Traces of Tx (today)

[Shakey Jake]

Something a bit more modern today. Source is from All Things Music.

"China Grove" is a song from The Doobie Brothers' 1973 album The Captain and Me. It was written by original lead singer Tom Johnston, before he fell ill in 1975 and was replaced by Michael McDonald. The song is based on a real town in Texas with the same name. The connection is obvious given its real-life proximity to San Antonio, which is referenced in the lyrics. However, the rest of the song is largely a fictional account portraying China Grove as Texas' version of Chinatown. Notable is the mention of samurai, who in fact are Japanese, not Chinese.
The track was originally titled "Parliament" after the band's tradition of naming demos after whatever brand of cigarette Tom Johnston was smoking at the time. According to producer Ted Templeman, "Billy Payne played a keyboard thing on the bridge that sounded like an Oriental lick, so I told Tommy, 'Write something that sounds oriental.' So he came up with 'China Grove'."
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SONGFACTS
China Grove is a small town in Texas, about 10 miles from San Antonio in Bexar County. Did Doobie Brothers singer/guitarist Tom Johnston know this when he wrote the song? Sort of. Here's what he told us: "The words were written last, and they were made up around this whole idea of this wacky little town with a sheriff that had a Samurai Sword and all that sort of thing. The funny thing was that I found out in 1975 in a cab in Houston that there really was a China Grove, although what happened was in 1972, we were touring in Winnebago's, and we were driving into San Antonio. And there is a China Grove, Texas, right outside of San Antonio. I must have seen the sign and forgotten about it. And when I came up with the term 'China Grove,' I thought I was just making it up because of the words being about this crazy sheriff with a Samurai Sword."
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Johnston's lyrics were influenced by the oriental piano sound that Billy Payne came up with when they were working on the track. Payne was the pianist for Little Feat, and recorded with many other artists, including Elton John and James Taylor. Says Johnston: "the piano lick went, 'Dadadadun, dadadadadundun.' It was an Oriental sounding lick. And so, from there I took off and went to the place I ended up with lyrically. I must have seen that sign and forgotten it. And when the cab driver told me this in Houston, I said, 'You gotta be kiddin' me.' He said, 'There really is a China Grove.' I said, 'No, there isn't.' He says, 'Yeah, there really is. And it is right outside of San Antonio.' I said, 'That's weird.' And it turns out there's one in North Carolina, too."

Here's as link to China Grove: https://www.cityofchinagrovetx.gov/

[Shakey Jake]

On this day in 1949, Fannie Pearl Surratt was appointed sheriff of Montgomery County, Texas. Her husband, Hershel, who had been sheriff, died of a heart attack on July 22. She wore a cowboy hat, ankle-length skirt, and western-style collared shirt with a men’s tie. She carried a small pistol in a hip holster and a large pearl-handled chrome revolver in her waistband but was best known for the ax handle she used to smash pinball machines, then considered illegal gambling equipment. She served as sheriff for seventeen months.

[Shakey Jake]

Here's another entry from the T of T Facebook group:
This is one of those "knock me over with a feather" photos. Traces of Texas reader Keri Davila sent in this amazing snapshot, which is so good I can't hardly stand it.
This is Floy Blankenship and her dad John Blankenship (owner) on the banks of Clear Creek near Killeen in the early 1940's, before the government decided the land could be better used for Fort Hood. The building is made from old advertising signs.
There is simply no superlative that can adequately describe how good this photo is. Everything is absolutely perfect. The little girl, the dog, the signage .... astounding. It even has a near-perfect distribution of tones. What do y'all think?

[Hatchdog]

A little late to the party but I still have that Doobie Brothers album on my play list. In fact, around 1976 or so I went to a Doobie Bro’s concert in Spokane and was vey disappointed that Michael McDonald was the new lead singer. Never cared for his style. Thanks for the story about China Grove.

[Mr. Neutron]

There is simply no superlative that can adequately describe how good this photo is. Everything is absolutely perfect. The little girl, the dog, the signage .... astounding. It even has a near-perfect distribution of tones. What do y'all think?

It's a VERY COOL picture. But it's funny...... When I personally look at most photos, I look at the content or idea that is being shown. I don't "analyze" for tones and etc.; just look at it to appreciate it, laugh, marvel at the content, or whatever. My wife and daughter (the daughter lives in Buda) are both photgraphers They would analyze pictures for the more "technical aspects" of a photo. My wife pointed out that most older B&W photos show near total darkness in the shadowy/shade portions of th pic. She agreed with you Jake; someone did a very good job of snappin' the shutter on that one.

On the other hand, I play guitar, and often analyze how music is made as I listen to it. My wife and daughter can only play the radio, to steal a saying from Billy Gibbons about his sister. I don't absolutely loathe Michael MacDonald, but Like Hatchdog, I think maybe he wasn't the right person to replace Tom Johnston for the Doobies.

[Shakey Jake]

On this day in 1898, the Colorado County Feud began. This murderous quarrel between rival local factions was ignited when Larkin Hope, a candidate for county sheriff, was shot and killed by an unknown assailant. Jim Coleman, a family friend of Sheriff Sam Reese, was immediately suspected. He was never charged. Less than a year later Reese was killed in a gun battle on the Columbus Street where Hope had died. Stray bullets killed Charles Boehme and wounded a boy named Johnny Williams. Even though evidence suggests that Reese had provoked the fight, his sons vowed to get revenge. In five more gunfights between May 17, 1899, and May 17, 1907, five more men were killed, and several others wounded. Texas Ranger Bill McDonald was dispatched to end the feud. No one was ever convicted of the killings. The feud also had a direct effect on the economic well-being of Columbus. In 1906 the citizens voted to turn the administration of the city over to the county and Columbus remained unincorporated for twenty years.

More information can be found here:
https://www.geni.com/people/Sheriff-Sam ... 3908013932

[Shakey Jake]

Per T of T Facebook group:
You see them everywhere along the back roads of Texas, the shells of old houses, remnants of someone's dream. Occasionally, if you have time or if you're curious or just when the mood strikes, you stop, get out, walk up to the fence, and ponder the existence of those who built the house and how they lived and what they loved and what became of them. You linger for awhile, lost in thought, then wistfully move on, a little sad because you don't know anything about the house but, glad, somehow, that you stopped.

Traces of Texas reader John Ramirez kindly sent in this photo of a house that was built by his great grandfather, Eduwigis Ramirez, just north of Geronimo, Texas. The house still stands on Harborth Road and is located on a 300 acre farm. John's grandfather, Juan Ramirez, was born there in 1903. Also still there, though not shown in this view, are the original barn and the horse stable.

Thank you, John! It must be nice to revisit what's left of this old house that your great grandfather built and to feel that connection to the soil and to the earth from which you sprung. What a time of reverie that must be for you. The earth turns and the galaxy rotates and the universe expands but this house abides.

[Shakey Jake]

Traces of Texas reader Ronald Borman sent in this smashing photo of his mom, Mattie Sue Borman, at the Prince's Drive-In on Jensen Drive in Houston back in 1953 or 1954. Mattie Sue is the 4th from the left. HOW AWESOME IS THIS?
Thank you, Ronald! I love it!

[Shakey Jake]

In 1822, nine year-old Robert Hancock Hunter moved to Texas with his family. His account of what they encountered is utterly classic. Here it is, exactly as he wrote it, misspellings and all
"I, R. H. Hunter, was born May first 1813 in Ohio in a little town Circleville in Pickaway Planes. I was a bout 4 years old when Father moved to Missouri, & in April 1822 come to Texas & on the 7th day of April we landed in San Jacinto Bay. We came a round by water in a small boat or a scow.
As we were sailing a long the coast, we spide a small boat on the beach, & went in shore at the Mouth of the Mamantough. There we stade 5 or 6 days, & fixt up the little schooner & we corked her up tite, put in the old mast that was broke down, & pute in something to eat that day, & tied our little Scow be hinde & set sale for Galveston with all of our goods & chattels in the Scow. While out a peace, a south east gale blowed up, & we come on untill a bout 8 or 9 oclock, when our scow broke loos & went a shore, & we come on to the mouth of what is now cald Taylors Bayou. There we campt. (ed. note, Taylor Bayou is a few miles west of Port Aurthor) I Father & Jack our Saylor, went back to git the Scow. When tha got there, Old Yokham & a bout 30 men was there, & no scow, & the men all drunk on Pa's rum. He had a barrel of Rum on the scow, & he had to come a way the best he could, & got nothing. He lost every thing we had. Pa got back the next evening. He was gon two days, & we had nothing to eat. Jack kild an aligator, & rosted the tale, & we eat it, & not a drop of water to drink. Pa saved 4 trunks out of the scow, & in one of them was a bolt of domestic. Pa took it, & spread it out on the grass, and got it wet with due, & rung it in a bucket & that saved us untill we got to Galveston that evening.
When we got to Galveston we found 5 large emagrant ships laying at ancor in the harber. Capt John Roch & his big black ship was laying at ancor. He fiard a cannon to bring us too. When Pa came to Texas in 1821, he got acquainted with old man Anson Taylor on the Trinity & old man Taylor was on Capt Rochs ship, & knew Pa, & with his speaking trumpet cald us a long side & Capt Roch let down a chir & took us a board. Us little ones, was hungry. We had not eat anything for 3 days but the aligator tall. The Cook was at the Caboos a cooking. He had a pot of rice seting by. The old irishman ast us if we were not hungery, & we the children told him yesser. He gave us some spoons, & we piched in to the rice. Pa came around & seen us, children children what are you doing there. The old irishman hollered out, let them a lone, I put them thare. Tha are hungery let them eat. That rice et good. We stade with Capt Roch that night."
------- Robert Hancock Hunter, "The Narrative of Robert Hancock Hunter," 1860.
You can read the rest of the story here: https://www.sanjacinto-museum.org/Libra ... rmy=Texian
Shown here: Robert Hancock Hunter, bottom right, with his three brothers circa 1885. They are wearing campaign ribbons.

[Shakey Jake]

A woman dressed in sailor's clothing on an Excelsior motorcycle in Houston circa 1918. I don't know who she is or why she's dressed like this unless it's just out of a sense of frivolity, which I would applaud. Any ideas?
Taken by prolific Houston photographer Harry Walker. Courtesy the University of Houston's digital archives.