Happy birthday, David Crockett... King of the Wild Frontier! Celebrate his birthday with us this Saturday at our free event!
Source: Portrait of David Crockett by Chester Harding (1834). National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.
Here’s the Nacona’s story …I am not sure who was making the marketing decisions at Nocona boots in the late 1970s but whoever decided to engage Science Fiction/Fantasy artist Alex Ebel (November 14, 1932 – December 6, 2013) deserves a beer and a big bowl of chili. Check out his awesome advertising poster. I've told the story of Nocona Boots in the past but it's so interesting that I'm posting it again.
The story starts with H.J. "Daddy Joe" Justin, came to West Texas from Indiana in 1879, carrying with him hope for a new life.
He settled in Spanish Fort, a town right on the Texas-Oklahoma border about 50 miles east of Wichita Falls. Spanish Fort was right on the old Chisholm Trail.
With 25 cents and some bootmaking tools, "Daddy Joe" set up a shoe repair shop. When he had enough money, he bought leather for a pair of boots, sold them and bought leather for several more pairs.
"Daddy Joe" was a perfectionist with every detail of his handcraft. He started a tradition of fair boots for a fair price. When the cowboys came through on cattle drives, he'd measure their feet and on the way back, they would pick up their boots.
In 1887, the railroad came through Nocona, Texas, just south of Spanish Fort. So Daddy Joe moved his family and boot factory to Nocona and the better shipping facilities.
At the age of 12, in 1906, Daddy Joe's daughter, Enid Justin, started working in her father's shop. She dropped out of school in the eighth grade, her rebellion for having been suspended for dancing on Sunday at her brother's birthday party in her parent's home but she continued working with her father, absorbing everything he knew about bootmaking.
After "Daddy Joe" died in 1918, Enid's brothers, John, Sr., Avis, and Earl, wanted to move the business to Fort Worth. The commercial advantages of being in a large city like Fort Worth were too great to be ignored, they argued. But Enid felt so strongly that her father wanted the company in Nocona that she would not agree to it. In 1925, her brothers packed up the equipment and moved to Fort Worth, taking the Justin Boots name with them.
Enid borrowed $5,000 to keep seven employees in her small shop and founded the Nocona Boot Company.
During those first years Enid turned her home into a boarding house, worked as a sales clerk, shipping clerk, stenographer and credit manager. At first, some men had trouble doing business with a lady bootmaker, but they soon discovered the quality was just as good as her late father's.
The fortuitous discovery of oil near Nocona brought many new customers to Enid's young company. They made a 16 inch "lace-up" boot that was tough enough to survive the oil fields. The wildcatters loved them and kept coming back for more.
Accompanied by her sister, Miss Enid made her first sales trip into West Texas in 1926.
"The roads looked like cattle trails in those day's" she said. "And for good reason, they were cattle trails. Our old Model T took a pretty good beating on that first trip. In fact, we lost a back wheel once, it came loose and jumped over a fence. Despite the hazards of the road, the trip was successful. We came back with a book full of orders and a new market for boots."
In 1981, the Nocona Boot Company merged with Justin Industries, parent company of the Justin Boot Company, bringing the bootmaking histories of the two family companies full circle.
In 1999, Justin Industries closed the Nocona Boot Company plant in Nocona and consolidated all boot-making at El Paso, Texas, and Cassville, Missouri, thus ending more than a century of quality boot-making in Nocona.
Enid Justin died in 1990. She was 96 years old.
Thanks to Traces of Texas reader Jim Caldwell for sending this in.
Join us at the Historic Gordon House this coming Saturday to learn about several Hood County Heroes who were killed in action in service of our Country. Clink link to learn more:
bshc.ticketleap.com/hood-county-fallen-veterans/
I’ve always wondered about the history of that house. It’s so unusual.
Great!
“Irish” may not be the first nationality one thinks of when considering immigration to Texas, but people from Ireland made a lasting mark on the state that lives on in the name of a city and county.
James McGloin and John McMullen emigrated from Ireland to Mexico in the early 1800s. On August 16, 1828, they received permission from the Mexican government to bring a group of Irish settlers to a colony near Corpus Christi.
The colonists built their town at a crossing of the Nueces River and named it after San Patricio de Hibernia: St. Patrick of Ireland.
When the new Texas Legislature created San Patricio County on March 17—St. Patrick’s Day—1836, the town served as the county seat. In 1894, Sinton became the county seat instead. However, a modern-day replica of the 1872 courthouse (burned in 1889) stands in San Patricio at its original location.
🗺: 1896 map of San Patricio County, with the city of San Patricio marked by a red arrow. Courtesy Hardin-Simmons University .
An article about Peter Mansbendel, a master craftsman who created so much beauty in Texas and other places.
Most people prepare for their one year wedding anniversary by making dinner reservations or buying flowers. The wife of Lieutenant James K. Bone of the United States Army Air Corps, spent her one year wedding anniversary weeping as she received a telegram informing her that her husband was killed in action on November 20th, 1942 in Northwest Africa. Bone’s plane was brought down by enemy fire, killing him and many more.
Before the war, Bone graduated from the North Texas State Teachers College in Denton, TX where he was a pole-vaulting star. Bone, a Cresson resident, was 27 years old when he was killed. The Air medal and Purple Heart were awarded posthumously to Lt. James K. Bone in a special ceremony at the Fort Worth Army Air Field, received by Bone’s grieving wife. Bone was awarded the citation and decorations.
Join us to hear the story of Lt. Bone and other Hood County Veterans who lost their life in service to their country. bshc.ticketleap.com/hood-county-fallen-veterans/
Local Tales By Local Folks - Hood County Fallen Veterans
bshc.ticketleap.com
Join us to hear the real human stories of some of the folks from Granbury and Hood County who made the ultimate sacrifice to secure our freedoms. Just like many other cities, towns and villages throug...A true hero and patriot taken too soon. 😔🙏🇺🇸
🙏🙏🙏🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Salute!
Join us to hear the real stories of some of the young people from Granbury and Hood County who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of their country. bshc.ticketleap.com/hood-county-fallen-veterans/
The speakers at our Local Tales By Local Folks Event next Saturday will be able to share details of who this soldier is.
Thank you for your service
Thank you for your service
Thank you for your service.
Thank you Prayers
Thank you foryour service
Thanks for your service
Thank you for sharing this
Who is she?
So very young 😞
Thank you for your service🇺🇸
Thank you for your service ma'am
Judge Roy Bean
140 Years Ago, Judge Roy Bean Became the "Law West of the Pecos" - Texas Highways
texashighways.com
Today, travelers from all over the world—some 40,000 of them a year—find their way to the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center in Langtry.P A everyone’s favorite quick get away!!!!!
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When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.That chapel was on my bike route so I went by it many, many times. We once tried to rent the house by it but it only was short term rental.
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On Saturday, August 20th, come celebrate the famous Tennessean who made his last stand at the Alamo! David Crockett’s life and sacrifice have inspired history-lovers around the world to learn about the Alamo Defenders and their cause. Join us at this free event for games, living history demonstrations, and more on the Alamo Grounds as we celebrate the Lion of the West 🤠
Sleepy Hollow 2022BREAKING NEWS: THE SLEEPY HOLLOW EXPERIENCE RETURNS THIS FALL! After a completely SOLD-OUT 2021 run, we are over the howling moon to be welcoming back Brian Clowdus & his team this fall, as it seems The Headless Horseman is not finished haunting Granbury: Sept 22 - Oct 31! Run while tickets remain! We project being sold out within weeks! For assistance contact: BoxOffice@BrianClowdus.com
TICKETS ON SALE NOW! DIRECT LINK TO PURCHASE:
brianclowdus.com/performances/the-sleepy-hollow-experience