Monday, November 30, 2015

Regulator-Moderator War

"Lone Star Historian 2" is a blog about the travels and activities of the State Historian of Texas during his second year. Bill O'Neal was appointed to a two-year term by Gov. Rick Perry on August 22, 2012, at an impressive ceremony in the State Capitol. Bill is headquartered at Panola College (www.panola.edu) in Carthage, where he has taught since 1970. For more than 20 years Bill conducted the state's first Traveling Texas History class, a three-hour credit course which featured a 2,100-mile itinerary. In 2000 he was awarded a Piper Professorship, and in 2012 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wild West Historical Association. Bill has published over 40 books, almost half about Texas history subjects, and in 2007 he was named Best Living Non-Fiction Writer by True West Magazine. In 2013 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by his alma mater, Texas A&M University - Commerce. 



Wiley College Choir
Recently I traveled to Marshall to present a program on the Regulator-Moderator War. The event was a luncheon fundraiser for the Harrison County Historical Association. I enjoyed talking with a number of old friends and former students. Marshall is the largest city within the Panola College district, and for 36 years I taught Marshall students on the Panola campus, at Marshall High School, and at Panola’s satellite campus in Marshall.

During our meal we were treated to an outstanding performance by the Wiley College Choir. Becky Palmer, Assistant Director for Education of the Harrison County Historical Association, welcomed everyone, handed out several door prizes, and provided me a most gracious introduction.

Becky had asked me to speak on the Regulator-Moderator War, which originated in newly-organized Harrison County late in 1840. I wrote a book on this subject, Regulators vs. Moderators, War in East Texas, which was published in 2006 in conjunction with the East Texas Historical Association. Texas was the site of more blood feuds than any other state or territory, enduring these conflicts for more than 70 years. The Regulator-Moderator War was the first blood feud in Texas, and the most murderous. Thirty-one men were killed during the Regulator-Moderator War, more than in any other blood feud in America. “Only” eight of the 31 victims were slain in Harrison County, but they included Robert Potter, who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence and who served the Republic as secretary of the navy and as senator. Although a controversial, contentious individual, Potter was the most prominent man killed in the Regulator-Moderator War. But Sheriff John B. Campbell also was gunned down, and so were Peter Whetstone, founder of Marshall, and Judge John Hansford, who was assassinated by a Regulator posse in front of his wife.
With Bill Offer

When the conflict climaxed in Shelby County in 1844, more than 100 Harrison County men rode in to reinforce the Regulators around Shelbyville. There also were Harrison County reinforcements for the Moderators. During the final maneuvers in Shelby County, there were approximately 200 Regulators aligned against 100 Moderators. President Sam Houston and 600 members of the Texas militia finally dispersed the Regulator and Moderator forces in 1844, although vendetta killings common to blood feuds occasionally occurred during the next few years. The program was well received, and I was interviewed on the spot by Fran Hurley of KMHT Radio in Marshall.

With members of the Panola College Texas history class
Two weeks later I was in a classroom on the Panola College campus lecturing on the Regulator-Moderator War. Bill Offer, chair of the history department and a retired Shreveport police captain, had invited me to talk to his Texas history class about the murderous feud that was fought in our back yard. I explained to the students that Shelby and Harrison counties were backwoods areas with small populations, while the region in between was so sparsely populated that it was classified as “Panola District.” It was a pleasure for me to address a Panola College Texas history class.

Receiving a T-shirt from Callie Wright, President of the
Panola College History Club
With Carson Joines
The next week I was back on campus to provide a program for the Carthage Rotary Club. All three of our service clubs – Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis – now hold their meetings in the new Panola College Student Services Building, with meals prepared by the dining staff. I was asked to speak by longtime former mayor Carson Joines, a Beaumont native and army veteran who came to Carthage in 1948 as a charter student of Panola County Junior College. Carson had a football scholarship for the original Panola Ponies, and he settled permanently in Carthage. I was pleased to meet with Carson and the other men and women of the Rotary Club. It was Friday, November 20, so I talked about the background of Thanksgiving, featuring the Texas Thanksgiving held near El Paso del Norte in 1598 – 23 years before the first Pilgrim Thanksgiving of 1621!

Monday, November 23, 2015

The First Thanksgiving

"Lone Star Historian 2" is a blog about the travels and activities of the State Historian of Texas during his second year. Bill O'Neal was appointed to a two-year term by Gov. Rick Perry on August 22, 2012, at an impressive ceremony in the State Capitol. Bill is headquartered at Panola College (www.panola.edu) in Carthage, where he has taught since 1970. For more than 20 years Bill conducted the state's first Traveling Texas History class, a three-hour credit course which featured a 2,100-mile itinerary. In 2000 he was awarded a Piper Professorship, and in 2012 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wild West Historical Association. Bill has published over 40 books, almost half about Texas history subjects, and in 2007 he was named Best Living Non-Fiction Writer by True West Magazine. In 2013 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by his alma mater, Texas A&M University - Commerce. 


Long before the Pilgrims celebrated Thanksgiving at Plymouth in 1621, a similar feast of thanks was conducted in a region now known as Texas. In 1598 Mexican conquistador Juan de Oñate led an expedition northward to establish the colony of Nuevo Mejico. After surviving life-threatening hardships in the deserts of northern Mexico, the expedition emerged to safety at El Paso del Norte. To celebrate their salvation, Oñate and his colonists joined Native Americans in a feast on April 30, 1598 - the First Thanksgiving.


Our little book about the first Thanksgiving
was published in hardback in 2000, and
remains in print in softcover.

Several years ago I was urged by Ed Eakin, founder of Eakin Press, and by editor Melissa Locke Roberts to write this story for fourth-graders. Melissa skillfully guided me through the process of writing history for juveniles, and Eakin Press secured an experienced illustrator, Polsky Morgan. Since the story is an Hispanic adventure, I enlisted my oldest daughter, Lynn O'Neal Martinez. Lynn is the wife of Tejano Rudy Martinez, a banker from Corpus Christi, and they are the parents of two wonderful girls, my oldest grandchildren. As a college student Lynn studied Spanish, including a term in Mexico, and she became an elementary school teacher specializing in bilingual education.


Lynn O'Neal Martinez
translated our book with
the help of her students.
This photo credit should
go to her older daughter,
Chloe, while little sister
Jessie directed her mother
to raise her head and
smile more.

We decided that this book should be bilingual, with a page of English opposite a corresponding page of Spanish. After I completed this book in English, Lynn translated it into Spanish. At that time she was teaching fifth-graders at John H. Reagan Elementary in Dallas, where she was awarded Teacher of the Year honors. She read her translation to her students, who excitedly interrupted her from time to time. "Teacher! Teacher! Here's how we say that...."
 
Throughout the book a page of English faces a corresponding page of Spanish.
Illustrations were created by Polsky Morgan.
 












 Lynn's final translation combined formal Spanish with age-appropriate vernacular that was a major strength of the book. Of course, it was a delightful experience for me to collaborate with my daughter on a book. And Lynn's Tejano students, while working with their teacher on the translation, became familiar with a story of heroism and importance in Texas history.

Juan de Oñate was one of the wealthiest men in Mexico during the late 1500s. His wife was a granddaughter of conquistador Hernan Cortes and a great-granddaughter of the great Aztec chief, Montezuma. Oñate wanted to conquer a new frontier for Mexico, and he persuaded the Viceroy of Mexico, a personal friend, to appoint him as governor and captain-general of New Mexico to the north. Governor Oñate spent three years organizing a colonization expedition. He collected wagons and carts, supplies and livestock. Peasants were enlisted as colonists with the promise of the rank of hidalgo (from hijo de algo - "son of something"). Early in 1598 Governor Oñate assembled his colonists - more than 400 men, women, children, and soldiers. In addition there were 11 Franciscan priests. On the trail the expedition stretched for four miles.

Governor Oñate intended to blaze a new route northward. But on the deserts of northern Mexico the expedition ran low on food, water, and shoe leather. As the situation grew perilous, Governor Oñate sent eight men ahead to find water. At last they came upon the Rio Grande at a passage soon known as El Paso del Norte. They fished and hunted ducks and geese, and Native Americans from a nearby village brought a supply of fish.

By April 26, 1598, the entire expedition was encamped beneath cottonwood trees beside the river. Governor Oñate proclaimed that before the column crossed the river to march into New Mexico, there should be a celebration of gratitude to God for delivery. A feast was planned, which would include the friendly Native Americans. On March 30 everyone dressed in their best clothing: soldiers donned polished breastplates, priests wore vestments laced with gold, and Governor Oñate was resplendent in full armor. At a candlelit altar, the priests sang High Mass, and Father Alonso Martinez preached an appropriate sermon.

A captain from Spain put together a pageant about the expedition, with soldiers playing the various parts. At the end of the play the Indians knelt in the sand and were baptized. Trumpets then sounded as Governor Oñate steeped forward to claim New Mexico for Spain. Finally a bonfire was started, and fish and venison and duck were roasted. A feast ended the first Thanksgiving - 23 years before the Pilgrims feasted and prayed at Plymouth.


Statue of Juan de Oñate at the El Paso Airport.
Governor Oñate led his colonists north and founded the province of New Mexico. With the passage of years the river channel changed at El Paso, and eventually the former south bank site of the 1598 event became part of Texas. By the 1750s the community of San Elizario was forming on the historic site. When El Paso County was created in 1850, San Elizario became the county seat. (In 1883 the county seat was moved to El Paso following a controversial election.) The first county jail still stands in San Elizario.

An annual celebration of the First Thanksgiving takes place at the beautiful San Elizario Chapel (the current building was erected in 1882). In front of the chapel is a charming plaza, where Los Portales Museum is housed in a long adobe structure. On a recent trip to El Paso I turned south off of I-10 and drove into San Elizario. It was Sunday afternoon and the plaza was busy. At Los Portales Museum the staff was gracious and hospitable. I donated a copy of my book Long Before the Pilgrims to the museum library, and I've since learned that the museum ordered copies to sell.

San Elizario was the scene of most of the violent events of the El Paso Salt War. Not far from the chapel stands a two-story adobe building where a special detachment of 20 Texas Rangers was besieged for three days. At the center of trouble was the county judge, who surrendered to halt the siege. But the judge and two friends were promptly shot by a firing squad of Mexican nationals who had crossed the border. San Elizario has a dramatic past, and there are significant tangible remains that will prove of great interest to history buffs. 


For more information: 
http://www.visitelpasomissiontrail.com/article/san-elizario-walking-tour.html

Oldest jail in El Paso County

Los Portales Museum

Site of Ranger HQ and siege

Old stagecoach station

Monday, November 16, 2015

Houston Teacher Conference

"Lone Star Historian 2" is a blog about the travels and activities of the State Historian of Texas during his second year. Bill O'Neal was appointed to a two-year term by Gov. Rick Perry on August 22, 2012, at an impressive ceremony in the State Capitol. Bill is headquartered at Panola College (www.panola.edu) in Carthage, where he has taught since 1970. For more than 20 years Bill conducted the state's first Traveling Texas History class, a three-hour credit course which featured a 2,100-mile itinerary. In 2000 he was awarded a Piper Professorship, and in 2012 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wild West Historical Association. Bill has published over 40 books, almost half about Texas history subjects, and in 2007 he was named Best Living Non-Fiction Writer by True West Magazine. In 2013 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by his alma mater, Texas A&M University - Commerce. 


During the course of more than three years as Texas State Historian, it has been my great pleasure to participate in several events in the “Exploring Texas Workshop Series.” This workshop series is organized by the Texas State Historical Association, with the cooperation of the Region (4, in this case) Education Service Center. These conferences are designed to provide course content for fourth- and seventh-grade Texas history teachers. Each conference usually lasts for two days, and participants receive professional development credit. The credit certainly is earned, because an impressive lineup of presenters provide excellent programs which feature course content in their fields of expertise.

Exhibit room
Steve Cure, Chief Operating Officer of the TSHA, was a founding father of this worship series. He is ably assisted in organizing each event by Charles Nugent, a longtime teacher who now is Adult Program Officer of the TSHA, and who is responsible for a myriad of details for each conference. Caitlyn McColl, TSHA Education Program Manager, also has been extremely busy with arrangements. The stellar list of presenters they lined up for this conference in Houston included: Dr. Stephen Hardin, noted author and professor at McMurry University; Denton Florian, Executive Producer of the superb documentary, Sam Houston, American Statesman, Soldier, and Pioneer; Andrew Gustafson, Curator of the Bryan Museum in Galveston; Buck Cole of the Texas General Land Office Archives; Dr. Carolina Castillo Crimm of Sam Houston State University; and a score of other equally impressive experts.
Steve Cure and Charles Nugent

There was a TSHA Texas history teacher conference in Houston last February, focusing on the twentieth century. I was invited to provide the opening program, and I talked about the extraordinary roles of Texas during the Second World War. For this November conference, the focus was on Texas in the nineteenth century. Again I was privileged to deliver the opening address. I was allotted 90 minutes, and I chose the topic: “The Leadership Roles of Sam Houston.”

Teachers assemble just before my presentation.
Houston was the greatest icon of nineteenth-century Texas. “Old Sam Jacinto” was given the highest offices Texans could award: Commanding General during the Texas Revolution; President of the Texas Republic - twice; U.S. Senator for thirteen years; Governor of Texas (thereby becoming the only man in history to serve as governor of two states). Before coming to Texas he was a congressman from Tennessee, major general of the State Militia, and governor of Tennessee, as well as a U.S. Army officer and combat hero of Horseshoe Bend. Houston’s life and career were filled with drama and controversy and great achievements.

I lectured about Sam Houston for more than three decades in my Texas history classes at Panola College. I’ve traveled to the sites of his life. I’ve written a book, Sam Houston: A Study in Leadership, that will be released early next spring. I’ve delivered numerous programs about Houston or, to various ladies’ groups, his wife Margaret. These programs have generally filled 30- to 45-minute time slots, but at the Region 4 Teacher Conference I was allotted 90 minutes, and I had no problem finding enough to say about Sam Houston. At the end of the session many of the teachers offered kind comments, including several to the effect that they had learned things that would be worked into their classrooms. I could receive no higher compliment.

Monday, November 9, 2015

Coldspring

"Lone Star Historian 2" is a blog about the travels and activities of the State Historian of Texas during his second year. Bill O'Neal was appointed to a two-year term by Gov. Rick Perry on August 22, 2012, at an impressive ceremony in the State Capitol. Bill is headquartered at Panola College (www.panola.edu) in Carthage, where he has taught since 1970. For more than 20 years Bill conducted the state's first Traveling Texas History class, a three-hour credit course which featured a 2,100-mile itinerary. In 2000 he was awarded a Piper Professorship, and in 2012 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wild West Historical Association. Bill has published over 40 books, almost half about Texas history subjects, and in 2007 he was named Best Living Non-Fiction Writer by True West Magazine. In 2013 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by his alma mater, Texas A&M University - Commerce. 


The 1887 jail
While driving to a history conference in Houston, I turned off Highway 59 at Shepherd and drove 11 miles west to historic Coldspring, seat of San Jacinto County. During the 1840s a community began to develop in a low area where cold springwater was available. When a post office opened in 1847 the backwoods community was named Coonskin. The next year the name was changed to Fireman’s Hill, and in 1850 the little town was renamed Cold Spring. The spelling was changed to Coldspring in 1894.

With Amanda Woodson
Cold Spring became the county seat when San Jacinto County was organized in 1870. A court house was built in 1877 and a two-story brick jail opened in 1887. The court house burned in 1915, and a handsome brick replacement was built on a hill less than half a mile to the east. The town promptly moved uphill to a square that formed around the new court house, and today the only building that remains at the original 14-block townsite is the 1887 jail.

Amanda stands a few steps in front
of the second-floor hangman's drop.
The jail served its original purpose until 1980, when it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today it is the principal structure of the San Jacinto County Museum, housing numerous artifacts in the old jailer’s apartment on the first floor and in the cellblock area upstairs. Also upstairs is a hangman’s drop, typical of county jails of the era, although no executions were conducted in the San Jacinto County Jail.

Jackson General Store
Each Halloween season this historic building is converted into “The Old Haunted Jail” for a few nights as a fundraiser. I drove up on the afternoon of November 4, when a crew of volunteers was gathering to pack up the Halloween paraphernalia for another year. I introduced myself to some ladies, including Amanda Woodson, treasurer of the San Jacinto County Historical Commission. I explained that I’m the State Historian hoping to find material for my blog. Amanda enthusiastically toured me through the jail, providing a great deal of background information.
Waverly school
Back outside, Amanda described the adjacent cluster of log and frame buildings. These structures were collected from around the county and included: The Jackson General Store; a log corn crib from a nearby farm; the Urbana depot; the Camilla post office (built in 1922); and the Waverly two-room school (1926). My personal favorite was the school.

Volunteers open the 1887 jail for visitors on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. But at any time a history buff can park and walk among these structures from the past, with good views through windows into most of the interiors. The 1917 court house boasts a nice rotunda, and a majority of the buildings around the quaint square are single-story frame structures with false fronts. Although located a little off the beaten path, Coldspring is well worth a visit.
Corn crib
Urbana depot
Camilla post office

1917 San Jacinto Court House

The 2015 Christmas tree has just been
placed but not yet decorated in the
court house.

Court house rotunda from the second floor

For more information:
San Jacinto County Museum:

http://texasforesttrail.com/plan-your-adventure/historic-sites-and-cities/sites/old-jail-museum-1

Monday, November 2, 2015

At Panola College

"Lone Star Historian 2" is a blog about the travels and activities of the State Historian of Texas during his second year. Bill O'Neal was appointed to a two-year term by Gov. Rick Perry on August 22, 2012, at an impressive ceremony in the State Capitol. Bill is headquartered at Panola College (www.panola.edu) in Carthage, where he has taught since 1970. For more than 20 years Bill conducted the state's first Traveling Texas History class, a three-hour credit course which featured a 2,100-mile itinerary. In 2000 he was awarded a Piper Professorship, and in 2012 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wild West Historical Association. Bill has published over 40 books, almost half about Texas history subjects, and in 2007 he was named Best Living Non-Fiction Writer by True West Magazine. In 2013 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by his alma mater, Texas A&M University - Commerce. 

With Dr. Greg Powell in front of the new
Student Services Building
Panola College, my home base as Texas State Historian, has undergone a major construction project during the past couple of years. A $35 million bond issue, the first since the initial construction bond in 1948, passed with an 84 percent voter approval. Under the direction of Dr. Gregory Powell, president of Panola College, two major new buildings have been erected. A state-of-the-art health and natural sciences building opened in August, just in time for the fall semester, and in October another ribbon-cutting was held at the large, splendid student services building. With the completion of these two important buildings, the next phase is the renovation or razing of some of the older structures.

Ribbon-cutting at the Student  Services Building
For nearly three years my office as State Historian has been located in what now is the former science building, which currently is undergoing a complete renovation. During the summer, therefore, I moved to new quarters in the college library. The office of State Historian is on the second floor of the library, only a few steps from the reference shelves. Of course, all of the resources of the library are near at hand, and so is an excellent copy machine. And after nearly three years in a windowless office, I now enjoy a second-floor window that overlooks the campus.

Student Services Building and a 30-foot clock tower
There is a 600-seat auditorium on campus, and during my first year as State Historian I provided a public program for the Murphy-Payne Lecture Series (the Murphy-Payne Foundation is the source of funding for my travels as State Historian). A fine new venue for campus programs is the large ballroom in the student services building. In October I was privileged, as State Historian, to offer the first public lecture in this handsome new facility. 


Crowd gathering in the new ballroom
The head of the Panola history department is Bill Offer, a longtime member of the Shreveport Police Department who often taught night classes at the Panola College Center in Marshall. Last Year Bill retired from the Shreveport PD and became a full-time faculty member. Bill organized a Panola College History Club, and he asked if I would present a Texas History program sponsored by the club. Of course I was eager to help.


With Bill Offer
We decided on “Texas Gunslingers,” because of the popularity this presentation has enjoyed across the state. The program was scheduled for 6 PM on Monday, October 26. Most of the dorm students take their evening meal at 5 PM in the new dining hall, which is in the same building and near the ballroom. The lecture was open to the public, and a number of friends and former students attended. There were 235 comfortable chairs arranged across new ballroom, and the new sound system was excellent. The audience of nearly 200 enjoyed the program, and many lingered to visit, to take photos, to acquire personalized books, and to examine the weapons and gun rigs I used during the program. Before leaving, Bill Offer and I proudly posed for photos with the Panola College History Club.


With members of the Panola College History Club



New Health and Natural Sciences Building
At the August ribbon-cutting, Dr. Powell was interviewed
by Jerry Hanszen of KGAS Radio.
New office of the Texas State Historian

Entrance to the new Student Services Building

Panola College Band, under the direction of Dwaine Hubbard

New dining hall

New weight room

Fillie volleyball team in the new practice gym