The history of Texas is filled with salacious accounts of gunslingers, human traffickers, gamblers, and corrupt politicians. The following observation by historian V.V. Masterson could have portrayed many towns in Texas when he described Skiddy Street in Denison in 1873: “Here were the tented gambling halls, the hurdy-gurdy joints, lowest class saloons, cockfighting pits, variety houses, and the deadly ‘dovecotes’ that served as houses of prostitution for all races, colors, a

The Alamo in San Antonio is rightly named the “Cradle of Texas Liberty.” It was first established in East Texas, and was later moved to San Antonio around 1719 where it was known as the Mission del San Antonio de Valero. By 1836, the Alamo church and convent were enclosed by a wall that was eight feet high, and two and a half feet thick. It was built to enclose 1,000 men plus animals and supplies.   With around 200 fighters, Col. William B. Travis could not protect such a vas

When the Spanish explorers came to Texas around 1540, many historians surmise that they had three main goals: God, glory and gold. But probably not in that order. Such explorers as Pánfilo de Narváez, Alonso Álvarez de Pineda, and Cabeza de Vaca brought with them Catholic friars to advance Christianity. One friar, Father Juan Suárez, starved to death in the failed Narváez expedition and is regarded by some to be the first Catholic martyr in Texas. Many of these Spanish expl

Among the illustrious speakers at the 1888 Republican National Convention was Frederick Douglass, an American social reformer that was known for his mesmerizing oratory. Douglass was formerly enslaved but had become a vocal advocate for equality and human rights until his death in 1895.      Part of Douglass’ Convention speech included these thoughts: “I believe that the Republican party will prove itself equally faithful to its friends, and those friends during the [Civil] w

If you stop in at Marlowe’s BBQ restaurant in Memphis, Tennessee, you will see a memorial to Elvis Presley, the late “King” of rock n’ roll. Since Graceland is nearby, he often dined at Marlowe’s and visited with the owner. Today, due to the Elvis connection, Marlowe’s has a standing tribute to the singer. A visit by the “king” made a difference.   On May 18, 1840, Abraham Lincoln visited Pontiac, Michigan, while fulfilling his first term in the Livingston County circuit cour

When Texas native Pearl Simmons died in India on December 18, 1912, few noticed. Born in 1884, Pearl lost her mother while still an infant, and her father died when she was a young teen. Suddenly on her own, Pearl struggled to survive in the foreboding city of Dallas. Regrettably, she found the financial income she needed in the red-light districts like Frogtown and Boggy Bayou. Over time, the toll of constant abuse left her in hopeless despair.   It was then that Pearl met R

When American frontiersman and posthumous Texas hero Davy Crockett left politics in Tennessee, he famously said that they may go to Hell, but he would go to Texas. But once Crockett arrived in Texas, he may have been a bit surprised at how similar the Lone Star state was to Hades. Not only was Texas hot and sultry, but a portion of the population consisted of violent criminals and other unsavory characters. Mercifully, God had a plan to bring the Gospel message to the un

William Carroll Crawford was the last surviving signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence when he died at the age of 92. Amazingly, Crawford was a relative of Charles Carroll of Maryland, the last surviving signer of the United States Declaration of Independence.    Born in North Carolina in 1804, Crawford was a tailor by trade. But as the Second Great Awakening sparked a mighty revival along the East Coast, Crawford relinquished his needle and thread to embrace the pul

Sippie Wallace was a Texas girl who became a nationally acclaimed blues singer. In the 1920s and '30s, Sippie was known as the Texas Nightingale, and performed with her husband Matt, and her brothers George and Hersal Thomas. Blues legends like Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, and Perry Bradford recorded songs with Sippie, who was signed by OKeh Records in Chicago.    The first two recordings that Sippie released on the OKeh label were “Shorty George” and “Up Country Blues.” She

It was Bing Crosby who first recognized the elite songwriting skills of Cindy Walker. Then, other major artists like Roy Orbison, Bob Wills, Ray Charles and Jim Reeves began singing her songs, too. In all, Ms. Walker composed more than 500 songs, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Fort Worth Cowgirl Hall of Fame, and the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame.   Such country favorites as "You Don't Know Me," "Cherokee Maiden,” "Misty Moonlight,” and "Dusty Sk