The Invention of the Amber Alert
In 1996, the brutal murder of a young girl in Texas would lead to the creation of a missing child identification system across the United States. Resources: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/mourners-pay-tribute-to-amber-hagerman-24-years-after-her-abduction/2291748/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amber_alert https://amberalert.ojp.gov/
William Henry Ellis- Texas Slave Turned Mexican Millionaire
William Henry Ellis aka Guillermo Enrique Eliseo may have been born poor in Victoria, Texas, but he ended his days wealthy in Mexico City. Resources: The Strange Career of William Ellis: The Texas Slave Who Became a Mexican Millionaire (Norton, 2016) by Karl Jacoby https://www.tpr.org/post/fronteras-how-former-texas-slave-became-millionaire https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/ellis-william-henry-1864-1923/ https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-texas-slave-who-conned-everyone-as-a-mexican-millionaire https://deadline.com/2019/08/producer-phillip-rodriguez-acquires-rights-the-strange-career-of-william-ellis-1202701160/
Juneteenth
On June 19, 1865 word of the end of slavery finally reached Texas. But what is Juneteenth and why is it not more widely celebrated? This episode would not be possible without the men and women referenced below. Please check them out and support them: https://www.juneteenth.com/history.htm https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/09/us/juneteenth-twitter-square-holiday.html
Martyr’s Park, Dallas
Along the highway, under an overpass near where John F. Kennedy was assassinated is a small park often referred to as junk space. It may finally be getting the story of it’s history as a site of racial injustice told. Resources: https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/architecture/2020/01/24/dallas-is-planning-a-lynching-memorial-it-should-think-bigger/ https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2017/10/06/if-dallas-hates-erasing-history-so-much-why-doesn-t-anyone-know-about-park-honoring-three-slaves-who-were-hanged/ http://www.dallasparks.org/Facilities/Facility/Details/Martyrs-Park-580 https://billbetzen.blogspot.com/2017/10/dallas-martyrs-park-and-john-f-kennedy.html https://archinect.com/news/article/150181243/architecture-critic-mark-lamster-proposes-a-new-pedestrian-memorial-park-for-dallas Places you can support to fight racial injustice: ACLU…
The House on the Hill; or the Murder of the Norton Sisters
The death of two wealthy sisters in Llano, Texas initially didn’t set off any alarm bells. That was until a close friend was tied to an arsenic poisoning a few cities away. The Norton ranch stands to this day. Resources: Poison for Profit by Mac B. McKinnon Texas Monthly: Poisoned with Love https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/poisoned-with-love/?fbclid=IwAR1b2gH5bgW_t9r5MG2pv03B4TQo2GaFOMWKLRO6zDaswl5HJFDoICuUbi0 https://www.texastribune.org/library/data/texas-prisons/inmates/timothy-g-scoggin/1177168/ http://sites.rootsweb.com/~txllano/THE%20HOUSE%20ON%20THE%20HILL.htm…
Bella- The Official Cat of the Alamo
Bella is the most recent in a line of furry protectors of one of Texas’ most infamous landmarks. Resources: https://twitter.com/bellaalamocat https://medium.com/@txglo/mighty-huntress-on-the-prowl-rodents-beware-b41faf8fe80 https://texashillcountry.com/alamo-cat-named-bella/ https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Alamo-has-new-official-cat-6335477.php https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/alamo-cat-graves
The Popeye Statue of Crystal City
Just under two hours Southwest from San Antonio sits a statue devoted to a beloved cartoon character that may have had something to do with keeping Crystal City alive during The Great Depression. The statue can be found at 400 W Zavala St, Crystal City, TX 78839. Resources: http://www.texasescapes.com/They-Shoe-Horses-Dont-They/Popeye-Sailors-in-Limestone.htm https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2658 https://texashillcountry.com/popeye-sailor-crystal-city-texas/ http://cityofcc.org/
Fred, the Ghost of Austin’s Buffalo Billiards
If you’re looking for a beer in a former boarding house, maybe a quick game of pool, Austin’s Buffalo Billiards is your place. Still, this 6th st location is also known for a ghostly resident nick-named Fred. Resources: https://buffalobilliardsaustin.com/ https://nightlyspirits.com/ghosts-of-austin-texas-buffalo-billiards/ https://austin.curbed.com/maps/austin-haunted-places-to-go-map
The Old Goatman Bridge
Up near Dallas is a the community of Denton. Now a foot bridge, the Old Alton Bridge has a very dark history and one hell of a ghost. Resources https://texashillcountry.com/goatman-bridge-history-hauntings-denton-alton-bridge https://wedentondoit.com/blog/2013/10/18/back-in-the-day-goatmans-bridge https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/goatmans-bridge https://www.discoverdenton.com/article/paranormal-denton-county-night-goatmans-bridge
The Haunted Clocktower of Gonzales
The Gonzales County Courthouse is a marvel of a building that was begun in 1894. By 1846, the brick and limestone building was festooned with a gorgeous clocktower. However, after a murderer made a final claim, the clock tower found its curse. Resources: https://maps.roadtrippers.com/us/gonzales-tx/points-of-interest/cursed-courthouse-clock http://www.texasescapes.com/TRIPS/GreatAmericanLegendTour/GonzalesCoCourthouse/Gonzales-County-Courthouse-Clock.htm https://www.gonzalestx.travel/business/gonzales-county-courthouse So you can get a look at the clocktower:
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