It’s Labor
Day Weekend 2011 and for a 60th B’Day present my Sportster took me
on a trip to the “OLDEST TOWN IN TEXAS – Nacogdoches”. This
year I added a cigarette lighter to power a GPS unit. The GPS plus a not-so-detailed map made
getting around much easier. When on
these trips I take my watch off and if I miss a turn, I just go to where the
current road is taking me. However, at
some point I do like to get to a good bed.
Just call me
the “Rain Man”. We have been in a
drought with some record high temperatures for about 5 months with many grass
fires and homes being lost to the flames (~1000 homes this month). However, Saturday night when I arrived in
Nacogdoches, it rained all night. I wish
that scenario worked at home! Sunday the
rain chased me around a bit but the temperature was appreciatively lower. Monday my return trip it was cool and dry.
650 Mi. with an average moving speed of 40 MPH (aren’t GPS units too cool!). That’s 16 hours in the saddle. There are no "Iron Butt" rides in my future.
I only ate
at two restaurants other than fast food – both were BBQ. They were Bodacious BBQ in Henderson TX and Mike’s Bar BQ House in Nacogdoches. Both were good. When the folks at Mike’s weren’t too busy
they liked to talk motorcycles (I enjoyed that).
I started out going to Grand Saline where there was a house
made of salt. I had never seen a house
made of salt. I still haven’t. As one might guess, a house made of salt
takes a toll on the structure and the weather (rain) causes some issues as
well. The Palace was being
renovated. I took a picture anyway.
There is some salt.
The name was
derived from an Indian chief by the name Nacogdoches. There was a Caddo Indian chief who had twin
sons. They were Nacogdoches and
Natchitoches. When it came time for them
to become chiefs, the father sent each on a 3 day ride to establish their
territories. Nacogdoches went west into
what is now TX and Natchitoches went east and established Natchitoches LA. The brothers remained friends and the path
between Nacogdoches and Natchitoches makes up the east end of the El Camino Real
(translated as “The Royal Road”).
Being the
first Town in TX allowed Nacogdoches to be the first in many areas. Some are:
(1) Ceiling Fans in a Drug Store powered by a mule
drawn treadmill (2) District Court Session – Old Stone Fort, (3) First
Newspaper – 1813 (4) First Oil Field, (5) First Oil Well 1866, (6) First
Pipeline, (7) First Steel Storage Tanks, (8) First Two Story Building, (9) First
Wine Cellar.
Nacogdoches is site of 3 failed attempts to establish a
Republic of Texas. Nine flags have flown
over Nacogdoches. They are the: French , Spanish, Gutierrez Magee, Dr James
Long, Mexican, Fredonia Rebellion, Lone Star, Confederate Stars & Bars and
the United States of America.
Today the
town is best known as the home to the Stephen F Austin State University. There is still some logging business as well.
I stopped by Millard’s Crossing while in Nacogdoches. This was started by the first Congress Woman
in TX (another Nacogdoches first!) Lera Millard Thomas. She was the wife of Congressman Albert Thomas
who died in 1966. Lera took her dead
husband’s seat, finishing out the term. In
1977 she started collecting houses that were being torn down for progress. She did this to ensure folks could see how
their predecessors lived. It was worth
the look see.
I slept in Nacogdoches but road through the Angelina and Davy Crockett National Forests. These trees are tall and straight. The roads are perfect for a motorcycle ride. They have gradual winding turns and rolling hills.
I stopped by the town of Crockett (point #7 on the map). I found that there was a “Mary Allen” Presbyterian Seminary College that was established in 1886 for black women. It went out of operation in 1972 but I found it to be an interesting establishment for an area that historically wasn’t well known for its treatment of blacks.
When I arrived at home it was time to take some naproxen and
rest for a couple of hours. Minor back soreness and tired butt. The trip was well worth it.