Five stories that have North Texas talking: Most Texans oppose Donald Trump’s proposal to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico; the Lakewood Theater was made an official historic landmark; Dallas Arboretum breaks ground on edible garden slated to open next fall; and more.
In a state as big as Texas, naming every part of it would be an understandable challenge. But, some of the names of the cities, municipalities and unincorporated towns of Texas are just plain strange. Estately dug up the oddest monikers in all 50 states. Here’s what they found for the Lone Star State:
Bacon, Bangs, Beans, Bee Cave, Best, Bigfoot, Blackjack, Bluntzer, Bobo, Bootleg, Bugtussle, Cat Spring, Coyote Acres, Cut and Shoot, Dime Box, Ding Dong, El Gato, Earth, Goodnight, Gun Barrel City, Happy, Humble, Hoop and Holler, Hornbeak, Knickerbocker, Latex, Log Cabin, Lovelady, Muleshoe, Nada, Noodle, Oatmeal, Personville, Raisin, Scissors, Scurry, Smiley, Snook, Spearman, Tarzan, Uncertain, Whiteface, Who’d Thought It (ghost town), Zipperlandville
There's more where that came from — plan a road trip to Jot 'Em Down, Woman Hollering Creek and DISH.
A little history on Ding Dong: It was founded in the 1930s by settlers Bert and Zulis Bell. One day, a hired hand was painting a sign for the Bells’ country store, and he painted two bells on the sign and labeled them Bert and Zulis. A neighbor had the humorous notion to tell the painter to include the words “Ding Dong” on the sign, and whaddaya know, the name stuck. [Estately Blog, TexasHillCountry.com, KERA News]
- Most Texans are opposed to a border wall, according to results from a Texas Lyceum Poll. The poll was conducted among 1,000 Texans between Sept. 1 and Sept. 11. Fifty-nine percent of people said they oppose building a wall along the border to try to stop illegal immigration, and 54 percent believe immigration helps the United States more than it hurts it. WFAA reports the poll “covered a variety of topics that included immigration, voter ID, Medicaid and ride-hailing regulation. Those polled believe immigration is the number one issue facing the state and the economy the number one issue facing the nation.” Explore the results. [WFAA]
- Lakewood Theater, "the soul of East Dallas," was deemed an official historic landmark. After Landmark Commission chair Katherine Seale took the fate of the long-vacant theater into her own hands a year ago, Dallas City Council on Wednesday finally voted 15-0 in favor of landmark status for the 78-year-old treasure, The Dallas Morning News reports. Before, preservationists and Lakewood residents had feared demolition or reconfiguration of the theater for years, so Seale initiated landmark designation to get the process started without the owners' consent. However, a year later, the risk paid off. [The Dallas Morning News]
In other news: The Dallas City Council just made the Lakewood Theater an official historic landmark. Story coming. pic.twitter.com/BuklCtiAuV
— Robert Wilonsky (@RobertWilonsky) September 14, 2016
- By next fall, there will be an edible garden in the Dallas Arboretum. A Tasteful Place will be built on 2 acres of undeveloped land next to the dining terrace on the entry plaza,The Dallas Morning News reports. It will have an orchard, vineyard, flowers, vegetables, fruits, herbs and a 3,600-square-foot pavilion with a dining room and teaching kitchen overlooking the garden and lake, according to the Morning News. The garden’s purpose seems primarily educational; programming will include classes, tastings, horticultural demonstrations, workshops and festivals. [The Dallas Morning News]
- How does a Dallas Tex-Mex restaurant celebrate its 98th anniversary? With 98-cent enchiladas. El Fenix, a family-owned operation in Dallas until 2008 when it was sold to Firebird Restaurant Group, will offer cheese enchilada plates under a $1 today to dine-in guests. GuideLive notes a disclosure: “El Fenix's 98-cent enchilada deal is available exclusively at the flagship restaurant in downtown Dallas. The plate includes two cheese enchiladas topped with chili con carne and served with rice and beans. Limit one order per guest and no substitutions allowed. Offer is valid all day.” [GuideLive]
