Still working my way through the tall stack of books, provided by the San Antonio Public Library (may their stacks never fail, and their incredibly helpful staff go on saying “shusssh” yeah, unto generation after generation). This has put me in the way of a lot of interesting, or startling historical tid-bits, for instance:
Ice harvested commercially from New England began to be shipped to the Gulf-Coast town of Indianola in 1851. Ice cream and chilled drinks were wildly popular and freely available from that time on. (Except during the Civil War.) Kind of a mind-blower to know that ice cream parlors could exist in a state at the same time as people cooking beans over open fires and fighting with the Indians.
Commercial shipments of sides of beef, under mechanical refrigeration began in mid-1869, also from Indianola.
Texas politics during the time of the Republic can be described in three words: Tomcats. In. Sack. No one emerged unscathed; least of all Sam Houston.
Sam Houston; a fascinating and contradictory person, and almost too big for the 19th century. Autodidact, runaway, alcoholic, slave-owner and Unionist, brawler and dandy, soldier and politician, twice-divorced, and Indian-lover. Worshipped and loathed in about equal measure.
Houston’s worst enemy (except for a couple of hundred others) was probably a man named Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar. With a sissy name like that, he had to come to Texas, of course.
At the Battle of San Jacinto, where Houston finally turned and fought, defeating a much larger and better-trained Mexican army, his army advanced to music played by a small scratch field band; a raunchy and suggestive ditty called “Come to the Bower”. It may have been the only song that all the volunteer bandsmen knew.
Everyone who was in Texas in the 1840s and 1850s knew Captain Jack Hays… mostly from having served with him. He was kind of the Kevin Bacon of the period, but I can only find two biographies of him. And one of them uses the phrase “beauty and chivalry of San Antonio” in a completely serious and un-ironic manner.
Several useful volumes put together by local historians of the Hill Country, with all sorts of interesting stories, and accounts of local haps and heroes. Some of the biographical sketches are so reverent in tone that it reminds me of the old joke about Charleston.
Why are the Charlestonians like the Chinese? Because they eat rice and worship their ancestors!
(More to follow, as I encounter them)
If you run up IH-35 North towards Schertz, FM3009 used to be called Jack Hayes Blvd. They changed the name sometime in the last 5-10 years - I can’t remember the new name (nor do I want to). I loved it being named after the Cap’n.
Sometimes I really miss SATX. But I *don’t* miss their surface-of-the-sun summers.
Comment by AProudVeteran — 20070327 @ 2019
You must be reading revisionist history books as we all know that the Mexicans settled and tamed this state, only to have it stolen by the white man. Get it right. Sarcasm off. I live just north of SA in NB. I appreciate all that SA has to offer, but still can’t quite find it in my heart to really like the place. But then I detest Austin too.
Comment by Theresa, MSgt (ret), USAF — 20070328 @ 1141
The “surface-of-the-sun” is not as humid
Comment by Bill H — 20070328 @ 1611
Whew! I skip out for a few months and you guys disappear! Glad to be back.
(Yes, random comment, I know.. I’ll be more on topic next time.)
Comment by obershyster — 20070328 @ 2009
It’s neither raunchy nor suggestive, except of the Gentile’s Zion:
Will you come to the bower o’er the free boundless ocean
Where the stupendous waves roll in thundering motion,
Where the mermaids are seen and the fierce tempest gathers,
To loved Erin the green, the dear land of our fathers.”
Will you come, will you, will you, will you come to the bower?
Chorus:
Will you come, will you, will you,
Will you come to the bower?
2. Will you come to the land of O’Neill and O’Donnell
Of Lord Lucan of old and immortal O’Connell.
Where Brian drove the Danes and Saint Patrick the vermin
And whose valleys remain still most beautiful and charming?
Chorus:
3. You can visit Benburb and the storied Blackwater,
Where Owen Roe met Munroe and his Chieftains did slaughter
Where the lambs skip and play on the mossy all over,
From those bright golden views to enchanting Rostrevor.
Chorus:
4. You can see Dublin city, and the fine groves of Blarney
The Bann, Boyne, and Liffey and the Lakes of Killarney,
You may ride on the tide on the broad majestic Shannon
You may sail round Loch Neagh and see storied Dungannon.
Chorus:
5. You can visit New Ross, gallant Wexford, and Gorey,
Where the green was last seen by proud Saxon and Tory,
Where the soil is sanctified by the blood of each true man
Where they died satisfied that their enemies they would not run from.
Chorus:
6. Will you come and awake our lost land from its slumber
And her fetters we’ll break, links that long are encumbered.
And the air will resound with hosannahs to greet you
On the shore will be found gallant Irishmen to greet you.
Chorus:
Comment by brsebastian — 20070329 @ 1246
Ummm… another verson of “Come to the Bower”, actually
“Will You Come to the Bower?
Will you come to the bow’r
I have shaded for you?
I have decked it with roses
All spangled with dew.
Chorus:
Will you, will you,
Will you, will you
Come to the bow’r?
(Repeat)
There, soft under the bow’r
On sweet roses you’ll rest.
While a smile lights the eyes
Of the girl I love best.
More here
Comment by Sgt. Mom — 20070329 @ 1850