Best Fort Worth Weekly In Eons Has Me Wanting To Powwow

I think, if I remember right, a time or two I have mentioned that ever since a Beer Hall Putsch removed Gayle Reaves from being the brains behind the quality of Fort Worth Weekly, the quality of that weekly publication has seemed to sink.

I did not get around to reading this week's Weekly til yesterday.

Best issue since that aforementioned Beer Hall Putsch.

The Static column about Barnett Shale driller scams titled Methane High was up to a Reaveseque level of succinct pointedness, with subtle snark.

The Metropolis Third World Child Welfare article about a Fort Worth CEO's  revelations learned from a visit to Cuba was top notch.

And then there is the cover story titled The Way They Were, A once-lost silent film tied to Quanah Parker’s legacy is a bittersweet gem.

The first four paragraphs....

White Eagle has fallen for the Daughter of Dawn.

But the prettiest child of the Kiowa chief has more than one suitor. Black Wolf, despite Red Wing’s love and devotion, can offer plenty of ponies to the beautiful maiden’s father. All that White Eagle can give is himself, his bravery, and his love. The Daughter of Dawn must choose between the two men.

Sounds like a soap opera, but it’s actually a 1920 silent film.

The Daughter of Dawn was thought lost until 2005, when the 83-minute feature was discovered and restored. After screening at colleges all across the country and now becoming available on Netflix, the film written and directed by Norbert A. Myles comes to University of Texas-Arlington in February, prior to the school’s annual Powwow, a celebration of Native American culture.

Most who know me know I am an aficionado of Native American history and culture. The Cynthia Ann Parker Story is a bit of history each new generation of Americans needs to learn, along with the story of Cynthia Ann's son, Quanah, he being the last Comanche chief, and a leader who made the transition to living successfully with the American invaders.

Modern technology has made silent films very watchable, rendering them as they were originally viewed, not the jerky type motion picture that was the result of earlier tape transfer technology.

Who wants to go with me to UT Arlington in February for the Powwow viewing of The Daughter of Dawn?

Induct Sister Camella Menotti Into The National Cowgirl Hall Of Fame

When I saw this week's Fort Worth Weekly's cover article titled HABITS ON HORSEBACK: A South Texas rodeo queen became a hardworking nun, educating children from California to Tanzania  I did not think the subject would be of interest to me.

I thought wrong.

Sister Camella Menotti is an 84 year old Texas cowgirl, a long time nominee for entry into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, located in Fort Worth.

Reading the history of the life of Sister Camella Menotti I really do not see how adding the Sister to the Cowgirl Hall of Fame is not already a done deal.

A blurb from the Fort Worth Weekly article.....

"More than a decade has passed since Unsworth nominated the 84-year-old for the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Menotti wondered aloud about whether there’s still a chance she might someday join the more than 200 women who have been inducted into the prestigious circle — women such as Cynthia Ann Parker, Sacagawea..."

Sacagawea and Cynthia Ann Parker are famous cowgirls?

While both are historical figures, I am completely bum puzzled as to why either would be in the Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Sacagawea helped Lewis & Clark explore the Louisiana Purchase after Thomas Jefferson bought the land from Napoleon.

How is Sacagawea a cowgirl?

Cynthia Ann Parker's claim to fame was being kidnapped by the Comanche, eventually marrying Comanche chief Peta Nocona, with whom she had a son, known as Quanah, with Quanah Parker being the last war chief of the Comanche. Cynthia Ann Parker was eventually "rescued" from the Comanche, brought back to Texas, to Fort Worth and Tarrant County, where she soon died, some say from a broken heart, brought on by the trauma of being taken from what she considered to be her Comanche family.

How is Cynthia Ann Parker a cowgirl?

Now, Sister Camella Menotti, that is a cowgirl. That and the youngest, best looking 84 year old I have ever seen. Looking good, and young, whilst fighting the awful cancer known as multiple myeloma.

I hope the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame inducts Sister Camella Menotti soon. It's  the right thing to do....

Finding No Indian Ghosts In Fort Worth's Quanah Parker Park Before Treasure Hunting At Town Talk

No, that is not one of my regular Saturday pre-Town Talk locations you are looking at on the left.

There is a good reason this location looks very similar to my favorite photo op in on Gateway Park's mountain bike trail, because the location we are looking at here is just a mile or two east of Gateway Park.

In other words, in the picture you are at the Quanah  Parker Park overlook looking over the Trinity River.

Due to recent deluging I opted out of rolling my wheels over what would likely be mud in Gateway Park. A quiet walk in Quanah Parker Park seemed to be just what the doctor prescribed.

I don't know if any Indian Ghosts haunt Quanah Parker Park. The location of this park, as far as I know, has nothing to do with being the site of a battle or a massacre.

Years ago I edited the Wikipedia article about Quanah Parker in the section about memorials to Quanah Parker. I added Quanah Parker Park in Fort Worth and Parker County in Texas. I later learned that Parker County is not named after Quanah, but is instead named after one of Quanah's uncles. I  do not know if that particular uncle is one of Quanah's mother, Cynthia Ann's, brothers.

Cynthia Ann was kidnapped by raiding Comanches and in a sort of Patty Hearst type deal of a different century, ended up joining the tribe, then marrying the Comanche chief, Peta Nocona, after which she birthed Quanah and Quanah's little sister, Prairie Flower. Eventually Cynthia Ann And Prairie Flower were captured by Americans and returned to what the Americans thought to be civilization. Both died soon thereafter, with Quanah never seeing his mom or little sister ever again.

I just checked the Quanah Parker Wikipedia article and am pleased to see someone fixed my Parker County mistake.

After enjoying the chilling fall-like temperature for a suitable duration I was off to Town Talk where I got a lot of fresh broccoli, onions, extra sharp cheese, corn tortillas, brown rice, celery, tomatoes and other stuff I am not remembering right now.

And right now I am off to have myself a salubrious lunch, part of which will be consisting of broccoli.

Riding The Fort Worth Rail To Comanche Nation: The Story Of Quanah Parker At The Downtown Fort Worth Library

The Fort Worth Library sent me email today. One tidbit of info in the email was the shocking news that all the Fort Worth Libraries will be shut on Labor Day, that being this coming Monday.

There was a tidbit of info in the Fort Worth Library email that interested me. That being that the Downtown Central Fort Worth Library is going to putting on an exhibit from September 20 through December 15 called Comanche Nation: The Story of Quanah Parker and Cynthia Ann Parker.

If I remember correctly I have mentioned a time or two my interest in American Indian history. A couple months ago I read Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History.

Empire of the Summer Moon was an excellent telling of the Comanche history, particularly focusing on Quanah Parker. Some of this history took place in Fort Worth and surrounding areas.

I have not been to the downtown Fort Worth Library in years, not since Fort Worth lost the world's shortest subway line which made it so easy to visit beautiful downtown Fort Worth.

I think I will make the effort to check out the Comanche Nation exhibit.

Maybe I will use Fort Worth's excellent public transit system to take me downtown. That would be very adventuresome. Like getting on a carnival ride.

Fort Worth's Schools Close So Children Can See Cynthia Ann Parker

In the photo you are looking at Quanah Parker's mom, Cynthia Ann and Quanah's little sister, Topsannah (Prairie Flower). This photo was taken at A.F. Corning's studio in Fort Worth at some point in time in 1861. This photo of Cynthia Ann was taken later than the first photo of Cynthia Ann, taken in Austin, referenced below.

The following are 2 interesting paragraphs lifted from Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History.

They passed through Weatherford - the seat of Parker County, where the worst of Peta Nocona's raids had taken place - and then stopped in Fort Worth, where Cynthia Ann became an instant celebrity. It is not known why the travelers stopped here. Some accounts say it was to have a photograph taken, but the first known photograph of her - a tintype, actually - was not taken until a month later in Austin. Whatever the reasons, her arrival caused a great commotion as residents of Tarrant County (who totaled 6,020 that year) clamored to see the famous captive and her child. Her arrival was considered such an important event that local children were let out of school. They came in groups to gawk at the terrified captives, who were on display in front of a general store in downtown Fort Worth. It was sort of a freak show: Cynthia Ann was bound with rope and set out atop a large box so that everyone could see her.

Texans could not get enough of her. There were many newspaper accounts of her return, all of which were uniformly obsessed with the idea that a pretty little nine-year old white girl from a devout Baptist family had been transformed into a pagan savage who had mated with a redskin and borne his children and forgotten her mother tongue. She was thus, according to the morals of the day, grotesquely compromised. She had forsaken the virtues of Christianity for the wanton immorality of the Indian.

When the carnival in Fort Worth finally ended, Cynthia Ann's uncle, Issac Parker, took Cynthia Ann and Prairie Flower to his big log cabin in Birdsville, a house that for many years was considered the finest in Tarrant County.

Birdsville no longer exists. The town was located near the northeast side of River Legacy Park in Arlington, near Bird's Fort.

Years ago I got an email from someone telling me I should check out the Bird's Fort remains and the neglected Birdsville Cemetery. If I remember right I did manage to find the cemetery. I think whatever remained of Bird's Fort was obliterated by the mothballed Huffines development that has blighted the northeast side of River Legacy Park.

There is a historical marker in River Legacy Park that tells the short version of the history of Bird's Fort. I don't think any mention is made of Birdsville.

Methinks some effort should be made to make some sort of memorial in the former Birdsville zone. Like maybe restoring the Birdsville Cemetery. Or building a replica of Issac Parker's log cabin as a museum telling the story of Quanah Parker and his mom, Cynthia Ann.

Walking With The Spirit Of Quanah Parker & Other People Before Being Hypnotized By Naked Pecan Tree Limbs

I saw this vision of the last great Comanche Chief, Quanah Parker, today, on an acorn, when I took my daily salubrious, endorphin inducing aerobic walk, this time in the Fort Worth city park called Quanah Parker Park.

Quanah Parker was not 100% full blooded Comanche. Quanah Parker was half Texan, because his mom was a Texan named Cynthia Ann Parker.

Cynthia was a member of the large Parker tribe that settled in East Texas in the 1830s, eventually building a fort called Fort Parker, near what is now Groesbeck, Texas.

In 1836 the Comanche raided Fort Parker, likely in retaliation for depredations foisted upon them by the incoming Texans. Cynthia and her grandfather, John Parker, and other relatives, were taken captive. Grandpa John was killed. Others, included Cynthia, were tortured.

Somehow, eventually, the Comanche Chief, Peta Nocona, stopped the torture and made Cynthia his wife. Cynthia became part of the Comanche tribe, birthing 3 children, including Quanah, living happily with the Comanche for 24 years, until Cynthia was "rescued" from the savages when she was 34 years old.

Cynthia lived another 10 years, unhappily, attempting, at times, to escape the Texans to return to her adopted tribe.

I have had that feeling a time or two, that feeling of wanting to escape the Texans, to return to my adopted tribe. Then the feeling passes when I remember I don't have an adopted tribe to return to.

Today's walk with the spirit of Quanah Parker was very pleasant. One could not ask for a more perfect temperature. Today there were 3 groups, besides myself, walking on the Quanah Parker Park trail.

Quanah Parker Naked Pecan Trees

And for the first time I saw two people using one of the newly installed benches that are part of City of Fort Worth Natural Gas Revenue in Action.

I tell you, Quanah Parker Park is getting popular.

All leaves have left the Parker Pecan Trees. I like to look at the fractaling limbs of big trees after they have been stripped naked of leaves. It's hypnotic.

Speaking of fractaling. I have my window open due to the fact that it is currently 63 degrees in the outer world at my location. With the window open I can hear the dull roar of the Fracking currently going on at my neighborhood Fort Chesapeake.

I stopped at Fort Chesapeake, well, actually, I stopped on the Albertsons parking lot and walked across the street to Fort Chesapeake, to take a picture of the Fracking. But, that is a subject for a separate blogging.