From the Annals of Twin Cities – In 1873,Texarkana was established.  Texarkana, Texas that is.  There are of course two Texarkanas in Texas and Arkansas.  Texarkana (site of a former Caddo Indian village) was strategically located on the Great Southwest Trail which for centuries was the primary route from Indian villages of the Mississippi River country to those in Texas and further west.  Its importance as a crossroads continued when in 1874, the Cairo and Fulton Railroad connected to the Texas and Pacific Railroad at Texarkana.

And despite what the song says there is no place in Louisiana that is “just about a mile from Texarkana.”

From the Annals of Boozing —  In 1933, the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified ending the era of Prohibition in America.  The 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment but still allowed states  to enact their own laws regarding the possession or importation of “intoxicating liquors.”  Surprisingly, Utah was the 36th state to ratify the amendment which achieved the required  approval of three-fourths of the 48 states.  Pennsylvania and Ohio had ratified it earlier in the day.

Riley’s Tavern in Hunter claims to have been the first establishment to obtain a beer license after Prohibition ended.  Some of us are old enough to remember the “liquor by the drink” days when it was still illegal to sell mixed drinks in Texas.

From the Annals of Wildcatting – In 1928, Carl (the Big Swede) Cromwell completed drilling of the world’s then deepest oil well.  Cromwell had come to prominence in the oil world with the drilling of  the famed Santa Rita No. 1 on land owned by the University of Texas in Reagan County.  After that success, Cromwell was named the drilling superintendent of the Texon Company’s rapidly expanding field on UT’s land in Reagan County. Cromwell also obtained private leases and began his wildcat operations.  Along with company engineer Clayton W. Williams, Cromwell began to drill deeper than the typical 3,000 foot depth of the deepest wells. In 1926 Williams located a site and Cromwell’s crews began work.  By late November 1928,Cromwell was directed to cease operations because of mounting expenses.  True to his wildcat spirit, Cromwell ignored the order and kept drilling deeper. By December 4, the well had reached 8,525 feet and hit the  pay zone.  The well, named University 1-B, remained the world’s deepest oil well for 3 years.

Photo of University 1-B Well from the Briscoe Center for American History at UT-Austin.