Mother Nature's Revenge

Linking to Good Fences

Llano County Courthouse (Texas No. 66)

Constructed:  1892
Architectural Style:  Romanesque Revival
Materials:  Sandstone, limestone, granite, marble
Original Cost:  $47,000

The clock tower was restored and replaced in 2006.  The tower appears to be secured by wires to something, probably adjacent buildings.  I didn't notice these wires until looking at the photos on the computer.

The county seat is the city of Llano, population 3,200, 100 miles north of San Antonio, 235 miles northwest of Houston, 210 miles southwest of Dallas, and 310 miles southwest of my home near Garrison, Texas.

Llano is the Deer Capital of Texas.  The Llano Basin has the highest density of deer in the United States.  The area is also known for its production of granite.

Note:  The pronunciation of Llano is LA-no, as opposed to the Spanish pronunciation of YA-no or JAH-no.  Texans are known to have their own version of pronunciation of certain words but if anyone would ever say YA-no/JAH-no, they would be laughed out of town!  Excuse me, out of Texas!  There is even a YouTube video on how to say "Llano" with the word "Texas" following the pronunciation. "Llano" is a Spanish word meaning "flat."

Wash Day

For years I've wanted to take a photo of this little house on the edge of our town when the lady of the house has hung out her wash to dry.  Late yesterday afternoon I went to the post office and since it was a Sunday and little traffic I thought I might just get an opportunity to stop on the narrow two-lane road as I approached the house to snap a shot.  I actually was rather surprised to see clothes hanging on the line on a Sunday but they were there and so was I.  There's usually somebody pulling up behind me or someone rushing toward me but it was quiet and I got the chance.  This was a scene that was so prevalent in my childhood and one that we rarely see anymore.  I don't remember when my mother finally got a clothes dryer but I'm sure I was at least in college by that time.  I never minded hanging out the clothes, although I detested bringing them in because if you were the one to bring them in, you were the one to fold them and put them away or get them ready for ironing the next day.  I learned from my mother just how to hang clothes meticulously just like this lady does.  You always started with sheets and then pillow cases; next came towels, the biggest first, then the hand towels and finally wash cloths; then came dish towels and dish rags; then Dad's pants and shirts; then Mom's dresses, pants and shirts and then mine, everything diminishing in size down the line; after the outer clothes came the undergarments and the whole thing ended with socks.  There's nothing that smells quite like a clean fresh towel that's been left outside to dry!

More on Columbus, Texas

Sorry for the abrupt absence, Dear Blogger Friends.  My battery just seemed to go out at a moment's notice and I've had a couple of weeks of that feeling that I call the dropsies and don't-give-a-darns. Maybe it's these dog days of summer or perhaps just boredom, but whatever the reason, I feel it's time to shake off the doldrums and get back to what I was doing.  Hopefully this little break will give me a feeling of rejuvenation.

When I last left you I was telling you and showing you some photographs of the wonderful Colorado County Courthouse in Columbus, one of the 65 historic courthouses I've photographed in Texas.  I have a few more in my stash and I'm hoping to head out in the next week or so on another long journey to pick up some more to add to my historic courthouse fascination.

But in the meantime there were two other historic buildings in Columbus that I wanted to show you and tell you about.  They are across the street from the courthouse on the square and within their walls is the story of one of the towns most famous residents.

The Stafford Bank and Opera House was built by Columbus' wealthiest citizen of the 19th century, millionaire cattle baron Robert E. Stafford, in 1886.   Its grand interior, which could seat a thousand people, had gas-burning chandeliers and an elaborate hand-painted curtain.  It's opening performance was a play, "As in a Looking Glass," starring the famous actress of the day, Lillian Russell.  At one time it hosted a show by Harry Houdini and special trains from distant towns, including Houston, shuttled patrons to the performances.

In the same year Stafford built his home next door to the Opera House.  It is said that he designed the home so that he could sit in his bedroom and watch the performances next door.  The ornate Victorian structure originally had a cupola which was lost in the same hurricane that blew the clock tower off the courthouse in 1909.  The home was sold to the Miller family in 1915 and is still owned by descendants of the original Miller owners.

Robert Stafford and his brothers came to Texas before the Civil War from Georgia.  They made their fortunes in cattle, driving a herd to market in Kansas City as early as 1867.  In addition to the bank and the opera house, Robert owned the Columbus Meat and Ice Company.  On July 7, 1890, 3,000 citizens gathered on the square for festivities surrounding the laying of the cornerstone of the new courthouse.  Many of them returned home in the late afternoon to prepare for the big dance that was scheduled that evening in culmination of the celebration.  An hour before the dance was to begin, Bob Stafford and his younger brother got into an argument with the city marshal, who also was the son-in-law of the county sheriff, in a local saloon.  What transpired between them is still in dispute depending on whose side one takes, but the outcome of the situation was that Robert and his brother were shot by the city official and killed.  The feud between the two families which resulted lasted well into the 20th century with many additional lives being lost.  Columbus supposedly has never regained the economic importance it had among Texas cities since Stafford's death.

The Gems of Colorado County Courthouse

The Interior of the Colorado County Courthouse in Columbus, Texas, has many gems and one jewel of a unique nature.  Above is an example of the beautiful newel posts at each of the staircases, hardwood floors and wainscoting throughout the building.

In a conference room which happened to be unoccupied on the day of my visit stands the old vault of the courthouse which was installed during it's 1891 construction. The front doors are decorated with floral embellishments and lettering identifying the manufacturer.

Even the interior of the vault is decorative.  The doors are so heavy it took most of my strength just to open them to view the inside.

In the same room are the workings for the Seth Thomas clock originally installed in 1890 during construction but which fell 120 feet to the ground as a result of the 1909 hurricane which swept the entire clock and bell tower off the building.  The clock was finally recommissioned in 1939 and presently is cleaned and overhauled approximately every 20 years by local citizens.  It was professionally overhauled in 2000 and the following year was moved downstairs to be on public display but continues to operate the clocks in the four clock faces on the present-day copper dome.

The district courtroom is the heart of the building and takes up most of the second floor with the ceiling extending to the third floor.  It is a traditional English-style courtroom with great examples of woodwork.

The jewel of the whole building is a stained glass inner dome in the center of the district courtroom.  It is believed to have been installed during the 1909 repairs when the dome replaced the bell and clock tower, although no mention of the glass has ever been found in any of the county's records.  It is believed the commissioners who approved the nearly $15,000 in repairs from the hurricane were afraid that citizens would balk at such an expense to install this work of art so they simply did not tell them!  $15,000 in 1909 currency would be almost $400,00 today,

The glass dome was dismantled after Hurricane Carla in 1960 because glass was reported falling from the ceiling into the courtroom and the 12 glass panels were stored in the attic.  During a 1979 restoration to add air-conditioning a judge discovered the stacked panels in the attic.  Eight were intact but four were damaged.  A group of stained-glass experts from South Carolina came to inspect the panels and took samples and refabricated the broken pieces.  Upon reinstallation it was reported that no one could tell the difference between the old and the new.

The glass dome consists of numerous green-swirled panes with decorative floral and geometric patterns in yellow, black and red tones.  The panes are set in copper cames (the structure that holds the glass together) mounted in steel armature.  A green glass chandelier, a recent addition, is suspended from the center of the dome.

Colorado County Courthouse (Texas No. 65)

Constructed:  1891
Architectural Style:  Classic Revival
Materials:  Brick and Belton stone
Interesting Facts:  One of the 28 oldest existing courthouses in Texas.  It was originally built with a tall clock tower which blew off the building during a major hurricane in 1909.  The courthouse bell fell 120 feet and was completely buried in the earth, forcing the county to discontinue the $15 a month salary of the clock winder.  The present copper dome was added in a 1939 restoration.

Situated on the Colorado River 75 miles due west of Houston, the county seat is Columbus, a small but historic town of nearly 3,700 people today.  It is 240 miles south of Dallas and 230 miles southwest of my home near Garrison.  A city of old and beautiful live oak trees Columbus' annual cemetery tour is called "Live Oaks and Dead Folks"!

I do not typically visit the inside of courthouses due to time constraints but an exception was made here because of a very unique feature.  I'll show you tomorrow.

Threads

The fabric of our lives is formed from threads of many colors.

White Fire Truck

We're all familiar with bright red fire trucks.  Some cities have lime green or bright yellow trucks because many experts believe those brilliant colors make the trucks more visible.  I've even seen trucks on line which have been painted in brilliantly colored patterns.  But this was my first:  a white fire truck!  I rather liked it.  It was quite visible.  And even had a couple cute firemen inside!  This was seen in Richmond, Texas, just south of Houston.

Miniature Horse

I saw this cute miniature horse awaiting a pet show at a local festival I attended recently.  Did you know:

Adult miniature horses are often mistaken for foals or small ponies but they have manes and tails which have grown to appropriate lengths and also the whinny of a full-sized horse?

They often are pets or companion animals but can be trained to be service or therapy animals?

They can even be housebroken and taught to paw or whinny at the door when the need arises and many airlines allow them to fly in the passenger compartment with their owners on flights less than six hours?

Fascinating but I think I'll stick with a dog for my next pet!

Linking to Saturday's Critters

Gunfight at the Lampasas Saloon

The historic Lampasas Courthouse is surrounded by a beautiful sturdy wrought-iron fence.  There are several historic markers on the grounds of the courthouse and in the courthouse square.  The one pictured here reminds Lampasas citizens of the its rough and lawless history.  In the 1870s this frontier town was a mecca of outlaws, brothels and ne-er do wells.  Many murders happened in the county during those early days and one of Texas' most famous feuds was being played out between the Horrell and the Higgins gangs, having been started over an accusation of cattle rustling.  Eventually the fight resulted in the death of four law enforcement officers when a gunbattle broke out in one of the saloons on the courthouse square.  The Horrell gang hightailed it to New Mexico but returned the following year.  In 1876 the brothers stood trial for the murder of the police officers and were actually found not guilty.  I wonder if fear was one of the reasons for the verdicts.

Joining the other good folks who love fences and gates at Good Fences hosted by our friend, TexWis.  Click on the link and see what amazing fences are being offered today.

Where are the American Pickers ...

...when you really need them?

I've been trying to clean out my mother's old storage shed  It has about 55 years of junk in it.  There was an old trunk which one of my cousins took and when we opened it it had bags of mom's old bills in it, dating back the past nine years.  As I dug further into the shed I found another six or eight bags of all the papers she saved.  Bank statements, utility bills, anything that came in the mail pretty much wound up in the storage shed.  Most of my morning was spent burning all those things.  It's been so dry here that you wouldn't want to walk away from a burn barrel for fear that embers might fly and grass would erupt into flames.  Of course I'm having to deal with old paint and such things so it's not just a complete bag and toss.  I do see what appears to be a lid to an old cast iron pot in the upper left so that might be worth saving.

I'm not even sure what some of these things are.  In the photo above I finally decided that there are two totally unrelated items: a vacuum cleaner hose and some sort of a lantern but it doesn't have a globe.  The shed is a haven for rats and who knows what else.  I've even found some old snake skins in there.  It's pretty obvious the rats got into a bag of fertilizer or something and there's stuff all over the floor.  The building leaks, there are canna lilies growing up one of the walls on the inside and vines have come through on another side.  It's just downright creepy.  No one has volunteered to help me clean out the place so it's my job to do it.

So far I've found one item worth keeping, this cute little shelf which, after all the dust was removed, seemed to be in pretty good shape.

So junk or treasures?  A lot of junk and a few treasures I would say.  Mom very seldom threw anything away.  She always had ideas of possibly finding a use for things.  She would say, "You never know when you might need it."  I've found buckets of rusty nails, old jelly jars, tons of plastic flower pots, broken window frames and torn screens, a big spool of burlap twine that probably weighs 20 pounds.  It just hit me what it's for: baling hay I'll bet!

She was a saver, I'm a tosser.  Which are you?

Old Mobil station - Gonzales, Texas

One of the finest of the restored Magnolia gas stations can be found in Gonzales, Texas. This one was built in 1936 and continued operation until the early 1970's.  It housed a variety of businesses after that time but appears to perhaps be vacant today, although in tip-top shape.  The turret of one of Gonzales' many historic homes can be seen above the roofline.

Holy Smoke!

Barbecue is a religion in Texas.  There are probably more folks on Sundays in barbecue joints than there are in churches, but to many people barbecue can be a religious experience.  Here in Texas the Baptists are the most popular with the Methodists coming in second and then some of the Pentecostal and fundamentalist groups and, of course, in the southern part of the state, we have the Catholics and the Lutherans.  But barbecue is the most popular spiritual experience here.  During the road trip that took me through Lockhart in Caldwell County, a paramount stop on the agenda included barbecue.  After all, Lockhart was officially named by the Texas state legislature as the barbecue capital of the state back in 1999 and three of the most popular BBQ joints in the state can be found in this peaceful community.  A fourth is making inroads into that list, but we picked Black's, which is the oldest (been there since 1932 and run by the same family) and is only two blocks from the courthouse.  You can look on line for "barbecue Lockhart TX" and find the others if you happen to be traveling through.  Some people have actually chosen to try all three of the most famous places but I think they burst at the end of the day.
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You stand in line at the counter and tell the BBQ-ista what you want.  All meats are sold by weight and the "sides" have a standard price.  (Is that a photobomber in the background?)

I chose brisket and a couple of ribs and potato salad.  One of the reasons I picked Black's was because I had read online that they served their patrons with real silverware and I have a thing about paying $15 for a lunch that is served on Styrofoam plates with plastic picnic utensils.  Well, real silverware was a fantasy, but I finally was able to put that aside and forget about that fetish as I dug into the holy smoked meat.

There's not much ambiance in these places.  The folks who come to worship are happy to sit on folding chairs rather than pews, eat on Styrofoam plates on red checkered oilcloth tablecloths, drink out of plastic cups (I still have mine from Black's), and could care less that the decor consists of dead deer heads, old pictures and plaques, and horns from cattle.  You can tell from the photo above that they don't care about all that fru fru and they're concentrating on the stuff that's on the Styrofoam plates.

Notes:  I saw no skinny people in Black's.  These photos were taken with an iPhone which I usually forget is supposed to take really good pictures and I haven't figured out how to do that yet.

I need to return to Lockhart.  Maybe I'll try out another famous BBQ place but I was so high on that beautiful courthouse and eating at Black's that I actually forgot about the gorgeous Eugene Clark Library, built in 1899 and the oldest continuously operating library in the state.  We did try to go to the Southwestern Museum of Clocks and Watches which is in a beautiful Victorian building on a corner across the street from the courthouse only to find it is open on Saturdays or by appointment only!  I'm hoping to have one more opportunity to return to this sweet little city.

And where is Lockhart?  33 miles south of Austin, 225 miles south of Dallas, 150 miles west of Houston, and 250 miles southwest of my home near Garrison, Texas.

Caldwell County Courthouse (Texas No. 64)

In my opinion, the Caldwell County Courthouse in Lockhart, Texas, is the most beautiful of all the courthouses.  There are a small number of courthouses remaining on my list to photograph so I suppose I may be later swayed, but I think you will agree this is one heck of a gorgeous building!

THE PARTICULARS

Constructed:  1894

Materials:  Muldoon blue sandstone with Pecos red sandstone trim (Muldoon, a tiny town in a neighboring county, was the site of a quarry where this particular stone, popular in several courthouses constructed in Texas during the 1890s, was found)

Architectural style:  Second Empire

A major restoration was undertaken in 2000 but after only ten years it was discovered that the clock tower was twisting and was slightly tilted.  Those repairs  completed in 2013.

Tomorrow: The highlight of traveling to Lockhart