Carole Sikes Artist / Writer in Austin, Texas

August 15, 2020 WHAT DO YOU KNOW about Bastrop? El Camino Real, "the King's Highway" (1) was blazed as early as 1691 to reach the unsuccessful Spanish missions in the wilderness of east Texas. This route crossed the Colorado River where the Baron de Bastrop established a colony in 1823 that was later abandoned because of Indian raids. Pioneers, both American and Mexican, were seeking land in Texas. A stockade was built and troops were stationed to protect the traffic along El Camino Real. Mexicans crossed the Rio Grande River onto land south of San Antonio. Many anglos settled in east Texas and along the Colorado River on bends upstream from Bastrop named Reed, Powel, Hemphill, Wilbarger, Pope, and Hornsby Bends. Rueben and Sarah Hornsby generously made their farm a stopping place for neighbors to collect mail and exchange news. Newcomers were welcome to stay there while seeking land farther north.  In 1832, Josiah Wilbarger offered four men, prospective immigrants, a ...

WHAT DO YOU KNOW about the Galveston’s Maceo family? In the late 19th century Galveston was an important port rivaling Ellis Island. The Moodys, Kempners and Sealys controlled Galveston. Remnants of elegance still exist in the grand Galvez Hotel and old homes north of downtown. Ten years after the 1900 flood, Galveston began to rise as a gambling center. The Maceo brothers arrived in 1913, becoming friends with the Beach Gang while barbering the prominent citizens of the town. Prohibition (1919-1933) lead to moonshining and Sam in his barber shop at the Galvez and Rose in his shop downtown, offered samples of their wine. They became partners with illegal distillers by storing liquor in their beach house before it was shipped to Middle America. In the early 1920s Soda Stands on the streets were a front for liquor sales and these agreeable boys were becoming wealthy. They attended the First Baptist Church on Sundays and they were known, liked and respected. The Beach Gang and another, ...

The use of camels by the military was first proposed in 1836 by Maj. George H. Crosman, a West Point graduate. The idea came up again twelve years later when Maj. Henry C. Wayne endorsed the concept with a study for their use in the southwest. It was backed by Jefferson Davis, a U.S. senator from Mississippi at that time. In 1853, the Secretary of War established the U. S. Camel Corps with a grant from Congress for $20,000 to bring camels to Texas. On March 3, 1855, Maj. Wayne was made the commander of the corps and was dispatched to the Middle East to procure the exotic livestock. The U. S. Supply ship stopped in Tunisia, Malta, Greece, and Turkey bringing 33 camels with saddles and tack to America. One died, but a camel calf was born on the journey which landed in Indianola on the Texas coast. The caravan was moved to San Antonio while the ship left for a return voyage. Feb. 1857, Camp Verde in Kerr County became headquarters for the U.S. Camel Corp. The original herd was joined ...