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Tag: quirky

A to Z Texas: S is for Santa Claus Gets Lynched

Bad Santa Sparks Massive Manhunt in Texas One of the biggest manhunts in Texas state history was for none other than Santa Claus. But before I go further, let me set the scene: Dead Bank Robber Reward Program While “Wanted: Dead or Alive,” is the phrase commonly associated with bounty posters, back in 1927, the Texas Bankers Association (TBA) did away with the, “or alive,” clause and began offering a reward of $5000 for each dead bank robber that citizens or law enforcement could produce. Called the Dead Bank Robber Reward Program, this bounty was in response to a massive crime…

A to Z Texas: R is for Ren Fair in Waxahachie

Scarborough Fair in Waxahachie, Texas Every spring, Waxahachie, Texas hosts a huge ren fair, officially called the Scarborough Renaissance Festival. Back in 2010, it was the first such medieval reenactment I’d ever been to and – wow – was it ever fun. I had so much fun, in fact, that I returned in 2011 to get married! Not only were we married by the Archbishop of Canterbury, but we literally tied the knot. While renaissance fairs are not unique to Texas, the one over in Waxahachie is a big one: over 35 acres of shops and buildings that remain intact…

A to Z Texas: Q is for Quinceañera

Quinceañeras Look Like Brides – But They Aren’t In addition to colorful blossoms, here in Texas you often see teenage girls in fancy ball gowns at your local parks. These young women are accompanied by friends and family, also in formal attire, and there’s usually a professional photographer in tow. While, in some cases, you are witnessing an outdoor wedding, most of the time this festive group is strolling through nature as part of a Quince celebration. Quinceañera Comes from Ancient South American Puberty Rites A Quince celebration is a coming of age party for a 15-year-old girl. Quince means,…

A to Z Texas: P is for Petrified Wood Buildings

Petrified Wood Buildings in Texas In the late 1920’s, several Texan cities, including Austin, Huntville and Stephenville, began using petrified wood as a decorative building material. However, if someone were to name a Petrified Wood Capital of Texas, the town of Glen Rose would win hands down. Glen Rose, Texas is the Petrified Wood Leader In its hey-day, Glen Rose had at least 65 buildings constructed out of locally harvested petrified wood. Of these, roughly 40-something remain. The one at the top of this post is known as Sycamore Grove. During the Prohibition Era it served as a speakeasy and…

A to Z Texas: Old Rip – Famed Horny Toad of Eastland County

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…

A to Z Texas: N is for Chuck Norris

Chuck Norris – an Honorary Texan Although the famous martial artist and action film actor Carlos Ray (a.k.a. Chuck) Norris was born in Oklahoma, starring in the TV series, Walker, Texas Ranger has earned him honorary Texan citizenship. After all, the show ran from 1993 through 2001, and every single one of its 203 episodes were filmed in the Dallas – Fort Worth area in north Texas. Mr. Norris even paid a visit to the local grocery store in my little hometown near Fort Worth back in 2009. I had just moved here, however, and didn’t find out about this meet…