultimate price in the beginning. (Never diss this miss!)

I will also throw out the names of Jane Long (Mother of Texas) and Kate Dorman because there are no others that can size up to these Texans.

Until next week!

U.S.S. Texas—Enjoy!

Samuel Bronson Cooper:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_B._Cooper

Mansard House:

https://www.themansardhouse.com/

Jane Herbert Wilkinson Long:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Herbert_Wilkinson_Long

International Women’s Day:

It’s International Women’s Day; Nachthexen; Boudica; The Trung Sisters; Jane Long; Catherine Magill Dorman

Thoughts and Ramblings: The Five People Who Have Positively Influenced Me During My Life.

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This week, I listened to a few oral histories I collected back in the day. I’m not a good interviewer, but these oral histories did bring out many insights into how people thought and acted in the 1930s and ’40s. The five people I interviewed have since passed, and I will say that they all positively influenced me during my life. The first two, for sure.

I mentioned Roy Temple and his impact on my life a few weeks ago. Roy was a product of the Depression and lived his life accordingly. He also lived the way he wanted—doing what he wanted to do and not bothering about anyone else. Roy may have come across as mean and ornery at times, but under that gruff demeanor, he had a heart of gold. Roy would help anyone who showed up on his doorstep, and there were many who showed up.

Roy was a carpenter by trade and a farmer by habit. He grew up in the 1920s and worked on his parents’ farm from a young age. He spent countless hours tending the fields and learning the art of agriculture (there is an art to it, as he explained to me one day). He also attended school, learning the basics—even some Latin. Later in life, he dropped out of school for a short time, but a teacher convinced him to go back, thus changing his life. Roy was no scholar, but he learned early in life that hard work and an education (in any field) could only help you succeed. And he did succeed—he worked in many fields during the more than 90 years he lived.

One thing I remember from our numerous talks was his involvement in the New Orleans shipyard during WWII. Roy helped build many a ship to the specifications of the naval fleet. “Everything had to be perfect, or they would make you do it again and again,” I remember him saying. I also remember him telling me of ships that had headed out to the Mississippi delta and to sea only to end up at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico courtesy of a German U-boat torpedo.

I’ve left a link to Roy’s story at the bottom of this blog.

Charles Irwin was a client-turned-friend of mine for 19 years. A true Texas historian, he was born in San Antonio and moved to this area in 1957. There was nothing about Texas history that he didn’t know, and he wrote three books about it: The Creed Taylor Story, Alamo Courier Benjamin Franklin Highsmith 1836, and Peerless Texas Empresarios. He even introduced me to the Republic of Texas Navy—I had no idea. (My second-grade teacher failed to mention this detail about Texas history, but we did look at the moon through a telescope on Woodrow Avenue in Port Arthur.) Yes, Texas had a navy, but it didn’t have any money. I’m sure hilarity ensued when the New Orleans shipyard needed payment to release one of their ships.

I remember our 2012 trip to the Chambers County Historical Commission in Anahuac, when we toured the T. J. Chambers House. In my files, I have many historic entries that Charles fed me. Sometimes I have to recheck who these people are and if they pertain to Texas history or SETX history.

We had other similar interests, including World War II aviation. Charles grew up in San Antonio, and he saw many planes from the war fly daily. He even attended the 50th D-day anniversary in Normandy, France. We were also both interested in English history. I will add that I believe this doesn’t connect to my Welshiness because Welsh history is different. Just ask a Welsh person—they’ll answer in Welsh and not care if you don’t understand. Because they’re Welsh!

Archie Wallace was a client of mine, but we would end up reminiscing about Port Arthur, the interurban, those rich people in Griffing Park, our mutual friend Roy Temple, and Port Arthur Mayor Bernis Sadler’s annexing quests. When asked how the city would pick up the offshore rig’s garbage, Bernis said, “Just leave it on the curb; we’ll pick it up.”

Archie was one of the few people I asked about their life during World War II. He was a child then, and the main thing he remembered was the sugar rationing; also, he had no idea where Pearl Harbor was. I’m sure those rich folks in Griffing Park had encyclopedias, but I digress. In his younger years, Archie worked on the streets in Griffing Park, so he knew the answer to my question of another road leading into Griffing Park. Back in 2015, I found a photo in the Beaumont Enterprise, taken where it is now, at the intersection between Thirty-Second Street and Twin City Highway. It was a then-and-now photo. The first one was taken in 1929, while the second was from 1959. It was nothing special, but it did show that looking south in 1929, you saw nothing, and the road curved to the right instead of making a 90-degree turn like it does today. In 1959, you could see the newly constructed auditorium and gymnasium in the background. There were no trees, and the road still curved to the right. If you stand at the traffic lights on Thirty-Second today, you don’t see the school, but if you glance to your right, you notice a street leading into Griffing Park that was blocked off by a barrier long ago. Since Thirty-Second Street runs west to east, and Twin City Highway runs north to south, you really couldn’t have a fifth road there. Hell, most drivers in Port Arthur can’t figure out a four-way stop.

Millie Rougeau was another person from my past who gave me the real deal when it came to stories of growing up in the ’40s during World War II. She even gave me her uncle’s ration book. I will leave a link about her at the bottom of this blog.

Another link I will add is for the interview I did with my uncle Roy to find out what life was like in Beauxart Gardens. I love these interviews for the history they contain, but the best thing in the cases of Charles Irwin, Millie Rougeau, and my uncle Roy is that I can still hear their voices. I have other interviews that I cherish, and I hope to bring them here fully in the future.

Until next week, reach out to a family member or friend to talk, and you may rediscover some good stories and history that you had forgotten. Do it!

Remembering Roy:

Remembering Roy

Life in Jefferson County During World War II:

Life in Jefferson County during World War II

Living in Beauxart Gardens in the 1930s:

Living in Beauxart Gardens in the 1930’s

Rediscovering Anahuac / Wallisville:

Rediscovering Anahuac / Wallisville

Thoughts and Ramblings: Texaco History with Elton Gish; Talking Port Arthur in H-E-B; Sarah Bringing Out My Tora (Triggered); a Few Words on Florence

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Last week, a couple of people asked me about books written on Texaco, and I immediately thought of Elton Gish. Elton authored Texaco’s Port Arthur Works: A Legacy of Spindletop and Sour Lake. Elton worked for Texaco for decades, and he became interested in its history early when he noticed old photos hanging on the walls of its offices. One day, he asked if he could have an aerial photo of the refinery; eventually, he was given an 8 x 10 photo and was hooked on the company’s history ever since. I have an hour of audio of him speaking at one of the Jefferson County Historical Commission (JCHC)/Certified Local Government meetings in 2016. I’ll get into that briefly, but first I want to go down the Texaco books road.

I forgot the year, but I found another book on Texaco at an estate sale (another shout-out to Heather at Ready, Set, Sale). I found both the paperback and hardback versions. The book was The Texaco Story: The First Fifty Years 1902–1952 by Marquis James. The hardcover version had a letter attached to it, signed by the chairman of the board and the president of the Texas Company. I don’t translate scribble, and the names are not significant to me, so I will skip the who’s who of Texaco’s grand pooh-bahs. However, I do believe that the letter was important to both the receiver and the company at the time.

Both books have some great photos from long ago, and I will also throw in an awesome box set of postcards I have from 2001 from the Texaco Inc. historical collection (again, Heather rocks!). I could, and did, spend hours looking at these photos and postcards.

The Elton Gish audio file from 2016 brought back many memories. I had forgotten about his journey at Texaco, and the other speakers at the meeting were also fabulous. Sarah Bellian, a JCHC member and the then curator at the Museum of the Gulf Coast, definitely added some color to the history at the meeting. Sarah is currently the curator at the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii (more on this later). Elton’s presentation at the meeting in question was nothing less than superb. He brought many Texaco product containers, cans, and boxes from throughout the company’s history. He even donned a Texaco uniform and hat! My only regret is that I didn’t make a video of the meeting because he had a PowerPoint presentation with his talk. I do have a few photos of it, which I will post.

I ran into a good friend at H-E-B this week. I won’t go all in—like Toodlum, a.k.a. Martha Ferguson, did in the ’90s about Adam Troy Rodriguez—but I will state that there is no one else I will stand next to in the cheese section in front of the meat aisle for over 30 minutes talking about Port Arthur history. The fajita potato at his restaurant, Mi Ranchito in Groves, Texas, was all I needed back then. (Pie Face’s jambalaya was also pretty good at the time.) I got to know his family, and I loved all of them. So, I guess I’m having a Toodlum moment. It may be controversial, but I will go ahead and say that Troy’s dirty rice is the best. I don’t care what your grandmother cooks (unless her name was Mrs. Domec and she made crab cakes when I was five years old—heaven!).

Last week, I asked if anyone would be interested in volunteering for a cleanup project. Thanks to those who responded. This project is in the works, so it may take some time to dot the i’s and cross the t’s, but I will keep you informed. When the ball gets rolling, we will do a piece on it here.

I have a few audio files from the past that I want to revisit next week. One includes my uncle. I did an oral history about when he lived in Beauxart Gardens in the ’30s. I also want to listen to my friend Millie’s oral history of when she lived in Port Arthur during World War II. I have many things to do, but not the time to do them, but I’ll try.

I mentioned earlier that Sarah is now in Hawaii, at the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum. In April of 2020, while everyone was locked down and masked up, I received a message and two photos of a letter printed with the letterhead of the Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation. The second page contained a plethora of events that happened during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. I will say that Sarah knew of my excessive interest in the movie Tora! Tora! Tora!, and that day she threw this old mediocre dog the most significant bone from his childhood. Courtesy of the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum at Pearl Harbor (USS Bowfin)! Everyone knows I’m obsessed with this movie and World War II history. To have a crumb of insight into what was going on at the time and the film’s preparations was gold for me. There will be a day that I will go all Yukari Akiyama 秋山 優花里 in on a blog about this movie, along with the original Midway. Heck, Les Nessman (Richard Sanders) was in it before he made history by reporting on the infamous turkey drop on WKRP in Cincinnati. I will do a whole blog on this stuff and publish it as a Sunday Extra Edition, and no one will read it because it doesn’t mention Beaumont or Port Arthur, but I will not care because it’s Tora! Tora! Tora!.

Eighty-six years ago tonight, SETX lost a friend—Florence Stratton died at Touro Infirmary in New Orleans. I’ll post the tribute to her at 6:30 this evening, but I did want to get into a few things first. I’ve been doing this blog since May 2012. Along the way, I’ve learned many things and researched many people, but Florence is the one person I’ve continuously investigated. I’ve spent an enormous amount of time and money trying to bring her story to light. Yes, there are articles written about her, and their authors did a good job with what information they had at the time. In my work, I wanted to uncover her story, which is hard to find because she was always in the background. Despite all the Susie Spindletop Weekly Letters, she offered little insight into her life. The letters mostly promoted her friends and readers, as she knew people would be interested in them. This is why there were 200 people inside her small house at 1929 McFaddin Avenue for her funeral. It is also why the funeral procession to Magnolia Cemetery was a mile long.

Thirteen years of digging into her family’s and friends’ history has been a treat, and I will continue to dig. I’ve noticed that more people, especially women, are becoming interested in her story, and I’m glad to see this because she was there in 1918, in the background, doing her part to try to get women the right to vote. They succeeded, but to my knowledge, she never wrote about her role in this struggle in her weekly letters. (Her weekly letters began on February 28, 1926, so eight years later, but it was still a special achievement.) I just hope that I have allies so that when I’m gone, someone will continue digging into the life of Florence Stratton (a.k.a. Susie Spindletop). And I think I do. I hope I’ve given them a good starting point. Florence Vor! Full speed ahead!

Until next week, I hope we can put the life preservers away while driving to H-E-B. I’m about ready for a hot drought.

Farewell To A Valued Friend:

THE DEATH of Miss Florence Stratton brings genuine sorrow to a numerous company. It is with a feeling of the greatest personal loss that those of us who had been closely associated with her through the years in newspaper work mourn her passing. And all of us who knew her well feel quite certain that when she entered that corridor of eternal darkness she did so unafraid, her head held high and her spirit uncowed.

First as a public school teacher and then as a newspaper woman, her whole life from youth to death was busy and useful. She loved her work, found no diversion that equaled it in pleasure and satisfaction,and to it devoted her talents and energy to the full. On her last assignment when she suffered a slight stroke she stood by her guns until her chore was completed, then left the office never to return. Into her work she put the sympathy and sentiment that marked her character. She was always a womanly woman, concerned primarily with the interests of women, and always a gentlewoman in the broad and best sense of the word. In the course of her long and honorable service she made and kept innumerable friends, by all of whom she will be tenderly remembered, and the still larger circle who knew her through her work will not soon forget…

                                       Bill Beaumont

Beaumont Journal January 29, 1938

Elton Gish—Texaco History:

https://www.texacohistory.com/

Martha ‘Toodlums’ Ferguson:

https://www.rediscoveringsetx.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/1498881_499869243458550_1847275268_o.jpg

U.S.S. Bowfin; https://www.bowfin.org

Tora! Tora! Tora! The Movie:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066473/

Tribute to Florence Stratton:

Tribute to Florence Stratton

Thoughts and Ramblings: New Year, New Plan

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The New Year is a time when some people try to change their lives for the better. Some try to get fit, while others focus on getting their life in order. Here, under the oaks on Ye Olde Block Formosan Farm, we think it’s time to revisit some of what we collected over the past twelve years. We also think that some of our treasures need a good home, so those items will be sent to a better place as we see fit. Stay tuned.

Last week, we sent a few Beaumont directories (1978–1984) to the Tyrrell Historical Library for safekeeping. This was a no-brainer, but I do have some small collections that may not fit on a larger scale. A few years back, I did a few estate sales. Shout-out to Ready, Set, Sell Estate Sales (thanks Heather!). We found a lot of interesting things that should be preserved in SETX history. One in particular was the Norma Davis World War II scrapbook. This is where I found out about Taro Kishi penning an article in the Beaumont Enterprise about wanting to serve his country. As he was Japanese American in the 1940s, there was definitely a problem with this for the powers that be, and he was denied the chance to serve. Eventually, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team was formed with Japanese Americans, but unfortunately without Taro, and it fought in the Italian campaign. They fought proud and true. Their motto was Go for Broke!, and they did!

I also learned about Kichimatsu Kishi, whom I put on the pedestal of those who had many successes and failures in life; he was the one with the most common sense. Kichimatsu and his family lived as American citizens, but after Pearl Harbor, he knew that anti-Japanese sentiment would peak. So, that Monday, he turned himself in to the FBI in Port Arthur. I guess that’s what you do when you have no idea what just happened, but you know how people will react. He spent two months in an internment camp but was released after his hearing because, according to his son Taro, he answered all the questions correctly.

One of the questions the authorities asked Kichimatsu was the following: “If the Emperor ordered you to bomb the oil refinery in Port Arthur, would you do it?”

Kichimatsu replied thus: “First, I am a farmer and businessman and know nothing about explosives. Suppose I was adopted into another family and my biological parent ordered me to harm my adopted family. I could not do so.”

He was a better man than me—I hate politicians at all levels—but he had no choice except to participate in their dog and pony show. It backfired, though, and it made way for the family to return to normality.

Another treasure I found at an estate sale was an almost complete collection of World War II Time Life Books. I have twenty-seven of the thirty-nine that were published. I think that was the total of the series.

Speaking of books, we have acquired many regional SETX history books over the years. I really don’t want to add up how much we spent on purchasing these treasures, but some of the money went to local museums. A few favorites we purchased locally were the Centennial History books from Port Arthur and Nederland, a few pictorial-history books from Hardin County, and some from Chambers County. There are many others that need to be cataloged and listed for their preservation.

Of course, we took the eBay route on a couple of occasions and visited a few bookstores. Some of these were local. All five Florence Stratton books were purchased online, along with the great find of the original edition of The White Plume in the Bunker’s Monthly magazine, published in 1928. I will also admit that an autographed Arthur Stilwell book was purchased by accident. You know the scenario. You were shopping online, and it was left in the cart, but then a month later you wanted to purchase Willie Cooper Hobby’s memorial book, which you had only seen at the LBJ library and in Woodville. Yes, the Arthur Stilwell book is autographed, but as most of you know, I’m not a fan of Mr. All Hat and No Cattle. Truth be told, I have a few other books written by him, and they are of little use to me in researching history.

My Beaumont books are many—the Walker sisters (Judy and Ellen), their father (John H. Walker), and a copy of the 1939 American Guide Series book for Beaumont. Thanks to a friend, I also have an American Guide Series book for Port Arthur from 1940. All these volumes offer a wealth of information, and they are an inspiration for me.

A couple of prized possessions from 1946 and 1947 are two phone books from Port Arthur, which were given to me by my late friend Jerry Burnett. Last week, on our Facebook page, there were many people who wanted to prank call their ancestors. Before you dial, just remember Yukon!

As I dig deeper into my collection, I see the Betty Maggio Port Arthur Collection (1979). It states “fine art for correspondence” on the stationary, and I believe this is magnificent art! I have a couple of buttons from the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electrical Railway Employees, Division 241 May 1918 and Division 1031 February 1936. I also have a Beaumont City bus token that was given to me by Beaumont History Bits. I’ll have to ask the mayor, Roy West, whether it is still valid.

I could go on and on about these treasures, and I will throughout the year. Today, though, I will end with one that was given to me by a family friend, Millie Rougeau, a few years back. She was the oral-history source for my article “Life in Jefferson County during World War II,” which was published in May 2013. Millie gave me her family’s World War II ration book, with stamps. I’ve posted a few photos of it through the years. She passed in 2023, and I thank her for trusting me with this treasure. I will find it a home.

Audio and video recordings of family and friends (oral histories) are a hell of a lot better than photos because you can still hear people’s voices.

Until next week.

Life in Jefferson County during World War II

Thoughts and Ramblings: I’ve Worn Many Hats, Just Don’t Thank Me; Hanging with the Mari Lwyd; Searching for Minesweepers; and W. T. Block Books

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Well, I was going to begin with a totally different subject, but things kind of got a little wonky this week, and a bit of hilarity ensued. With that said, I wear many hats, both for business purposes and to cover my balding head. Without getting into the business part, I will focus strictly on what I put on my balding head.

For years, I wore a Lamar Cardinals hat at work. I stopped wearing a Houston Texans hat because people kept asking me how the Texans were doing. I will say that I’m not a fan of professional American football and have no idea how the Texans are doing because I don’t pay attention. I was once a fan of football, but after Jimmy Johnson left the Dallas Cowboys, I was done. Nevertheless, no one asked me how the Cardinals were doing back then. Shout-out to the Lamar University women’s soccer team (it’s called football everywhere else)! #Peckem

When not working, I would wear my Lehman Brothers 2008 Risk Management hat. If anyone got the reference, I would just say that working at Lehman was a heck of a lot more interesting than my accounting job at Arthur Anderson back in the early 2000s, but I digress.

In February, I bought a USS Texas hat when I visited the ship at the drydock in Galveston. In fact, I bought two to do my part in making sure the Texas will survive as a museum ship (along with paying $150 to tour the drydock). The problem is that I don’t feel right wearing it because it is a navy hat, and many veterans who served rock their ships’ hats. I think this is a good thing, but I don’t want to take credit for someone else’s service. I do wear my NOAA ship USS Thomas Jefferson hat. NOAA is a branch of the military, but they also have civilians working on their vessels.

This morning, I set off to visit the Jefferson County Historical Commission (JCHC) office, drop off a donation to the Tyrrell Historical Library, and take a few copies of a calendar to a friend. It’s not just any calendar, but a JCHC calendar. Our commission has been producing one for four years now, I think. If you want to see it, follow the Friends of the Jefferson County Historical Commission on Facebook! I’ll leave a link.

Old Hoodoo U.S.S.Texas 1895-1911

While entering the courthouse, someone saw the hat and immediately thanked me for serving on the USS Texas. I do have a spiel about how I may or may not have served on Old Hoodoo in a past life, but I wouldn’t go into it with someone who is sincere, as this person was. To clarify, Old Hoodoo was the first USS Texas, which was in service from 1895 to 1911. The actual museum ship that we love was decommissioned in 1946. I was also thanked at a friend’s house, and I had to repeat the explanation “It’s a museum ship, and I’m not that damn old.” As I said, these people did this to sincerely thank veterans. I think this is a good thing, so I will no longer rock my USS Texas hat. I will stick to my NOAA ship hat. For some reason, people read “NOAA” and think I have ties to the Weather Channel, and we never thank those dastardly people. In fact, the NOAA ship USS Thomas Jefferson offers a great service, especially after hurricanes, when it makes sure the shipping lanes are clear of debris. Those guys and gals rock. I will always put them on a pedestal of greatness!

It’s 2024, and I’ve been away for a while, so I’m looking to venture out and about. I guess I could call Albert, but I’d rather ask y’all. Spam away if you have an event going on this month! The only public event on my agenda is on January 19 at the Tyrrell Historical Library. I will be attending the lecture “Preserving the Legacy of William T. Block Jr.” with William T. Block III. I’m definitely looking forward to it. Hope to see you there.

While I was absent from this blog in December, I did nothing except hang out with the Mari Lwyd and eat tamales in Tomball, Texas. Two different cultures clash here, but I believe the Mari Lwyd could get used to tamales since Welsh food and English food don’t use spices. While I was away, I did a little research for a friend who had some blueprints from a minesweeper that was decommissioned in the 1960s and sent to the Orange/Beaumont reserve fleet. My friend wanted to donate the blueprints to either the National World War II Museum in New Orleans or the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg. The problem was that these institutions wanted a little more history to accept the documents, and we didn’t know the ship’s name, so we had to research World War II minesweepers built in 1942. Easy, right?

Initially, I thought it had to be an Auk-class ship because that was the main class I was seeing. Nope. In the blueprints, the ship was around 184 feet long, which was shorter than the 221 feet of Auk-class vessels. Based on length, the Admirable class (around 181 feet) seemed an option. After searching for ships in this class, we found a link. Actually, 250 links. At the time, minesweepers were sent to Soviet Russia and China through the Lend-Lease Act. In the 1960s, some were sent to Taiwan or sold to Mexico. I did find maybe two candidates that fit the timeframe of our ship, but this search made me realize that the navy was scrapping most of these vessels. This search also made me look at the Orange shipyards and the reserve fleet, as all the navy’s paperwork usually states that the ships were sent to Orange, Texas. Kudos to the navy for leaving a paper trail. I doubt future generations will have a trail to follow, except their Facebook feed, and that’s a bit speculative.

I have said earlier that I will attend the lecture “Preserving the Legacy of William T. Block Jr.” with William T. Block III. The one thing the latter Block has said that I agree with is that the former Block’s books are too expensive to purchase online. William T. Block III is making the books available to those who want to buy them at a more affordable price.

William T. Block Jr. was a very good writer, and he inspired me to start researching Southeast Texas. Awhile back, I acquired one of his books, Sapphire City of the Neches and a book by Jon Buck Ford, Down Trails of Victory: The Story of Port Neches-Groves Football that someone abandoned. I will be keeping Mr. Block’s book on Port Neches, but I’m not into this NDN football, even though I live in Grigsby’s Bluff. So, I’ve decided to donate it. I guess that the libraries of Port Arthur High School and Nederland High School probably wouldn’t take it, so next time I’m in Dallas, I’ll drop it off at South Oak Cliff. I’m sure they will be giddy. Until next week.

Lehman Brothers 2008:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bankruptcy_of_Lehman_Brothers

Old Hoodoo (1895-1911)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Texas_(1892)

U.S.S. Texas:

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAsLjV

NOAA Ship U.S.S. Thomas Jefferson

https://www.omao.noaa.gov/mo/ships/thomas-jefferson

Friends of the Jefferson County Historical Commission (Facebook):

https://www.facebook.com/friendsofJCHC

Mari Lwyd:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mari_Lwyd

Admirable Class Minesweeper:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Admirable-class_minesweeper

United States Naval Station Orange:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Naval_Station_Orange

W.T. Block (Historian):

http://www.wtblock.com/

Grigsby’s Bluff:

http://wtblock.org/smith.htm

Sapphire City of the Neches:

Down Trails of Victory: The Story of Port Neches-Groves Football: https://www.pngindians.com/football/down-trails-of-victory/

Thoughts and Ramblings: A Look Back

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It has been a most intriguing year for me, to say the least. We found the “Elks Love Nest,” which was given away in a raffle in December 1926. The house still stands in 2023.

We also found Beaumont’s “daredevil,” Louis Sacker, eating horseshoes and nails in 1926 while doing other strongman stuff. Grrr! (These are the types of stories that appear when you search in old newspapers.)

Eunice Stephens, Florence Stratton’s niece, was proven right about the discovery of a town called Florence. Yes, I ate crow at dismissing this because Florence, Texas, was established in 1857 in Williamson County, but a fellow researcher (thanks Kate) found an article referring to a train stop called Florence Switch in Hardin County. The depot/stop had no post office but lasted until at least 1912. I nicked a 1912 train stop map from the internet as proof. Sometimes we can be a bit dodgy, but it was the original map and I just wanted proof of the location of Florence Switch. I’ll pay $150 for a signed book by Florence Stratton and $150 to walk around the U.S.S. Texas in drydock, but I do have my limits.

I was honored to speak to the Daughters of the American Revolution, Captain William Sanders Chapter, in Port Arthur in February. And, heads up, I will be doing the same this February.

In February, I also visited the U.S.S. Texas at Gulf Copper in Galveston. I was five minutes late but managed to drive from the ferry to the shipyard parking lot in those five minutes (you do the math and the wind speeds—sorry/not sorry). On my visit, I noticed that most people there were not from Beaumont, but they opined about Beaumont being a drive-thru city and that they would hate to see the ship moored there. I had assumed it would be moored in Galveston, but for some reason, they didn’t mention it after Beaumont and Baytown were taken off the list. However, it will be moored near the Elissa.

In March and April, I participated in a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey at the Sabine Pass Cemeteries. Our goal was to find the mass grave of yellow fever victims from the mid-1860s, but due to the clay soil and lack of permission to access the known site, our efforts didn’t yield much. This investigation is ongoing!

In April, I visited the Tallship Festival in Galveston. Touring the four ships, plus one modern ship, was fantastic, and I managed to do it in an hour and a half. My main love at this festival was the U.S.S. Thomas Jefferson. This modern National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ship is a federally operated hydrographic vessel out of Norfolk, Virginia. It does ocean mapping and is a vital tool for scanning shipping areas after a hurricane or any other problem that could endanger the maritime sector. The ship is here to scan the waters and make sure they are clear of debris and hazards. It was here for Hurricane Delta in 2020, and it did its thing for Hurricane Maria in 2017.

This year was Port Arthur’s 125th anniversary, and there were many efforts to tell the story. My favorite was the online map of historical markers. Les McMahen did an excellent job on this!

The 49th Galveston Historic Homes Tour was one to remember for me, at least for me. As some of you know, I take the tour on the first day and then volunteer with the candy lady Bev from Liberty County on Sunday. I stayed at a friend’s Airbnb this year, so I didn’t have to drive from Jefferson County to Galveston via Winnie. Between waiting for the ferry and that drive, it usually drives you insane. Whatever the insanity, Mama Theresa’s Pizza is there, and this is my dinner waiting on the ferry! Hope to see you at the 50th in May. I hear there’s something exciting planned!

The drought hit us hard this year. It was worse than in 2011. If you remember, that was the year that many forest fires threatened Plantersville. There was a lot of damage between Houston and Austin that you can still see today. Well, this year was more of a look at how low the river has become “and is that a ship?” While we heard about a few incidents from the news media, many boats have sunk along the Neches. If you take the Ivy Bill Tour along the Neches, they’ll point them out to you! That crew is impressive!

In May, two veterans interred at Evergreen Cemetery received headstones. The new headstones were for Sergeant George Shaw, who died in France during the Great War (WWI), and Jerry Lloyd, a Buffalo soldier who fought in the Indian wars. The replacement headstone for George Shaw was necessary because the original one erroneously stated that he was a private. Thanks to the research conducted by a member of our Jefferson County Historical Commission, a headstone with the correct information was sent, as Sergeant Shaw deserves. The situation with Jerry Lloyd’s headstone was a bit different; as far as we know, he never received one. If there was a regular one marking his grave, it had disappeared. Research confirms that he was buried in Evergreen Cemetery, but we’re unaware of his specific location.

In September, fallen Deputy John E. Hutcheson received a headstone in a ceremony at Magnolia Cemetery. Thanks to Operation Blue Remembrance (OBR) for making this happen and paying for it. OBR is a nonprofit organization from Baytown, approved by the state and the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization on June 2, 2020. Its primary focus is “assisting the law enforcement community in any way” they can and visiting the graves of fallen officers in Texas and a few other states. OBR’s motto is Nemo Oblitus, which is Latin for “No One Forgotten.” The organization stepped in because neither the family nor the county had purchased a headstone for Deputy Hutcheson when he was buried in Magnolia Cemetery.

The 3rd Annual Historic Magnolia Cemetery Tour was well received, with record attendance this year. The Texas Historical Commission even included us in its Project Spotlight publication. This is basically their way of giving county historical commissions throughout the state a shout-out for what they are doing to preserve history. This is excellent because a lot of people involved in the tour work tirelessly to preserve various aspects of our county’s history. The stories from the tour usually stem from their own research, and they do a wonderful job. See you next year for the fourth annual tour!

So, what’s in store for 2024? I have no idea, but I’m sure it will be full of shenanigans, history, and anime references that no one gets, but that’s okay. I do know that no one here will be participating in “dry January.” Cheers!

Thoughts and Ramblings: Historic Magnolia Cemetery Tour Lineup; Too Soon to Carve Turnips

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This week is our Third Annual Historic Magnolia Cemetery Tour. The dates and times are Thursday, 4–6 PM, and Saturday, 10 AM to 2 PM. I wanted to put this out because something posted on social media says we have the tour from 10 PM to 2 PM. I don’t know about you, but there’s no chance in hell I’ll be out among the mosquitos for 16 hours. I guess we could ask the Black Shirt/Weather People to fill in, but that would be nonsense. I don’t think an SB-7 repels mosquitos. I digress.

Someone asked if the cemetery tour was the same on both days, and I responded with a yes-and-no answer. Yes, most of our new researchers are speaking on their subjects on both days, but some of our regulars and guests will be presenting on certain days. Remember, this is Museum Madness Weekend, and some presenters will be at their museums/historic homes on Saturday. Also, there’s a time limit on Thursday because it gets dark sooner, bringing out our buzzing, winged friends from the Bayou. So I wanted to put out the full schedule for you to see and decide if you want to attend both days or pick and choose. That’s your call.

History of Magnolia Cemetery

History of the Yount Mausoleum

McGreevy Plot

Sheriff Ras Landry

Photographer Frank Weber

Chambers Family Plot (Thursday only)

Original Cemetery on the Hill

Caroline Hinchee

Journalist Florence Stratton

Pipkin School and Reverand Woodson Pipkin (Saturday only)

Martha Mack Cemetery (Saturday only)

There may be a special guest up front on Thursday to introduce you to this year’s tour. All I know is she was a hatmaker, and she was prominent in Beaumont.

The tour is self-paced, with no start or finish per se. We sign you in at the front, give you a program, and you can choose where to go. There will be 9 presenters on Thursday and 10 on Saturday. Some of the names you’ll recognize from past tours, and some are new to the list. The new ones tend to be volunteers, and their research is either on family or interesting subjects in history. This is my favorite part of the tour because we have some excellent people who bring some amazing stories to light.

This year, I will be a rover. I won’t be stationed anywhere, but if any questions arise on the tour, I will gladly answer. If I can’t answer, I’ll go to my partner in crime, Judy Linsley. I remember my first year of being on the Historical Commission, in 2012, when we did a thing at the McFaddin–Ward House Museum. I was on the house’s porch, at a table, giving out Historical Marker information on Jefferson County, and my first question from someone was, “What is this Santa Anna townsite, and where is it?” Back then, I was kind of cocky, but that changed on this day because I had no idea of the history. Judy saved my backside that day, and there have been many days since when I’ve valued her input on history. And without her, this cemetery tour would never have begun. Also, thanks to the McFaddin–Ward House Museum docents for the walking tour in 2014.

I’d also like to thank the Liberty County Historical Commission for the inspiration to do a historic cemetery tour. I get why they don’t do it anymore. For my Halloween costume, I’ll dress as a cowboy pulling a wagon full of cats. Cat herding is tough.

In a little more than two weeks, it’ll be Samhain/Halloween. I would have bought my turnips already, but they don’t last more than a week when carved. I’m sure Stingy Jack would complain, but he’ll just have to wait for something to light his way through the eternal darkness. For those who don’t know the origins of Stingy Jack and turnip carving, I’ll leave a link to a video explaining why Jack is the way he is, but the origin of pumpkin carving for Halloween began in Ireland with the legend of Stingy Jack and the carving of turnips. Jack was not a good man; not only did he screw up his life, but he also screwed up his afterlife. Hearing the story of Stingy Jack and his worthless life, I put him in either the Senate or Congress. It’s pretty bad when even the devil feels for you. Watch the video. Film producer Gary Andrews created it, and it’s very well done.

Until next week, don’t let anyone tell you cat herding is not a thing, because it is. I should have used EDS!

EDS Cat herding Commercial:

Stingy Jack:

Liberty Historical Commission: Whispers From the Past

2013 https://flic.kr/s/aHsjLufFaP

2014  https://flic.kr/s/aHsk5BkJk1