Top O' Hill Terrace

Top O' Hill Terrace PDF Author: Vickie Bryant
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 9780738585277
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 132

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Book Description
If the saga of Top O' Hill Casino becoming Arlington Baptist College were written as fiction, readers would dismiss it as improbable and impossible. The story of a tearoom evolving into the gambling hot spot of North Central Texas that was then acquired by a fiery gospel preacher, who foretold its transformation into a Baptist seminary and ultimately an accredited Bible college, is stranger than fiction yet absolutely true. The rich and famous enjoyed rubbing shoulders with the mysterious and notoriously infamous, and if large amounts of money were involved, so much the better. Stir in fabulous racehorses, flashy stage and screen stars, singers, dancers, well-known bandleaders and bands, and the tale becomes enthralling.

Top O' Hill Terrace

Top O' Hill Terrace PDF Author: Vickie Bryant
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 9780738585277
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 132

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Book Description
If the saga of Top O' Hill Casino becoming Arlington Baptist College were written as fiction, readers would dismiss it as improbable and impossible. The story of a tearoom evolving into the gambling hot spot of North Central Texas that was then acquired by a fiery gospel preacher, who foretold its transformation into a Baptist seminary and ultimately an accredited Bible college, is stranger than fiction yet absolutely true. The rich and famous enjoyed rubbing shoulders with the mysterious and notoriously infamous, and if large amounts of money were involved, so much the better. Stir in fabulous racehorses, flashy stage and screen stars, singers, dancers, well-known bandleaders and bands, and the tale becomes enthralling.

Arlington

Arlington PDF Author: Evelyn Barker
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 9780738579818
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 132

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Book Description
Historians dispute the founding of Arlington. Some say Arlington started in 1848 when Col. Middleton Tate Johnson started the settlement called Johnson's Station, a forerunner of Arlington. Others say it was 1876, when the railroad arrived, or 1877, when the post office was established. Still others claim 1884 as the founding, because that was when city leaders incorporated Arlington, naming the town after the home of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Whatever date one chooses for the founding, there is no question that Arlington has grown from its frontier origins into the entertainment center of North Texas. Highlights of Arlington's development include Depression-era gambling at Top O' Hill and Arlington Downs, Progressive values in the Berachah Home for Erring Girls, higher education through the University of Texas at Arlington, and economic expansion with General Motors. More recently, energetic citizens like former mayor Tommy Vandergriff helped bring two professional sports teams to Arlington. Today the Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys share top billing with the city's other signature attractions--Six Flags Over Texas and Hurricane Harbor.

Gangster Tour of Texas

Gangster Tour of Texas PDF Author: T. Lindsay Baker
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
ISBN: 1603442588
Category : True Crime
Languages : en
Pages : 353

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Book Description
Bonnie and Clyde, Machine Gun Kelly, the Newton Boys, the Santa Claus Bank Robbers. . . . During the era of gangsters and organized crime, Texas hosted its fair share of guns and gambling, moonshine and morphine, ransom and robbery. The state’s crime wave hit such a level that in 1927 the Texas Bankers Association offered a reward of $5,000 for a dead bank robber; no reward was given for one captured alive. Veteran historian T. Lindsay Baker brings his considerable sleuthing skills to the dark side, leading readers on a fascinating tour of the most interesting and best preserved crime scenes in the Lone Star State. Gangster Tour of Texas traces a trail of crime that had its beginnings in 1918, when the Texas legislature outlawed alcohol, and persisted until 1957, when Texas Rangers closed down the infamous casinos of Galveston. Baker presents detailed maps, photographs of criminals, victims, and law officers, and pictures of the crime scenes as they appear today. Steeped in solid historical research, including personal visits by the author to every site described in the book, this volume offers entertaining and informative insights into a particularly lawless period in our nation’s history. Readers interested in true crime, regional history, or this unique aspect of heritage tourism will derive hours of enjoyment as they follow--on the road or from their armchairs--the trail of both cops and robbers in Gangster Tour of Texas. “Baker knows how to spin a yarn that keeps his readers engrossed; knows that it does history no harm to write it so folks will enjoy many illustrations, maps, and pictures of outlaws, lawmen, victims, witnesses, and crime scenes that accompany each story. Plus, his picture captions are as informative as his story narratives."--Bill Neal, author, Getting Away with Murder on the Texas Frontier

J. Frank Norris

J. Frank Norris PDF Author: Michael E. Schepis
Publisher: WestBow Press
ISBN: 1449732968
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 264

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Book Description
As one of the most fascinating and sensational personalities, J. Frank Norris, has become a forgotten figure of the twentieth century, as many people today have never heard of him. This fascinating true story takes you from his poverty as a child to the pastor of the largest church in America where he later became friend of presidents and giants of industry. I would love to have known him personally. He (J. Frank Norris) was a great, positive influence and wonderful example for pastors. Dr. Charles Stanley, pastor of First Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia, and founder of In Touch Ministries J. Frank Norris, without a doubt, in my own thinking, was the greatest preacher of the twentieth century and I knew a good many of the great oneshe stood head and shoulders above all of them. Dr. John Rawlings, The Rawlings Foundation Administrator The life of J. Frank Norris was filled with stories of adventure, courage, faith and dangerthe stuff from which legends are made. He met opposition head on and did not fear any man. Dr. Homer Ritchie, author and evangelist During the first half of the Twentieth Century J. Frank Norris was the most dynamic, controversial, and successful pastor of that era. There will never be another like him. Dr. James O. Combs, Provost, Louisiana Baptist University

Prohibition in Dallas & Fort Worth

Prohibition in Dallas & Fort Worth PDF Author: Rita Cook
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 1625840403
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 173

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Book Description
A place with "wild men and wilder women," 1920s Dallas boasted one bar for every one hundred people, and a thirsty Texan could find a drink nearly anywhere. Although home to the Texas Anti-Saloon League, drinks never stopped pouring in Dallas and Fort Worth, fueled by the likes of Jack Ruby, Benny Binion, saloons and dance halls. Homegrown moonshine and bathtub gin yielded specialty recipes that today's barkeeps have honed into tasty concoctions for a contemporary palate. Join Rita Cook as she explores prohibition in Dallas and Fort Worth and learn from Jeffrey Yarbrough and his band of local mixologists about their modern takes on classic drinks so readers can step back in time, drink in hand.

Legendary Locals of Arlington, Texas

Legendary Locals of Arlington, Texas PDF Author: Lea Worcester
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 1467100587
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 130

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Book Description
The people of Arlington have always had a can-do spirit. There's Carrie Rogers, the society matron who became marshal; Tillie Burgin, who changed the face of social services in Arlington; and Tom Vandergriff, the boy mayor who stayed on the job for 26 years. When educational opportunities were deemed inadequate, Edward E. Rankin and other leading citizens founded and supported a school that grew into the University of Texas at Arlington. Before there was the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, Jim Hayes opened the eyes of Arlington leaders to the difficulties of navigating the University of Texas at Arlington and the city in a wheelchair. Never willing to be overshadowed by Dallas or Fort Worth, their larger neighbors to the east and west, Arlington residents embraced industry and progress, and their enterprising spirit attracted the notice of the nation. Today, the city boasts major businesses and attractions--General Motors, Six Flags, the Texas Rangers, and the Dallas Cowboys--and continues to grow thanks to the aspirations of its people.

Blood Aces

Blood Aces PDF Author: Doug J. Swanson
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0143127586
Category : True Crime
Languages : en
Pages : 369

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Book Description
A rip-roaring saga of murder, money, and the making of Las Vegas They say in Vegas you can’t understand the town unless you understand Benny Binion—mob boss, casino owner, and creator of the World Series of Poker. Beginning as a Texas horse trader, Binion built a gambling empire in Depression-era Dallas. When the law chased him out of town, he loaded up suitcases with cash and headed for Vegas. The place would never be the same. Dramatic as any gangster movie, Blood Aces draws readers into the colorful world of notorious mobsters like Clyde Barrow and Bugsy Siegel. Given access to previously classified government documents, biographer Doug J. Swanson provides the definitive account of a great American antihero, a man whose rise from thugdom to prominence and power is unmatched in the history of American criminal justice.

The Back Of Beyond

The Back Of Beyond PDF Author: Claire Coleman
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 1493107437
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 539

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Book Description
“Kiwi”—a small, flightless, nocturnal bird which is native to, and the national symbol of, New Zealand. We travelled around the United States and Canada for twelve months towing a camper, touching on all forty-eight contiguous states and eight Canadian Provinces. As we tried to support the American economy the only way we knew how—by sticking to the secondary roads, stopping at all the small towns, and buying beer at all the backwoods bars—we were continually asked the same questions: “What are you?”—“We’re Kiwis.” “Where are you from?”—“New Zealand, but we live in Australia.” “What are you doing here?”—“We want to see every State, learn all the history, and experience what it is like to live as an American.” “Why?”—“Because America gets such a bad rap around the world, we want to find out for ourselves if it is justified . . . and if you really are as good as you think you are . . .”

Old Riot, New Ranger

Old Riot, New Ranger PDF Author: Bob Alexander
Publisher: University of North Texas Press
ISBN: 1574417401
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 545

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Book Description
Award-winning author Bob Alexander presents a biography of 20th-century Ranger Captain Jack Dean, who holds the distinction of being one of only five men to serve in both the Officer’s Corps of the Rangers and also as a President-appointed United States Marshal. Jack Dean’s service in Texas Ranger history occurred at a time when the institution was undergoing a philosophical revamping and restructuring, all hastened by America’s Civil Rights Movement, landmark decisions handed down by the United States Supreme Court, zooming advances in forensic technology, and focused efforts designed to diversify and professionalize the Rangers. His job choice caused him to circulate in the duplicitous underworld of dishonesty and criminality where twisted self-interest overrode compliance with societal norms. His biography is packed with true-crime calamities: double murders, single murders, negligent homicides, suicides, jailbreaks, manhunts, armed robberies and home invasions, kidnappings, public corruption, sexual assaults, illicit gambling, car-theft rings, dope smuggling, and arms trafficking.

The Texas Rangers in Transition

The Texas Rangers in Transition PDF Author: Charles H. Harris
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
ISBN: 0806163658
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 657

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Book Description
Official Texas Ranger Bicentennial™ Publication Newly rich in oil money, and all the trouble it could buy, Texas in the years following World War I underwent momentous changes—and those changes propelled the transformation of the state’s storied Rangers. Charles H. Harris III and Louis R. Sadler explore this important but relatively neglected period in the Texas Rangers’ history in this book, a sequel to their award-winning The Texas Rangers and the Mexican Revolution: The Bloodiest Decade, 1910–1920. In a Texas awash in booze and oil in the Prohibition years, the Rangers found themselves riding herd on gamblers and bootleggers, but also tasked with everything from catching murderers to preventing circus performances on Sunday. The Texas Rangers in Transition takes up the Rangers’ story at a time of political turmoil, as the largely rural state was rapidly becoming urban. At the same time, law enforcement was facing an epidemic of bank robberies, an increase in organized crime, the growth of the Ku Klux Klan, Prohibition enforcement—new challenges that the Rangers met by transitioning from gunfighters to criminal investigators. Steeped in tradition, reluctant to change, the agency was reduced to its nadir in the depths of the Depression, the victim of slashed appropriations, an antagonistic governor, and mediocre personnel. Harris and Sadler document the further and final change that followed when, in 1935, the Texas Rangers were moved from the governor’s control to the newly created Department of Public Safety. This proved a watershed in the Rangers’ history, marking their transformation into a modern law enforcement agency, the elite investigative force that they remain to this day.