Texas History Notebook

Leon Jaworski

Leonidas (Leon) Jaworski was a Texas lawyer who served as a special prosecutor during the Watergate investigation of the 1970s. Leon was born in Waco, Texas on September 9, 1905 to Joseph Jaworski of Polish descent and Marie Mira Jaworski of Austrian descent. Leon was one of four children, twin brothers Joseph Jr. and Hannibal, followed by Leon and Mary Theresa. His father, Joseph Jaworski, was an immigrant to the United States and settled with his family in Waco where he served as pastor of an Evangelical Church. Joseph and Marie had married in Austria in 1901. Soon thereafter they had come to the United States with their two infant sons, Joe Jr. and Hannibal.

Spade Ranches

The Spade Ranch (also referred to either as the Spade Renderbrook or the Renderbrook Spade Ranch) takes its name from J. F. “Spade” Evans, who was an early co-owner of the property with Henry Sanborn, who was called the “Father of Amarillo.” Their first property was in Donley County east of Clarendon and amounted to twenty-three sections of land, about 15,000 acres more or less. This property, livestock and Spade brand were all sold to Isaac Leonard Ellwood in 1889.

Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla

Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, called the Father of Mexico, was born in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico on May 8, 1752. He died when he was executed on July 30, 1811. He is considered a national hero of Mexico. Father Hidalgo was born in Penjamo, Guanajuato. He studied at the College of San Francisco, a Jesuit school, in the town now known as Morelia. After the Jesuits were expelled from Mexico, he received further education there at the College of San Nicolas Obispo. Hidalgo was considered a good student. He was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1778 after which he taught in the school and held numerous positions in the church. Various articles note that as he was receiving his education and later serving as a priest, he came to be influenced by injustices experienced by Mexican citizens under Spanish rule. He was assigned to the position of parish priest at Dolores, Guanajuato in 1808, after which he became involved in Mexico’s independence movement.

Kitty O’Neal

Kitty Linn O’Neil was likely best known as a stunt woman in television and films, but she led a very active life. She was born on March 24, 1946 in Corpus Christi to John Thomas O’Neil and Patsy Linn Compton O’Neil. Her father was of Irish descent and her mother’s ancestry was Cherokee. Her father died in March, 1950 in California, apparently from complications of an earlier heart attack. Photographs of him often show him in a rugby uniform. He had competed in the Olympic Games in 1924. A death notice in the San Antonio Light issue of March 26, 1950 tells that he had been in the oil business in San Antonio since 1933. Marriage records show that he and Patsy had married in 1940. Two children were born to the couple, Kitty in 1946 and John in 1947. However, in the death notice, there is no mention of Patsy, Kitty or John. Their marital status at the time of his death is unknown.

The Last Picture Show (1971)

The Last Picture Show was the 1971 film adaptation of Larry McMurtry’s novel of the same name. McMurtry’s 1966 release was the first of five books McMurtry wrote about life in Texas. Other McMurtry books related to “The Last Picture Show” are “Texasville,” “Duane’s Depressed,” “When the Light Goes Out” and “Rhino Ranch.” “Texasville” was also adapted to a film.