Texas Co-Op Power • September 2015

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BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE EDITION SEPTEMBER 2015 Historic Architecture Big Bend Baron 5-Ingredient Recipes

¡CHARREADA! Centuries-old tradition honors charro way of life

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FAVORITES A 1930s resident likely painted this mural at the 18 Local Co-op News Kaufmann County Poor Get the latest information plus energy Farm, a Preservation and safety tips from your cooperative. Texas landmark. 29 Texas History Big Bend Baron By E. Dan Klepper

31 Recipes Five Ingredients or Fewer

35 Focus on Texas Photo Contest: My Favorite Teacher

36 Around Texas List of Local Events

38 Hit the Road Gonzales: More Than Mystique By Russell Graves

ONLINE TexasCoopPower.com Find these stories online if they don’t appear in your edition of the magazine. FEATURES Texas USA Showtime at the Charreada Drawn to Strawn The Mexican forebear By E.R. Bills 8 to American rodeo emphasizes style and tradition Story and photos by Julia Robinson Texas Faces Takin’ Texas to the People Endangered Places Preservation Texas campaigns By Michael O’Brien 12 to save beloved architectural landmarks By Stephen Sharpe NEXT MONTH The Power of Your Cooperative Around the countryside and around the world, the co-op ethos strengthens communities. 29 35

31 38 MURAL: COURTESY LIZ CARMACK | COUNTY MAGAZINE. WOMAN: TOUCHSTONE ENERGY ON THE COVER The charreada, similar to the American rodeo, is a demonstration of equestrian skills. Photo by Julia Robinson

TEXAS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES BOARD OF DIRECTORS: David Marricle, Chair, Muleshoe; Mark Tamplin, Vice Chair, Kirbyville; Bryan Lightfoot, Secretary-Treasurer, Bartlett; Mike R. Hagy, Tipton, Oklahoma; William F. Hetherington, Bandera; Mark Rollans, Hondo; Anne Vaden, Corinth • PRESIDENT/CEO: Mike Williams, Austin • COMMUNICATIONS & MEMBER SERVICES COMMITTEE: Greg Henley, Tahoka; Billy Marricle, Bellville; Mark McClain, Roby; Blaine Warzecha, Victoria; Jerry Williams, Paris; Kathy Wood, Marshall • MAGAZINE STAFF: Martin Bevins, Vice President, Communications & Member Services; Charles J. Lohrmann, Editor; Tom Widlowski, Associate Editor; Karen Nejtek, Production Manager; Andy Doughty, Creative Manager; Grace Arsiaga, Print Production Specialist; Chris Carlson, Communications & Member Services Assistant; Anna Ginsberg, Food Editor; Suzanne Halko, Copy Editor; Randall Maxwell, Videographer/ Photographer; Jane Sharpe, Graphic Designer; Ellen Stader, Copy Editor; Karen Taylor, Communications & Member Services Assistant; Shannon Oelrich, Proofreader

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4 Texas Co-op Power September 2015 TexasCoopPower.com CURRENTS Letters, emails and posts from our readers

It Was a Very Good Year TEXAS YOUTH Even Before Youth Tour TOUR ALUMNI MAG AZINE 2015 The sleeping man must have for- I enjoyed your article about the Government-in- gotten which car he drove that day Action Youth Tour [“Texas Celebrates Youth Tour [July 2015 Focus on Texas: “My Milestone,” June 2015]. My first experience with First Car”]. It was a 1953 Ford. I government and the co-ops was in 1958 with two know because I have owned three students from Bluebonnet EC, two students of them. The distinctive feature is from Pedernales EC and two students from Sam the forward hash metal on the Houston EC. We worked in Senate Majority back door. Neither the 1952 nor the 1954 has that detail. Leader Lyndon Johnson’s office and Congress- This is the first time I have man Homer Thornberry’s office for six weeks. caught an error in your magazine, I’m glad to see that the Youth Tour is celebrating and I read it cover to cover. My first its 50th anniversary. 1953 Ford served me well for deliv- MICHAEL J. SIMMANG | GIDDINGS ering thousands of newspapers and BLUEBONNET EC AND HAMILTON COUNTY EC also getting my first kiss. The car also was where I proposed for a marriage that has lasted 54 years. RICHARD RODDENBERRY | STREETMAN Electricity Genius,” July 2015]. I also read about Devil’s Sinkhole the cliff to the desert floor! NAVARRO COUNTY EC Tesla never worked for GE; he State Natural Area, the largest For those who can’t or don’t wish worked for George Westinghouse. single-chamber cave in Texas. What to make the hike, in late September The government had tried to force are the dimensions of the cave? and early October you can watch Westinghouse to become part of I am a Boy Scout in Houston’s Troop the sun set in the “V” that marks General Electric, but he refused. 1283 and would like my troop to the path to the Window, and you Westinghouse succeeded for many visit there. will never see a more glorious sight. years as a competitor for GE. SEAN CHOATE | BURTON Just when you think it is gone, the DAVID ASHBROOK BLUEBONNET EC afterglow of intense orange, pink NAVASOTA VALLEY EC and red will appear and take your Melissa Gaskill responds: The breath away! Editor’s note: Sources—including opening at Devil’s Sinkhole is LYNNDA AND JARRELL JENKINS | LUBBOCK edisontechcenter.org and about 50 feet wide and drops 140 SOUTH PLAINS EC history.com—indicate that Tesla feet into the cavern, where it (and George Westinghouse) did widens to a diameter of over 320 partner with GE to create the power feet and reaches a depth of over All About Breakfast station at Niagara Falls. Westing- 350 feet. GET MORE TCP AT Thank you for the article about house developed the generators TexasCoopPower.com Texas swimming holes [“The Road used there, but GE had the contract Hiking the Window Trail Sign up for our E-Newsletter for to Summer,” May 2015] but espe- for transmission of electricity. We have hiked the Window View monthly updates, prize drawings cially for the article, “Breakfast in trail in the Chisos at Big Bend and more! Texas.” The Dinner Bell in Van is Devil’s Sinkhole twice and agree that it is a won- near and dear to me. Articles like I have never visited South Llano derful hike [“Lay of the Land- WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! this make Texas Co-op Power top- River State Park [“Jaunt to Junc- scape,” February 2015]. We were ONLINE: TexasCoopPower.com/share notch in my eyes. tion,” March 2015] but now would a little puzzled when a letter EMAIL: [email protected] SHARON STANGER CLARKSON | BEN WHEELER be interested in doing that. Melissa writer [May 2015 Letters] said, MAIL: Editor, Texas Co-op Power, 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, TRINITY VALLEY EC Gaskill’s article notes that part of “… through the dry creekbed that Austin, TX 78701 the river bottom is closed from once led to the Window …” It still Please include your town and electric co-op. Energy Pioneer October to March to protect roost- leads to the Window but is not Letters may be edited for clarity and length. You credit Nikola Tesla as working ing turkeys. I am glad you can still somewhere you want to be if it is with General Electric to electrify kayak or canoe there during roost- raining unless you wish to be Niagara Falls [“Remembering an ing season. washed out the Window and over Texas Co-op Power Magazine

TEXAS CO-OP POWER VOLUME 72, NUMBER 3 (USPS 540-560). Texas Co-op Power is published monthly by Texas Electric Cooperatives (TEC). Periodical Postage Paid at Austin, TX, and at additional offices. TEC is the statewide association representing 75 electric cooperatives. Texas Co-op Power’s website is TexasCoopPower.com. Call (512) 454-0311 or email [email protected]. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE is $4.08 per year for individual members of subscribing cooperatives. If you are not a member of a subscribing cooperative, you can purchase an annual subscription at the nonmember rate of $7.50. Individual copies and back issues are available for $3 each. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Texas Co-op Power (USPS 540-560), 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. Please enclose label from this copy of Texas Co-op Power showing old address and key numbers. ADVERTISING: Advertisers interested in buying display ad space in Texas Co-op Power and/or in our 30 sister publications in other states, contact Martin Bevins at (512) 486-6249. Advertisements in Texas Co-op Power are paid solicitations. The publisher neither endorses nor guarantees in any manner any product or company included in this publication. Product satisfaction and delivery responsibility lie solely with the advertiser. © Copyright 2015 Texas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. Reproduction of this issue or any portion of it is expressly prohibited without written permission.

DINNER BELL: RANDALL MAXWELL. YOUR TOUR COVER PHOTO: STEPHEN E. BARRETT STEPHEN PHOTO: COVER TOUR YOUR MAXWELL. DINNER BELL: RANDALL Willie Wiredhand © Copyright 2015 National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

TexasCoopPower.com September 2015 Texas Co-op Power 5 CURRENTS Energy, innovation, people, places and events in Texas

SAFETY Use Caution on Rural Roads

National Farm Safety and Health Week is September 20–26. More farm equipment than usual will be sharing rural roads with motorists during the harvest. Rural roads carry less than half of America’s traffic but account for more than half of the nation’s vehicular HAPPENINGS deaths, according to the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety. Ralls Goes 100 Percent Cotton Roads engineered decades ago can be narrow Ralls, about 30 miles east of Lubbock, celebrates the harvest September 12 with and winding, constructed of gravel, and have unguarded the Cotton Boll Festival. Craft and food booths take over the downtown square for intersections and railroad the annual event, which features a Cotton Boll Queen pageant, street dance and crossings. Drivers may other entertainment, and car and quilt shows. encounter large farm equip- The Ralls Volunteer Fire Department holds a pancake breakfast and later sells ment moving slowly and hot dogs and hamburgers from a booth on the square. The firefighters also conduct taking up a large portion of a “fill the boot” campaign to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. roadway. Motorists must be aware “It’s a good, fun time. Come out,” says Christerfer Scott, a South Plains Electric that farm machinery will turn Cooperative lineman and Ralls VFD firefighter. left into fields or farmsteads. Drivers may only pass farm INFO: rallschamberofcommerce.com, (806) 253-2342 equipment in designated Find more passing zones, and they happenings all should drive defensively across the state at when attempting to overtake. TexasCoopPower Farmers making a left turn .com may have difficulty seeing vehicles in their rear-view First in Flight Not a Wright? mirrors if vehicles follow too closely. North Carolina and Ohio bicker about who deserves credit for human aviation. North Carolinians Farm equipment needs to point to the Wright brothers’ first flight in 1903 at Kitty Hawk. Yes, Ohioans say, but Orville and Wilbur be checked on a regular basis Wright dreamed up their airplane at their bicycle factory in Dayton. to ensure that all lighting and Texans might say the whole argument is pointless because Jacob Friedrich Brodbeck supposedly markings are in working order made the first flight September 20, 1865, near Luckenbach. Brodbeck, a German immigrant who lived in and visible to motorists. Oper- Fredericksburg and then San Antonio, was an educator and county commissioner. He also loved mechan- ators must take heed when ics and worked for 20 years on what he called an airship. He was said to have risen 12 feet off the ground making left turns. Use turn and traveled about 100 feet before his spring-loaded propeller unwound, and the machine crashed. signals or hand signals and be There were witnesses 150 years ago but very limited press coverage and no photos. Because no aware of vehicles approaching

drawings or blueprints of Brodbeck’s craft remain, his aviation achievement is unconfirmed. the equipment. LAND OFFICE GENERAL FURNISHINGS. MAP: TEXAS RECHERCHÉ COURTESY TIM CARROLL. FRAME: HOUSTON: SAM & FORT RALLS

6 Texas Co-op Power September 2015 TexasCoopPower.com ALMANAC Fort Sam Houston Turns 125

On September 11, 1890, the military post at San Antonio officially was named Fort Sam Houston. Fort Sam, as it’s colloquially known, has since grown to include more than 900 buildings—the largest collection of historic buildings in the Department of Defense— CO-OP PEOPLE and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1975. The Army post dates back The Other to 1845. Today, Fort Sam Houston, Side of the Lackland Air Force Base and Randolph Air Force Base comprise Fence Joint Base San Antonio.

Using old fence pickets, a little ingenuity and a passion for recycling, Recherché Furnishings in Rowlett has come up with a line of products that helps keep waste out of landfills—and provide water to commu- Texas Map Collection Benefits Archives nities in Egypt and Ghana. Jan and Cliff Hand, members of Farm- Texas’ collection of 45,000 historic ers and Fannin County electric coopera- maps, such as Stephen F. Austin’s tives and Recherché’s owners, also won a 1840 map of the state, at left, are 2015 Keep Texas Beautiful Award for the available for purchase as replicas Naturals Reclaimed Frames line. The from the General Land Office. frames are 99 percent recycled and include Sales of the maps, priced old cardboard for the backing and canned $20–$40, help fund the Save Texas drink tabs for the wall hangers. History program, which seeks to In addition, the Hands started the Turn- conserve the documents for future ing Wood Into Water Campaign, which generations and educate Texans donates 10 percent of all frame sales to an about the rich heritage found in organization that uses the proceeds to dig them. The collection includes water wells in Egypt and Ghana. Recher- historic maps of all 254 counties. ché, which means elegant, has sold thou- Texas has been gathering sands of frames since the campaign began maps and land records since Sam about a year ago. Houston, president of the newly “The most surprising aspect of has formed nation, created the General been the overall demand for rustic, Land Office in 1836. Much of the reclaimed frames,” Jan Hand says. “Since collection—35.5 million documents 2014, we have shipped frames to cus- in all, housed in sophisticated tomers in almost all 50 states and some temperature- and access-controlled vaults at the Land Office headquarters in Austin—has overseas.” been digitized and is accessible online at savetexashistory.org.

TexasCoopPower.com September 2015 Texas Co-op Power 7 THE MEXICAN FORE- BEAR TO AMERICAN RODEO EMPHASIZES STYLE AND TRADITION STORY AND PHOTOS BY JULIA ROBINSON

lmost every weekend in South Texas is an opportunity for time travel at the charreada. At San Antonio’s Charro Ranch, autumn has yet to break the spell of the heat and take the edge off the Asummer sun. Yet 24 men on horseback enter the keyhole-shaped arena, or lienzo, resplendent in brightly embroidered leather as they handle lassos and sweat profusely beneath wide-brimmed sombreros. The crowd leans forward, cellphones poised to snap digital photos of the 19th-century analog finery riding toward them. Dating to 16th-century Spanish colonial Mexico, the charreada began as a celebration that marked the end of the ranching equivalent of a seasonal harvest: the cattle roundup. Teams of charros from sprawling haciendas throughout the region now known as Mexico and the American Southwest competed against one another in a series of events modeled on the equestrian skills needed for day-to-day ranch work. Throughout the turbulent period of Amer- ican expansion in the 18th and 19th centuries, these competitions remained an important part of ranch life north and south of the U.S.-Mexico border. Raul Gaona is a practicing physician by day, and a charro and historian on this topic in his spare time. He explains that the charro set the stage for today’s cowboys. He points out that many terms and traditions of American cowboys have roots in the charro tradition. Cowboys hold rodeos (the Spanish word for “roundup”), ride broncos (from the Spanish word for “rough” or “rude”) and dally rope around the saddle horn to keep a steer in control (from the Spanish dar la vuelta or “give it a turn”). After the Mexican Revolution that started in 1910 dissolved many of the country’s large haciendas, charros formed teams of extended family groups to continue the tradition. Formalization of the sport came in 1933, the same year Mexican President Abelardo Rodríguez declared charrería the national sport of Mexico. Through the 20th century, American cowboys modernized, adopting manufactured clothing, ropes made of synthetic materials and squeeze chutes. But the charreada traditions remain blazed in history. Today’s charros adhere to strict regulations in attire to ensure historical accu- racy in design and in materials. Charros spend thousands of dollars on the traje, or suit, as well as the saddle, hat and other accessories. Unlike in American-style rodeo, points in charreada also are awarded for style and personal carriage. “Some of the things the charros do may look awkward or inefficient,” Gaona says, “but our interest is in preserving tradition.” For Gaona and the thousands of charros across the United States and Mexico, the events of the charreada, as well as the suit and the som- By the 1860s, charreadas were brero, provide a tangible link to the lives of their included at Texas fairs. forebears. t wasn’t a sport when my dad was doing it; it was a way of Clockwise from above: A charro Coleadero, or steer tailing, is ‘ life,” says Juan Gonzalez, past president of the San Anto- ropes a wild mare by the front one of the oldest traditions of nio Charro Association. The group, founded in 1947, is legs. A charro gets a kiss from his the charreada. A mounted sweetheart before the start of a the oldest charro association north of the Rio Grande. charreada at Rancho Alegre in San charro races after a running IMore than 200 teams compete in the United States, with more Antonio. Ruben Carbajal shows steer, grabs its tail and wraps it than 30 across Texas in Austin, El Paso, Dallas, Houston, Del Rio the traditional attire of a charro. around his leg, tripping the ani- and San Antonio. mal as he passes by. A wayward At the Charro Ranch arena in San Antonio, the charreada animal instinctively wanders back to the herd after a fall, and thus begins with a parade to “La Marcha de Zacatecas.” Charros a 19th-century charro could keep his herd together without ever fan out in teams, circling in a grand display of pomp for the having to dismount or use his lasso. For the modern charro, points judges. The announcer calls out the names of ancestral home- are granted for technique, speed and the roll of the steer. lands in Mexico, eliciting shouts from the crowd and a roar of The escaramuza, or skirmish, comes next and honors the mariachi horns. contributions of women during the Mexican Revolution. A team Each event, or suerte, that follows the parade is an embodi- of eight women performs a high-speed, synchronized routine ment of centuries-old ranching tradition. Fans of American rodeo set to music. The women ride sidesaddle in full skirts and heavy will recognize bronc and bull riding and some of the team roping dresses with crinolines underneath, referred to as “Adelita” events, but others, such as horse reining and “forefooting,” display attire. Escaramuza is one of the biggest crowd pleasers, with skills in slowing down or redirecting livestock, all with an empha- blurs of color that trace patterns and fan out across the arena. sis on style over speed. For bull and bronc riding, points are given for technique but

10 Texas Co-op Power September 2015 TexasCoopPower.com IN THE FINAL CHARRO EVENT, PASO DE LA MUERTE, OR PASS OF DEATH, A CHARRO RIDING BAREBACK LEAPS FROM HIS HORSE ONTO A WILD MARE AND RIDES HER TO A STOP USING ONLY HER MANE FOR SUPPORT.

also for the difficulty of the ride. If a bull has a lot of kick, or the charro riding bareback leaps from his horse onto a wild mare charro decides to ride backward, he stands a better chance at a and rides her to a stop using only her mane for support. If he higher score. Unlike American rodeo, the charros ride until the falls, the charro risks being trampled by the mare or his mounted animal quits kicking, usually much longer than eight seconds. teammates who are following at full speed. In the manganas, or forefooting, teammates chase the mare Just as in the old days of the hacienda, there are no cash while the charro displays his best floreos, or flourishes with awards, but the prize is the respect of fellow competitors. Fol- the lasso, for the judges. In the Charro Ranch arena, a charro lowing this tradition means that bragging rights and personal jumps in and out of wide, spinning circles of rope, adding as recognition are more important than the prize buckles and sad- many as he can before trying to lasso the running horse by the dles common in the rodeo world, Gonzalez explains. front legs. Points are given for the speed of the roping and flour- As the afternoon transitions into evening, audience members ishes performed. throw boots and hats from the stands into the dusty arena to For a newcomer to the tradition of charreada, the subtle acknowledge the excellent performance of a young charro. He details and fine points of scoring as well as the pace of the events returns the boots and hats one by one, engaging in a personal can be mystifying. Sidling up to an old charro in the crowd and exchange with each of his admirers. Gaona and Gonzalez are asking a few questions is a fast way to an earful of history and hopeful that the next generation of charros will carry on the tra- insight into the events and the standings of teams. Gonzalez dition, one suerte at a time. serves as guide for my initiation to charreada, and he points out Julia Robinson is an Austin photojournalist. the up-and-comers. In the final charro event, paso de la muerte, or pass of death, a WEB EXTRAS at TexasCoopPower.com View a slideshow with more photos.

TexasCoopPower.com September 2015 Texas Co-op Power 11 PRESERVATIONISTS CAMPAIGN

TO SAVE BELOVED LANDMARKS =BY STEPHEN SHARPE=

=SANDERSON RAILROAD DEPOT= tion Texas have survived. The Austin-based nonprofit’s public advocacy campaign, inaugurated with its 2004 list, has so far FOR JUST SHY OF 130 YEARS, the railroad depot in the raised awareness about more than 100 buildings and places remote southwest Texas town of Sanderson stood wit- imperiled by the deleterious effects of adverse development, out- ness to events both mundane and horrendous. One right neglect or other risk factors. Modeled after an annual proof the darker episodes took place in 1912 when folks gram begun in 1988 by the National Trust for Historic Preserva- gathered alongside the building’s covered walkway to tion, Preservation Texas each year selects 11 nominees based on pose for photographs with the propped-up bodies of two bandits, their cultural, historical and architectural importance. Ben Kilpatrick and Ole Hobek, killed in a thwarted attempt to In 2013, Preservation Texas compiled a 10-year retrospective, rob a Southern Pacific express train a few miles down the tracks. choosing a dozen places that either had been saved or lost or Considered by some residents as integrally woven into Sander- remained threatened since they were originally featured. Sander- son’s historical and cultural fabric since its construction in 1883, son’s depot was among three of the “lost,” along with the Corpus the 130-foot-long depot nonetheless faced an uncertain future Christi Memorial Coliseum and the port of El Copano. after railroad operations there ceased in the mid-1990s. Vandals For Texans who love architecture and the history manifested repeatedly preyed upon the abandoned structure, and thieves in a community’s built environment, the yearly announcement picked its carcass clean of furniture, lighting and plumbing fix- arouses both pride in their shared patrimony and trepidation tures. Meanwhile, grassroots efforts secured a grant in 2002 to over any potential loss. renovate the depot as a transportation museum, but local officials “The Most Endangered Places list calls attention to the incred- ultimately decided not to allocate the matching funds required ible diversity of places in need of attention,” says Gerald Moorhead for the grant. Advocates persevered, winning the depot a berth of Houston, a preservation architect and architectural historian on Preservation Texas’ 2005 list of Most Endangered Places. who is the author of the two-volume Buildings of Texas. He adds, Despite that coveted designation, however, the Sanderson Rail- “I dread the yearly publication of sites that I have studied but that road Depot was torn down in 2012. future generations will not be able to experience. The list is not a Fortunately for devotees of the state’s architectural heritage, ‘cry of wolf’ to go unheeded but a call to arms to protect local treas-

other significant landmarks listed as “endangered” by Preserva- ures and to strengthen statewide mechanisms for preservation.” MAGAZINE | COUNTY LIZ CARMACK COURTESY POOR FARM: BAUER. BUDDY DEPOT: LION | BIGSTOCK.COM. BENJAMIN ART: STAMP

12 Texas Co-op Power September 2015 TexasCoopPower.com =KAUFMAN COUNTY POOR FARM= County Historical Commission. Sanderson Railroad Depot circa Around that time, a survey indi- 1910, left, and Kaufman County PRESERVATION TEXAS’ retrospective list also com- cated that several associated Poor Farm, above prised three examples of places that continue to be structures were extant on the threatened, among them the Kaufman County Poor property, some identified as damaged or in disrepair, along with Farm, in the Trinity Valley Electric Cooperative head- a cemetery dedicated for the burial of indigents. In 1994, the quarters town of Kaufman. In the same category was county leased about 27 acres to the Kaufman County Historical the roadside attraction known as Bob’s Oil Well in Matador, about Commission for use as a living history museum. 80 miles northeast of Lubbock, from the 2004 list, and the 1916 In nominating the poor farm, the local volunteer organization Duval County Courthouse in San Diego, about halfway between cited the obstacles faced in preserving its unique collection of San Antonio and Brownsville, from the 2011 list. artifacts, including vintage farming implements and buildings The Kaufman County Poor Farm, originally placed on the dating from the late 19th century: “A lot of progress has been 2012 list, is the last publicly owned remnant of the many “poor made and then lost over the decades due to lack of county funding farms” created after state lawmakers approved an addendum to and outside support. Restoration work on the buildings has been the Texas Constitution in 1869 mandating that each county care vandalized and destroyed by trespassers and squatters. Posted for its indigent population. signs have not been effective in securing the property, and Kaufman County ultimately purchased approximately 408 perimeter fencing has been compromised.” acres and by 1883 had erected buildings to house individuals Since the poor farm achieved the “endangered” designation judged to be paupers and ordered to work on the premises, earn- in 2012, the Kaufman County Historical Commission has raised ing money for their labor until they were either financially able funds for a wrought iron fence inscribed with the names of spon- to leave or they died. The poor farm had 33 residents in 1886, sors. But the group continues to struggle with many of the con- according to a county report. ditions outlined in its nomination letter, chiefly determining Over the ensuing decades, the acreage dwindled as tracts were how to finance its strategies for establishing a heritage tourism either repurposed for other public uses or sold. The poor farm destination to show “how governments and the people coped was decommissioned in the 1960s, according to the Kaufman with, and overcame destitute times in this country.”

TexasCoopPower.com September 2015 Texas Co-op Power 13 “The Most Endangered Places list calls attention to the incredible diversity of places in need of attention.”

=DALLAS STATLER HILTON HOTEL= The Statler Hilton in 1956, when it opened. THE STATLER HILTON HOTEL in downtown Dallas, initially listed in 2008 and repeated in 2013 under “A listing on Preservation Texas’ 11 Most Endangered List the “saved” category, represents one of Preservation would help market the property to developers outside of Dallas, Texas’ success stories. who may have no knowledge of the project, nor its potential. A Built in 1956 and lauded at the time as “the last listing could also leverage support with city officials to consider word in hostelries,” the Statler Hilton introduced an array of the existing potential in redeveloping the project, and encourage state-of-the-art amenities such as elevator music, combination offering financial incentives to future developers,” read the nom- television/radio sets and individual controls for air conditioning ination letter, which successfully swayed Preservation Texas to in all 1,000 of its guest rooms. Architect William Tabler of New include the Statler Hilton on its 2008 list. The “endangered” des- York designed the 19-story building with an innovative flat-slab ignation has proved to be a critical factor in arresting the hotel’s structural system and an alluring curved profile. Its boldly downward spiral. expressed form and exuberant exterior, a thin curtain wall com- Unlike in Sanderson, where pleas for support from local gov- posed of glass and porcelain painted panels, engendered an icon ernment fell on deaf ears, the Dallas City Council authorized $43.5 of midcentury modern design. million in tax increment financing funds to assist a private devel- New owners bought the property in 1988 and renamed it the oper with plans to rehabilitate the old hotel and the former central Dallas Grand Hotel, yet the erstwhile flagship of the Statler Hilton library that stands next door. Construction is underway on a $175 chain closed in 2001. The vacant building languished for over a million mixed-use project scheduled for completion in late 2017. decade as various developers, civic leaders and aficionados of mod- Stephen Sharpe previously served as the executive editor of Texas ernism pondered its fate. Fearing that the passage of time would Architect magazine. jeopardize the structural integrity of the derelict edifice, Preser- vation Dallas (allied with the statewide group but officially sepa- WEB EXTRAS at TexasCoopPower.com See Preservation Texas’ list of saved

rate) formally asked Preservation Texas to deem it “endangered.” landmarks online. DALLAS CARD: PRESERVATION PUBLIC LIBRARY. DALLAS PHOTO:

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• 5 1/3" fixed German stainless steel blade (9 3/4" total length) • Stag horn and Pakkawood™ handle • Includes leather sheath Smart Luxuries—Surprising Prices™ Mile after country mile, these creosote-soaked sentinels stand and deliver. This is their story. THE OF A By Ed Crowell MAKING t fi rst sight, with stacks of logs stretching across 50 acres, the plant looks like a sawmill. Then the smell hits, and it’s not that of freshly cut timber. The odor is sharp, smoky and unrelenting to the nostrils. Anyone who has A driven past hot asphalt that’s just been put down on a road might guess it is that petroleum product. It’s creosote, the coal tar-based ground level, stripped of their branch- preservative that is used on 100,000 es and trucked here to be transformed power poles produced every year at into one of the co-op’s roughly this Texas Electric Cooperatives plant 240,000 wood poles. on the east side of Jasper. While Bluebonnet’s inventory in- With the buzz of bark peelers and cludes about 10,000 steel poles and a circular saws, and later a soaking in handful of concrete ones, wood poles creosote, the process might look like are the workhorses in a service area an undignifi ed death for what were, that serves communities and rural ar- just recently, stately 50- to 60-foot-tall eas in 14 Central Texas counties. They trees that took three decades to grow. are less expensive, easier to install and But these pines will live on for an- have a proven track record in support- other 30 or 40 years — standing tall ing about 11,000 miles of power lines. and straight in service of Bluebonnet “Power poles are the physical Electric Cooperative’s members. backbone of electric delivery systems, This is where the co-op’s wooden particularly for rural electric coopera- power poles are made. tives,” said Eric Kocian, Bluebonnet’s Southern yellow pines grown on tree chief engineer and systems operations farms in Louisiana are cut down at Continued on page 20

Untreated and creosote-bathed poles await next steps in the production process. Most of TEC’s customers prefer blackened creosote-treated poles over those treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA), which leaves poles with a dry, greenish finish. CCA–treated poles are more brittle and linemen say they are harder to climb.

18 Texas Co-op Power BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE September 2015 bluebonnet.coop

BLUEBONNET MAG SEP 2015.indd 16 8/8/15 12:31 PM Mile after country mile, these creosote-soaked sentinels stand and deliver. This is their story. Inside THIS MONTH UPDATED MOBILE APP OF A Use it and you could win an iPhone 6 23 MAKING POLE LINEMAN’S RODEO A tribute to Kenny Roland 24 DITTY BAG? HEADACHE? Learn the lineman’s lingo 25

MONTHLY MEETING Bluebonnet’s Board of Directors will meet at 9 a.m. Sept. 15, at Bluebonnet’s Headquarters, 155 Electric Ave., (formerly 650 Texas Hwy. 21 East), Bastrop. Find the agenda and last-minute updates Sept. 11 at bluebonnet.coop. Hover your cursor over ‘next board meeting’ on our home page.

CONTACT US Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative P.O. Box 729 Bastrop, TX 78602 Member services: 800-842-7708, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Email: [email protected] OUTAGES

Every Bluebonnet pole bears identification Call 800-949-4414 if you have a power outage. Keep information — when and where it was up with outages 24/7 at bluebonnet.coop. Hover manufactured, its dimensions and treatment your cursor over ‘outage report’ on our home page. You process. Robby Ferguson brands the poles at can also send us a text message: To get started, text Lufkin Creosoting Inc. Texas Electric Cooperatives’ BBOUTAGE to 85700 and follow the prompts. Save plant in Jasper uses aluminum tags. that number in your contacts, perhaps as “Bluebonnet Outages.” If your power goes out, text OUT to that Sarah Beal photos number. If you have our free mobile app for Android or iPhone, you can report an outage on your smartphone.

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ABOUT THIS ISSUE Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative produced the blue- bordered pages 18-25 in this issue of the magazine with content that is of speciﬁ c interest or relevance to Bluebonnet members. The rest of the magazine’s content is distributed statewide to any member of an electric cooperative in Texas. For information about the magazine, contact Janet Wilson at 512-750-5483 or email [email protected]. bluebonnet.coop bluebonnet.coop September 2015 BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE Texas Co-op Power 19

BLUEBONNET MAG SEP 2015.indd 17 8/8/15 12:31 PM About 95 percent of Bluebonnet’s poles are wood. The rest are steel, shown below, or, less frequently, concrete, above. Those stronger poles are needed for heavy loads or limited right-of-way workspace. The co-op’s steel poles are manufactured in Brenham and the concrete poles are made in Bellville.

Continued from page 18 inspect them for damage or wear. an abundance of 28- to 30-year-old Other lines, called pole attach- trees. Those trees that are not tall or offi cer. “Drive through just about ments, hang lower on the pole. straight enough end up at lumber any part of the country and you will They carry telephone or cable com- stores as two-by-fours or fence posts. see mile after mile of wood poles munications, not electricity. “Poles are still a natural process supporting power lines. And not just Wood poles, called “sticks” by the and only so much can be done to power lines, but telephone, cable linemen, can last decades – unless tweak quality, size, etc.,” said Carl- and fi ber optic lines, too. Modern the forces of nature, or pesky crit- ton Penney, director of manufactur- technology and conveniences are ters, interfere. ing at the TEC plant. made possible and more affordable The poles that stand like sentinels At tree farms, a contractor’s mobile by strong, reliable wood poles.” along Texas highways, dot lonely machine, called a feller-buncher, As early as the 1840s, wood poles fi elds or are crammed together in cuts selected trees close to the stretched across America, suspend- cities were once grown on private ground. After tops and branches are ing the fi rst form of wired commu- and leased government land, mostly removed, the trees are loaded onto The alternatives nication — telegraph lines. Tele- in Louisiana. trucks bound for pole plants. phone lines followed and, for 80 Weather and soil determine how The TEC facility supplies poles to to wood years, wood poles have supported many trees will reach the height, Bluebonnet and other Texas electric Bluebonnet uses both steel and con- the lines bringing power to more diameter and degree of straightness cooperatives. Some 60 trucks, haul- crete poles occasionally. than 900 electric cooperatives in the required for utility poles. ing about 35 trees each, arrive there Steel is increasingly being used across nation. A well-managed forest may yield weekly. the United States as engineering and While most Bluebonnet mem- corrosion prevention improves. Big bers give them scant thought, the transmission poles carry heavy wire ubiquitous poles occupy much of loads on steel. the co-op’s employee and contrac- And while the structural integrity of tor time. Crews outfi t the poles with 45-foot steel poles is attractive, David cross arms, transformers, insulators Tobola, operations manager for Blue- and a variety of wires. They climb bonnet, said the cost — which can be them when necessary and routinely three times the price of wood poles — is a limiting factor. Huge cylinders can hold at least 100 Self-supporting and heavy concrete poles each. Poles are wheeled in on poles are rarely used. The labor costs are trams. The front hinged hatches are greater because a crane is necessary to bolted shut with massive wrenches erect them. Their upside: no corrosion before the poles get bathed in pressurized steam then creosote or rot. or another preservative called CCA (chromated copper arsenate).

20 Texas Co-op Power BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE September 2015 bluebonnet.coop bluebonnet.coop

BLUEBONNET MAG SEP 2015.indd 18 8/8/15 12:32 PM Workers at a manufacturing plant flatten a space on the pole for mounting a cross arm of wood or fiberglass that supports power lines, insulators and other equipment. Bluebonnet attaches its own cross arms. Woodpeckers can ruin a wood pole (right) if their nests and accompanying holes go undetected. Bluebonnet crews look for damage from the birds and use wire mesh or a filler to limit their destructive ways. The pileated woodpecker in this Audubon drawing, The trouble with along with the smaller red-headed woodpecker, are the culprits that frequent the Rosanky and Luling areas. woodpeckers Towering, thick wood poles have a formidable, if relatively small, foe: crow- It’s a steady business in a fast- sized pileated woodpeckers and smaller growing state where new residential red-headed woodpeckers commonly and commercial electric hookups found in some parts of the Bluebonnet demand more and more miles service area. of wires and new poles. They peck at live trees for insects but Increasingly, under- their larger excavations most often are ground electric lines in dead trees or power poles where inspect them for damage or wear. an abundance of 28- to 30-year-old power homes and they make nests once a year. The nest Other lines, called pole attach- trees. Those trees that are not tall or businesses in new goes deep and usually has a second ments, hang lower on the pole. straight enough end up at lumber developments. entrance. The next year, the same They carry telephone or cable com- stores as two-by-fours or fence posts. They give neigh- woodpeckers seek a different site munications, not electricity. “Poles are still a natural process borhoods a sleeker for a new nest hole. They wreak Wood poles, called “sticks” by the and only so much can be done to look, but they cost so much damage, particularly linemen, can last decades – unless tweak quality, size, etc.,” said Carl- about fi ve times around Rosanky and Luling, the forces of nature, or pesky crit- ton Penney, director of manufactur- more than install- that poles must be replaced. ters, interfere. ing at the TEC plant. ing lines on wood So far this year 264 poles have The poles that stand like sentinels At tree farms, a contractor’s mobile poles. That’s a had to be replaced by Bluebonnet along Texas highways, dot lonely machine, called a feller-buncher, price some home- because of woodpecker damage. fi elds or are crammed together in cuts selected trees close to the owners and busi- Another 230 were caught in time cities were once grown on private ground. After tops and branches are ness owners aren’t to be fi xed when crews inspected and leased government land, mostly removed, the trees are loaded onto willing to pay. them. in Louisiana. trucks bound for pole plants. Wood power poles “You could stick your whole Weather and soil determine how The TEC facility supplies poles to generally last at least as arm into that hole,” said lineman Tim many trees will reach the height, Bluebonnet and other Texas electric long as it takes to grow the Grimm in describing the damage he has diameter and degree of straightness cooperatives. Some 60 trucks, haul- trees that will replace them. A seen not far from the Red Rock service required for utility poles. ing about 35 trees each, arrive there pole may have to be replaced early center. A well-managed forest may yield weekly. because of decay, usually in the 10 David Tobola, operations manager at percent of the pole that is below Bluebonnet, recalled a job near Rosanky ground. Other problems for poles where severe woodpecker damage include vehicle accidents, new roads, required a pole to be replaced on a Friday. wind storms, lightning strikes and “By Monday when we returned, there internal weakening by a surprisingly was another hole in the new pole. Over aggressive culprit — woodpeckers. a three-day stretch it was completely demolished. We put a steel pole there,” he said. The pole process When minimal woodpecker damage Most of the 52 employees produc- is spotted, the co-op uses wire mesh or ing poles at the Jasper plant work a hole fi ller. The mesh can be wrapped outdoors. Trees of varying length are around a hole that has been started to turn stacked on steel trams across the site. the woodpecker away. The expanding Brown trees with bark intact await foam fi ller contains a deterrent chemical peeling and fi nal cuttings. Pale yel- that stops the woodpecker from doing more damage. Continued on next page bluebonnet.coop bluebonnet.coop SeptemberAugust 2015 2015 BLUEBONNET BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE COOPERATIVE Texas Texas Co-op Co-op Power Power 20A 21

BLUEBONNET MAG SEP 2015.indd 19 8/8/15 12:32 PM Continued from previous page

low trees, with aluminum identification tags noting manufacturer, date, length, treatment method and strength classifica- tion, await steam and creosote processing or other protective treatment. Black poles already treated with creosote wait for clawed forklifts to load them onto trucks, bound for buyers. On the periphery of the stacks are loud, clanging, grinding, open-air workstations. The heat near the action is oppressive, with only tin roofs for shade. Key operators for each worksta- tion sit in air-conditioned, glassed-in control pods. Spinning the logs, which are carried by a conveyor belt through a rotating peeler machine with several butcher-sized knife blades, removes 1 to 2 inches: the bark and the cam- bium layer beneath it, where growth occurs. A few minutes later, a smooth pole emerges. Next, a yard-wide circular saw cuts the thick butt end. Workers measure the pole’s length and cut the narrower end to standard sizes. Forty feet is the most common desired length for Bluebonnet and some other co-ops. The peelings continue to a hammer mill that turns them into rough sawdust. A conveyor belt loads that into enclosed trailers, which are driven a short distance to a spot near the plant’s boilers where they become boiler fuel for the next major steps in the pole process — steaming Above, wheeled trams cradle poles on rails through the various and protective treatment. steps in the manufacturing process. Five massive submarine- Carlton Penney, left, a Jasper native and director of manufacturing like metal cylinders lay at the Texas Electric Cooperative plant, has worked for 20 years at side by side to hold at least the facility that supplies most of Bluebonnet’s poles. 100 poles each. The poles are wheeled in on trams electricity from the Jasper-Newton Electric Cooperative, has and the cylinder hatches been operating at this site, now nearly surrounded by houses shut tight with large hand in the pines, since 1964. wrenches. Pressurized steam then Keeping Bluebonnet in stock is applied to the poles for 17 hours to draw out the Bluebonnet usually has about 300 new poles at the co-op’s natural moisture that could service centers in Red Rock, Brenham and Giddings that can lead to rot. Next up for 99 percent of the plant’s poles is the be used for new construction or to replace a damaged pole. creosoting process, which takes 2 to 6 hours in the cylinders. The average price for a 40-foot wood pole is about $350. The plant uses about 2 million gallons of creosote a year. The supply is overseen by Ken Godin, operations man- Another preservative called CCA (chromated copper arse- ager of the Techline Inc. warehouse in Red Rock that con- nate) is applied in a different cylinder to the other 1 percent of tracts with the co-op to stock lines, transformers and other the poles. CCA leaves poles more brittle and harder to climb, hardware. according to linemen, and are better suited to colder, lower- Although Godin took the job a year after the Bastrop humidity climates. County Complex fire of 2011, he knows the value of hav- In liquid form, both preservatives can be dangerous to ing good pole suppliers. In the fire’s aftermath, Bluebonnet workers and the environment, so the chemicals are handled replaced 1,000 poles in a short time. with great care, said Penney. Wastewater is treated on site and Lufkin Creosoting Inc. is a backup pole manufacturer for solids sent to a hazardous waste facility. Bluebonnet that Godin recently has used. That experienced TEC founded the pole-manufacturing operation in Lufkin facility not far from the Jasper plant adds another link to the in 1946 but moved the plant to Jasper to be closer to its co-op’s complex chain of power delivery that starts in a pine sources of Louisiana timber. The Jasper plant, powered by forest and ends when a member switches on a light. n 22 Texas Co-op Power BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE September 2015 bluebonnet.coop

BLUEBONNET MAG SEP 2015.indd 20 8/8/15 12:32 PM MEMBER SERVICES and uses it to pay a bill, access account information, set up alerts or conducts any other business with Bluebonnet, automatically will be entered to win a new iPhone 6. & Bluebonnet gave away two iPhones in August to members who had downloaded and used the app and will draw names Oct. 1 for two QA more free iPhones. You can win other prizes by participating in our social media contests When I open Bluebonnet’s mobile through the end of September. (Check out Q:app on my phone, a red bar asks me to facebook.com/BluebonnetElectric for details.) download a new version. What’s different about More than 440 members had downloaded The new version of our app is one of many the new app? How do I download it? the improved app by early August. We think options Bluebonnet offers members. The app you’re going to like it, too. It has the same lets you manage your Bluebonnet account 24/7 Thanks for using our mobile app. great features as the previous app but is easier right in the palm of your hand. A:Indeed, we updated the app with a to use. You can view and pay your electric bill, Questions? Contact a member service fresh new look to make it easier to do business report a power outage, monitor your energy representative by emailing memberservices@ with Bluebonnet. You will need to manually use, select and receive energy and outage alerts, bluebonnet.coop or calling 800-842-7708 download the improved app. update your contact information and sign up for Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 Search for “Bluebonnet Electric” in the App paperless billing. The new version has a cleaner p.m. You can also get assistance at one of Store for iPhones or in Google Play if you design that mirrors our website and it’s simpler our fi ve member service centers in Bastrop, have an Android phone. Download the new to navigate. Brenham, Giddings, Lockhart or Manor. Bluebonnet app and it will automatically replace As a bonus, anyone who downloads — Elizabeth Herschap, the older version. Bluebonnet’s updated app by Sept. 30, 2015, member service representative Anytime, anywhere Bluebonnet’s updated mobile app gives you fast, simple account access. Above, wheeled trams cradle poles on rails through the various Pay your bill, monitor and manage energy use, report outages steps in the manufacturing process. or set up alerts from anywhere your smartphone goes. Carlton Penney, left, a Jasper native and director of manufacturing at the Texas Electric Cooperative plant, has worked for 20 years at the facility that supplies most of Bluebonnet’s poles. Download it today electricity from the Jasper-Newton Electric Cooperative, has at the iPhone/iPad App Store been operating at this site, now nearly surrounded by houses in the pines, since 1964. or Google Play.

Keeping Bluebonnet in stock Use it and be entered in a drawing to win a new iPhone 6! Bluebonnet usually has about 300 new poles at the co-op’s All Bluebonnet members who use the mobile app to pay their bill service centers in Red Rock, Brenham and Giddings that can in August or September will be automatically entered to win a new iPhone 6. be used for new construction or to replace a damaged pole. Two will be given away on Sept. 1, 2015, and another two on Oct. 1, 2015. The average price for a 40-foot wood pole is about $350. The supply is overseen by Ken Godin, operations manager of the Techline Inc. warehouse in Red Rock that con- Get all the details on our website at tracts with the co-op to stock lines, transformers and other bluebonnet.coop/mobile-app hardware. or call 800-842-7708. Although Godin took the job a year after the Bastrop County Complex fi re of 2011, he knows the value of hav- Follow us on Facebook ing good pole suppliers. In the fi re’s aftermath, Bluebonnet and Twitter for updates. replaced 1,000 poles in a short time. Lufkin Creosoting Inc. is a backup pole manufacturer for Bluebonnet that Godin recently has used. That experienced facility not far from the Jasper plant adds another link to the co-op’s complex chain of power delivery that starts in a pine forest and ends when a member switches on a light. n bluebonnet.coop

BLUEBONNET MAG SEP 2015.indd 21 8/8/15 12:32 PM By Lisa Ogle s the sun rose on the 19th A tribute, annual Texas Lineman’s Rodeo, Bluebonnet Electric then tough competition Cooperative employees gath- eredA to dedicate their day to a comrade. at the annual Bluebonnet’s Kenny Roland, who died at home on Jan. 21, 2015, at age 52, was a Lineman’s Rodeo beloved lineman and avid rodeo competitor who helped Bluebonnet win a presti- in Seguin gious top trophy last year. The Lineman’s Rodeo opening ceremony on July 18 paid tribute to Roland as teams from co-ops and municipal utilities ON THE across the state stood around ﬂ agpoles in Nolte Island Park in Seguin. Roland’s rodeo teammate Jeff Hohlt — a member During the opening ceremony, Kenny Roland of the 2014 team that Bluebonnet lineman Jeff won fi rst place in the senior team division Hohlt, at right, prepares to hang the American flag in and went on to compete at the Internation- honor of his friend and fellow al Lineman’s Rodeo in Kansas — raised lineman Kenny Roland, who American ﬂ ags during the ceremony to WOOD died earlier this year. honor Roland. Hearts were heavy, par- Danny Bolding, left, collects ticularly among the Bluebonnet crowd, his equipment after the as they remembered how much Roland Journeyman Downed Primary loved being part of the rodeo weekend. event. Then the competition began. The Line- Find more photos online with man’s Rodeo mimics real-life lineman this story at bluebonnet.coop duties, but on this day the judges’ clocks and find our video on Bluebonnet’s YouTube channel were ticking. The Bluebonnet team by searching for ‘Bluebonnet worked hard, but competition was stiff. Coop’. The linemen battled heat while weighed down with utility gear. Racing against time, they carried out the duties of their trade in an open fi eld dotted with neat rows of wood poles erected just for the competition. Events included a pole climb requir- ing linemen to keep an egg intact while holding it gently in their mouths as they descend, specifi c types of repairs and a daring pole-top rescue of a 180-pound mannequin the size of an injured lineman. Member service The day included a barbecue cook- representative Cindy Shafer, off — Bluebonnet’s Red Rock Service above top, keeps time Center team walked off with the grand during the Hurtman Rescue prize for best overall barbecue — and an competition. awards ceremony in the early evening. Lineman Jeffrey Bolding, Although it was a tough year, the Blue- above, waits for his teammate to descend the pole while bonnet team is already getting fi red up competing in the Journeyman for 2016. Bluebonnet’s rodeo coordinator Downed Primary event. Randall Bownds praised the team for its Bluebonnet’s Red Rock Service Center barbecue team — At right, linemen and Heath Walden, Jeremy Lynch, Brian Peters and Michael strong effort and thanked volunteers and colleagues John Riley, on Jeffrey — took home the grand prize for best overall other supporters who attended this year. left, and Tim Fritsche support barbecue. If you want to sample some of their smokin’ “We’ll come back strong next year,” he each other after a demanding good barbecue, head to Brady Sept. 4-5 for the World said. n day. Championship BBQ Goat Cook-Off.

24 Texas Co-op Power BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE September 2015 bluebonnet.coop bluebonnet.coop

BLUEBONNET MAG SEP 2015.indd 22 8/8/15 12:32 PM Lineman’s lingo: Time to learn your lines By Chelsea Beauchamp Apprentice Andrew Kessler, above left, competes in the Bell Change ur crews speak a language all their own. Eavesdrop event. This year marked the 19th on a bunch of linemen getting ready to restore some- anniversary of the Texas Lineman’s Oone’s power, replace downed power lines or upgrade Rodeo, held at Nolte Island Park in a transformer high atop a pole and you’ll quickly take note Seguin. of a lot of lingo. Let’s demystify the discourse. Here are a few terms and their During the opening ceremony, meanings, in case you overhear some linemen on the job: Bluebonnet lineman Jeff Hohlt, at right, prepares to On the wood: Climbing a pole. hang the American flag in Wearing all the necessary equipment for a honor of his friend and fellow Tooled up: task, including safety gloves, safety goggles, hard hat, gear, lineman Kenny Roland, who tool pouch and ditty bag. died earlier this year. A small canvas bag on a lineman’s tool belt Danny Bolding, left, collects Ditty bag: where he keeps miscellaneous supplies, such as tape, bolts his equipment after the and other specialized items. It’s worn in addition to a leather Journeyman Downed Primary tool pouch, where he keeps tools such as Kleins lineman’s event. pliers/cutters, a speed ratchet, hammer, knife and screw- Find more photos online with driver. this story at bluebonnet.coop Yes, that’s what it takes for our guys and find our video on Guts: to safely, quickly climb poles and work on Bluebonnet’s YouTube channel dangerous equipment. But in Bluebonnet by searching for ‘Bluebonnet linemen’s lingo, guts are 6-foot-long, 8- to Coop’. Sarah Beal photos 10-pound rubber tubes (some utilities use plastic) that cover exposed power lines to keep the crew safe from accidental contact with energized lines. Headache: What a lineman on a pole yells before he drops something from above. In other words, “Get out of the way!” Sagging wire/up to sag: Sagging a wire is the action of pulling wire from the ground “up to sag,” which makes the wire of uniform height as it stretches to the next pole. If wires are not pulled up to sag, the top (energized) wire can come into contact with a lower wire, which can result in big, dangerous problems, including outages. Go online and let Bluebonnet lineman Kenneth ‘Carrot’ Roush, left, tell you all about the lineman’s lingo. Bluebonnet’s Red Rock Service Center barbecue team — Find the video on Bluebonnet’s Heath Walden, Jeremy Lynch, Brian Peters and Michael YouTube channel Jeffrey — took home the grand prize for best overall by searching for barbecue. If you want to sample some of their smokin’ ‘Bluebonnet Coop’. good barbecue, head to Brady Sept. 4-5 for the World Championship BBQ Goat Cook-Off. bluebonnet.coop bluebonnet.coop September 2015 BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE Texas Co-op Power 25

BLUEBONNET MAG SEP 2015.indd 23 8/8/15 12:33 PM Marathon, America’s most durable and efficient water heater. Now available at these member-owned cooperatives:

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28 Texas Co-op Power September 2015 TexasCoopPower.com Texas History Big Bend Baron Alfred Stevens Gage created a ranching empire and acclaimed hotel in Marathon

BY E. DAN KLEPPER

When 18-year-old Alfred Stevens Gage arrived in Texas in 1878 from Ascut- neyville, Vermont, his first job as a ranch hand in Shackelford County paid $12 a month. Gage had journeyed to Texas with encouragement from his half-brother Edward, who was established in Dallas with a land acquisition business. Gage saved enough money from his ranch work to purchase a cattle operation in Archer County. This venture proved short-lived, as rustlers absconded with his stock. Despite the setback, Gage’s initial foray into ranching was the first in a series of business moves that would culminate in his owning thousands of cattle and more than 500,000 acres spread across the Big Bend country. increased the company’s holdings to more and slanted lines that is still in use today. After selling his land interests in than 10,000 head of cattle, just in time for Gage moved to San Antonio. He tend- Archer County, Gage agreed to take over the onset of a drought and a severe winter. ed his Big Bend interests, traveling to Edward’s operation along the Big Bend The rough conditions proved financially Marathon often enough to warrant build- frontier. He arrived in the railroad com- calamitous for the Presidio Live Stock Com- ing his own hotel. The Gage Hotel, community of Marathon in 1882. Edward’s pany, dropping the value of each head of pleted in 1927, was designed by El Paso operation, called the Presidio Live Stock livestock from $30 down to $5 over four architect Henry Trost. The hotel, a mix of Company, had just acquired 2,000 head of years. Edward continued to suffer finan- mission and Spanish colonial design, was cattle and an established brand, the Run- cially, and his troubles caused personal typical for Trost, and similar to hotels he ning W Bar. Edward pastured the livestock despair. He took his own life in 1892. designed in Marfa (El Paisano), Alpine along Maravillas Creek, a 90-mile inter- In the shadow of Edward’s untimely (the Holland) and Van Horn (El Capitan). mittent stream flowing from the Del Norte death, investors reorganized the company, Gage died from complications after an Mountains southwest of Marathon to the and a new charter was created: the Alpine appendectomy a year after the hotel opened, Rio Grande. Today, the mouth of Maravil- Cattle Company, of which Gage became but the business survived. Purchased and las Creek is a favorite take-out point for secretary and superintendent. Gage in- restored by another Texas businessman, J.P. canoe and raft trips through the Rio creased the company holdings to more Bryan, the Gage Hotel is a destination of Grande’s Temple Canyon. than 100,000 acres. He also enriched his choice for travelers visiting Big Bend. Gage no doubt developed some of his personal stake, purchasing rangeland and The Gage ranchlands survive as well, business acumen while working with Ed- stocking it with cattle. By 1910, his per- under the A.S. Gage Partnership Ltd. ward, an aggressive negotiator. After ending sonal holdings exceeded those of the Much of the original land holdings, almost his Dallas-based partnership, Edward company he supervised. His financial in- 200,000 acres in Brewster and Presidio recruited investors from the northeast to genuity (and rising cattle prices) helped counties, are still owned by the family. The infuse the Presidio Live Stock Company him secure a controlling interest in the remaining rangeland has been slow to with funds. He then negotiated deals for the Alpine Cattle Company, and by 1917, he change since Gage first arrived here, giving company, including the purchase of 68,000 owned its entire stock outright. He also visitors to Big Bend a sense of the natural acres of his own land along with 700 head retired the Running W Bar brand, replac- environment of the 19th century. of his Maravillas cattle and the attendant ing it with his own, known as Lightning, a Photographer, author and artist E. Dan Klep-

JOHN WILSON Running W Bar brand. Additional purchases simple design composed of two parallel per lives in Marathon.

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30 Texas Co-op Power September 2015 TexasCoopPower.com Recipes

turkey or even vegetarian crumbles. As 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Five Ingredients written, this feeds a large family, but if 2. Cook the pasta in salted water halved and baked in an 8-inch square until it’s “al dente,” as directed on the or Fewer pan, you can feed a smaller group. package. ANNA GINSBERG, FOOD EDITOR 3. Cook the turkey in a skillet until it is If your passion for cooking out- thoroughly browned. Combine cooked weighs your enthusiasm for shopping, Mexican Pasta Bake pasta, turkey, corn and salsa. you’re in good company. From quickie 4. Spread half the mixture in the dish, salads to no-brainer desserts, we tasted ½ pound whole-grain corkscrew or then sprinkle with half the cheese. Add our way through your shortcuts while penne pasta remaining mixture and cover dish tightly enjoying the idea that we could make 20 ounces lean ground turkey with foil. these at home with minimal fuss and 1 can corn or Mexican corn blend 5. Bake 35–40 minutes. During last 10 perhaps save a trip to the store for (15 ounces), drained minutes, remove foil and sprinkle with ingredients. 3 cups chunky salsa of your choice, remaining cheese. Garnish with extra This Mexican-themed baked pasta is plus more for garnish salsa if desired. a regular at my house because it calls for 2 cups shredded “Mexican blend” things I almost always have on hand. cheese, divided use Servings: 8. Serving size: 8 ounces. Per serving: 360 calories, 25.12 g protein, 14.87 g fat, 33.23 g carbo- Plus, it can be changed up a bit by using hydrates, 3.48 g dietary fiber, 989 mg sodium, 6.80

MELISSA SKORPIL MELISSA different salsas or swapping beef for 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a g sugars, 82 mg cholesterol

TexasCoopPower.com September 2015 Texas Co-op Power 31 Recipes

Five Ingredients or Fewer Mock Enchiladas STEPHANIE BALDOCK | WOOD COUNTY EC THIS MONTH’S RECIPE CONTEST WINNER CINDY HANDY | GRAYSON-COLLIN EC 1 box beef taquitos (12 count) Our resourceful readers submitted recipes with five ingredients 1 small onion, chopped or fewer (salt, pepper and oil did not count). The winning dishes— 1 can green chile peppers (4 ounces) which ran the gamut from vegetable to meat to dessert—showed us 1 can chili without beans that fewer ingredients can make each flavor stand out. (14–16 ounces) 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Honey Cheese 2. Mix together honey, mustard and 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Apply Bacon Chicken lemon pepper in a small dish. Place cooking spray to an 8-inch square bak- the breast halves in baking dish ing dish. 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast and drizzle evenly with the honey- 2. Place taquitos in bottom of baking halves mustard mixture. dish. Sprinkle chopped onion and chile ¾ cup honey 3. Bake chicken 25 minutes, then top peppers over the taquitos. ½ cup Dijon or creole mustard each breast half with 2 bacon pieces 3. Stir chili with ⅓ can of water to make ¼ teaspoon lemon pepper, or more and increase oven heat to 400. Con- sauce and pour over the taquitos. to taste tinue baking about 7–8 minutes. 4. Bake 20 minutes, then sprinkle with 4 slices bacon, cut in half 4. Top with cheese and bake another cheese and continue baking another 1 cup shredded mozzarella or 3 minutes or until chicken juices run 10–12 minutes or until cheese is melted provolone cheese clear, bacon is crisp and cheese is bub- and bubbly. bly. Serve with brown or white rice. Servings: 6. Serving size: 2 enchiladas. Per serving: 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Apply 173 calories, 10.47 g protein, 9.63 g fat, 7.86 g carbo- cooking spray to metal baking dish. Servings: 4. Serving size: ½ chicken breast. Per hydrates, 0.67 g dietary fiber, 614 mg sodium, serving: 476 calories, 38.17 g protein, 11.18 g fat, 1.75 g sugars, 34 mg cholesterol Pound the chicken breast halves to an 53.10 g carbohydrates, 0.13 g dietary fiber, 519 even thickness. mg sodium, 52.49 g sugars, 117 mg cholesterol Red Cabbage Salad SIDNEY LENZ | COSERV ELECTRIC “So, you say you don’t like cabbage? Just try this salad—even those die-hards who won't touch cabbage love it!”

1 small head red cabbage, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon salt 1 package blue cheese (8 ounces) 1 bottle red wine vinaigrette dressing (16 ounces) 1 pound bacon, fried crisp and crumbled

1. Blanch sliced cabbage in large pot of boiling, salted water. Cool blanched cabbage by immersing in a bowl of ice water, then thoroughly drain.

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February’s recipe contest is Touchdown Party Foods. No matter how your team fares, the right game-day foods can make your Super Bowl party a winner! Submit the recipes that always bowl over your party crowd. The deadline is September 10. SPONSORED BY THE TEXAS PEANUT PRODUCERS BOARD

There are three ways to enter: ONLINE at TexasCoopPower.com/contests; MAIL to 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701; FAX to (512) 763-3401. Include your name, address and phone number, plus your co-op and the name of the contest you are entering. MELISSA SKORPIL MELISSA

32 Texas Co-op Power September 2015 TexasCoopPower.com 2. Toss cabbage with blue cheese and 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 1 large angel food cake, cubed vinaigrette. Refrigerate 8 hours or baking dish or line with parchment paper. 4 Butterfinger candy bars (2.1 ounces overnight. 2. Mix soy, mayonnaise, brown sugar each), crushed 3. Just before serving, add bacon and and ginger in a saucepan. Set pan over toss. medium heat and cook, stirring often, 1. Apply cooking spray to a 9-by-13- until smooth and warm. inch baking dish. Servings: 8. Serving size: 5 ounces. Per serving: 436 calories, 27.14 g protein, 30.03 g fat, 6.36 g 3. Spread mayonnaise mixture liberally 2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk carbohydrates, 1.19 g dietary fiber, 1,973 mg sodium, over salmon, then place skin-side-down together milk and pudding mix 2 min- 2.82 g sugars, 81 mg cholesterol in prepared dish. utes. Let stand 2 minutes until soft set. 4. Bake 25–30 minutes or until fish is Stir in 2 cups whipped topping until Salmon Shoyu flaky and fully cooked. Let cool for 5 min- well mixed, then fold in remaining BRIAN HOLLAND | COSERV ELECTRIC utes. Serve with white rice, if desired. whipped topping. 3. Layer half the cake cubes in baking Servings: 8. Serving size: 4 ounces. Per serving: The Department of Agriculture recommends 267 calories, 23.04 g protein, 11.73 g fat, 14.35 g dish, then top with pudding mixture cooking salmon to an internal temperature of 145 carbohydrates, 0.11 g dietary fiber, 537 mg sodium, and crushed candy bars. Repeat layers. degrees. Because fish continues to cook inter- 13.51 g sugars, 62 mg cholesterol 4. Cover and chill at least 2 hours be- nally when removed from the oven, begin check- fore serving. ing the salmon a few minutes before you think it Butterfinger Crunch Servings: 12. Serving size: 4 ounces. Per serving: should be done. —AG Dessert 343 calories, 4.27 g protein, 10.99 g fat, 53.95 g MAUDE COLEMAN | BRYAN TEXAS UTILITIES carbohydrates, 0.97 g dietary fiber, 460 mg sodium, ¼ cup soy sauce 26.78 g sugars, 3 mg cholesterol ¼ cup mayonnaise 1 ½ cups milk ½ cup brown sugar 1 package instant vanilla pudding mix ½ tablespoon chopped fresh ginger (3.4 ounces) WEB EXTRAS at TexasCoopPower.com 1 large salmon filet or whole side 2 cartons nondairy whipped topping Count on our website for more dishes with Five of salmon (8 ounces each), thawed Ingredients or Fewer.

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a LALINDA MIRSKY, CoServ My Favorite Teacher Electric: Mrs. Mirsky (fifth grade) and Mrs. Cohen They say experience is the best teacher, and we wondered (P.E.) dressed up as Thing who your favorite teachers are. These photos show the teachers 1 and Thing 2, respectively, who mean the most to readers and move to the head of the class. for Character Day at school. GRACE ARSIAGA d LEIGH OWENS, Heart WEB EXTRAS at TexasCoopPower.com Find more class acts online. of Texas EC: Jaxon, age 2, learns the tricks of the trade from his dad, Scott Owens.

o JOHN YOUNG, Pedernales EC: “My dad, William Lee Young, taught vocational agriculture in Moulton for 36 years. He was my best teacher at school and at home. He prepared his students for life.” a SARAH DILWORTH, Central Texas EC: “I took d SUSAN WELLS, Trinity Valley EC: Daughter this for a photography class the week before Caroline, 11, has taken art with Jane Adams my mother passed away from ovarian cancer, at All Saints Episcopal School in Tyler for the and yet she still had reason to smile. Every- past five years. She covers a different period thing that is good in me came from her. of art each year. In second grade they studied This is a beautiful image of her in her most impressionism. trying time.”

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TexasCoopPower.com September 2015 Texas Co-op Power 35 Around Texas Get Going > This is just a sampling of the events and festivals around

Ladonia Boyd Music Festival, September (903) 486-8912, boydmusicfestival.com La Grange Patriot Day Ceremony, 9 (979) 968-3017, visitlagrangetx.com Alvarado [9–12] Johnson County Pioneers and Old Settlers Reunion, (817) 790-2480 17 Hallsville [17–20] Battle of Fort Crawford, 10 (903) 241-2861, battleoffortcrawford.com Dimmitt [10–12] Castro County Harvest Days, (806) 647-2524, dimmittchamberofcommerce.com September 11 Giddings Texas Word Wrangler 11 Book Festival Giddings Texas Word Wrangler Book Festi- Pick of the Month val, (979) 542-2716, texaswordwrangler.com Remember Our Fallen Lubbock [11–13] National Cowboy Sympo- sium & Celebration, (806) 798-7825, Cameron [September 12–15] cowboy.org (254) 627-0179, kmil.com/bulletin.php Ben Milam Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2010 12 honors Texans who have died in the wars on ter- Blanco Hill Country Heartbeat, rorism with a display of more than 600 pictures. (512) 970-8332, hillcountryheartbeat.org “If we forget our fallen and our history, then his- Cranfills Gap Septemberfest, tory will repeat itself,” says Heart of Texas EC (254) 597-2215, sept-fest.net member Thomas W. Wiley III, the VFW post commander and a Vietnam War veteran.

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AROUND TEXAS EVENT LISTINGS THE BEST MACHINES FOR MORE JOBS. Whether you’re in construction, professional landscaping or agriculture, PLAN YOUR TRIP TODAY AT Brookside Equipment’s lineup of John Deere Commercial Worksite Products TexasCoopPower.com and customer support can help you get more done, more reliably. DO MORE. SAVE MORE. Over 100 available WorksitePro™ attachments PPEECCAAANN FFESE T to dig, till, rake, load and more. SKID STEERS 77KKHUHVD %XQFK RI 11XXWV ++HHUH FOR 48 FOR 60 % MONTHS OR %MONTHS* 2&7722%(5 0 0.9 on Skid Steers, Compact Track Loaders %HHU ::LLQH *DUGHQ /LYH %DQGGVV and Compact Excavators* ))RRRG 77UUDGH %RRWKV 3HFDQ77UUHDWV 3HFDQ 3LH &RQWHVW COMPACT TRACK LOADERS +(%77;; 99DDQLOOD 6HJXLQ 3HFDQ ,FH &UHDP CONVENIENCE: 8 locations www.BrooksideUSA.com +DW3DUDGH 6WUHHW 'DQFH EXPERIENCE: 41 years in business EXPERTISE: *ROG6WDU&HUWLƟHG'HDOHU Angleton, TX SW Houston, TX Spring, TX 3XPSNLQ3DWFK 3XPSNLQ 'HFRUDWLQJ SERVICE: On Site Field Service STRONG: More than 120 employees 17000 Hwy 288B 66DP+RXVWRQ3NZ\: 19003 I-45 North Frwy 1XWFUDFNHU0XVHXP 77RRXUV supporting your equipment (979) 849-2325 (713) 541-3535 (281) 353-0204 2 miles south of CR220 Near SW Frwy (Hwy 59) Cypresswood Exit 6HEDVWRSRO 0DJQROLD +RWHO 77RRXUV Hockley, TX Jersey Village, TX League City, TX Houston, TX Katy, TX 44XXLOW6KRZZ 3RWWHU\ 6KRZZ &DU 6KRZ 33400 Hempstead Hwy 13250 West Rd. 2135 Gulf Frwy South 9125 I-45 Gulf Frwy 28715 Hwy 90 (281) 256-6900 (713) 466-7456 (281) 338-1300 (713) 943-7100 (281) 391-2165 US Hwy 290 @ Roberts Rd. Hwy 290 @ West Rd. /HDJXH&LW\3NZ\([LW &ROOHJH$LUSRUW([LW +Z\([LW,DW3HGHUVHQ5G *KRVW7RXUV2FW *KRVW77RRXUV 2FW *Offer ends 10/31/15. Fixed rate of 0% for 48 months on all skid steers, compact track loaders and compact excavators. Subject to approved installment credit with John Deere Financial. Offer includes new John Deere Skid Steers, Compact Track Loaders and Compact Excavators. Some restrictions apply. Other offers available. See dealer for complete 77R7RXUGH3HFDQ%LNH5LGH2FWRXUGH 3HFDQ %LNH 5LGH 2FW GHWDLOVDQGRWKHUƟQDQFLQJRSWLRQV$YDLODEOHDWSDUWLFLSDWLQJGHDOHUV &HPHWHU\ 0DJQROLD7RXUV2FW&HPHWHU\ 0DJQROLD 77RRXUUVV 2FW

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36 Texas Co-op Power September 2015 TexasCoopPower.com Texas. For a complete listing, please visit TexasCoopPower.com/events.

Mineola Hometown Hang with Kacey 19 September 26 Musgraves, (903) 569-6183 Pontotoc Pontotoc Ranch VFD BBQ Mineola Hometown Hang & Cake Auction, (325) 251-6670 with Kacey Musgraves 27 Quitaque Texas State Bison Music Festival, Rosanky St. Mary’s of the Assumption (806) 455-1492 Festival, (512) 303-0553 Sherman Texoma Woodcarvers Show, (972) 632-8402 Surfside Beach Texas Navy Day Celebration, October (979) 864-1541, brazoria-county.com/parks Burnet [19–20] Art Festival, (830) 613-1055, 1 artburnet.com Center [1–3] East Texas Poultry Festival, Hondo [19–20] Medina County Fair, (936) 598-3682, shelbycountychamber.com (830) 426-5406, medinacountyfair.org Mineral Wells [1–3] Tommy Alverson’s Family Gathering, (940) 682-6694, 20 tommyalverson.com Smithville Grace Lutheran Church Annual Bazaar, (512) 237-2108, glcs.org 2 Trinity [2–3] Trinity Community Fair, 25 (936) 662-4175, trinitycommunityfair.com Hillje [25–26] Louise/Hillje BBQ Cook-Off 26 & Fall Festival, (979) 541-7056 Bowie Battle of the BBQ, (940) 872-1173, Submit Your Event! Lewisville [25–26] Western Days Festival, bowietxchamber.org We pick events for the magazine directly from (972) 219-3710, LewisvilleWesternDays.com Martindale Mamma Jamma Ride, TexasCoopPower.com. Submit your event for (512) 765-5526, mammajammaride.org November by September 10, and it just might be featured in this calendar!

WilLkommenWilLWilLkommeommen LOWLOOWW COSTCOST Fredericksburg,FredericFredericksburggTg, TTXX OktoberfestOktoberfest OctoberOctobeer2 2-4-4 35 Ye YYearsears of MobileMobile HomeHome InsuranceInsurance GemütlicGemütlichkeit!hkeit! Some of the fun incincludesludes ffourour stastages,ges, Complete coverraage sing-a-longs, Superior service OktubafOktubafest,est, Hauptstrasse ChicChickenken DanceDance,, Easy payment plans 42 TToTournament,ournament, lots of good (Including the option of Credit Cards) ffoodood and drink, fun kid’kid’ss area. A great familfamilyy ffestival.estival. Low deductibles OktoberfestInFbg.comOktoberfestInFbg.com Free & easy online quotes FoodFood & Wine FesFestt October 2424 CelebrateelebrateeT TeTexasexas Wine,ine, Food, Friendsriends & Fun! www.stdins.comwww.stdins.com Threehree spspecialecial CCallall FForor A CCustomustom QQuoteuote events-vents-vents- WWine Celebrations,elebrations, 88005220146005220146 MarktPlatzarktPlat PatronPatron Brunchrunch plus ourur Fest! Fest offers offers Guest Chefs, TwentyTTwwenty Five ata Five,Five, TTeTexasexas WineriesWineries,W Start Saving g Booths, LivelyLively Tunes,TTuunesunes, and more!m Mobillee wwnnerrss FbgFoodandWineFest.comFbgFoodandWineFest.com 961 Info: 830-9977--8515

TexasCoopPower.com September 2015 Texas Co-op Power 37 Hit the Road Gonzales Offers More Than Mystique Barbecue, architectural antiques, historic museum and touchstones of Texas Independence

BY RUSSELL GRAVES

The battle for Texas Independence happened nearly 180 years ago, but when you visit Gonzales today, you’d think it was more recent. The battle, which started here in October 1835, was a pivotal event in the shaping of the Texas mystique. And that “Come and Take It” spirit is still alive in Gonzales. I arrive at lunchtime, and near the Gon- zales County Courthouse I discover the Gonzales Food Market. Judging by the line that extends from the counter to the door, the locals appreciate the place. The sweet smell of smoke permeates the place, a business that was once a grocery store and is now more of a barbecue joint. I order a sausage sandwich on white Gonzales Memorial Museum bread. The meat is spicy but not hot; the soft bread blends well with the creamy yellow mustard; and the sausage skin has the her because she grew up in one. So in 1997, of the revolution, but a few miles north on right amount of snap when I bite into it. she moved from Austin and opened the a county road, Texas history enthusiasts After my hearty lunch, I stroll around store in downtown Gonzales. can visit the actual spot next to the the downtown area where I see a collec- Many of her customers seek a specific Guadalupe River. tion of law offices, insurance companies, type of doorknob or other detail to match Before I leave, I head east from town to antique stores and specialty shops. The the features in old homes under renovation, find the Houston Oak. Even though the oak place that intrigues me most is Discovery she explains. With customers all over the itself sits on private land, you can see the Architectural Antiques. The store occupies United States, she admits that it’s this com- tree from the county road. Under this tree several buildings and is home to architec- mon passion for historical restoration that in March 1836, Sam Houston regrouped tural details harvested from old structures keeps her engaged. with his army of volunteers, mostly men and presented for sale by Suzanne Kittel. The historical theme continues at the from Gonzales, and marched off to engage I encounter rows of stained-glass win- Gonzales Memorial Museum. The museum, the Mexican army in the seminal Battle of dows. Farther back, I find bins filled with built to commemorate the Texas Centen- San Jacinto that initiated Texas as a nation antique doorknobs and hinges carefully nial in 1936, is small in size but grand in and still influences the state nearly 200 curated so that similar pieces can be found architecture. The building faces a reflect- years later. together. ing pool, and on the opposite side is an I stand silently at the county road and In the next room, I find well-aged beams amphitheater. The museum consists of two take in the significance of the spot. As I destined to become mantels or architec- main rooms separated by a breezeway. One get in my truck to leave, another car stops tural elements. Nearby, windows and doors room contains mostly items of local histor- so those inside can practice the same rit- are destined to match a historical remodel. ical significance. The other contains rare ual. In Gonzales, Texas history and small- “My mission has always been to pre- documents pertaining to the Texas battle town culture run deep. serve what I could of the past—specifically, for independence, as well as the cannon Writer and photographer Russell Graves is a old house pieces and parts,” Kittel says. “I illustrated on the “Come and Take It” flag. member of South Plains EC. have always been intrigued by what might The site of the first shot of the Texas have been in an old house or who has gone Revolution is a few miles outside of town . WEB EXTRAS at TexasCoopPower.com through a certain door and touched a spe- near the community of Cost. Along State Get more travel information before you

cific knob.” She says old houses interest Highway 97, a stone marker tells the story head to Gonzales. MICHAEL AMADOR | TXDOT

38 Texas Co-op Power September 2015 TexasCoopPower.com Paid Advertisement

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