Don’t Mess With Texas

Believe it or not, Texas had an even worse roadway litter problem a few decades ago than we do now. This is what typical roadways looked like back in the 1960s & 1970s. This was along RM 2222 as it winds down the hill to Bull Creek. This from Texas Highways Magaine The history of one of the most successful ad campaigns ever https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don’t_Mess_with_Texas A Smithsonian Magazine Article about the very famous anti-litter campaign. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/trashy-beginnings-dont-mess-texas-180962490/ It guess it’s not just a Texas problem. When traveling through New Mexico we saw billboards concerning their Highway Litter Problem. Evidently they used the … Continue reading Don’t Mess With Texas

T & S Manufacturing – Jermyn, Texas

Originally posted on May 30, 2017 Anyone that has spent very much time driving around the rural ranching areas of Texas, have probably seen plenty of these Trip Hoppers as well other cattle feeding equipment manufactured by T & S. Of course Jermyn, Texas is a long way from Marble Falls, where I was raised, but just about anyone from here have a special kinship to T & S. The Taylor Family, Charley & Liz along with sons Jimmy Dan & Pat, were residents of Marble Falls up until the early 1970s. Charley was instrumental in forming the Marble Falls … Continue reading T & S Manufacturing – Jermyn, Texas

Marble Falls Rodeo Association – 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. There was 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 could be heard all over town and then that ever familiar voice of Charley Taylor would come across to announce that things were ready to get underway. … Continue reading Marble Falls Rodeo Association – Marble Falls, Texas

Bat Guano Mining Around The Area and Blowout, Texas

Bat Guano Mining During The Civil War:https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/dkc09 I have never heard of this place or such a thing happening over by Johnson City or Round Mt. or Willow City. Blowout, TexasMore on primitive bat dooky mining and the hazards associated.http://www.texasescapes.com/MichaelBarr/Blowout.htm Blowout Community, a settlement fifteen miles northwest of Johnson City in northwestern Blanco County, dates back to 1854. That year a party of two dozen homesteaders from Kentucky settled on the east side of Comanche Creek near Comanche Spring, about three miles below the creek’s origin. As more settlers moved into the area the small community of Blowout developed upstream … Continue reading Bat Guano Mining Around The Area and Blowout, Texas

Evolution of a State by Noah Smithwick

This is a post I originally made on the Texas History Books – Facebook Group I have always heard it said that this is one of the best, if not the best first hand account of the settling of Texas ever put into book form. I grew up with a 1st edition, 1900 copy of this book in our home. It had belonged to my grandfather, A.T. Lewis. I knew it was a book that had to remain in our family. I grew up in Smithwick Texas, with the old Smithwick Mill on the Colorado River being on part of … Continue reading Evolution of a State by Noah Smithwick

Texas Crushed Stone Georgetown, Texas

Most everyone has driven by the huge rock crushing plant between Round Rock and Georgetown. How many know where it was located prior to move there in the late 50s? The area in Austin along Mopac and from Far West Blvd south was the original location for this operation. The area where Doss Elementary & Murchison Jr. High is located was once being blasted away to make limestone road base used all around the city. Being in the construction business building roads and underground utility lines all around central Texas for more than 4 decades we have used a lot … Continue reading Texas Crushed Stone Georgetown, Texas

Pecans – A major source of income for many families

Pecan trees bloom in the spring, usually in late April or early May, although the exact time depends on the cultivar. The trees produce separate male and female flowers on the same tree. The flowers rarely bloom at the same time, however; one tree must pollinate with another cultivar to produce a crop of nuts. In general, pecan trees in Texas fully ripen during a seven-week period from early October through the first week of December. Many of us had family members that used money from picking up pecans as a major source of their yearly income. It was always easy to tell who had been picking up … Continue reading Pecans – A major source of income for many families

A Little Bit About Cattle Auctions

I was once researching livestock auctions and when the actual concept of a ring with auctioneers started. While there were some used in the 50s (maybe as early as the 40s) it appears that it mostly became a widespread way of selling cattle and other stock in the early 60s. Prior to that, the Livestock Commission was mostly a place to bring sellers and buyers to a central location where they would get together and strike a deal. Then the house would weigh and facilitate the transaction and collect their fee. If anyone has knowledge about or if you actually … Continue reading A Little Bit About Cattle Auctions