I’ve been out driving around in Central Texas this last week and have seen some glimpses of color along the road. Not really solid color, just spots of yellow and red here and there. But, this just isn’t the best place for color anyway. It’s simple, this area lacks deciduous trees, trees that loose leaves in winter. Not based on anything scientific, but maybe half the trees in this area of Texas are evergreens.

Last year I talked about Palo Pinto County as a good place for fall drives. The area features plenty of Cross Timbers woodland and hills. A good combination for producing fall foliage splendor.

This year I want to give a nod to East Texas. I lived in Kilgore Texas for awhile, and I can tell you for sure, they have a lot of trees there. The Tyler area is nice. The Tyler Convention & Visitors Bureau web site has a map of East Texas fall foliage trails. The Rose Garden and the neighborhoods surrounding it are also nice this time of year.

The thing I like about East Texas for fall foliage is that you can pick a destination, Tyler, Palestine, Nacogdoches, Rusk, Winnsboro, and any of them are worth visiting independent of the foliage. More bang for the buck I guess. Drive through East Texas, have a great time, and also see fall foliage.

For an East Texas road trip consider Texas Highway 180, which was previously U.S. Highway 80, East from Terrell to Marshall. Plenty of small towns and antique shops along the way.

Texas State Parks offer good opportunities for leaf peeping. Dangerfield State Park is a good one for fall foliage. And talking of state parks, a new web site from Texas Parks and Wildlife Showcases CCC’s Architectural Legacy in Texas state parks. Some of the biggest attractions in state parks are the depression-era architectural works.

This year is shaping up to be a good year for fall foliage in Arkansas. I talked about some of my favorite spots in the Ozarks in last year’s foliage post. To that list you might add the Telimena Scenic Byway in Arkansas and Oklahoma.

Gary and Mary Cooley have published fall foliage reports for the South Central Ozarks in Arkansas and Missouri for many years. If your seriously considering a trip to the Ozarks, you should take a look at their report.

Probably too late to be good planning material for this year, but still a great read, the Goziac blog published a post about the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area in early October. You might bookmark this one for future reference.

The time is ripe to plan a fall foliage drive from DFW. Enjoy your trip and post your best experiences with fall foliage here.

Hancock Park’s Pool is different. It is a bit of Lampasas history, constructed in the very early 1900’s, and a summertime recreation spot for every kid that grew up here since that time. It’s importance is also enhanced by the fact that it is one of very few free-flow pools in the state, possibly the oldest pool. It is fed by a large spring and, although it is occasionally plagued with inherent problems that come with that territory, such as low flow and occasional turbidity, it is very special. Special enough that, as Lampasas tries to discover what reasons make it special enough to warrant tourism, the old pool seems to stand out as one of the best.

This and an email I received from the Texas Parks and Wildlife folks got me to thinking, people are looking for a good road trip destination that includes a swimming hole. It’s hot, it’s getting closer to the end of summer. I’m thinking myself, I want to go have a good swim in a classic Texas swimming hole.

I’ve already made my mind up about where I’m going. I thought it might be nice to link to some good sources of information for those who are still trying to decide. That set of links follows.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department just published, on their web site, a list of the 10 best swimming holes in state parks. Now, limiting the list to just state parks stifles the choices a little, but as you look the list over you may recognize some of the best swimming destination in the state.  Some of them aren’t that far away from DFW, like for instance Tyler State Park and Possum Kingdom State Park. Their list also includes some real classic Hill Country river swimming destinations.

The Texas Highways’ web site has a real classic list of road trip swimming holes in the state. This list was originally published in 1998. I remember I had the magazine, and when I finally threw it away I tore the pages out that had the swimming holes article and kept if for another five years. Realize this list is a little outdated and you may want to verify destination information before packing up the car and taking off. Thing is, most of these places are rivers or pools filled by springs. I’m pretty sure the Frio River hasn’t declared bankruptcy in the Great Recession of 2009, and you can bet Krause Springs isn’t operating under Chapter 11 protection either.

Texas Escapes has excerpts from Chandra Moira Beal’s 1999 book, Splash Across Texas. The focus is on Central Texas and the Hill Country. A little hard to navigate since the book excerpts are woven into the content of their site. Still worth a look and they have some options for those looking for a more obscure swimming hole. Again, check the current information to be sure the spot is still good.

That’s my list of swimming hole resources. Hope someone finds it useful. Please consider enjoying your late summer swimming road trip in a pool that’s been popular for generations with folks here in Texas.

Sam

School at Kimball

Kimball Bend, today, is an Army Corps. of Engineers park along Highway 174 in Bosque County Texas, near the Brazos River bridge. It’s a great place to spend several days, if you have an RV and a boat. It has river access and is located close to Lake Whitney. The park has been improved sometime in the last few years and I hear it’s a good stay.

The present day park is at the site of the Brazos River crossing of the early day Chisholm Trail. Although the route of the Chisholm Trail seems to be some what a subject of debate, the fact that the trail crossed the river here seems sure.  In 1868, about the same time the Chisholm Trail got its start, there was also a ferry at this location. Cattle drives through this area brought prosperity until about 1875 when the drives shifted westward.

Today, ruins of three historic structures remain at this site: The ferry operator’s house, remnants of a store, and  the Kimball Public School. All thought the property is an Army Corps. of Engineers park, I was allowed free access when I asked about the historic site.

For the sake of your own experience, you might call ahead if you intend to stop here. As a historic site, this is not that compelling a place that it would merit a trip of its own. Consider a stop here if your passing through.

Gallery

Location

Kimball Bend Park (TX)
3350 HWY 174
Kopperl TX 76652

County: Bosque

map

Copyright © 2009 by Sam Fenstermacher
All rights reserved

Ellis County Courthouse

Texas has a grand variety of historic county courthouses. Many of these historic county courthouses exist today, in part, because of an act passed in 1881 by the Texas legislature authorizing counties to sell bonds to finance the construction of new courthouses. This change of state law combined with the prosperity that followed the Civil War and Reconstruction eras gave birth to what is commonly called the “Golden Era” of courthouse building in Texas.

In the years between 1880 and 1900 many Texas counties built imposing new county courthouses. Typically these buildings sat at the center of the town square and were symbolic of the soundness of the town and local government. These courthouses were built in strongly expressive architectural styles. French Second Empire and Romanesque Revival architectural styles were most prevalent during this era. Both of these forms express old world grandness and permanence through form. Without a doubt, permanence was just what the average citizen longed for after the uncertain decades of the Civil War and Reconstruction.

Texas county courthouses were added to the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 11 Most Endangered Properties list in 1998. Texas responded by creating the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program in June of 1999. In the decade that followed many old county courthouses have been preserved, restored, and modernized thanks in large part to several rounds of funding provided for by the Texas Legislature.

Today, North Central Texas has more than its share of golden era courthouses. These buildings are both pleasing to see and interesting historically. Over several years I have visited many of these grand old public buildings. I’m sharing here my understanding of these persevering Texas landmarks.  If you find my coverage of this subject less than complete, I encourage you to look beyond my work. There’s a wealth of information available to those interested in the history of Texas county courthouses. Most of all, these wonderful old structures are all here today — available to drive by and see at your leisure, just as they have been for over 100 years.

More information on Historic County Courthouse.

Today is the exception. First, I want to explain all  the county courthouse posts. These are stories I wrote over a period of a few years when I was actively going out to see classic old Texas county courthouses. I had self-published them on a personal web site that I am now in the process of deconstructing.

So, I needed a place to put them. Either that or I could just trash them, but I didn’t want to do that. Maybe just a sentimental thing, too, but I felt they still had some relevance to the core topic of this blog.

And, they still have an audience as well. I suspect most of the readers are school children researching their one-page reports. Come on, we all wrote those papers at some point in our life, and I’m just putting out some low fruit for these little guys. Actually one of my nieces told me she ran across them because they were referenced on an assignment sheet for a research paper she wrote for a college history class. The funny thing is, she told me, she didn’t realize I had written them until she came back later documenting her sources.

There are about 10 of these courthouse posts now. I will probably do another 10 simply because I have the resources. Been there, took the picture, bought the t-shirt.

Actually, I was originally inspired to go see these historic buildings after reading The courthouses of Texas: a guide. In this book they had a short list of the really great courthouses and I started off on a journey. Actually, if your into self-abuse, you could go see all 254 Texas county courthouses. Me, I just wanted the best of the best. As a bonus, most of the great courthouses are in interesting places.

Actually, I think historic county courthouses make great road trip destinations. A few weeks back I took a Sunday drive down to Waxahachie. There were so many people there. A few folks were there to eat at a restaurant that was open, but most people came there to see the courthouse. They would drive up, get out of the car and wonder around the courthouse and town square, then get back in the car and leave. I would like to tell you this is the first time I ever noticed this. Actually, I’ve seen this over and over. Old courthouses are popular road trip destinations.

Without belaboring the point, this sort of road trip is a lot like heritage tourism. I’ve also heard it called educational travel. The point of the trip is to understand the story of the place and possibly its people. I realize that reading up on a destination is a little over the top for some folks. Sometimes it can be a real bonus to know a little about the back story before you visit a place.

For example: I recently took a walk through the Johnson County courthouse in Cleburne. I’m not a student of architecture, but I had read something about this courthouse five or six years ago. From my dim recollection of that reading, I remember that this building is representative of Prairie architecture. I remember that this architectural form is known for strong horizontal lines and geometric patterns. As I walked around the outside of the building I noticed, first, the massive width of the building. Then I notice all the geometric patterns. On the clock tower, frieze, and in the cornice.

I go inside the courthouse only to realize these same patterns recur inside the building. First I noticed them in the most apparent places, but then I notice the patterns used in more subtle ways. In the heavy iron railings, in the webbing of the iron stair cases. In the heavily ornate trim and moldings in the large courtroom. Then it occurred to me that some of the patterns were geometric and some were sculpted. They were sort of like leaves and fruit. Kind of like the bountiful fruits of the vast, horizontally expansive prairie.

My point is that with just a little bit of knowledge from reading a few paragraphs about this courthouse and its architectural style, I was able to appreciate this building and its complexity vastly better.

I recently came across KERA’s Living With the Trinity: a River’s Story. It made me think about travel beyond the road. I’ve read that the Trinity River Valley northwest of DFW in the area of the Palo Pinto Mountains is a great place to canoe. As a child I spent many-a-day wondering the river banks near my hometown. There was this one place at a sharp turn in the river where huge stone blocks marked paths through what was otherwise wilderness. As children we  had no idea what to make of this strange labyrinth in the middle of nowhere. Today I know that it was actually Guard Lock Number 10 on the Beaver and Erie Canal. You never know what your going to discover exploring the bounds of a river.

So that’s my pitch for road tripping for discovery. Don’t go to just look, go to understand the back story of a place or people. And, don’t limit yourself to the low fruits of roadside attractions. Rivers and railroads and mountain tops hold super potential for discovery.

Enjoy!

County History

The first known inhabitants of Wise County were probably Wichita Indians. When the Coronado expedition came through the area of present Decatur in 1540, there were several Indian villages between the Trinity and Red rivers. The history of white settlement in Wise County began with Sam Woody who moved to Deep Creek in 1854, and his original log cab remains as a historic site today in what is now Cooke County.

Wise County was officially established by The Texas Legislature on January 23, 1856 with land drawn mostly from Cooke County, and was named in honor of Henry A. Wise, a United States Congressman from Virginia who had supported the annexation of Texas. The location of the county seat of Wise County was selected by a county election and, although the town was originally named Taylorsville early town pioneer Colonel Absolam Bishop petitioned to change the town’s name to Decatur after becoming disappointed with President Zachary Taylor. Decatur remains the seat of Wise County government to the present.

The Courthouse

The present courthouse is the forth constructed in the county. The third courthouse was destroyed by fire on January 8, 1895. The burning of the third courthouse set off a controversy over the location of the county seat. An election was held in November of 1895 to see if the new courthouse should be constructed at a new location. Voters confirmed by a wide margin that Decatur was to remain the county seat.

Plans for a courthouse were accepted from several architects, but on May 10, 1895 the contract was awarded to San Antonio architect J. Riely Gordon who agreed to also superintend the project for a fee of 5% of construction cost. The contract for construction was awarded to J.A. White who had the lowest bid of $95,000. Construction was to begin before June 1, 1895. In January of 1897, the building was completed and received by the commissioners court for a cost of about $110,000.

The Wise County Courthouse is one of several designed by architect J. Riely Gordon in Texas in the last years of the 19th century. This courthouse is often compared to the Ellis County Courthouse in Waxahachie Texas. Like that building, the Wise County Courthouse is based on the cruciform plan and the Romanesque Revival architectural style which were both used with great success by J. Riely Gordon in Texas.

Materials used on the courthouse exterior include Texas granite in two colors and terra cotta used extensively in the friezes, turrets and dormers. Marble wainscots, stone flooring of contrasting color tiles, and oak doors and trim accent the interior. A winding cast iron staircase in the building’s center provides access to the upper floors. Good natural ventilation and lighting are provided by a glass skylight.

The interior of the Wise County Courthouse was remodeled in 1960, but the exterior of the building still retains most of its original details. The building’s exterior was sandblasted several years ago in an effort to clean it up and modern plate glass windows and entrance doors were installed. These minor changes while not in keeping with the history of the building do little to detract from this charming old courthouse and the surrounding town square. Anyone who’s a fan of old Texas county courthouses or the architectural works of J. Riely Gordon should certainly consider a trip to come and see this grand old building.

Location

101-1/2 N. Trinity
Decatur, Texas

Information:  http://www.wisecounty.com/

Bibliography:
WISE COUNTY. The Handbook of Texas Online. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/view/WW/hcw14.html, 2004.
Texas Historical Commission, Texas Historic Sites Atlas. http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/, 2009.

County: Wise
map

Copyright © 2009 by Sam Fenstermacher
All rights reserved

Description

The Somervell County Courthouse is a simple two story structure featuring elements of Romanesque Revival and General Grant architectural styles. Intersecting hallways on the first floor divide the first floor space into four sections. The second floor features a courtroom and some office space. The building is modest in size, oblong in shape, and approximately 60 feet wide and 40 feet deep.

Courthouse Square

The courthouse square, much like the courthouse building, is modest in size. The two most notable buildings on the square are the First National Bank Building and the Campbell Building.

The courthouse square has been a popular gathering place for Somervell residents since the late 1880’s. Back before cars and grocery stores, farmers would bring stock animals and other goods to the square to sell. That tradition is still alive and well today. Local farmers continue to bring fresh fruits, vegetables, and other items to the town square for sale. They set up on the west side of the square where there are benches and plenty of shade provided by old pecan trees. Both the farmers tasty offerings and the conversation are refreshingly unique.

County History

Around 1860 Charles and Juana Barnard built a three story stone gristmill along the Paluxy River. The town that eventually grew around the mill was called Barnard’s Mill. In 1871 T.C. Jordan, bought the mill and surrounding land from Charles Barnard. Mrs. T.C. Jordan called the area around Barnard’s Mill Rose Glen as a reminder of her native Scotland. Years later the town’s people voted to rename the town Glen Rose.

Location

117 Fort Worth Hwy
Weatherford, Texas

Information:  www.glenrose.org

Bibliography:
Leach, Dorothy, The Story of The Somervell County Courthouse. Somervell: Somervell Historical Commission, 1987.
Texas Historical Commission, Texas Historic Sites Atlas. http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/, 2003.

County: Somervell
map

Copyright © 2009 by Sam Fenstermacher
All rights reserved