Author Topic: Here are some little known, but very interesting, Texas tidbits.  (Read 1749 times)

EDNY

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1. Port Arthur to El Paso: 889 miles. Port Arthur to Chicago: 770 miles
2. Brownsville to Texline (north of Amarillo ): 956 miles. Texline to Canada : 960 miles
3. El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas
4. World's first rodeo was in Pecos , Tx July 4, 1883.
5. The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water. Destroyed by Hurricane Ike - 2008!
6. The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the first full-time coach at Rice University in Houston, Texas .
7. Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America.
8. Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America's only remaining flock of whooping cranes.
9. Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978.
10. The worst natural disaster in US history was in 1900, caused by a hurricane in which over 8,000 lives were lost on Galveston Island.
11. The first word spoken from the moon, July 20, 1969, was " Houston " but the Space Center was actually in Clear Lake City at the time.
12. The King Ranch in South Texas is larger than Rhode Island .
13. Tropical Storm Claudette brought a US rainfall record of 43" in 24 hours in and around Alvin in July of 1979.
14. Texas is the only state to enter the US by TREATY, (known as the Constitution of 1845 by the Republic of Texas to enter the Union) instead of by annexation. This allows the Texas Flag to fly at the same height as the US Flag, and Texas may choose to divide into 5 states.
15. A Live Oak tree near Fulton is estimated to be 1500 years old.
16. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.
17. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period in Dr Pepper.
18. Texas has had six capital cities: Washington-on-the Brazos, Harrisburg, Galveston, Velasco, West Columbia and Austin
19. The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the US which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington, DC (by 7 feet).
20. The San Jacinto Monument is the tallest free standing monument in the world and it is taller than the Washington Monument.
21. The name 'Texas' comes from the Hasini Indian word 'tejas' meaning "friends".  Tejas is NOT Spanish for Texas
22. The State Mascot is the Armadillo. An interesting bit of trivia about the armadillo is they always have four babies. They have one egg, which splits into four, and they either have four males or four females.
23. The first domed stadium in the US was the Astrodome in Houston
24. The Beck family ranch land grant is one days ride by horse (25 miles) in each direction from the headquarters.
25. The name of the XIT ranch in Dalhart Texas stands for "ten in Texas".  That means 10 counties in Texas !

Cowboy Ten Commandments posted on the wall at Cross Trails Church in Farlie, Texas : (  It's not the grammar but the 'intent')
(1) Just one God.
(2) Honor yer Ma & Pa.
(3) No telling tales or gossipin'.
(4) Git yourself to church meeting.
(5) Put nothin' before God.
(6) No foolin' around with another fellow's gal.
(7) No killin'.
(8 Watch yer mouth.
(9) Don't take what ain't yers.
(10) Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff.

Did y'all git all that?
Our Liberty is insured by 4 Boxes!
The Ballot Box.
The Jury Box.
The Soap Box.
The Cartridge Box.
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62131

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Re: Here are some little known, but very interesting, Texas tidbits.
« Reply #1 on: March 02, 2021, 05:15:08 PM »
Yep the grammar is not correct but the meaning is

sixball

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Re: Here are some little known, but very interesting, Texas tidbits.
« Reply #2 on: March 05, 2021, 04:06:35 PM »
Ed, Don't get a Texican started!  ::)
The worlds largest "free" barbecue is the annual XIT Homecoming Barbecue in Dalhart. We went every year when I was a kid. A few numbers about it: 10,000 lbs of beef,750 lbs of seasoning, 40 cords of wood, two pits 75'x4'x4'. They feed over 15,000 people. The prep takes days. It is by far the best barbecue I have ever eaten.

Dalhart is closer to the capitols of six other states than it is to Austin.

I don't know how this is now but for many years Texas Rangers had authority to pursue criminals any where in the country. I've read that they could carry guns where FBI could not without permission from the states. One reason Frank Hamer was able to kill Bonnie & Clyde in Louisiana.

I'm not sure if the original Dr Pepper bottling place is still open but it was a few tears ago and the formula there is a little different form the rest of it.

John Steinbeck was right when he said ,"Texas is a State if mind." You never get over growing up there. There is something special and that's not to say that every state has wonderful history that adds to our collective feel for our Country.
The probability of life originating from accident is comparable to the probability of the unabridged dictionary resulting from an explosion in a printing shop.  Edwin Conklin

EDNY

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Re: Here are some little known, but very interesting, Texas tidbits.
« Reply #3 on: March 05, 2021, 04:25:45 PM »
Let's see: I was born in California, raised in New York but lived 3 years in Texas (border patrol) so I guess I'm a former Texan..but still a full time Yankee?  Not sure about the California classification portion.
33 Chevy 5 Window, 34 Chevy 3 Window, 37 Chevy 4dr sedan

sixball

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Re: Here are some little known, but very interesting, Texas tidbits.
« Reply #4 on: March 05, 2021, 04:56:23 PM »
We are free to self identify to be from wherever we want, whatever makes us feel better about ourselves.  ::)
Glad you're not on the border today? What a mess  :(
The probability of life originating from accident is comparable to the probability of the unabridged dictionary resulting from an explosion in a printing shop.  Edwin Conklin

sammons

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Re: Here are some little known, but very interesting, Texas tidbits.
« Reply #5 on: March 05, 2021, 10:15:38 PM »
Grandpa always talked about XIT. He use to know someone connected with it back in the 50s when he worked for Rock Island RR.

Texas is one BIG state. Never been in east Texas, but many times down the middle to the tip and out west.

sixball

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Re: Here are some little known, but very interesting, Texas tidbits.
« Reply #6 on: March 06, 2021, 01:26:34 AM »
The eastern border of the XIT was about 14 miles west of the place I grew up on. It had been part of the T Anchor ranch. Our other place was a few miles south east and was part of the JA ranch started by Colonel Charles Goodnight and John Adair. My Grandad and his brother cowboyed for both of those places as young men. When the JA ranch was downsizing in 1916 he bought 1,280 acres on the rim of  Palo Duro Canyon. We ranched and farm the two places until we sold them in 1959. Then I did my second stent in California until '72 when we moved here. Texas is deep in me but I love Nevada. I feel sorry for California my wife is 5th generation from a ranching family there. They were there before the gold rush. It's ruined now and Nevada is headed there fast.

When I was talking about the barbecue I forgot to mention the 1000 gallons of diesel and 500 gallons of gas they use for starting the fire. By te way much if this part of Texas is now covered with wind mills and 20 below zero ia not a once in a lifetime event.
 
« Last Edit: March 06, 2021, 12:01:24 PM by sixball »
The probability of life originating from accident is comparable to the probability of the unabridged dictionary resulting from an explosion in a printing shop.  Edwin Conklin

 


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