Abercrombie-Cavanaugh House ~ Lufkin

I went out on another road trip today but I am too tired to process and pick a photo, so I bring you the Abercrombie-Cavanaugh House in Lufkin from a previous road trip.  This was an easy choice for black and white: the house was white, the trim was gray, it was a rather gray day, and it was still winter so the trees had not yet sprouted green.  As far as I can discern, this beautiful Queen Anne style Victorian was built around 1915.  Here in Texas it seems some cities (or counties) take a lot of pride in their historic homes and are eagerly willing to proclaim their history via the Internet; and then again there are cities/counties, i.e., Lufkin/Angelina, who don't bother telling anyone about their treasures.  I found this house on the National Registry of Historic Places and also on the Texas Historical Commission website, but virtually no information about its builder or its history.  It certainly appears to have been well cared for during its nearly century-long existence.  It had lush grounds and even a matching carriage house behind it!  So we can just all use our imaginations as to who Mr. Abercrombie was and why the Cavanaughs moved in after Abercrombies vacated.  Maybe there was a big town scandal and there are skeletons in closets that I'll never open.  So just go for it! 

Woodmen of the World Building ~ Nacogdoches

The first time I saw this building after moving back to East Texas I immediately thought of East Gwillimbury WOW, a blogger friend from, you guessed it, East Gwillimbury, Ontario.  After several attempts I believe I finally got a decent picture of it.  I don’t know why it’s been so difficult.  Either the light wasn’t right or the angle was askew or just the fact that it’s a big square building in the middle of a block.  So EG, this one is for you!  And all you readers, I hope if you're not already familiar with her blog, you will visit it soon.

Originally the site of the home of Frost Thorn, an early Texas impresario and Texas’ first millionaire, the land was purchased in 1919 by the Woodmen of the World fraternal association and the three-story building was constructed in about 1922 for a cost of $25,656.  WOW was a very popular organization in Texas at the turn of the century, providing aid across the state in times of disaster.  Through the years the Woodmen sponsored popular public dances upstairs.  Many different businesses have occupied this building, a grocery and hardware store, a furniture and appliance company, a business college, a surplus store, and presently an antique market.  The building is a Texas landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

11/100 Dogs ~ Unknown Breed

I discovered this dog a couple weeks ago when returning to my car after shopping at a local nursery.  He was standing on the toolbox in the bed of a pickup parked next to mine.  He was very quiet and well-behaved and one of the most beautiful canines I've met with a dark, rich chocolate and bright white coat and beady, amber-colored eyes.  You may notice that his left eye is a lighter color than the right.  He was on the small to medium size, standing about 18 inches tall at the shoulder and weighing, as an estimate, about 30 pounds.   I looked at every breed on the AKC website and can find no dog that looks like this guy.  His appearance is similar to the Basenji but a little longer hair and without the corkscrew tail.  His eyes are similar to the pharaoh hound but there's nothing else about him that says pharaoh hound and I could not find another dog with amber eyes.  If any of you out there have any ideas of what his breed mix might be, I'd be interested in knowing.

Caption Contest and Azaleas

The winner of the current caption contest goes to DAnna of Dilettante in Fur for her great caption "This Looks Like a Job for SUPER SQUIRREL."  I loved all the entries and can't wait to do another one.  I have some pics waiting in the wings!  I'll be renaming that post in honor of Danna's submission.

And now for Azaleas!  I know you all are tired of dogwoods so I'm putting the dogwoods to rest (until I find a pink one, of course!) and turning my attention to azaleas.  East Texas, as well as most of the Southern states, is known for beautiful azaleas, and where I live is no exception.  Nacogdoches is in the midst of azalea season and the annual Azalea Trail is in full swing.  The Ruby Mize Azalea garden is at its finest (you can see it on my FKH Photo Journal Blog on the March 24th post) and throughout the city on the 28-mile-long Azalea Trail, a driving tour throughout the city (And, no, Tracy, it's not 28 miles of constant azaleas!  There is actually some space between houses and neighborhoods, and not everyone plants azaleas ~ although I'm not sure why they don't because they are so beautiful and grow so easily here).

The following pictures are from the city's historic area.

Hardeman House, a Nacogdoches landmark built in 1892, is currently a popular bed and breakfast.

 

If you love azaleas and would like to see a few more pictures, you can find some on my FKH Photo Journal.

Lufkin Mural

When I visited Lufkin a few weeks ago on one of my road trips I noticed a few very large murals in the downtown area.  Through some research I've learned that there are five murals painted by the renown muralist Lance Hunter depicting historical scenes of the city.  The murals were sponsored by local companies and civic organizations and add charm and a sense of history to downtown.  This one is a tribute to the LCC, which apparently was a telephone company.  It was painted in 1998 and measures 15 by 48 feet! 

Don't forget the caption contest ends Saturday at 5 p.m. for Wednesday's post!

Dogwoods, Dogwoods, Dogwoods

It's dogwood season in East Texas and it's all I want to shoot these days.  Yesterday my mom and I went to visit my cousin Ray Nell who lives about 20 minutes away but as the crow flies it's only about four miles.  She has a beautiful yard and it's fun to visit all times of the year.  This winter she had 18 (that's 17 plus 1) camellia bushes in bloom!  But yesterday the trip was specifically to see the dogwoods.

This is one of about 20 dogwood trees in Ray Nell's back yard or at least visible in the woods behind her yard.  They are such stunning trees when they're in bloom.  There is nothing like them.

She actually had a few camellias still in bloom and I thought this dogwood branch looked especially lovely hanging in front of red camellias.

I love how the dogwood blossoms look when you look up at them from underneath.

Aren't they beautiful?  Mom says she's tried many times to cultivate a dogwood tree but has failed.  Maybe now that I'm here between the two of us we can get one to grow.  Our eyes have spotted a small one with a nice shape in the woods that shouldn't be too hard to dig up and transplant.  If it will just ever rain so the ground isn't so hard.  However, I have discovered in the forest there is so much natural mulch and compost it usually isn't too difficult to dig something out of the ground and the soil under all that decaying matter is very soft.  I'll keep you posted as to our progress and maybe this time next year we'll have our own dogwood for me to photograph!

This Looks Like a Job for SUPER SQUIRREL

Okay, all you great captioners out there.  I need your help and can't wait to see what clever entries I get.  The contest will officially close at 5 p.m. Saturday, Central Daylight Time, at which time I'll vote on the winner (I always cast the deciding vote, you know!) and rename this post with the winning caption.  Enter as many times as you want.  On your mark, get set, GO!!!

Update:  (Winning entry submitted by Danna of Dilettante in Fur.)

Pines Theater ~ Lufkin, Texas

The Pines Theater in Lufkin opened in 1925.  I don't know when it closed but it sat vacant for a number of years and was eventually severely damaged, supposedly being hit by a tractor/trailer rig delivering goods in the early morning hours to a neighboring business (evidently no one ever fessed up to the feat).  A sad state of disrepair led many to believe it would eventually deteriorate to the point that it would be required to be demolished, but in 2008 the City of Lufkin purchased it and dedicated a half million dollars (one-third of the anticipated cost) toward renovation back to its original state.  Today it is obviously being used as a conference center and vintage movies are currently being shown.  I have seen nighttime photos and it is really spectacular when the neon lights are turned on.  The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Even the ticket counter is all shiny, spiffy, and new.

I believe the movie posters to be original.  They all look a little worse for the wear and this one of The Seven Year Itch has evidence of water damage.

Low-Lying Fog

I left the house this morning at 7:15 under a brilliant blue sky full of sunshine.  Just a few miles down the road at a lower elevation the fog dropped like a curtain.  It was very eerie to see such a line of demarcation.  The road is very clear but yet the mailbox, just a few feet beyond, is barely visible.  As I traveled on further it became even denser, almost to the point of zero visibility, until I started up a gentle hill and it disappeared as rapidly as it had arrived.

Learning the Ropes

This colt (born about this time last year) is getting used to a bridle and a rein.

Pear Blossom

Michael Kangerga House ~ Henderson, Texas

Two days ago in my post on the search for Eulalie I mentioned that I had gone on to Henderson, Texas, and found some lovely photo opportunities.  Henderson is the county seat of Rusk County and is named for Texas' first governor, J. Pinckney Henderson.  The county was established in 1843 and the First Baptist and First Methodist Churches were both established in 1845.  I stumbled upon the Mile (Michael) Kangerga House quite by accident but was able to find out a little about it online.

Thank goodness for this sign which identified the house for me!  I had noticed painted on a window in downtown Henderson the name of a business called M. Kangerga & Bro. but not until the next day did I learn anything about this house or its original owner.

This house sits a good eight to ten feet above street level, so, no, I did not have to lay on my belly to get this shot.  In fact, I had to angle the camera somewhat up from my vantage point on the sidewalk.  I love how the wild onion plants (East Texas is COVERED with them right now) gave such a nice border to the lower part of the photo.  One of the dismaying things about photo'ing old towns is the plethora of electric lines.  They seem to go willy-nilly in every direction, sometimes crossing several times over the same intersection. 

The historic district of Henderson sits high atop a hill. 

In fact, the address of the Kangerga house is 501 North High Street.

And now for the reveal!

Mile (Michael) Kangerga, a Serbian from Croatia, immigrated to Texas in 1887 at the age of 13.  He joined his uncle, George Grozdanic, in the mercantile business in Henderson, and his brother, Rade, age 14, arrived three years later in 1890, becoming part of the family business in 1895.  Known as Kangerga & Bro.,the company eventually diversified into other businesses, including cotton brokerage, real estate, and oil leasing.  Mr. Kangerga was a volunteer weather observer for 50 years.  This beautiful Victorian home is an excellent example of turn-of-the-century design and remains virtually unaltered.  Unfortunately, I was unable to locate any data about the McElyea name, which I must assume is the second owner of the home. 

Head Over Heels for Potatoes

What I really wanted was a picture of those baby chicks but I couldn't find them and was too embarrassed to ask where they were so I could take a picture of them.  Why you say?  I dunno!

Road Trip ~ In Search of Eulalie

Yesterday was a little too cool to work in the flower beds, a little too windy to plant the cosmos seeds I keep wanting to plant in the one bed that I did get cleaned out (my mother hasn’t been able to spend too much time in the past few years on her flower beds so it’s quite a project), and I couldn’t find the can of green chiles I had bought to go in the chicken/sour cream enchiladas, so I just sat down with my new Texas road atlas and plotted out a small day trip.

I found this atlas online and although somewhat unwieldy (11 x 15”) it has a large scale and shows all the county roads (even the dirt ones) throughout the entire state as well as names of little communities, some comprised of just a couple of houses, and of course rivers, creeks, and bayous. As you can see below there are lots of little roads in this part of the state and I was always wondering where this one went and where that one went, so now that I have this nifty atlas, I’m not afraid of taking some little road out in the middle of nowhere and getting lost.

So I opened it up and started looking to see where I could go. I live just east of Garrison. You can see the red lightning bolt that marks the spot down at the bottom. Our farm’s boundary is on that squiggly yellow line which represents the Attoyac Bayou and also the Nacogdoches/Shelby County line. Nacogdoches County is west of the bayou. My eye traveled north and focused on Eulalie Bryce. Even though it’s only a little over 20 miles away I had never heard of this place and I was immediately smitten by the name. Eulalie! I think it sounds like the heroine in some steamy Southern romance novel. I would love to be named Eulalie. So I decided I’d look for Eulalie Bryce and then go on to the west to Henderson. I heard there are some nice Victorian houses there and it’s only about 30 minutes further. Of course when you stop to take pictures of donkeys and old pink Cadillacs and wildflowers and falling-down-drunk barns, that 30 minutes quickly becomes 90!

My first stop was on the outskirts of Timpson.  I drove by this beauty before I realized what I was passing up, so a quick U-turn returned me to a lumber mill where this 1957 (I believe) Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner was parked underneath a shed.  What a beauty.  The Skyliner was Ford’s first retractable hardtop convertible.  Yellow and black – classic 1950s colors.  She’s obviously had a little work done on her, but so have a lot of my friends.

Dual exhausts and a real chrome bumper! The "extra" (as it was called in those days) was mounted above the bumper because the trunk held the folded-down top.

The interior was spiffy and full of shine.  Notice there was no factory AC.  And is that by chance an 8-track player I see mounted under the dash?  Obviously an aftermarket add-on.  The window was even open so I could get this shot, although the sun was definitely not on my side as far as the exposure.

On to Caledonia situated at a crossroads eight miles west of Timpson where I stopped to take a picture of this old building.  The front door was open but I wouldn't stick my camera inside, much less my foot.  This is critter country and I didn't know what might be lurking within.

While there a gentleman stopped and asked could he help me. I told him what I was doing, and as it turns out this was once a store owned by his grandparents so he wondered why I was snooping around. While we were talking I asked him if he knew Eulalie Bryce. He said there was a place “up thataway” called Bryce but he had never heard of Eulalie.

So onward my travels took me in search of Eulalie. When I finally saw this sign indicating my approach to Lake Murvaul, I knew I had not found the elusive Eulalie.

Now, some people may find it a bit disconcerting that one can buy food and bait in the same establishment. Don’t let stuff like that bother you. It’s just the way things are down here in bayou country. Why, some folks probably even eat that bait. Take crawfish, for example. Many a crawdad has sacrificed his life at the end of a fishhook, an ending just as magnificent as being dunked in a pot of boiling water filled with spices that tickle the nose and then to be evolved into crawfish etouffee served at Antoine’s in New Orleans. Well, maybe not quite as magnificent but what can I say.


And so ended my search for Eulalie, the community which I’m just sure was named for a virgin Cajun beauty with flowing red hair and eyes as amber as the murky bayou water and soft supple breasts pulsating underneath a sweaty gauze blouse. And on to Henderson I went, where indeed I found lovely Victorian homes, beautiful churches with towering steeples, and, oh, yes, a cemetery I just can’t wait to show you.

Thanks for letting me share with you my many road trips. Sorry I was so long-winded about this one but I just get passionate about some things!



Politeness Is ...

... waiting your turn.

Downes-Aldrich House ~ Crockett, Texas

The Downes-Aldrich House in Crockett, Texas, is an outstanding example of Eastlake Victorian architecture. Construction was started by James Elbert Downes, a prominent local business and civic leader in Crockett, about 1891 and was completed in 1893. Downes was a native of the area and the son of Texas pioneers. He served in the Civil War and in later years devoted much of his time to the Methodist Church. He imported much of the material for the home’s construction from other states.


In 1911 he sold the house to Armistead Albert Aldrich (don’t you love that name!), a distinguished civic leader and historian. Another Crockett native, Aldrich was educated at the University of Virginia and served as a county judge, a state representative, and a presidential elector. He resided in the house until his death in 1945. The Aldrich family still occupies this beautiful home.

This information comes from three Texas historical markers:  the grave site of James Elbert Downes, the grave site of Armistead Albert Aldrich, and  a marker in front o f the house, which is listed as a Texas historic landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places.

Cedar Waxwing

We have had a flock of cedar waxwings hanging around this big bush of ours which is laden  (or was laden) with berries.  It's about 10 feet tall and 20 feet long and probably had about a bejillion of these red berries, but as of today it is mostly stripped.  So that means the waxwings will probably move on tomorrow.  This is a young bird because it does not yet have the red band on the secondary wing feathers.  But notice the bright yellow band on the end of the tail.  It looks like it was dipped in a can of paint.  Unfortunately I was unable to get a good picture of one with the head crest in the up position.  I think they look like masked bandits, don't you?

Road Trip ~ Lufkin, Texas

A couple of weeks ago found me on the road again in search of history and fun photo opportunities in East Texas.  Trusty Truck carried me about 40 miles south to Lufkin.  Although only 18 miles from Nacogdoches, Lufkin was not founded until 1882, while the Spaniards established a mission in Nacogdoches in 1716 and ancient Caddo Indians lived in what is now Nacogdoches some 10,000 years ago.  Lufkin is the county seat of Angelina County and is filled with many beautiful turn-of-the-century Victorian homes.  Its downtown area is rich with murals detailing its history.  It is the home of Lufkin Industries, manufacturer of highway trailers.  I know you've seen the mud flaps on the backs of trailers as you've traveled down interstate highways that say Lufkin.  So now you know where they come from!  One of Lufkin's most notable citizens was Charlie Wilson, the former U.S Representative best known for leading the CIA into a covert war in Afghanistan, the story of which formed the basis of the movie Charlie Wilson's War.


I fell in love with the sign for this little cookie shop.  Who wouldn't want to drop in and have a cookie at this place!  Unfortunately, it was Sunday and they were closed, so no kookie for Kathy.

I got several great pics in Lufkin so I'll be sending them your way periodically.

Thanks for stopping by.  I enjoyed our visit!

10/100 Dogs ~ Buttercup ~ Red Heeler

Buttercup is "big sis" to Goldie, No. 9 published here on February 27

Caption Contest Winner and Old Barn Gate

First of all, the winner of Saturday's caption contest is Michelle of Happenings@Home who got my vote with "I've Been Framed."  I've edited the post and added Michelle's title.  Check out Michelle's blog if you haven't already because she has some wonderful photos.  I loved reading all the captions and can't wait to do another one soon, so stay tuned.


Today's picture:  Old Barn Gate

This barn belonged to my friend JB's father.  Her brother now uses it to store junk and other odds and ends.  We got a great chuckle when she pointed out the chain lock on the gate at the front of the barn, especially since there is no longer a back door to the building.  I guess you just can't be too careful!

Grape Hyacinth

A Lazy Sunday Afternoon

A sunny but somewhat cool Sunday afternoon found this family of Brahman cattle (also called Brahma and oftentimes in this area of the world pronounced "Bremmer") relaxing near the road amidst henbit weed and jonquils in bloom.  You might noticed that the two little calves in the foreground are white-faced Herefords.  Before "Angus beef" became a buzz word a few years ago a large percentage of the beef from East Texas came from hybrids of Brahman-Hereford breeds.  Now we see a lessening of the Black Angus and an increasing population of Charolais (pronounced SHARE-oh-LAY), the white cattle with a French origin.  So what will McDonald's be advertising two years from now?  White Beef Burgers?

I've Been Framed

I'm sure you've noticed that since moving to rural Texas I have an abundance of animal photos on my blog.  I think we all love animals and I would like for all of my bloggie friends to help me caption some of these photos or give my animal posts a title.  I'm calling it a contest but the only prize will be renaming of the post with the winning caption.  So here we go.  I hope you all will participate.  The contest closes at 5 p.m. Central Standard Time on Tuesday, March 8, so you have a couple of days to come up with the winning caption and/or title.  The winner will be announced on that day's post. I can't wait to see all your entries!

Update:  3/8/11 ~ And the winner is Michelle of Happenings@Home!  Thanks, Michelle, for a great caption! 

Where the Redbuds Grow

Sunbathing in a Winter Coat

Brickart in Tenaha, Texas

Since posting my first "Ads on Brick" photo back on February 18 I have learned that this art form is more correctly called brickart.  The artists were known as walldogs (I love that word!).  This piece of brickart looks like a Chamber of Commerce ad for Tenaha (pronounced Tennie-HAW by locals), Texas.  I've never known of anyone who referred to Tenaha as "The Garden Spot of East Texas" but hometown pride still runs rampart in small town America.  Tenaha is near the boyhood home of country music and cowboy movie star Tex Ritter.  Ritter had a popular song during his career called "Tenaha, Timpson, Bobo and Blair."  And what does that mean, you ask?

Tenaha, Timpson, Bobo, and Blair are communities in Shelby County whose names were appropriated for a plea by crapshooters for good luck when seeking to roll double fives. But how did these communities become involved with dice and popular music?  Some believe that stringing the town names together began during World War I when soldiers in a National Guard unit composed of men from Shelby County discarded the familiar cadence of "hup, two, three, four" for "Tenaha, Timpson, Bobo, and Blair," their home towns. Dice players took up the chant, according to advocates of this explanation.

Others argue that the popularity of the saying began from a porter in Houston announcing the departure of a train on the Houston East and West Texas line. The porter called out the various destinations along the way to Shreveport, and the alliteration of "Tenaha, Timpson, Bobo, and Blair" made it a favorite of passengers.

Here are some of the lyrics to Ritter's popular song:

On the HE&WT line,
Old East Texas sure looks fine
Drop me off just anywhere (near)
Tenaha, Timpson, Bobo, and Blair

Here those drivers pound the rails,
Takin' me back to Texas trails,
Bought my ticket, paid my fair,
Tenaha, Timpson, Bobo, and Blair

Whooooo, waiting for the whistle,
Whooooo, when you hear the whistle,
It means that the station's not so far,
From where we are,

Let'er highball, engineer,
Pull that throttle, track is clear,
There's a gal just waitin' there,
Tenaha, Timpson, Bobo, and Blair.

Put Your Little Foot ...

... put your little foot, put your little foot right there.  (Children's song lyrics I remember from long ago.)