Postcard from Uncertain

Continued from (roadtrip post 1)

Leaving the town of Jefferson and the very cold, haunted Excelsior hotel in our rearview mirror (see that post here), we headed to nearby Caddo Lake. Unknown to my good friend and traveling companion Chip, I had made reservations for us to take a personal guided boat tour through the bayous, channels, waterways and sloughs of the beautiful, but mysterious lake. Home to a forest of cypress trees, waterfowl, over 240 species of birds plus an abundance of wildlife, it was sure to be an interesting excursion and a nice surprise for my buddy. It was not to be, however. The day had dawned with a cloudless sky and a bright sun, but the temperature had only risen to 30 degrees and there was a consistent cold wind blowing. Spending the morning on a lake in an open boat in weather like that was not my idea of a good time. While Chip was on a potty break, I took the opportunity to call our boat guy to cancel the tour. He said he was just about to call me and ask if we could cancel. Seems he didn't want to be out on the lake in that cold either. Nice guy, he waved the late cancellation fee. I'll surprise Chip with it later on one of our road trips in warmer months!

Taking Texas Highway 134 east about 18 miles brought us to the little town of Uncertain, Texas. Being the inquisitive kind, I wondered how in the world a town came by the name "Uncertain." Seems back in the early days when Texas was a country, the town existed right on the boundary line between America and Texas and everyone was uncertain whether it was in America or Texas. Many of the 250 or so citizens of the town were owners of fishing, hunting, and boating businesses. Like most people, they were not excited about paying taxes so when the tax collector from Texas showed up, they claimed to be on the American side and when the American tax collector showed up, they claimed they were on the Texas side. Since the boundary wasn't formally set yet, the tax collectors had to walk away empty-handed.

In the 1940s, the boundary had been set with the town being declared in Texas. Trying to promote tourism, city officials decided to incorporate in order to provide places of legal alcohol consumption. The vote to incorporate was a close one, city officials were uncertain whether the measure would pass or not. When the vote to incorporate was won, the town's history of uncertainty was used for the town name.

At one time, there were almost 250 residents of Uncertain, but that number has dropped since the 1980s. The population from the last census shows only 97 now call Uncertain home. The day we slowly drove through, you couldn't prove anybody lived there. We drove around for almost an hour, finding several Uncertain places of business, the Uncertain storage, the Uncertain antique store, and even the Uncertain church. None of them appeared to be open. It wasn't really a surprise when we found the Church of Uncertain to be non-denominational. And we never saw a single person out and about. Maybe they were all being smart and staying inside out of the cold.

We left the quiet little town behind us to its uncertain future, drove through the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge and the town of Karnack and jumped on Hwy 43 headed to the historic and beautiful Scott Plantation Cemetery in Scottsville. Stay tuned.

Postcard from the Haunted Excelsior House Hotel

I woke up this morning and it was 14 degrees outside. The weather lady said the wind chill was 8 degrees. It reminded me of a road trip my good buddy, Chip, and I took one winter. For a number of years now, about 3 times each year, we pack a few things, leave the women and children behind and head out on a road trip, a "Mancation" if you will. We used to feel guilty going off on a grand adventure to who knows where and not bringing the wives, but now that we're both retired and our main occupation is hanging around the house, it seems the women-folk are more encouraging we do this than they were before.

 Chip and I have been best friends for going on 50 years now, ever since we met in Pensacola, Florida while in the Navy. Somehow we kept getting assigned together and for almost 4 years we saw some "interesting" times together sailing the world's oceans and sleeping about 2 feet from each other, me in the top berthing rack and him in the middle one. It cemented our brotherhood. And now, even though we live in different states, we usually don't go more than a couple of days without touching base with each other just in case we need to argue about something.

I have always enjoyed reading and every time I read about someplace or something interesting, I put it in my "Places To See" spreadsheet and spend many hours researching to find the history and back story of those places and things. I also like to eat so every time I see something like "Top Ten BBQ Places" or "Top Ten Hamburgers," I add those to my spreadsheet too. Over the years, I've noted almost 500 of these places and it's my intention to visit them all and write about the more interesting ones. Call it my retirement job.

In order to check out some of these places, Chip and I had made plans to go on a Texpedition; driving around Texas to see some of those sites and eat at places recommended. We made reservations for our first night at a hotel that is reputed to be one of the most haunted in the whole state, the Excelsior House Hotel in Jefferson, Texas.

The day before our scheduled departure, Chip drove the 325 or so miles to my house and spent the night. We planned to get an early start the next morning but became a bit concerned when the weather forecast called for severe cold down Texas-way over the next few days. No problem we figured, as I have a good truck with new tires and we'll just take our big coats and bundle up.

A little after night changed to day, we headed out in clear, balmy 39-degree weather. After stopping for breakfast at a nearby IHOP, we turned the truck southeast and hit the road. Riding along we had much great fun in the typical fashion of two male friends on a road trip - crude humor, tasteless jokes, and numerous castings of dispersion on each other's mental capacity, driving ability, looks, and tastes in women, movies, books, and cars. During these times, we often solve all the world's problems - if people would just listen to us!

Interesting ice formed on the hub of my truck

About a hundred miles into the trip, we noticed clouds rolling in and the outside temperature gauge showed a steady decrease. It began to rain which rather quickly turned to sleet. Being the manly men we think we are, a quick conference decided since we were halfway there already, to just keep going. Soon though, we went down some backroads, roads that the locals evidently knew to stay off of when ice falls from the sky. The sleet got heavier and the roads became icy. Our talk turned to quiet as the tick, tick, tick of the sleet on the truck became heavier and our anxiety grew. I slowed down to about 20 miles per hour as the truck kept sliding from one side of the road to the other. Driving a pick-up in conditions like this with nothing but a couple of suitcases in the covered back is not fun. Thinking more weight might help, we stopped in a town and filled up with gas. The truck was covered with ice which fell off in sheets as we opened the doors.

Somehow, a few miles later, we arrived at our destination without getting stuck on the side of the road or rolling over in a ditch. The drive had taken a lot longer than expected, but we were still a little early for check-in at the Excelsior House. We went inside to let them know we were there so don't give our room to someone else. The front desk lady was extremely nice and told us we could go on to our room since it was ready. She also told us the Garden Club was holding a chili supper in the dining room that evening and we were welcome to have some really good homemade Chile if we wanted. She didn't have to ask us twice!  

Located in the heart of Jefferson's Riverfront district, the Excelsior House is the 2nd oldest continuously operating hotel in Texas (the Menger Hotel in San Antonio is slightly older). Around 1855, riverboat captain William Perry realized there was a need for a hotel in the rowdier part of Jefferson so he purchased land and built a hotel he named "Irving House." After Captain Perry died, the hotel was bought and operated by a succession of owners. In 1877, it was purchased by Kate Wood and renamed the Excelsior House. Over the years, additions were constructed and it underwent several restorations until it was sold to the Allen Wise Garden Club in 1961. Since then, many volunteers have spent thousands of hours updating and restoring the hotel. Each room has been furnished with period antiques harking back to its glory days.

Many famous historical figures have spent nights in these rooms. Presidents Grant, Hays, and LBJ have signed the guest register as well as folks like W.H. Vanderbilt, John Jacob Aster, Oscar Wilde, Steven Speilburg, and Jay Gould, who wanted to bring the railroad to Jefferson. When the city fathers turned him down, he put a curse on the town and left. He promised the end of Jefferson and said "grass will grow in the streets and bats will roost in the church belfries." Gould's curse almost came true when the town's steamboat port had to close and the population went from 35,000 to 1,000. To serve as a reminder of what might have been, the Garden Club purchased Goud's custom-built railroad car, placed it across the street from the hotel, and today offers guided tours through it.

Stories of the hauntings of the Excelsior House are numerous with many people who do not know each other and are unaware of the stories all telling of the same, strange and unexplainable happenings. Several of the rooms are named after the historical people who slept in them. While there are three rooms that seem to be the most haunted, the Gould Room is by far the most famous. There have been many reports of an ethereal headless man who has been seen walking the hallway outside the Gould Room. A number of guests have told of a woman in black sitting in a rocking chair rocking a baby in the Gould Room. It appears there is a least one ghost who likes to lightly touch people on their face or tickle their neck while they sleep. Sometimes it will yank the covers off in the middle of the night. Voices speaking in German have been heard coming from rooms where nobody was staying. Many reports have been of guests smelling a strong perfume in one room which quickly dissipates when the room is entered. A well-liked prostitute known as Diamond Bessie, tragically murdered in the nearby woods, used to stay in the room and was known to always wear a strong, sweet-smelling perfume. 

The famed movie director, Steven Spielberg, was booked to stay in the Excelsior House in the early 1970's while filming Sugarland Express. As it happened, he was given the Jay Gould Room. According to him, as soon as he walked into his room, he felt uneasy, as if someone was watching him. It had been a long, hard day and he wanted to lay down for a few minutes so, dismissing his unease, he walked on into the room and casually tossed his briefcase onto a rocking chair in the corner of the room. The briefcase immediately flew back into his face, as if it had been thrown back at him. He decided to go eat and get to bed early, but when he returned and lay down, he had trouble sleeping, again feeling as if someone was watching him. Finally drifting off, he was suddenly awakened by a little boy tugging on his nightshirt and asking if he was ready for breakfast. While staring wide-eyed at the little boy, the figure slowly vanished and through the apparition, Speilburg could see the rocking chair in the corner rocking back and forth. It was only 2:00AM, but he got up, packed his things, woke up his film crew, and made everyone drive 20 miles to the nearest Holiday Inn where they stayed for the rest of their time filming around Jefferson. After filming on "Sugarland Express" ended, Spielberg wrote the screenplay for his next movie, "Poltergeist."

Our Room

When Chip and I arrived, we found the lobby area to be filled with interesting old pictures and antiques. The lady who checked us in, gave us an old-fashioned room key and told us how to get to our room in "the original section of the hotel." She informed us they had turned on the wall furnace so the room should be warm, but if we needed, there were extra blankets and quilts in the wardrobe. Grabbing our bags from the truck, we passed through a door from the lobby, walked a short way down a hall and hauled our bags up a skinny flight of stairs which creaked and groaned with each step. On the 2nd floor, we turned left to the end of the hall to our room. While inserting the key into the lock, the door creaked open. It had not been locked. I guess the maid just forgot to lock up.

On entering and closing the door, we found the room to be clean and fully furnished with old antique furniture except for the flat-screen TV. The bathroom was antique as well with an old sink and claw-footed tub, but there was also a tiled shower stall and, of course, the toilet. It was only then I started remembering some of the stories I had read - a rocking chair in the corner of the room, two beds with carved, wooden head and footboards made of Circassian Walnut, a large wooden wardrobe, a club-footed tub - we were in the Jay Gould Room! In for a dime, in for a dollar, and besides, who really believes in ghosts? As we unpacked a few items, it seemed the room, even with the ancient wall furnace turned all the way on high, was not warming up. After such a tiring drive and it being several hours until the chili supper, we decided to take naps. The outside temperature was in the upper 20's and it didn't seem to be much warmer in our room. Covering up with the covers on our respective beds, we both crashed.

Waking up a while later, we noticed the door was slightly ajar. I was sure I had locked it before my nap. Worried that maybe someone had come in and taken something, we took inventory of the things we had brought up with us. Everything was right where we had placed it except for one thing - Chip's iPad. We searched high and low, in his suitcase, everywhere. Nope, it was not there. Finally, I asked, "Are you sure you brought it in from the truck?" "I'm pretty sure," he replied. "Well, let's get bundled up again, go outside and look in the truck just to be sure." We searched the truck. Not there either. Well, crap. We locked the truck doors and started to head back inside to report the theft when Chip said, "Hey, here it is!" And there, wrapped in its black leather case sitting on top of my black pickup bed cover, now under a good 1/4" of sleet pellets, was his iPad, right where he had set it while getting his suitcase out of the truck. It had been sitting out in public in full view of anyone passing by for several hours in mid-20's temp and getting covered in sleet. We rushed back inside, back to our room and found the door once again partially open. Chip turned on his iPad and low and behold, the thing started right up!

Our bathroom - before the deep freeze

Before heading down to the "new" section of the hotel to the dining room, we turned our attention to the door that wouldn't stay closed. After several minutes, we figured out that if you lifted up on the door, the lock would fit into the cutout and be secure. Our haunted door was nothing more than a misaligned lock.

Getting back downstairs and milling around with some of the Garden Club members while waiting for the chili and fixings to be spread out on a table, we talked with the lady who had checked us in. She said it should be quiet for us tonight as we were the only ones in "the old section." I asked her, "Do you mean anything by saying it "should" be quiet for us tonight?" "I'm not sure I know what you mean," she replied. So I asked her, just to be sure, "Which room are we in?" "Oh, you guys are in the Jay Gould Room, one of our most comfortable. If you need anything, Phyllis will be the night manager on duty." Seeming to not want to answer any more questions, she excused herself and walked away.

The chili was great. There must have been ten different topping choices, free sweet tea, and cupcakes for dessert. Everyone was friendly and we had a number of good conversations. Several of the Garden Club members seemed to make funny, sideways glances before edging away from us when they found out we were staying in the Gould Room, but that was probably just my imagination. After eating our fill, we headed back to our room for a good night's sleep.

The door that refused to stay locked

It was quiet going back to our room and very obvious we were indeed the only guests in the whole section. Arriving at our door, once again, the damn thing was ajar. I was positive I had jimmied the door so it locked securely when we left earlier. Entering the room, it seemed even colder than before. Chip took a chair and jammed it up against the door to ensure it stayed closed and nobody could get in while we slept. We fired up our laptops to check email and the news. It had gotten colder outside with the temperature now down to 18F. I don't know how cold it was in our room, but it was cold, damn cold. We got ready for bed by pulling out and dividing up all the blankets and quilts in the wardrobe and piling them on those already on the beds. Keeping our clothes on, we crawled under about 25 pounds of covers on our respective beds. Quite often, we will stay up late talking lies and telling sad truths we hope the other will think are lies, but not this night, not when it's so cold you can actually see your words leaving your mouth. 

It was warm under all those covers and I slept pretty comfortably through the night. No weird sounds, no empty creaking rocking chairs, no covers pulled off and nothing touched my face or neck. Evidently, it was too cold even for restless spirits. What was really hard was crawling out of those covers into our very cold room. Eventually, my bladder told me cold or not, you better get out of bed and take care of business. In the bathroom, I held things up as looking down into the toilet, I found it was a solid hunk of ice. I turned to the sink and turned on the hot water - nothing. I tried the tub and the shower - not even a drop of water. The pipes were frozen. I turned on the TV as I told Chip he needed to get up since we had to go find a bathroom somewhere. The weather guy on the TV informed us the temp had dropped to 8 degrees - a record low for that day!

The hallway outside our room where

a headless man is said to walk

Grabbing our overnight kits, we headed over to the newer section hoping to find a suitable place to take care of our needs. The chair against the door was still in place so we moved it out of the way and quickly went down the stairs. In the lobby, it was, thankfully, much, much warmer. We met Phyllis and after telling her about our frozen pipes, she heartily apologized and showed us to a little bathroom. She explained they only serve breakfast on weekends (we were there on a weekday), but she had a fresh pot of coffee going and she broke out some breakfast muffins. 

After a couple of muffins each and starting on our 2nd cup of coffee, we got to talking with Phyllis about the hotel. She gave us a wonderful little tour and told us all kinds of interesting information about each of the many pictures on the walls and items in the display case. She showed us the famous signatures in the hotel's register. We got her to talk about the hauntings and she admitted sometimes late at night, she would hear things - footsteps, voices. But she claimed nothing bad had ever happened and she didn't get scared. She also told us about the old hotel across the street, The Jefferson. She informed us that the Excelsior is famously haunted, but in her opinion, the Jefferson has more ghosts and some of them are not nearly as innocuous as the Excelsior's. 

The courtyard from the balcony outside

our room. That's not snow, it's sleet

She told a wonderful story about a poor fella that accepted a job as night clerk at the Jefferson. Since the nights sometimes were long and dark when there were few or no guests in either hotel, they would cross the street and visit to pass the time. One dark night, she saw the gentleman run out of the front door, jump in his car, and drove away like a bat out of hell. That would be the last time she ever saw him. He called her the next day to say he couldn't take it anymore and he would never go back. He said he had heard footsteps on the 2nd floor and knowing there were no guests that night, he went upstairs to find out who had snuck in. He walked all the way down the hall, not seeing or hearing anything until he came to the end of the hall when all of a sudden the locked door to the room swung open and he saw a pair of red eyes staring at him. He turned and ran back down the hall, but the disembodied red eyes followed him and as it went by the individual rooms, each and every door slammed open! The eyes followed him all the way to the front door as he ran away screaming. The gentleman and his wife quickly sold their house, moved away, and have never been back.

The fountain in the courtyard in the morning

As we checked out, Phyllis talked about her husband and how he goes fishing nearly every day on nearby Caddo Lake. She said she doesn't mind because when he stays home, he gets bored and finds things to fix, but he's not very good at it and just generally gets in her way. She then jokingly said, "If you meet my husband, don't tell him what I said!" Before heading out the door, we asked for her recommendation of a place to get breakfast and she directed us to the Port Jefferson Outpost, "the place where the locals go."

The Outpost just before the local guys arrived

Following Phyllis's directions, we found the Outpost a few blocks away. The front 3/4 of the store is one of those little Mom-&-Pop places that sell all kinds of things like scented hand-made soap, knick-knacks, signs, sauces, and jams. Go all the way through though and in the back is an ordering counter, several picnic tables, and a sit-down counter. On a little table at the end were several urns of hot coffee where you can help yourself. The girl we gave our order to was very nice and a full breakfast was very reasonably priced. We wondered a little if this really is where the locals come since we were the only customers. However, just a few minutes after we sat down, a couple of older gentlemen came in, then a man and his wife, then a few more guys, all wearing gimme hats from Massey Ferguson, Farmall, John Deere, or Janes Farm and Feed. Everyone was friendly, smiled, and said hi. Finally, a bearded gentleman in another gimme hat strolled in and everybody called him by name. He was obviously a popular guy. Getting a cup of coffee and telling the counter girl he would have his usual, he came over and took the last open seat which just happened to be next to us. They all talked about fixing tractors, barn roofs, and boat motors, but mostly they discussed fishing - were the fish biting, where are they biting, what are they biting and who all is going fishing today. The conversation took a lag so Mr. Popular turned to us and stated with authority, "You guys aren't from around here." Every head in the room was focused on us, wanting to know our story. We told him no, we were just passing through and had spent last night at the Excelsior House. "Oh," he exclaimed, "then you must have met my wife, Phyllis!"

Small world! We talked about various things for a while and then the guys started drifting out one-by-one to go fix something or to go fish. Our breakfast was finished so with bellies full and cups of coffee for the road, we said our goodbye's to Phyliss' husband and headed out for our next destination, the town of Uncertain. Don't worry, Phyliss, we never said a word.

Money Maker

No, not talking about Wall Street or starting your own business; we're talking about the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), where they make the actual paper bills you use to buy stuff. Most people don't know there are only two of these in the world where all the American paper bills are made - Washington, D.C. and Fort Worth, Texas, and both offer free tours (Tuesday - Friday, 8:30 - 4:30) where you will learn all kinds of interesting information and actually watch money being made.

If you do decide to take a tour, be aware you will have to leave your camera and smartphones at home or in your car (parking at the facility is free and is fenced and guarded) as there is absolutely no photographs allowed inside the facility. Don't think you can sneak one in either as you will have to enter the building through a metal detector just like at the airport except the guards are very diligent about watching the x-ray machines and the metal detector is turned up  to catch anything metal. Although the guards are friendly and helpful, they are extremely watchful and they are everywhere! Follow the rules and you are guaranteed to have an interesting and very informative time!

Here are just a few money tidbits:

All of the bills are designed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (part of the U.S. Treasury) by professional artists. After the overall design is approved, the artwork must go through a lengthy approval process by the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Reserve Banks, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and the U.S Secret Service. Once it's a go, certified Engravers using specialized tools carve the drawings into metal plates. To be a certified Engraver requires ten years of study and work as an apprentice!

It takes 4 weeks to produce a bill from the start of its life as a sheet of highly specialized blank cotton and linen paper to being finished currency.

In 2018, it costs 5.6 cents to print a $1 dollar bill. The cost for the larger denominations is: 11 cents for a $5 dollar bill, 11.7 cents for a $10, 10.8 cents for the $20, 12.9 cents for a $50 and 13.2 cents for the $100.

Denominations larger than the $100 bill were last issued in 1969.

The motto "In God We Trust" only became a part of the design of paper money by an act of Congress in 1955.

You can fold a piece of paper currency forward then backward about 4,000 times before it will tear.

The estimated life span of a $1 bill is 5.8 years; 5.5 years for a $5 bill; 4.5 years for a $10, 7.9 years for a $20, 8.5 years for a $50 and 115 years for a $100.

The design of the $1 bill has not changed in more than 50 years, longer than any other denomination.

A picture of Thomas Jefferson is on the front of the $2 bill. Before he became president, he wrote the Declaration of Independence. That is why there is a famous painting about the Declaration of Independence on the back.

Alexander Hamilton is on the front of the $10 bill. He was the first person to run the U.S. Treasury, which is why there is a picture of the Treasury Building on the back. The $10 bill is one of only two bills that do not have a picture of a president on them. The other? The $100 bill with Benjamin Franklin's picture. One of the many things he is famous for is printing some of America's first bills.

As of December 31, 2017, there was $1,571.1 billion in circulation, totaling 41.6 billion notes in volume.

For the year 2019, the Federal Reserve ordered 7,046,400,000 individual bills to be printed with a total of $206,905,600,000 in dollar value.

The facility in Fort Worth completes the production of bills at the rate of approximately 18 million notes per day worth approximately $31 million.

Visitors who take the tour will enjoy two floors of interactive exhibits and displays showcasing the history of paper currency and the production process. Before starting the tour, be sure to watch the educational film "How Money is Made" in the theater. 

The facility is located at 9000 Blue Mound Road, Fort Worth, TX 76131. For more information, call (866) 865-1194.

The Anonymous Moon Tree

There's a loblolly pine tree next to the Sebastian County Courthouse in Ft. Smith, Arkansas that has traveled where few humans have ever gone. The tree, planted in a ceremony on Arbor Day in 1976, was a sprout from one of about 400 seeds Apollo 14 astronaut Stuart Roosa carried to the moon and back in February 1971. Arborists call it a "moon tree."

Unfortunately, few people know anything about the significance of the tree. There's no marker, no historical placard, no informational sign at all so even most of the folks who work at the courthouse, tourist information workers, and public information workers are unaware of the tree's history. And so it stayed anonymous until not that long ago when a public information officer for the Arkansas Forestry Commission arrived in town asking about it.

The information he brought with him proved the seed of the tree was one carried to the moon by Roosa, a former U.S. Forest Service smokejumper. A mostly unknown story is that when Roosa returned from space, the packets of seeds exploded during decontamination procedures. Scientists said the seeds were dead after being in space and undergoing decontamination. But then, just to be sure, a few of the seeds were planted in starter containers. The "experts" were surely surprised when the seeds proved to be unexpectedly hardy and sprouted! 

After proof of life, some of the seeds were planted in a patch of ground next to earth-bound seeds of the same variety for NASA to study and determine if seeds in space grew any different. Almost 50 years later, no difference has been evident. A large number of the space seeds were given to various Forest Services regional offices and Arbor Day groups to be planted around the nation during ceremonies celebrating the national Bicentennial Year.

All together, Arkansas received four of the space seeds and all were planted at the same time. In addition to the Fort Smith tree, one was planted at the Forestry Services office in Little Rock, one in Monticello and the other was planted in Old Washington Historic State Park in Hope. The Little Rock tree and the Monticello tree died in the mid-1990s from root nematodes. Both the Washington State Park and Fort Smith trees remain in good health and are available for you to touch, hug and take a selfie with a living entity that has been to the moon!

Postcard from The Chairy Orchard

"The Chairy Orchard"

There's a wonderfully whimsical little place you should take a few minutes to visit if you find yourself in Denton, Texas - "The Chairy Orchard." Nope, that's not a misspelling."The Chairy Orchard" was started in 2015 in an empty suburban lot between the houses owned by long-time friends Anne Pearson and Judy Smith, affectionately known as "The Chairy Fairies." The ladies have owned their homes and been friends for over 40 years now. 

The lot is in a floodway so no permanent structure can be built on it. In earlier days, the lot was the site of their children's and grandchildren's and even great-grandchildren's soccer games, volleyball games and skateboard ramps. Forts were built and swings were hung from "The Big Tree." Easter eggs were hidden and found and games of tag were conducted. Over the years, the sounds of childish laughter and squeals of delight filled the ground between Anne and Judy's homes. 

In 2015, with the children mostly grown, Judy began attaching chairs to the trees at the rear of the property and named it "The Chairy Tree." Ann wanted to expand the pun by creating "The Chairy Orchard." With that thought, one thing led to another and "The Chairy Fairies" began collecting chairs from all over town. Most of the dozens of chairs were found at thrift stores, garage sales, dumpsters and curbs.

"Chairy Arch"

An artist friend, Mark Holderbaum, agreed to build an entryway arch so Ann and Judy collected 30 metal chairs which Mark welded into a "Chairy Arch" so the orchard could have a grand entrance. Terry, Judy's son, built a giant chair and her grandson, Drew, built "The Chairy Totter." Small chairs still get attached to Anne's fence, "The Chairy Wood Fence." Chairs are also attached to an oak tree named "Jim's Chairy Tree." When chairs die due to weather and age, they are laid to rest in "The Chairy Graveyard."

The mission of "The Chairy Orchard" is simple - to make people smile. To this end, it is open to the public from dawn to dusk. "The Chairy Fairies" enjoy seeing people walking around smiling, taking pictures and having a nice time in their little park which has lately been the site of Easter egg hunts, engagement photos, pot luck dinners, birthday parties, prom and graduation pictures, baby photos and even weddings. 

The author in the "Giant Chair"

There is no charge to visit, but there is a box set up for folks who are so inclined (and I hope everyone is!) to give a donation to help "The Chairy Fairies" pay for the orchard's upkeep and to thank them for being such good, generous people who are bringing a smile to stranger's faces. The Chairy Orchard is located at 1426 Churchill Drive. It is a quiet, suburban neighborhood and visitors should be respectful of the good folks living there and their property.

Postcard From The Last American International Boundary Marker

Road-side markers for the Texas-Louisiana
boundary marker along FM-31

Just about 10 miles south of Deadwood, Texas and 6 miles from Logansport, Louisiana on Texas FM-31 is a little pull-off site with just enough room for three or four cars to park on the bare ground. Off the beaten path would be a good term for it. Actually, it's so far out in the boonies, you gotta be going there to get there. But this little nondescript spot is historically significant.

In the 1700's, French and Spanish land claims overlapped on the current Texas-Louisiana boundary. Of course they began disputing this New World boundary as each country claimed Texas. The dispute was still going on when the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803. The government leaders finally agreed to a neutral area between the Arroyo Hondo and the Sabine River. In 1819, the Adams-Onis Treaty formally defined the border. Questions arose again when Texas won its independence and became a republic in 1836. Texas appointed a joint commission with the U.S. to survey and mark an official boundary from the Gulf of Mexico to the Sabine River and on to the Red River.

The survey began on May 20, 1840 and after an exact spot was determined, a 36-foot pole was placed in the middle of a large earthen mound on the Gulf of Mexico beach. Proceeding north, they placed 8-foot posts which marked the number of miles from the 32nd parallel. When they reached the parallel, they placed a granite marker on the west bank of the Sabine River and then traveled due north to the Red River. The survey was completed in late June, 1841.

A few years later, erosion caused the granite marker to fall into the river and it was lost to history. Fortunately, the surveyors had placed a second granite marker on their northward path to mark the north-south meridian. On the east face of the marker they chiseled "U.S." and on the west face "R.T." for Republic of Texas. 

That marker is what you will find if you venture to this quiet, very rural little place. So what's so remarkable about this marker? It is one of a kind - the one and only international boundary marker to be found inside the contiguous United States! Except for this one, all others have been lost to time, erosion or vandals.

Susanna Dickinson - Alamo Survivor

Susanna Dickinson
Historical photo

Contrary to what a lot of folks believe, there actually were Texan survivors after the March 6, 1836 battle of the Alamo. Approximately eleven Mexican women and children, the wives and children of several Alamo defenders, survived the final assault. When the final battle began, Brigido Guerrero, who had deserted from the Mexican Army in December 1835 sought refuge in the sacristy (a room near the alter for keeping vestments, sacred vessels, and parish records) with the women and children and was spared after convincing the soldiers he was a prisoner of the Texans. A black man, Joe, Lt. Colonel Travis' 20-year-old personal slave, also survived. In addition to these fortunate few, two Caucasians survived, Susanna Dickinson, the 21-year-old wife of Texan defender Almaron Dickinson and their 15-month-old daughter, Angelina.

Susanna and Almaron were married in 1829 when she was only 15. Almaron, an early proponent of succession from Mexico, volunteered for the Texas Army and fought in the Battle of Gonzalez, the first armed conflict which launched the Texas Revolution. He later took part in a series of skirmishes which by late 1835 forced Mexican forces out of the San Antonio area. After being assigned to the Alamo garrison, Susanna joined Almaron and they lived in a house outside of the Alamo's grounds. 

On February 23, 1836, Mexican president Santa Anna led approximately 4,000 troops into San Antonio. For safety, Almaron quickly brought Susanna and little Angelina inside the walls of the Alamo. For the next 13 days, the Mexican army lay siege to the Alamo. During this time, Susanna cooked for the 189 defenders and cared for the wounded and sick.

At 5:30am the morning of March 6, Santa Anna gave the order to his troops to advance. Susanna, Angelina, and most of the other noncombatants gathered in the chapel sacristy. Later, Susana reported that Davy Crockett ran into the chapel and said a brief prayer at the alter before running into the battle. The Texans managed to beat back the first two charges, but the Mexicans breached the walls on the 3rd massive charge. During the next hour, there was a furious, bloody, savage battle, mostly hand-to-hand, in which the impossibly out-manned Texans fought for their lives. The last combatants to die were Almaron, the captain of the artillery and his 11 soldiers who were manning the two 12-pound cannons not far from the sacristy just inside the chapel. A few seconds before the final assault on their position, Almaron ran to his wife and said, "Great God, Sue, the Mexicans are inside our walls! If they spare you, save my child!" He kissed her and ran back to his post. 

The entrance to the chapel had been barricaded with sandbags, which the Texans were able to fire over, but a shot from the Mexican 18-pounder cannon destroyed the barricade and Mexican soldiers entered after an initial musket
volley. Dickinson's crew fired their cannons into the Mexican soldiers, killing and wounding a large number of them, but they had no time to reload. Dickinson, Gregorio Esparza, James Bonham (the 29-year-old 2nd cousin of Travis who came to the Alamo with Jim Bowie), and the remaining Texans grabbed rifles and fired before being bayoneted to death. Texan Robert Evans, the master of ordinance, had been tasked with keeping the gunpowder from falling into Mexican hands. Severely wounded, he crawled towards the powder magazine but was killed by a musket ball with his torch only inches from the powder. If he had succeeded, the blast would have destroyed the chapel, killing Susanna and the other women and children hiding in it. As soldiers approached the sacristy, the 8-year-old son of defender Anthony Wolf stood to pull a blanket over his shoulders. Four Mexican soldiers killed him with their bayonets.

Angelina Dickinson
Historical Photo

Mexican soldiers found Susanna huddled in the chapel and brought her to General Santa Anna. He spared her and the baby, then offered to adopt Angelina and have her educated in Mexico City. Susanna refused so he gave her $2 and a blanket and along with Joe, Travis' slave and Ben, a former American slave who was serving as a cook for the Mexican forces, dispatched them to the Texas army in Gonzales with demands that she spread the news of the destruction that awaited those who opposed the Mexican government.

After arriving in Gonzales on March 13, the three found Sam Houston and told him of the fall of the Alamo. They also told him of the number of Mexican forces and the armament they carried. She also told details of the 13-day siege, the final battle and the aftermath. Over the years, she stated:

•  There were very few causalities among the Texans during the first 12 days of almost unceasing bombardment from Mexican cannons. She confirmed the legendary "line in the sand" incident, where Colonel Travis gave defenders the choice of staying or leaving. 
• On the morning of the assault, Almaron ran into where she had hidden, made his final statements to her and then returned to his duty. She never saw him again, nor did she ever see his body.
• The two young sons of artilleryman Anthony Wolf,> ages eleven and twelve, ran to their father as the Mexican soldiers entered the chapel. She watched as they were bayoneted to death, along with their father.
• When she was discovered, a Mexican officer intervened. She believed he was a British mercenary named Almonte. He actually was Juan Almonte, who spoke perfect English, as he had been educated in New Orleans.
• Outside the chapel, there was a single survivor, found hiding, who unsuccessfully begged for mercy and was killed. Joe also reported this.
• She saw the body of  Davy Crockett lying among a number of Mexican bodies between the chapel and the barracks building.
• She saw the body of Jim Bowie with two dead Mexican soldiers lying beside him.
• She was taken to the house where she'd previously lived and from there could see the pyres of the dead Texans being burned.
• Santa Anna had her identify the bodies of all the commanders and main defenders.

Being illiterate, Susanna left no written accounts, but gave the same verbal recollections on several occasions. After Texas defeated Santa Anna and his forces at San Jacinto and won its independence, Susanna moved to Houston and married again the next year. She very quickly divorced him on the grounds of cruelty. She married again in 1838, but her husband died several years later of alcoholism. She married a man by the name of Bellows in 1847, but they divorced in 1857 after he found she was having an affair. Outraged at the scandal, members of the First Baptist Church objected to her attendance there. She voluntarily left the congregation.

Susanna married for the 5th and final time in 1858 to J. W. Hannig, a cabinet maker who was 20 years younger than her.  They moved to Austin and she remained married to him until her death there in 1883. She was buried in Oakwood Cemetery with her stone inscribed "Sacred to the Memory of Susan A. Wife of J. W. Hannig Died Oct. 7, 1883 Aged 68 Years." Some modern day researchers and analyst claim she probably suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) due to her traumatic experience at the Alamo and this affected her path in life. Hannig followed her in death in 1890. The state of Texas added a marble slab above her grave on March 2, 1949. Because of her tarnished reputation, the marker simply reads “Mother of the Babe of the Alamo.” In 1993, a cenotaph honoring Susanna was placed in the Texas State Cemetery in Austin.

Susanna never had any other children. She gave her permission for Angelina, at the age of 17, to marry John Maynard Griffith, a farmer from Montgomery County. Over the next six years, the Griffiths had three children, but the marriage ended in divorce. Leaving two of her children with Susanna and one with an uncle, Angelina drifted to New Orleans where rumors spread of her promiscuity. She moved to Galveston and allegedly became a prostitute. She died at the young age of 35 in 1869, reportedly of a uterine  hemorrhage. She was buried in Galveston, but her grave site was lost in the Great Storm of 1900. 







One of the surviving Hispanic children, Alejo Pérez, Jr., was the son of Juana Alsbury and her husband, Alamo defender Alejo Pérez, Sr. He was brought into the Alamo by his mother and was seventeen days short of his first birthday at the time of the last assault. He grew up and lived his whole life in San Antonio, where he was later a policeman. He died on October 19, 1918, the last survivor of the Alamo.

Postcard from Fort Leaton

Marker at Fort Leaton

The area around the junction of the Rio Conchos and the Rio Grande rivers in far southwest Texas was first inhabited approximately 8,800 years ago according to archaeological evidence. From earliest times, humans have considered this to be a special place. Caches of stone tools and ceremonial arrowheads have been found throughout the area. The first Europeans, Spanish explorers,  came in the 1500's and with them, they brought diseases and illness' unknown to the native peoples, basically wiping them out. The Spaniards left and for the next 300 years, even though Spain continued to claim this land, they never settled it. Mexico won its independence from Spain and for the next 50 years, they claimed the land, but they didn't settle it either. Because it was so remote and rugged, everyone knew it as El Despoblado (the uninhabited land.)

There's a reason it was mostly uninhabited

In the 1800's, the Mescalero Apache and Comanche Indians came and ruled the land. During this time, in 1848, Ben Leaton purchased a shack and some land from a Mexican absentee owner, Juan Bustillos, and proceeded to build a 40-room adobe fortress around it. A former scalp hunter, Ben reached an uneasy truce with the Indians by providing them with food and weapons and encouraging them to raid Mexico where there ware many more cattle and horses. He paid them in goods for any stolen cattle they brought back. 

Leaton died in 1851 and his widow married Edward Hal who moved into the fort and took over the Leaton business. When he ran into financial trouble, he used the fort as collateral to borrow money from Leaton's ex-scalp hunting partner, John Burgess. When he defaulted on the loan, Burgess tried to evict Hal and his wife, but Edward refused to leave. He was found murdered not long afterward and there was no proof as to who killed him. The now twice widowed woman promptly moved out and was lost to history. John moved into the fort, but 10 years later was also found murdered. It was said that Ben Leaton's son did the deed in revenge, but he was never brought to trial and the death of Burgess was never solved and largely forgotten.

Be careful where you step

After the Civil War ended in 1865, military forts were established the Buffalo soldiers. mostly African-American cavalry, eventually drove the Indians out of the area and onto reservations far away. This allowed ranches to be established. Due to the scarcity of water and lack of forage, the ranches had to be large to sustain the cattle. The Chillicothe-Saucita Ranch covered 300,000 acres and when purchased in 1998 by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, it became Big Bend Ranch State Park. The Lely Ranch encompassed 70,000 acres. (In case you are interested, as of this writing, it is uninhabited and for sale at an undisclosed price.)

Entrance side of Fort Leaton

Due to murders, financial difficulties and abandonment, the fort and surrounding land was deeded to the state of Texas in 1967. Rumors of the building being haunted didn't help finding anyone who would buy the property. (For the story of the haunting click here.) Located on FM 170,  Fort Leaton is today a Texas State Historical Site and is undergoing restoration. So far, 24 of the original rooms have been restored complete with cottonwood beams and the other 16 rooms are in various stages of restoration. The site contains historic ruins, nature trails, and exhibits and is open from 8:00AM - 4:30PM every day except Christmas. A Texas State Park Store gift shop is located on the grounds.

Restoration continues on the old fort