Marco and Maria Pellizzari came to Galveston from Italy in 1913, just before the first world war began in Europe. Marco’s brother, Gino, arrived the year before and found a job in the coal mines of Thurber. He wrote often, urging the couple to join him, and promising Marco that he would find good, steady … Continue reading
It’s been eight months since we moved into a one-hundred-year-old hotel. Eight months of meeting new people, and eight months of hard work. My wife and I both have our day jobs, so the cleaning and hosting and fixing happens during our time off. We make quite the team. Though I’m involved in the normal business … Continue reading
Thurber, Texas is half-way between Fort Worth and Abilene on Interstate-20, but you’ll miss it if you’re not looking for it. Although it was the biggest city between Fort Worth and El Paso with a population of nearly 10,000 one hundred years ago, it is a ghost town today. Between 1886 and 1920, the Texas … Continue reading
By John Bird Eastland, Texas is best known for its most famous citizen of the past—a horned toad named Old Rip. Eastland County was amid a boom in the last years of the 19th century, and a larger courthouse was built in 1897. During the dedication, dignitaries placed various things in the courthouse cornerstone as … Continue reading
Twenty seven years ago: It didn’t take long for Travis to become known as a good bull rider. He was getting on bulls wherever and whenever he could, and he was riding well. Soon he became over-confident. Before he was ready, he entered the Friday night senior jackpot. Travis bucked off and hung up to … Continue reading
In 1918, Eastland County, Texas was in an oil boom. From 1910 to 1920, the population of the county more than doubled, and what had been a farming area became the tenth most populated county in Texas for a time. The growth meant new businesses, including the three-story building one block from the courthouse that … Continue reading
Nowhere Tribune has a new profile picture. My hard copy is framed along with another, smaller picture, a dog tag, and a newspaper clipping with the title: “Sergeant Bird Being Treated at San Antonio.” From the Fort Worth Star Telegram: “Sgt Albert Bird, 25, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Bird of 3312 Meadowoaks, Haltom … Continue reading
