Texas History Headlines - 1838 - Mirabeau Lamar elected Second President of Texas

Born This Date
Hank Thompson born in Waco
WACO (1925)

On this date in 1925, country singer, Hank Thompson is born in Waco. He was the first singer of any genre to chart in six different decades.

President Lamar
AUSTIN

(1838)

On this date in 1838, Mirabeau B Lamar is elected the second President of the Republic of Texas. He narrowly lost to Sam Houston in the first election, and was a rival of Houston's for this election, Houston having endorced two other candidates each of whom died before the election, one drowned and one by suicide.

Crime Desk
Ketchum Gang robs train in New Mexico
FOLSOM NM

(1897)

On this date in 1897, the Ketchum gang, led by Texas born Thomas "Black Jack" Ketchum, robbed a train near Folsom, New Mexico, making off with about $20,000 in gold and $40,000 in silver.
   This was one in many such train robberies, which netted the gang a total of over $100,000. And the gang loved spending it.
   Black Jack's handsome looks and smooth talk made it easy for him to hide his past and fit into local society, all the while living high on his stolen loot.
   By 1901, his days of high living were over, as he was hung in a gruesome execution gone bad, in Clayton, New Mexico.

Labor Desk
Work on Turning Basin at Ship Channel begins
HOUSTON (1906) On this date in 1906 construction began on the turning basic for the Houston Ship Channel. When it is finished, the Port of Houston will be one of the busiest ports in the Nation.