Category Archives: Today in Texas History

Today in Texas History – November 7

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From the Annals of the Constitution –  In 1972, Texas voters passed the Equal Rights Amendment to the Texas Constitution.  The Amendment was the end result of a campaign started in 1957 by the Texas Federation of Business and Professional Women. In 1957, the TFBPW sent attorney Hermine D. Tobolowsky to testify for a bill authorizing married women to control property separately from their husbands. When members of the Senate Committee reacted to her testimony with amusement, Tobolowsky determined to shift direction and steer the TFBPW towards a campaign for an equal rights amendment rather than seeking incremental changes in particular statutes.  Despite several setbacks including resistance from later-disgraced House Speaker Gus Mutscher, the TFBPW ultimately succeeded in getting the amendment passed by the Legislature and almost 80% of Texas voters approved the amendment.  The amendment is remarkably simple in its phrasing but broad in its impact.

Equality under the law shall not be denied or abridged because of sex, race, color, creed, or national origin.  This amendment is self-operative.

Today in Texas History – October 30

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From the Annals of the Big Thicket –  In 1984,President Ronald Reagan signed a bill that established five wilderness areas in East Texas. The five were the Big Slough Wilderness Area, Indian Mounds Wilderness Area, Little Lake Creek Wilderness Area, Turkey Hill Wilderness Area and Upland Island Wilderness Area.  Red fondly remembers the time when Republicans at least used to pretend that they gave a damn about the environment.

Today in Texas History – October 26

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From the Annals of the Military-Industrial Complex –  In 2001, Lockheed Martin won a $200 billion contract for the production of the “Joint Strike Fighter” jet.  The 40 year deal was the largest defense contract in history.   After a competition between the Boeing X-32 and the LM X-35, a final design was chosen based on the X-35. This is the F-35 Lightning II which intended to replace numerous tactical aircraft in the U.S., Canadian and British armed forces. The most persuasive demonstration of the X-35’s capability was the final qualifying JSF flight trials, in which the LM X-35B prototype aircraft took off in less than 500 feet, went supersonic, and landed vertically – a feat that Boeing’s entry was unable to match.

Today in Texas History – October 25

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From the Annals of World Series – In 2005, the first World Series game ever to be played in Texas started.  The Houston Astros played the Chicago White Sox at Minute Maid Field losing 7-5 in 14 innings.  The game was also the longest in World Series history lasting 5 hours and 41 minutes and actually ended on October 26.   The long game produced many all-time World Series records.  The teams combined to use 17 pitchers (9 White Sox and 8 Astros), throwing a total of 482 pitches, and walking 21 batters (12 by the WS, 9 by the Stros); 43 players were used (the White Sox used 22 and the Astros used 21), and 30 men were left on base (15 for each team). Scott Podsednik set an all-time record with eight at-bats in the game.

The Series itself was remarkable as the teams had combined for 132 years of championship frustration.  The Astros had not won in their 44 year history and the Pale Hose last championship had been in 1917.  The White Sox would go on to sweep the Astros in 4 games and break their long drought.

Today in Texas History – October 24

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From the Annals of the Builders –  In 1971,Texas Stadium officially opened in Irving with the Cowboys beating the New England Patriots 44-21.

The Cowboys’ original home was the Cotton Bowl at Fair Park in Dallas.  However, by the late 1960’s, owner Clint Murchison, Jr. was concerned about that area of Dallas and believed that Cowboys’ fans should not have to experience any less than pleasant experience on their way to games. CMJ attempted to persuade Dallas to build a new downtown stadium as part of a municipal bond package, but failed to get any traction for the idea.

Murchison was a visionary and planned for a new stadium with sky boxes for elite patrons that would provide a new revenue source that would not have to be shared with other owners.  He also came up with the idea of selling bonds (now called personal seat licenses) as a prerequisite to purchasing season tickets and as a way to finance construction of a new stadium to be located in nearby Irving.

The somewhat pretentiously named Texas Stadium was the first football only stadium built for an NFL team.  NFL teams had long-played in baseball parks or stadiums such as the Cotton Bowl original intended for college football games.  Then came a wave of multi-purpose stadiums such as the Astrodome.  But Texas Stadium with its iconic hole in the roof (really an accident as the stadium was supposed to have a retractable roof) set the mark for NFL teams who now aspired to controlling their own venue.  In the future, local taxpayers would bear the brunt of paying for the billionaires playgrounds.

 

Today in Texas History – October 20

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Louisiana Purchase Map

From the Annals of Manifest Destiny –     In 1803, the United States Senate approved the Louisiana Purchase almost doubling the size of the country.  The enormous acquisition allowed continuation of the western migration that characterized the first 100 years of our nation’s history. 

Today in Texas History – October 19

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From the Annals of the Vandals – In 1889, H.S. Barber carved his name in Devil’s Sinkhole near Rocksprings. The 350 foot deep sinkhole was first encountered by settlers years before, but Barber was the first known person to explore the cave.  The vertical cavern is the largest known single-chamber cavern in Texas. The cave opening is a shaft approximately 50 feet wide with a 140 foot vertical drop into the cavern. The shaft widens to a diameter of over 320 feet and reaches a total depth of over 350 feet. The cave is home  to more than three million Mexican free-tail bats.  It is now part of the Devil’s Sinkhole State Natural Area and can be visited by making advanced reservations.

Today in Texas History – October 13

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From the Annals of the Latinos –    In 1921, the Order of Sons of America was founded in San Antonio.  The OSA was one of the first Mexican-American civil rights organizations dedicated to protecting and advancing the interests of Mexican-American citizens.  The OSA limited membership to U.S. native- born or naturalized U.S. citizens.   The OSA believed that assimilation to American culture was the key to acceptance as equal members of American society.  The OSA’s policy of excluding Mexican immigrants  and taking a stance against large scale immigration was controversial, but thought necessary in its campaign to persuade Anglos that Mexican-Americans were loyal Americans who were an integral part of society throughout much of the Southwest.  This was rooted in a belief that preserving Mexican culture and traditions had resulted in Anglos not accepting them as equal American citizens.  The OSA was ultimately merged with other organizations to found LULAC.

Today in Texas History – October 12

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From the Annals of the Tunesmiths –  In 1980, Mickey Newbury was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Association International Hall of Fame.  Newbury, who was from Houston, started as a singer in The Embers – a group which had moderate success opening for acts such as Sam Cooke and Johnny Cash.  After a stint in the Air Force, Newbury decided to try songwriting and moved to Nashville where he signed with Acuff-Rose and later RCA and cranked out hit songs for a wide range of performers including Andy Williams, Roy Orbison, Eddy Arnold, Ray Charles, Waylon Jennings, B. B. King, Joan Baez, Dottie West, Linda Rondstadt, Rat Price, Jerry Lee Lewis, David Allen Coe and Johnny Rodriguez to name a few.  In 1968 Newbury became the first songwriter to ever score Number 1 hits on the easy listening (Sweet Memories – Andy Williams), country (Here Comes the Rain Baby – Eddy Arnold), rhythm and blues (Time is a Thief – Solomon Burke), and pop-rock charts (Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) – Kenny Rogers & the First Edition) at the same time. This incredible feat has never been matched.  Among his best known works is his “American Trilogy” arrangement of Dixie, All My Trials and The Battle Hymn of the Republic which Elvis Presley frequently used as the closing number for his live shows.

Newbury’s influence as a songwriter and producer can hardly be overstated.  He was considered a “songwriter’s songwriter” and is listed as a major influence by such diverse tunesmiths as Kris Kristofferson, Townes Van Zandt, Roger Miller, Guy Clark and John Prine. Although never successful as singer (with over 20 albums), he is a legend among those who know music.