Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

Simmons Bank

The Texas Bucket List – Hueco Tanks State Park in El Paso

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EL PASO, Texas – All over Texas there are some magnificent state parks, but some of them get a lot more attention than others. Thirty miles northeast of Sun City you’ll find a fine getaway from the hustle and bustle of El Paso. It’s a site that not many know about, but the spectacular beauty and history of the Hueco Tanks State Park make it well worth a stop.

Ted Pick is a park ranger at Hueco Tanks and it doesn’t take long to figure out why Pick is so over the top about this pretty piece of Texas that has taken millions of years to form.  Turns out, it’s got more to offer than just remarkable views.

“If you’re going with the recreation side, we’ve got some of the best hiking and climbing in this region of Texas, and actually some of the best climbing in the world,” said Pick. “If you’re looking for animals, we’ve got some crazy wildlife out here you usually never find in this region in Texas due to the fact that we are an oasis. Now into the history side, we’ve got stuff that goes back almost 11-12000 years back here. Most of it though, they average about 1000 years old.”

The state only allows 70 visitors into the park each day, so reservations are recommended.  Of course, with so much to offer, it’s hard to pick a place to start. First things first, how did the name Hueco Tanks come to be?

“So, hueco, Spanish word for hollow, and you had all these hollows in the rock. Tanks being all of the water holders or water catchers. So, those hollows in the rocks, it rains, fills up the hollows with water, they become tanks. So we’ve had people been coming out here for thousands of years to drink that pooled rainwater,” Pick said.

This piece of peculiar rock that sits in the trans-pecos almost looks like it dropped out of the sky and landed in El Paso county.  It’s been a haven for travelers for a very long time and they’ve got the cave drawings to prove it, as well as some more modern pieces of graffiti and vandalism that have accumulated over the years.

“You’ve got this 20 foot long white rattlesnake painted on the walls that most people, they completely miss it because they’re just don’t look past the graffiti,” said Pick. “Now, one cool thing about it, is rattlesnakes usually in cave art represent water, and if you follow where this guy points, we’re actually going to be going up into these caves, up in the rocks here, and up there is a natural deposit of water. It’s a natural reservoir or water collection spot, which is pretty cool.”

We headed to just one of the many locations in the park that’s been quenching mankind’s thirst for thousands of years – the Santiago Cooper cave. Once you climb inside, the temperature of the sweltering summer heat drops between 15 to 20 degrees.

The cave also happened to be filled with some unique Native American art, and for a really interesting look at some of the old cave paintings, you have to get up close and personal with a few rocks.

We took a beginner’s approach, sliding over a slab of stone that’s had years of bodies sliding over its surface to create a smooth polish. Once you get to the end, it’s all up from there.

“You can get the nice cool rock against your back and you’ve got that breeze blowing through. On a hot summer day, this is an amazing spot just to hang out,” Pick said. “Up above us here, we actually have three different paintings that we believe they’re of the same figure, but there’s some debate over who this figure is.”

Pick informed us that the leading theory is that the image is of Tlaloc, the Aztec thunder and rain deity. In times of drought when water is life or death in the desert, the rectangular body of Tlaloc was drawn to conjure up a storm.

“It’d have some sort of intricate design on the inside, like checkerboard patterns, zigzags, labyrinthian mazes, and for the top you’d have a head that was usually an upside-down triangle or some sort of square,” said Pick. “He’d have big, wide-open eyes and he’d also have a huge, smiling or grinning mouth like he’s laughing at something.”

The cave art that people come from all over the world to see is masks like this.  With more than 200 painted throughout the park, it’s hard to believe how long they’ve been telling their mysterious story.

Even though getting to some of the cave paintings can be a bit precarious, the payoff is always worth it. While standing in the cave, Pick pointed out a painting just over our shoulder.

“That is desert archaic, which means it’s anywhere between 1000 to 3000. We call it a blanket pattern design,” Pick explained.

While no one knows for sure what some of these drawings mean or what story they tell, they still move us and keep us connected to a people that vanished long ago but still have a voice in this world.

“You come out here, you can walk in the places that people have been walking for thousands of years. You can see paintings that are five, six thousand years old. You can see artifacts and pot shards and arrowheads out here. We have them on display, you can sometimes see them when you’re out walking around, that you get that sense of history and that people were here and it’s a really amazing place, and it kind of just makes you realize how much things have changed and how much we’re missing these days,” said Pick.

The Texas Bucket List – Museum of the Gulf Coast in Port Arthur

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Port Arthur- One of my favorite parts about our great state is its history.  There are so many stories to tell, from mammoths that made their way across the land, to the natives who called the plains home and the formation of a nation, every part of Texas has something of which to be proud.  

Over in Southeast Texas, you’ll find Golden Triangle local’s stories at the Museum of the Gulf Coast where history and pop culture meet.

“We knew we had some stories to tell in the music area, the sports area,” Tom Neal said.

Tom is the director of the museum which is housed in a mammoth-sized building that was formerly a bank.  As a member of the Board of the Port Arthur Historical Society, Tom is a Southeast Texas native. Before getting to the incredible contributions that people from this section of our state have been a part of, the museums starts visitors off with a journey through the history of the area.

“This is a mural in the museum,” Tom said. “It covers a timeline from before early man through early man, then Cabeza de Vaca … a shipwreck in Matagorda Bay. Being past the Dick Dalling battle that they held there, and it goes all the way up to the Spindletop.” It’s 125 feet long by 28 feet tall. Could be the largest in Texas, I’m not sure.”

Spindletop is synonymous with the rich history of our state and even the entire country.  The moment this massive gusher was discovered changed the world. The camera that caught that particular point in time is on display at the museum.

“Actually this particular camera that you see here was one of Mr. Trough’s cameras that actually took that picture which you see below there of the gusher when it was going,” Tom said. “The Spindletop. It went … it changed the whole world.”

The historical artifacts and stories that are told are a big part of this massive museum.  However, the biographies of the big stars with ties to this part of Texas are what truly stands out.

“This is our sports exhibit,” Tom said. “We have a lot of love for sports in this area, and we have a lot of folks that have done very well. More than seventy people who’ve made it and excelled in areas of football, basketball, baseball, boxing … you name it. Racing. Here’s two gentlemen, a father and son, Bum Philips and Wade Philips. They’re both in our … Wade grew up in this area and played football here, and his dad coached two of the local high schools. So there’s Bum’s exhibit, and there you see a Super Bowl trophy that Wade provided us for his exhibit. Our third graders love that. They head to that and they think that’s the greatest thing that they’ve ever seen.”

Professional wrestlers, baseball greats, football stars, head coaches and world champions make the Golden Triangle’s list of sports stars a literal hall of fame. What’s even more amazing is the amount of musical talents Southeast Texas has turned out.

“George Jones, Tex Ritter … we’ve got quite a variety of people that have come in here and done a great job,” Tom said. “The Big Bopper … The Big Bopper. J.P. Richardson. You’ll see over here some of his memorabilia and music, and the items that were with him in the plane crash, the day the music died …” Along with the sheet music. He had that in his briefcase. “The favorite part I have has gotta be the music. That’s kind of been the fiber of everybody’s life. They hear a song, and they remember where they were at a certain time. We’ve had over seventy musicians that have been in the music scene that have a difference. “

But the one artist from here that draws in visitors: Janis Joplin.

“Janis’ people come from all over the world,” Tom said. “She’s one of the big attractions we have here, people wanting to know more about her and things about her life. We have quite a few things that the family has graciously provided to us. Family pictures and heirlooms so that we can better tell the story of Janis. She was a very talented artist in high school. She grew up, and these are pieces from some of that time frame.”

It’s amazing what the Golden Triangle’s been able to give to not only Texas, but the entire United States  with everything they’ve offered. For sports, music and history buffs alike, The Museum of the Gulf Coast in Port Arthur, Texas is well worth a stop on the Texas Bucket List.

“It’s funny, because you can be in another part of the country and somebody will ask you where you’re from, and you say Port Arthur, Texas,” Tom said. “They start telling you, ‘That’s where Janis Joplin lives,’ you know? “

 

The Texas Bucket List – King Ranch Saddle Shop in Kingsville

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Kingsville, Texas- The Lone Star State is home to some of the most storied ranches in all the world, and the King Ranch is no acceptation.  A South Texas staple that’s been a part of the Lone Star State since 1853, King Ranch is larger than the state of Rhode Island and is home to over 35,000 cattle. The ranch is so popular that is even has its’ own saddle shop.

King Ranch churns out saddles that keep the Texan spirit alive and the costumers happy.

“The King Ranch is Texas,” Lance Hancock said. “It’s legendary. It’s iconic. It’s about as Texas as Texas can get. “

Lance  used to push around people as big as some of the cattle on the ranch during his football playing days at Sam Houston State University where he got a degree in accounting. Today he runs the King Ranch Saddle Shop in downtown Kingsville, located near the main gate to the ranch. Situated in the John P. Ragland Mercantile Building built in 1909, the site was once the largest department store south of San Antonio but today it’s home to anything and everything associated with the King Ranch.

“We still eat, sleep, and breathe cowboys, and ranching, and outdoor life,” Lance said. “That’s who we are, and that’s who we’ve always been. If it’s going to have our name on it, it’s going to be the best. We make sure of that.”

Some of the most sought-after textiles, tumblers and tacked goods can be found here. The rich smell of lush leather runs through your nostrils like cattle churning up the Chisholm Trail.

“Our number one seller in the store is leather conditioner, believe it or not,” Lance said.

The retail side of the store surprisingly got its’ start when a member of the King family needed a suitcase, and they knew that not just any satchel would do.

“This is our Armstrong Collection,” Lance said. “This is made out of Cordura canvas. The canvas is actually the same kind of canvas they use on convertible cars. It’s extremely durable. This collection has been around for 40+ years, and is always a top seller.  So this is the one that started all the-This the one that started us off into the luggage business, yeah.”

The real roots of this boutique bestowed with bovine go back to a time when supplies were in short demand. If you needed something, you had to make it. When it came to cattle ranching in the 1800’s, saddles were sought after.

“The original saddle shop was on the ranch,” Lance said. “It was born out of necessity and Captain King couldn’t find wares for people that worked on the ranch.”

That tradition of making saddles continues to this day in the saddle shop. For over 40 years, Roberto Salas has been the man who makes leather into masterpieces.

“This is a family tradition,” Roberto said. “We are not working with an assembly line. We are not working with a production line. Saddles for the King Ranch are unique.”

Roberto takes his craft to the next level.

“Sometimes the people say, you make saddles?” Roberto said. “Sir, I work on the saddles. I working on pieces, piece by piece.”

Roberto has cut down on his time at the saddle shop.

“Roberto’s actually retired, but I begged and pleaded with him, so he still works three or four days a week,” Lance said.

Considering how long each saddle takes to create, it’s safe to say the saddle shop is a bit short handed.

“155 working hours, something plain. 185 hours if it is with the fancy flower designs,” Roberto said. “Four weeks.”

When Roberto started working in the saddle shop back in 1973, he learned the trade from his father-in-law, Guillermo Rodriguez, who served as a saddle maker before him.

“I used to see my father-in-law working with me and now when I work on something that is special, I feel like my father in law still is next to me,” Roberto said.

That might be because he still is, in a sense.  Not only does Roberto build saddles, he also repairs them. Some of the worn out, broken-in saddles that have seen better days were built by the man who taught him everything he knows.

“This is one of the simple ones,” Roberto said. “Saddles made by the person, they have identification on the saddle. Like this one over here, I work on this one, customer from this community. Rodriguez, my father in law. Name. The year when he made the saddle. The month that date when finish. And you see.”

Despite his knowledge and expertise, the family tradition of saddle making ends with Roberto.  As the world changes around him, the future of leather artisans learning how to work with their hands is dwindling.

“I think it goes back to the heritage of the ranch,” Lance said. “It’s a part of who we are. It’s a part of who we’ve been. I think it’s vitally important that we have people like him. But, I will say it’s a dying art. “

Watching Roberto work is mesmerizing.  His hand are building, shaping, and creating.  He is keeping the roots of Texas firmly planted and continuing the cattle traditions and cowboy way of the King Ranch through the medium of his hands. King’s Ranch in Kingsville, Texas is definitely a must-see stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“It’s very hard to find people with the passion and the skills that Roberto has. It will be one of our greatest challenges as we go forward,” Lance said.

The Texas Bucket List – Aermotor Windmill in San Angelo

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San Angelo, Texas- The winds of Texas have been blowing for a long time. When westward expansion came through the Lone Star state, this abundant natural resource was crucial to the success of those brave souls who helped settle the land.  The invention of the windmill made it all possible, and today there’s only one place that still constructs these long tall towers.

That place is right here in Texas at the Aermotor Windmill.

“When we go to trade shows and things, people go, ‘Oh, Aermotor. We didn’t know you guys were still around,’” Steven Pierce said.

Steven  grew up on a cotton farm in Tahoka, Texas just south of Lubbock.  On the days he wasn’t working in the fields, you could find him on the football field. Now, the 4th generation has gone back to his rural roots as the director of operations at Aermotor, the only windmill manufacturer in America.

“Our product is all U.S.A. made,” Steven said. “We don’t outsource anything overseas or to Mexico or anything. We’re proud of that. “

Aermotor got its start in 1888 up in Illinois.  Only 24 windmills were sold that year, but Aermotor blew on into San Angelo in 1986 after calling several locations around the world home. Ever since then, San Angelo has been home to these hovering harnessers of head wind. Steven and his small crew make some of the biggest fixtures you’ll find on pastures across the plains of Texas.

“We really have a group of great people, a really good team,” Steven said. “People that really specialize in what they do and know their job and take pride in it. “

Brad Mitchell is the longest tenured employee on the premises, and he puts the most crucial parts together.

“I’ve been doing it for 21 years, and I enjoy it. I love doing the job,” Brad said. “At my age, picking up this stuff and throwing it around, I feel pretty good.”

That “stuff” includes the gargantuan gears that the windmill propels to pull the water up the pipe. When it comes to manufacturing these massive machines, that’s where it all starts.

“Each motor has two sets of gears; some small gears we call pinion gears, and some large gears we obviously just call large gears,” Steven said. “What we’re running here is this auger cuts the teeth on the large gears and we’re cutting a set of fourteen-foot gears for a fourteen-foot motor. These guys, we cut them in pairs so that they’re a matched set, so they stay together from here, all the way until we get back to the motor assembly area where we put the motor together.”

Brad gets the gears shoved into the housing.

“The work, itself, once you figure out the tricks to it and everything, you got it pretty much made,” Brad said.
Shane Nelson has been fabricating what are called helmets for 17 years.

“They say I’m the best helmet builder in the country,” Shane said.

With the clock slowing spinning, Shane’s tedious and tenacious tacking helps create a crucial piece of agriculture that will stand the test of time.

“We’ve got windmills that have lasted 100 years still out there,” Steven said. “There’s not much that’s sold that lasts that long still.”

With Aermotors long connection to cultivation culture, it’s no wonder it’s become a symbol of the backbone of America.  It shines in the sun and shadows, and it spins and sways its Lone Star State pride.

“You’ll probably notice, when you leave, how you never really noticed them before, but you’ll go, ‘Oh, there’s another one. There’s another one,’” Steven said. “We’re proud of that, to see our name on them. If you see Aermotor, you know what that is. It’s part of the fabric of this country that goes back to 1888.”

Once again, the winds of west Texas never die down. It’s hard to change something that has history of standing tall.

“You can drive almost anywhere in Texas and you can see windmill, and you almost automatically know it’s an Aermotor windmill,” Brad said. “And know that you had a part of that, it definitely makes you feel a lot better, like you made an impact on the world around you. Instead of going through life and wondering what impact you made, drive down the road and you see it everywhere. “

The Texas Bucket List – The “Come and Take It” Cannon in Gonzales

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Gonzales, Texas-  A town synonymous with Texas history.  Originally the capital of DeWitt’s colony, the stories surrounding this legendary Lone Star State location can be found as far back as 1825.  

Down in Gonzales, you’ll find a historic stop that is quintessential to any lover of Texas, and it all centers around a cannon. Specifically, the Come and Take It cannon.

“I always liked Texas history and so then, of course, to be right in the Lexington of Texas and Gonzalez, it was right down my alley to be here,” Gary Schurig said.

The director of the Gonzales Memorial Museum has one of the coolest job descriptions you could imagine.

“Hi, I’m Gary,” Gary said. “I’m the guardian of the Come and Take it Cannon.“

Gary Schurig was born in Gonzales, so being a defender of all things Texan comes naturally to this native.  He proudly tells the story behind the cannon that helped create a country.

“It’s a small museum so you kind of limited in what you can have in here,” Gary said.
“But you have a gold mine. “

The story behind the cannon starts in 1831 with a request to the Mexican government from Green DeWitt. A cannon was provided for protection against hostile Indian tribes with the stipulation it be returned to authorities upon request.  The cannon was more a visual deterrent since it was rigged not to fire, but it didn’t take long to fix that.

“Right here is where they had driven the nail into satch hole so that it wouldn’t shoot,” Gary said. “And, fortunate enough that the blacksmiths was able to repair this area here. ……..So it wouldn’t have done any good to keep his hole. So they were able to put some bushings in there to close up that hole to make it as if it had never been drilled. And in turned it a few degrees and drill another hole in the top. By doing that then they’re able to make a cannon that’s fully functionable to pack the powder in there, and pack whatever you’re going to shoot out of it and set it off right there at the touch hole.”  “Yeah. Because there’s no purpose for a cannon to have two separate holes, even if this one was open it wouldn’t function.”

Four years after receiving the cannon, the Mexican government sent their request to return the ordinance.

“In 1835, when there was a rumble of Texas independence, a revolution, Santa Ana sent out word that he wanted the … he wanted all of his guns back into his possession,” Gary said.

In September of 1835, 100 Mexican troops marched on the banks of the Guadalupe river to retrieve said cannon. They were greeted by a group of 18 men and, in that moment, the Texas revolution began.

“They said if you really want this cannon you can come and take it, and they fired it at them,” Gary said.

Referred to as the “Old Eighteen,” it was this small group that started the Battle of Gonzales. Six months later the siege at the Alamo and the Goliad massacre took their toll on Texas.  On April 21st, 1836 the Texas Revolution came to end with the Battle of San Jacinto. Texas was independent.

“Naturally if you come here you need to go to Goliad, you need to go to San Antonio to the Alamo, and then you need to go to San Jacinto,” Gary said. “So, this is just the beginning, and if you don’t have that it’s just like reading a book and starting in the middle of the book. You don’t know how you got started or how they got there.”

 

Seeing the actual cannon that had a role in one of the most well-known stories of the Lone Star State truly gives you chills especially when you consider how it was rediscovered.

“They get out about 20 miles west of town on the Sandies Creek and the wheels on their cart breakdown,” Gary said. “So, between Ben Milam and Almaron Dickinson they decide let’s just bury the cannon, we can always come back and get it. That cannon will stay buried from 1835 until July of 1936 when we have a flood, and it will unearth it. And there are a couple of boys, the story is, that they were out looking for survivors and they ran across what they thought was a piece of pipe in the mud. When they pulled it out actually it was a cannon. “

 

Eventually, the cannon found its way back home to Gonzales. It now sits just a few miles from the spot that the battle for Texas’s independence began.  Being able to see this cannon in person is truly awe inspiring and brings you even closer to roots of our great state, making it well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“I don’t want to live anywhere else but Texas,” Gary said.

The Texas Bucket List – Fanthorp Inn in Anderson

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ANDERSON, Texas — Getting a great dose of Texas history is easy to do in Grimes County and it all centers around an old inn that started checking travelers back in 1834.

The Fanthorp Inn in Anderson was established by Henry Fanthorp. Benjamin Baumgartner took us on a tour of the building that served so many roles in a very important time in Texas history.

First and foremost, the mind-blowing facts about this building that helped form a fine state.

“This building has existed in four countries yet has never moved,” Benjamin said. “Mexico, Texas, United States and the Confederate States.”

When English immigrant Henry Fanthorp constructed his log cabin home, he had no idea it would serve as a post office and a voting place.  Nor did he know that people like Sam Houston, Zachory Taylor and Ulysses S. Grant would slumber under his roof.

Located on La Bahia Road, Fanthorp Inn was a place for all sorts of people to stop during their travels across Texas.

“Because of its position of where it is, it has been the hub of information, or it was the hub of information,” Benjamin said. “The news of annexation, the news of war again with Mexico, news of the civil war, these are things that all would have come through here at some point. This is where people would be discussing what’s going on, how it’s going, news hopefully of loved ones coming back or hopefully you’re hearing from what’s going on there.”

And hotels were a heck of lot different back then.

“They’re surprised to see the living conditions of it thinking it would be so rustic or something that ‘Oh, I wouldn’t be comfortable here,’ but thinking again from the perspective of it is this or sleeping in the open, maybe under a wagon you kind of have a new understanding for what comfort would be back then,” Benjamin said.

Keeping it true to what it was like around 1850 is what the Fanthorp Inn is fulfilling.  Display what the dining room would be like, the parlor prior to privacy and life before just about every modern convenience you can think of.

“A chance to go through and see a new perspective and an appreciation for the life that we have now,” Benjamin said.

Treasa Thompson helps brings this place to life with her lovely mules.

“We used to fit nine people in this coach. Nine people comfortably,” Treasa said. “You would have three on each seat. When you put nine people in there now, you better hope three of them are kids.”

Once a month, you can get the full experience of pulling up to the Fanthorp in an old stagecoach.

“It makes it a reality,” Treasa said. “It puts you in an absolute scenario where it happened.”

Pulling a cart with 4 mules can be particularly precarious.

“Twice the amount of things that could go wrong,” Treasa said.

But Treasa knows how to sweet talk her team.

“Of course I’m a woman, I’m biased,” Treasa said. “I think that women deal with mules easier than men. We just have different tactics.”

That might come down to having a mother’s patience.

“They’re better than my two-legged kids,” Treasa said. “They mind better anyway.”

Treasa takes the stagecoach down the main drag of Anderson, a ride that is a bit smoother than the one taken all those years ago.

“When you rock, you hit a bump and you just rock,” Treasa said. “It’s not a bounce so it’s awesome.”

The wagon makes its way through town, circling the Grimes Country Courthouse and carefully cruises back to the Fanthorp.

“All those giggles right down there? That’s what’s enjoyable,” Treasa said. “You know they’re having a good time. If they can have fun and learn a little at the same time, that’s the best way to do it.”

Experiencing a stagecoach ride along a road riddled with the stories of Texas makes for an incredible journey, but with a final destination like the Fanthorp Inn, you’ll get your fill of Lone Star State folklore and fulfill a fine stop on The Texas Bucket List.

“Come out and get a little bit of history,” Treasa said. “Have a little bit of fun. Meet my kids and take a little ride with me.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Texas Bucket List – Nokona Baseball Glove Factory in Nocona

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NOCONA, Texas — Baseball.  A sport as American as it gets. There’s nothing like the smell of the grass on a mild spring evening.  The constant rumble of thousands of conversations going on during each and every pitch.  But all eyes turn to the field when the batter makes contact with the ball and for a few fleeting seconds, we all wonder if that little ball ends up on the grass on in a glove.

Those gloves are essential to a game featuring a small hard ball and some of the best in the world are built right here in Texas. Rob Storey runs the baseball business in Nocona, Texas that his great grandfather started as a leather goods manufacturer in 1926.

“During the heights of the Great Depression in the ‘30s we were selling wallets and purses and as my granddad used to say at the time, to sell a wallet in the Great Depression for a dollar, you had to put a dollar bill inside of it,” Rob said.

Rob’s grandfather decided to change up the game and get involved in the popular sport of baseball.

“Took them three or four years but in ’34 we made our first glove,” Rob said.

Spelled with a K instead of C, the gloves became synonymous with the small Texas towns despite the small difference in spelling.  Apparently, the town’s name couldn’t be trademarked.

“80 years down the line we found out that is one of the five accepted spellings for Nokona in the Comanche Indian language,” Rob said.

Named after a Comanche chief who happened to be the father of Quanah Parker, Nokana gloves are handmade and happen to be the only gloves, in the entire world, made in America.

“We’re the only glove company left in the United States,” Rob said. “Most everything else is made in China, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines. It’s crazy but that’s the way it’s been for 40 something years.”

Rob and his 35 employees meticulously meld together 26 pieces of leather to make one incredible, fine smelling, all American product.

“When the leather comes in to us, it’s probably Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas beef but it’s tanned in either Milwaukee or Chicago,” Rob said. “When it comes to us it comes in what’s called a side so it’s either the right side or the left side of that steer. Out of a side we are going to be able to cut out about five ball gloves.”

It all starts with a initial piece of leather. Then a long process of stamping, stitching, and sewing each glove by hand goes down the line. Quality control during construction consists of one main man, Martin.

“Martin is more or less quality control and realistically this is a part where he has to make sure all the seams are just right and the stitching,” Rob said. “He is not always the most popular guy in the factory because sometimes he has to take stuff back and say, ‘You know you can do better.’”

After everything is laced up, the glove gets it’s final goodbye from Nokona.  A good beating.

“You can do that up to 60 times to get the gloves worked in so it’s almost ready to go the day you pull it off the shelf,” Rob said.

And then it’s ready for the big time. Kokona gloves have played in big role in American history.  Not just in the sport of baseball but also during World War II, when soldiers on different sides of the world got to have a piece of home with them.

“Uncle Sam came to use and from ’42 to ’45 we were contracted by the U.S. Army to make ball gloves for the infantry,” Rob said. “We’ve had people through the years telling us exactly how that got their mind off things, reminded them of home, and from Okinawa to Germany, finding gloves or having gloves given to them.”

Despite it’s all American linage and reputation, Nokona gloves aren’t the most used gloves in the game for one reason, they can’t afford to be.

“That is not something we can do. It’s just literally because we’re a smaller company it’s always been out of our reach,” Rob said. “Nowadays we probably have 12 to 15 people at the major league level but we consider them authentic players because they want to wear Nokona instead of just worrying about how much we’re going to pay them.”

Tyler Saladino is one of those exceptions but he’s continuing a tradition of playing an all American game with something made right here in Lone Star State.

“We produce close to 30,000 a year,” Rob said. “Out of six and a half million gloves that are sold annually in the United State we represent only that one percent or less so we’re very small compared to the bigger guys but we like to think we’re the best.”

These 35 Texans continue to work hard, keeping baseball America’s game while continuing a Texas tradition that’s always been a homerun.

“It makes me so proud that we’ve been able to hang on through the years, keep people employed in Nocona and carry on the legacy hear in Nocona,” Rob said. “It’s kind of what I live for.”

The Texas Bucket List – Campobella Bronze Sculpture in Conroe

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CONROE, Texas — The stories of Texas have been told for generations. Storytellers have used the written word, poets have used sonnets and journalists have traveled all over just to get that one story of our state. But there is one man in Conroe who has used a totally different method to tell these stories. He’s used sculpture.

In a studio off the square in downtown Conroe sculptor and native Texas Craig Campobella works on his latest piece. Despite his award-winning work, there’s one thing this meticulous molder knows.

“It’s like golf,” Craig said. “You’re never going to master it.”

Since the late 80’s, the Houston native has been creating art that celebrates our state, but it took an early career in radio and some time out of Texas to realize where he needed to belong.

“Who knows what it is,” Craig said. “It’s something in the air. Why did Willie come back? Why does everybody miss it so? I missed it. I love being here. I couldn’t imagine being someplace else.”

After answering his call back home, Craig whose mother was an artist, had another calling and chance encounter with clay struck the spark.

“It was instantaneous that I could feel what needed to happen,” Craig said. “That by no means I was prolific from the very beginning. I got my fair share of criticism, but I didn’t give up.”

Creating the art fulfilled a dream but he longed to tell a story, to create something that could impact a person’s love for the Lone Star State.  That’s when the Texian came into focus.

“It tells the entire story about how we got to where we are today,” Craig said.

You can find the Texian surrounded by the battle and rally flags of the Texas revolution at the Texas Flag Park in Conroe.

“Tell all those stories in a beautiful Texas size pill form where people can understand that heritage and in the middle of it don’t put Sam don’t put Stephen don’t put Crockett, put your everyday Texian fighting soldier volunteer,” Craig said.

This piece of art tells Texas’ fight for freedom not just with this history that surrounds it but also with some sneaky symbolism.

“Late at night when I’m wishing I was home with my wife and my baby girl I get kind of sidetracked and I start putting these little things in there that I don’t think anybody is going to know about. I started that a long time ago,” Craig said. “Some people notice and some people don’t notice. When they notice them that’s a lot of fun.”

Under the Texan’s left foot, you’ll find 13 stones, one for each day of the siege at the Alamo.

The rocks are covered with 354 marking, one for each person who paid the ultimate price at Goliad.

Under the right foot, nine stones represent those lost at the Battle of San Jacinto while the 18 buttons on the Texian’s jacket represent each minute of the quick and decisive victory for Texas.

A big rock under the toe, symbolizes the continued presence of a particular nemesis whose name is synonymous with the Texas revolution, Santa Anna.

Combining his art with the stories of history of Texas is the craving Campobella can’t quell.

“I can hear them say over and over again one thing: ‘I did not know that,’” Craig said. “They go to the next one. ‘I did not know that.’ And my heart soars like the eagle because that’s the purpose behind the kind of art that I want to do.”

Around the corner from the flag park on Spirit of Texas Way, you’ll find Texas Lady Liberty.  The gold gilded statue was inspired by that battle flag at the battle of San Jacinto while a piece dedicated to the

From the Battle of Gonzales to Samuel McColloch Jr, a free black solider who fought and was the first to be injured in the Texas Revolution, the subject matter for Campboella creations is considerable.

“I know I don’t want to rewrite history. I think some very brave, wonderful people came before us to give us the opportunities that we have today and I don’t look down my nose at that at all.”

Telling stories through this kind art is a time-consuming process that will stand the test of time.  Continuing the legend, lore and stories of the heroes of Texas.

“I’m proud of that heritage. I’m proud of that heritage and I am beyond thrilled to be a storyteller of that heritage.”

The Texas Bucket List – Caddo Mounds State Historic Site in Alto

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ALTO, Texas — This week we checked out some particular hills in East Texas, but these hills are more like mounds and they celebrate a culture that lived in our state long ago.

Before Texas became the Lone Star State, it was the homeland to a people that spent much more time in the territory than we have. Back when surviving off the land was the way of life, the native people thrived in Texas. In East Texas, the Caddo cultivated a culture that can still be seen today.

Phil Cross is a descendant of the people who once populated this part of the state.  He makes an annual pilgrimage to the Caddo Indian Mounds State Historic Site to pass along his knowledge of his family tribe.

“It reaffirms deep in me that it’s a special culture and set of traditions that relates as far back as we know. It strengthens me and my group and then vice versa,” Phil said.

Situated near Alto and a mile from the Neches River, the mounds rise up from a field between the pines along highway 21.

“The Caddo were here from about 750 AD to the late 1200s early 1300s when they abandoned this site,” said Anthony Souther with the Texas Historical Commission.

Anthony says at one time, this village was home to nearly one thousand Caddo Indians.  The three mounds are easily visible.  One served as a temple, another a ceremonial slope, and finally a burial ground.

“We no longer let people go to the top of the mound because it is a cemetery,” Anthony said. “The temple mound had no burials, only buildings on it and the ceremonial mound between the two larger mounds had neither buildings or burials in it.”

Known for pottery, bow making, and agriculture the Caddo traded with tribes as far away as New Mexico and Illinois. They even created El Camino Real, the trade route that’s been crucial to Texas history.

Artifacts from those exchanges all those generations ago have been found here over the years but coming back and connecting with the piece of earth his predecessors lived on is what means most to Phil.

“People say, ‘Where do we come from? Did I come from Ireland or Germany or Yugoslavia?’ And that sets something up in people’s mind that ‘I’m a part of something in the past that happened somewhere and if I know about that it makes my life more complete,” Phil said. “And it gives me strength to know that I didn’t just come out of thin air but that I have people who proceeded. Struggle, struggle, struggle. Success. Whatever their experiences were and the activities. That’s important to each us.”

To celebrate that Caddo Culture, the historical site holds an annual gathering that goes back to basics. Surrounded by the mounds, the native people reflect and remember.

“That just makes a really special bond for me to this site and the people, our ancestors, who were here,” Phil said. “I go away from them stronger in who I am and knowing that I have touched someone with their similar feelings and that we’re stronger together. Makes us stronger people and better people.”

To celebrate Texas is to proclaim all her people.  From the heroes of the Texas revelation to the tribes who made the Lone Star State terrain their home long.

“We will always be a steward of this Caddo history and we’ll safeguard the mounds to the best of our ability so that future generations of Texans can come and see this part of our history,” Anthony said.

The Texas Bucket List – Pumpville Baptist Church in Pumpville

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PUMPVILLE, Texas — It’s safe to say that Texas is God’s country.  Majestic, beautiful, and full of hard working folks that have a huge love for life.  To show thanks for this little thing called life in the Lone Star State, many head to Sunday service to hear the good word over in southwest Texas. Some drive for miles just to get there.

Along the Texas, Mexico border, West of Langtry and in the middle of nowhere you’ll find a road that will take you deeper into the middle of nowhere. Eventually, you’ll come across on old ghost town on the tracks that happens to have a holy calling.

In a part of the state that’s known for being desolate, the Pumpville Baptist Church is the most isolated Iglesia at the edge of the Trans-Pecos. Clyde Bonds, known by his childhood nickname Rick, is the preacher here. He never knows how many people each Sunday will bring but he’ll take all the souls he can get.

“I think the first time I was here the first service was at nine and I thanked the Lord for the nine,” Rick said.

The pews aren’t piled up with people and the lack of air conditioning reminds you of the other option to Heaven but there’s something about the out of the way service that simply strikes the soul.

“We feel God is in this and He has called us to be here,” Rick said.

An empty environment is about all you’ll find in this erstwhile area.  Formerly known as Samuels , Pumpville got its new name in 1887 when wells were drilled to supply passing steam trains.  Once diesel took over the tracks, the town dried up but not before a church was built.

Martha Sue Hinds plays piano in the hall of worship she grew up in.   Her grandfather helped build the church back in the 40’s and Sue left her footprint here all those years ago.  While it’s not the Ascension Rock, it’s still means something to Sue.  It’s a reminder of how short this little ride called life is and a that this church in the middle of nowhere might not be here forever.

“I’m not going to worry about it,” Martha said. “We’ve lost all our old ones. We’re the young ones and yet we’re the old ones now.”

Pastor Rick does what he can to keep the congregation alive. The Pumpville Baptist Church started a little tradition: Sunday service with a meal.

“Sometimes it’s a little harder now in our day in age to attract people to go to church, especially if they have to drive a little ways. … I have increased my ministry from that Sunday lunch,” Rick said.

Everyone who comes to church is welcome at the table.

“The fellowship is always good,” Rick said. “Around the table they talk about ranch problems or they talk about this thing or that thing.”

While many have their Sunday morning tradition of fried chicken at their favorite mom and pop, BBQ at a buddy’s, or huevos rancheros in a really good Mexican restaurant none of that is really an option here since the nearest restaurants are 60 miles away. The best part about the potluck is it’s not planned.

“Some Sundays it’s all beans. Everybody brings a different kind of bean,” Martha said.

Even if it is only beans, those seeds are doing more than just filling bellies.

“We will definitely feed them,” church member Alton said. “Preacher will feed them the word and we’ll feed them groceries. Can’t beat that.”

So if you happen to find yourself west of Langtry and in the middle of nowhere on a Sunday morning, a stop at the Pumpville Baptist Church will work wonders for your soul and stomach and is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket list.

“Love God, love your neighbor as yourself and love one another,” Rick said. “And they can experience all of that at Pumpville.”