by B.L. Unkel | Mar 15, 2025 | Travel
What comes to mind when I say, I want to build a brick wall? I’ll bet you pictured a straight brick wall. But that’s not what I want. I want a “crinkle crankle” wall, as the British call them. What Is It A “crinkle crankle” wall is a brick wall with alternating...
by B.L. Unkel | Feb 15, 2025 | Travel
With spring break just around the corner, and summer not far behind that, people are beginning to think about traveling. The Problem When I was 23, I traveled overseas alone for the first time. Thanks to the research and planning I did before leaving, my trip...
by B.L. Unkel | Oct 12, 2024 | History
I love music, especially songs sung a cappella where harmonies can shine. Nothing’s better . . . unless you add an interesting historical background to the mix. Fisk University On January 9, 1866, Fisk Free Colored School opened in Nashville, TN. In only a few...
by B.L. Unkel | Oct 5, 2024 | History
Talk about stars that can do it all. Woodward Maurice Ritter certainly fits the bill. And if the name doesn’t sound familiar, that’s because you know him by his nickname, “Tex” Ritter. Early Life Tex Ritter was born on January 12, 1905, in Murvaul, Texas, the...
by B.L. Unkel | Sep 28, 2024 | Travel
Have you ever driven through East Texas on Hwy 59, aka future I-69? If so, you’ve probably driven through Timpson and/or Tenaha. The Railroad On March 11, 1875, the Houston East and West Texas Railway Company (HE&WT) was chartered. The narrow-gauge railroad...
