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Post by bubbabod on Apr 29, 2008 21:48:34 GMT -5
In April of 2007 I took off by myself on a whirlwind four-day 1200 mile Texas history tour to many places I've never been. I can share my trip with you by clicking on the link below. Wehn it loads, click on the "slideshow" in the upper right side. When the first picture comes up, you can click on the little "i" in the center and it will describe what you're seeing, if I labled it. Click again and the description will go away for easier viewing. Enjoy: www.flickr.com/photos/wwwflickrcomphotoscaltexian/sets/72157603778588054/
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Post by bubbabod on Sept 10, 2007 16:14:31 GMT -5
Crazyhorse and Nef, happy birthday to y'all's baby. You've done a great job!
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Post by bubbabod on Sept 4, 2007 1:04:19 GMT -5
Hello, all. I'm new to this outstanding forum and have enjoyed reading some of the posts. Regarding the Battle of San Jacinto, while visiting family in the Beaumont area, I took a four-day Texas history tour by myself and took pictures of San Jacinto, Goliad, John Wayne's Alamo and, of course, THE Alamo. I thought I'd post some here of San Jacinto, if y'all don't mind. I'll try to put some descriptions of them, and if they're inaccurate somewhat, please feel free to correct me: Taken from the top of the San Jacinto Monument. The monument was built on the top of the rise, the only high ground there. You can see the trees along Buffalo Bayou where the Texans' camp was located: Taken from the area of Houston's camp. The two cannons are the Twin Sisters used in the battle (If they're replicas, please tell me): This is taken from the other side of the battlefield. The Mexicans tried to escape through the marsh, where much of the carnage took place: ] Looking up at the Star from the base of the monument: Gotta have a picture of the USS Texas looking over the battlefield: It's a beautiful site to visit. Some day I'd like to be there for the annual reenactment.
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Post by bubbabod on Sept 4, 2007 10:49:29 GMT -5
When visiting John Wayne's Alamo and Alamo Village, in the village I bought a magazine-type book entitled "Alamo Village, How a Texas cattleman brought Hollywood to the Old West" by John Farkis. It's a great bit of reading that gives the history of how John Wayne wanted to build his Alamo and do the filming in Panama or somewhere in Mexico, but Texans put up such a fuss, he eventually found the right site in Bracketville thanks to the efforts of Shahan. The book also gives the history of Ft. Clark Springs from its beginnings as a watering hole oasis for the Comanche to the establishment of the fort and its use until it was closed. There's also a history of the building of JW's Alamo, showing many pictures of it being built, as well as pictures of where the scenes were filmed on the fort's grounds, which is how I found the places I took pictures of. Otherwise, I'd have never known the fort played such a prominent part in the filming. Ft. Clark Springs is a great place to spend a couple days while exploring JW's Alamo, the village and the fort.
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Post by bubbabod on Sept 10, 2007 16:12:43 GMT -5
Nef, you've hit on one of our favorite Texas towns. We pass through New Braunfels about twice to four times a year and have always loved the place. We've rental a condo on the Comal River for family gatherings one time, tubbing down the Comal. Love it. Another of our favorite places is Boerne. So many beautiful Texas Hill Country towns.
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Post by bubbabod on Sept 8, 2007 12:14:46 GMT -5
If you find the link for the web site I put up a couple days ago for the Alamo Village, it shows the village pretty well. When you tour the Alamo Village, there's a walking--as well as guided--tour that tells you what scenes were filmed in and around which buildings. While I can't remember now which movies they were from, I took pictures of the jail cell Dean Martin was thrown into in one movie, and a couple places like Jimmy Stewart taking a bath outside and another with him sitting outside on a wood boardwalk with his feet up on a rail. It's a pretty interesting place to visit. Also, there's pictures of John Wayne in some movie riding down mainstreet with a group of horsemen crossing in front of the church in the pictures above.
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Post by bubbabod on Sept 21, 2007 1:25:46 GMT -5
Sequin, thanks for all the great info. I had no idea they dated back that far. On one of my trips I want to visit the TExas Rangers Hall of Fame or Museum. I think it's in Waco, right?
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Post by bubbabod on Sept 18, 2007 19:32:53 GMT -5
I hate to show my ignorance, but were there even TExas Rangers in 1836? I thought they were founded much later. Regardless, a good flick.
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Post by bubbabod on Sept 17, 2007 16:11:00 GMT -5
I don't remember that being the name of the TV miniseries, but it was a really good series. I'll have to try to catch it again.
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Post by bubbabod on Sept 5, 2007 11:44:02 GMT -5
I saw both movies, "Flags of our Fathers" and "Letters from Iwo Jima." While I liked both movies, I think you have to read the book "Flags of our Fathers" to really get to know the flag raisers, which is why Jim Bradley wrote the book. You truly get to know these young men by reading about their lives and how being a flag-raiser changed the lives of the three who survived the island. In "Letters," they tried to, successfully, humanize the Japanese soldiers. While I'm sure there were some decent Japanese soldiers, the Japanese of that era were a totally different breed of "humans." If you want to see what they were really like, read "The Rape of Nanking" That might be spelled incorrectly. And read about the Bataan Death March. The Japanese were ruthless racists, and what they did to civilians and POW'S alike was inhuman. But getting back to the purpose of the post, yeah, two great flicks.
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Post by bubbabod on Sept 5, 2007 11:37:46 GMT -5
I don't know if you'd call it a cult classic, but I'm a huge fan of Adam Sandler. I think Mr. Deeds and The Waterboy are two of his best. I never get tired of watching them. The man is a genius.
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Post by bubbabod on Sept 8, 2007 0:34:44 GMT -5
Sounds like an interesting book. I'm not saying I'm cheap, but at $110, it better be autographed by Davy himself!
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Post by bubbabod on Sept 5, 2007 13:46:45 GMT -5
Brom, here's the site for Ft. Clark Springs. When you get to the opening page there is an artist's drawing showing the cavalrymen in front of their barracks. Those barracks now contain the modern hotel that I stayed in. In fact, as you look at the picture, I stayed in the first room on the bottom floor that you see. It's a weird feeling staying where these men once lived in the 1850-60's: www.fortclark.com/fortclarksprings/index.htmHere's another good site for Alamo Village. It is about 8 or so miles north of Bracketville. As I said somewhere, it would be a shame if they bring in a theme park setting because as it exists today, it really brings you back in time: www.homestead.com/thealamovillage/AlamoVillage.htmlFrank
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Post by bubbabod on Sept 4, 2007 21:13:34 GMT -5
Crazyhorse, I took the picture from a display that must have been at a gift shop at Alamo Village. I didn't meet the ranger y'all asked about, but I did see a ranger or docent giving his spiel to visitors at Alamo Village. There was hardly a soul at JW's Alamo and no ranger there. Neferetus, I was able to find the sites at the fort because there were pictures of them in the magazine-book I mentioned. The book told exactly how to find them. What was shown in the movie as Houston's camp is on the river just a couple hundred yards from the restaurant at the golf course. The bridge, which I think you've been to, is kind of at the northeasternmost part of the fort near some of the old fort buildings. The flamenco dancers' wall is pretty close to Houston's camp. I can't believe this place exists. It's pretty desolate out there, and then here's this lush oasis with all this real history. At one time Col. Ranald MacKenzie commanded the place. MacKenzie is the one who drove Quannah Parker out of Palo Duro Canyon, and in 1876 he surprised Dull Knife's village in the middle of the winter to drive them out of some of the prettiest red-rock country I've ever seen about 15 miles west of present-day Kaycee, Wy. George Patton also served there. I doubt one percent of our population has ever heard of the fort, but as far as I'm concerned, it's a don't miss place to visit, and as I said earlier, staying in the modern motel which once housed the cavalry is a great place to stay at unbelievably cheap prices while touring JW's Alamo, Alamo Village and the fort itself. And it's also touring Officers' Row where these officers once lived; and, in fact, some of them are presently on the market as they are private residences. At one time they were thinking of demolishing the fort, but someone stepped forward and formed it into a private community with nice homes, old historic homes, an RV park, golf course. It's just outstanding. And it's only a couple hours southwest of San Antonio.
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Post by bubbabod on Sept 4, 2007 10:39:44 GMT -5
Crazyhorse, great history of the fort. I'd never heard of Ft. Clark Springs until my visit in April. I was looking for a place to spend the night, and the fort was about the only place in town. What a treat! I spent the night in a nice motel for about $35 a night, and the motel turned out to be converted from the 1856 or so infantry barracks. I ate dinner and breakfast at the restaurant on the golf course only yards from the site where they filmed the scenes from Houston's camp. I had no idea the fort played such a prominent part in the filming of The Alamo until I bought a magazine-type book on the history of how John Wayne picked the site to build his Alamo and film the movie. With that as a guide, I drove and hiked around Fort Clark and found some of the scenes' locations. Here's a few: Below is all that remains of an arched adobe wall used in a scene with Carlos Aruzza leading a squadron of Mexican soldiers. It was filmed, but not used in the move: This wall is all that remains of the night-time flamenco dancing scene when Crockett, et al, went on their cow stealing raid: Scene of night-time raid where guards were pulled from the bridge. This is one beautiful sight, with the green waters flowing below the bridge and lush vegetation growing along the banks: Another view of the bridge. There is a newer bridge built alongside it now. Also, for those of you who have never been there, there is a large new home being built within 75-100 yards of this site. Don't know, but it will kind of spoil the pristineness of the whole thing and might even ruin access to the place: These are the 1850's cavalry barracks made into a motel where I stayed: Last, here's an aerial view of the fall of the Alamo:
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Post by bubbabod on Jan 12, 2008 11:43:01 GMT -5
I was just looking at the pictures of "Flaca" along the river and thought I had a picture taken last year of where Houston's camp was in the movie. I found this picture of a partial wall that was shot for the movie, but I don't think it was used. But the river is to the right of the picture and is where Houston's camp was. I think the river shot in the movie was a few miles away:
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Post by bubbabod on Sept 4, 2007 10:10:09 GMT -5
Some fellow named David Jones (no kidding) is still negotiating the details of the proposed sale with the Shahans. It is his hope to restore the Village, the Alamo set and also to expand the place into a paying tourist destination with a hotel, train, carnival and enough activities to entice a family to want to stay over more than just one day. So far, it is all still up in the air. As Rich says over on thealamofilmsite, the champagne is in the fridge, but he has not opened it yet.
Neferetus, I hope all that doesn't happen. When you go to the Alamo set and Alamo Village, that's what's so great about it is that it is still in pretty pristine condition with no modern trappings to spoil it. When I was there in April, when I arrived there were two or three RV's parked at the gate of the Alamo (John Wayne's Alamo). When they left, I had the whole place to myself, and it was like being transported back in time. I'd hate to think of the place having a small RR track running around or up to it, whistles blowing, etc. The whole carnival thing would make it just that: a carnival. But I agree something might need to be done to make it more attractive to families. So maybe the carnival thing a couple miles and out of sight of the set would be fine. I'd just hate to see the whole thing turned into an Alamowood.
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Post by bubbabod on Sept 4, 2007 10:03:20 GMT -5
Thanks, Crazyhorse. It's such an interesting subject and was drilled into us growing up in Texas, how could anybody not really get into the subject? As I'd mentioned somewhere, I finally got a chance this year to visit many of the sites, such as Goliad, Coleta Creek, etc. Great time. And like many people interested in history, I study the Indian Wars of the Plains Indians, mainly those along the Bozeman Trail and the Little Big Horn. I never get enough of this.
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Post by bubbabod on Sept 4, 2007 1:27:46 GMT -5
Hi, Greg. Thanks for the welcome. I just found your site while surfing through another site. I have lived in the San Diego area since I left Texas at age 19, enlisting in the Navy. I was born in Port Arthur, raised in Groves. All our family lives in the Beaumont-Port Arthur area, so we drive back there and spend about a month in the spring and a month in the fall. So I was born Texan and will die Texan. On my last trip back there in March/April, I took a quick four-day driving trip visiting a lot of Texas history sites I'd never seen before, and took a lot of digital pictures at Coleta Creek, Goliad, Bracketville and John Wayne's Alamo, the real Alamo, and finished up at San Jacinto. What a great trip, with perfect weather and the Texas wildflowers in full bloom. Thanks again for the welcome.
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Post by bubbabod on Sept 9, 2007 22:04:26 GMT -5
I read my Texas hometown newspaper online every day. In today's paper there was an article about a Civil War battle that most people in the state know little about. It was the Battle of Sabine Pass, about 10 miles from Port Arthur, Tx. I'll attach the article and something else if I can find it, but basically, there was a small garrison at Sabin Pass that was commanded by Dick Dowling, a Confederate Officer. It was an important garrison during the CW. Dowling and his men whipped the Union warships. Here's the ariticle in the paper: www.panews.com/local/local_story_251184212.htmlAnd this: www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/sabine_pass_battleground/hist.phtml
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