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Traces of Texas

@tracesoftexas.bsky.social

6.5K followers 1.7K following 1.5K posts

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

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Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 12h

A classic Texas rancher attends the county fair in Gonzalez, 1939. Everything about his bearing, appearance and attire are dead-solid perfect.

Taken by Russell Lee.

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Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 2d

I feel pretty safe in saying that Denton's Brave Combo is the only band to ever have been on The Simpsons and also to play a polka version of Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze.

youtu.be/wSDifGxwSBo?...

Brave Combo Jimi Hendrix Polka Purple Haze

YouTube video by John Q Public

youtu.be

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Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 2d

Brothers.

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Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 2d

Amarillo, 1962. Almost a dream of a photo. Just .... WOW!

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Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 2d

A view of the midway at the Texas State Fair in 1961. If you put your nose up real close to whatever you're using to view this image, you'll smell the wonderful aroma of Fletcher's Original Corny Dogs. 😉

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Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 2d

Two Texans. Johnny Winter and Janis Joplin at Madison Square Garden in 1969. It's hard to believe that Johnny's been gone for more than 11 years now. Janis was before my time of course, but Johnny wasn't. Somehow, I never caught him live. Did any of y'all? Any stories?

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Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 3d

A chicken hatchery on U.S. Highway 80 between Fort Worth and Dallas in 1942. Pick up your chicks, get some feed ... An awesome shot by Arthur Rothstein.

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Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 4d

Ha ha. Well, my previous post was in regards to the Legal Tender saloon in Menard.

Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 4d

Willie Nelson and Mel Tillis with an eternal truth:

youtu.be/QfNmWPopTQ8?...

Texas On A Saturday Night (with Mel Tillis)

YouTube video by Willie Nelson - Topic

youtu.be

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Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 4d

Albert was Stevie's hero.

Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 4d

A Phillips refinery worker in Borger, Texas, fills a tank car with fuel oil, 1942. A remarkable photo in every way. Stunning clarity.

Taken by John Vachon.

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Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 4d

Russell Lee

Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 5d

Speaking of Menard, here's a photo of a flood in that fair city on June 6, 1899. Menard was still officially known as "Menardville" at this time, so I'm not sure why it is referred to as Menard on this photo. They didn't officially change to name to Menard until 1910 or so.

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Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 5d

Belinda Fleming graciously shared this fantastic undated photo of the Legal Tender Saloon in Menard. The saloon stood next to what is now the First State Bank building, which still exists today (formerly Bevans Bank).

Thanks, Belinda! Love this! For some reason, I want a beer.

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Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 5d

A cowboy ropes a horse on the SMS ranch near Spur, Texas. What a wonderful shot ... so incredibly crisp. It's remarkable to think it was taken 86 years ago. A gold star and enshrinement in the TOT reader hall of fame to anybody who can tell me who took this shot. 😃

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Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 5d

Here's a sad statistic: Stevie Ray Vaughan was on the planet for 13,092 days. As of today, it's been exactly 13,092 days since he died. Tomorrow, he will have been gone longer than he was here. Today would have been his 71st birthday. Did you ever see him live?

RIP Stevie Ray!

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Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 6d

I sound like the government? What?

Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 6d

Laundry day in El Paso 1937. From L-R: Rosa Fierro, Petra V. Fierro, and Ignaciaz? Question: were they doing laundry over a fire? Second question: did any of y'all ever do this or know anybody who did? Third question: aren't you glad for modern-day washing machines?

Courtesy El Paso History Museum

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Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 6d

What manner of gustatory insolence is this? California with 45 of the top 100 taco spots, including # 1? New York with the number 2 spot?

www.yelp.com/article/top-...

To quote a wise philosopher, this aggression shall not stand, man!

www.yelp.com

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Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 6d

The Last Bateau shared this circa 1950 photo of moonshiner and raconteur Wyatt Moore hiding his moonshine in trees on Caddo lake for others to pick up. He successfully avoided the law with this method. Wyatt was one of those people whom you never knew where the legend ended and the myth started.

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Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 6d

Well how else would you know for sure that it's moonshine?

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Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 6d

Portrait of Reverend Chimunski, Brenham, 1913. I believe he might have been the original model for Santa Claus. This was taken by the well-known Winkelmann studio in that fine town. It was in business until 1991.

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Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 7d

Herlinda Wong Chew, shown far right with her family. was a remarkable Texas lady. Born in Mexico, she migrated with her husband to El Paso during the Mexican Revolution, where she became a dominant businesswoman. Self taught, she was fluent in 4 languages. More:

www.tshaonline.org/handbook/ent...

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Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 7d

Traces of Texas reader Art Hall graciously sent in this nifty photo of his grandfather, Jack Bays, kneeling after busing a moonshine still in Harrison County, where he was a deputy sheriff. I notice that, for some reason, the LEOs always seem to be smiling in these illegal still bust shots. 😄

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Traces of Texas @tracesoftexas.bsky.social · 7d

The Texas Quote of the Day is an old chuckwagon cook's "chow call" to dinner:

"Ants in the butter,
flies in the meat,
if you b*stards are hungry,
Get up here and eat!"

---- Recorded on the LS ranch near Tascosa, 1907

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