Livingston, TX. Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation. Lake Livingston. ‘River Monsters’. Birding. Escapees. SKP CARE. Trade Days. St. Joseph, MI. Traffic Signal. Royal Wedding.

For “Travel Tuesday”.  Lets visit Livingston, TX, in The Piney Woods region.     Texas Piney Woods is one of the seven regions in TX.
Experience the warmth and Southern hospitality of the Texas Piney Woods Region. This beautiful forest land offers visitors a glimpse of the history of the Republic of Texas and early statehood times. The Texas Piney Woods offers some of the best fishing, down home cooking, championship golf and family activities in the Lone Star State. Discover the Southern Hospitality of the Texas Piney Woods Region.
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Livingston, TX.

“Livingston is a town in Polk County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,335 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Polk County. Livingston was settled in 1835 as Springfield. Its name was changed to Livingston and became the county seat of Polk County in 1846.”
History:
“Moses L. Choate, a native of Livingston, Tennessee, had started a settlement called Springfield on his land grant in 1835, and wanted the seat of government located there when Polk County was organized out of Liberty County in 1846. He offered to give the new county one hundred acres of land if Springfield was selected as County Seat and the name of the town be changed to Livingston, for his former home in Tennessee. Although this was very generous offer made by Choate, the legislature required that an election be held to determine the location of the County Seat for the newly organized Polk County. Thus, by election in June 1846, Springfield was decided upon and the name was changed to Livingston.
The Livingston Telephone Company, Polk County's first utility, was organized August 3, 1903.  Forty telephones, each on its own line, were placed into service.  The outside plant was rebuilt in 1909 and the first creosote pine poles in Polk County.
The Livingston Power Plant was established in 1905 using a small wood-fired steam engine of about 20-horse power. Fifteen homes were wired with lines and since lighting was the sole use, this power plant gave service only at night for five years. The company was operated by two men; the manager and a lineman. During the first two years, the revenue did not reach $100.00 a month.  In 1907, the plant was sold for $2,000.00 to a group of local businessmen. Several business houses installed electric fans about 1910 and household appliances were becoming available; so the output was increased to include daylight service.













The story of the old Keys Hotel as told by Mrs. W. T. Epperson (from POLK COUNTY ENTERPRISE, October 13, 1938) "It was in the year of 1860 when I was a child of four years, we arrived at the Andress' Inn by way of stage coach. The Inn, situated on the south side of the present courthouse of Polk County, was the only hostelry in town.
"It consisted of two large rooms and a hall downstairs, two rooms upstairs, and a kitchen out in the back yard. Here the meals were prepared on A huge fireplace. The large dinner bell that could be heard all over the town, is now owned by the Masonic Lodge of Livingston.
"The bedsteads for the guests were hand carved and laced together with ropes that served as springs. Sills of the Inn were hand hewed logs about 12 x 12. As the county prospered, a new courthouse was built and the old courthouse of one large room was purchased by Mr. Andress. This he attached to the Inn and used it as a dining room. In this room square dances were enjoyed.
"The passing of Mr. and Mrs. Andress left the Inn to their only heir and daughter, Mrs. H. C. Keys, who as proprietress, added several rooms and discarded the kitchen in the yard for a "modern" attached kitchen with a cook stove.  The name of the house was then known as the Keys Hotel. In later years, Mrs. Epperson, granddaughter-in-law of Mrs. Keys, took charge of the hotel and remained its proprietress until 1907, when the property was sold for building purposes."



Buildings still standing which were built of locally produced brick include the Ward Jones building, the H. B. Davis store, and the J. W. Cochran building. The Jones building was originally built for the First National Bank in 1902.”




The Sawyer House





























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The Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation is just to the East of Livingston. The 2000 census reported a resident population of 480 persons within the reservation.

“Nestled deep in the Big Thicket of East Texas lies Texas' oldest Indian Reservation, home of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas. Approximately 500 tribal members call these 4,600 acres of timberland near Livingston, Texas in Polk County their home. The Alabama-Coushatta goes to great lengths to honor their heritage while they carefully consider how decisions made today will affect the Tribe and its families seven generations forward and seven generations back. This traditional philosophy, combined with a faith-based focus on daily living, helps them stay committed to bettering themselves and their community.”
“We are a proud people who have occupied this area since the late 1700's, before Texas became a state.” http://www.alabama-coushatta.com/Home.aspx
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Lake Livingston

Location Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity and Walker Counties, Texas
“Lake Livingston is a reservoir located in the East Texas Piney Woods. Lake Livingston was built, and is owned and operated, by the Trinity River Authority of Texas (TRA) under contract with the City of Houston for water supply purposes. The lake is one of the largest lakes constructed for water supply purposes located totally within the State of Texas, 16,616 sq miles, shore length over 450 miles, surface area of 83,000 acres.  Only the Sam Rayburn Reservoir is larger.









The Livingston Dam, constructed across the Trinity River approximately 7 miles (11 km) southwest of the city of Livingston is 2.5 miles (4 km) in length and has an average depth of 55 feet (17 m).

Lake Livingston was featured on the third episode of the first season of the television show, River Monsters, which airs on Animal Planet.
The host, Jeremy Wade, was searching for alligator gar.






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Birding on Lake Livingston

“Polk County has more than 300 species of migratory and nesting birds, many endangered or threatened species.  Lake Livingston is home to several magnificent bald eagles.
Waterwood Wildlife Trail - Listen and watch for pileated woodpeckers, red headed woodpeckers, white-eyed vireos, great crested flycatchers, Northern Cardinals, Chickadees, and spring and fall migrants. Around the water you may also see White Pelicans in October, and swallows, scissored-tailed flycatchers and Purple Martins in spring and summer.”     More at: http://www.experiencelakelivingston.com/html/birding.html





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Lake Livingston has Something for Everyone
“Whether you are looking to cool off from the hot summer sun, play in the water, go fishing or relax and enjoy the beautiful views, Lake Livingston has what you’re looking for.   

Fishing and Hunting on Lake Livingston One of the best fishing lakes in the state of Texas, Lake Livingston is home to many fish species including catfish, white bass, black bass, crappie, and stripers. Lake Livingston even has a large population of gar for those bow fishermen. Lake Livingston also has many areas ideal for duck hunting.
Plenty of Activities on Lake Livingston Save time for some of Lake Livingston's most popular activities. Lake Livingston has plenty of open water for water skiing, wake boarding, tubing and sail boating. Kayak up a creek, or anchor your boat at Pine Island for a picnic and a swim. Horseback riding and nature trails are available at nearby state parks as well.


Enjoy Nature on Lake Livingston.  Bring your binoculars, Lake Livingston is home to a number of nesting pairs of bald eagles. Lake Livingston is also located on the migratory bird trail. Thousands of birds migrating from North America and Canada down to their winter home in Mexico and south America fly over Lake Livingston. It is also a stopover point for Monarch butterflies on their annual trek to Mexico for the winter. Nearby you will find the Big Thicket Nature Preserve, as well as the Lake Livingston State Park and Sam Houston National Forest.”
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http://www.escapees.com/NonMembers/History.aspx

“Rainbow’s End, in Livingston, Texas, became the Escapees headquarters in April 1984. Located in East Texas, it is six miles from Livingston and approximately 70 miles north of Houston. Rainbow’s End was the first park created, followed by seven more Rainbow Parks, eleven SKP Co-Op parks and two new Escapees Rainbow Parks Unlimited parks.

What is a SKP? SKP was originally used as an abbreviation of Escapees. (Say S-K-P fast and it sounds like Escapees.) Many members began calling themselves SKiPs because it was easier to say. It has become a commonly used nickname. Escapees (SKPs) are Special Kinds of People who are always ready to help each other, but S-K-P can more accurately be used to designate the three distinct concepts on which the club is built.” More at: http://www.escapees.com/AboutUs.aspx


Escapees Mail Forwarding Service.
Escapees offers a multitude of services, which include a mail forwarding service that caters to your personal needs, discount park system, as well as discounts on affiliated services. The fee to join Escapees is $60 per year with an enrollment fee of $10.
Mail Room at SKP, Livingston




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http://www.escapeescare.org/
CARE answers the question, "What happens to full-time RVers when they cannot take care of their own or their spouse's needs following an illness, injury, surgery, or the progression of a long-term health situation?"  CARE is a place where you will receive professional help for the things you may no longer be able to do. It is not a nursing home. Its goal is to delay or eliminate the need for a nursing home.”





http://www.escapeescare.org/volunteering.php
Would you like to be a volunteer?
If you have a desire to share yourself, your experiences, and your skills with others who really appreciate you, Escapees CARE would like to offer you the opportunity of joining the volunteer teams.
There are two ways to volunteer. One is as a Day Volunteer. If you cannot volunteer for a month or more, but will be staying at the Rainbow's End RV Park, come over and volunteer for a few hours. We have a number of jobs that you can do at your leisure.
The other way to volunteer at Escapees CARE is as a Resident Volunteer. You volunteer for a minimum of one month. You will have a site with full hook-ups, three (3) meals per day, seven days a week, and the knowledge that you took a month or two to make many seniors lives brighter. You pay your own electric and propane. You will work a weekly schedule. Depending on the number of volunteer teams on site, you will be scheduled to work 24 hours or more per week.”

Rainbow's End RV Park, Livingston.
http://www.rvparking.com/tx/livingston/rainbows-end-rv-park
Other Rainbow Parks are listed alphabetically by state below, but Livingston is the only one with Mail Forwarding and CARE.    Summerdale, Alabama,     Congress, Arizona,   Bushnell, Florida,   Hollister, Missouri,  Deming, New Mexico,  Heiskell, Tennessee,  Livingston, Texas,  Pecos, Texas.   
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Livingston Trade Days
“Trade Days is conveniently located just 2/10 mile off the 59 freeway, in the center of Livingston, Texas, one hour north of Houston Intercontinental Airport and one hour south of Lufkin.


Open year-round on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday before the third Monday of each month, Trade Days is set on over 200 acres in Livingston’s scenic Pedigo Park.

Shoppers peruse through two covered pavilions and open air lots that are host to a wide variety of food, arts, crafts, collectible and antique vendors. This great environment welcomes families, day-trippers and outdoor enthusiasts who come to enjoy a few hours at the park. With hundreds of vendors and an eclectic selection of wares, there’s something for everyone.”  http://www.cityoflivingston-tx.com/tradedays/
That’s enough about Livingston, for now!
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On This Day:

Blacksnake Hills trading post is renamed St. Joseph, Nov 20, 1843:

“Established as the Blacksnake Hills trading post in 1826, the growing community along the banks of the Missouri River adopts the more impressive St. Joseph as its name.
As with many early western towns, St. Joseph began as a fur trading post. The French-Canadian Joseph Robidoux III shrewdly located his Blacksnake Hills post at the entrance to the Indian-controlled Platte country so he could trade cloth, metal pots, and other manufactured goods for Native Americans' furs. As the numbers of Anglo settlers in the region increased and the fur-bearing animals disappeared, though, the Indians were steadily squeezed out. In June 1836, the Platte territory became part of the new state of Missouri.

Although the fur trade declined after the 1830s, the town nonetheless prospered and continued to grow as a popular gateway to the West for overland travelers. No longer a mere trading post, the city leaders decided their little town needed a more impressive title than Blacksnake Hills and renamed it St. Joseph. The number of overland emigrants picking St. Joseph as a rendezvous spot and jumping-off point for their westbound wagon trains continued to grow, and the town prospered by providing these emigrants with the food, wagons, stock animals, and the many other supplies they needed to make the westward journey. In 1849 alone, more than 2,000 wagons crossed the Missouri River there. The emigrant demand for meat led some innovative St. Joseph businessmen to begin large-scale hog raising and meatpacking operations, two businesses that continued to play a major role in the town's economy well into the 1950s.
By 1859, St. Joseph was the second largest city in Missouri, surpassed only by St. Louis. With the arrival of the railroad that same year, St. Joseph became the eastern terminus of the short-lived Pony Express, which picked up mail delivered by train to St. Joseph and brought it by horseback to California from 1860 to 1861.

After the Civil War, Kansas City began to eclipse St. Joseph as the major western travel hub and crossroad for western emigrants. Its proximity to the southern cattle trails and Hannibal Bridge across the Missouri, which eliminated the need for ferries, made it a more attractive stop than St. Joseph.”
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Garrett Morgan patents three-position traffic signal, Nov 20, 1923:

“On this day in 1923, the U.S. Patent Office grants Patent No. 1,475,074 to 46-year-old inventor and newspaperman Garrett Morgan for his three-position traffic signal. Though Morgan's was not the first traffic signal (that one had been installed in London in 1868), it was an important innovation nonetheless: By having a third position besides just "Stop" and "Go," it regulated crossing vehicles more safely than earlier signals had.
Morgan, the child of two former slaves, was born in Kentucky in 1877. When he was just 14 years old, he moved north to Ohio to look for a job. First he worked as a handyman in Cincinnati; next he moved to Cleveland, where he worked as a sewing-machine repairman. In 1907, he opened his own repair shop, and in 1909 he added a garment shop to his operation. The business was an enormous success, and by 1920 Morgan had made enough money to start a newspaper, the Cleveland Call, which became one of the most important black newspapers in the nation.
Morgan was prosperous enough to have a car at a time when the streets were crowded with all manner of vehicles: Bicycles, horse-drawn delivery wagons, streetcars and pedestrians all shared downtown Cleveland's narrow streets and clogged its intersections. There were manually operated traffic signals where major streets crossed one another, but they were not all that effective: Because they switched back and forth between Stop and Go with no interval in between, drivers had no time to react when the command changed. This led to many collisions between vehicles that both had the right of way when they entered the intersection. As the story goes, when Morgan witnessed an especially spectacular accident at an ostensibly regulated corner, he had an idea: If he designed an automated signal with an interim "warning" position—the ancestor of today's yellow light—drivers would have time to clear the intersection before crossing traffic entered it.
The signal Morgan patented was a T-shaped pole with three settings. At night, when traffic was light, it could be set at half-mast (like a blinking yellow light today), warning drivers to proceed carefully through the intersection. He sold the rights to his invention to General Electric for $40,000.”
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Princess Elizabeth marries Philip Mountbatten, Nov 20, 1947:

“In a lavish wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London, Princess Elizabeth marries her distant cousin, Philip Mountbatten, a dashing former prince of Greece and Denmark who renounced his titles in order to marry the English princess.
Princess Elizabeth, heir to the British throne, was 21 years old. Philip Mountbatten, age 26, had fought as a British naval officer during World War II and was made the duke of Edinburgh on the eve of his wedding to Elizabeth. The celebrations surrounding the wedding of the popular princess lifted the spirits of the people of Britain, who were enduring economic difficulties in the aftermath of World War II.
On February 6, 1952, the death of King George VI sent Elizabeth to the throne, and Philip ended his naval career to concentrate on his new duties as consort of the British monarch. Elizabeth and Philip eventually had four children--Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward.”
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Yesterday:
Silly Me!  I had my days mixed up, and wrote this journal on Sunday, ready for Monday.  So I had to quickly throw a few things together for yesterday’s “Mammal Monday”. 
As I didn’t have to compose this on Monday, I had time to do some laundry, window cleaning, emails, plus bathe and groom Misty yesterday.