Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram newspaper began in 1906 with the Forth Worth Star, founded by Amon G. Carter. In 1909, it combined with the Fort Worth Telegram to form the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.…
The Dallas Morning News began in 1885 and is the major daily newspaper for the Dallas area. The Morning News is one of top twenty largest circulation newspapers in the United States. The rival…
The city of Mission in the Rio Grande Valley has been advertised as the "Home of the Grapefruit" since 1921. In 1932, the annual Texas Citrus Fiesta was started in Mission. Mission and…
The city of Albany in Shackelford County has called itself "Home of the Hereford" since the 1920s. The Texas Central Railroad made a connection to Albany in December 1881 and Albany…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Marfa lightsThe Marfa lights or the Marfa ghost lights are unexplained lights (known as "ghost lights") usually seen near U.S. Route 67 on Mitchell…
"Texxas" is sometimes seen as a spelling for "Texas." From 1978-1988, the Texxas World Music Festival (also called Texxas Jam) was an annual summer rock concert. The beer Dos…
The city of El Paso has many days without rain and has long been called "Sun City." El Paso is just across the border from the Mexican city of Juarez, and Fort Bliss is located in El Paso…
The city of Frisco grew rapidly during the 1990s, selling itself as an attractive and affordable Dallas suburb. In 2007, home foreclosures shot up 45% and the city was being nicknamed…
Fuzzy's Taco Shop in Fort Worth and Denton calls itself "Home of the Original Fish Taco." Fuzzy's is open late and is a favorite hangout for students at Texas Christian…
New Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Huntsville (about 65 miles north of Houston) added barbecue for a prayer meeting in the early 1980s. The barbecue was so good that the church soon became the…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Death by ChocolateDeath by Chocolate is a marketing term for various desserts that feature chocolate (especially dark chocolate or cocoa) as the primary…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: MilkshakeA milkshake is a sweet, cold beverage which is made from milk, ice cream or iced milk, and sweet flavorings such as fruit syrup, vanilla extract,…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: HorchataHorchata or orxata is the name for several kinds of vegetable beverages, made of ground almonds, sesame seeds, rice, barley or tigernuts (chufas).…
In June 2008, an experimental Department of Transportation program called "Summer Streets" was announced. For three straight Saturdays in August 2008, a 6.9-mile stretch of Manhattan…
The Reunion Tower (built in 1978) in Dallas is part of the Hyatt Regency hotel. The tower looks like a ball on a stick and has been called a "ball," a "golf ball," a…
The city of Tyler has been called the "Rose Capital of America" since the 1920s and 1930s. A Tyler Rose Festival began in 1933, later renamed the Texas Rose Festival in 1936. About 20% of…
In 1992, American Airlines began flights from San Jose, CA ("Silicon Valley") to Austin, TX ("Silicon Hills"). The flights were filled with high tech industry employees (often…
The "drinking straw effect" in oil drilling can occur, for example, in the Gulf of Mexico, where American and Mexican companies both drill. If someone has an extra long "drinking…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Cotton-Eyed Joe"Cotton-Eye Joe" is a popular American folk song known at various times throughout the United States and Canada, although today it is…
Southern states where cotton was grown began to be called a "cotton belt" by the 1850s. The St. Louis Southwestern Railway Company ran track through Missouri, Arkansas and Texas, and by…