Marvels of the Texas Plains: Historic Chronicles from the Courthouse to the Caprock

by Chuck Lanehart, Monte Monroe (Foreword by)

Overview

Many thousands of years ago, Clovis Man hunted huge mammoths here. More recently, Waylon Jennings drew his musical inspiration here. In the intervening time, the Texas prairie has been the backdrop for the wildest of Wild West shootouts, landmark legal battles and epic achievements in sports, music and medicine. Familiar icons like Roy Orbison and Dan Blocker, as well as forgotten characters like Charlie "Squirrel-EYE" Emory and John "the Catfish Kid" Gough, all helped shape the colorful history of the Texas Plains. Who shot the sheriff? Who was the earliest American? Who invented the slam dunk? Author Chuck Lanehart answers these questions and many more in a wide-ranging collection of stories.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467152808
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	10/24/2022
Pages:	176
Sales rank:	1,059,487
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Chuck Lanehart is a criminal defense lawyer based in Lubbock, Texas. Thirty-plus years ago, he began writing about the rich legal and cultural history of the region. His history essays have been featured in many publications, including legal journals and newspapers. Westerners International honored him with the Coke Wood Award for Best Published Article of 2020. In 2021, The History Press published his first book, Tragedy and Triumph on the Texas Plains: Curious Historic Chronicles from Murders to Movies. The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal named him among the "200 Most Influential People in the History of Lubbock" in 2008.

Table of Contents

Foreword Monte L. Monroe 11

Acknowledgements 13

Introduction 15

Part I Texas Plains Prehistory and Tales of the Wild West

1 Footprints in the Sand: Was Clovis Man the Earliest American? 19

2 The Alibates Flint Quarries: Evidence of the Earliest Humans of North America 23

3 J. Wright Mooar and Snyder's Legendary White Buffalo 26

4 Thomas Saltus Lubbock: What's in a Name? 29

5 The Legendary 6666 Ranch 32

6 The XIT Was the World's Largest Cattle Ranch 35

7 Tascosa: Toughest Town of the Wild West 38

Part II Historic Lawyers and Lawsuits of the Texas Plains

8 Lawyers Were Part of Lubbock's Early Development 47

9 Who Shot the Sheriff? The South Plains Trial of the Century 50

10 Histoiy of Lubbock County Executions 55

11 The Law According to Chappell 58

12 The Lawsuit That Won Diversity in Lubbock Leadership: Jones v. the City 63

13 Did Jack Brown Kill His Parents?: The Circumstantial Shallowater Murder Case 68

14 Amarillo and the Case of Cullen Davis, the Richest Man Tried for Murder 73

15 Landmark Lubbock Case Protects Defendant's Right to Counsel 78

Part III Music Legends of the Texas Plains: From "Pretty Woman" to "Big Bad John"

16 Down between the Rivers: Bob Wills' Early Days 85

17 Roy Orbison's Early Years: Overcoming West Texas Challenges 88

18 The Good-Hearted Women of West Texas: Peggy Sue, Claudette and Others 91

19 Plainview's Jimmy Dean: One Helluva Man 95

20 "Littlefield Gets in Your Soul": Waylon Jennings' Early Years on the South Plains 98

21 John "Dutch" Denver at Texas Tech 101

Part IV Gridiron Greats and Hardwood Heroes of the Texas Plains

22 The Bull That Became BBQ: The True Story of Texas Tech's First Mascot 107

23 Elmer the Great: Texas Tech's First Sports Superstar 110

24 Lubbock's Greatest Generation: The 1939 Lubbock High School Football Champions 113

25 Joe Fortenberry: The Forgotten Basketball Hero of Happy 120

26 The History of Tennis in Lubbock: Doc, dub and Quinn 123

27 The Greatest Basketball Coach of the Texas Plains 126

28 Randy Matson: Texas' Greatest All-Around Athlete 129

Part V A Sampling of Texas Plains Culture

29 A Hard, Historical Look at Lubbock County Courthouse Monuments 135

30 Happy to Report the Veribest Loco Town Names on Earth 142

31 Early Doctors and Hospitals of the South Plains 145

32 O'Donnell's Gende Giant: Dan Blocker 150

33 The Salvation of the Settles Hotel 153

34 The Coney Island Café: Pampa's Iconic Eatery 156

Index 159

About the Author 173