May 24, 2012 - If there was ever a Texas town that could be said to have a great future behind it, Indianola is -- or was -- that town. That has been true for a long time. The furies and extremes of Texas Gulf Coast weather were fully realized, twice , in a short amount of time at Indianola. The first edition of the "Handbook of Texas" sums it up pretty well: "Of the many ghost town of Texas, none lived longer, none throve better, and none died as tragic a death."

May 17, 2012 - John Bankhead Magruder wasn't a real prince, but he was often called "Prince John" in the social hub of Newport Rhode Island, where he acquired the informal title. A native Virginian, Magruder graduated 15th in his class at West Point in 1826, at age 20. Like a lot of officers who would later serve on one side or the other during the Civil War, Magruder padded his military resume with service in the Mexican War, where he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and was a favorite of U.S. commander Gen. Winfield Scott.