Athens

Athens, Texas ( 73 miles SE of Dallas), is the Henderson County Seat.




The Henderson County Historical Museum is housed in the l896 Faulk-Gauntt Building. the second floor of the museum is a recreation of a turn-of-the-century law office, parlor, bedroom, bath, kitchen, and schoolroom.

Henderson County Jail






This building has one of the nicest murals I've seen. To Lady Justice's right is Charlton Heston as Moses in The Ten Commandments (1956), and to her left is Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).

The quote is from Proverbs 22: 22, 23: " Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court, for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who plunder them." And bonus points for the old Jim Garrett ghost sign! Around the corner, on the other side of this building is much less pleasant, modern advertising:

"Don't Let Me Down"

"Don't Let Me Down"
From 1969 on to the end, except for parts of Abbey Road, it was very rare to see or hear The Beatles as they might have been in Hamburg or Liverpool (with the addition of Billy Preston on organ) - rocking like no other band could:


How cool would it have been to be walking around the financial district of London on that cold, winter day (January 30, 1969)?! London swings - one last time.
The echo must have been tremendous. I love how together they seem (they were supposed to be "getting back" after all) and the way Ringo cracks up after John flubs that line. George's green pants are pretty gear, too.

R.I.P. James Brown

the Godfather

Natchitoches (NAK-uh-tush)

Natchitoches, Louisiana, is the sister city of Nacogdoches. It was originally a French colony, established in 1714. It's about 120 miles east of Nac. Once there, I headed straight for the thirty-three block Historic District.

Front Street



100 year old Exchange Bank, one of Louisiana's oldest banks

Down along the Cane River, each lamppost (of which there were several) had two speakers through which holiday music was piped in. It was surreal but wonderful.



Great old buildings on Church Street (perpendicular to Front Street):
Church of the Immaculate Conception - The history of the church dates back to the very early 1700s. The present church at Church and Second Streets was built in 1857 and completed in 1892.




The Old Courthouse building, which now houses the Old Courthouse Museum, is an example of a style labeled Richardsonian Romanesque. Popular between 1880-1900, the style contained characteristics such as rough-faced masonry, heavy rounded arches and towers. It was constructed in 1896.




On the corner across the street from both the Church of the Immaculate Conception and the Old Courthouse building, the Central Fire Station sits in lime green, Art Deco indifference.

I almost drove right past the house used in Steel Magnolias.




L.H. Johnson Wholesale Sales Co. - still in business as a tobacco wholesaler.