Daisy Bradford No. 3 Discovery Well

The East Texas Oil Boom was kicked off by the by the Daisy Bradford No. 3 Discovery Well in the Kilgore area.  It was a gusher and there are a few monuments you can visit including the official Historical Marker.

 

It reads:

     "Discovery genius was C. M. (Dad) Joiner, 70-year-old Oklahoman who for years believed there was oil in Rusk County. Driller was E. C. Laster. Crew: Dennis May, Dave Cherry, Glenn Pool, Jim Lambert and Dave Hughes. 
     Joiner's 2 early efforts failed-- one with a jammed bit, one with the drill pipe stuck. The rig was next skidded 300' down slope. "This is as good a place as any," said Laster. Then on May 8, 1929, Joiner No. 3 Daisy Bradford was spudded in. Equipment consisted of an old rotary rig powered by a single-cylinder engine; one 45 hp boiler; one old cotton gin boiler fired with soggy oak and pine chunks by roustabout Dan Tanner. The depression was on, and money scarce. The crew often went without pay. Joiner sacrificed much of his 10,000 acre block of leases. Finally, on Sept. 5, 1930, a drill stem logged at 3536' into the Woodbine Formation showed oil. A better rig had to be brought in. On Oct. 3, 1930, the well blew in and oil went over the crown block. The boom was on.
     Cars were bumper-to-bumper on all access roads. Derricks rose in all directions. In its first 30 years, this great field produced more than 3.5 billion barrels of oil. It now covers some 200 square miles-- the largest in the world. (1965)"

A few years back we shot some video on the topic.  In it, Devin takes a look at the history of the oil boom and we talk with author and historian Terry Stembridge:

Dallas Zoo

Today's entry takes us to one of our favorite places to see our furry, fuzzy and feathered friends: The Dallas Zoo!

The original location of the Zoo was where Old City Park a.k.a Dallas Heritage Village is today and only started with two deer and two mountain lions.

The marker reads:

The Dallas Zoo traces its history to 1888, when the city purchased two deer and two mountain lions and placed them in pens in the City Park. In the 1890s, with the support of Dallas citizens, the City Council provided funds for the zoo, and additional animals were bought for the collection.
The zoo was located in the City Park (now Old City Park) until 1910, when the animals were moved to the newly acquired Fair Park. Under the leadership of Zoo Commissioner William H. Atwell, the zoo's collection was enlarged and improved, and a new site was purchased in Marsalis Park in Oak Cliff.
In the 1920s a special Zoo Commission was created by the city, and the collection was further developed with the acquisition of numerous specimens from famed game hunter and trapper Frank Buck. During the depression years of the 1930s the zoo facilities were upgraded with the help of the Federal Works Progress Administration Program.
The Dallas Zoo Society was organized in 1955. By the 1960s the zoo had become a popular local attraction, and more improvements were made. Still popular with both Dallas citizens and tourists, the zoo continued to entertain and educate the public.

Here is some video we shot a few years ago about the "Lacerte Family Children's Zoo" portion of the Dallas Zoo:

Old Hico

The north-central town of Hico might seem like just another small town that's easy to miss as you drive through it on the way you somewhere else.  But every town has a history and, like many others, this one's history is conveniently summarized on a historical marker:

The marker reads:

"This site on Honey Creek marks the beginning in 1896 of the settlement of Hico. Earliest families to locate here J. G. Barbee, James R. and Henry Fuller, Isaac Steen, Isaac and Thomas Malone. In 1860 John R. Alford, a merchant, became the first postmaster. Rocks from ruins of the mill were used in the erection of this memorial."

I like the extra detail of the old mill rocks being used as a part of the monument.  Most of historical marker are just on the standard pole so when there's more effort put into incorporating the history into the aesthetic, it's definitely appreciated.  But there's more to the town than just it's original settlement...

If you are familiar with the legendary outlaw known as "Billy the Kid" then you probably know that historians claim that he spent the majority (but not all) of his adult life in New Mexico and was killed in 1881 by lawman (and former buffalo hunter) Pat Garrett.  However...

If you've seen the movie Young Guns II you would have seen Emilio Estevez all made up as an old man claiming to be an elderly Billy the Kid who was not killed by Garrett but escaped to live out his days in Hico, TX.

What you may not know is that the film's writers did not make this up.  "Brushy" Bill Roberts was an actual person who did live in Hico and did claim to be Billy the Kid.  And the town has fully embraced his tall tale with no less than a statue and museum:

             

Just south of the town in Hamilton, TX you can pay your respects to the late Mr. Roberts, as many seem to do regularly.  His grave is adorned with mementos from fans:

Beer bottles, whiskey bottles, cigarettes, coins, stones and even bullets were left by travelers who may or may not have believed the legend.  And while we may never know the truth the town of Hico definitely believes.