Category: history

Possums Walked Through the Queen City of the Sand Flats 100 Years Ago

Possums Walked Through the Queen City of the Sand Flats 100 Years Ago By Dana Goolsby Photo By Dana Henry Grapeland- Almost 100 years ago, thousands of people poured into the little town of Grapeland on morning trains from points along the International and Great Northern and from the surrounding countryside to witness marsupials marching down the […]

First Annual El Camino Real Festival

Alto, Texas- This past Saturday, the Caddo Mounds State Historic Site launched it’s first El Camino Real Festival complete with re-enactors, pioneer camps, guided hiking and plant identification tours, and demonstrations to celebrate the site’s museum re-dedication and highlight a section of the original El Camino Real which runs through the site. Caddo Mounds State […]

Galveston Historical Foundation Announces 2014 Heritage at Risk List

Galveston Historical Foundation Announces 2014 Heritage at Risk List Galveston Island, Texas– Each year, Galveston Historical Foundation asks the public for nominations to the “Heritage at Risk” list of historic sites and properties in Galveston County. Houses on the list are at risk of being lost due to damage, neglect or proposed development. The Heritage […]

A Home For Leaders: The Pennybacker-Campbell-Womack House In Palestine, Texas

A Home For Leaders: The Pennybacker-Campbell-Wommack House In Palestine, Texas- This two-and-a-half story frame dwelling is typical of the many large Queen Anne-style houses found in the neighborhood south of historic downtown Palestine, known as “Silk Stocking Row.” However, the Victorian residence that was constructed in 1890, served as home to several prominent East Texans, […]

Liberty Hill Community

Liberty Hill Community Historical Marker Houston County- Among the earliest settlers in this area of Houston County were George W. Wilson and his family who came here from Kentucky in 1835. Other early pioneers were John W. Bodenhamer, James and William McLean and William W. Davis. Although a town site was never platted and a […]

Crockett’s Oldest Burial Ground

Crockett’s Oldest Burial Ground Crockett- Take a stroll through one of the oldest cemeteries in Houston County. Walk among early Texas heroes, pioneers, confederate soldiers, and Crockett citizens that helped mold East Texas history. The cemetery is full of historical markers and enormous old tombstones. The head stones are impressive and the markers tell the […]

Grass House Returning To Caddo Mounds Summer 2016

Nacogdoches, Texas- It’s time to roll up your sleeves and cut some switch grass! Caddo Mounds State Historic Site (CMSHS) harvested switch grass at the Stephen F. Austin Experimental Forest in Nacogdoches in November 2015 for the construction of a traditional Caddo grass house at the site. The next harvest will take place at the […]

How Well Do You Sam Houston?

Sam Houston was one of the most colorful and controversial figures in Texas history. He was a sometimes volatile and often contradictory man who played a crucial role in the founding of Texas. How much do you know about this Texas hero?               1. Houston was the first elected […]

Anderson County Historic Landmarks Commission Honors Renovated Building

Palestine, Texas – Since 1994, the City of Palestine Historic Landmarks Commission has been awarding recognition to owners who beautify and rehabilitate their properties, contributions that benefit the entire community. For the month of March, the Historic Landmarks Commission singled out the property at 105 E. Main St., a freshly beautified and rehabilitated building. The Commission also commends the […]

Sam Lightnin’ Hopkins

Lightnin’- Bluesman Sam Lightnin’ Hopkins had ties to Houston County. A statue was erected in his memory across from Camp Street Café in Crockett. Locals say Hopkins played on the street and in establishments along Camp Street in his youth. Camp Street was in the center of the Black Business District in Houston County. Hopkins […]

Mount Vernon Is Where the Heart Is

One woman’s journey to save the third oldest African Methodist Episcopal Church in Texas. By Breezy Lake-Wolfe Tabitha Enge is on a mission to restore Mount Vernon A.M.E. Church in Palestine, Texas. Photo by Dana Goolsby Palestine, Texas- Mount Vernon African Methodist Episcopal Church, located in Palestine, Texas, was organized as a church and school […]

Slocum Massacre Historical Marker Dedication

FIRST HISTORICAL MARKER OF ITS KIND IN TEXAS! Slocum, Texas- On Saturday, January 16, 2016, a historical marker commemorating the Slocum Massacre and listing the names of its officially acknowledged victims will be unveiled in southeastern Anderson County. THIS WILL BE THE FIRST HISTORICAL MARKER IN TEXAS ACKNOWLEDGING RACIAL VIOLENCE AGAINST AFRICAN AMERICANS. The unveiling […]

Historic Landmarks Commission Announces Jan. 2014 Beautification Awards

Historic Landmarks Commission Announces Jan. 2014 Beautification Awards PALESTINE- The City of Palestine’s Historic Landmarks Commission has announced two properties that are recognized for their beautification efforts. Since 1994, the Palestine Historic Landmarks commission has been awarding recognition for the efforts made by owners to beautify and rehabilitate their property, a contribution that benefits the […]

Lick Skillet

Lick Skillet BETHANY- “Lick Skillet” is not just something you did when the grub was good, although, it was most certainly something you did when the grub was good if you didn’t have a biscuit to sop it up. It is a name deeply rooted in East Texas culture. For over a century, Lick Skillet […]

Living History of Oak Grove Cemetery

Nacogdoches, Texas- On Saturday, March 28, 2015, the Friends of Historic Nacogdoches, Inc. and the City of Nacogdoches Historic Sites Department will host the 3rd annual Living History of Oak Grove Cemetery Tour. Oak Grove Cemetery was first established circa 1837, and it was later designated as a Historic Texas Cemetery by the Texas Historical […]