This Day in Texas History: “Bandit Queen” Marries for the Last Time June 5, 1880 On this day in 1880, Myra Maybelle (Belle) Shirley Reed, the “Bandit Queen,” married her second, or possibly third, husband, Sam Starr, in the Cherokee Nation. Belle Starr was born near Carthage, Missouri, in 1848. During the Civil War her…
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This day in Texas History: Commission Established to Plan Central National Road February 05, 1844 On this day in 1844, the Texas Congress established a five-man commission to oversee the construction of the Central National Road. The road was to begin on the bank of the Trinity River in Dallas County and run to the…
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This Day in Texas History: Belle Starr Marries Horse Thief Jim Reed November 01, 1866 On this day in 1866, Myra Maybelle (or Belle) Shirley, better known as Belle Starr, married outlaw Jim Reed. Reed eventually became involved with the Younger, James, and Starr gangs, which killed and looted throughout Texas, Arkansas, and Indian Territory.…
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This Day in Texas History: Texas Jack Omohundro Dies June 28, 1880 On this day in 1880, John Burwell Omohundro Jr., better known as Texas Jack, died. Omohundro, born in Virginia in 1846, traveled to Texas while still a teenager and worked trailing cattle. He served as a scout and spy under Gen. J. E.…
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This Day in Texas History: “Goat-Gland” Doctor Dies in San Antonio May 26, 1942 On this day in 1942, John Romulus Brinkley, controversial medical charlatan, died in San Antonio. Although Brinkley never earned a diploma he was licensed by the state of Arkansas and set up a medical practice in Milford, Kansas. In 1918 he…
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Today’s Notable Texan: John Neely Bryan John Neely Bryan (1810–1877), Indian trader, farmer, lawyer, and founder of Dallas, son of James and Elizabeth (Neely) Bryan, was born on December 24, 1810, in Fayetteville, Tennessee. He attended Fayetteville Military Academy and after reading law was admitted to the Tennessee bar. Around 1833 he moved to Arkansas,…
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This day in Texas History: (from the Texas State Historical Association archives) Confederates Hang Former Texas Senator as Traitor January 23, 1863 On this day in 1863, Confederate soldiers hanged Martin Hart in Fort Smith, Arkansas. This attorney from Hunt County had served in the Texas legislature, where he spoke out against secession. After secession, he resigned…
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This Day in Texas History: (from the Texas State Historical Association archives) Texarkana established December 08, 1873 On this day in 1873, the community of Texarkana was established, and the first store in town, a combination drug and grocery store operated by George M. Clark, opened for business. The town is in two states, Texas and Arkansas,…
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