Columns & Opinions
Texas History Minute
Great storytelling is an honored tradition across the South and the Southwest. Texas, with its long history of engaging characters and adventures, has produced many tales to tell. Perhaps one of the most respected storytellers was writer and professor J. Frank Dobie.
Spate of tornadoes far outpaces the average
April was a busy month for tornadoes across the United States with 373 recorded, bringing the total for the year to 549, the Austin American-Statesman reported. That is nearly double the average at this point in the year, the National Weather Service says.
William Walter Vinson Draper
William Walter Vinson Draper was born 28 July 1864 in Harbour Co., Alabama. His parents were John S. and Margaret Reed Draper. Margaret Draper wrote in the family Bible: “J. S. Draper and family left old Alabama Harbour Co. the 3rd of November in 1869 landed in Texas the 7 of January 1870. J. S. Draper bought Mr. Lon land 28 of September 1911. We moved in our new home the last day of September.”