LivingHOUSTON COUNTY
“Being a cowboy, it’s not just a job, it’s a way of life.”
— Klay Currie
Fall 2022 | Edition 3 LOCAL LEGENDS: Carol Dean Langham Myrlis Dightman Horace McQueen
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Carol Dean “C.D.” Langham
Jan WhiteAshley
Kelli Barnes
Mac Burns
6 | Houston County Living
Elizabeth Guzman
Amanda Besch
Bankhead-KeenanRonForehand STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS COUNTYHOUSTON
Kelli kelli@polkcountypublishing.comBarnes
Jan White • jan@hccourier.com Dean Langham
Houston County Living | 7 EASTTEXASNEWS.COM
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Design Editor Amanda Barker Advertising Sales Elizabeth Guzman Contributing Photographer Ron Forehand Contributing Writers Carol
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Ashleyashley@hccourier,comBankhead-Keenan
Physical Address: 102 S. 7th St., Crockett, TX 75835
should be.”
Editor
Mailing Address: PO Box 551, Crockett, TX 75835
Staff &
Publisher
Houston County Living is published by the Houston County Courier and Polk County Publishing Co. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means including electronic retrieval systems, without written permission of the publisher of this magazine. Editorial and advertising does not constitute advice but is considered informative.
Houston County Living
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Editor
TABLE OF CONTENTS
6
Contributors 7 Table of Contents 8 Word from the Advertiser 9 Letter from the Editor 10 2022-23 Events 12 The Last of a Dying Breed 18 There’s a New Kid in Town 20 Poems by Carol Dean Langham 22 Sweet Southern Britches 26 Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys 30 The Cowboy Rides Away 34 Feels Like Coming Home 38 Breaking Barriers 42 Building the Dream 46 Hoarce McQueen - King of Agriculture 50 Not Your Typical East Texas Livestock 54 A Texas Icon Disappearing 56 Hope for the Hopeless 60 Canning - An Old-fashioned Way for the Modern Life… 62 Recipes 65 Relocation Information 66 Thank You to Advertisers Advertising Inquiries elizabeth@hccourier.comashley@hccourier.com
INTRODUCTION Send letters to ashley hccourier com e sure to include your full name city state and phone number Houston County Living reserves the right to edit letters for clarity and length LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 8 | Houston County Living
n ela and u s oslen A&B Oil and Lube, LLC.
have no hesitation in warning any restless, roving spirits who may be attracted by pictures ue descriptions of a cowboy’s life that, unless they are prepared to toil during the long summer months, both by day and by night, for small pay on scant fare, to be in the saddle from early dawn until sunset both Sundays, to abstain from comfort and civilization for a greater part of the year, and so to wear themselves out with e posure and manifold fatigues as to be reckoned old and past their work whilst still young in years, they had better remain at home and leave cowboy life alone. Cowboy ohn aumann in he ortni hly Re iew ril
e ve er onally witne ed ou ton County Livin a a ine o uickly at our ho by re ident and eo le who are u t a in throu h he attention to detail and the abundance of infor ation in the a a ine rab your attention e re lifelon re ident of ou ton County but there i alway o ethin new we learn with each article Our adverti e ent in CL ha roven to be valuable to our bu ine too ou ton County i on the ri e and we re roud to be a art of it CL and the ou ton County Courier are doin an e cellent ob howca in our a a in co unity
WORD FROM ADVERTISER
Houston County Living | 9
t feel like o uch ha chan ed ince the rin edi tion of CL
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
More ti e in y own thou ht without the hu tle and bu tle of our u ual u er travel lan urred the the e for thi edition of CL e wanted to focu on a ore i li tic life tyle in thi edition life tyle that wa n t ob olete very any year a o life tyle that y rand arent lived here are e ential thin that we u t a on becau e our children ay very well face a ti e when the e le on are key to urvival Livin in rural e a we have the u er hand in teachin kid how to urvive without the lu urie they re rovided with now ank illia Jr aid Country folk will urvive hat u a it on to the ell the torie about cowboy teach the to learn without ou ube and oo le at their n erti et the out ide with their hand in oil or in the kitchen learnin how to activate yea het ne t i day are callin for rain which i a nice chan e to the corchin u er we ve had o far u t ready for a e ion around the ca re our annual alloween arty ore ti e with y fa ily durin the holiday and ho efully le of a train on the econo y n oy the third edition of CL e third edition hank for u ortin thi a a ine and ettin it to a third run
My u er be an in Su arland at a work conference where wa offered a o ition on the board of director for the e a ulf Pre ociation ot a call durin the award cere ony that left e cra blin to et ho e few day later lo t y ana y bi e t fan and a lover of anythin did includin thi a a ine hen o e where between a tornado y youn e t raduatin fro kinder arten an e ca ed convict doin the uni a inable y other fallin very ill hefty rice increa e record breakin heat and a lack of rainfall ve never been ore ready for a lowdown lookin forward to cooler weather and all that co e with it e re ty ically on the ove durin the u er ea on but thi year we had to ada t to a new way of livin ith re ular fuel u t under er allon we ent o t of the ea on in ou ton County fearful of what the future i ht hold t ea y to et wra ed u in the lu urie of technolo y but aren t we for ettin o ethin echnolo y can t feed u Stock trailer are linin hi hway to ell their cattle becau e rancher can t afford their feed bill rocery tore can t kee their helve tocked and the era of tradin ood i one orace Mc ueen once aid f you eat you re involved in a riculture nd now we re literally bitin the hand that feed u
Ashley Bankhead-Keenan
rockett Lions lub P A odeo Sale on the l amino Trail Houston ounty Youth Talent Show Bluegrass Gospel Music estival at Salmon Lake Park
st rd eekend rockett Trade Days on H Y
MLK Parade in January
very Thursday Disc Golf in the park at p.m.
nd Tuesday Lovelady ity ouncil meeting at p.m.
2022-23 EVENTS
January
Courier Cook-Off in October
10 | Houston County Living
st rd Monday rockett ity ouncil meeting at p.m.
th Peanut estival th Annual ourier ook ff Trick or Treating on the Square November
ML Parade
February Annual Lovelady Lovefest Lovelady alf Show
Lighted hristmas Parade hristmas in rockett
Houston ounty air Livestock Show May
very Tuesday rockett Noon Lions lub meets at Hilltop af at p.m.
UPCOMING
Annual July th Parade on the Square Annual Boat Parade on Houston ounty Lake
Myrtis Dightman odeo Labor Day Annual Salmon Lake Blue grass estival
Piney oods ine Art Association Summer oncert Series
June
October
REOCCURRING
hristmas on Main Street in Grapeland hristmas in ennard hristmas Parade
Missoula hildren’s Theatre
August
April
nd Tuesday Grapeland ity ouncil meeting at p.m.
July
Lovelady Calf Show in February
st Thursday rockett Garden lub meets at a.m. M of rockettndMonday ennard ity ouncil meeting at p.m.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
A Business xpo Job air orld hampion iddler’s estival
Davy rockett Music and Arts estival Juneteenth elebration Parade
December
Annual Glenn unningham Memorial Scholarship odeo
nd Monday American Legion meeting at p.m.
nd Tuesday Latexo ity oun cil meeting at p.m.
Houston County Living | 11112S.5thSt.Crockett,TX 936-544-8100 cbcrockett.com ProvenIntegrity,Trust & CustomerService
LOCAL LEGDEND
Story by Ashley Keenan
“ addy had us on a horse when we were probably two or three years old. My brothers used to ride back then, but as we got older, they got interested in other things. I guess the bug bit me and not them,” lay said.
By the time lay was , he’d already bought of a dying breed
Photos by Forehand Photography and oca on Ranch The Last
“I came up under a cowboy named Ronnie oolsby. The first job I went on with Ronnie outside of family , I was years old. I thought I was just going to help, and I got paid at the end of the day. That just made my whole summer. There’s a lot of people who would tell you, You’re in the way back up.’ Ronnie would tell you to back up, but not in such a way that you didn’t learn something. e taught me to let the cattle settle, just let them walk to the pen. Todd Merriweather used to work under Ronnie too, and he told me to never forget what Ronnie has taught me, because if all else fails, I can get it done by doing it Ronnie’s way.”
Cowboying is in the Currie bloodline.
ollywood portrays cowboys as gun-slinging outlaws who dri into town, spending their pay on whiskey and women. And while that’s the never-ending tale of the cowboy’s ways, most are just hard-working men and women doing what they love and barely making ends meet. One thing is true real cowboys have nearly vanished. orses are being replaced by pickup trucks, tractors do most of the heavy li ing, and being a cowboy just isn’t what it used to be.
lay Currie, , dressed from head to toe in denim with a dirty white cowboy hat and boots with infinite hours spent in them, is the last of a dying breed. Around these parts, cowboys account for a larger percentage of the population than most, but even now, the number is dwindling.
“I knew at a young age that I didn’t want to be nothing but a cowboy. verybody has their dreams of what they want to grow up and be, and that’s all I ever wanted to do was ride a horse and mess with dogs and cows.
Melvin Currie, lay’s paternal grandfather, was a cowboy in ouston County in the early s. Around , the cow market took a big dip, and he owed more on his cows than they were worth. ith five kids at home to provide for, he had to leave the cattle business and take a job in the oilfield. But once he retired from the oilfield, he began ranching again.
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Houston County Living | 15
“Let the welders be welders, the farmers be farmers, and the cowboys be cowboys.”
lay has been a full-time cowboy since that day in eptember is. mornings kick off much earlier than most, before the rooster crows, as some would say, at a.m. e feeds and waters his animals, then saddles up his horse and loads up the dogs
“Being in this line of work, you might wake up and have one job, and before the day’s over, you’ve been to three places.” A er working a job in ovelady and then falling into another job, he
Houston County Living | 15
his own truck. e borrowed a trailer for the remainder of the year, and when he turned , he’d saved enough money to buy his own.
hortly a er graduating high school, lay landed a job with an oilfield construction company. e had a friend who was a foreman that helped him get the job. You’d think that the rest was history, but it wasn’t.“Iabsolutely hated it it was not me. hen you’re young, you just do what you gotta do. It wasn’t a big surprise to him when I uit. I called Ronnie and told him I’d uit. I told him I didn’t want to be nothin’ but a cowboy. It may be stupid, but that’s what I want to do.’ Ronnie didn’t ask uestions, just said, O , be at the caf in the morning.’”
ach day of the week brings a new job, a new ranch, a new part of ast Texas, and each season brings different re uirements from local ranch owners in need of help. pring and fall are the busiest seasons for lay and cattlemen alike.
“There ain’t a cowboy on earth that loves ebruary, though,” he said.lay is one of few in and around the county who are commissioned cowboys doing jobs for others while maintaining his own acreage, cattle, and hay. It’s no wonder he keeps a little red calendar book in his pearl-snapped, faded denim shirt pocket to keep himself headed in the right direction.
– KLAY CURRIE
he needs for the day’s work. hen time allows, breakfast for cowboys in ouston County typically takes place at the illtop itchen on ourth treet in Crockett. hen asked what they talk about, lay gave a boisterous laugh and said, “Now, that’s confidential information.”
“That’s all I could think about at school,” lay reminisced.
– KLAY CURRIE
16 | Houston County Living
“Any day as a cowboy, even if it’s a bad day, it’s still a good day.”
“The only real young cowboy that I can think of is Matt Benton’s little boy, ane Crowson. Or Tyler Riemenschneider. I’ve been pinning their cows for several years now. I’ve known the Riemenschneiders since I was a little boy. I don’t know if it was dress up like somebody day’ or what, but he wanted to dress up as lay. That was heartwarming. I can see me being him at that age, looking up at Ronnie like that.”
“Any day as a cowboy, even if it’s a bad day, it’s still a good day,” he said. “Being a cowboy, it’s not just a job, it’s a way of life, and not everyone can adapt to that. The ones that have the heart for it, they’re out there. There just aren’t near as many.”
hen asked how the economy is affecting his work, lay explained, “You pull up there to the fuel tank, what used to cost you a day in fuel, costs you now. orse and dog feed has went up. This time last year, feed was a sack, now it’s , and our wages ain’t went up none. If you’re getting a day, by the time you figure in a k truck, k trailer, k horse, not to mention the upkeep, dog and horse feed, it’s a real profitable deal,” he joked. “But, I can’t see myself doing anything else. You ain’t gonna get rich at it, but it’s an honest living.”
and“Yellowstonewillingness.ain’t nothing close to what a real cowboy is.”
e doesn’t think that anything could ever replace a cowboy because they’re dealing with animals, and no sort of technology could handle something with a mind of its own like a raging bull or a nervous momma cow.
ong a er most of us are clocking out of work and headed home, a cowboy’s job still isn’t complete. There are some evenings that lay doesn’t walk through his front door until p.m. e only gets a few hours of sleep before waking up the next morning and doing it all again.
asked his friend and mentor, “ ow did y’all ever make it without these phones ” Ronnie said, “ olks used to take better care of their business. It wasn’t a last-minute thing. They didn’t call you the night before. They’d call you two or three weeks ahead of time and ask you when you could get to them.’”
hen the Curries have children, lay is sure that they’ll follow in his footsteps.
lay was married in ebruary of this year and says that his new bride, Cayleigh, rides along and is interested in learning what he does for a living. “ he goes with me, and she’ll do anything I ask her to do. Over time, she’s learned when to stop and when to go. I’m going to try to make a hand out of her. he’s pretty good help.”
lay assures that television gives the wrong impression of ranching and the cow business, because it takes grit, patience,
It’s hard to picture a world without cowboys and cowgirls when you’ve grown up in Texas. Our history vastly revolves around their necessity, yet trying to count the ones you know is getting more di cult as the years pass. They’re not extinct, though. As long as little boys ride around on stick horses and tip their hats at little girls, there’s still hope for the future of cowboys.
ey are the Fitted Hat Cowboys.
Fitted Hat Cowboys riding club
Check out the Fitted Hat Cowboys on their Face book page for upcoming events and contact infor mation.
You’ve seen them represented in local parades, supporting charitable events, and involved in backto-school initiatives.
Story by Jan White
e club was born when three Denman brothers, Leo, Forrest, and Ralph, began tossing around the idea of hosting a trail ride at their deer lease in Vis tula, Texas. Forrest, the most knowledgeable about trail rides, was voted president of the club. Ralph took the role of vice-president, while Leo was named head cook. Others joined the group and took posi tions – Beatrice Wordlow, secretary; Belinda om as, treasurer; Seneca Denman, chaplain; Alicia Baily, head greeter, sergeant-at-arms Demond Denman, and coordinator, Chevolette Denman. ey elected a board of directors – Byron Denman, Stephanie Er vine, and Dori Brown.
e group continued to expand, and in October of 2019, Fitted Hat Cowboys went on their rst trail ride. Since then, the group has had three other successful rides and is planning a fourth on Friday, Sept. 30 through Saturday, Oct. 1. e trail ride will be held at e Moten Farm on County Road 3045, Crockett, Texas.
There’s a new “kid” in town
orrest enman is the resident o the cl b.
LOCAL CLUB
Fitted Hat Cowboys isn’t con ned to just trail rides, nor is there a particular age limit. Family par ticipation is encouraged. e group has celebrated two successful “Mingle and Jingle” Christmas par ties, and as Alicia says, “We are looking forward to bigger and better ways to impact our hometown community.And,bythe way, where exactly did they get the name Fitted Hat Cowboys? “Ralph Denman came up with the name,” Alicia said, “because they like wearing tted baseball caps.”
Houston County Living | 19
y arol ean an ha
I shouldn’t have believed one word that he said, I hadn’t exactly been lied to, but I’d sure been misled, I had been out traded, but what was so bad, I was stuck with this feeling that I’d really been had,
ell, I made a decision before I got home, That I sure oughta traded for that strawberry oan.
20 | Houston County Living LOCAL ARTS
I’ve seen some good hoss traders, some of the best, But there’s one that sticks in my mind more than the rest. He’s the best hoss trader that I ever saw, That’s the hoss trader that sold me ld Iron Jaw.
—
Then there was this kinda rangey made Grullo Dun, And from what the man said, he surely could run. Then a big Sorrel hoss, at least sixteen hands, And a ea bitten Grey with a our Six brand. Then a big Stand p Bay that he called Jack,
d on a
You knew he’d been rode a bunch by the bouquet on his back. Then there was this quiet little hoss with good heavy bone, And with plenty of color a strawberry oan.
I’ve been spooked a couple times in my life. nce by a dog, and then again by my wife. But, for the just the right words I’m sure at a loss, Ain’t nothing ever spooked me, like that runaway hoss.
I needed a hoss, one that would ride or I could train. That’s when I spotted a stranger leading a strang. hen I caught up to him, we pulled up in the shade, And it didn’t take us long to hit up a trade.
You should always try em out before you buy But that chocolate Palomino sure caught my eye. He was the best looking hoss that I ever saw But that man sure misrepresented ld Iron Jaw. ell I’ve rode some bad ones back in my day, Some of em would buck and some would run away. I hadn’t hardly got in the saddle, til he threw a t, Throwed up his head, and clamped down on the bit.
He had a chocolate Palomino with ax mane and tail. Said he had a good get along, could sure carry the mail. I liked his color and he had lots of chrome, Little mule feet, and a long cannon bone. He said he was straight, and he said he was sound, And “If you like em fast, he can sure cover some ground.”
I “SOLD”WORDTHELOVE 5 8 E oliad St in Crockett 936-438- 388 karenrealestate karen aol co Karen Rice
Be willing as the dogs you work, as honest as the horse you ride, Put no other god’s before “Him” Is a law you must abide.
So at that big gathering you can stand straight and tall, Love they neighbor as thyself is still the great of them all.
Sometimes you lose your temper with the horses that you train, But always remember, don’t use “God’s” name in vain.
The commandments that “God” gave us, they are quite a few, So always do unto others, as you’d have them do unto you.
He said “Don’t tell no whoppers, don’t take no man’s life.” “Don’t covet what ain’t yours, don’t lay with no man’s wife.”
So when you’re trading horses, make sure you tell it straight, You sure want old St. Peter to let your through the gate!
A cowboy life is rugged, and he won’t ever be rich, But remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy when the ox ain’t in the ditch.
God gave us these commandments that we should live by, Don’t take what ain’t yours, don’t steal or kill or lie.
A cowboy’s rules are no different from the rest, No matter what you’re doing, you’ve got to do your best.
“God” Bless — CD Houston County Living | 21
God’s Commandments
y arol ean an ha
Most of all these laws I’ve broken somewhere along the trailer, But “Jesus” paid that awful cost, just in case we fail.
“god’s” no respecter of persons, no matter what you’re worth, But if you know honor your father and mother, you’ll live long upon the earth.
FALL FASHION
Sweet Southern www.sweetsouthernbritches.comBritches903-373-2162 Photo location: Yates Arena in Grapeland Photos by Ashley Keenan Small town boutique based out of Grapeland, TX selling western wear for the entire family, accessories, foot ware, home décor, and unique items and gifts. Houston County Living | 23
24 | Houston County Living 737 I-45 N. Huntsville, TX (800) www.billfickfordhuntsville.com559-4295 NEW & USED INVENTORY #1 SUPERDUTY DEALER IN THE WORLD HOME OF THE “NO BULL” DEAL!
Houston County Living | 25 POSTLEGIONAMERICAN134 936-544-3888 | 1000 BRAZOS STREET, CROCKETT, TX. 75835 FridayMonday-SaturdayHOURS:2PM-9PMSunday12PM-9PMDinnerPlates at 7:00 PM for Scholarship Fund Hall with and without kitchen available for MiltonCommander:rental.Ladnier WELCOME HOME FOR ALL VETERANS & GUESTS We welcome the public to come & support America’s Veterans JAMES EDWARD THOMAS, LLC CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT 501 N. 4th St., Crockett | 936-544-3500 | jimcpallc@getcpa.net BOOKKEEPING TAX PREPARATION PAYROLL OFFICES IN ATHENS, PALESTINE & HOUSTON
Story by Ashley Keenan
Every rig is designed and built off Loop 30 in Crockett by Mr. oung and Mr. Melvin, who both have over 0 years of ex perience in the welding industry.
We try to keep everything stocked. The guys cut all the parts, bend them and have them ready. They usually spend a day doing that, and then another day will be dedicated to assem
Let your babies grow up to be cowboys
26 | Houston County Living
bling. We can typically build two per day, Holly said.
’ve shipped as far as Canada and to 2 states. have a little map on my refrigerator, and every time ship to a new place, add a sticker. Holly went into detail about the shipping process, how much each crate weighs and how expensive it can be, but their customers are willing to pay for a uni ue product that is manufactured in rural America and built to last.
Ranchin Rigs get the kids off the iPad and outside. These trucks teach you how to drive at a young age, how to even back up a trailer, is how Holly described the small vehicles. While they offer many custom designs, their big sellers are a odge dually replica and a ord single-wheel truck. Holly laughed and said she always recommends the odge, because odge is the best.
Ed ruce was the first to caution us about letting our ba bies grow up to be cowboys. Waylon and Willie endorsed the warning when they covered the cautionary song three years later. These wise men specifically gave notice not to allow the babies to drive them ol’ trucks. The folks at Ranchin Rigs did not heed the warning. nstead, they fabricated a pickup truck for babies to drive.
n 201 , Lee and Holly Holsey, father-daughter duo and owners of Ranchin Rigs, altered the idea of power wheels by modifying the typical design and improving the capability of usefulness.Hollyfirstreached out to a similar business in klahoma, offering to buy the already established company, but the own er wasn’t ready to sell. Holly decided to start from the ground up.George oung sold oung’s Welding and came to us look ing for something to do part-time. Mr. oung, my dad, and went into the meeting room, sat down, and said can we figure out how to do this And we did Mr. oung came up with a de sign and started building.
“Ranchin Rigs get the kids off the iPad and outside.”
Ranchin Rigs’ most popular truck and trailer combination runs around 2, 00, and the lowest priced rig is 1, 0. The owners do offer an option for financing.
LOCAL BUSINESS
My favorite product is definitely the lil’ sport, the duck boat. And it’s mostly my favorite because there’s not another one in the world. The lil’ sport is modeled after a atbottom boat that one would use for duck hunting. The boat attaches to an AT both are camou aged in color. or liability reasons, the boat is not made for water, but it’s such a detailed replica that it looks like that’s where it belongs.
Houston County Living | 29 Expansion CROCKETT ECONOMIC & INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION CAROLYN MCKNIGHT | EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT GERALD BARKLEY | PRESIDENT WADE THOMAS | VICE PRESIDENT ROBERT THOMPSON | SECRETARY/TREASURER NATRENIA HICKS | BOARD MEMBER ELIZABETH GUZMAN | BOARD MEMBER CALVIN HAWKINS | EX-OFFICIO MEMBER LAWYER JOLLEY | EX-OFFICIO MEMBER a ity o i e History Opportunity JAMES EXECUTIVEGENTRYDIRECTOR p a e or yo and yo r siness to a home Centrally located between Dallas and Houston, Crockett, Texas is ready to help you expand or relocate your business! Crockett is the county seat of Houston County, Texas and is located 120 miles from Houston and 150 miles from Dallas. Crockett is rich in tourism and cultural tradition. The incentives that are offered are competitive and negotiable. Give us a call and see if we can help you expand, relocate and fall in love with Crockett. 936-546-5636 www.crockettedc.org jjgentry@crockettedc.com 1100 Edminston lvd. | Crockett
Story by Ashley Keenan
lenn with da hter essi
SCHOLARSHIPS
Glenn, also known as “Cun ni” passed away Jan. 25, 2020, at 53 years old. Glenn was a guitar pickin’ family man who helped his father farm peanuts and watermelons, and worked at JC Railworks in Palestine. He was described as a simple man with simple ways. One of Glenn’s nephews said that he never missed a sports game or function. He was always there for his family. is must be why Glenn’s family, friends, and the community rallied together to ensure that Glenn’s legacy
would carry on. is is how the Glenn Cunningham Memori al Scholarship Rodeo began – a rodeo that would generate funds and provide scholarships for lo cal graduating seniors.
30 | Houston County Living
When a cowboy rides away, he leaves behind a legacy. at’s no di erent for Glenn Cunningham, Jr.
The cowboy rides away
Travis Haygood, a good friend and one of the main organizers of the memorial rodeo, said, “Glenn Cunningham lived his 53 years to the fullest. Glenn enjoyed many things, but his fa vorites were being a father to his daughter Jessi, playing the guitar, and anything to do with horses or rodeo.”erst rodeo took place in June 2020, less than six months following his tragic passing. Events included barrel racing,
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The third annual rodeo, held this year on June at the Porth Ag Arena in Crockett, was the most profitable and community-sup ported rodeo to date. The rodeo offers cash prizes and sought-af ter gold belt buckles. But the reason for the event’s success remains clear everyone is there in honor of lenn.
lenn was known as a music lover, and although he was a cow boy through and through, his love for music wasn’t limited to just country and western. lenn was also a fan of classic rock. One of his favorites was Pink loyd’s ish You ere ere. The lyrics res onate with those le behind to carry on without him. “ ow I wish, how I wish you were here.” lenn Cunningham may not be here, but his memory will live on forever through the impact he le on those who loved him, through his love for rodeo, and through his beloved daughter, Jessi.
The fourth annual rodeo, scheduled for June , is already in the early planning stages. More information on how to apply for the lenn Cunningham Jr. cholarship will be available in January . If you would like to sponsor, contribute, or participate in the events, please contact Julie Prager at - - .
bull riding, mutton busting, calf riding, and team roping. Patrons and participants gathered at the Porth Ag Arena in Crockett to re member and support the memory of lenn.
A few weeks before the third annual rodeo, the committee, which put on the event in lenn’s honor, presented the first scholarship at the rapeland igh chool Academic Ban uet.
JessiCunningham.”islenn’sonly child. e was also her sole caregiver, as Jessi lost her mother when she was very young. The universal message, “it takes a village,” applies here. A group of individuals stepped up to provide for lenn’s daughter. Jessi was named rapeland emale Athlete of the Year for the - school year. he will attend Tyler Junior College this fall as a veterinary technician and hopes to eventually become a veterinarian.
The following year, the sponsors and participants grew.
Roan Prager, friend, and local rodeo enthusiast, presented the award, “ hen we started this just over two years ago, we knew what we wanted to do, but we knew it would be a lot of work. rom the start, this scholarship was truly blessed. e rely heavily on our sponsors, so that we can have a uality rodeo and be able to retain enough for a scholarship, which will continue for years to come. The first scholarship being given is very special. e are proud to honor and present the lenn Cunningham scholarship in the amount of , to one of the strongest young ladies that I know, Jessi
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34 | Houston County Living
Almost every East Texas town has one – that little café everyone loves to visit. e one that feels like home. e one where, as soon as you walk through the door, you’re greeted by friendly sta who act as if they’ve known you for ages, show you where to help yourself to a so drink or a glass of iced tea, invite you to make yourself at home and sit wherever you like.
When Roger and Monica learned that the current owners of the Café wanted to sell, they began toying with the idea of purchasing the eatery. But it was a crazy idea. ey knew nothing about owning a restaurant. It took months of discussion before they decided to take the plunge, and as Monica puts it, “We jumped in feet rst.”
Café in the Pines IS that place, and you don’t even have to hunt for it. It’s right on Highway 7 in Kennard, a small town in Eastern Houston County, surrounded by the Davy Crockett National Forest. e café is owned and operated by Roger and Monica Parks. e couple had called Etoile, Texas, home for 21 years. It’s where they ran a garage door business and raised their two sons, Dustin and Justin.
Houston County Living | 35 LOCAL CUISINE
Story by Jan White
Fortunately, the employees working at the restaurant at the time committed to staying on. “Our employees are our backbone and are incredible. We couldn’t have done this without them.” e business is a family e ort, Roger said. “We’ve always worked together. We
So how did they nd their way to Kennard? “My family has hunted Houston County all my life,” Monica said. So when the kids got older, they started coming to the area during deer season. ey would stay at the national forest horse camp on weekends, frequenting Café in the Pines a er their early morning hunts. ey loved the area and dreamed of purchasing some land around Kennard in hopes of even tually retiring there. It took several years of searching, but the family nally found a place that t their needs. While working on the prop erty, the café was a favorite for lunch. Monica said the plan was to “get moved, get settled, and work into our retirement.” She and Roger would joke about buying Café in the Pines and running the business themselves.LastDecember, the joke became a reality.
Café in the Pines Feels cominglikehome
Houston County Living | 37
Monica was honest about the recipes she uses for meals. “I probably shouldn’t say, but I’m a “ oogle Culinary Chef.” Mon ica says she gets her inspiration for the buffets from the meat and veggies she has on hand. “I see what I have, and then I look for recipes to turn it into something different and delicious.” ometimes she has Nikki, the grill cook, plan out the buffet items for the week. Monica’s food planning style might seem a bit unorthodox, but it’s been a great success.
The caf has a menu you can order from, but being seafood lovers, my husband and I helped ourselves to the buffet. The fish was fried perfectly, coated in a light batter that didn’t mask the fish’s avor, which was tender and aky, just the way you want your catfish. The shrimp was also well cooked crispy outside, with a nice texture inside. I was initially surprised that they had attempted a seafood gumbo, but their cook, who I found out was none other than Roger, knows what he’s doing. The gumbo was avorful, with just enough spice to leave a little heat in the finish, but not enough to set your taste buds on fire.
ell, for starters, their first grandbaby is due in ecember. “ e waited a long time for our first grandbaby. It’s gonna be a littleAndboy.”what about that plan for easing into retirement
As for the future
Monica laughs, “ ell, there’s no retirement coming our way now.” he emphasized that they just want to do a good job for their customers. “ e try our best to treat customers the way we would like to be treated when we go out to eat. And we make the best food we can.” According to one patron, Caf in the Pines accomplishes just that.
“It tastes like it was made with love.” hat more could you ask Caf in the Pines is located at est Main in ennard. You can follow the caf on acebook at cafeinthepines or call them at - - .
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Monica said the best part of owning the caf is the people. “The friends we’ve made and the new people we look forward to meeting, and the community has been very gracious and welcomed us in.”
owned the garage door business forever.” o, the joint venture was nothing new to the couple.
The caf is open Monday through riday. The doors open at a.m., and they serve breakfast until a.m. “ e don’t do breakfast all day,” Monica stated. “ chool’s fixing to start back, and we do school orders, so we have to have time for that.” Cus tomers can order off the menu or help themselves to the daily buffet until p.m. or until they run out. On Thursday night, they re-open for a seafood buffet from - p.m.
And if you don’t feel like partaking in the daily buffet, the caf offers a variety of what I’d call “comfort food.” xactly what you’d want when visiting a small-town restaurant. “It’s just caf food,” said Monica. “ henever you go to a caf , that’s what you look for a burger, chicken strips, steak fingers, a good chicken salad sandwich, grilled cheese for the kids. It’s what you expect when you hear the word caf ,’ and we try to live up to that.” ithout hesitation, Monica said the customer favorite was the chicken-fried steak. “It’s one thing that everybody comes in for. They say we have the best chicken-fried steak.”
e visited the Caf on “ riday ish ay.” The buffet boasted everything you would want in a seafood smorgasbord fried fish, fried shrimp, rench fries, hand-cut-and-battered onion rings, hush-puppies, and a seafood gumbo to be served over rice. And, of course, there was a well-stocked salad bar for those who might want to add a bit of lighter fare to their meal.
MyrtisRodeoDightmanlegend LOCAL LEGEND BREAKINGBARRIERS For Future Generations
Although Dightman endured decades of racism during his years on the rodeo circuit, he never lost that inner drive to suc ceed. Dightman never nished higher than third in the world standings, but his incredible perseverance kept him reaching for the elusive title. Even though he never achieved the award him self, in 1982, Charles Sampson, a young black cowboy who was Dightman’s protégé, competed in and won the world champion ship bull-riding title.
manufactured and sold “Myrtis Dightman” signature hat designs. His fame also led to Dightman being featured in advertisements as the Black “Marlboro Man.”
Myrtis Dightman was born May 7, 1935, to O.D., a ranch hand who worked on a 4,000-acre spread outside of Crockett, and Ada Lee, who picked cotton in the elds nearby. Coming from a ranch ing background, Dightman was exposed to cowboys and rodeos at a young age, riding horseback by himself at age two. Like most young men of that era, he attended school, but only when there wasn’t work to be done. And there was always work to be done. Dightman le school around the age of 10 to work alongside his father, mending fences, working cattle, and all the chores involved in ranching operations. His reward? e opportunity to partici pate in trail rides.
“I credit my mother and her faith in God with providing me the strong base necessary to have chosen a road few men have traveled.”
at success led Dightman to land a part in the movie Cli Rob ertson movie, J.W. Coop, where he played himself. He also had a bit role as himself in Junior Bonner, starring Steve McQueen. In 1987, Dightman worked at the American Hat Company, which
Dightman’s rodeo career started when Francis was riding bulls. Dightman thought it would be great to join his friend in doing what he loved the best. Although Dightman began as a rodeo clown/bull ghter, it wasn’t long before he progressed to rid ing bulls. Dightman acknowledged that the transition to riding bulls was made easier by the help and advice he got from Afri can-American bull riders Freddie Gordon, Willie omas, and James omas. He worked every kind of rodeo he could enter – amateur, semi-pro, and eventually pro-rodeo events. In 1964, Myrtis Dightman made history when he became the rst African American to compete as an alternate at the National Finals Ro deo, and in 1966, he became the rst to qualify for the Profession al Rodeo Association National Finals.
Like many other great African American athletes, Myrtis Dightman was a pioneer.
Dightman’s career went on to span three decades.
“I credit my mother and her faith in God with providing me the strong base necessary to have chosen a road few men have traveled,” Dightman once said. He refused to let ethnicity stand in the way of his dreams.
Houston County Living | 39
Dightman traveled to Houston, where he supported himself with a series of odd jobs. ere, he met James Francis, Jr., with whom he would attend rodeos. Since he had been introduced to rodeos at such a young age, Dightman always thought it strange that so few black cowboys competed. Dightman and Francis also thought it peculiar that no black cowboys were taking part in the historic trail rides that kicked o Houston’s famous Livestock Show and Rodeo. In 1957, he and Francis partnered with Prairie View A&M University and founded the Prairie View Trail Riders Association. e pair led their rst trail ride of two wagons and 20 riders in 1958. In an interview with a Houston television station in 2018, Dightman said they encountered many of the era’s racial tensions. “You could hear folks in the background saying, ‘ em folks are crazy.’” But Dightman didn’t let the hurdles stop him. ere was a void in black rodeo cowboys competing at some of the top pro rodeo events, and he was determined to become the rst black cowboy to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo.
A er he retired from bull riding, Dightman was inducted into several halls of fame, including the Texas Rodeo Hall of Fame as its rst living African American, e National Cowboy Hall of Fame, the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame, and the National Cowboys of Color Museum and Hall of Fame. In 2003, he was also inducted into the Professional Bull Rider’s Ring of Honor.
“Myrtis set the table for those next generations that came along,” Mahan said. “I don’t know if they have any idea of what Myrtis had to go through during that time, because it was tough.”
When asked about his success, Dightman once said, “ e Lord got me like this. e Lord been taking care of me. I tell everybody put God rst, and everything will work out. I know the place I been and the things I done. It had to be the Lord.”
In 2011, sculptor Paula Devereaux, a Southwest artist known for her gurative sculptures and richly detailed portraits of Native Americans and cowboys, was commissioned to create a bust of Myrtis Dightman. e larger-than-life bronze bust now stands at the entryway of the Porth Agriculture Arena — a testament to the trailblazer, the legend, who paved the way for future black rodeo cowboys.
Dightman was recognized as an excellent performer by his com petitors. “Myrtis was the rst black bull rider that ever brought that level of ability to the table to where he could go out there and compete and be a potential world champion,” said Larry Mahan, himself a six-time all-around world champion in the PRCA.
When Dightman turned 18, he made up his mind to create a di erent life for himself other than working for someone else. He wanted to be his own man.
In front of the Porth Agricultural Indoor Arena in Crockett stands a bronze bust of the man that some call the “Jackie Rob inson” of the rodeo. Myrtis Dightman’s story is an inspiration to anyone who has the heart and the will to become whatever they choose to be, regardless of their circumstances.
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Building the dream
An interview with the four McMillan family members took place at a private location only a few miles out of Crockett.
“In the metal building business, the wider you span, the harder it is to do. We built this arena in the shop. It’s all bolted together, so it looks like we bought it, but we didn’t. e wood used for the horse barn portion came from right here on the property. We cut the wood and sent it to a sawmill in Alto.”
e site belongs to a long-term client who has commissioned JME to do multiple builds, the latest being a 28,000-squarefoot roping arena and equestrian quarters.
A residential design trend has emerged over the last de cade. Vaulted ceilings, open concept oor plans, concrete and steel components, a portmanteau of “barn” and “condomini um.” Typically, a barn, shop, or oversized garage is attached to the structure, which isn’t really newly discovered. roughout history, farmers, tradesmen, and homesteaders lived in their workplaces due to their practicality.
Jimmy and his crew have constructed buildings as far away as Larado, San Angelo, Oklahoma, and Alabama. Mary, Jim my’s wife, told me, “Our vacations are pretty much Jimmy say ing, ‘Hey, I found a tractor in Alabama.’ We drop the trailer, spend two hours at the beach, hook back up and head home.” e McMillans are a hard-working family, and that hard work doesn’t stop at just construction. In 2019, they bought a fabrication shop on Highway 19 in Lovelady. ey purchased a small herd of cattle in November of 2021, and they now have around 20 heads of cattle and even cut their own hay. Mary is a teacher at Trinity Independent School District. Both sons, Brody, 13, and Billy, 10, rope steers for sport and have been involved in ranch rodeo. Currently, they assist their dad in building a roping arena on their property.
42 | Houston County Living
immy c illan with wi e ary and sons rody and illy.
LOCAL BUSINESS
Story by Ashley Keenan
Brody and Billy are natural leaders who have learned about hard work and dedication from their parents. Billy has been the Lovelady 4-H Secretary for two years, and Brody has been the vice president for three years. Billy showed goats for two years, and for the last two years, both brothers have shown a steer.“ is year, we’re showing goats because it was so expen sive.” Younger brother Billy chimed in about raising steers. “During school, we had to get up at 5:30 in the morning and
Mary and Jimmy married 14 years ago in 2008. “When we started talking about getting married, we basically “pin ky-promised” each other that we’d never have horses. Sud denly, Brody got to be of age, and we ended up with a horse.” Mary laughed, “We had to build a stall for that one, and now here we are with a horse barn and four horses.”
J. McMillan Enterprises, LLC out of Lovelady specializes in these types of builds. “I built my rst building, a hay barn, when I was 13, then I rig welded through college at Texas A&M studying animal science. We formed an LLC in 2005, and now we’re in general construction, doing dirt work and building barndominiums. It snowballed into this. I enjoy what I do,” said owner and operator Jimmy McMillan.
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e McMillans aren’t allowing economic issues to slow them down, though. is next year Brody will be in junior high rodeo, and Billy is looking forward to baseball season. When asked what they wanted to be when they grew up, Brody said, “I want to take over the company and do what my dad does.”
Billy followed up with, “We’ll both split the company down the middle, but if it works out, I’ll probably play Ma jor League Baseball.”
“We’re like everybody else right now. We’re ghting high prices, ghting problems with things you can’t get. We’re sitting on a job building a barndominium, and we’re wait ing three months to get windows in. We have jobs that we can’t nish because we can’t get materials, and it’s never been this way before. Everything is getting higher. People can’t survive with $5 a gallon fuel. It’s killing us because no matter what, we have to roll. We can’t just sit in one spot,” saidMaryJimmy.chimed in, “And with the heat, we purchased a light plant so that our guys can actually work. We have guys who come in at two in the morning putting up build ings because it’s too hot during the day.”
e McMillans admitted to facing their fair share of hardships due to the economy.
“A good friend of mine told me one time that you aren’t raising animals; you’re raising kids. There are certain things that must be done. A cow can’t feed itself. It’s important that kids get a little bit of structure in their life.”
Houston County Living | 45
be out at the hay barn. Sometimes we were late to school.”
J. McMillan Enterprises and the McMillan family has been the Lovelady Calf Show buckle sponsor since 2015. “It’s important for us to support agriculture,” said Jimmy. “We also started the J. McMillan Trade Scholarship in Lovelady last year for kids who want to go to trade school. For some kids, four years of college is a bad investment. Look at being a teacher. Mary’s a teacher. You get out of college, and you’re usually only making $30,000 a year. You can go to a trade school to become a plumber or an AC man. If your air conditioner goes out, you’re going to nd somebody to x it,” said Jimmy.
“A good friend of mine told me one time that you ar en’t raising animals; you’re raising kids. ere are certain things that must be done. A cow can’t feed itself. It’s im portant that kids get a little bit of structure in their life,” saysMaryJimmy.agreed, describing the boys’ responsibility, no matter the weather or conditions, “ ey fed through the crazy snowstorm, the rolling blackouts. Jimmy is up on a building shoveling snow; we’re breaking ice in the water troughs. Animals must be your number one priority be cause they can’t fend for themselves.”
“I’m a teacher. Jimmy owns a small business. We’re just trying to raise the boys right. We have good boys. I hon estly feel like Brody and Billy are our biggest contributions to the community. ey volunteer, help out, they do their own add-ons at the county fair, and they’re kind,” said Mary.e owners of J. McMillan Enterprises are building more than barndominiums. ere’s a saying that goes, “It’s better to build a longer table than a taller fence.” e McMillans are building the table by extending their successes to their community. ey’re building responsible young men with a love for animals, neighbors, and a dedication to working at what they love. ey’re building a dream.
orace met his wife, Carole, at a piney woods church camp.
“Pleasant good morning to you. ope everything is off to a fiiiine start at your place this morning.”
“You have to laugh because she was the only one in the show. I don’t tell anybody that she was the only one,” he tattled.
This was the typical morning wakeup call in ast Texas for nearly years, and it was spoken by living legend, orace Mc ueen, the king of agriculture.orace was born July , , in, as he called it, “beautiful downtown atexo” at his family’s homeplace off M . Mc ueen’s great-great-grandfather planted roots in atexo when he purchased the property in .
“MyM. first semester at A M was . That was room, board, and tuition.”
orace c
“My daddy was a sharecropper. hen I was five years old, everyone in ast Texas was starving to death, so my dad did a little work for hell on the locum field. e went to ouston and applied for a job and ended up working for hell chemical company for years.”
46 | Houston County Living
Story by Ashley Keenan
“I got through high school trying to figure out what I wanted to do. I wanted to own a ranch and work in the oilpatch. I had an opportunity to go to Rice niversity on a petroleum engineering scholarship, but I went to A M.”
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“I had just turned , and he was nearly , Carole said. “I walked out on Tuesday morning, and there he stood.”
ith the sale of the grey brahman, orace was able to pay for schooling at Texas A
“ e skipped every aturday. They had aturday classes then, and he went rodeoing somewhere. o, instead of getting married in June a er my freshman year, we ended up getting married in October later that year,” Carole remembered. “Our first apartment was a two-bedroom, one bath and cost per month, all bills paid, fully furnished.” HOARCE MCQUEEN een with wi e arole
The couple was married during orace’s junior year.
And so, their story began.
orace won a J. . udgins grey brahman calf at a calf scramble in ouston in the s. e raised and showed the heifer at the ouston ivestock how Rodeo the following year and won grand champion.
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When asked what the most signi cant di erence in agriculture has been from the time he was starting out as a young man until now, he respond ed, “ is ‘big is better’ syndrome. e government and some nancial peo ple convinced the average farmers that they had to double, triple or quadruple in size. It has created a world of hurt forHoraceagriculture.”saidthat, in the 1980s, Na cogdoches County had nearly 300 dairy farms, and Cherokee County had right at 200.
“I owned and produced the show. e the rst month, I made $22. We built a pretty good reputation out of it. We farmed out at Lubbock, cotton and maize for nine years. en we had a chance to come to Tyler with the Tyler and Lu in station, and I was there for 28 years.”atwas how Horace became the voice of agriculture and a household name in East Texas.
When Horace graduated in 1960 with a bachelor’s degree, he and Car ole made their way to Washington D.C., then to Virginia, where he was the editor of the National FFA (Future Farmers of America) magazine. From there, they moved to Nashville, where Horace became the editor of the Farm and Ranch magazine. ey ended up in Dallas with the same magazine be fore he was o ered the opportunity to own a television show in Lubbock.
In 2000, when he le the station, Horace and Carole bought property mid-way between Latexo and Grape land. Aside from keeping his father’s place in north Latexo, they also bought ve other farms in the Latexo school district and are now raising timber and running cattle.
“We had a ranch at Troup (Texas) for several years. ere were seven dairies
ere’s much to say about a man who ranched in Australia for three years, but has only been to Walmart twice in his lifetime. Horace and Carole McQueen are descendants from an era when things were simple, earned, and nourished, unlike the world we’re living in today. In their eighties now, the couple has seen more than most and are still embracing the simplicity, up on a hill north of Latexo. Horace said during the interview that they’ve always just looked for something new to try. Sitting in a living room with oorto-ceiling windows overlooking their land, surrounded by walls covered in family photos, awards, and accomplishments, and mem orabilia of decades of hard work, it seems a life worth marveling and not much le to try.
While Horace claims that he “lucked out,” a university spokesper son said, “Mr. McQueen’s in uence has reached far and wide. From the family breakfast table to our nation’s leaders and lawmakers. He’s traveled to over 50 countries working to bene t United States farmers and ranchers, promoting A&M every step of the way.”
Horace asserted that when he and Carole rst moved to Lubbock in 1963, people farmed between 160-320 acres.
… And doctor’s appointments,” Carole laughed.
Horace recalled that he preferred when farming was a family business.“Latexo had a half dozen what you’d call truck farmers between the ‘50s and ‘70s. My granddad, A.C. Neel, George Jones, and Lester Patton, they’d farm watermelons, Irish potatoes, peas, and cotton, and they provided for their family. ey had to, a lot of them had 10 kids.”inking of the change that’s taken place since the childhood he’d been reminiscing on, Horace stated, “If a famine were to come along, 90% of Houston County would starve to death because they don’t know how to do anything. Most don’t understand that to get an ear of corn, you put a seed in the ground.”
In 2012, Texas A&M University honored McQueen with the Out standing Aggie Alumni award.
“Other than that, we occasionally just go out in the pickup to drive around and see what’s going on everywhere. I write a column for ve newspapers, and Carole sews and quilts.”
“
“ e last time we were out there, we stopped at a little store near Roosevelt and got to talking. Some of those folks are farming 7,000 and 8,000 acres out there now. ey took over from the old farmers who’d retired, rented, or leased the land. When catastrophe comes, the guy that owes the bank for the 7,000 acres of cotton he’s farming is going to be the rst to line up and declare bankruptcy.”
Horace was also named U.S. Farm Broadcaster of the Year in 1978 and Man of the Year in Texas Agriculture in 1985.
“ is poor son of a gun with a family and a dairy farm in Alto was milking 100 cows, the family was involved, their bills were paid, they went to church, they bought vehicles, and they lived well. en suddenly, they’re out of business. en someone came in and moved the dairy to Lubbock or Amarillo, and they’re milking 7,000 cows per day. How many folks did this cut out of a living?”
Horace claims that this happened when economists from Tex as A&M and other universities came along and said that to be a successful dairy farmer, you would have to milk 500 cows per day. Eventually, that number increased to 1,000.
When asked how they spend their days now, Horace said, “We go check cows, then we go to Target, H-E-B, and Braum’s.”
just on the farm-to-market road we lived on. ere isn’t one dairy le in Smith County. Cherokee County, to my knowledge, only has two le . Unless Sid Ashby, Trent Ashby’s dad, still has a dairy over there in Nacogdoches, which I don’t think he does, there’s not one in Nacogdoches County either.”
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Story by Jan White
knows cattle. She loves cattle. She showed cattle. “But I never really wanted to run a big cattle ranch like my daddy did.” She wanted llamas and alpacas. Why? “What it really boils down to is this,” she said. “We thought they were cute.”
When you think of the word “livestock,” you have visions of domesticated animals raised to provide commodities like meat, eggs, milk, leather, or wool.
But if you are Chuck and Kathy Curless, you venture outside the box.
Raising alpacas and llamas in Texas sounds like a novel idea. So, how do you wind up rais ing animals that seem foreign to the heart of cattleGrowingcountry?up on a ranch in the area, Kathy
Kathy says that when she and her husband, Chuck, lived in Amarillo, they would drive by a large alpaca farm on their way to Angel Fire in Northern New Mexico. ey would see the alpacas romping and playing out in the eld and they looked so cute and fuzzy. “I’d make my husband pull over, and we’d just watch them. at was back when you would see commercials on TV about raising alpacas. So, it was a dream that someday we might be able to own a few.”
Not
Just how far outside the box? ink alpacas and llamas.
A few miles outside of Crockett sits Covered C Farm, where the ber-bearing animals can be seen cavorting in the elds or maybe lounging in the kiddie pool in an attempt to cool o from the summer heat.
Fast forward to 2013. While participating at a 4-H roundup show with her children, Kathy met a lady from Maypearl who was representing TXOLAN, an acronym for the ve-state region they represent - Texas, Oklaho ma, Louisiana, Arkansas, and New Mexico. TXOLAN promotes alpacas through education, marketing, and networking for breeders, eece enthusiasts, and other interested individuals with similar interests. She spoke with Kathy about the alpaca ber and showed her every thing it could be used for, and made arrangements for the family to visit her farm. “And we fell in love with one alpaca in particular. He was just beautiful.” His name was Dreamcatcher, and as Kathy said. “I fell in love with
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Alpacas are smaller than llamas and raised primarily for their fiber. athy sells raw fiber, but most of it is spun into yarn. he sells the fiber or yarn at their farm or at vendor booths at livestock shows. “At livestock shows, you can see the animal,” she says, “and then see the products they make right there beside them.”
athy says that llamas and alpacas are good - projects. “ ith good grass, you can run eight to alpacas per acre. And they aren’t like horses and cattle that pull things out by the roots. They eat from the top down. They’re environmentally friendly. They don’t have hooves they have two toenails, so they don’t tramp down the grass. They have so , padded feet, so they don’t compact the soil. In fact, using their toenails, they kind of aerate it a bit.” athy says that her children Taryn, Tristan, Timothy, and Tobi all showed llamas and alpacas. “But Tobi is the one who is really into llamas. Mainly,” athy explained, “because, with competition shows, like the ouston ivestock how, where they compete for scholarships, you have to have a llama and an alpaca. Tobi saved up and actually bought her own alpaca. Picked out the one she thought would make a good showathyanimal.”went
If you ever want information on alpacas or llamas, athy is the person to contact. “ e own alpacas and five llamas. Alpacas and llamas are related. “They’re like cousins,” athy said. “But they don’t really bond with each other. Although we do have one little alpaca who has no idea he’s not a llama. But he’s the exception. They do get along well, though.”
into great detail about the types of competition shows for the animals. Breeder shows look for their confirmation, for the uality and uniformity of their fiber, and what kind of genetics they will pass on. Because they are pack animals, performance shows take the alpacas and llamas through obstacle courses involving the animal carrying a pack while they maneuver through obstacles they might encounter on a trail, like weaving, stepping, or ducking under cross bridges. uring another performance course, the packs come off, and the animal and handler move through a maze of obstacles you might encounter during a day hike. They can jump, they can crawl under trees and overhangs. “Your job as an owner is to
him the kids fell in love with him. e were fortunate enough to work a deal with her and get our first herd of five.”
Majestic is a black llama. “Majestic is our public relations animal,” said athy. e’s a good ambassador.” athy says that
Majestic is the favorite, “And he kinda knows it.” Majestic is also Tobi’s show llama.
And athy says that to be a good steward of a fiber-bearing animal, you need to do something with the fiber. “I was shocked when I would meet with other ranchers and see that they had bags and bags of fiber in their barns that they never did anything with.” athy has learned to shear her show llamas. “Alpacas are a little trickier, so we pay for them to be sheared.” athy cleans and processes her own fiber. “As a kid, my mother sat me down and taught me how to crochet, but had to relearn it as an adult,” she said. “It’s an art we are losing. Crocheting and weaving. I’m into rugs right now, and llama hair is perfect for that.” athy’s goal is to offer those types of classes along with some other cra activities at the farm. Jessica odges, the owner of Art of race tudio in Crockett, has held farm-themed painting parties at the ranch. Because the Curlesses compost their manure, they’ve heard from a gardener who wants to come out and teach a container gardening class using the compost.
athy and her llama, Majestic, and alpaca, Tex, have been staples in local events for several years. You’ve probably seen them in parades, educational demonstrations, photo shoots, and at fundraising events.
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“You don’t have to worry about our llamas, though,” athy reassures. “ hile llamas might spit at each other during a good fight, ours have never spit on a human.”
are extremely intelligent. And they are a lot like humans. If they have the temperament to want to do those things, they learn very uickly.”
If you would like to learn more about llamas and alpacas, find out how to purchase fiber or athy’s uni ue arts and cra s, contact Covered C arm on their acebook page CoveredC arm.
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All the alpacas and llamas have names, athy says, and they all know their names. They’re all halter broke and walk on leads. They get a lot of human interaction every day. “It’s hard for us to sell them because we know them and love them. I like to keep them for their fiber.”
Journey is the matriarch of the llama group. “ he was our first breeder- uality female. he was going to be the Journey to our llama dreams, so that’s her name.”
Currently the irector of Rehab at Crockett Medical Center, athy says that one day they want to retire and show llamas. “ e do plan to breed and sell llamas. In fact, we have two breeding llamas right now, and our first llama baby is due in ecember. e’ve had several alpaca babies over the years.”
uring the third performance category, the animals are tested on public relations. “They go to parties, weddings, nursing homes, daycares, so they have to go through a course where they encounter strangers. They have to be able to go around balloons and not spook. They have to be able to go by fans and not jump around. o, the handler is judged on their ability to handle the animal, and the llama is judged on its willingness to work with the human.”
And as if you needed another reason to love llamas, athy told me, “I taught Majestic to give kisses. e takes kisses, and he gives kisses.”
And to answer the most commonly asked uestion, the answer is yes, llamas will spit on you. “It’s their defense mechanism. They don’t have upper teeth, so their defense mechanisms are either to spit or kick you.”
Houston County Living | 53 unday ornin Worship at unday chool at unday venin s at Wednesday venin s at 102 N 7th 936-544-3677St.cbcrockett.org We in ite o and o r a il to oin s. Mark 9:37-38 This Sunday and every10:30SundayAM Pastor Dennis Ivey Harvest Church 1403 E Loop 304 Crockett, 936-544-9945Texas A ChurchNon-denominationalwhereallarewelcome. FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 701 E. Goliad Ave., Crockett, TX 936-544-2044 |www.crockettumc.org ONE OF THE OLDEST CONGREGATIONS IN TEXAS “Open hearts, open minds, open doors” 8:30 AM Shiloh Campus (8875 CR 3375) 9:45 AM Sunday School, Crockett Campus 11:00 AM Campus, Crockett Listen to us live on KIVY 1290 AM, 102.9 FM or 105.5 FM Sundays at 11 AM Wes side Baptist Church Sunday School 10 AM Sunday Morning Service 10:50 AM 1001 East Goliad | Crockett Pastor936-544-8783DavidCarpenterTasteandseethattheLordis good. Psalm 34:8 Good FellowshipShepherdChurch Adult Sunday School | 9:30 AM Sunday Service | 10:30 AM Kidz Ministries | 10:30 & 11:10 AM Titus 2 Tuesdays | 12:10 PM Midweek Bible Study | Wed. at 6:00 PM Primera Iglesia de Crockett | Sun. 4 PM, Wed. 7:15 PM 401 S. 4th St. in Crockett 936-544-2662 gsfchurch.com Senior Pastor: Leon RonAssistantWallacePastor:Forehand EASTGATE FAMILY CHURCH Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.Proverbs3:5 Worship in Houston County
And with it, one of the crit ical factors needed for the quail to survive – lots of space. Bobwhite quail are small, ground-nesting birds that prefer open grasslands. ey stand about 8-10 inches tall, and their chicks
But perhaps the real nail in the co n for quail came in the form of an agricultural innovation — improved pas ture grasses. Most all grasses native to East Texas are what’s known as bunchgrasses. ey grow in clumps (like broom sedge and other bluestems), allowing for small patches of bare ground between them. ey’re the perfect size, in fact, for quail and their chicks to move around in. Additionally, if a bunchgrass grew large enough (like with Indiangrass or eastern gamagrass), its structure was perfect for hiding quail and their nests from predators.
Story by Mac Burns Consulting Forester & Wildlife Biologist Burns Forestry, LLC
WILDLIFE PRESERVATION
Bobwhites moving from grasslands to pastures
So when looking for a cause, the rst question must always be, “Well, what else has changed?” and the answer is “a lot.” One of the most apparent changes was that much of this area used to be cotton country. By 1930, about 28% of the land in Houston County was cultivated for row crop agriculture, with almost half of that devoted entirely to cotton. Small and large cotton gins were scattered throughout the area.
As viable habitat dwindled for bobwhite quail, further developments exacerbated the problem. Pesticide use in creased heavily from the ’60s to the ’80s. Insecticides killed more of the bugs chicks were seeking out, while herbicides cleaned up the remaining fencerows. With each agricultur al innovation, the situation became dire for quail. With any change, even gradual ones, there are o en winners and los ers, and in the case of land use change since the turn of the 20th century, northern bobwhite were the clear losers.
e only remnants of the gins today are some of the large iron scales le behind, like the one used by the scrapyard near downtown Crockett. is is because a combination of boll weevil infestations, the Dust Bowl, and the Great De pression cratered cotton yields and made it much less prof itable. ose conditions, combined with rising land prices, forced many people to quit their small farms and for some to leave the county altogether, o en searching out work in the shipyards and oil re neries of Houston. In addition, by this time, many young men had gone to ght in World War II.e landscape had changed.
e more di cult question to answer has always been why. e same phenomenon was witnessed, and the same question has been asked from all over Texas clear over to Georgia. Sometimes though, instead of trying to tease out large geographic shi s, it’s easier to narrow our focus and take a more speci c look at just our area. at’s when we’re able to take a more practical approach and more clearly see the nuances that make up an individual animal’s ecology.
Another all-important factor for quail is cover. If there’s one thing quail are good at, it’s getting eaten, and most pred ators nd them just as tasty as we do. ey require low-lying weeds and shrubs to be present near their feeding grounds so they can make a quick escape if need be. When agricul tural crops were pro table, many small farms were devoted to this land use. ey were bordered by grown-over fence rows, creating an ideal patchwork of escape quail cover. As times got harder, small farmers were driven out of business and much of the farmland consolidated with the larger land holders. Unfortunately for the quail, fewer of these untidy fencerows were le .
As more people gave up on row-crop agriculture, some switched to cattle. Although it takes more land, grazing is less cost-intensive than crop production. By 1982, the total area devoted to crops was cut in half, compared to those ear lier gures. Fence lines were farther apart, and what brush wasn’t cleared to increase grass production was progressively grazed down over the years, creating even larger and more common expanses across the county of quail deserts.
Improved pasture grasses, like Bermudagrass, on the other hand, le no patches of open ground by design. Quail were choked out of what was formerly prime feeding habitat. Cat tle production was improved dramatically, growing lush pas ture grasses in previously unproductive areas. For the rst time, it made sense for many people to start bailing their own hay. But with each innovation and grass hybridization from the 1960s onward, improved pasture grasses became more productive and, in turn, more detrimental to those small grassland birds.
A Texas Icon Disappearing
54 | Houston County Living
Houston County has changed a lot over the preceding decades, but gradual change is o en unnoticed. One of the more apparent changes, however, has been the disappear ance of northern bobwhite quail. In most parts of the county, people agree that quail were relatively abundant up until the 1940s and 1950s. By the ’80s, they were all but gone.
are just a few inches tall. For this reason, they need bare ground to move around e ciently and, most importantly, to hunt. While adults eat a lot of seeds and leaves, most of a bobwhite chick’s diet comes from insects, and they need to be fast to catch them. e bare, tilled-up soil of row-crop agriculture provided this ample feeding ground, just as long as there were bugs.
Houston County Living | 55
A er graduating high school, Troy enlisted in the Army. In May of 2016, he received an assignment for a combat zone in Afghanistan. Bill said that at the time of Troy’s deployment, “He
Turning a setback into a comeback Hope for the hopeless
Never was this statement more accurate than for Troy Seale and the Seale family. Bill, Sally, Win, and Troy are a close-knit family who has gone through one of the toughest challenges they could face and turned it into a story of perseverance and triumph.Troywas an active young man with a wide range of interests. He played football. He ran track. He competed in powerli ing.
Story by Jan White
He played guitar. He loved to sh. One of Troy’s dreams was to open a moonshine distillery. When he was 17, Troy convinced his parents to spend their vacation taking a Kentucky distillery tour so that he could learn more about the cra . Troy once told his parents that one of the reasons he wanted to join the military was not only to serve his country, but also to stockpile funds to make his dream happen.
MUSIC
Lou Holtz, popular football coach, sportscaster, and author, once said, “Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I’ll show you someone who has overcome adversity.”
Houston County Living | 57
Troy Seale calls his one-man band the “T-Roy Show”.
was good better than he’d ever been, even in high school. e was alert, ready to roll, gung ho.” The family traveled to ort ood to say their goodbyes.
A couple of months passed before Bill got another call from Troy. The conversation lasted about minutes, but Bill did most of the talking. At the time, Troy was making the call from a military compound, so Bill shrugged it off, assuming Troy was in a place where he couldn’t speak openly.
T
It was the last time Bill and ally would see their son as they knew him.One day, several months into Troy’s tour in Afghanistan, Bill got a phone call from his son. hile the two chatted, Troy told his dad about a disturbing incident. e was driving a medical truck in a convoy when a group of Afghan soldiers traveling behind him pulled off the road. Troy glanced at the rear-view mirror just in time to see the truck explode. is first instinct was to turn around and go back to see if he could help, but his sergeant told him to evacuate the area with the rest of the convoy. ensing the tension in Troy’s voice, Bill asked if he was O . “Yeah,” Troy answered. “ ell, did it scare you ” Bill asked. “Yeah,” Troy replied. “It scared me. I’ve seen hell, and I’ve seen od.”
hen Troy called again about a month later, Bill kept Troy on
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Older brother, in, helps out during concerts, handing out prizes during the “Name That Tune” portion of the concert. I asked ally what her role was in the traveling show. “I’m not really one for the spotlight. I’m just there for support.” But as most moms know, moral support is one of the most important roles in a family unit.
At first appearance, Troy is a shy, uiet-spoken, polite young man with a serious demeanor, but ask him about his music, and his face lights up, and he ashes you a wide grin. Once he picks up that guitar and slings it around his shoulder, it’s as if his spirit comes to life. You can tell he loves to play his guitar and sing.
Now it was up to the family to help Troy find a way to adapt to this new reality.
Bill said, referring to his long-time friend, Reggie regory, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Crockett. The pastor kept asking Bill to attend church with him. At first, Bill refused, but eventually, the family visited the church. At the end of the service, Pastor Reggie asked Troy if he would come to the front of the auditorium, where he and several members of his congregation prayed for Troy. “And that was that,” Bill said. “ e went on our way.” Bill says he didn’t think any more about it at the time.
That breakthrough was only the beginning.
Troy’s story has opened up many avenues for sharing his mes sage, not of pity, but of hope. “ e just want folks to know that there’s a way to work through tough times. And to tell them not to give up.”
58 | Houston County Living
In Bill’s words, you can’t tell the story about Troy without talking about od. Although Bill went through a period where he felt like he’d lost his faith, he believes that it was od’s inter vention that got Troy into playing concerts for the public and offering hope for the hopeless.
the line for over an hour, attempting to engage him in conversa tion, but Troy barely responded. ithin two weeks, the family received a call from the Army around a.m. re uesting they come to ort ood. hen they arrived, they met with mili tary staff who corroborated Troy’s story that there had been an explosion and that Troy had begun to withdraw shortly thereaf ter. is communication and motor skills were impacted, and he struggled with verbal interaction.
The family worked with the military for a long time, talking to psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors anyone who might help them understand what happened to cause the shi in Troy’s physical and mental abilities. The eales were offered many theo ries about what had precipitated the changes in Troy’s demeanor. “It could be PT .” “It might be haken-Impact yndrome.” “A reaction to his meds may have caused it.” But as ally said, “It got to the point that it didn’t matter what label they put on it. The change was here to stay.” The eales eventually convinced the military to place Troy on disability and discharge him from his duties.
Bill’s faith had been shaken over everything that had hap pened with Troy. “I got crossways with the ord over it. I gave up. I was hurt. I was angry. And Reggie got me back on track,”
It was about three weeks later that the family decided to take a trip to Alaska. ally and in were going to y to enali, Alaska, and meet up with Bill and Troy, who were road-tripping to the location in their R . hile traveling through British Columbia, the two ran into a snowstorm that le them snowbound for several days. To pass the time, Bill brought out Troy’s old guitar, which he “happened” to bring along, although, as Bill says with a smile, “Nothing just hap pens.’” Troy picked up the guitar, and to Bill’s amazement, he started strumming tunes like olsom Prison Blues and Johnny Be ood and a few other blues melodies. “I was shocked,” Bill said. “I had no idea that he could play that stuff. e hadn’t picked up that guitar in years.” Bill got a little teary-eyed as he stated, “It was from the heart. It was from od.”
Another local pastor, eon allace, heard Troy play at a birthday party. “ e was kinda concerned,” Bill said. “ anted to know more about Troy. e told me he wanted to keep in touch.” o, from time to time, Bill and Troy would visit with the pastor. uring one of their visits, Pastor eon told them about a eorge ean gospel concert that was taking place in the civic center and asked if Troy would play. “There were probably two or three hundred people in there. Brother eon got up and shared with the crowd about Troy. People just loved it,” Bill said. “That’s when I realized that this was going to go a little bit further than just helping Troy. It inspired other people never to give up.”
Troy named his one-man band the “T-Roy how.” Bill says that Troy mostly plays for American egions and s, although Troy does his best to perform concerts wherever he is invited. And as Bill says, “The good ord has blessed us so that we don’t charge anything for the concerts. hen people ask if they can give, we just tell them to donate to their local or American egion.”
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CANNINGAnold-fashionedwayforthemodernlife…
When canning with the water bath technique, you only need a large pot that allows your jars to be fully submerged in water. e wider the pot is, the more cans you can do at once, but you cannot put the cans on the bottom of the pot; a rack is required. You need glass jars which can be reused and two-piece lids which cannot be used again. You’ll want a funnel to keep your rims dry and clean and a jar li er so that you can safely pull the jars from the water.
ere are two types of canning — pressure canning and water bath canning. Pressure canning is a little more in-depth and re quires special equipment. I recommend beginning with water bath canning. What you can safely preserve is limited, but it’s a good starting point to familiarize yourself with the process. In a nutshell, pressure canning is used with low-acid food with a pH greater than 4.6, and water bathing is used for high-acid foods such as pickles, jams, pie llings, salsas, and vinegar.
Yes, you CAN! Canning seems intimidating and dangerous be cause botulism does exist, but a er thorough research of the proper ways, and a little bit of trial and error, you can.
COOKING 60 | Houston County Living
Find a recipe that you like and follow it. You don’t want to tamper
60 | Houston County Living
Story by Ashley Keenan
Food preservation has been around since the beginning of time. It’s a relatively new luxury to go to the grocery store and pur chase foods that are already sealed and ready to be stored. With that comes the dangers of traceable levels of chemical bisphenol A (BPA), a list of ingredients you can’t pronounce, and rising prices. Whether you grow your own produce or buy it from other sources, you can preserve it at home to stretch your dollars and have better control of what your family is ingesting. And it’s fairly simple.
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Canning isn’t limited to produce, but it’s what I rec ommend starting with. Actually, canning is nearly lim itless. Once you’ve mastered water bathing, invest in a pressure canner, NOT a pressure cooker [they are not the same thing, trust me], and try meats, soups, chow ders, and even fresh yard eggs.
If you’re feeling overly daunted by the idea, try filling your jars with only water, adjust the two-piece lid and then give the water bath. Process the jars for about ten minutes, remove, and listen for sealing. Practice makes perfect and may save you from wasted produce.
Many people in rural Texas still use the canning method, although, for most, it’s easier to go to the store. But, with food shortages, it’s better to know how. You should at least learn the process, just in case. You may discover an enjoyment over long walks down the gro cery store aisles.
Once you’ve found and followed your recipe, allow the head space recommended and fill your jars using your funnel. You want to make sure that your jars and lids are sanitized and dry before filling. Then you want to release the air bubbles. They make a special tool for this but using a long metal skewer is just as effective. Poke all the way to the bottom and swirl the skewer around several times to release air bubbles for safe pres ervation.Before you place the lids on the jars, you must make sure that the rims of your jars are clean and dry to create a seal. Once your lids are on, do not tighten too much, justMostenough.recipes are standard based on where it was cre ated, and all usually make note of their altitude. You will need to consider your altitude and adjust accordingly. Altitude isn’t much of a problem in Texas, but just be aware.Once your jars have boiled for the recommended time, carefully remove them and allow them to rest on a towel-draped countertop. You’ll notice that, more than likely, there won’t be an immediate seal, but give it some time and listen for the pop. It may take some time, but as the jars cool, the air pressure decreases, and it “sucks” the jar lid down, creating a vacuum. A sealed lid means that safe canning is complete. Once the jars are com pletely cooled, they’re ready for your pantry. Just don’t forget to label your harvest.
with the recipe when you’re a beginner. Recipes can vary greatly from one canner to the next, but allow yourself to learn from someone who has successfully canned. I rely heavily on YouTube when I’m trying something new, because I’m a visual learner.
- 3 Tbsp. all-purpose our - 2 tsp. lemon zest
- top and bottom pie crust homemade or frozen - c. sugar
- tsp. salt
Bake at 0 degrees for 0 mins then reduce oven temperature to 3 0 degrees.
reheat oven to 0 degrees F ayer one pie crust into a pie pan, brush a portion of your butter on bottom Combine sugar, our, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, lemon zest and uice in a bowl.
- tsp. nutmeg
Directions:
Allow to cool before serving.
- Tbsp. lemon uice
- tsp. ground cinnamon
Bake until crust is golden and the lling is bubbly, appro imately 0 mins.
Toss pears in mi . ayer pears evenly throughout.
62 | Houston County Living RECIPES
Slice remaining pie crust into strips, brush the edges of crust with butter then lay strips over lling lattice style Fork the edges to seal and trim e cess pastry. And brush crust with remaining butter.
Pear Pie
Ingredients:
- c. Semi-peeled and 2 diced pears
- 2 Tbsp. melted butter
Walnut-Cranberry Pie
- c. light corn syrup
- Tbsp. cornstarch - c. sugar
Directions
Houston County Living | 63
Ingredients
- 2 oz. fresh or frozen cranberries
- c. water
Houston County Living | 63
ayer second crust on top of lling and fork edges. Cut slits in middle to allow steam. Bake at 2 degrees for mins or until crust is golden and lling is bubbling. Cool before serving.
n a large saucepan, combine cornstarch and water un til smooth. Stir in sugar, corn syrup and lemon zest. Bring to a boil over medium heat, add cranberries ad raisins. Cook and stir often for about minutes or until cran berries begin to burst. emove from heat, stir in walnuts and butter. Allow the lling to cool until it’s no longer steaming. re-heat oven to 2 degrees F. our lling into rst plated pie crust then brush the edges with water.
- 2 pie crusts
- tsp. lemon zest - 2 Tbsp. butter
- c. raisins
- cup chopped walnuts
Directions:
2 c. mashed sweet potatoes lb. softened butter c evaporated milk
3 lbs. dark plums pitted and uartered c. packed brown sugar c. Tbsp.Tbsp.cornstarchcornstarchsugar
64 | Houston County Living
lace on foiled line baking sheet and bake at 0 degrees for 20 mins, reduce heat to 3 0 and continue baking for 0 mins or until crust is golden and lling is bubbling.
Spiced PlumSweetPie Potato Pie
reheat oven to 0 degrees F. n a large saucepan, combine plums with c. water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer while covered for mins. emove from heat and strain. eturn plums to saucepan then add brown sugar, c. corn starch, ginger, orange zest, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla e tract. i gently so that all ingredients are thoroughly combined.ayer
2 Tbsp. ground ginger tsp. ground cinnamon tsp. salt. tsp. ground nutmeg tsp. ground cloves
Ingredients: unbaked pie crust
Directions:
Brush water on edges on plated pie crust then layer strips over lled lattice style.
Tbsp. pour vanilla e tract tsp. orange zest egg
Allow to cool before serving.
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and add sugar. Fold into sweet potato mi ture. our into pie crust and bake for 0 mins. educe heat to 3 0 degrees F and bake for 30 mins or until rm.
Ingredients: pie crust
reheat oven to 00 degrees F. Combine potatoes, butter, egg yolks, brown sugar, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and evaporated milk in a large mi ing bowl and mi well.
Fork pie crust edges then whisk together egg and Tbsp. water, brush on stop crust, springle with granulated sugar.
Allow to cool before serving.
rst pie crust into pan. Sprinkle sugar and Tbsp. cornstarch over dough. Spreading plum lling evenly into pie crust.Cut remaining pie crust into strips.
2 eggs, separated c. packed brown sugar tsp. salt tsp. ginger tsp. ground cinnamon tsp. nutmeg c. sugar
Grapeland Police Department 936-687-2115
utage Hotline - 00- 0- 232 0 S oop 30 , www.houstoncountyelec.comCrockett
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0 . Houston Ave., www.co.houston.tCrockett.us
RELOCATION (936)544-5786 • MCCLAINPESTCONTROLLLC.COMCROCKETT Professional Pest Control Services EXPERIENCED ur specialists have or ed in the eld or years and can handle any project. RESPECTED We have earned a reputation in the co unity or relia le and e cellent service. GUARANTEED RESULTS We stand y our or and on t e satis ed until you are. BEST PEST CONTROL
City of Grapeland 936-687-2115
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200 . th St., Crockett Chief Clayton smithclayton@crockettteSmith as.org
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Houston County Courthouse 936-544-3986
00 S. th St., Crockett Sheriff andy www.co.houston.tHargrove.us
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Wells St., Crockett
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00 dminston r., www.crockettareachamber.orgCrockett
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200 . th St., mayor@crocketttewww.crockettteCrockettas.orgayorr.anthiaFisheras.org
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0 S. th St., www.detwork.comCrockett
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0 oop 30 , www.consolidatedwsc.comCrockett
Use our Relocation Information Guide to find out more about what Houston County has to offer!
Houston County Living | 65
Crockett Chamber 936-544-2359
Houston County DepartmentSheriff’s 936-544-2862
Latexo Independent School District LaWanda Pennington, Realtor Lawrence Realty
Absolute Carpet Cleaning
Houston County Family Medical Clinic Huntsville Holiday Market
Jim Thomas, CPA Karen Rice, Realtor Kittie’s Kloset Knox Furniture
Circle T Feed Coldwell Banker Realty Crockett Economic and Industrial
Bill Fick Ford Bruner’s Economy Car Center Burns Forestry Castaneda’s Meat Market Cattleman’s Café Central Baptist Church Charles Arnold Real Estate
Bartee Construction Bella Gifts from the Heart Betty Boop’s Diner
66 | Houston County Living
Stetsi Brewing & Beer Garden Stowe Lumber Company
A&B Oil & Lube
For marketing opportunities in the Spring 2023 edition please email Ashley Bankhead-Keenan at ashley@hccourier.com
Los Ranchos Mexican Restaurant McClain Pest Control Mimsy’s Craft Barbecue Mimsy’s Meat Market
First United Methodist Church of Crockett Good Shepherd Hargrove-Neel,FellowshipInc.HarvestChurch
El Jimador Mexican Restaurant
Morris Luker, Pct. 1 Constable New Image Salon Precision QualityProsperityTractorBankPaint&Body
Trent Ashby
Randy Hargrove, Houston County Sheriff Sonny Tunstall, Realtor Southern Sheet Metal
Westside Baptist Church
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