Category: The Early Days

Past Angora Chronicles Stories, The Early Days, The History of Texas1 Comment

BANG! BANG! BANG! …HE SHOT HIM DEAD

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By James Johnston On August 4, 1949, celebrating the wild west got a little too real in the Big Spring rodeo arena that was once just off 11th Place immediately west of today’s Howard College campus. Most of the 2,500 fans missed the drama of the night at the roughshod wooden bleacher arena, but the script of the night would be one of the most unnerving dramas in the Big Spring Rodeo’s history. In 1947, bad blood had started between bad-ass 38-year-old Henry Preston (Buck) Jones and 32-year-old Herbert Frizzell when Jake Monroe had dragged Frizzell into a conversation over … Continue reading BANG! BANG! BANG! …HE SHOT HIM DEAD

Cowboys & Rodeo, Marble Falls and the Area Around it., The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Marble Falls Rodeo Association

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Marble Falls, Texas Since 1957 the Marble Falls Rodeo has been going strong. Nothing said summer time back in the early days like “The Rodeo”. Seeing Lloyd Woodley’s trucks loaded with stock rolling into town and a grand parade bringing traffic to a halt on Friday afternoon, the excitement was in the air. You knew it was time to rodeo when the turntable playing Hank Williams records over load speakers at the rodeo grounds (as scratchy as they sounded) could be heard all over town and then that ever familiar voice of Charley Taylor would come across to announce that … Continue reading Marble Falls Rodeo Association

In and Around Austin, The Early Days5 Comments

Hall Level and D & H Foundry

lewisotr

When I was growing up around the Austin Area, in the 50s and 60s, there were two businesses in the vicinity of 3rd and Comal. As far as I know they were sister companies, owned by the Halloway Family. One was Hall Level and Manufacturing. The other was D&H Foundry. Hall Level produced several types of carpentry and industrial levels. The one I am most familiar with was their aluminum torpedo level. Hall Torpedo Level D and H Foundry produced the aluminum cast part and Hall Level made the glass bubble portion and did the finishing to make them the … Continue reading Hall Level and D & H Foundry

In and Around Austin, The Early DaysLeave a comment

Who Knows The History Of The Clarksville Area Of Austin? (Taken from Wikipedia)

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The Clarksville Historic District in Austin, Texas, is an area located west of downtown Austin near Lady Bird Lake and just northeast of the intersection of the Missouri Pacific Railroad and West Tenth Street. Many historic homes and structures are located within the Clarksville Historic District. While Clarksville is geographically part of the Old West Austin Historic District, it is distinct from the two historic neighborhoods of Old Enfield which lies immediately to the north on the eastern side of Texas State Highway Loop 1 (commonly referred to as Mopac) and Tarrytown which is situated to the west and northwest … Continue reading Who Knows The History Of The Clarksville Area Of Austin? (Taken from Wikipedia)

Crazy Times, My Friends, The Early Days, The Jollyville YearsLeave a comment

Beer Company Sponsorships

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Back in the 50s and on into to 60s the various beer companies would hire bands to promote their product. A local Austin band, Jesse James and All The Boys was one that Pearl Beer sponsored. Pearl also had another band, Adolph Hofner and the Pearl Wranglers that was more widely recognized than the James band. I used to hear radio promotions for Adolph Hofner, mostly playing in San Antonio, on up into the 70s. I mention Jesse (William Howard “Jesse”) James because he used to come to our house “On The Creek” just out of Jollyville. He was a … Continue reading Beer Company Sponsorships

Kenny Lewis, Smithwick, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Old Lumber Company Ranch Gates

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Remember back when most ranch gates were made like the one in this picture. They all became roadside advertisements for the lumber company they came from. They were call “Can’t Sag Gates“. Maybe they should have been called “The Warp Like A Son Of Gun Gate“. Ronnie Lewis and Kenny Lewis in about 1955 Continue reading Old Lumber Company Ranch Gates

Marble Falls and the Area Around it., The Early DaysLeave a comment

Gulf vs. Sinclair

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Virg Baugh operated the Gulf Station at 4th and US 281 (most likely it was still designated Texas 66 in those days) The owners sign above the door is somewhat obscured, but I think it says Johnnie Crooks. If anyone knows differently, please holler. Photo reads 1954  It seems that Mr. Baugh’s son in law, Chet Sayers came to town and started operating the Sinclair Station that was across the street and almost a block to the north. I don’t know who actually owned it at that time. I have heard that the arraignment caused some consternation in the … Continue reading Gulf vs. Sinclair

Amazing Things, The Early Days, The Jollyville YearsLeave a comment

The Treehouse Of My Youth

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I was running a little ahead of time for a doctor appointment a while back in Austin. I decided to drive by the place we called home from 1958 until 1965. What was back then a small wooden structure built on uneven ground, up a canyon that was 65 acres comprised of mostly shin oak scrub brush and rocky soil with a scattering of live oaks that has now given way to yet another suburban neighborhood. The street leading off of a then unpaved country lane is now Talleyrand Dr. The rocky little trail up to our house is now … Continue reading The Treehouse Of My Youth

Amazing Things, Crazy Times, Funny Happenings, My Friends, The Early Days, The Jollyville Years, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

The Making Of A Short Documentary

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This is a Post that I made on this date February 7, 2018. We are six years and a million miles from here now. Several years ago my grandson Nathan came to me and ask for help with a school project. Nathan graduated last year and this happened when he was about 9 or 10 so yes, it’s been awhile. He needed to do a report about something historic. Since we owned the old Bertram Drug Store at that time and I’d researched the history of that building, I suggested that be the topic. A short time before that I … Continue reading The Making Of A Short Documentary