14/12/2025
Joining the Jefferson County Historical Commission (JCHC) in 2012 opened up many interesting opportunities for me to delve into different histories and meet others from adjoining counties with their own stories to share. It was the perfect chance to broaden my knowledge of the region and extend my interests beyond county lines.
Growing up, I was always interested in history (though I’m sure my high school history teacher, Mr. G., would disagree—his class was right after lunch, and my teenage self was committed to daily naps). Don’t get me wrong; Mr. G. was an excellent teacher—passionate, dedicated, and determined to bring history to life. My brain just doesn’t perform well in a classroom setting, or in a Zoom meeting at noon. (Yes, I’m calling you out, Texas Historical Commission! Happy hour is at six; evening meetings would be lovely.) It probably goes back to those early years when I was dropped off at school hours before the day started because I had a single parent who had to work. (Single fathers work, too!)
Looking back, my earliest historical interests were World War II—no surprise, given the flood of movies from that era—weather, and the paranormal. When you grow up in a house with three older sisters, ghost stories are inevitable. And hilarity ensues when Tiger, our cat, leaps onto the air conditioner to stare inside because he wants someone to let him in, scaring the bejeebus out of everyone. Fun times.
I never had a true historical mentor growing up—unless you count the television. Watching World War II movies beside my bedridden grandfather, who stayed in a hospital bed at home, is one of my clearest memories. Another is from when I was ten and my father told me the story of how my other grandfather was bitten by a tarantula in his garden in the 1930s in Beauxart Gardens. Even at ten, I knew enough about spider habitats to realize that tale was… geographically challenged.
In my teens, music became another form of historical inspiration. (And yes, all you leftover satanic-panic jacklegs from the ’80s may exit now—or I’ll send the evil eye back at you threefold! I might even throw in Carmen’s “The Champion” while I’m at it.) Carmen—note for the uninitiated—was a Christian musician with some genuinely good songs. Unfortunately, my friend’s aunt, who presented herself as a pious ^%$@, called us out for listening to a song about a boxing match between the devil and Jesus. She didn’t realize Jesus let the devil knock him down. The devil wanted him to get up because of what would happen next. The song ends with Jesus victorious, of course. At the time, I thought it was hilarious—she couldn’t tell her own religious lore from a set of lyrics; she just wanted to display her “look at me!” devotion. Technically, judging is a sin, so she’d be right there in hell with us. Probably neighbors. And unfortunately for her, I mow the lawn at 5:30 a.m. It’s hell—there’s no sleeping in.
(I’ll leave a link to the song. Carmen was talented, even if he was sometimes more full of himself than the Spirit. RIP, Carmen.)
https://youtu.be/WfHfTKdYwvY?si=bpWQRgDX8MSDppqd
Eventually, my interest in history shifted toward England and Wales after reading Elizabeth Goudge’s The White Witch (1958). That book heavily influenced my first attempts at writing. I published a historical fiction novel in 2013, and I have many people to thank—but more on that in the coming weeks.
In the early 2000s, I had a client named Charles Irwin, whom I will readily acknowledge as a legitimate Texas historian. Born and bred in San Antonio, he moved to Southeast Texas in 1957—just in time for Hurricane Audrey. He was a chemical engineer (and I emphasize engineer), and while he was incredible when it came to history, the engineer in him sometimes made communication… interesting. One recurring debate involved Hurricane Humberto’s path. He always insisted that Humberto strengthened over land. Trying to explain that it was actually off the coast near Corpus Christi and that an incoming cold front whipped it up along the coastline—well, explaining that to an engineer is a special challenge. I even had radar images! When it made landfall at High Island, someone I knew was working on a beach house at Crystal Beach, and the storm scared the hell out of him at two in the morning. (Eighty-mile-per-hour winds will do that.)
You know what’s scarier? Being woken at three a.m. by Larry Beaulieu’s backside on the TV screen as he tries to fix a camera while KFDM’s radar is down. I was watching my phone radar—which showed Humberto’s eye over Port Neches—while the TV was saying the eye was in Vidor. Meanwhile, my cat was wandering the neighborhood, confused about the whole situation. That morning was chaotic, but hilarious in retrospect. I even have a link for that, too.
https://www.rediscoveringsetx.com/2022/09/18/thoughts-and-ramblings-hurricanes-ike-humberto-and-fern-researching-history/
One road trip Mr. Irwin and I took was to Anahuac, where we visited the Chambers House and the museum. I had done some work in Anahuac before, but I’d never known about the Chambers House until I took a wrong turn and suddenly—there it was. The window alone was stunning. My mind went immediately to Aleister Crowley’s winter home rather than Texas (me being a heretic in the eyes of my friend’s aunt, you know).
https://flic.kr/s/aHsjDsr14K
We had a great visit to the museum, and seeing the house interior was an added bonus.
Engineer quirks and all, I genuinely miss my friend. I loved our talks about Texas history, even if I could never quite get him to acknowledge Southeast Texas history with the enthusiasm it deserves—he was a true San Antonio loyalist. If you’re interested in Texas history, I believe his books may still be available at the Museum of the Gulf Coast.
Next week, since I’m the Cemetery Chair of the Jefferson County Historical Commission, I plan to focus exclusively on my 13 years in cemeteries and give a recap of what’s going on with the Cemetery Inventory Project.
Sayonara for now.
\m/-_-\m/ Rock in peace—everyone except my friend’s aunt.
https://www.rediscoveringsetx.com/2025/12/14/a-look-back-ii/
