Category Archives: Today in Texas History

Today in Texas History – January 24

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From the Annals of Best Intentions –  In 1845, the Texas Senate ratified a peace treaty between Anglo settlers and 11 Native American tribes.  The treaty was negotiated by Sam Houston whose attitudes towards Native Americans was markedly different than that of the general public based on his years of living with the Cherokee.  Houston hoped that the treaty would usher in a new era of peaceful relations between the Anglo-Texan settlers and the tribes still in control of vast areas of the Republic.  Had Texas remained an independent country the outcome could have been different.  However, with statehood all Indian affairs became the responsibility of the federal government and any chance of peace with the most aggressive tribes such as the Comanche, Kiowa and Wichita was gone.

Image of Sam Houston in Cherokee clothing.

Today in Texas History – January 23

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From the Annals of the Civil War -In 1863, Martin Hart was executed in Fort Smith, Arkansas for treason against the Confederate States of America.  Hart was an attorney from Hunt County who had served in the Texas Legislature as a representative and senator.  He was opposed to secession, but after Texas passed the vile screed known as the Ordinance of Secession, he resigned from the Legislature and organized the Greenville Guards, pledging the company’s services “in defense of Texas whenever she is invaded or threatened with invasion.”   He was, however, a Union spy.  In Arkansas he led a series of rear-guard actions against Confederate forces, and is alleged to have murdered at least two prominent secessionists. He was captured on January 18, 1863, by Confederate forces, hung five days later and buried in an unmarked grave under the hanging tree.

Today in Texas History – January 18

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From the Annals of the NFL –  The Pittsburgh Stealers beat the Irving Cowboys 21-17 in Superb Owl X at the Orange Bowl in Miami.  The Stealers scored 21 the hard way with 2 TD’s, 1 PAT, 1 Safety and 2 Field Goals.  The margin of victory might have been greater if not for Stealers’ kicker Roy Gerela being injured tackling Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson when the Cowboys ran a trick play reverse on the opening kickoff.  Gerela suffered bruised ribs and missed two short field goals and an extra point. Stealers quarterback Terry Bradshaw (who had been much maligned during the regular season) was an efficient 9-19 for 209 yards and 2 TDs, but it was the Stealers defense that won the day.   Cowboys’ quarterback Roger Staubach had one of his worst games throwing up 3 interceptions and getting sacked 7 times.   Still, down 21-10 in the 4th quarter, the Cowboys mounted a comeback driving 80 yards in 5 plays topped off with a 34 yard touchdown pass to tight end Percy Howard.  Remarkably, it was the only reception of Howard’s NFL career.  After failing to recover the onside kick, the Cowboys defense held and the offense came on with 1:22 needing a touchdown to win.  It was not to be as Staubach threw up his third interception in the end zone as time ran out.

Today in Texas History – January 17

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From the Annals of the Empresarios –  In 1821, New Spain awarded Moses Austin of Missouri a grant to settle 300 families in Texas.  Although Anglos had previously travelled to and settled in Texas, this agreement began the process of Anglo-American colonization of Texas.   Moses Austin never acted on the grant as he passed away after his initial success in obtaining permission.  The task fell to his son Stephen F. Austin who  was recognized as his successor. The success of the Mexican War for Independence put the grant at risk. But  a special decree issued in April 1823 allowed the younger Austin to begin the colonization that resulted in 300 families settling in Austin’s Colony near San Felipe.

Photo of Moses Austin statue from tshaonline.org

Today in Texas History – January 13

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From the Annals of the Big Thicket  –   In 1939, Thomas Jefferson Golemon was arrested for the first time.  Known as the “Red Fox of the Big Thicket”, Golemon’s short but serious crime spree began at Corpus Christi,  where he and two others  were arrested and charged with the murder of a rig builder who had been killed in a drunken fight. Golemon was released on bond and predictably failed to show up for trial.  In July of 1939 he resurfaced in Hull where he and partner in crime Francis Alva Smith robbed the Hull State Bank making off with  $12,000.  Golemon eventually headed to Houston where he holed up with relatives one of whom gave up his location to the police.  He was delivered to the Liberty County Sheriff. By December 1939 Golemon was unbelievably out on bond again and of course failed to appear for trial.  He hid out in the Big Thicket where he robbed, kidnapped and stole from the local residents.   He was also accused of robbing and shooting a cab driver in Beaumont.  Golemon was also wrongfully accused of robbing the Kirbyville State Bank.  The search for Golemon continued until April 11, 1940, when he was cornered at his parents home in Hardin County and was killed in a barrage of gunfire.

Today in Texas History – January 12

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From the Annals of the Blue Northers –   In 1988, the Schoolhouse Blizzard roared through Texas after blanketing the Dakotas, Montana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma.

The blizzard resulted from the collision of a massive Artic cold front with warm humid air from the Gulf of Mexico.   The rapid temperature drop of almost 40 degrees in some places caused high winds and heavy snow.  The speeding storm struck Montana in the early hours of January 12, moved on to the Dakota Territory and reached Nebraska by mid-afternoon.

The storm caused an estimated 235 deaths.  The storm hit during mid-day and had been preceded by a short period of warmer weather. The strong winds and powdery snow caused a white-out on the open plains.  The thousands of people who were caught unawares outside were in immediate danger.   The blizzard’s name came from the fact that most teachers wisely kept children safely in their schoolrooms.

Today in Texas History – Jan 11

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From the Annals of Criminal Justice    In 1954, the landmark appeal styled Hernández v. the State of Texas was brought before the United States Supreme Court.  Hernandez is considered to be the only Mexican-American civil rights case decided by the Court in the post-war era.

Pedro Hernandez, a Mexican-American agricultural worker, was convicted by an all-white jury in Jackson County for the 1950 murder of Joe Espinosa. Hernandez’s pro bono legal team, led by Gustavo C. Garcia,  wanted to use Hernandez’s conviction as a test case to challenge “the systematic exclusion of persons of Mexican origin from all types of jury duty in at least seventy counties in Texas.”  The appeal was based on the established practice of systematically excluding Mexican Americans, a recognized minority in Texas, from service on grand juries and juries.  The evidence showed that although numerous Mexican Americans were citizens and had otherwise qualified for jury duty in Jackson County, during the previous 25 years no Mexican Americans were among the 6,000 persons chosen to serve on juries.  This was a violation of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, as juries were restricted by ethnicity.  The Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of Hernandez, and required he be retried by a jury composed without discrimination against Mexican Americans. The Court held that the Fourteenth Amendment protects persons beyond the racial classes and applies to discrimination based on nationality groups as well.

Photo of Pedro Hernandez with his attorneys Gustavo Garcia and Johnny Herrera.

 

Today in Texas History – January 6

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From the Annals of Conquistadors –  In 1540, the Spanish Viceroy of New Spain, Antonio de Mendoza, appointed Francisco Vázquez de Coronado to lead an expedition in search of the Seven Cities of Cíbola also known as the Seven Cities of Gold. Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca had described Cibola in his 1536 report after finding his way back to New Spain following his arduous journey from Galveston where he was shipwrecked. The disreputable Marcos de Niza had confirmed Cabeza de Vaca’s report based on his own travels in 1539. Coronado and 1,000 men set out from Culiacán in late April. There was no gold at Cíbola (the Zuñi villages in western New Mexico), but he was led on by stories told by the captive El Turco of great rewards to be found in Quivira, a region on the Great Plains far to the east.  Coronado wandered around the Great Plains for another 2 years finding nothing but poor Indian villages. When he returned to Mexico he was subjected to an official examination of his conduct as leader of the expedition and as governor of Nueva Galicia. He was cleared of charges in connection with the expedition.

Today in Texas History – Jan 5

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From the Annals of Depredations –  In 1865, a band of about 100 Indians raided a new settlement in Cooke County near the border with the Indian Territory. The war party killed nine people and rode off with numerous stolen horses.  The raid is considered to be the last Indian raid in Cooke County.

Today in Texas History – December 21

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From the Annals of the Governors –  In 1847, George Tyler Wood took office as the second governor of the state of Texas.    Wood was a relative newcomer to the state having arrived in 1839 from Georgia.  He established a plantation near Point Blank in San Jacinto County.  He was elected to the House of Representatives of the Republic in 1841 and later to the State Senate.    He ran for the open seat after Gov. James Pinckney Henderson decided to not seek a second term. His cause was aided by the death of candidate Isaac Van Zandt with most of Van Zandt’s support migrated to Wood.

Wood’s major accomplishment as governor was working to effective organization of local governments and the establishment of court houses.  He failed in Texas’ efforts to claim New Mexico as part of Texas and to convince the Federal government to fortify the Texas frontier.  As a result, he was a one term governor.  He lost his bid for reelection to Peter Bell in 1849.  He twice sought to return to the Governor’s mansion but was unsuccessful.