Written By Ken Hulsey
Recently, I have become really interested in Texas history. For Christmas, both my wife and daughter gave me two amazing books on the state's history. The book I am currently reading, which was a gift from my daughter, is entitled "The Blood of Heroes" by James Donovan, and I'm really enjoying it. The book tells the story of the Battle of the Alamo, a subject I have been fascinated by since I was a little boy.
I'm looking forward to sharing a lot of information about the incredible things I’m learning from this reading.
Before diving into interesting facts about Texas history, I thought it would be great to share a bit of my personal Texas history. Back in 1974, my father decided he had enough of living in the hustle and bustle of Southern California (Whittier, specifically, a suburb of Los Angeles) and moved our family closer to his brother J.G. and his family in Vernon, Texas. At that time, I was only six years old, and since I wasn't familiar with city life, transitioning to a smaller North Texas farming town wasn't too difficult for me.
We moved into a home on Texas Street, known locally as "The Doctor's House" because a well-known local doctor was its previous resident. If you live in Vernon, you know the place—it's the home with a rock front instead of bricks or wood. The doctor who owned it had a keen interest in botany, as every flower bed and bush was meticulously cared for, and each plant had a metal sign indicating its species. It felt like moving into a botanical garden; we could have made some extra cash by selling tickets!
In the long run, though, my father wasn't into botany, so over time the signs were taken down and what grew, grew, and what didn't, didn't. We still had a beautiful yard and flowers, but it was no arboretum. Being only six at the time, I didn’t care much about the plants; I was more excited about having a gigantic bedroom and a backyard the size of a football field to play in. It felt like having a park all to myself.
While there was no playground equipment, the yard was full of trees to climb and enough space that, over time, it transformed into various worlds and numerous exotic locations that my wild imagination could conjure. Yes, that yard hosted away parties beamed down from the Starship Enterprise, turned into World War II battlefields, and became home to a host of prehistoric monsters. For a young boy like me, it was a paradise all its own.
Check Out: A Journey Through Time: Visual Memories of Vernon, Texas from Ten Years Ago
As far as the town itself, Vernon was a wonderful place to grow up. Back then, life was much simpler. It was the kind of town where you could hop on your Schwinn bike and ride off to the store or just roam around looking for adventure. People looked out for one another. If you got into trouble and needed help, neighbors were there to ensure your safety. If you were up to mischief, those same neighbors would escort you back to your parents for a dose of corporal punishment.
The schools in Vernon were exceptional, and I owe much of my intellect to the lessons I learned there. The first school I attended was connected to a Lutheran church. While I can't remember its name, it was where I was first introduced to God. My family wasn't religious at all, but they ensured I was exposed to the word. I felt out of place for a while; my classmates had all grown up in church and knew the hymns and other traditions. For me, it was all new, yet I found it fascinating. My faith in the Lord is rooted in those experiences.
After first grade, that church school closed, and the parents of the students pooled their resources to purchase and renovate another building, allowing us to have a church-based school. My memories of second grade there include having a crush on my teacher, someone bringing a Partridge Family record to show and tell, enjoying fried okra every day for lunch (my mom told the cafeteria lady I liked it, so I had it almost every day), and playing Hogan's Heroes with my friends. We crawled behind the bushes and pretended they were tunnels under Stalag 13. Did we watch too much TV? Perhaps!
After one year, that school also closed, and I transferred to a public school for third and fourth grade. The public schools in Vernon were also excellent, and I liked my teachers. I earned several awards for different subjects, especially geography and history, which remain my favorites today.
Shopping in the 1970s was very different from what it is today. I fondly remember browsing through the toy sections of Gibson's and M.E. Moses department stores in town. Mom would wander off to look at yarn (she loved to knit) while I searched for Tyco trains and Darth Vader action figures. Back then, it was common to let kids explore stores on their own. Gibsons, Moses, and T.G. & Y. carried just about everything, from clothes to tools and record albums—kind of like Walmart or Target but in a smaller, more homey way.
Check Out: Remembering Gibson's Discount Center in Vernon
Of course, if you needed something out of the ordinary, you would make the hour trip east to Wichita Falls, where modern shopping centers and a K-mart awaited. As a humorous side note, Vernon was the county seat of Wilbarger County, which was a dry county, meaning you couldn't buy beer or alcohol there. Some clever person built a liquor store right over the county line, and every Friday night, there was a line of cars headed to and from that location. I still insist that person retired a millionaire!
No story about Vernon would be complete without mentioning the local cuisine. There were some fantastic places to eat. I fondly remember the spaghetti at the Pizza Point (for some reason, I never liked pizza), my first taste of Chinese food at the Canton Café, my initial sampling of Mexican food at Taco Casa, and an excellent steakhouse out on the highway whose name I can't recall.
Another cherished memory involves watching movies at the Plaza Theater downtown. The first movie my family ever saw together was "The Apple Dumpling Gang," a Disney comedy set in the Old West featuring Don Knotts and Tim Conway. I also enjoyed watching countless cartoons and even a few Godzilla movies there. My lifelong love of movies was certainly nurtured there, so I don't need to elaborate too much on that.
Check Out: Vernon, Texas - Where The Real West Begins | Lone Star State Adventures
One memory that I often revisit is my first experience playing in the snow. On Thanksgiving Day, the weather was unusually warm. I remember playing outside in just a short-sleeved shirt. The next morning, my mom woke me up, clearly excited. I looked out my window to find my backyard transformed into a winter wonderland, covered in about a foot of snow overnight. It was a delightful surprise!
After four years in Vernon, my father decided he’d had enough of small-town life and moved us to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he spent some time in the service. I loved living there, too, but part of me wishes we had stayed in Texas. To sum it up, I owe a lot of who I am as a person to my experiences in Vernon. That’s why it holds such a special place in my heart. I have often thought about moving back there; maybe someday I will—who knows?
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