Traces of Texas
@tracesoftexas.bsky.social
Purveyor of Texas history and culture. Cowboy boots junkie and advocate of all things Lone Star. 100% organic, free-range Texas content. A politics-free feed. DON'T get political! Buy me a coffee? Click here: https://buymeacoffee.com/tracesoftexas
Servicemen kiss their brand-new brides at a mass wedding of ten couples in a gymnasium in El Paso, 1942. These men and women were no doubt going to be soon separated and there was a chance that some of the men might not come back. An intense scene!
Taken for life.com magazine by Elliot Elisofan.
Taken for life.com magazine by Elliot Elisofan.
January 10, 2026 at 9:13 AM
Servicemen kiss their brand-new brides at a mass wedding of ten couples in a gymnasium in El Paso, 1942. These men and women were no doubt going to be soon separated and there was a chance that some of the men might not come back. An intense scene!
Taken for life.com magazine by Elliot Elisofan.
Taken for life.com magazine by Elliot Elisofan.
This is a gross oversimplification.
January 10, 2026 at 7:10 AM
This is a gross oversimplification.
No, it is gone.
January 10, 2026 at 7:09 AM
No, it is gone.
He is one of the "3 Kings of the Blues," the others being B.B. King and Albert King. He is 19th on Rolling Stone's list of greatest guitarists of all time --- ahead of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King, Buddy Guy etc ... www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...
The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time
The 250 Greatest Guitarists: Jimi Hendrix, Prince, St. Vincent, H.E.R. and More
www.rollingstone.com
January 10, 2026 at 7:08 AM
He is one of the "3 Kings of the Blues," the others being B.B. King and Albert King. He is 19th on Rolling Stone's list of greatest guitarists of all time --- ahead of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King, Buddy Guy etc ... www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...
Some Friday night Texas blues from the great Freddie King. Good Lord what a monster. Here Freddie is playing with a steel finger pick on his index finger and a thumb pick and he is FEELING IT.
youtu.be/mE9H1bW-zQ4?...
youtu.be/mE9H1bW-zQ4?...
Freddie King - Have You Ever Loved A Woman
YouTube video by mick7575
youtu.be
January 10, 2026 at 4:26 AM
Some Friday night Texas blues from the great Freddie King. Good Lord what a monster. Here Freddie is playing with a steel finger pick on his index finger and a thumb pick and he is FEELING IT.
youtu.be/mE9H1bW-zQ4?...
youtu.be/mE9H1bW-zQ4?...
A nice shot looking west on E. Houston St. in Marshall, Texas, 1950s, with a great view of buildings on the south side of the street, including the Mahon Building, Hotel Marshall, a drug store, and Perkins on the left. The Hotel Marshall building was constructed in 1930. It still stands.
January 10, 2026 at 1:59 AM
A nice shot looking west on E. Houston St. in Marshall, Texas, 1950s, with a great view of buildings on the south side of the street, including the Mahon Building, Hotel Marshall, a drug store, and Perkins on the left. The Hotel Marshall building was constructed in 1930. It still stands.
I just spelled the word "connoisseur" correctly, the first time out.
Little victories. 😉
Little victories. 😉
January 10, 2026 at 12:32 AM
I just spelled the word "connoisseur" correctly, the first time out.
Little victories. 😉
Little victories. 😉
The Arcane Texas Fact of the Day: Historical records show that, in 1890, the population of Mobeetie, Texas was 400 but the town of Mobeetie had nine saloons. They were apparently a thirsty lot, those early Panhandle Texans. Here: a great photo of the Wheeler County courthouse in Mobeetie, 1890.
January 9, 2026 at 5:30 PM
The Arcane Texas Fact of the Day: Historical records show that, in 1890, the population of Mobeetie, Texas was 400 but the town of Mobeetie had nine saloons. They were apparently a thirsty lot, those early Panhandle Texans. Here: a great photo of the Wheeler County courthouse in Mobeetie, 1890.
Jiminey! Here's an INCREDIBLE 1942 photo of a young girl waiting on the Rock Island Rocket in Amarillo, Texas. What a marvelous capture by John Vachon. She look almost like a porcelain doll. I reckon there's a decent chance she's still with us.
January 8, 2026 at 11:18 PM
Jiminey! Here's an INCREDIBLE 1942 photo of a young girl waiting on the Rock Island Rocket in Amarillo, Texas. What a marvelous capture by John Vachon. She look almost like a porcelain doll. I reckon there's a decent chance she's still with us.
Kelly Willis performs a song made famous by Gary Stewart. She has a great country/western voice, I think.
youtu.be/g3qNtf_S0sQ?...
youtu.be/g3qNtf_S0sQ?...
Kelly Willis | He's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles) | The Next Waltz
YouTube video by The Next Waltz
youtu.be
January 7, 2026 at 6:39 AM
Kelly Willis performs a song made famous by Gary Stewart. She has a great country/western voice, I think.
youtu.be/g3qNtf_S0sQ?...
youtu.be/g3qNtf_S0sQ?...
The first post office in the Texas Panhandle, 1878. It was in the town of Mobeetie, the first town in the Panhandle and the first county seat of Wheeler county.
January 7, 2026 at 1:03 AM
The first post office in the Texas Panhandle, 1878. It was in the town of Mobeetie, the first town in the Panhandle and the first county seat of Wheeler county.
Reader Clare Cason submitted this great 1956 photo of women in a dressing room during function at Howard Payne college in Brownwood, Texas. The photo was taken by Clare's mom, Alis Dickinson, as seen in the blue dress in the mirror with the flash going off. I love the fun, energy and excitement!
January 6, 2026 at 7:13 PM
Reader Clare Cason submitted this great 1956 photo of women in a dressing room during function at Howard Payne college in Brownwood, Texas. The photo was taken by Clare's mom, Alis Dickinson, as seen in the blue dress in the mirror with the flash going off. I love the fun, energy and excitement!
My goodness, Raul Malo had an incredible voice. Here he is singing a song written by one Texan, Kris Kristofferson, and made famous by another, Ray Price. Wow. Here he's performing in front of Kris, and I love Kris' reaction at the end.
youtu.be/Vqpj17GmVMc?...
youtu.be/Vqpj17GmVMc?...
Raul Malo with "For The Good Times" from Skyville Live's Tribute to Kris Kristofferson
YouTube video by Music is...
youtu.be
January 5, 2026 at 3:21 AM
My goodness, Raul Malo had an incredible voice. Here he is singing a song written by one Texan, Kris Kristofferson, and made famous by another, Ray Price. Wow. Here he's performing in front of Kris, and I love Kris' reaction at the end.
youtu.be/Vqpj17GmVMc?...
youtu.be/Vqpj17GmVMc?...
Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys, as seen from the air, 1971. How many of y'all attended a game here?
January 5, 2026 at 2:36 AM
Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys, as seen from the air, 1971. How many of y'all attended a game here?
Traces of Texas reader Kenny Burk thoughtfully submitted this great early 1950s photo, taken on the Matador Ranch by either Kenny's grandfather, Henry Burk, or Henry's cousin, E.T. Anderson. The pair bought thousands of 2-and-3 year old steers and shipped them on trains to the Flinthills of Kansas.
January 5, 2026 at 1:20 AM
Traces of Texas reader Kenny Burk thoughtfully submitted this great early 1950s photo, taken on the Matador Ranch by either Kenny's grandfather, Henry Burk, or Henry's cousin, E.T. Anderson. The pair bought thousands of 2-and-3 year old steers and shipped them on trains to the Flinthills of Kansas.
TOT reader Ty Hall found this photo of a horse show in Anson, Texas among his family's artifacts. He doesn't know when it was taken but it's a cabinet card image and the Jones county courthouse in the background was built in 1886 and has no trees around it, so probably 1886-1895. Thanks, Ty!
January 4, 2026 at 10:45 PM
TOT reader Ty Hall found this photo of a horse show in Anson, Texas among his family's artifacts. He doesn't know when it was taken but it's a cabinet card image and the Jones county courthouse in the background was built in 1886 and has no trees around it, so probably 1886-1895. Thanks, Ty!
The "Hangman's Tree" at Judge Roy Bean's place in Langtry. The photo is undated, but it could be 1961, judging from the caption. It's an old, dead mesquite in this photo, but in the judge's time it was alive. The kicker: nobody ever hanged from the tree. The judge used it to chain up drunks.
January 4, 2026 at 9:25 PM
The "Hangman's Tree" at Judge Roy Bean's place in Langtry. The photo is undated, but it could be 1961, judging from the caption. It's an old, dead mesquite in this photo, but in the judge's time it was alive. The kicker: nobody ever hanged from the tree. The judge used it to chain up drunks.
A view of Main Street in Fredericksburg, 1984. This scene hasn't changed too much, with the exception that today you'd see five times as many cars.
January 4, 2026 at 7:50 PM
A view of Main Street in Fredericksburg, 1984. This scene hasn't changed too much, with the exception that today you'd see five times as many cars.
Sometimes you can see them coming from about 200 miles.
January 4, 2026 at 5:16 PM
Sometimes you can see them coming from about 200 miles.
A gorgeous shot of beautiful downtown Hillsboro. You car folks can check me on this but it appears to be about 1960. Note the Kress store, Austin shoes etc .... Hillsboro's downtown is still lovely.
January 4, 2026 at 5:11 PM
A gorgeous shot of beautiful downtown Hillsboro. You car folks can check me on this but it appears to be about 1960. Note the Kress store, Austin shoes etc .... Hillsboro's downtown is still lovely.
One of my own photos. A thunderstorm over Dalhart, Texas, in Aug., 2017. When I saw it I thought that maybe I should stop, look for a Whataburger, and wait it out. Then I thought, "What fun would that be? Where's your spirit of adventure, man?" Six minutes later it was raining torrentially.
January 4, 2026 at 8:09 AM
One of my own photos. A thunderstorm over Dalhart, Texas, in Aug., 2017. When I saw it I thought that maybe I should stop, look for a Whataburger, and wait it out. Then I thought, "What fun would that be? Where's your spirit of adventure, man?" Six minutes later it was raining torrentially.
I may not be able to define what "it" is, but I know it when I see it, and Dallas' Trini Lopez had it. This is a fantastic version of an old Cuban classic.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLlV...
RIP Trini Lopez!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLlV...
RIP Trini Lopez!
Trini Lopez - Quantanamera - 1990
YouTube video by VHS-Goldie
www.youtube.com
January 4, 2026 at 3:49 AM
I may not be able to define what "it" is, but I know it when I see it, and Dallas' Trini Lopez had it. This is a fantastic version of an old Cuban classic.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLlV...
RIP Trini Lopez!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLlV...
RIP Trini Lopez!
Dolores O'Neal Howard graciously shared this photo of herself with two friends, taken at Yamboree time in Gilmer, Texas by Gilmer photographer Mr. Hill in 1964. Yamboree is the yam festival held on the third weekend of October in Gilmer. From L-R: Linda Nordling, Pat Ingram, Dolores O'Neal Howard.
January 3, 2026 at 10:44 PM
Dolores O'Neal Howard graciously shared this photo of herself with two friends, taken at Yamboree time in Gilmer, Texas by Gilmer photographer Mr. Hill in 1964. Yamboree is the yam festival held on the third weekend of October in Gilmer. From L-R: Linda Nordling, Pat Ingram, Dolores O'Neal Howard.
The Texas Quote of the Day is still true, 309 years after it was written:
"It is impossible to exaggerate the pleasant character, the beauty, and the fertility of the province of Tejas."
----- Father Antonio Olivares, in a Nov. 20, 1716 letter to Viceroy Fernando de Alencastre Noroña y Silva
"It is impossible to exaggerate the pleasant character, the beauty, and the fertility of the province of Tejas."
----- Father Antonio Olivares, in a Nov. 20, 1716 letter to Viceroy Fernando de Alencastre Noroña y Silva
January 3, 2026 at 4:22 PM
The Texas Quote of the Day is still true, 309 years after it was written:
"It is impossible to exaggerate the pleasant character, the beauty, and the fertility of the province of Tejas."
----- Father Antonio Olivares, in a Nov. 20, 1716 letter to Viceroy Fernando de Alencastre Noroña y Silva
"It is impossible to exaggerate the pleasant character, the beauty, and the fertility of the province of Tejas."
----- Father Antonio Olivares, in a Nov. 20, 1716 letter to Viceroy Fernando de Alencastre Noroña y Silva
It's nothing like that. It's pointing out the historical reality that, by the time Corpus enacted this, feral hogs had been running wild in Texas for at least 150 years. That's it.
January 3, 2026 at 6:32 AM
It's nothing like that. It's pointing out the historical reality that, by the time Corpus enacted this, feral hogs had been running wild in Texas for at least 150 years. That's it.