Texas Tidbits: An All Woman State Supreme Court...In 1925? What the @^*&$?

As you know, I am always scouring the internet for unique content to post on Three States Plus One. Well, today I found a story that I had never heard of concerning Texas History. So let's explore this amazing story.

In 1924, a lawsuit was filed against an organization in which the three judges on the Texas Supreme Court were members. Therefore, in the interest of Justice, the Chief Justice and the two Associate Justices of the Texas Supreme Court recused themselves from the case. So, then-Governor Pat Neff assembled a Special Supreme Court made up entirely of women! Remember that women had been allowed to vote only since 1920! This was unheard of!

"The Dallas Morning News reported on Friday, Jan. 2, 1925, "All records were shattered and at least three precedents established on Thursday, when Gov. Neff appointed a special Supreme Court composed entirely of women. It was a healthy New Year gift of recognition to the woman barrister of today. This is the first instance a woman has been appointed to sit on the supreme bench; it is the first time a higher court is to be composed entirely of women and it is the initial case where a majority of the judges will be women."

The whole story is something that could happen only in Texas. Read the whole thing at The Texas Almanac website. It's absolutely compelling.

You've come a long way, baby.

Texas Tidbits: The Great Texas Land Rush is On!

First Come, First Served

I am on the internet for hours on end every day searching for content to post on this very blog. Some stuff I come across stands head and shoulders above the rest. Today is one of those days. I made my every-once-in-a-while stop at the The Texas Almanac website and what I found was one of the coolest things I have seen in a while. Check this stuff out.

I'll let the folks at the Texas State Historical Association (they publish the Almanac) lay it on you:

The Great Texas Land Rush!

Stake Your Claim

The Texas Almanac, The Source for ALL Things Texan Since 1857, is offering Texans the unprecedented opportunity to stake a claim to their own special part of Texas.
The Adopt-A-County and the Adopt-A-Town programs allow individuals and businesses to put their name on the Texas County or Town of their choice.

Additionally, the county or town can be dedicated to a loved one, to family pioneers or used to promote a business. But just like the original Oklahoma land rush, it works on a first come first serve basis, so hurry if you have a special county or town in mind.
Perhaps the best part of this particular land rush is that it’s all tax deductible. The Texas Almanac is part of the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA), and all donations to these programs are 100% tax deductible and support state wide educational programs. For more information on the TSHA and its extensive educational programs go to www.tshaonline.org."

Is that great or what? Besides being a grand idea, it gives you, as a Texan, a simple way to give back to the State that has given Texans so much to be proud about over the last 175 years. When you "adopt" a county or town you'll also have the Honor of leaving a line of text (or two as the case may be) on the Texas Almanac website!

Like I said earlier, this is a tremendous idea more than worthy of your consideration. Hit the links above and get the whole scoop of what the deal is. I am thinking of a town to "adopt" for myself. I love it!

God bless Texas!

Texas Tidbits; Insider Secret - Where We Get Some of Our Tidbits

All About Texas

The Texas Almanac has been a leading reference book for those who are in search of information on any number of topics about Texas since 1857. While there were years when the Almanac wasn't published, it has been a yearly fixture of Texas publishing since 1925. I was browsing through it when I found an article about the early days of the automobile in Texas. Published in 1911, less than fifty years after the end of the War of Northern Aggression (Yankees call it the Civil War or The War Between the States), this article paints a picture of Texas as a very different place from what we see throughout the state today.

Remember that this article was published in 1911. It states, "Ten years ago an automobile was a curiosity in the leading cities of Texas. Five years ago the people in many counties had never seen what was then known as the horseless carriage. Today it is estimated that the number of automobiles in actual service in Texas will reach nearly 30,000 and that over $40,000,000 is invested in the machines. Reports, dated August 1, 1910, from 180
counties in the State show a total of 14,276 automobiles. A canvass by the Commercial Secretaries’
Association places the number at 30,000, which, at an average value of $1,500 each, would make the investment $45,000,000. This number is constantly increasing, and counting the life of a machine at three years, the new machines purchased to take the place of old ones cost $15,000,000 annually."Thirty thousand cars in the whole state? How hard to imagine is that? On any given rush hour, you'll find more than that many cars on Loop 610 in Houston alone. In 1911, there were barely over a thousand cars in all of Harris County. Dallas County weighed in with a hefty 1390 automobiles in 1911.

To view the entire article, click here and scroll down to the last article link on the page. There are other articles from the Texas Almanac at the link that tell us about the schools in Texas in 1873, the State Legislature in 1870 and the Almanac lists the composition of the State Congress as "Democrats and Conservatives 40; Radicals, 50...." What the hell would the publishers of this story in 1870 think about politicians today? I shudder at the thought. There is also a piece on survivors of the Texas Revolution written in 1872. I think you'll find some stuff that'll trip your trigger when you follow the link to the stories. As I mentioned earlier, the Texas Almanac holds a mountain of information regarding the Lone Star State, its people and its history and it's just a mouse click away. Go ahead. Click. You know you want to. You'll thank me later.  :)

Texas Tidbits: The "Texas Almanac" Covers Cars, Congress and More

All About Texas

The Texas Almanac has been a leading reference book for those who are in search of information on any number of topics about Texas since 1857. While there were years when the Almanac wasn't published, it has been a yearly fixture of Texas publishing since 1925. I was browsing through it when I found an article about the early days of the automobile in Texas. Published in 1911, less than fifty years after the end of the War of Northern Aggression (Yankees call it the Civil War or The War Between the States), this article paints a picture of Texas as a very different place from what we see throughout the state today.

Remember that this article was published in 1911. It states, "Ten years ago an automobile was a curiosity in the leading cities of Texas. Five years ago the people in many counties had never seen what was then known as the horseless carriage. Today it is estimated that the number of automobiles in actual service in Texas will reach nearly 30,000 and that over $40,000,000 is invested in the machines. Reports, dated August 1, 1910, from 180
counties in the State show a total of 14,276 automobiles. A canvass by the Commercial Secretaries’
Association places the number at 30,000, which, at an average value of $1,500 each, would make the investment $45,000,000. This number is constantly increasing, and counting the life of a machine at three years, the new machines purchased to take the place of old ones cost $15,000,000 annually."Thirty thousand cars in the whole state? How hard to imagine is that? On any given rush hour, you'll find more than that many cars on Loop 610 in Houston alone. In 1911, there were barely over a thousand cars in all of Harris County. Dallas County weighed in with a hefty 1390 automobiles in 1911.

To view the entire article, click here and scroll down to the last article link on the page. There are other articles from the Texas Almanac at the link that tell us about the schools in Texas in 1873, the State Legislature in 1870 and the Almanac lists the composition of the State Congress as "Democrats and Conservatives 40; Radicals, 50...." What the hell would the publishers of this story in 1870 think about politicians today? I shudder at the thought. There is also a piece on survivors of the Texas Revolution written in 1872. I think you'll find some stuff that'll trip your trigger when you follow the link to the stories. As I mentioned earlier, the Texas Almanac holds a mountain of information regarding the Lone Star State, its people and its history and it's just a mouse click away. Go ahead. Click. You know you want to. You'll thank me later.  :)