Texana

Opening Day is here for baseball fans. For the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers, the season begins with a 2:35 p.m. first pitch at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Rangers stadium is in its 24th season and has…
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In 1967, Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway portrayed the criminals Bonnie and Clyde in a movie of the same name. The movie did well at the box office and was put on the list of the top 100 American Film…
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South Dakota has Mount Rushmore. Houston has Mount Rush Hour. At 1400 Elder Street, along Interstate 10 and north of downtown, stand four 18-foot tall busts that, collectively, are called “A Tribute to American Statesmanship.” Three of the four men…
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The Texas Department of Corrections today is known for rehabilitating prisoners and, in certain cases, performing executions. But in 1931, it became known for staging a popular rodeo that gave inmates to do something out of the ordinary while entertaining…
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Friday, March 2, will be Sam Houston’s 225th birthday. Much has been written about him, including in this blog. But his wife, Margaret Lea Houston, deserves much of the credit for Sam’s accomplishments. It was an unlikely pairing. When they…
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The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo will soon be upon us, and in anticipation of that comes a tradition that turns 65 this year. The Salt Grass Trail Ride began in 1953. The story goes that the then-mayor of Brenham,…
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Perhaps the most iconic photograph of World War II was of the U.S. Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima in the Pacific. Joe Rosenthal, a combat photographer for the Associated Press, took the photo on February 23, 1945—73 years…
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People know Borden Milk, headquartered in Dallas, as among the top brands in its industry. The company came about thanks to the vision of its founder, Gail Borden Jr. Borden was born in New York and grew up in Indiana….
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The Menger Hotel is across the street from the Alamo in downtown San Antonio, but it’s known for more than its proximity to a famous historical site. The hotel itself has been a been a backdrop in the lives of…
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Texans have the real thing when it comes to decorated war heroes. Audie Murphy (1924-1971) was from Farmersville, 43 miles northeast of Dallas. He is perhaps best remembered as the most decorated American soldier of World War II. He received…
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