Texas Trivia (El Paso, West: gardening, kitchen, trees)

[jtur88]

Santa Rita was a geographical place name in Reagan County, where the well was originally sunk in 1923. It was moved to Austin, and retained it's original name. Originally called Santa Rita, for the The Patron Saint of the Impossible.

[joqua]

Originally Posted by jtur88

Originally called Santa Rita, for the The Patron Saint of the Impossible.

Since you've answered the question, I'll chip in a bit more about the actual naming of the well. The group of investors who funded the drilling efforts for the well included a number of Catholic nuns, and according to various sources, it was they who named the well after the patron saint of the impossible.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by jtur88

Santa Rita was a geographical place name in Reagan County, where the well was originally sunk in 1923. It was moved to Austin, and retained it's original name. Originally called Santa Rita, for the The Patron Saint of the Impossible.

You got some of it correct, go ahead and ask the next question.

Here is the story according to the UT System website.

Board For Lease

Why Santa Rita? Mr. Frank Pickrell was one of the partners responsible for the drilling of the Santa Rita No. 1. The reason for the name "Santa Rita" is best told in Frank Pickrell's own words:

"The name of Santa Rita really originated in New York. Some of the stock salesmen had encouraged a group of Catholic women to invest in the Group I certificates. These women became a little worried about the wisdom of their investment and consulted with their priest. He apparently was also somewhat skeptical and suggested that the women invoke the aid of Santa Rita, who was the patron saint of the impossible. As I was leaving New York on one of my subsequent trips to the field, two of these women handed me a sealed envelope and told me that the envelope contained a red rose that had been blessed by the priest in the name of the saint. The women asked me to take the rose back to Texas with me -- to climb to the top of the derrick and scatter the rose petals, which by then were dry, over the rig and to say 'I hereby christen thee Santa Rita'. I faithfully followed those instructions."

Originally Posted by joqua

Since you've answered the question, I'll chip in a bit more about the actual naming of the well. The group of investors who funded the drilling efforts for the well included a number of Catholic nuns, and according to various sources, it was they who named the well after the patron saint of the impossible.

They were investors, but I see nothing above indicating they were nun's.

[joqua]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

They were investors, but I see nothing above indicating they were nun's.

I could be wrong on that point. My memory isn't what it once was, if it ever was much good! Probably has something to do with all those petroleum fumes I breathed while working 32 years in the industry. But I seem to remember reading somewhere that they were nuns.

[jtur88]

Next question:

There is a well-known fruit that could be grown commercially in Texas's agri-climate, except for the fact that it requires a certan insect for pollination, and that insect is absent in Texas. What is the fruit, and what is the insect?

[jtur88]

Originally Posted by jtur88

Next question:

There is a well-known fruit that could be grown commercially in Texas's agri-climate, except for the fact that it requires a certan insect for pollination, and that insect is absent in Texas. What is the fruit, and what is the insect?

Hint: This is a familiar fruit with a familiar name, that can be raised in Texas, but only in very limited quantities because it requires manual field-labor pollination. As fresh fruits, they are very rare in Texas, because they have a very short shelf life after picking. They are more commonly found here in forms other than fresh.

If you've ever had a good fresh one picked off a tree, you will remember it forever as one of your favorite fruits.

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by jtur88

Hint: This is a familiar fruit with a familiar name, that can be raised in Texas, but only in very limited quantities because it requires manual field-labor pollination. As fresh fruits, they are very rare in Texas, because they have a very short shelf life after picking. They are more commonly found here in forms other than fresh.

If you've ever had a good fresh one picked off a tree, you will remember it forever as one of your favorite fruits.

I am going to risk being laughed off this thread! LOL However, I am going to plunge ahead and quess..."grapefruit"...?

[Cathy4017]

I'm VERY curious as to what this fruit is, too......I'm really stumped!!

TR...nope, not grapefruit. The Texas Rio Grande Valley is famous for growing Texas Ruby Red, and it's also the state fruit (1993).

Texas State Fruit - Texas Red Grapefruit

I can't imagine what it is....it could be something we call a vegetable, but is technically a fruit, maybe??

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by Cathy4017

I'm VERY curious as to what this fruit is, too......I'm really stumped!!

TR...nope, not grapefruit. The Texas Rio Grande Valley is famous for growing Texas Ruby Red, and it's also the state fruit (1993).

Texas State Fruit - Texas Red Grapefruit

I can't imagine what it is....it could be something we call a vegetable, but is technically a fruit, maybe??

Hell, Texas sis Cathy, I am just going to give up and await the answer! LOL

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by TexasReb

Hell, Texas sis Cathy, I am just going to give up and await the answer! LOL

I think I am at that point, too....when whoever tells us the answer, we're probably gonna go..."Oh...yeah......THAT fruit," LOL!!