Texas Trivia (Mart, Paint Rock: skylight, paint, village)

[jtur88]

Originally Posted by joqua

Frustrated are you?
I've had good teachers here to show me how to keep from giving it away too easily!



HINT #3: The building last housed an architectural firm.

Good. I'll start looking them up in the yellow pages. How many architectural firms could have moved into an old stone building?

[CptnRn]

I agree that the original question was exceptionally vague and the hints given were not much better. That said, the photo did allow me to find the building by searching Google images for "historic limestone building renovation texas". I found it by concluding that the photo hint probably came off of the web so if I could find it, I could find the rest of the information.

That building is the Borglum Studio Renovation in San Antonio.

This building at the site of Brackenridge Golf Course was originally a water pumping station and later was used as a studio by artist Gutzon Borglum, who created Mount Rushmore. The building is currently going through a restoration process and will be used by the Texas Golf Hall of Fame and museum project.


The former studio has a three-pronged connection to history. It was built in 1885 as Pump Station No. 2 in George Brackenridge's San Antonio Water Works system, according to city staff. After its use as a pump station ended in about 1915, it remained a landmark on the golf course, site of the first Texas Open in 1922.
[LEFT]
Read more: Borglum Studio renovation nearing completion - San Antonio Express-News[/LEFT]

[joqua]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

I agree that the original question was exceptionally vague and the hints given were not much better.

As I said, I'm not the first one on this thread to have ask a vague question about an obscure topic. At least mine is "topical" in the sense that the building was in the news recently.

So much for equal treatment, it seems. Your turn Cptn.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by joqua

As I said, I'm not the first one on this thread to have ask a vague question about an obscure topic. At least mine is "topical" in the sense that the building was in the news recently.

So much for equal treatment, it seems. Your turn Cptn.

I agree that you are not alone. I was not trying to single you out, I apologize if my comment made you feel that way. I have expressed similar opinions about other peoples questions in the past. I do think it might be good for everyone to remember that this is supposed to be fun. The purpose in asking a question should not be to ask one that nobody can answer. But rather to ask questions that are interesting, that are reasonably possible to answer and a fun way to learn more about Texas.

[CptnRn]

Next Question: _____ _____ was a women who defied convention. She road astride when most ladies rode sidesaddle. She was an excellent horsewomen, she could rope, ride and shoot as well as any man. During the civil war she ran wagon trains on the Cotton Road to and from Mexico which helped keep the confederacy alive. She was rated a champion cusser, loved poker and dancing the fandango and her aim with rifle or pistol was true. She had five husbands, shot one of them and was killed by the last one.

Who was she? Provide both of her nicknames and her given name.

[jtur88]

Sounds like Sally Skull, Mustang Jane, Sarah Newman, and if she was married five times, she must have had at least five other names.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by jtur88

Sounds like Sally Skull, Mustang Jane, Sarah Newman, and if she was married five times, she must have had at least five other names.

That is her. Good job, and welcome back.

Story of Sally Skull

In 1817, the fifth of Joseph and Rachel Newman's ten children was born and christened Sarah Jane Newman, but is remembered today as Sally Skull.

"Sally Skull belonged to the days of the Texas Republic and afterward. She was notorious for her husbands, her horse trading, freighting, and roughness." J. Frank Dobie

While Sally's legend has largely survived through frontier mothers threatening their children with "You better be good or Sally Skull will get you," stories of her affection for all children are legion.

Sally Skull made her own rules and defied convention in many ways other than riding astride when society dictated that ladies use only sidesaddles. A superb horsewoman, she roped and rode as well as any man. She could pick flowers with her blacksnake whip or with equal nonchalance leave the plaited imprint of its thong across the shoulders of an obstreperous man. Her language was strong and she was rated a champion cusser, her aim over the sight of either of the two sixshooters at her belt was true, and she delighted in either an evening of draw poker or of dancing at a fandango. In all, she took five husbands, and according to old legends, shot one of them and died at the hands of the last.

From the meager and scattered writings about Sally Skull, it would seem that she appeared in Texas fully armed during the 1850's to act out her violent role of cussing, fighting, and loving until she disappeared following the Civil War. In reality, she lived in the state throughout its most romantic and agonizing era, from the waning days of the Spanish empire in America to the time when the Union was sealed by the terrible war between brothers. She came to Texas as a child with the first Anglo-Americans who settled Austin's colony, fled with her babe before Santa Anna's army while her husband fought to conquer the tyrant at San Jacinto, and worked to keep the Confederacy alive with her wagon trains. A restless soul, she ranged the trails all along the great arc of the Texas coast, and years before the first shot was fired at Fort Sumter, knew every meander in what became the lifeline of the Confederacy, the Cotton Road.

Seduced By History: SALLY SCULL - THE LEGEND OF MUSTANG JANE

SALLY SCULL - THE LEGEND OF MUSTANG JANE
The vaqueros who worked for her and other Mexicans who knew her called her “Juana Mestena,” Mustang Jane. She could outshoot any of her ranch hands, roped and rode with the best of them, and could drive a herd better than any of the wranglers in her employ.

[jtur88]

What Texas place-name derives, indirectly, from the presence of precious gems that were found there, and thought to be in marketable abundance?

[joqua]

Llano, TX

Llanite, a rare type of brown rhyolite porphyry with sky blue quartz crystals and rusty-pink Microcline feldspar, is found nowhere else in the world except in Llano County. Llanite can be found along a highway cut nine miles (14 km) north of Llano on Texas 16. The largest piece of polished Llanite in the world can be seen at the Badu House, Llano's historic inn.

While the name Mason, TX does NOT derive from a gemstone, it is nicknamed "The Gem of Texas" for the blue topaz found only within Mason County and named the State Gem of Texas. Mason County is named for the older Fort Mason, which in turn is named for a military person.

[jtur88]

Llano is the reverse of the clue described. Llanite is named after the place, whose name had already existed. We need a place that was named after the gem on account of its presence.

I will add a hint: The gem is not a geological mineral. The place is not named for the gem, but for a specific source of the gem because of its anticipated value.