Texas Trivia & Tidbits - Page 11

Looking for Texas trivia? Try our list Texas little know facts, tidbits and trivia.

A single large piece of limestone inspired Doug Hill and Al Shepperd to build a replica of England’s Stonehenge on Shepperd’s property in Hunt, near Kerrville (pop. 20,425), in the early 1990s. The “stones” are actually made from plaster, metal mesh and steel framework and, at about half the height of the original, the replica took nine months to create.

first appeared: 10/3/2004

Faith, Hope and Charity Cardwell—who were born May 18, 1899, in Elm Mott and lived in Sweetwater (pop. 11,415)—are recognized as the world’s longest-lived triplets. Faith passed away in 1994 (at age 95), followed by Charity in 1995 and Hope in 1997.

first appeared: 9/19/2004

Although Salado (pop. 3,475) had a post office as early as 1852, the town was officially founded in 1859, when Col. Sterling C. Robertson donated land to begin the creation of a college and a town. Salado College operated from 1860 to 1885.

first appeared: 9/12/2004

The Cockroach Hall of Fame in Michael Bohdan’s pest control shop in Plano is home to dozens of “roach art” displays, including “Liberoachi”—a dead cockroach dressed in a white cape, sitting at the keyboard of a tiny piano. Other displays include “Marilyn Monroach” and “David Letterroach,” plus live Madagascar hissing roaches that hiss when they’re picked up.

first appeared: 9/5/2004

Actress and comedienne Carol Burnett, born April 26, 1933, in San Antonio, was named to the 2003 Kennedy Center Honors list for her contributions to the nation’s cultural life. Well known for The Carol Burnett Show, which aired from 1967 to 1978, she gives her signature ear-tug in recognition of her grandmother, who raised her.

first appeared: 8/29/2004

The Ellis County Courthouse in Waxahachie (pop. 21,426) was constructed in the mid-1890s from granite and red sandstone in the ornate Romanesque Revival style. Although legend has it that the carved faces on the exterior portray a local girl who didn’t return the affections of the building’s master carver, they more likely represent traditional gargoyle figures.

first appeared: 8/22/2004

Founded in 1850, Waxahachie takes its name from an American Indian word that means “Buffalo Creek.” It’s also known as “The Gingerbread City,” because of the large number of Victorian-era buildings that feature intricately carved wooden trim.

first appeared: 8/22/2004

In 1932, the state appointed its first poet laureate, Judd Mortimer Lewis of Houston, to recognize an outstanding Texas poet who has a significant body of work. Cleatus Rattan of Cisco (pop. 3,851) is the state’s poet laureate for 2004.

first appeared: 8/15/2004

In 1876, the U.S. Postal Service requested that the community of Turner’s Point, founded in 1845, change its name to avoid confusion with another location. It was re-named Poetry, after a local merchant said that the area in spring reminded him of a poem.

first appeared: 8/15/2004

Located on the shores of Caddo Lake, Uncertain (pop. 150) is reported to have earned its name from Uncertain Landing, where fluctuating water levels created difficulties for early steamboat captains trying to moor their vessels. Although the community was officially incorporated in 1961, the site was home in the early 1900s to a hunting, fishing and boating society called the Uncertain Club.

first appeared: 8/8/2004

With some 46 wineries and 2,900 acres of vineyards, Texas produces more than 1 million gallons of wine each year, contributing $103 million to the state economy in 2002 and supporting about 1,000 jobs. Major grape varieties grown in Texas include Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Merlot.

first appeared: 8/1/2004

Dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey was born in Rogers (pop. 1,117) in 1931 and spent part of his childhood in Navasota (pop. 6,789). In 1958, he founded the award-winning Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, which became known for its celebration of African-American culture, in New York City. Today, the company tours internationally and performs for four weeks each year in New York City.

first appeared: 7/25/2004

Although she moved to Arizona as a child, country music artist Tanya Tucker was born in Seminole (pop. 5,910) on Oct. 10, 1958. She recorded her first hit, Delta Dawn, at the age of 13, and by age 15, had a greatest hits collection, a Grammy nomination, and appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.

first appeared: 7/18/2004

When surveyors in the mid-1800s came upon a group of American Indians who had laid blankets over bushes near a creek to protect themselves from rain, the surveyors named the waterway Blanket Creek. The town of Blanket (pop. 402), established near the creek in the 1860s, also adopted the name.

first appeared: 7/11/2004

Founded in the 1890s, Happy (pop. 647)—known as “the town without a frown”—earned its name because cowboys were happy to find water in the nearby Happy Draw. When the Santa Fe Railroad bypassed Happy in 1906, the townsite moved two miles west to meet it.

first appeared: 6/27/2004

Two riders and two support personnel left Bandera (pop. 957)—known as the “Cowboy Capital of the World”—on Jan. 20, 2004, heading more than 2,000 miles north on horseback. The Eye Reckon Freedom Ride will arrive in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in time for the Calgary Stampede Rodeo in mid-July. The riders hope to raise the profile of Bandera and raise funds for the Boys and Girls Club of Calgary and Triple H Equitherapy of Pipe Creek, Texas, along the way.

first appeared: 6/20/2004

With more than 42,000 military personnel and 340 square miles of land, Fort Hood—located near Killeen and Copperas Cove (pop. 29,592)—is reported to be the nation’s largest active-duty armored post, and is the only post in the nation that can support two full armored divisions. Construction started in 1942 for the base, which was named for Confederate Army Gen. John Bell Hood.

first appeared: 6/13/2004

LoneStar Tower at Texas Motor Speedway in Justin (pop. 1,891) is a 10-story building that contains 76 luxury condominiums, some measuring more than 3,100 square feet. The building, which also contains office space, towers over turn two at the speedway.

first appeared: 6/13/2004

Designed to inspire the nation and encourage artists during the Great Depression, the U.S. government’s murals program resulted in almost 100 murals being painted for more than 65 Texas post offices between 1934 and 1943. Most of the murals, depicting scenes of local interest, history, folklore and industry, can still be seen.

first appeared: 6/6/2004

Singer/songwriter Roy Orbison was born in 1936 in Vernon (pop. 11,660) and grew up in Wink (pop. 919), where he formed his first band, the Wink Westerners, while still in school. Known for songs such as Only the Lonely and Oh, Pretty Woman, his career earned him five Grammy Awards and, in 1987, an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

first appeared: 5/30/2004

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