Published by The History Press
Charleston, SC
www.historypress.net
Copyright 2010 by Alan C. Elliott
The History Press edition 2016
First published 2016
e-book edition 2016
ISBN 978-1-4396-6005-8
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016948308
print edition ISBN 978-0-7385-0356-1
Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book. Although the author has researched all sources to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information contained within this book, no responsibility is assumed for errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or inconsistency herein. Any slights of people, places or organizations are completely and totally unintentional.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
In memory of
Terry D. Bilhartz
CONTENTS
PREFACE
Theres a lot to know about the great state of Texas. Its too much for one person to know about or write about. If it were possible to write all of the interesting stories of Texas legends that should have been written, Id have to use a Ford F-350 pickup to haul the book around. Itd be so big that getting it into a Barnes & Noble bookstore would be a piece of work. Knowing this bit of reality, I selected a sampling of Texas stories to include in this book and relied on a number of friendly Texas folks to help me check out the numerous facts and fancies.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Those who provided valuable input and suggestions include former lieutenant governor Bill Hobby, restaurateurs Bob and Carole Bogart, restaurateur Mariano Martinez, Sandra Lord of Discover Houston Tours, Whitney Deann Green, Don ONeal, the late Tom Young, Lynne Deel, Bill Kittles, Betty Gore, Craig Hopkins, Larry Gillreath, Gayla Brooks, Joan Reisch, Linda Hynan, Frank Liberto of Rico Products, Charles R. Townsend (author of San Antonio Rose: The Life and Music of Bob Wills [Urbana: University of Illinois Press]), Cheryl Lindsay and Ritchie Eris of the Conrad N. Hilton Memorial Park and Community Center, Ed Spencer, James Gaskin, Jan Winebrenner, Terry R. Hauck, Robert Deevey, Amanda Raspberry (Dublin Dr Pepper), Emily Wynne of the Van Cliburn Foundation and the helpful folks at the Gladys City Boomtown Museum and Texas Energy Museum. There are probably some Ive neglected to include in this list; I thank all who contributed to this project.
A special word of thanks to Patsy Summey for her numerous comments and suggestions. This project would not have been possible without the valuable help and support of my gracious and patient wife, ELynne Elliott.
INTRODUCTION
Texas Ingenuity is a collection of informative and sometimes quirky stories about Lone Star inventions, inventors and innovators. Each story emphasizes a Texas connection and shows how Texas innovation, determination or sheer dumb luck made the person or product famous and successful. Every Texan and Texas visitor hankering for a chuckle and an interesting bit of history will enjoy reading Texas Ingenuity.
Before I delve too far into these stories, and before you get too excited thinking that the story about your Uncle Joes invention that changed the world is included in this book, Ill have to apologize. There is no way on Gods green earth that this volume could cover all of the incredible stories of Texas smarts. Lets face it: folks in the Lone Star State have an overabundance of cleverness.
During the writing of this book, I tried to contact someone in every Texas county to locate as many stories as possible and got a few good ideas. However, when you discover that I left out your Uncle Joes story, you can either forgive the blunder or shoot me an e-mail. Maybe your idea will appear in some future version. To keep up with ever-expanding Texas ideas, inventions, innovations and legends, visit the www.alanelliott.com/legends website and share your stories.
That said, the stories that made it into Texas Ingenuity paint a colorful picture of how Texas pioneers put their minds to the task at hand and came up with resourceful ideas that influenced Texas and the world.
Texas Legends contains four major sections: The Is of Texas: Inventions, Inventors and Innovators, Tasty Texas: From Cattle Drive to Casual Dining, Texas Entertainment: Big Stars from the Lone Star and Texas Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate! Pull up an easy chair, get yourself a frosty glass of Dr Pepper and learn about the ingenious and imaginative legends who made the Lone Star State the best place to live this side of heaven.
THE IS OF TEXAS INVENTIONS, INVENTORS AND INNOVATORS
Texas enjoys a worldwide mystique. Travel anywhere in this whole wide world and tell someone you are from any other state in the United States and there will be little reaction. Tell them you are from Texas and an image appears in their head: cowboys, horses, oil fields, high fashion, big business and vast prairies. Hollywood may have enhanced and embellished the image of Texans as being big-thinking, straight-shooting and bull-headed, but the bigger-than-life Texas reputation didnt come about by chance, and it didnt happen overnight. The Texas mystique traces its heritage back to real-life pioneers with pluck and courage who transformed a loose-knit people living in an early frontier outpost into a people with a history like no other place in the United States.
The Is of Texas are the innovators, inventors and inventions that have made Texas an exciting, progressive and forward-looking place since the 1830s. There have been many of these determined and insightful men and women, and this book selects a few to illustrate how Texas and the world benefited from their lives and talents.
SAM HOUSTON AND THE GENESIS OF TEXAS
The names of the early Lone Star pioneers are written on county courthouses, city parks, public schools and monuments throughout the state. They are names like Austin, Houston, Bowie, Crockett, De Zavala, Fannin, Travis, Deaf Smith and many others. These were not saints. Some of these patriots were at times counted as scoundrels and neer-do-wells. Some came to Texas to escape failed marriages, to outwit the law or to flee from debts. Saints and sinners alike came together in this untamed territory. They found new life in an era and in a place where they would be required to prove their honor and courage in a fight for personal and mutual freedom.
One man stood out among them all. At times when others gave up hope, he held the ragtag assemblage of Texas pioneers together. An imperfect man with a history of promising successes and debilitating failures, he steered the fledgling Texas ship of state from certain disaster into a safe port. His story reflects a life of innovation, originality, resourcefulness, courage and honor that defines what it means to be a true Texan today. In many ways, the image of Texas that is prevalent around the world came about because of the near-legendary life of one man: Sam Houston.
