Category: Smithwick

Amazing Things, Funny Happenings, Smithwick, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Falstaff Beer and My Uncle Oscar (Ott)

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This first photo makes me think about my mother’s oldest brother, Oscar Leland Boultinghouse.He was a fiddle player, that played around the Central Texas Area in many of the dance halls and was known as Oscar “Falstaff” Boultinghouse. I always supposed it was due to a beer company sponsorship, which was a popular thing back in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s.For many years, perhaps to the end, he had a special affinity to Falstaff Beer, his brand of choice. Continue reading Falstaff Beer and My Uncle Oscar (Ott)

Amazing Things, Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, Funny Happenings, Smithwick, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

The Race Was On

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This is the story of one of the greatest car races ever held in Smithwick. His name was Curtis Brown Parker. Brown Parker was how he was known. Brown was the person my Dad looked up to more, maybe than anyone else. Brown was several years older that Cecil Lewis. I believe that Brown help him become a man in more ways than one in his early days in Smithwick, Texas.However in the 1940’s Brown and Eula moved to California, the same as a lot of people did during that period of time. They operated laundries in and around Carpentaria, … Continue reading The Race Was On

Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, Smithwick, The Early Days11 Comments

Brown Parker’s Well

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Brown Parker and wife Eula moved back to Texas after spending 3 decades or so out in California, to a couple of acres down on our old home place on the hill overlooking the Lake. He went up to Marble Falls and bought a building that needed to be moved. He set it up on stilts the way it had been in town, so it would improve his view. Many of you may remember this building. In the earlier 60s it was a snack bar that Mr. Seals and Mr. Hill had built at the mini-golf place. To have water … Continue reading Brown Parker’s Well

Crazy Times, On The Job, Smithwick, The Early DaysLeave a comment

A Loader Laying On It’s Side

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In the early days we didn’t have the best equipment to work with. We didn’t expect anything to start without jumper cables or pulling or pushing it to start it. We had an old HD 5 Allis Chalmers Track Loader that we’d been using to clean out a stock tank down on our place. When we stopped for the day, on the before we parked it beside the road so we could reach it with a pair of jumper cables. There was a road cut with the bank about four feet tall that the loader was sitting up on. When … Continue reading A Loader Laying On It’s Side

Another Daily Happening, Cecil Lewis, Crazy Times, Smithwick, The Early DaysLeave a comment

Doing A Head-Plant In The Mud

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I was 17 years old. Lake Travis was really low like it often is. We had a D-7 bulldozer and a Cat 12 motorgrader down along the bottom land adjacent to the water, cleaning up and leveling out so when the lake came back up. We knew it wouldn’t stay smooth but Cec had a good idea. Mainly something to keep me busy. My helper was David Jordan, my one day in the future brother in law. He was a couple of years younger than me. If I remember correctly it had been a fairly uneventful day, that is until … Continue reading Doing A Head-Plant In The Mud

Marble Falls and the Area Around it., Smithwick, Thoughts and Musings1 Comment

Cedar Choppers

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This isn’t an actual story. It is the notes that I made to read off of while I gave a talk at The Falls on the Colorado Musuem last Saturday June 3, 2023. A fellow said to me before I gave this talk: ”You ain’t gonna claim you used to cut cedar are you? How are you going to get up and talk about it?” I said “I talk about things all the time I’ve never done, thankfully.” Good morning everyone . I am here today to talk about Cedar Choppers. Primarily the Central Texas Cedar Chopper. Hasn’t The Museum … Continue reading Cedar Choppers

Marble Falls and the Area Around it., Smithwick, Thoughts and Musings2 Comments

Cemetery Working Day – 1954 Smithwick Cemetery, Burnet County

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Something important to the life and condition of a cemetery is the care it receives. Until a few years ago it was a Smithwick tradition to meet 3 times each year on designated Saturdays to do a thorough cleaning of the whole cemetery. I think it was in February, June & November. Everyone in the community and from places everywhere would show up, spend and few hours tidying up the place, then a big pot luck meal was enjoyed outdoors on the grounds. That tradition has now fallen by the wayside as more funds are available to hire the maintenance … Continue reading Cemetery Working Day – 1954 Smithwick Cemetery, Burnet County

Crazy Times, My Friends, Past Angora Chronicles Stories, Smithwick, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

The Gift

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Some of my best memories growing up was hauling hay and doing the hard work. Back in August of 2012 when Madeline and I turned 60, our kids along with Kenny and Carol threw us a grand party out at their place on Cow Creek. Jimmy Palmer brought me one of the best gifts I could have received. It was his hay hook that had hung in their barn for all these years. He wanted me to have it to remind me of the time that when he got out to open a gate and he got back in I … Continue reading The Gift