A 'Good Long' Trip to the Past

Texas Historical Commission sent this bulletin at 09/29/2021 12:00 PM CDT

September 29, 2021

Detail of Official Texas Brags Map of North America, written by John Randolph and illustrated by Mark Storm (1944).

Spend a little time in Texas and...

...you'll quickly discover that 'shoat' rides (our favorite pun in the map above) aren't really a thing here. Yes, the Lone Star truth is that to see the best that this state has to offer, you've got to accept a long haul or two. That's why this issue's featured author, Bob Phillips, is the perfect man for the occasion. Bob says, "don’t be in a hurry because it’s true what they say about the journey being the destination," and Bob would know. After 50 years of navigating the back roads of this state for the Texas Country Reporter, he's surely broken a mileage record or two.

Seeing as we're in the business of transporting you through time, long distances are a given (har har). We've featured quite a few history destinations below, some of them off the beaten path. But while the past may be a bit out of the way (in more ways than one), any Texan will tell you that out of the way is usually the best place to be. Happy trails!

For Lovers of Old Clocks and Wax Noses

This is one of six items at Fanthorp Inn State Historic Site that was owned by namesake Henry Fanthorp. It was purchased in New York City on the family's return trip to Henry's birthplace in England in 1854. Displayed in the parlor, the hands of this clock marked the hour Sam Houston arrived to visit his good friend Henry, the minute Mary joined William Stone in holy matrimony, and the moment that the enslaved here would be “henceforth and forever free.” In October 1867 the hands of this clock were stopped at the time Henry Fanthorp left this mortal coil at 77. Today the clock is prominently displayed in its original location. It may no longer keep time, but it certainly marks the time gone by.

See It Here!

Cadavers were once a convenient way for early medical practitioners to study the inner workings of the human body, but many cultures frowned on their use as teaching instruments. Physicians needed other options in their pursuit of medical knowledge. Fortunately, artists stepped in, creating three-dimensional models of the body using wax or papier-mâché. But by the 17th and 18th century, these reproductions found a receptive audience with the broader public, who regarded them not as objects of scientific value, but as lurid and titillating specimens. In fact, one physician, Phillippe Curtius (1737-1794) quickly discovered moulages, or realistic wax casts of the human body, were more profitable than medicine. He abandoned his practice and relocated to Paris, starting a wax figure attraction, the Cavernde des Grands. His most famous pupil was none other than Marie Tussaud. Heard of her? Over time, materials like plastic and resin rendered the wax moulage obsolete. As they gradually fell out of favor, many were intentionally destroyed. It is estimated that less than half of all moulages made in the 19th century have survived. And one is housed at the Texas Medical Association's History of Medicine Gallery!

See It Here!

Top Photo: Fanthorp Family Clock. Mahogany. Manufactured by Terhune & Edwards. American Classical (Empire). Sold with the Fanthorp property by Ed and Alice Buffington (Henry’s 3rd great granddaughter) in 1977. Located at the Fanthorp Inn State Historic Site.

Bottom Photo: 19th century wax moulages of the nasopharyngeal region. Manufactured by the German company Von Sonnenstrahlen and Grosser. Donated to Texas Medical Association by the family of James T. “Paul” Robison, MD (1899-1990), an Austin otolaryngologist, who acquired these as part of his medical studies. Located in the Robert G. Mickey History of Medicine Gallery of the Texas Medical Association.

For Lovers of Good Reads and Long Drives

To celebrate the publication of his new memoir, A Good Long Drive: Fifty Years of Texas Country Reporter, we asked Bob Phillips, host of the longest running independently produced TV show in American television history, to reflect on five decades spent on the road. Read the full interview on the THC blog.

A Good Long Drive is available for purchase through University of Texas Press.

You’ve logged quite a few miles on Texas roads. Do you have any tips for visitors to Texas who are unaccustomed to the long drives?

I actually titled my book A Good Long Drive for obvious reasons, but long drives are part of our Texas culture. I feel like every fence post and county road tell a story, framing the landscape and embracing the horizon. So my tip is simply “don’t be in a hurry because it’s true what they say about the journey being the destination”. More than once we’ve been late to a destination because of something seemingly mundane we’ve spotted along the way and stopped for a quick visit or closer inspection. I guess we should have a bumper sticker that reads “we brake for sunsets and soaring birds."

Ask and you shall receive, Bob.

Having dedicated a career to capturing the extraordinary stories of ordinary Texans, if you could put one of these less-famous folks on a dollar bill, who would it be and what’s their story?

You don’t really want me to narrow it down to just one, right? How could I do that? Why not ask me which child I love most? So you’ll get two. First is Milton Watts, the Piney Woods poet who grew up where Lake O’ The Pines is now. That was before the Army Corps of Engineers flooded the land to make the lake, leaving Milton with a fishing camp instead of his family’s farm that was once there. What’s he do? He starts writing poetry and I’m not talking “I love you. You love me. Oh how happy we can be.” I’m talking classic poetry, the kind that people spend their entire lives trying to master. His poems tell the stories of his people and the land. Second would have to be Herman “Train” Gates in Carthage. Train worked at the school as a janitor or something but in his spare time he fixed the neighborhood kids bikes for free and dispensed wisdom to anyone who would listen. He was a great man who had no idea he was great. And the nickname? Because he could cup his hands around his mouth and make a sound like a train whistle. Milton and Train. It would be a great dollar bill.

Full Interview

For Lovers of U/12s and Secret Recipes

Founder of the Texas Cafe, Clemente Garza Sr. inside his restaurant.

In 1939, Clemente Garza, Sr. opened Texas Café in Rio Grande City with his brother-in-law, Antonio Salinas. Eighty-two years later, Texas Café operates in the same location on 2nd Street, serving both hometown locals as well as travelers passing through on US 83, perhaps on their way from Laredo to Brownsville. (Legendary Mexican actor and singer Pedro Infante dined here whenever he was in town.) In the early 1970's, Clemente Garza, Jr. took over the restaurant, and 40 years later, his daughter, Rebecca (or Becky) Garza stepped in as the third generation owner of this family business. In 2019, Texas Café was declared a Texas Treasure Business, sealing its place in South Texas history.

Becky was kind enough to share a Texas Café recipe, a newer one but no less popular, perhaps because what makes this marinated shrimp so special is that she makes the long trip down to Port Isabel every other week to purchase fresh-caught U/12 shrimp (the jumbo ones that equal 12 shrimp per pound) from Los Tortugos. (Below are a few snaps of her most recent shrimp run.) We begged for the recipe to her grandfather's famous envueltos, similar to enchiladas but filled with a ground chuck chili, but Mr. Garza Jr. was adamant about keeping that one secret. Guess you'll just have to try the real thing the next time you're in Rio Grande City!

Visit Texas Café

Photo: Original owner of Texas Café, Clemente Garza, Sr. in his restaurant. Date unknown.

Texas Café's Marinated Shrimp

Ingredients:

5 - colossal shrimp (called U12)

Montreal Steak Seasoning

1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped

1 tbsp butter

For the marinade:

2 - cloves of garlic, minced

1 - chile serrano, minced (remove seeds for milder shrimp)

1 - scallion, white and green parts, chopped

5 - purple onion rings

1 tbsp olive oil

Butterfly the shrimp and season with Montreal steak seasoning. Set aside.

Prep your ingredients for the marinade. Mix garlic, chile serrano, and scallion in a medium bowl. Add the shrimp, onion slices, and olive oil. Mix together with your hands. Cover with saran wrap or foil and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

Cooking the shrimp

Take the shrimp out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking them. Spray a frying pan with oil and place it over medium heat. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the pan. Add the shrimp with its marinade to the pan and sauté until they just start to turn opaque, 3-4 minutes depending on how hot your pan is. Once you see that they are almost done, lower the heat and sprinkle the cilantro on top. (Do not over cook the cilantro.) Once the cilantro changes to a bright green color, it's ready! Place the shrimp on a plate over rice and serve it with a salad, french fries and toast, just like they do at Texas Café.