-
Spindletop and it's Black Gold
Spindletop brings a new meaning to wealth to not only Texas but the world.
Around 10:30 in the morning, Spindletop blew a gusher. The crude oil shot up to 100 feet in the air and it took over a week to get the gusher under control. This is a video of Spindletop Hill when they beat the odds and found Black Gold.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maaWvdrLQJ8 -
Votes for Women in Texas
Texas was the ninth state in the U.S. to ratify the amendment and they were also
the first state in the south. This 19th Amendment won women the right to vote in national elections. This is a timeline of the Woman Suffrage Movement in Texas provided by Texas Woman’s College.
The Woman Suffrage Movement in Texas Timeline -
First Female Texas Governor takes Office
Miriam “Ma” Ferguson became the first female governor of Texas after campaigning as a stand-in for her husband, James Edward Ferguson. She ran on an anti-Ku Klux Klan platform and she encouraged people to vote to restore “Pas,” honor by voting for her thus bringing her to victory. This is a link to Bell County Museum where you can view a permanent collection of Miriam A Ferguson and how she lived as Texas’ First Lady.
Texas’ First Lady -
Texas Celebrates the Centennial
This was the 100th anniversary of Texas’ independence which was held in Dallas
on the state fairgrounds. Over 6 million people attended this celebration. This is a link to the Texas State Historical Association that shares multiple facts about the Texas Centennial. TSHA -
Thelma White Opens the Doors to Higher Education for African Americans
Brown v. Education
Thelma had applied to Texas Western College in 1954 but was later denied due to the color of her skin. There were only 2 schools that she was allowed to attend because of her skin color. She stood up for what she believed was right and won the fight!
The photo is of the 1955 Douglass School Graduating class which had some of the first African American students admitted to Texas Western College. -
Fist Time in Almost 100 Years
Henry B. Gonzalez of San Antonio becomes the first Hispanic elected to the state Senate since 1848 when Jóse Antonio Navarro, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, served. This is a link to the convention center that was dedicated in his name in San Antonio.
ConventionCenter -
U.S. President Assassinated in Dallas, Texas
President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas; vice president Lyndon B. Johnson became the 36th U.S. president. This would be the first time that an assassination of a U.S. President was caught on film. Thus making it the first time to document the testimonies of those who witnessed the assassination. The video below is a snip of the History Channel’s Vault Exclusive about John F. Kennedy’s assassination.Inside the Assassination of John F. K -
"Houston, the Eagle has landed."
Neil Armstrong radios to ground control in Houston, TX announcing the accomplishment of putting the first man on the moon. Just a day after Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface at 02:56 UT on July 21 (10:56 p.m. EDT on 20 July) with the words, "That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind." Aldrin followed 19 minutes later. Experience Apollo 11 through the video below. Modern Marvels: | Full Episode | History -
Mother Nature Strikes Texas on Terrible Tuesday
It started as a normal day. But then Mother Nature took a turn for the worse. 3 Tornados swept through Northern and Western Texas. The tornados killed 53 people total in Texas, and 42 of those people were located in Wichita Falls. After the storms passed it was time to assess the damage and put lives back together. It was a whopping $400 million worth of damage. The link has a plethora of information on these storms.
TheRedRiverValleyTornadoOutb -
Aggie Bonfire Tragedy
A tradition that had become almost like a sacrament had collapsed before Aggie's eyes. This tradition was when Texas A&M University would burn a 6-tier timber before the annual football game with the University of Texas. Just a week away from the match and partway through construction. The 60 ft tall wooden log structure collapsed! Killing 12 students and injuring 27 others. The link is a documentary of the tragedy.A&M Bonfire Doc