The History of TexasLeave a comment

Pleasant Valley Community – Martin Co. Texas

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I rarely find any information on this community, but I know my grandparents lived in this clapboard house there. There was a school at one time in the 1920’s and my father started to school there. A few years later, my father and his siblings rode horseback to a one room school in Patricia. The only thing I saw of the school or community was a mulberry tree and a piece of concrete which was said to be part of the steps of the school.Royce Scott in his “My Rambling History of Patricia, Tx.” mentions the Pleasant Valley School. His … Continue reading Pleasant Valley Community – Martin Co. Texas

Crazy Times, Old Dog - New Trick, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Learning How To Dance

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I never did really learn how to dance when I was younger. It just always seemed like something odd to be doing. I was kind of shy about getting up in front of a bunch of people and jigging around. Besides forever so long the girls were all taller than me, and I figured that would really cause me to stand out. Anyway along about the mid 1980s my wife said we needed to go take dancing lessons. I went along with it, anything to make the little woman happy. She signed us up for private lessons one morning a … Continue reading Learning How To Dance

Amazing Things, Crazy Times, Marble Falls and the Area Around it., Past Angora Chronicles Stories, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

MARBLE FALLS the little city – with the BIG FUTURE.

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Was There Any Way We Would Have Believed Our Little Ol Marble Falls Would Be What It is Now? The Chamber of Commerce slogan was MARBLE FALLS the little city – with the BIG FUTURE. The little flagstone building was the Chamber of Commerce, Welcome Center. Junior Bowles Gulf Station was where the rancher types congregated in the 60s & 70s. The Town has really grown in 150 years. https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth704120/?q=marble Continue reading MARBLE FALLS the little city – with the BIG FUTURE.

Amazing Things, Marble Falls and the Area Around it., Texas History, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Sometimes we get busy with life and don’t check up on folks like people used to.

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There’s a lady that used to contribute to the Angora Chronicles regularly. In fact she is the very best around for finding interesting photos and articles about a wide range of things related to Texas History and such. She has been a major contributor to all those Bob Dunn and Will Beauchamp Texas History Groups. In fact if you aren’t familiar with all those great groups check them out. I bet you can find one or more that you are interested in. I looked back and noticed it’s been months without seeing anything out her. The post about the Armadillo … Continue reading Sometimes we get busy with life and don’t check up on folks like people used to.

Past Angora Chronicles Stories, Texas HistoryLeave a comment

Apelt Armadillo Farm

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Apelt Armadillo FarmComfort, Texas At Apelt Armadillo Farm, German immigrant Charles Apelt sits in front of his showroom while keeping an eye on the armadillos he caught and bred. The family enterprise included novelties made from armadillos such as baskets, lamps, wall hangings, and operated for about 70 years. Live animals were also sold to zoos, circuses and medical research facilities. http://wkcurrent.com/apelt-armadillo-farm-restored-after-years-of-blood-sweat-tears-p1797-71.htm Continue reading Apelt Armadillo Farm

Past Angora Chronicles Stories, The History of TexasLeave a comment

The Angora Goat Industry In Texas Owes It All (or at least a big part) To This Man – William Leslie Black

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This link is to a paper written by Christine Reh Wyse back in 1995. It is a story of a great advocate of Cattle, Sheep & Angora Goat Ranching in early Texas. https://www.facebook.com/groups/729839877052650/1670117333024895/ The barn below is the cannery building where Goat Meat was canned to go to market. (Still Standing) EXCERPT FROM THE WYSE PAPER“Although the canning process progressed smoothly. Black at first experienced difficulty disposing of his canned meat. At the suggestion of Armour and Company, he had labeled the cans “Roast Mutton.” To promote his product. Black had distributed belt buckles that sported a facsimile of the … Continue reading The Angora Goat Industry In Texas Owes It All (or at least a big part) To This Man – William Leslie Black

Amazing Things, The History of Texas1 Comment

Big Time Goat Business

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Vol.21-No.4February 20, 1969 Arrott Takes Rain And Shearing Crew Any Time They Come, Even Together TENNYSON, Tex. -Monroe Arrott is shearing about 7000 Angora goats this winter, enough to place him well toward the top among Texas’ larger goat ranchers. He started shearing last Saturday during cold, damp weather even though forecasters predicted rain. These days, he says, he shears when he gets the crew. Almost half a century of goat ranching has taught him how to reduce death loss hazards to a minimum. He has two sheds big enough to shelter 2000 goats each on the Coke County ranch … Continue reading Big Time Goat Business

The History of Texas1 Comment

Grand Prize Lager Beer

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Gulf Brewing Company, Houston, Texas Howard Hughes was known for many things, but owning a brewery in Houston wasn’t one I had ever heard of. Howard Hughes’ connection with the Houston-based Hughes Tool Company is fairly well-known. It is less well-known that Hughes started a brewery in Houston, on the grounds of the Hughes Tool Company, called Gulf Brewing Company. Hughes opened the brewery at the end of Prohibition, and its profits helped the tool company survive the Depression. Gulf Brewing Company produced Grand Prize beer, which for a time was the best-selling beer in Texas. It has been reported … Continue reading Grand Prize Lager Beer

Crazy Times, The Early Days, Thoughts and MusingsLeave a comment

Left To Sweat It Out

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I was a sophomore in high school and still small for my age. All the big boys liked to pick on me, but I’m sure I provoked a lot of it. I was in the building trades program where we learned about carpentry and actually built a house during the school year. It was a rowdy class. Our teacher was Robert Woodard, but we called him Jake. Our shop/classroom was in the old bus barn. It was just a big tin building with no insulation. The temperatures in that building could be extreme, both directions. We had caused enough trouble … Continue reading Left To Sweat It Out