Telling the stories of Texas with photographs (and words too...)
Texas Eagle – Northbound Through Thorndale
“Listen… do you hear the train coming?” When I was a kid, my Uncle Gene Strickland would ask me that question whenever we were outside and we would hear the Seaboard Coast Line trains rolling through Youngsville, NC, some five Read More …
The Anderson County Courthouse at Dusk
I’ve had too much going on recently to research or write any history, so here’s a photograph from the archives… the 1914 Anderson County Courthouse in Palestine, Texas. This impressive Renaissance Revival building was designed by Charles Henry Page & Read More …
Rev. Dr. Ray Martens+
Margie and I extend our deepest condolences to Jane Martens and the family of the Rev. Dr. Ray Martens+, who passed away on Saturday, October 5. Much of what I know about the history of the Missouri Synod in Lee Read More …
Notifying Domestic Animals of…
On Monday, I re-discovered my copy of The WPA Guide to Texas. (Moving is awful, y’all… a year and a half later, and my library is still disorganized. That may or may not be because I spend more time taking photos Read More …
St. Michael and All Angels – 1887
September 29th is the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels. On that day back in 1887, about twenty families in Winchester, Texas founded a new Lutheran church in town. Efforts to establish a congregation there had begun some eleven Read More …
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence (621)
Let all mortal flesh keep silenceAnd with fear and trembling stand;Ponder nothing earthly minded,For with blessing in His handChrist our God to earth descendingComes our homage to demand. Whew… for some reason things are a little busy here at LSBR Read More …
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church – Wuthrich Hill
We’re looking forward to taking our little road tripper out into Texas to see scenes like this (from last Sunday). Up there on the hill is a building that was constructed in 1912 for St. John’s Lutheran Church of Berlin, Read More …
Introducing James…
Here’s the newest little Lone Star Back Roads roadtripper. His name is James Mighell Crowell Clifton (after Margie’s maternal grandfather, her father, and my maternal grandfather respectively) and he’s a whopping 10 pounds 13 ounces (no doubt due to the Read More …
Built on the Rock, the Church doth stand…
Built on the Rock the Church doth stand,Even when steeples are falling;Crumbled have spires in every land,Bells still are chiming and calling,Calling the young and old to rest,But above all the soul distrest,Longing for rest everlasting. Constructed in 1890. Abandoned Read More …
Central Christian Church – Bartlett, Texas – 1890-2019
On May 7, 2019, I received fantastic news by way of a comment on a photograph of this lovely building that I’d posted on Instagram back on February 15, 2017. The long-abandoned Central Church of Bartlett had been lovingly restored, Read More …