East/west…whatever! The following is an adapted excerpt from Unexpected Texas, my quirky travel guide to offbeat and overlooked day trips near Dallas and Fort Worth: Despite being named “Eastland” this quirky little town is actually located in west Texas. (Meanwhile, the city of West, Texas is located in the southern portion of our state. Go figure!) Anyway, in the 1920’s Eastland was a lively boomtown thanks to the oil industry. These days, it’s a sleepy little city with a population hovering near 4,000. And unless you’re from this neck of the woods, you’re probably not aware of Eastland’s two most…
Tag: eastland
For many, Texas is synonymous with oil production; however, did you know that Texas produces more wind power than any other state? Wind farming has even revitalized communities such as Roscoe and Sweetwater, where farming has become challenging due to drought conditions. According to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the wind farms of Texas continue setting new records for power output. Additionally, of course, all this wind is great for flag flying, sailboating, and, of course, kiting. More A to Z blog posts This was my post for the letter W of the A to Z blogging challenge.…
Horned Lizard Buried Alive in Eastland, Texas While the average horny toad has a lifespan of five to ten years, there is an old wive’s tale that – like Rip Van Winkle – they can live for 100 years in hibernation. On July 29, 1897 a county clerk in Eastland, Texas named Ernest E. Wood decided to test this theory. On that day, a cornerstone containing a time capsule was cemented into the new Eastland County Courthouse. The time capsule included a Bible, coins, newspapers and – as a last minute addition by Mr. Wood – a live Texas horned…