On the way to Lufkin

[Boris]

While travelling to Lufkin on Business:

Here's a link for a view of full size shots of these and all other photos:

http://rgv.7.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=528

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[Guest Marty]

Are those tree taproots coming out of that house in the eight picture?

[jm1fd]

Are those tree taproots coming out of that house in the eight picture?

I was looking at that myself....I think it is some sort of plant material that has grown out the windows as such. The bubbas of East Texas aren't much on art installations.

[TheNiche]

I was looking at that myself....I think it is some sort of plant material that has grown out the windows as such. The bubbas of East Texas aren't much on art installations.

Are you kidding? Look at the photos. Most of it may be folk art, but they're clearly more artistically inclined than their counterparts in many other rural areas.

[H-Town Man]

Great pics! Brings back memories of road trips up that way, esp. driving to/from Chicago four times a year when I was in college. Love that peaceful divided stretch of 59.

Isn't it crazy how Coca-cola actually managed to work itself into our culture, so much so that when we paint nostalgic murals about our history, Coca-cola emblems invariably turn up? Only in America. Most people don't realize it, but the modern red & white conception of Santa Claus was a creation of Coca-cola.

[jm1fd]

Are you kidding? Look at the photos. Most of it may be folk art, but they're clearly more artistically inclined than their counterparts in many other rural areas.

Yeah. I'm from Nacogdoches. Those pix make the area look radically better than what it actually is. He has taken shots of the very best the area has to offer.

[TheNiche]

Yeah. I'm from Nacogdoches. Those pix make the area look radically better than what it actually is. He has taken shots of the very best the area has to offer.

Well how about trying to find even that kind of folksy stuff in or around Temple/Belton, Waco, Mexia, Corsicana, Navasota, La Grange, Columbus, Halletsville, Victoria, etc. In my experience, it isn't quite as prevalent.

[Boris]

I couldn't find anything similar (perhaps one or two spots) between Austin and Houston down 71 and 10 today, so I think Niche has a point.

[jm1fd]

Well how about trying to find even that kind of folksy stuff in or around Temple/Belton, Waco, Mexia, Corsicana, Navasota, La Grange, Columbus, Halletsville, Victoria, etc. In my experience, it isn't quite as prevalent.

How about the Lake Belton Dam Mural? 1300 feet of mural-tastic-ness. I'll be dam-ed. That the couple hundred feet of Lufkin mural to shame.

If murals aren't your thing, here's some old buildings in Navasota.

[TheNiche]

How about the Lake Belton Dam Mural? 1300 feet of mural-tastic-ness. I'll be dam-ed. That the couple hundred feet of Lufkin mural to shame.

If murals aren't your thing, here's some old buildings in Navasota.

I'm not saying that there just isn't art in these places, but it doesn't seem to be quite as prevalent. However, I do prefer the art of Central Texas. It is less kitchy. Also, turn-of-the-century architecture can be found in most places, including both East and Central Texas.

[pineda]

On a side note:

Maybe the best thing to come out of Lufkin lately; their football team!

They just beat the snot out of Klein High today in 1st round of Play-Offs: 72 - 24!

I think their overall record this year was a straight 10 wins.

They're predicted to take it all the way to State this year.

Must be the water or something in Lufkin...

[FilioScotia]

That's an urban legend

The story that Coca Cola created the red and white image of Santa Claus has been around for a long time but it's not true. The white bearded Santa dressed in red has been around a lot longer than Coca Cola. Here's the true story on my favorite myth debunking site Snopes dot com. http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/santa.asp

And by the way, your pics of the drive from Houston to Lufkin are great. I'm from Angelina County and I've made the drive from Lufkin to Houston and Houston to Lufkin at least half a million times over the past six decades, and I know every one of the spots where you stopped and took a picture.

[jm1fd]

I'm from Angelina County and I've made the drive from Lufkin to Houston and Houston to Lufkin at least half a million times over the past six decades

Wow! That's 22.83 trips every day for the last 6 decades! You must've gone through a whole bunch of cars....

[FilioScotia]

Wow! That's 22.83 trips every day for the last 6 decades! You must've gone through a whole bunch of cars....

It just seems like at least half a million. Give or take. I remember when you had to drive through every town and wide spot in the road because they hadn't built the loops around the towns yet. In those days it took nearly three hours to drive from Houston to Lufkin because you had to go through downtown Cleveland, downtown Livingston and downtown everyplace and stop at every red light.

Nowadays, it's a straight nonstop shot all the way to Corrigan, where you encounter your first stop light because Corrigan is the first town of any size without a loop to go around it.

Going to Lufkin is now a lot quicker than it used to be, and you know what? I miss those old days because when you drove through a town, you developed a feeling for it. You recognized houses and buildings, street names and you felt like you "knew" the town, even if you didn't know anyone who lived there.

I know every curve, hill and bridge between here and Angelina County. I remember stores, cafes and gas stations that aren't there anymore. Places like the Tower Cafe just north of Porter on old 59. It's been gone for a very long time.

I've wondered for more than 50 years who is buried in that small cemetery in the median just north of the San Jacinto River Bridge south of Cleveland. It hasn't always been in the median because the median hasn't always been there. 59 used to be a 2-lane highway, and the cemetery was about a hundred feet from the road. The northbound side was the original highway. I think one of these days I'll stop and check it out.

For years there was a gas station in Leggett owned by a man with the memorable name of R.A. Vanderslice. He had his name on the front of his gas station and I always wondered if he was as interesting as his name.

Another thing I've noticed over the years is how those sawdust mountains have disappeared. Was a time when every town in east Texas had at least one sawmill, and a huge pile of sawdust alongside it. Then sometime in the early sixties, one of the wizards at Southern Pine Lumber Company in Diboll found a use for that sawdust. He mixed in some chemicals and compressed it, and invented particle board. That was the end of the sawdust mountains. The lumber mills now use every ounce of every tree and every ounce of bark and sawdust. Nothing is wasted, but I still miss seeing the sawdust mountains.

[jm1fd]

It just seems like at least half a million. Give or take. I remember when you had to drive through every town and wide spot in the road because they hadn't built the loops around the towns yet. In those days it took nearly three hours to drive from Houston to Lufkin because you had to go through downtown Cleveland, downtown Livingston and downtown everyplace and stop at every red light.

Nowadays, it's a straight nonstop shot all the way to Corrigan, where you encounter your first stop light because Corrigan is the first town of any size without a loop to go around it.

Going to Lufkin is now a lot quicker than it used to be, and you know what? I miss those old days because when you drove through a town, you developed a feeling for it. You recognized houses and buildings, street names and you felt like you "knew" the town, even if you didn't know anyone who lived there.

I know every curve, hill and bridge between here and Angelina County. I remember stores, cafes and gas stations that aren't there anymore. Places like the Tower Cafe just north of Porter on old 59. It's been gone for a very long time.

I've wondered for more than 50 years who is buried in that small cemetery in the median just north of the San Jacinto River Bridge south of Cleveland. It hasn't always been in the median because the median hasn't always been there. 59 used to be a 2-lane highway, and the cemetery was about a hundred feet from the road. The northbound side was the original highway. I think one of these days I'll stop and check it out.

For years there was a gas station in Leggett owned by a man with the memorable name of R.A. Vanderslice. He had his name on the front of his gas station and I always wondered if he was as interesting as his name.

Another thing I've noticed over the years is how those sawdust mountains have disappeared. Was a time when every town in east Texas had at least one sawmill, and a huge pile of sawdust alongside it. Then sometime in the early sixties, one of the wizards at Southern Pine Lumber Company in Diboll found a use for that sawdust. He mixed in some chemicals and compressed it, and invented particle board. That was the end of the sawdust mountains. The lumber mills now use every ounce of every tree and every ounce of bark and sawdust. Nothing is wasted, but I still miss seeing the sawdust mountains.

Yeah...that cemetery is rather curious. Probably some folks from WAY back in the day.

I'd have to say my favorite landmark on the drive is the BIG ASS pecan tree just north of the Trinity River bridges. (I think that's the river anyways...it was the one that was hit by the barge during Rita).

I'm making the drive up to Nacogdoches later today.