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VOLUME 7
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NUMBER 1
OCTOBER 2016 67
13 28
SECTIONS 4
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RURAL RAMBLINGS
9 HISTORY & HERITAGE 22 TRAVEL + LEISURE 59 LAND + LIVESTOCK
TEXAS FARM & HOME
TExas cemeteries provide a link to history, genealogy and a destination
IN EVERY ISSUE
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4C Mill was the largest sawmill west of the Mississippi River in its day.
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Crockett - a stop on texas’ first highway
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henderson gearing up for annual syrup festival
64 GARDEN BASICS
ON THE COVER
67 RECIPES
The Oakwood Cemetery in Jefferson is famous for its wrought iron.
72 CAFÉS ACROSS TEXAS 74 COUNTRY AS
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CORNBREAD Photo by: Christina Stewart
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TEXAS
editor’s welcome
Going Cemetery Hopping
FARM & HOME 936-687-2424
www.texasfarmandhome.com MANAGING EDITORS Christina Cutler Stewart, cstewart@texasfarmandhome.com Wayne Stewart, wstewart@texasfarmandhome.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lois Marie Guymer, Marilyn Jones, Linda Moffett, Jolene Renfro, Randy Rollo, PROMOTIONS MANAGER/ ADVERTISING SALES Linda Moffett, lmoffett@texasfarmandhome.com 512-966-9426 ADVERTISING SALES Ansel Bradshaw, ab@texasfarmandhome.com 936-546-6707 DISTRIBUTION Randy Rollo, rrollo@texasfarmandhome.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Lesia Rounsavall, lrounsavall@messenger-news.com 936-687-2424 or Texas Farm & Home, P.O. Box 130, Grapeland TX, 75844
EDITORIAL/SALES OFFICES: 202 South Main St., Grapeland, TX 75844. TEXAS FARM & HOME is published monthly by Nicol Publishing Company L.L.C., Copyright 2016. Subscription price: $24.95 a year (12 issues). Reproduction without permission of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited.
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Christina Cutler Stewart
C
emeteries are a unique look into the past. I find it fascinating that I can’t travel back in time to meet the man, but I can stand over the bones of Sam Houston at his grave in Huntsville. The same is true with many famous Texans as their graves are marked with historical markers or other designations signifying what that person did in life. While I was growing up we never visited a lot of relatives. Some lived way off in West Texas and others we just didn’t see much. Over the past 10 years, though, I’ve visited a lot of relatives so to speak, as I’ve had to travel with Mom to see where some of our family is buried. We’ve probably stopped at half the cemeteries between East Texas and New Mexico as she searched out long-forgotten family members for a little impromptu family reunion. Several years ago Wayne and I decided to take Claire on a trip to Colorado, that was a few years before Sam was born. My Mom went with us, and she carried with her a list of cemeteries we had to visit along the way. We stopped at a cemetery in Lamesa, a small town about 60 miles south of Lubbock, and then in Portales, N.M. to visit the grave of a couple of my Dad’s uncles who died in the early 1900s. She was disappointed we didn’t get to see another cemetery out there in Memphis, but even though we were in the neighborhood it still was a couple hundred miles out of the way. Anyway, the cemetery in Lamesa had a lot of graves, but upon entering the cemetery we just happened to drive by the stone we were looking for. Mom got out, took a picture, said “Hi,” and then we left. Portales was a different story. This cemetery was even bigger and finding a grave that you have no idea where to begin looking is like trying to find a needle
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Shirley Cutler reads an ancestors grave in the Riley Cemetery near Pittsburg. Her great grandfather George Richardson (left) and other family members are buried in the North East Texas cemetery.
in a stack of needles. We searched and looked for a long time until finally Mom said we should just leave, but just as she said it, it was as if God pointed me toward the grave she wanted to see so badly. So we took a picture, she said “Hi,” and we journeyed on. There’s been other stops at cemeteries over the years. We can’t pass one where Claire doesn’t ask if, “Maw wants to go through that cemetery?” The answer is always the same, “Probably!” So, for those who enjoy cemeteries, travel with us as we go through some of Texas’ historic final resting places.
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rural ramblings
Wayne Stewart
The Place for Comfort Editor’s Note: The following column contains scripture quoted from The Bible (NIV) with a heavy emphasis on repentance and the need for Jesus Christ. Anyone not wanting to read such commentary is encouraged to keep reading.
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ctober is a month of change. Fall may officially begin in September, but it isn’t really felt here in Texas until October. The days are cooler and shorter; the leaves begin changing color in a last glorious display before the doldrums of winter set in. There is a constant in life, and that is things change. Our church held a 9-11 ceremony last month, commemorating that horrific day. A few days before that I stood by my Dad as we buried my stepmother Barbara Stewart. It was an emotional week as I relived the moments 9-11 and memories from my childhood — things have changed a lot over the years. As the scenes replayed one after another along with the president’s speeches from that day and those of other politicians and even Billy Graham, something was decidedly missing. They called on God, they mentioned His name, but something was left out — the name of Jesus. The country was reeling; we were bleeding; the one place where we could truly find comfort was never mentioned — the loving arms of Jesus Christ. We sought protection from calamity, but the One who could deliver was not called upon. In Exodus 12:21-23 Moses gave these instructions to the Israelites, “Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, ‘Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the door frame. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning. When the Lord goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the door frame and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.” Upon the cross blood poured from Jesus’ wounds — blood to pay the penalty for every sin ever committed in the finished and unfinished history of the world. When people accept what Jesus did for them that day on the cross, we in essence take the blood from the Passover Lamb and paint it over our door posts, so the destroyer will not enter the house to strike us down. People may call on the name of God and cry out His name from their lips in times of trouble, yet if the blood of Jesus Christ is not painted over our door posts we cannot enter into God’s presence and He will not hear our prayers. Jesus told us in John 14:6 when he answered Thomas, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” There is a truth there many do not want to confront. People talk about Jesus; his great teachings; his great philosophy, yet they ignore this statement uttered by Jesus the night before He went to the cross. Do people understand what Jesus was saying there? He can’t be just a great teacher; He can’t be just a great philosopher — He has to be something else. Jesus said He was God.
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Jesus told us to take His shed blood and paint it over our door posts and He will not let the destroyer come in. Where was this message during 9-11? Instead our political leaders and even many of our religious leaders offered us nothing but platitudes. They did not make known the solution to the problems facing us; instead they purposefully left out Jesus’ name from the remembrances. Those who don’t know Him do not want to face the specter of the exclusivity of Jesus. Those who do know Him want nothing but more of Him. It truly is a paradox, yet it is so beautifully simple. Now to be sure, taking the blood of Jesus will not protect us from all harm, as Jesus promises just the opposite. He says the world will hate us because of His name. Yet, we are guaranteed protection in that nothing, not even the greatest power and most evil power on earth will ever be able to separate us from Him. So how do we come to Him? That question has been asked by millions of people throughout the past 2,000 years. How do I come to Jesus? Back in the early 1800s a woman named Charlotte Elliott asked the same question. She was a sickly woman and generally felt worthless with nothing to offer, she even bristled at the mention of the comfort of religion. Her parents were wealthy merchants, yet were devout in their faith and opened their home to visiting preachers. One evening as one of the preachers stayed with them he politely asked Charlotte if she had peace with God. The question angered her, yet refused to leave her mind. A few days later Charlotte came back to the preacher, Dr. Cesar Malan, and asked him how she should come to Christ. He told her to, “Come just as you are.” It was 13 years later, while still struggling with her faith at a particularly vulnerable time in her life when she sat down to put her struggles, her doubts and fears on paper. What came from that night is one of the most cherished hymns ever written — Just As I Am. Her brother, a noted preacher of his day said this of his sister’s work, “In the course of a long ministry I hope I have been permitted to see some fruit of my labours; but I feel far more has been done by a single hymn of my sister’s.” It’s words lay bear the plight of those who face such uncertainty as the nation faced on Sept. 12, 2001, the day after the attacks, and in the days and years that followed. How do we approach a loving God when we find ourselves in the most desperate situations? Just as we are. That’s what God wanted from us in those days after tragedy brought us to our knees. It’s what He wants from us today, all in the name of Jesus. I close with a verse from Ms. Elliott’s beautiful hymn. “Just as I am, poor, wretched blind; Sight, riches, healing of the mind; Yes, all I need, in Thee to find, O Lamb of God, I come, I come!”
TEXAS HISTORY + HERITAGE
Ratcliff Lake, located near the town of Ratcliff in the Davy Crockett National Forest is all that’s left of a once-giant sawmill operation.
A GIANT OPERATION Story by WAYNE STEWART
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n the late 1800s and early 1900s it would take an untrained eye only a cursory look to see Houston County’s major resource — timber. Hundreds of thousands of acres of trees filled the county. Not just any ol’ trees, but virgin pine, hundreds of years old and several feet in diameter weren’t just common, they made up the bulk of the forests around the eastern half of the county. In 1902 the Central Coal and Coke Company of Kansas City, Mo. saw the same promise in the area and the 4C Sawmill was born. When it was built the 4C Mill was the largest sawmill west of the Mississippi River. With it came a town, a currency, intrigue and the first air conditioning system west of the Mississippi. It all started in 1899 when 4C land agent R.M. Keith began buying up thousands of acres of land around the small OCTOBER 2016
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HISTORY + HERITAGE The 4C Mill, a technological marvel for its time was able to produce more than 300,000 board feet of lumber per 11-hour work shift. It was the largest sawmill west of the Mississippi River at the time and the first building west of the Mississippi River to have air conditioning.
community of Ratcliff, established in the 1880s. For a farmer, a field full of large pines was as unwelcome as weeds, and the chance to unload that worthless land and get a few extra dollars in the process was a golden opportunity. Much of the land that eventually made up the area surrounding the 4C Mill was sold for less than $2 an acre. Eventually Mr. Keith bought up 120,000 acres of land around the Ratcliff area, including the small sawmill of J.H. Ratcliff, and by June of 1902 a 486-foot sawmill and 450-foot planer mill was churning out lumber to build a company town, store, offices and employee houses. At its peak, the giant sawmill was producing 300,000 board feet every 11-hour work day. The company built a railroad to carry the timber out of the forests and transport the sawed lumber to the railhead in Lufkin. It was an amazing operation that transformed the backwoods of Houston County, and in the days before oil was discovered in Texas, timber was the state’s largest industry, with the 4C Mill in Ratcliff standing king. Formed out of the 4C Mill was the
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Louisiana and Texas Lumber Co. Tracks were laid from Lufkin by the Texas Southeastern Railroad with several tram roads and tap lines built throughout the company-owned land. This complex of buildings, homes and mill stretched from Ratcliff to Kennard. A sawmill database operated by the Texas Forestry Museum in Lufkin lists the enormity of the 4C Mill. The mill boasted a triple-band sawmill; a large gang to double bands; singular circular and a large gang saw. It also had dry kilns and a planing mill. It connected with the Cotton Belt Railroad in Lufkin, the Texas & New Orleans and the Houston East & West Texas. Along with the mill’s lumber-producing capabilities, the 4C was the largest shingle producer in the South. It had artificial electric lighting; a natural pond; five boilers that could produce 575-horsepower through steam generation. There were two double sheds and five drying kilns capable of drying up to 200,000 board feet of lumber. Tremendous amounts of heat were generated through the milling operation, so the Shreveport Blowpipe and
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Sheet Metal Company installed a “cool air system” for the mill — the first air conditioning system in Texas. Conditions inside the tenant area of the mill grounds was unsanitary as disease, like yellow fever, ran rampant through the residents at the mill. While living conditions may not have been ideal, many of the people living there preferred a steady job as compared to the hardscrabble life of farming. The 4C Mill also was betrayed by one of its employees, a timber purchaser named McTavish. It was reported McTavish was charged with purchasing more timber tracts for the company, but he began secretly working for the Southern Pine Lumber Company out of Diboll, which bought the timberlands out from under the 4C Mill. By the early 1910s most of the land owned by the 4C Mill had been clearcut. By 1917 all of the timber had been sawed into lumber. The mill was dismantled and the once booming town of Ratcliff became nothing but a shadow of itself almost overnight. Today the Davy Crockett National Forest covers most of the old 4c Mill land, including Ratcliff Lake. TFH
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Cemeteries tell stories and are a direct link to a community’s past. LEFT: A cross with an angel stands at Jefferson’s Oakwood Cemetery. Above, a marker from Riley Cemetery near Pittsburg and a large marble marker at Palestine’s historic East Hill Cemetery.
The story of generations Texas cemeteries provide a link to history and a destination place Story by WAYNE STEWART Photography by CHRISTINA STEWART
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exas’ history lives in the heart of most true Texans — it’s part of their lifeblood. While Texas is full of famous places that have become shrines for Texas freedom, much of the state’s rich history centers on the brave men and women who contributed to the fabric of Texas. Telling many of these tales are the historic cemeteries around Texas. Cemeteries tell the stories of families through the generations and have become a useful genealogy tool. Cemeteries tell stories of life. A visit through just about any old cemetery in Texas turns
up some interesting numbers. There usually will be a large amount of graves from 1849, 1867 and 1918-1919. Why these dates? Well, a severe cholera outbreak ravaged Texas in 1849, with 500 deaths due to cholera occurring in San Antonio alone. It is impossible to know exactly how many across Texas died from the disease that year. In 1867 a severe Yellow Fever outbreak ravaged Texas killing thousands; the disease, carried by mosquitoes, went a long way in encouraging better sanitation in Texas cities. When 1918 rolled around Texas was riding high in the new century as its fortunes changed with vast oil discoveries OCTOBER 2016
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cemetery
A Cenotaph marks the final resting place of Col. Fannin and the mass burial site of the men killed during the massacre at Goliad during the Texas Revolution. The burial site lies near the Presidio la Bahia. Above, an old photograph from a burial at Goliad’s historic Oakhill Cemetery.
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across the Lone Star State, but the newfound wealth could not protect the people of Texas from an outbreak of the Spanish Flu. Spanish Influenza killed scores of people in late 1918 and early 1919. The flu was not localized just to Texas, but spread across the continent and blamed in the deaths of 550,000 people. Many schools and businesses across Texas had to close because of the flu, which killed thousands of people in Texas. Dates on grave markers in Texas help tell those stories and shine some light on the hardships of life during that time in the life of Texas. Not every cemetery story is grim. Many are comical, such as the story of locally famous outlaws Jesse Robinson and Bill Rose in Jefferson. The two men do not have a tombstone, but they do have an unusual marker, two-short iron poles linked by a chain. The two outlaws killed each other in a gunfight and the people of Jefferson supposedly buried them in the same grave, linking them together for all eternity. Also buried in Jefferson is local legend Diamond Bessie, a wealthy prostitute that was murdered and now immortalized in a play performed in Jefferson every spring during the town’s annual Pilgrimage. Other cemeteries are the final resting places of legends the world needs no help in remembering. In the old Oakwood Cemetery in Huntsville Sam Houston, the Hero of San Jacinto and considered by many to be one of the greatest figures in Texas history, rests. Above his grave a monument sculpted by famed Italian artist Pompeo Luigi Coppini of grey granite, featuring the Hero of San Jacinto in the center with Lady Victory and Lady History on either side of Houston. Other markers tell of Houston’s deeds in the life of Texas — they tell part of his
Jefferson’s Oakwood Cemetery is famous for all the wrought iron surrounding the graves and even some of the markers, as the one below covering the grave of a small child buried in the cemetery. The iron in many places are as much a work of art as the sculptures found throughout the cemetery.
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story; just as Lyndon Johnson’s grave at his Hill Country ranch tells the story of the first truly Texas president. Others are more simple and bucolic, and reflect the culture of the people buried there, such as the many Czech and German cemeteries in Texas with their fine architectural points. Most noticeable in many of these are the cast iron markers, and the symbols on them, testifying to their heritage. So, while traveling across this vast state called Texas, take some time to visit some history not listed on most travel maps and enjoy the peaceful serenity so many offer.
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Texas cemeteries are full of famous, and sometimes infamous people. Sam Houston, the Hero of San Jacinto, the first president of the Republic of Texas, governor, senator and probably the most iconic hero of Texas, lies buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Huntsville. A statue by a famed Italian artist stands over Houston’s grave. Plaques explain the legend of Houston and the contributions he made to the life of Texas. Other graves are known for the outlaws buried beneath them, such as the grave of Bill Longley, top of page, in Giddings. Longley, a famous outlaw during his time, and is suspected of killing more than 30 men, many of them being
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shot in the back. Anyway, Longley was hanged in the cemetery and buried near where his death occurred. Some graves, as the one above at the Madisonville Cemetery, just had a rock for a marker. Many graves have been lost over the years as families could not afford stone or other types of markers and used wood, rocks or nothing at all. Many communities have started marketing their cemeteries for historic tourism. People from the city will dress up in period costume as some of the people buried there and tell stories from the past to help bring history back to life for visitors, and so the people buried there will not be forgotten over time.
Many of the markers at the German and Czech cemeteries across Texas appear much different than the tradition stone markers most are accustomed to. Heavy cast iron served as grave markers, such as can be found in this cemetery in Ammannsville located in Fayette County, and also at Saint Mary’s Cemetery, pictured at right, near the Central Texas town of West. Most of the older markers were written in Czech, the language of the people. The work on the cast iron markers also testified to the aritsanship of the people the markers were meant to represent. The tradition of using the cast iron markers was one brought to Texas by European settlers, as cast iron was commonly used in that part of the world. Many of the markers received a zinc coating to help protect the iron from the ravages of rust. Symbols and other imagery would be cast into the markers to help personalize
them for family and posterity. Several cemeteries throughout Texas have these types of markers, but almost all belong to those of Central European immigrants to Texas in the latter half of the 1800s.
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cemetery
East Hill Cemetery, Palestine An obelisk marks the grave of Thomas Mitchell Campbell at the Palestine City Cemetery. Campbell served as a twoterm governor for Texas. Much of the work in the Palestine City Cemetery reflects work done by the Works Progress Administration, as can be seen by the rock retaining wall and the arched bridge inside the cemetery.
Palestine’s City Cemetery and East Hill Cemetery are adjacent and both feature beautiful sculptures and ornamentation. Walk through the cemeteries and then drive around town and something becomes apparent, the names on the gravestones match those of the streets through town as most of Palestine’s most prominent residents are buried in those two cemeteries. Both cemeteries lie just east of the Anderson County Courthouse on Lacy Street.
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TRAVEL + LEISURE
Crockett
A stop on Texas’ first highway
Camp Street Cafe in Crockett has become synonymous for Texas roots music and draws people from across the state for performances held in this special location. Crockett also is the county seat of Houston County, the first county formed after the Republic of Texas was born.
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Story by WAYNE STEWART and Photography by CHRISTINA STEWART
o major interstates run through Crockett; the nearest major airport in Houston lies about 100 miles to the south, yet the history of Texas ran through Crockett. While Crockett may not boast a major thoroughfare, the city can lay claim to its founding along the oldest road in Texas — the El Camino Real de los Tejas. That’s a mouthful, but this old road became the main entry point into Texas for people from the United States looking to the Lone Star State’s wide-open spaces for a new home. David Crockett came through Crockett, then just a small settlement not bearing his name, on his way to San Antonio and his fate at the Alamo. Brewer Park, located a few blocks west of the Houston County Courthouse, marks the place where Crockett camped on his trip. A spring, now known as Davy
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Ritz Theatre
Pritchett log home in Brewer Park
Downtown Crockett OCTOBER 2016
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H SMALL TOWN TEXAS
TOP: The Downes-Aldrich House in Crockett is a fine specimen of Victorian-era architecture. ABOVE: Several businesses still call downtown Crockett home. Crockett Spring, runs through the park and provided the frontiersman water on his journey. While in the area, Crockett met an old friend and one of Crockett’s founders, Elijah Gossett. Today a marker with a mural on it marks this special occasion in the life of the city. Also at the park, the Strode-Pritchett log cabin, built in the 1850s, depicts a frontier-era home in East Texas. Crockett and Houston County possess a unique history. Before the Republic of Texas formed Houston County in 1837, the first county formed under the Republic of Texas, all the area fell under the jurisdiction of Nacogdoches County, an area reaching all the way into North Texas. Augusta, a community in now northern Houston County, began in the 1820s when two men from the doomed Magee-Gutierrez Expedition settled the area. Settlers soon followed to other areas of the county, including the soon-to-be county seat — Crockett. Over the years Crockett grew, some years it prospered — some years it didn’t, but the city survived. Crockett sits on the edge of the vast East Texas pineywoods and the prairies and lakes region of Texas which helped provide a diverse economy for Crockett as timber to the east helped fuel the city’s economy, along with vast cotton plantations to the west toward the Trinity River. Today Houston County boasts won of the largest cattle markets in the state and the area around the city provides cattle ranchers prime
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gateway to the antiques festival
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H SMALL TOWN TEXAS
ABOVE LEFT: The Warfield House in an older historic home in Crockett, plus it also serves as a bed and breakfast in the community. ABOVE RIGHT: The Monroe-Crook House is another historic Crockett home. There are several others historic homes on the east side of downtown Crockett. grazing lands. The history of Houston County goes much deeper than that, though, as one of the first missions set up by the Spanish at the junction near San Pedro Creek and the Neches River in 1690. That’s where the word for Texas came into being, from the Caddo word Tejas, for friend. Today Mission San Francisco de los Tejas State Park lies near where the original mission
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stood and provides people one of the few public views of the original and old El Camino Real. Texas roots run deep through Crockett and Houston County, but visitors have so much to choose from when visiting Crockett and the surrounding area. They can choose history, quality entertainment, some unique shopping and recreational opportunities at nearby Houston County
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Lake, Ratcliff Lake to the east inside the Davy Crockett National Forest, along with Salmon Lake in Grapeland and other fun places. First of all, Crockett incorporated on Dec. 29, 1837 and made the official county seat of the fledgling Houston County. Land for the city came from Andrew Edwards Gossett, son of Elijah Gossett. A log building served as the county’s first
courthouse. Much of the visible early history of Crockett vanished in flames and decay, but what’s left yields a view of the rich history of the area. The historic homes such as the Monroe-Crook House, Warfield House, Downes-Aldrich and many others testify to the prosperity the community experienced in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Crockett’s First United Methodist Church, established in 1839, consists of a beautiful brick building with artistic stained glass windows pointing upward toward heaven; the church had the current sanctuary built in 1901-1902. The Houston County Visitors Center and Museum chronicles the history of the area inside the old International & Great Northern Railroad Depot — built in 1909 — just across from Brewer Park, located on Texas Highway 21 a few blocks west of the Houston County Courthouse. The museum features exhibits from the city’s past and includes a
model railroad sure to capture a child’s, or any train enthusiast’s, imagination. North of the Houston County Courthouse stands the old Mary Allen Seminary Administration Building. This college served African-American students until it closed in 1972. Today, the old administration buildings stands alone and works are underway to restore the building and preserve its place in the community. While in Crockett, there are a few places not to be missed. One is a movie inside
the old Ritz Theatre. The theater, still owned by the Schulman family, shows current movies in a theater reminiscent of those from the 1920s and 1930s. Camp Street Café serves as a Mecca for Texas acoustic roots music. Owned by Texas music legend Pipp Gillette, Camp Street Café and its link to both AfricanAmerican and Texas music transformed this old building along Camp Street into legend in the Texas music scene. Learn more about Camp Street Café on its website at www.campstreetcafe.com. Finally, stories of Texas, owned by Wade Thomas, offers artwork, antiques and other memorabilia with specific links to Texas. Stop by the store for a look at something different in a world full of cookie cutter operations. To learn more about the history of Crockett and Houston County and all the things to see and do in the area, visit the county’s website at www.visithoustoncountytexas.com. TFH
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TRAVEL + LEISURE H FALL FESTIVALS
Heritage of Henderson DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION, SYRUP FESTIVAL HAS CITY MOVING FORWARD
ABOVE: The cane crusher at the Depot Museum in Henderson gets a workout the second Saturday in November for the annual Heritage Syrup Festival. RIGHT: Downtown Henderson features a pocket park, while the museum grounds is home to home to several historic structures from the area. Story by WAYNE STEWART and Photography by CHRISTINA STEWART
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ifferent regions of Texas express their own cultural flairs with festivals celebrating the “thing” making them special. Henderson does this in a big way every year with its annual Heritage Syrup Festival, held the second Saturday in November. Some regions honor roots, such as the Czech and German communities across Central Texas and also regions with large Span-
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ish populations or other things making them different. The uniqueness of East Texas culture lies in its traditions, rooted in the antebellum South. Towering pines and rolling hills along with a few swamps here and there makes East Texas much like Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. It’s pure Southern, with a little splash of Texas thrown in. This comes out in the food and in the people of East Texas.
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H FALL FESTIVALS
A cotton gin and the old Beall House, once the home of the founders of Bealls Department Store, all reside at the museum. The cotton gin was brought to the museum piece by piece from nearby Mt. Enterprise.
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H FALL FESTIVALS Head to Henderson on that special day in November and find out about this unique part of Texas as a group of friends along with several thousand invited guests watch the old tradition of syrup making using mule power and old fashioned ribbon cane. Upon entering the grounds of the Depot Museum (home of the Heritage Syrup Festival) the smell of burning pine wafts through the air — pine fuels the fire and boils the cane juice into syrup.
Get nearer where all the action happens and the steam from the boiling juice drifts over, filling the nostrils with a stunning sweetness that cannot be found in the western reaches of this expansive state. Here in East Texas farmers grew cane, in some cases sorghum, and when the weather grew colder in the fall they cut the cane, squeezed it, boiled it and bottled it. In hard times sugar became as scarce as money, syrup provided the family with some
sweets. “We do it the way they used to do,” noted Depot Museum Director Vickie Armstrong, “when folks made syrup in the back yard with a mule and crusher.” The thing about the events at the Depot Museum, real artists and artisans display their items and sell their wares — unique items and artwork not found at most craft fairs. “They things we have here are dying arts,” Mrs. Armstrong continued. “It’s amazing to see how much it’s grown. It started with just a handful of people doing something to bring people together and keep this tradition alive. “It go so big that it grew to incorporate the downtown area. That’s where the retail vendors set up and we keep the folk artists here where they can show their skills and produce their items by hand.” Several exhibits at the Depot Museum depict how people in East Texas existed and thrived for generations. An operating sawmill pays homage to a still-thriving timber industry in the region. An old cotton gin, that used to call Mt. Enterprise home, now stands on the museum grounds, showing visitors the vital role cotton used to play in the region. “We have a lot of volunteers who work to keep things going,” Mrs. Armstrong said. Henderson’s beautiful downtown area holds live entertainment, moun-
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Broom making at the Depot Museum
tains of food and crafts vendors plus all the unique shopping venues Henderson provides. The downtown portion of Henderson differs from most county seats. Henderson, the county seat of Rusk County, has a county courthouse; the downtown area does not form a square around the courthouse. Instead the downtown area forms a T-shape south of the Rusk County Courthouse. This makes for a perfect area to hold a festival. Henderson offers so much more OCTOBER 2016
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H FALL FESTIVALS than just a festival, though, as the town offers quality restaurants, and as noted earlier, great shopping venues, where browsing through a men’s clothing store, a women’s boutique, art galleries, antique shops, gift shops — the list seems endless. The Depot Museum makes any drive to Henderson worth the trip, even it its nothing more to see possibly the most posh outhouse in the state with its three-holer sitting on the museum grounds. The famed structure even boasts at Texas Historical Marker. The museum also features other old buildings from the area, and for children the museum offers a fun and safe place to play, while learning about how life used to be. The Children’s Discovery Center calls the old depot home, and it recently underwent a facelift and offers kids interactive games. Throughout the year different activities for the children involve them in hands-on situations and a chance to learn by doing. Festivals are busy times, but for folks who want to just get away from all the activities, but still be near them, or maybe they just want to take a break from a busy day of shopping, pay a visit to Henderson’s Pocket Park, located on what used to be Calhoun Street. “It really was nothing more than an alley,” noted Kirk Kimbrell with the Henderson Public Services Department. The city blocked the alley, added
A Veterans Memorial honors the men and women of Rusk County who served in the nations Armed Forces. The names of those who served are written on walls erected adjacent to the Rusk County Courthouse. It also has monuments dedicated to the different branches of the U.S. military including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and the Coast Guard.
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The Henderson Civic Theatre performs several live productions throughout the year. a beautiful brick walkway through it, installed a donated fountain along with some tables, chairs, umbrellas and lights to create a romantic and cozy place to spend some time in Henderson. The Corner Pocket, a newly opened restaurant along side the old alley,
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offers visitors a bit of refreshment as they enjoy their time by serving baked potatoes, smoothies, soups and chili and fresh salads. “It really does create a cozy ambiance with the lights and the umbrellas,” noted Henderson Main Street
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Coordinator Judy Lewis. “It’s a beautiful place to come together and we encourage people to come out and walk around it and enjoy it.” The park also offers public restrooms for people strolling around downtown Henderson.
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Home Companion Does Broadway,” Nov. 10 and 12 during the Heritage Syrup Festival; “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!,” Dec. 2-4 and 9-11; “Grey Gardens — The Musical,” Feb. 17-19 and 23-26; “Noises Off,” May 5-7 and 1214; and Disney’s “Little Mermaid,” July 12-16 and 20-23. For more on the Henderson Civic Theatre visit their Facebook page or go to their website at www.hendersoncivictheatre. com. In the spring the Depot Museum keeps the fun going with Heritage Folk Art Day, a cultural educational experience for school children. For more on all the happenings at the Depot Museum, visit their website at www. depotmuseum.com. To learn more about what Henderson offers eager travelers, visit their website at visithendersontx.com. TFH A performance of the Henderson Civic Theatre provides enough incentive to make anyone want to head to Henderson. Over the coming months the Henderson Civic Theatre plans several shows including “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” scheduled to show Oct. 7-9 and 14-16; “Rusk County
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Photos courtesy of the City of Taylor
Classic and Exotic Main Street Car Show has much to offer the car enthusiast and Taylor visitors
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he eyes of classic car lovers turn to Taylor on Saturday, Oct. 29, for the city’s annual Main Street Car Show. This is the fourth year for the event. This annual event features classic and exotic cars, motorcycles and custom vans and trucks from around the world. Taylor is home to Jeff’s Resurrections, a classic car restoration business owned by Jeff Snyder, who has restored classic cars from around the world. Some of his famous restorations include Corvettes, Ferraris, and the venerable Auburn Boattail. His business has become a Mecca for classic car enthusi-
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asts, and that enthusiasm has transferred to Taylor as people come every year for this celebration of the automobile. Taylor is the place to be that day to scratch the classic car itch. Along with classic cars there will be live entertainment, food vendors, even a street dance making this a true festival. Events include a costume contest, booths featuring craft beer, crafts vendors and of course plenty of good Texas barbecue. The big draw, of course, is the classic cars. Some of the types of cars include muscle cars, exotics, trucks, vans, novelties, rat rods, motorcycles
and much more. The show is close to Halloween so for those wanting a bit of candy, do a little “truck or treating” during the car show. Events at the show begin at 10 a.m. and run through 11 p.m. The car show ends at 4 p.m., the street dance begins at 5 p.m. and lasts until 11 p.m. Proceeds from the Main Street Car Show go to benefit the Taylor Ani-
mal Shelter and Shepard’s Heart in Taylor. They also will be accepting
donations of pet food and canned food. For more on the car show visit the website at www.mainstreetcarshow. com.
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Jack Ingram headlining Palestine’s Hot Pepper Festival
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ountry music artist Jack Ingram headlines the entertainment of Palestine’s Hot Pepper Festival set for Oct. 21-22. Ingram has charted several No. 1 hits over the years and will provide some show-stopping entertainment for the people of Palestine. Ingram will be featured on the main stage located on Spring Street.
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Let’s not forget, though, there is a festival also happening that weekend bringing more than 10,000 people to the event. This year’s theme for the Hot Pepper Festival is, “Everything’s Hotter in Texas.” This year’s festival has expanded a bit and now begins on Friday Oct. 21, with the main festival on Saturday. One of the most popular events of the festival is the peppereating contest where brave entrants take their turns going up the scale of hot peppers from mild to volcanic. This has proven to be a crowd favorite over the years as people sweat their way to victory. Other events at this yearly festival include a barbecue and chili cook-off; arts, crafts and food vendors; a beer garden; a kids zone to occupy their time and of course live music all day throughout the festival. Every year as the festival grows and more and more is added to it. Some new events include a Soap Box Derby; a carnival sponsored by the Palestine Rotary Club; a barbecue cook off; silent auction; music and much more. In a written statement from the City of Palestine Parks and Recreation Event Coordinator Heather Hrebec said, “We are so happy to announce that Jack Ingram will headline the festival. He is a well-known artist that many in this area will know.
Visiting, S hopping & dining Pa l e s t ine
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TRAVEL + LEISURE H FALL FESTIVALS “This year’s festival promises to deliver a wide range of entertainment,” she added. To learn more about everything happening at Palestine’s Hot Pepper Festival, visit the Palestine Visitor’s
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Bureau website at www.visitpalestine.com. Also during this time the Texas State Railroad operates the Pumpkin Patch Express, which runs every Saturday and Sunday from the Rusk Depot during Oc-
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tober. Kids ride the train to the pumpkin patch, visit Trick or Treat Street, enjoy a hayride, games, music and more. Children are encouraged to wear their costumes. Food vendors will be at the pumpkin patch location.
TRAVEL + LEISURE H TEXAS EVENTS Wait a couple weeks after the Hot Pepper Festival and take a ride on the Texas State Railroad Fall Foliage Brunch Train, which leaves the station at 10:15 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 6. This is the last chance to ride the train before preparations begin for Texas State Railroad gears up for The Polar Express. This train leaves from the Palestine depot. Reservations must be made by 5 p.m. Nov. 2. For children and grandchildren, there may be no better Christmas experience than The Polar Express train ride, which begins runs on Friday Nov. 18 and runs through Dec. 23. Check the Texas State Railroad website at www.texasstaterr.com for more information on all of their upcoming events.
land, features a carnival, arts and crafts, a parade and a coronation. Festivities begin Thursday, Oct. 13 with the carnival at Grapeland City Park. The real fun begins, though on Saturday, Oct. 15 with the Peanut Parade through downtown Grapeland. The parade features several festive floats, some of the best made floats in East Texas, with each float dedicated to a Peanut Queen contestant. From the parade activities move once again to the city park where visitors can catch up with old friends, listen to live music, have fun at the carni-
val, stroll through the arts and crafts booths, eat some delicious fair food and then buy some peanuts supplied by Grapeland Farm & Ranch. The Peanut Festival’s roots trace back to when peanuts were a staple crop grown in the sandy soils around Grapeland. The Grapeland mascot, of course, is then Sandies (a whirlwind of sand.) There aren’t many peanuts grown around Grapeland these days, but the memories this agricultural past provided are alive and well at this annual festival. Grapeland is located along U.S. 287/
CORSICANA Fall Happenings Corsicana has plenty going on to keep visitors busy through October. Some of the happenings include the Downtown Merchants Sidewalk Sale set for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8. The G.W. Jackson Heritage Rodeo is set for Saturday Oct. 15 at the Navarro County Youth Expo center. Gates open at 5 p.m. with the rodeo starting at 7 p.m. Events feature barrel racing, calf roping, mutton busting, a calf scramble and more. On Oct. 10-31 a Pumpkin Patch, located at 301 S. Beaton St. welcomes children to stroll through the pumpkins. A special Halloween Festival is set for Friday, Oct. 28 in downtown Corsicana. Kids can come in costume and do some trick or treating and other fall-favorite events. The fun keeps going into November with a community wide garage sale on Saturday Nov. 12 and Small Business Saturday set for Nov. 26, the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
GRAPELAND Peanut Festival
For 71 years no place has celebrated the peanut quite like the small East Texas town of Grapeland. This year’s festival, set for Oct. 13-15 in GrapeOCTOBER 2016
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TRAVEL + LEISURE H FALL FESTIVALS SH 19 between Palestine in Crockett in northern Houston County.
JEFFERSON
2016 Texas Sounds International Country Music Awards Country Music musicians from around the world compete for Texas Sounds awards on Oct. 13-16 at Diamond Don’s Event Center, 1604 Hwy 49 E, Jefferson, TX. Top Country Music artists from around the world perform in Jefferson, Texas for awards and titles in the 2015 Texas Sounds International Country Music Awards. Country Music originated here in the American South and has spread worldwide to become one of the most popular music genres in the world. Hear the range and richness of our Country Music heritage as performed in nations on four continents. Immerse yourself in the sounds of the South as interpreted by world celebrities from 15 nations. Hear 30 plus acts during this 4-night event. Produced by East Texas Performing Arts, Inc. a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. For more information go to: www.TexasSounds.org www.facebook.com/TexasSounds
JEFFERSON
26th Annual Taste of Jefferson October 16, 2016 — Downtown Jefferson, Austin Street, Jefferson, Texas 75657 During the lovely afternoons of October is one of
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the most talked about events the Chamber holds on a Sunday afternoon. It is the Taste of Jefferson! Downtown is once again transformed into a street filled with local food provided by restaurants, cafes, hotels and even some other businesses in the area. You buy a ticket to try all the food provided and then vote on your favorite dishes. This is your chance to try all the deliciousness that our town has to offer. Austin Street is blocked to cars so you can relax while walking in the streets and enjoying the smells of the food and some of the shop’s items that have been artfully displayed in the street. Not only are the businesses dishing out food for you to try they are also vying for the position of the best of Jefferson. Pick up a plate and a ballot at the booth, after you’ve tried all the dishes you get to be the judge. This is the fourth year to also offer the Waiter’s Race, so stick around for a little bit longer to cheer all the teams on and see how they do. For more information call (903) 665-2672 or visit www. jefferson-texas.com
JEFFERSON Ghost Tours
History lives on every street in Jefferson. A Texas Historical Marker sits in front of just about every building and house in this once bustling inland port city. Many of the buildings in Jefferson date to before the Civil War so many of the houses have quite a story behind them. Some imaginative people believe some of the buildings and houses are haunted. In fact, special tours take ghost seekers through some of Jefferson’s more famous, or
TRAVEL + LEISURE H TEXAS EVENTS maybe infamous, spirit hideouts. The Historic Jefferson Ghost Walk takes the curious and paranormal seekers through a tour of some of Jefferson’s famous haunts. Tours take place at night and they attempt to tell some of the tales behind some of the haunted places. The tours take place using lantern light and meanders through dark alleys and courtyards as interpreters tell of some historic tragedies, murders and other hair-raising stories. Jodi Breckenridge, a local historian, serves as the tour guide. She and her tours have been featured on the Bio Channel, A&E, and many other programs. She gives tours all year long on Friday and Saturday nights. Tours last 1 1/2 hours and many enter some historical places around Jefferson. For information call (903)665-6289, or check them out on Facebook. The Historic Jefferson Railway also puts on a special program around Halloween with its annual Runaway Fright Train each Friday and Saturday in October. The train features the “Haunting of Black Bayou,” and takes riders through the dark woods along Big Cypress Bayou where riders are sure to get a fright from something ghostly popping out of the darkness. Other activities of the Runaway Fright Train include children’s crafts and games, a movie. Concessions are available at the depot. Want a genuine fright? Then don’t miss The Grove, a historic residence in Jefferson built in 1861. The house is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and also designated a recorded Texas Historic Landmark and is considered perhaps the most haunted location in Texas. Ghost stories have surrounded the house for more than 100 years with the first stories appearing in 1882. A man bought the home that year and left within a month due to some of the goings on in the house. The owners of The Grove have dozens of ghost stories to tell about this historic home made famous by ghost hunters and those interested in the paranormal. Don’t miss a trip through Jefferson’s Oakwood Cemetery as it is sure to be a memorable jaunt through eerie hisOCTOBER 2016
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TRAVEL + LEISURE H TEXAS EVENTS tory, just as the rest of East Texas’ famous river port city.
MADISONVILLE
15th Annual Texas Mushroom Festival
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October 22 — Start the 15th Annual Texas Mushroom Festival day at 8 a.m. with the Shiitake 5K Run/ Walk. From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., the entire downtown square is converted into an oldtime street festival,
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complete with live entertainment, delicious food including Monterey Mushrooms’ famous mushroom fajitas. There will be 200 unique vendors, auto Showcase, Quilt Show, Art and Photography contest exhibits, Grape Stomp, Kids Zone, Wine Tasting, Biergarten, Kid’s Chopped and Chef’s Cooking Showcase. There is a free festival admission. The Taste of
Texas is where they showcase the proud purveyors of Texas Wines & Texas Craft Beers. Admission to the Taste of Texas (a combination of last year’s Biergarten & Wine tasting area) is $20. With the paid admission you will receive your choice of either the official Texas Mushroom Festival’s Beer Tasting glass or Wine tasting glass, admission to the cooking demonstrations and entrance to the live entertainment area. For an extra $5 on your admission, you would receive both glasses with the items mentioned above. Additional beer tasting tickets
can be purchased for $10. The Wine Tasting area is from 10 to 5 and the Biergarten is from noon till 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.TexasMushroomFestival. com or call 877-9088808.
LA GRANGE Trick or Treat on the Square
October 31 — Trick or Treat on the Square will feature snowcones, face painting, balloon animals, trick or treating and Halloween games in downtown La Grange. Join La Grange from 4 to 6 p.m. for some traditional Halloween fun. Visit visitlagr-
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TRAVEL + LEISURE H TEXAS EVENTS angetx.com for additional information.
GIDDINGS
Halloween at the Depot
Enjoy a family-friendly fun event at the Depot as Friends of the Depot and the Chamber host Halloween at the Depot. This event is free and open to the community. Activities include carnival games, a cupcake walk, costume contest, bounce house, a street dance, live music, a photobooth and lots and lots of treats. The 1918 Sterling Theatre transforms into a haunted house for the event for ages 12 and up. Cost of admission is $5 and $3 for children with proceeds going to help renovations of the old theater.
FLATONIA
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Who would spell chili with a “Z?” Well, the good folks down in Flatonia do, and it’s worked for them for 44 years now as the community celebrates Czhilispiel Oct. 28-30. This annual event brings two worlds together, the Czech and German culture of the area with the Texas tradition of chili. Czhilispiel came to be in
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1973. Chili, also known as Czhili down there, is front and center with the CASI Chili, Hometown Chili & IBCA Barbecue Cook-offs. Head to these contests to see who has the right ingredients to take home the prize of top chili maker. For those who want a bit of entertainment with their bowl of Texas Red, then Czhilispiel has it with three days of entertainment including The Hitmen; Atraxion De La Cumbia; Shiner Hobo Band; JD Clark; Curtis Grimes; Josh Ward; Kevin Fowler; D’vine Testament; The Original Velvets; and Texas Dream Band. The festival is so much more than just a cook-off, though, as it features the live concerts; a biergarten, carnival; parade; arts and crafts market; a fun run and other entertainment. There also is a car show to go along with the festivities. To learn more about Czhilispiel, visit the Flatonia Chamber of Commerce website at www.flatoniachamber.com.
FAYETTEVILLE Lickskillet
Join Fayetteville Oct. 15-16 for the community’s 40th annual Lickskillet Days celebration.
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Events begin with the Lickskillet 5K Color Run/Walk beginning and ending at the Fayetteville School on 618 N. Rusk. The SPJST’s Bean & BBQ Cook-off (benefiting the ball field) will be held Saturday, Oct. 15 at the SPJST Hall down the road from the
square. As the annual “fierce” competition heats up with friends, family, and newcomers, the Sidewinders will be performing. Time clearly isn’t wasted back at the Fayetteville Square, as tunes by Jimmy Rhode DJ will be played during the day Saturday.
As evening falls, get ready for the hometown Texas Street Dance on the Square with Abigail Taylor from 6-8 pm followed by Black Cat Choir from 8:3011:45 pm. The Lickskillet parade is held on Sunday beginning at 10:30 a.m. and arriving on the
square around 11 a.m. Sunday’s lunch begins at 11 a.m. and features fried chicken and sausage links. For more on all things Lickskillet, visit the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce website at www.fayettevilletxchamber.org. — Cathy Chaloupka
CANTON
October Classic Country & Honky Tonk Halloween Party No music has deeper roots in Texas than Honky Tonk and Western Swing, two
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TRAVEL + LEISURE H TEXAS EVENTS sounds synonymous with Texas. “There are places that have Bluegrass festivals,” noted October Classic Country & Honky Tonk Halloween Party coordinator Jim Fuller. “But that’s not Texas music. Texas is the Honky Tonk capital of the world.” Canton holds this special gathering of Texas musicians the last weekend in October at the Canton Civic Center. The venue provides plenty of seating and an ample dance floor for people to scoot a few boots at this
classic genre of music. “People come from all over to this festival,” Mr. Fuller noted. “We have a lot that come from Wyoming and California. There is quite a following for this type of music and for many of the folks that come here, it’s their hobby. “Many will dress in period clothing and head out there on the dance floor – it’s just a great big party for them.” Not everybody is from far away; many come from nearby cities and
across Texas. The ages of the people are as varied as the place they call home.
MARSHALL
Starr Home Victorian Fair
Visi the historic Starr Family Home in Marshall for a Victorian Fair on Saturday Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to this event is free. Also, don’t miss the Victorian Melodrama held every hour during this special event. The fair also features outdoor games, living history demonstrations, arts and crafts, blacksmith demonstrations and a gift shop. The Starr Family Home is located at 407 W. Travis St. in Marshall. For more on the event visit www. visitstarrfamilyhome.com.
CROCKETT
Fall Flower Sale November 4 — The Crockett Garden Club will have its Fall Flower Sale on Thursday, November 4, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the old filling station across from First United Methodist Church of Crockett at the corner of Goliad and 7th Streets. Among the flats of fall flowers being sold are pansies, snapdragons, alyssums, Sweet Williams and beautiful hanging baskets. Local Honey will be for sale and as always, there will be lots of surprises!
MARSHALL
Starr Family Home ParentChild Thanksgiving Centerpiece Craft
Join the people of Starr Family Home for an afternoon of cookies and crafts, Saturday, Nov. 5 at 2 p.m. Admission is $5 per centerpiece kit. Space at the event is limited so reservations are required. Make reservations by calling (903)935-3044. Those attending get to go home with two paper pumpkins, a votive and a battery tea light. There are different colors and patterns to choose from. To learn more visit the website at www.visitstarrfamilyhome.com
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ABOVE LEFT: The Westin is a new addition to The Woodlands’ skyline. - Photo courtesy The Westin ABOVE RIGHT: After the sun sets make sure and walk outside to admire the beautifully lit pool. BELOW: CURRENTS Cheese Flight was a wonderful appetizer.
The Woodland offers great leisure options Story and Photography by MARILYN JONES
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PART 1 OF A 2 PART STORY
he Woodlands, about 30 miles north of Houston, is an upscale master-planned community with a population of more than 100,000. In addition to families and corporations settling here, it is becoming a tourist destination as well. This is part one of a two-part series on The Woodlands and the options for visitors wanting to enjoy a weekend of luxury. I want to first start with where I stayed when I visited The Woodlands. There are certainly lots of options, but I decided on The Westin at The Woodlands because it was new and looked beautiful on the website. Although it was a little tricky to find, my navigating, my daughter’s great driving and patience, and a lot of luck we found it. Make sure you print out the map provided on the website. We were using two GPS devices and, in the end, the map would have saved us a lot of frustration. Walking into the lobby I was immediately impressed with its modern cavernous lobby; bright, cheerful and welcoming. The desk clerk was equally welcoming and the bellman quickly had our bags in the room. Traveling with a toddler, my granddaughter Ainsley, we had a lot of gear even for a weekend away. The room was equally bright and cheerful with a fantastic view of the wide canal that snakes through the city. CURRENTS On the hotel website I read “Helmed by rising star, Chef de Cuisine Nathan Friend, 150-seat CURRENT invites food lovers
to ‘Eat Well’ with seasonally changing and regionally sourced menus. Oriented around a sculptural tree element flanked by two community tables, the light and airy restaurant encompasses an open kitchen, chef’s table, wine room and private dining room.” OK, I thought as I was researching the hotel, this sounds like a fantastic restaurant and one I would like to try.
Correction: The Grapevine art studio named in the September Texas Travels was called Art in the Vine and it should be Painting With A Twist.
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TEXAS TRAVELS Situated on the canal, its modern-vibe offered an upbeat setting for our dinner which, by the way, was wonderful. From the excellent server to every course of our meal, my daughter and I enjoyed every bite; Ainsley did too! We chose Cheese Flight to share as an appetizer. As our main, I chose Seared Day Boat Scallops and Olivia the Bay of Fundy Wild Salmon, and we shared a serving of roasted potatoes and carrots. I am not a food writer, per se, but I can assure you the food was wonderful. The Westin and CURRENTS were just the beginning our visit. In November I will tell you about some of the activities offered in The Woodlands and the fantastic lunch experience we had — at an airport!
If you go:
The Westin is located at 2 Waterway Square Place in the heart of the business district. For more information: www.westinthewoodlands.com; (281) 419-4300; reservations: 866-716-8108. TFH
ABOVE: The lobby is modern in design, but very welcoming. ABOVE RIGHT: The CURRENTS server was very friendly and professional even while delivering a sippy cup of milk to Ainsley. RIGHT: Guest rooms are nice and spacious. - Photo courtesy The Westin
What’s Online GLOBETROTTING
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Three days in San Diego By Marilyn Jones
San Diego is known for its zoo, wide sandy beaches, Coronado Island, del Coronado Hotel and rich history dating back to 1769 when the first Europeans arrived. Its Old World charm and contemporary amenities make San Diego the perfect getaway destination. Day 1 – San Diego Zoo Although 3.3 million residents call this southern California city home, it is very easy to navigate and even easier with a good navigational system. The car I drove during my stay was a 2016 Kia Optima provided by DriveShop. Its navigational system was easy to use and featured a large courseplotting screen. Other features of the car
include its easy handling, safety features, luxurious interior and massive trunk; great for road trips, getaway weekends and everyday use. The first day I left Homewood Suites by Hilton and headed south toward the San Diego Zoo. Located in center city, the zoo is part of the 1,200-acre Balboa Park. It was crowded the day I visited so I decided to take advantage of the guided tour bus that travels through 75 percent of the park. In addition to learning about the animals, I also discovered the zoo grew from the exotic animal exhibitions abandoned after the 1915
Panama-California Exposition. It was Dr. Harry M. Wegeforth who founded the Zoological Society of San Diego in 1916 after discovering the animals had been left behind. The zoo pioneered cage-less exhibits. A lion area, designed without
enclosing wires, opened in 1922. After the bus ride, I continued to explore a few of the twelve areas of the zoo on foot making lots of discoveries on my own. Pathways are lined with beautiful flowers making the journey even more memorable. Day 2 - Old Town Trolley I arrived in Old Town early. There was plenty of parking available right across from the Old Town Trolley depot and right in the center of the historic area. Before or after the trolley tour, you can wander through Old Town. Shopping, dining and history await you here. There are several points of interest, museums and historic homes including the Whaley House. Here you’ll learn about the entrepreneurs who called San Diego home in the mid1800s, and, according to the Travel Channel’s America’s Most Haunted, the Whaley House is the most haunted house in the United States. The entire Old Town Trol-
ley tour circuit — with its historic narrative, corny jokes and hop-on, hop-off convenience — takes two hours and is a great introduction to the city. For example the Historic Gaslamp Quarter, offers entertainment, shopping and night life venues, and has a fascinating history. When development began in the 1860s, the area was known as New Town, in contrast to Old Town. In 1850 William Heath Davis bought 160 aces, but little happened until real estate developer Alonza Horton arrived and purchased 800 acres. The area is designed with short blocks and no alleys. Beautiful century-old buildings of varying architectural design line the streets. The trolley rumbled on over the San Diego-Coronado Bridge to Coronado Island. The town of Coronado was incorporated in 1890. Shortly after a resort community was created on land purchased by Elisha Spurr Babcock, Hampton L. Story and Jacob Gruendike.
To view full story and more photographs visit the TEXAS FARM & HOME FACEBOOK PAGE
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RELICS OF YESTERDAY SEARCHING FOR ANTIQUES, COLLECTIBLES & VINTAGE FINDS WITH LINDA
The difference between antiques, collectibles and vintage
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his month I want to talk about the difference between Antiques, Collectibles and Vintage. Each month we bring you items found in local stores that can be categorized under one of these labels. There always seems to be questions on what the difference is between the three. While all three possess connotations of “OLD”, people who are knowledgeable about the trade will go a long ways towards clearing the confusion. As the old adage says “One Mans Trash is Another Mans Treasure.” Describing an item and its value is often relative to the worth placed on it by the individual who wishes to sell the item. While the word “OLD” seems to carry a lot of weight in what people are looking for these days when seeking items with history or quality...just being old does not make an item Vintage, Antique or Collectible. According to some authorities on the subject, the term Antique, generally speaking, refers to an object 100 years old or more. Outside of buying and selling terms however, use of the word Antique can be understood to attach no specific age to and object. The value is actually determined by the demand of the item. Some dealers actually hold to an 80 year marker for describing what is actually an antique. This is considering the heritage of the item, spanning usually two generations with each generation about 40 years. An antique is collected or desired because of its age, beauty, rarity, condition, utility, personal emotional connection, and/or other unique features. Most people speculate that if an item is not Antique, then it must be Vintage. The word Vintage actually has several different accepted meanings
LINDA MOFFETT
which can sometimes be confusing. The loosest of these meaning implies that an item is of a fashion that was popular in a different era which may mean that it was not actually produced in that era but is a replica or reproduction from the era. Most experts agree that the word Vintage when used in a term similar to Antique refers to items that are over 50 years old but less than 100. Some say that Vintage can be anything 25 years or more. Still others put a time span on Vintage of a period between 1960 and 1979 while 1950 to 1959 refers to Retro. Trade standards are not as demanding about the use of the term Vintage as they are the use of the word Antique, likely because the term Vintage has only recently become widely used in marketing items. The third term used in marketing “OLD” is Collectible. This describes valuable objects less than 100 years old and they are priced more on a whim and their long term value is highly speculative. Antique treasure hunting and looking for Vintage and Collectibles is a past time that many enjoy. When you begin your hunt, arm yourself with knowledge needed that will allow you to make wise choices. To return again to the old adage, “ One Mans Trash is Another Mans Treasure”...the value of any particular item is subjective depending on the value an individual places on it. Each month Texas Farm and Home brings you items from several of our shops in the area that carry a variety of Antiques, Vintage and Collectibles. We hope that you will visit those shops and check out all the items that they carry and that you will find that Treasure that you have been looking for.
If you have a Vintage, Antique or Collectible item that you would like to share with our readers, please send photo and info to lmoffett@texasfarmandhome.com or call 512-966-9426
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RELICS OF YESTERDAY
Exquisite Glassware 5 For the collector or decorator: Wonderful Toleware Trays, Fenton and other sought after glassware from the past and fall all your decorative needs visit The Curious Wren, 123 South Main St., Henderson, TX. 903-655-1234. Find them on Facebook or email thecuriouswren@gmail.com
An amazing lamp 4 A lamp for any room: You can find this beautiful lamp as well as many other collectibles and relics at Armadillo Emporium 101 W. Commerce, Fairfield; FB or Instagram @armadilloemporium or call 903-389-3336.
Handmade Vintage Butterfly Quilt
3Nostalgic Feel : This quilt would take center stage on any bed. Hand made quilts hail from days when settlers first came to America . Quilting became a popular hobby as well as a necessary skill. The colorful pieces that make up a Vintage patchwork quilt were often used to tell a story or to preserve a family history. To purchase this quilt visit Possibilities, 110 East Main, Henderson, TX 75652 or call 903-722-0841.
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Scallop and Peg
4For the Home: A Buffet or Sideboard from the late 1800s features a scallop and peg joints, which is indicative of the workmanship from that Era and is solid Oak. It and other items can be found at Sweet Pickins Antique Market, 113 S. Main St., Downtown Henderson. 903-7802476
Cabinet with original paint 3 Numerous uses: “Primitive 2 door cabinet with original paint from an old prairie house in South Dakota and probably made in the early 1900s. It is on old casters, though probably not original. The cabinet could be used in the entry hall, kitchen, bathroom, bathroom sink conversion and numerous other uses. Check out Round Top Vintage Market full of great primitive pieces. Open every weekend.” 1235 North Hwy 237, Round Top, TX 78954; www. roundtopvintagemarket.com or find us on facebook
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Craze back in the day 6 Completing the wardrobe: Vintage hats were all the craze back in the day. A lady was not properly dressed without her hat. Pearls have always been a fashion statement. Vintage faux pearls were a must if the real McCoy wasn’t an option. Hankies have been around for centuries. A bride always had ornate delicate lace. These were used over and over to catch a tear, a running nose or wipe that smudge off your child’s face. Kleenex took over the hankies needs but a lady should always have a hankie in her purse even today! Dry Gulch Mercantile, on the square, 127 S. Mount, Fairfield, TX; 214803-0505 or 903880-7533; www. drygulchmercantiletx.com OCTOBER 2016
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LAND + LIVESTOCK THE TEXAS AGRICULTURE SCENE
‘THE RIVER OF CATTLE’
Retired Teacher Turns to Writing Novels Story by WAYNE STEWART and Photography by CHRISTINA STEWART
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ome people retire to take life easy, others to travel, but when Alice V. Brock retired from teaching she wrote a book. Writing a book takes work as it requires more than just putting words on paper. Writing a book takes research, imagination and dedication. A book needs more than just a beginning, a plot and a climax. A book needs dialog; a book needs conflict; a book needs a point and it needs a resolution. Leave any of these things out and it lacks spark; if all of these aspects jump from the pages then a book turns into more than a collection of ink stains on paper – it becomes a story. The book zeroes in on a young boy going on a cattle drive with his father and famed Texas cattleman and pioneer Charles Goodnight in 1867. Mrs. Brock’s book, “The River of Cattle” hits the shelves on Nov. 1, readily available on Amazon. The book
coincides well with a special anniversary, the 150th anniversary of the cattle drives heading out of South Texas up to the railheads in Missouri and Kansas. “The River of Cattle” follows the GoodnightLoving Trail up from West Texas across the alkaline plains of New Mexico up the Pecos River into Colorado and Denver. The idea for the book began as a children’s picture book, but while at a writing conference in Houston a publisher told her she should turn her idea into a novel. “I didn’t know how to write a novel,” Mrs. Brock said. “I had started writing the children’s picture book and it was horrible. I had to learn the craft of writing and that meant a lot of classes and workshops.” Every year Mrs. Brock traveled up to the PanhanOCTOBER 2016
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LAND + LIVESTOCK H River of Cattle dle from her home in North Zulch in northern Grimes County to attend a writing workshop held in Canyon. She took writing classes from the Institute of Children’s Literature. She traveled all over Texas to learn the art of novel writing. She thought a lot about writing the book. “Did I want to risk writing a book?” Mrs. Brock said she asked herself. “Well, I decided I would try.” Her risk panned out and a publisher agreed, signing her on for “The River of Cattle” and two more books, sequels to this one. Westerns always intrigued and fascinated Mrs. Brock, where she watched Saturday morning serials or read her father’s Louis L’amour books. Growing up in Tulsa as the daughter of an oilman, Westerns just seemed a natural part of life and she got caught up in the stories. “Saturday mornings meant Roy Rogers, Sky King and others,” Mrs. Brock recalled. “I absorbed all that information. I guess the seeds were laid then. I still love Westerns; we watch the Western Channel all the time.” When Mrs. Brock married she wed a Texas cattleman, who just happened to have parents that owned a cattle ranch in Grimes County, the place they call home today. “I guess I ranched all my life,” her husband Don said. “I taught ag for a little bit, that’s how we met. I was an ag teacher in Humble TOP LEFT: Alice V. where she Brock, top left, along was a teachwith her husband Don, er.” her son Vincent, his wife EventuHeather and their grandally Don left children Ada and Claire teaching to stand in front of her writwork the ing cabin. Not pictured ranch on is her daughter Rachel a full-time Brock and her husband basis, but Ronnie Gann, who live in he admitted, Colorado. “I read the other day it was a fortunate man that could make a living on a cow farm. That’s true, but you need a school-teaching wife to make it in the ranching business sometimes.” Mrs. Brock worked as a teacher and a rancher’s wife, and at times that meant double duty. Sometimes
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Vincent Brock with the family’s cattle.
getting ready for school meant pulling a calf from a young heifer before heading off to work. That’s life on a ranch; a lot of work and a lot of reward that does not always show up on the finance sheets. When she picked up writing a book, she took the things she knew and worked it into her story. When her husband hired cowboys to come and work periodically, she watched them, especially when they brought their children. She stored these things in her mind and drew on them when she wrote her book. As a teacher, having the facts straight and everything in its proper context took copious amounts of research, but she managed to put all the thoughts, all the observations, all the research onto paper – all while working in real people, such as Charles Goodnight into the book. “I wanted everything to be authentic,” Mrs. Brock said. “I once made the drive down the Pecos River through New Mexico with my sister; I was glued to the scenery.” Two main characters occupy the pages of her book, Will, an 11-yearold boy heading off on his first cattle drive with his trusty best friend and buckskin horse Buck; while his nemesis, Two Feathers, a half-Comanchehalf-white boy plotting to steal Will’s horse to show his tribe his mettle. After working with them for so long, Will and Two Feathers take on a realism for her. “I love the characters,” Mrs. Brock admitted. “I haven’t got tired of them yet. I feel as close to them as I did to OCTOBER 2016
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LAND + LIVESTOCK H River of Cattle
Notes around her writing cabin remind Mrs. Brock of her focus and where she should head with her stories.
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the students I’ve had over the years. I want them to feel as real to readers as they’ve become to me.” Both boys share a similar story and engage each other along the trail on a journey not just through the harsh
landscape of western Texas and eastern New Mexico, but also a journey toward adulthood. “River of Cattle” focuses on two young people, and that also whom the book serves, children 9-12 years of
age, in writing circles that’s called a Mid-Grade novel. Pen-L Publishing of Fayetteville, Ark. published “The River of Cattle,” and available on Amazon beginning Nov. 1. TFH
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GARDENING BASICS
let’s get growing — tips for October
Oleander
Vicious Vegetation Story By Jolene Renfro
Crockett Garden Club & Master Gardener
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hen we think of flowers, we think of objects with delicate beauty put on earth to charm us with their colors and perfume, not botanical atrocities that kill, maim, intoxicate, and have scandalous histories. Amy Stewart in her book Wicked Plants has given us stories of plants and their evil ways that make excellent Halloween reading. Here is a sample of some of the plants that Ms. Stewart writes about in her book. One of these wicked plants, White Snakeroot, is thought to have killed Abraham Lincoln’s mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, and Davy Crockett’s first wife, Mary (Polly) Crockett. Cattle who ate this plant in the field passed the toxin through their milk to humans, bringing on vomiting, tremors, delirium, and after about a week, death. It grows about 4 feet tall and has clusters of attractive white flowers and is related to the purple Joe Pye Weed. The Black Snakeroot, not related botanically to the White
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Lily-of-the-valley
Snakeroot, is thought to have nearly killed members of the Lewis and Clark expedition when they mistakenly consumed the death Camassia, mistaking it for its non- lethal cousin, the blue Camassia. They suffered with diarrhea and vomiting for 2 weeks, but eventually recovered. These are plants grown from a bulb producing star shaped flowers in blue, white, or pink. What do Rhubarb, Cashew Nuts, Kidney Beans, and Potatoes have in common? They all contain toxic compounds that require them to be cooked thoroughly to be made safe. The leaves of Rhubarb contain high levels of oxalic acid which can cause difficulty breathing, gastrointestinal problems and even death. Grocery stores don’t sell raw Cashew Nuts because they are part of the same botanical family as Poison Ivy. Cashews are steamed open making them partly cooked even before they are roasted. The red kidney bean must be cooked thoroughly to keep from bringing on nausea, vomiting and diarrhea from a chemical that they contain. If a Potato has been exposed to light long enough for its
Go outside and you do not fare much better with the evildoers in your back yard. You and the pets will want to steer clear of Yew Trees, Castor Beans, Datura, Oleander, Sago Palm (especially attractive and deadly for dogs), Larkspur, Delphinium, Lily-of-the-valley, Bleeding
Heart, Tulips, Daffodils, Peruvian Lily, Chrysanthemums, and Monk’s Hood to name a few floral fiends. Historically, plants have been used as part of the judicial system, the most famous victim being the Greek philosopher Socrates who in 399 BC was convicted of corrupting
Castor Bean skin to turn green, it will contain increased levels of solanine which will cause burning and gastrointestinal symptoms, and rarely, coma and death. To make matters worse, we knowingly invite monstrously ill-mannered plants into our homes to live with us, mostly because they come from a jungle environment and take to our indoor climate nicely. Some of these indoor plants that will cause problems if ingested are Peace Lily (not calla lily), English Ivy, Philodendron, Dumb Cane, Ficus, and Rubber Tree. OCTOBER 2016
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GARDENING BASICS the youth of Athens and sentenced to death by drinking poison Hemlock. From the 1500s to the 1800s another plant product, the Calabar bean, was known as the Ordeal Bean. According to the African custom, the accused would swallow this bean, if he vomited the bean he was innocent; if he died, he was guilty. There may have been some psychology involved—a guilty person might chew in
White Snakeroot long slow bites, thus releasing more poison. So as Halloween approaches, don’t worry too much about things that go bump in the night, instead worry about the innocent looking plant that wants to do you in. Remember, you have been warned! TFH
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FARM & HOME
Recipes
Head back to the kitchen C Recipes by WAYNE STEWART, Photography by CHRISTINA STEWART
ooler weather brings a welcome change to summer, and that means the kitchen once again is open for business and that means hardy, heart-warming meals . All the cooking is good practice as the holidays draw near. No athlete steps onto the field of play and performs without putting in hours of practice. The same should be true of the kitchen. Imagine a Thanksgiving table as the field of play and October as training camp. Now, hit the field and put in the work so the holidays
come off without a hitch. So get some practice with an herb and pepper stuffed chicken, which should help prepare the family chef for the Thanksgiving turkey. For our friends in Palestine October is Hot Pepper Festival month, so we have a few recipes featuring peppers of various flavors, including a stuffed poblano pepper stuffed with a chicken and rice mixture and then the pepper is wrapped in a puff pastry and baked. For dessert, how about a chess pie, or even better, pecans OCTOBER 2016
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FARM & HOME
Recipes
are coming in season so put them to use in the kitchen. We did in a delicious rendering of a classic, an Italian Cream Cake. So head to the kitchen and get a little practice – Christmas is right around the corner.
Stuffed Chicken
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper 1/4 cup chopped onion 4 teaspoons chopped fresh sage 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups chicken broth 1 whole chicken
2 packages cornbread mix, non-sweet kind 1/2 cup cooked ham, chopped 1/2 cup chopped celery
Cook cornbread according to package directions. Allow to cool then crumble. SautĂŠ celery, onions, red pepper and sage together in olive oil. Cook until
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vegetables are tender, add salt and pepper. Stir in cornbread crumbs and add broth, a little at a time to moisten. Stuff mixture into chicken and place chicken in roasting pan, breast side up. Before baking chicken, combine a tablespoon of butter, a teaspoon of salt, and a teaspoon of poultry seasoning. Mix well and rub over outside of chicken. Bake chicken in 350 degree oven about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until an inserted thermometer reads 180 degrees.
Jalapeno-topped Pork Chops 4 thick cut pork chops 2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed 4 slices Cheddar cheese 1 onion, sliced 4 slices bacon Salt and Pepper Cook bacon just until crisp, do not over cook. Save the bacon grease and use to saute onions and the peppers sliced in half. Grill pork chops until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Remove from grill and promptly place slice of cheese over chop, then the sauteed onions, followed by the bacon and finally the jalapeno.
Stuffed Peppers 2 grilled chicken breasts 4 Poblano peppers 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1 can Southwest corn, drained 2 cups cooked rice 1/2 cup sour cream 4 slices of bacon
2 puff pastry sheets Shred cooked chicken breasts. Remove seeds and core from peppers. Mix shredded chicken, corn, rice and sour cream. Stuff mixture into peppers then wrap peppers in puff pastry, then wrap with bacon, secure bacon and pastry with toothpicks. Bake in 400 degree oven until bacon is done, about 30 minutes. Remove toothpicks before serving.
Creole Mac n’Cheese 1 package elbow macaroni 1/2 cup shredded American cheese 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1 tablespoon butter 1/3 cup milk 2 tablespoons butter 3 links Andouille sausage, chopped bite-sized pieces 1/2 cup onion, chopped 1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped 2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
Boil macaroni according to package directions. In skillet over medium heat melt butter and sautĂŠ onion and red bell pepper along with the sausage until vegetables are tender, stir in Cajun seasoning. In a small saucepan combine the cheese, milk and a tablespoon of butter. Cook and stir until cheese is melted. Drain the macaroni and stir into cheese sauce. Combine macaroni and cheese and the vegetables in sausage in a baking dish. Bake in 350 degree oven, with about 5 minutes left sprinkle the top with Mozzarella, then continue to bake until Mozzarella is melted.
Spicy Mashed Potatoes 6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese 1/2 cup chopped green onion 2 jalapenos diced and seeded 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
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FARM & HOME Boil potatoes until tender, drain and mash with milk. Add in goat cheese, onion, jalapeno and garlic. Transfer into baking dish, sprinkle Cheddar cheese on top and bake in 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
Buttermilk Pie 2 cups sugar 1 stick butter 3 tablespoons flour
Recipes
3 eggs, beaten 1 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon vanilla Cream sugar and butter then add flour and eggs. Beat well. Add the buttermil and vanilla. Pour into unbaked pie shells. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until center is set and pie begins to brown. Makes two 9-inch pies. Be sure to cover the edges of the pie
crust with aluminum foil, uncovering over the last 10 minutes or so of baking. To help keep the crust from getting soggy, brush each crust with egg white before adding in pie filling. Also, to add a bit of different flavor to the pie, a teaspoon of lemon extract can be added to change things up a bit. These pies are wonderfully easy and are great for any fall setting.
Italian Cream Cake 2 sticks butter 2 cups sugar 5 egg yolks 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup coconut flakes 1 cup chopped pecans 5 egg whites 1/4 cup sugar Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add egg yolks one and a time and beat until smooth. In a separate bowl combine flour and baking soda, then add to butter mixture alternating with buttermilk. Add coconut and nuts to mixture. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until peaks begin to form, add sugar and continue beating until peaks are stiff. Gently fold egg whites into cake batter.
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Pour batter into three greased and floured 9-inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until cakes are done. Allow to cool about 10 minutes and then remove from pans and place on a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
Cream cheese frosting 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 1 stick butter, softened 8 cups powdered sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla Chopped pecans Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth, add vanilla and continue to beat, adding sugar a cup at a time until smooth and easily spread. If needed, add a teaspoon of milk to the mixture to make it smoother. Spread between each cake layer and over top of cakes, sprinkle top with pecans and coconut.
Chess Pie 1 stick butter 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup coconut 1 cup milk 4 eggs 1 tablespoon flour 1 tablespoon cornmeal 1 teaspoon vanilla Pinch of salt Prepared pie crust Mix all ingredients well, except for pie crust. Pour into unbaked pie shell and bake in 325 degree oven until pie is set, about 45 minutes.
Chocolate Pie 6 tablespoons cocoa 6 eggs 1 can (14 ounces) evaporated milk 1/2 cup flour 3 cups sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons butter 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 cups milk 1/4 cup sugar Bake two pie shells in 400 degree oven about 12 minutes, or just until
crust starts to tan. Separate the eggs. Mix the egg yolks with the evaporated milk, flour, sugar, salt, butter, vanilla and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in cocoa and continue to cook until mixture thickens. Split between the two pie crusts. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form, add in sugar and continue to beat
until peaks are stiff, if desired, add in a tablespoon of cornstarch to help keep the meringue from weeping as much. Split the meringue between the two pies, making sure to seal the edges. Bake in 350-degree oven about 10 minutes, or just until meringue starts to brown. Keep pies chilled. TFH
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TFH
CafĂŠs Across Texas
Story By Randy Rollo
Hushpuppies
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Great Seafood in East Texas
estled in the piney woods of East Texas is the city of Henderson. It is named after the first governor of Texas, J Pinckney Henderson, and contains a population of around 14,000 people. Located in Henderson is a restaurant that is an unexpected delight. That restaurant is Hushpuppies Catfish and Seafood located on 721 Fairpark Dr., right off Texas Highway 79. What is surprising about Hushpuppies is that they serve fresh seafood including oysters on the half shell right in the heart of East Texas. Hushpuppies opened in a small building with very little capital in 2003, but the business took off quickly once people tasted their food, and they moved to a larger location. Hushpuppies is owned and operated by Stacy Hayner and Sarah Jackson. This special couple are best friends and business partners. Stacy runs the kitchen area, and Sarah manages the front end. This relationship seems to work for them, they have moved into a larger building, and have expanded the building, added a new drive-through window, and also increased the serving area by incorporating a patio. Hushpuppies is known as home of the all you can eat, all day, every day Catfish special. The all you can eat menu includes coleslaw, pinto beans, hushpuppies, fries or baked potato and relish tray. You have a choice of all you can eat Fish Filets or Whole Catfish. Another reason this option is so appealing is Correction: Broken Star Cafe & Czech Bakery hours are 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday, Closed Sunday
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Hushpuppies Restaurant in Henderson provides a variety of quality seafood and an abundant amount of atmosphere. Sarah Jackson is co-owner of the restaurant with Stacy Hayner.
that they offer this every day. However, it is a dollar cheaper Friday through Sunday! Hushpuppies specializes in seafood, but they offer a wide variety of choices including salads, burgers, grilled chicken breast, chopped sirloin and chicken fried steak. They offer over 60 different items on their menu. While I was there, I sampled the Crawfish Queso and the Seafood Platter. Both choices were outstanding. The Crawfish Queso is a cheesy queso loaded with Crawfish tails and served with lattice cut chips for dipping. It is a super appetizer that is enough to share. I also sampled the Seafood Platter; this incredible dish comes loaded up with two pieces of fish, two fried oysters, two fried shrimp, one stuffed crab, two hushpuppies, one pair of frog legs and two sides (I chose fries and coleslaw). This platter was outstanding. All the items were great, and I would highly recommend this entree. My personal favorite was the fried shrimp, which was deep fried with a tasty light batter that did not overpower the tender, meaty shrimp. I also tried the Snow Crab, which was fantastic, this dish is Canadian snow crab legs, Cajun boiled and served with warm melted butter, and it was delicious. Hushpuppies offers something for everyone, they have a children’s menu, they have seniors Catfish special, and they offer different specials during the week including all you can eat boiled shrimp on Mondays. They also have highly unusual menu items including Frog Legs, Deep Fried Gator and the very popular Soft Shell Crab. Leave some room for dessert when eating at Hushpuppies because they have a wonderful array of sweets including several cobblers, pies, Deep Fried Oreos, and Deep Fried Snickers. Hushpuppies is a superb eating experience that gives you great food, good service, and a beautiful decor to provide an entertaining atmosphere. Hushpuppies is open Monday thru Saturday 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. and on Sunday 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Hushpuppies is BYOB, they offer catering for groups of 30 or more. For more information give them a call at (903) 655-7933 or you can find them on Facebook. TFH
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COUNTRY AS CORNBREAD H By LOIS MARIE GUYMER
October Delights
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s the end of October draws near, the sight of so many yards decked out in bright orange pumpkins and scrawny scarecrows gives a lift to the corners of my mind. Those dusty cobwebs hanging around obscuring my everyday memories are swept aside by the sights of “summers leaving” and I can easily recall those fun-filled falls when I was a kid. Back then most everyone we knew did Halloween. It was a holiday built around innocent fun, and no one in our small community would have even thought of pulling mean pranks or of harming someone’s property in search of a thrill. In fact, the few houses that got “wrapped”with toilet paper were unwrapped the next morning by the same kids – after everyone had a good grin over it. Halloween week was our time for wearing red wax lips and blowing on orange wax whistles before chewing them up (and eventually spitting them out). And it culminated with the longed for night of “trick-or-treating” for candy, which we counted with greed and consumed with glee! During the days preceding, my brother and I usually dug out our old masks to see if they would suffice for another season. Budget allowing, we often got a new one to wear for the grand occasion. We never dressed up in a costume, just a mask. Mama always made us wear a coat anyway, so an outfit would have only gotten in the way. Most years, all the kids in our area gathered up at the old schoolhouse just after supper. Daddy would drive us over,
leaving Mama at home to dole out the goodies. Everyone would load up in pickups and traverse our rural route in a convoy, making frequent stops for us kids to hop out and make a mad dash up to someone’s door. There we would shove out our rolled-down grocery sacks, yelling a mask-muffled “Trick-or-Treat” at the top of our lungs. Sometimes though, if it were an older person’s house or someone who had been doing poorly, we were cautioned before leaving the car. At those places, our charge was much more subdued and always, wherever we went, we were reminded to remember our manners and leave with a smile and a thank-you. Living in a little old place, our parents knew everybody and everybody knew them. The bigger kids always looked out for the little ones when we jumped out to rush someone’s porch. And there really were “bigger” kids in the group, who each got a sack full of candy too. Back then no one was deemed too old to participate in the simple pleasures of youth. Finally, just when our sacks were starting to get as heavy as our eyelids, we headed for the last stop of the night. It was there that a very special lady we knew always had a big bowl of deliciously sticky popcorn balls waiting to go along with the homemade hot chocolate she had simmering on the stove. Everyone was welcome to come in, warm up, and delve into their sacks. At last it was our time to sit down, sample, and savor the flavors of Halloween. It was a good way to end the evening, before heading home to bid October adieu and goodnight! TFH
Half Price Sale! For a limited time, Christmas, Country As Cornbread Style, two for $12 Please send payment to Lois Guymer, 362 CR 4401, Jacksonville TX 75766 and specify for whom you’d like the book autographed.
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