Carole Sikes Artist / Writer in Austin, Texas

WHAT DO YOU KNOW about Richard Denney? Rick Denney; Vice Chair of Travis County Historical Commission, called me about a story in my book Hudson Bend and the Birth of Lake Travis. (1) Perhaps he and I qualify as Rut Nuts. A “rut nut” is someone interested in history, particularly swales and ruts which are physical remains of old trails.______ Our online discussions included trails west of Austin made by the Comanche, the mid-century trails made by the Boy Scouts of Camp Tom Wooten and the old rail line established to deliver supplies and equipment to the Mansfield Dam being constructed (1937- 1941) At Marshalls Ford to create Lake Travis.______ Tiny trails become freeways! Insect tracks are followed by mammals small and large. Humans with their livestock make tracks into wider roads and even highways. Spanish explorers’caminos become paved roads and rail lines.______ Today Austin citizens travel an old path used by the Comanche and early settlers that became a road and a later railro...

WHAT DO YOU KNOW about Texas becoming a state? On February 19, 1846, the Lone Star flag of the small nation of Texas was replaced with the stars and stripes of the United States. Anson Jones, the last president of the young indebted nation handed the reins to the first governor of the new state James Pinkney Henderson with these dramatic words, “The final act in this great drama is now performed; the Republic of Texas is no more.”______ The exchange of Texas’s sovereignty for statehood actually occurred two months prior to the above auspicious celebration in front of the dog run (*) capitol building in Austin. There still is confusion about which should be the official date for Texas statehood.______ The Texas Declaration of Independence was challenged by General Santa Anna and the professional Mexican army. Sam Houston’s volunteer army was greatly outnumbered but achieved a surprising victory at the Battle of San Jacinto (1836). Attacking during the afternoon siesta, while Mexican t...

WHAT DO YOU KOW about Governor “Pappy” O’Daniel? Wilbert Lee O’Daniel (1890-1969) was a businessman, politician, musician and showman. As a boy in Kansas he lived with his mother and step-father after the death of his biological father. He completed a two year business college (1908) and went to work for a flour mill (later owned his own mill). With his wife and three children, he left Kansas moving to New Orleans and then to Ft. Worth.________ In Texas (1925) he wrote songs and discussed religion on his popular radio show called The Light Crust Boys. His western swing band was named The Hillbilly Boys. Mixing music, flour and the bible, this rather attractive man acquired a huge rural audience encouraging him to run for governor in the one party state of Texas (Democrat in 1939). He had promised no capital punishment, no sales tax, no poll tax and a raise in old age pensions. On all this, he reneged.________ As governor he vetoed a record 57 bills, he likely didn’t understand. Twel...

WHAT DO YOU KNOW about Angelina Eberly? Each year the Austin History Center honors her important participation in establishing Austin as the permanent capital of Texas.___________ After Texas declared independence from Mexico in 1836, General Sam Houston was made leader of the Army at Gonzales. The Mexican Army had been victorious at the Battle of the Alamo in San Antonio and now was in hot pursuit of Houston and his rag-tag new volunteers. Houston was fleeing eastward while training the green soldiers to fight. San Felipe on the Brazos River was on the way to Houston’s choice for the final stand for against Mexico.___________ Angelina and a group of women had cheered and waved to the soldiers sent to delay Santa Anna’s men who were crossing down river from San Felipe. Realizing it was only a delay, they joined terrified citizens in the “Runaway Scrape.” The deserted town was set on fire to prevent the Mexicans from acquiring its store of goods.______________________________________...

WHAT DO YOU KNOW about the Pig War in the new nation? The Pig War was a dispute between a hot headed Texan and an arrogant Frenchman in the primitive young town of Austin over a hotel bill in 1841 and beyond. I hope you find it amusing._________ Count Alphonse de Saligny, French Charge d’Affaires, represented France in the new Republic of Texas. He wrote to Paris of his delight and pleasure with the reception he received. This was before his confrontation at the Bullock Hotel. The Texas Congress was in recess so Saligny checked out to visit New Orleans. When receiving his bill he felt over-charged. He offered Bullock a lesser amount that was angrily refused. He left without paying and created an enemy. Upon his return to Austin, he rented a house and an office but his daily walk to the capitol caused him the discomfort of passing in front of the Bullock Hotel on Congress at Pecan (6th street)._________ He purchased 21 acres on a hill east of town to ...

ARMADILLO WORLD HEADAQUARTERS In my day Austin was ethnically divided by East Avenue. In 1960, Interstate 35 replaced this street. Today singles, couples, families, artists and musicians flock to live and operate in the convenient downtown neighborhoods east of US Interstate 35 displacing many of the older and earlier residents. Another coveted place to locate today is south of the river. Hip restaurants, bars, upscale hotels and residences are displacing the cowboy and red neck residents, the quirky retail stores and the souvenir shops that were there previously. In 1960 Austin was awash with hippies. The Armadillo World Headquarters (1970-1981) was Austin's legendary concert hall located on Barton Springs Road across the street from where the Long Center is located today. Eddie Wilson with Jesse Sublet(*) transformed an abandoned National Guard Armory into a music venue that was instrumental (pun intended) for Austin becoming the "The Music Capital of the World". It...

WHAT DO YOU KNOW about Waterloo? In 1838, Texas Vice President Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar arranged for Texas Rangers to take him to the Hornsby’s farm on the Colorado River to meet Jacob Harrell. Also in the party were James Rice, Willis Avery, Edward Fontaine and a slave. The destination was the very small, primitive and dangerous Anglo settlement called Waterloo in the new nation at the edge of Comanche territory. Upon arrival Lamar stayed in the relative safety of Harrell’s cabin. The Vice President was delighted with the beautiful violet foothills and the river valley that was covered with tall grasses. +++++new paragraph+++++ Mirabeau Lamar, poet and dreamer, became the second President of the Republic of Texas and had grand ideas for a new capital city on the Colorado River. The first and third president of Texas favored Harrisburg (Houston) as the capital and opposed almost everything for which Lamar stood, which included extermination of the Indians and Texas expansion to the we...