An animal with behavioral problems and a trainer who reduced precautions? What could have gone wrong in Corsicana in 1929. Resources: 6 Feet Under Texas by Tui Snider https://www.texasobserver.org/corsicanas-killer-elephant/ https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/13906 https://obituaries.corsicanadailysun.com/obituary/carmack-watkins-1071445206 https://txnavarr.genealogyvillage.com/biographies/d/donohoe_eva.htm
Category: Podcast Episodes
Dead Man’s Hole
Near Marble Falls, turn off onto County Road 401 for the site of a Civil War horror. Resources: https://www.101highlandlakes.com/news/dead-mans-hole-in-marble-falls https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/dead-mans-hole https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/dead-mans-hole
The Reluctant Alien Invasion
In 2008 Stephenville, Texas got more attention than they wanted when lights appeared in their skies. Resources: Fringe-ology Steve Volk https://www.npr.org/2008/01/16/18146244/dozens-claim-they-spotted-ufo-in-texas https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/a4018/4304170/ https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/MUFON_releases_report_on_UFO_sighting_in_Stephenville,_Texas
The Treue Der Union Monument and the Massacre on the Nueces
In 1862 a group of German Unionists were gunned down at the Massacre on the Nueces. Today a monument to their murder and the Union sits in a Hill Country Town. Thanks to the following resources: The Texas State History Handbook Online: https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/nueces-battle-of-the The New York Times https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/11/massacre-on-the-nueces/?_r=1 Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treue_der_Union_Monument Texas Public Radio: https://www.tpr.org/post/treue-der-union-monument-represents-incredible-cost-comfort
Ms. Pearl the Giant Squirrel and the Pecan Pie Vending Machine
Off Highway 71 near Austin is not only a pecan pie vending machine that dispenses pies 24 hours, but a 14-foot squirrel guiding the way. Resources: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pecan-pie-vending-machine https://berdollsquirrel.com/
Giant Heads and Mount Rush Hour- David Adickes
Driving through Texas, you might get a peak at a few giant heads and a Mini Mount Rushmore built for Houston traffic. Resources: https://thetexasbucketlist.com/2020/02/the-texas-bucket-list-david-adickes-art-studio-in-houston/ https://kwhi.com/no-suspects-in-graffiti-spraying-of-stephen-f-austin-statue-in-bellville-statue-cleaned-by-local-students/ https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/48713 https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/17589 https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/david-adickes-sculpture-gallery
Attempted Murder- The Treaty Oak Edition
In 1989 one of Austin’s landmarks was almost murdered by a resident. The why and how is mindboggling. https://open.spotify.com/episode/0lHSgpKfU0FbCwPlCvUKNW?si=cTdQy9cOSYCDgTMQsuNKQA Resources: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/austin-treaty-oak-poisoning-crime-files/269-871f0c0a-3f0b-4105-92ad-a53429d2a065 https://austin.culturemap.com/news/city-life/10-06-17-history-treaty-oak-tree-downtown-austin/ https://www.statesman.com/news/20161012/25-years-later-intrigue-of-poisoned-treaty-oak-remains
The Satan Storm
On June 15th, 1960 the town of Kopperl, Texas was hit with scorching temperatures in what became known locally as The Satan Storm. Resources: https://us105fm.com/satans-storm-struck-central-texas-56-years-ago-today/ https://historydaily.org/four-unusually-dramatic-disasters-of-the-past https://www.wideopencountry.com/5-of-the-strangest-weather-events-in-the-history-of-the-south
The Creation of the Frozen Margarita
Mariano Martinez of Dallas needed his popular margaritas to stay consistent. His invention lead to a Mexican restaurant classic- the frozen Margarita. Resources: https://www.laharanch.com/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/uniquely-texas-origins-frozen-margarita-180969339/ https://www.visitdallas.com/things-to-do/dallas-now/2017/07/the-history-of-the-frozen-margarita-begins-in-dallas.htm https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/2010/05/frozen-margarita-machine-cinco-de-mayo.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariano_Martinez_(entrepreneur)
That Time Japan Unsuccessfully Bombed Texas
In 1945, two communities in Texas found giant balloons in their fields. Though it was mostly covered up by the US, it turned out it was a failed attempt by the Japanese to cause serious damage from a distance. Resources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fu-Go_balloon_bomb https://www.click2houston.com/weather/2019/11/18/balloon-bombs-over-texas-it-happened/ https://texasalmanac.com/topics/history/bombing-texas https://tmd.texas.gov/the-long-proud-history-of-the-texas-state-guard-balloon-bombs-in-wwii https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/8573 http://www.texasescapes.com/ClayCoppedge/Bombing-of-Desdemona.htm
Texas: Slang for Crazy 