Tuesday, August 13, 2019 - 4:19pm
By Andy Rhodes, Managing Editor The Medallion, Photos by Patrick Hughey
Texas caverns contain a natural sense of intrigue. How can these stunningly beautiful formations be hiding below scrubby patches of Hill Country landscape? How did someone first discover these otherworldly treasures? And how did they form in the first place?
Caverns played an important role in Texas...
Tuesday, August 13, 2019 - 4:02pm
By Andy Rhodes, Managing Editor The Medallion; Photos by Patrick Hughey
“Man the halyards!”These ancient nautical terms flutter through the gusty Gulf Coast breeze aboard the 142-year-old Elissa, one of the only ships of its kind restored to full sailing capacity. The formerly moored...
Wednesday, August 7, 2019 - 4:19pm
By Andy Rhodes, Managing Editor,The Medallion
For many Texas students, summer vacation means traveling with family and friends; others choose to forego this educational break via internships like the Texas Historical Commission’s Preservation Scholars program.
The Texas Historical Commission recently welcomed four college interns to Austin for nearly two months of summer school...
Tuesday, July 2, 2019 - 3:29pm
By Andy Rhodes, Managing Editor The Medallion
“That’s one small step for man…”
Those six words immediately transport us to the iconic scene of the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969. Fifty years later, this momentous event still conjures awe and pride among Americans. Flying under the radar, however, is the nerve center that helped make it all possible: NASA’s Mission...
Thursday, June 13, 2019 - 8:00am
By Andy Rhodes, Medallion Managing Editor
Photos by Patrick Hughey
THC Commissioner Lilia Garcia is standing on a balcony overlooking the Rio Grande. As she recalls stories about the formerly fluid movement between Brownsville and Matamoros, she sighs deeply. It’s been many years since she crossed the river to visit friends in Mexico. Although...
Friday, May 17, 2019 - 4:22pm
By Andy Rhodes, Managing Editor, The Medallion
In the early months of each year, the Rio Grande Valley’s population increases by about 100,000 people. Commonly known as Winter Texans, these semi-permanent residents flock from northern locales to Brownsville, McAllen, Mission, and other nearby cities for warmer temperatures and cultural opportunities.
Many...
Wednesday, March 27, 2019 - 4:13pm
By Debra Drescher, State Coordinator, Texas Main Street Program
Historically, courthouses served as the central meeting places and architectural anchors for downtowns. In fact, they were often placed first in a community’s urban plan.
Today, Texas courthouses continue to anchor downtown activities. In many cases, they provide the primary park space in a historic business...
Wednesday, March 20, 2019 - 9:11am
By Andy Rhodes, Managing Editor, The Medallion
While exploring the Lone Star State’s historic downtowns, many travelers are understandably drawn to the architectural beacons of courthouse towers. Some visitors may continue strolling throughout a historic business district in search of cafes and boutiques without noticing the buildings in between.
Even fewer will realize that...
Tuesday, February 19, 2019 - 9:43am
This article was originally featured in the November/December 1995 issue of The Medallion.
Not one, not two, but a record-breaking eight historical markers were dedicated recently in historic Thurber, a coal mining ghost town located 75 miles west of Fort Worth.
Founded in the 1880s by the Texas and Pacific Coal Company, Thurber at its height was the largest town...
Thursday, February 14, 2019 - 10:15am
This article was originally featured in the September/October 1992 issue of The Medallion.
Maurice de Leleu was one of three children, the son of 19th-century Flemish immigrants who traveled from Belgium to New York City. In 1908, his parents died, and he was taken in by the Children’s Aid Society, a charitable institution for waifs.
In 1912, De Leleu and a group of...
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