A grisly discovery in 1965 remains one of Houston’s strangest unsolved murders. Resources: Why The Ice Box Murders Remain Terrifying After 50 Years (allthatsinteresting.com) The Chilling Tale of the Icebox Murders | Houstonia Magazine The Ice Box Murders.com The Ice Box Murders by Hugh and Martha Gardenier Ice Box Murders | True Crime Tales (truecrimetalestx.com)
Tag: Texas History
That Time a Roman Bust Ended Up at a Texas Good Will
Thrifting sometimes leads to the discovery of treasures, but no one was expecting to find a 2,000-year-old Roman Statue at the Goodwill. Resources: https://www.expressnews.com/lifestyle/article/roman-bust-texas-goodwill-san-antonio-museum-17147409.php https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Missing-Roman-bust-Texas-goodwill-sculpture-17148302.php https://www.newsweek.com/texas-woman-buys-priceless-roman-bust-goodwill-store-1703705 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ancient-roman-sculpture-bought-goodwill-texas-germany-wwii/ https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/roman-bust-goodwill-finds-17151098.php
Bernie Tiede, A Murderer Few People Could Hate
When it was discovered that Bernie Tiede killed a local woman, more people in his Texas town supported him than the deceased. Resources: https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/what-to-make-of-bernie-tiede-now/ https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/midnight-in-the-garden-of-east-texas/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Tiede Bernie film
Candy Barr- “I Did What I Had to Survive’
Candy Barr was a legend of the burlesque circuit, but her life story had more ups and down than a roller coaster. Resources: https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/candy-barr/ Candy Barr by Ted Schwarz and Mardi Rustam https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candy_Barr
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)
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
The Angel of Goliad, Francita Alavez
Though the details of her life were spotty, it is known that Francita Alavez saved the lives of men at Goliad, and earned the nickname “The Angel of Goliad.” Resources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francita_Alavez https://texashistoricalmarkers.weebly.com/angel-of-goliad.html
Lottie Deno (Carlotta Tompkins)
In a time where gambling was scene as a man’s hobby, Lottie Deno made her name (and her living) winning at the gaming tables of Texas. Resources: https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-lottiedeno/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lottie_Deno
Bessie Coleman
Queen Bess, Bessie Coleman, took to the skies as a stunt pilot after years of racism and sexism. She is our first in this month’s celebration of Texas Women’s History. Resources: https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-culture/bessie-coleman-trailblazing-black-texan-pilot/ https://www.biography.com/explorer/bessie-coleman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Coleman
Texas: Slang for Crazy 