Dog Blog.. digging up bones

Who was the most intriguing person in Texas history? No one can discount Sam Houston's positions of great power and prestige, but one might argue that even with all of Houston's political success and drama, his personal life is the most intriguing.

After all, Houston didn't have just one wife or two, but three wives.

His first marriage, to a gorgeous blonde half his age, ended quickly and mysteriously. While people from that day to the present have speculated on what happened, it will probably always remain an enigma.

After the disastrous first marriage, Houston escaped the questions by fleeing to Indian country. Here, he took a second wife, Diana Rogers, but she could not hold the Tall Texan, when that most alluring of all mistresses, Texas, began to call his name.

Read full story in the Beaumont Journal, May 31, 2006

"Back Thru Time History Celebration" is planned for each weekend in June at locations all across South Central Texas. Businesses, museums, libraries, history related organizations, antique stores, main street programs, chambers of commerce and others interested in celebrating the history of the area are participating.

Cuero, "The Way Life Ought To Be," is home to the DeWitt County Courthouse, currently being restored, and the DeWitt County Historical Museum. The Museum, located at 312 Broadway, will be open Sunday, June 4, between 1 pm and 5 pm. The building, built by Captain Sheppard, weathered the 1886 hurricane in Indianola before being relocated to Cuero.

Nordheim, "A Small Town with a Big Heart" located off Hwy 72 between Yorktown and Runge, hosts a number of historical sites and places of interest. Saturday, June 3, visitors can also tour Nordheim Historical Museum.

Yorktown, "A Texas Pioneer Settlement," is the oldest incorporated town in DeWitt County, was established in 1848. Yorktown Historical Museum, located in buildings originally owned and operated by Eckhardt & Sons as their mercantile store, will be open both Saturday, June 3, 10 am to 4 pm and Sunday, June 4, 12 noon to 4 pm.

Yoakum, "The Leather Capital of the World," also celebrates the tomato industry with the Tom Tom Festival, June 2-3. Yoakum Heritage Museum, 312 Simpson Street, is open from 1 pm to 4 pm, Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday, and from 10 am to 4 pm on Friday.

Read full article in the Cuero Record, May 31, 2006

DeWitt County Court House before restoration and Nixon, Texas images courtesy of historictexas.net

Florida Memory Project: They see your photos as history in the making.

History didn't end yesterday. So keep the Florida Memory Project in mind when you sift through Grandma's old photos - and when you're clicking off shots on your digital camera.

"Today's photo is tomorrow's history," said Rivers Buford III, legislative-affairs director for the Florida Department of State. "If we don't start (saving) modern pictures, there's going to be a gap in the archives."

The Florida Memory Project is the Department of State's four-pronged collection of state history: video, audio, online classroom and still photos. All four components are available online, though the Florida Photographic Collection is the star: Its site draws an incredible 200,000 visitors a month.

Read full article from the Tallahassee Democrat, Tallahassee, FL, May 30, 2006