Tonight while searching for something totally unrelated, I chanced upon this site.
Had we known that Sam Clemens was once a local land owner near Archer City, we might have tried to find the "Twain Ranch". (Okay, so the land actually was owned by Clemens' wife, Livy, until her death and ol' Sam inherited it.)
Twain/Clemens never set eyes nor foot on Texas, but don't you just know he would have made a grand Texan?
He might have looked a little like this:
There's no tellin' what kind of inspiration the Lone Star state might have been for Mr. Twain. That famous story might have been titled:
The Celebrated Horny Toad of Archer County, Texas
Has a nice ring, doncha think?
7 comments:
I like it!
Horny Toad indeed, CP. That would have made a tall tale even taller. Only problem is Calaveras sounds a bit more intriguing than Archer. Any thoughts on spicing up Archer?
Fallen Archer County?
Such a coincidence. Watched Last Picture Show just last nigth.
Better even than I remembered.
they do be some horny toads in Archer County Texas..probably more horny toads there than horny old goats in Florida
Very interesting, Pattie. I've run into similar situations in my own amateur genealogical sleuthing, with all oral history insisting on a kinship through maternal lines, but no paper trail to prove it.
And it's hard to imagine that ex-riverboat man without a stream or river nearby. [Anyone else remember Sam Clemens as a character in the science fiction "Riverworld" series, maybe 25-30 years ago?]
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Trace - I thought you might!
DV - Au contrare, mon frere, Just because "Calaveras" has more syllables doesn't make it more interesting. Though, I will admit Archer City could use some spice - Larry McMurtry is its only claim to fame these days...I think it needs a Chicken Ranch or two...
Bill - I've been meaning to watch it again, too. Ol' Peter certainly knew how to portray "stark", didn't he?
GuyK- you ol' reprobate! I know who you kinfolk are! *wink*
Annie - I had forgotten about Riverworld! Great premise and I really liked the series. Kman has the occasion to run into Brad Johnson (long story), and we were rackin' our brains the other night trying to remember the name of this show. Thanks!
Pattie, as an non-cable subscriber, I didn't even know there was a television series! And it's been years since I read the Phillip Jose Farmer books - maybe I can find the TV show on DVD. So thank YOU!
Annie
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