Just when I thought I knew every interesting fact about Texas, I’ve been proven wrong yet again. Could our state’s history possibly be any more captivating? Make sure you’re sitting down for this one – here’s a list of 11 unbelievable things that have happened here in Texas.
- We abolished the famous “last meal” for death row inmates after Lawrence Brewer ordered a 5-course meal only to turn it down once it was brought to him.
Flickr/instantvantage Lawrence Russel Brewer ordered two chicken-fried steaks, a triple cheeseburger with bacon, a bowl of fried okra, a pound of barbecue, three fajitas, and a meat-lover’s pizza - only to decide he wasn’t hungry for any of it.
- The town of Blowout got its name when lightening struck a cave and detonated 1,000+ tons of ammonia-rich bat droppings.
Flickr/snakeyes This town sure started off with a bang.
- In 1997, the town of Kingsville replaced the word “hello” with “heaven-o” so as to avoid the word “hell.”
Flickr/airflore Residents said they didn’t want to contaminate a greeting that’s supposed to be positive with the negativity the word “hell” evokes.
- In 1990, a 200-person trailer park became a city just to open a liquor store.
Flickr/anemoneprojectors Mobile City was the only place in Rockwall county where alcohol could be purchased outside of a restaurant until 2007.
- In 1920, the UT football team ate their mascot at a banquet because they didn’t have enough money to support him anymore.
Flickr/fiftypercentchanceofrain Poor Bevo.
- The fastest speeding ticket ever issued was to a Texas driver going 242 MPH in a 75 MPH zone.
Flickr/jsmjr That’s just a tad bit too fast, don’t you think?
- In 1986, a beer-drinking goat named Clay Henry was elected mayor of Lajitas.
Flickr/begotka Tourists came from all corners of the state to see the spectacle and even give him a bottle themselves. Bottoms up!
- This didn’t happen in Texas, but a Texas man once pushed a peanut to the 14,000 foot summit of Pike’s Peak in Colorado - for all of $50.
Flickr/captspaulding
- In 1963, Janis Joplin was voted “Ugliest Man on Campus” at the University of Texas.
Flickr/fabiotalamonti
- A city originally named Clark renamed itself to DISH, Texas in order to receive free DISH satellite service for 10 years.
Flickr/trainman
- Big Ben of the Big Bend?
Flickr/zigzaglens This hasn’t happened yet, but an enormous clock that will keep time for 10,000 years is being built inside a mountain in West Texas. The clock will tick every year and a cuckoo bird will emerge every millennium.
I can’t believe these things have happened right here in our state! I’m curious – what other crazy things have happened in Texas? Let me know in the comments below!
Flickr/instantvantage
Lawrence Russel Brewer ordered two chicken-fried steaks, a triple cheeseburger with bacon, a bowl of fried okra, a pound of barbecue, three fajitas, and a meat-lover’s pizza - only to decide he wasn’t hungry for any of it.
Flickr/snakeyes
This town sure started off with a bang.
Flickr/airflore
Residents said they didn’t want to contaminate a greeting that’s supposed to be positive with the negativity the word “hell” evokes.
Flickr/anemoneprojectors
Mobile City was the only place in Rockwall county where alcohol could be purchased outside of a restaurant until 2007.
Flickr/fiftypercentchanceofrain
Poor Bevo.
Flickr/jsmjr
That’s just a tad bit too fast, don’t you think?
Flickr/begotka
Tourists came from all corners of the state to see the spectacle and even give him a bottle themselves. Bottoms up!
Flickr/captspaulding
Flickr/fabiotalamonti
Flickr/trainman
Flickr/zigzaglens
This hasn’t happened yet, but an enormous clock that will keep time for 10,000 years is being built inside a mountain in West Texas. The clock will tick every year and a cuckoo bird will emerge every millennium.
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