Plenty of 'Texas' to go around Unique items spotlight Lone Star State

By LORI COPE | East Texas Edition

The montage of 'Texas" words was created by Rick Vanderpool in attempt to 'show' Texans something new.

November 27, 2003 -- Texas offers plenty of uniqueness - from its people to its scenery. And since the season of celebration draws nigh, it's a good time to spotlight a few favorite Lone Star State commemorative items.

One Northeast Texas man had a good idea several years ago. Rick Vanderpool of Commerce set out to "show Texans something new and different." That was 1994 - and 20,500 miles and all 254 county seats later - Vanderpool has a wonderful collection of "Texas" photographs.

"I was mostly looking for Texas; simply the word, as part of an old sign on the side of a barn, on a once-bustling store's front, or a brand new sign welcoming visitors to a revitalized Main Street. Tiny or huge. Fashioned from neon and glass, metal, wood, stone, or plastic. On t-shirts and banners, jackets or caps, leather belts, boots, and saddles," Vanderpool said. "Anywhere. Any material. And with character - as in worn, weathered, carved, etched, painted, stitched, tooled, scrawled, scratched or sculpted."

Vanderpool related the task of finding "Texas" was easier than expected. "The word is everywhere. And not always visible at first glance. ... One Saturday morning I had to lie flat out on a downtown sidewalk to photograph it as part of the foundry plate on the base of an iron column in Henderson (Rusk County)."

The photographer admits he still looks for the word; "probably always will." His collection of over 1,000 black-and-white and color photographs, plus "notes and stories" from his travels are published by Republic of Texas Press in a book called "Looking for Texas: Essays From The Coffee Ring Journal."

The best of Vanderpool's pictures, a print montage of 134 Texas images, is available in shops and galleries around the state, including the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History and the Stockyards Station Gallery in Fort Worth; Cavendar's Boot City stores; Home on the Range in McKinney; Texas True in Tyler; Marshall Pottery; Eddie Deen's Ranch in Dallas; and the Heard Museum in McKinney (just to name a few).

Rick, and wife Judy Vanderpool, also offer their Texas images as prints and original, hand-tinted photographs each month at the First Monday Trade Days in Canton. Their booth is at the entrance to Arbor II.

Another unique Texas item that can be shared are the books by Dallas veterinarian Dr. David Carlton. Anyone who has enjoyed the James Herriott books about this English vet's life and situations, then Dallas Doc and Texas Doc will bring plenty of grins, and a few tears, to even the toughest Texas cowboy.

The books offer informative veterinarian perspectives on livestock and small animals, but it's the personal accounts of the veterinarian's visits to Texas farms and ranches, and even unique in-office visits, are highly entertaining.

These paperback books are signed by the veterinarian when ordered: 800-730-1834 or www.dallasdoc.net.

While thumbing through the recent Texas Highways magazine, there's a nice spread on "Texas" items, including a Texas Lone Star T-shirt, cap, calendars, a music CD with artists like Johnny Gimble and The Cox Family, and a favorite - the "Big Texas Coffee Mug" that holds 15 ounces and has some great-looking Texas images on it. (800-839-4997 or online at www.texashighways.com)

On the Internet, there are plenty of websites that offer Texas-style items, such as the Texas Department of Agriculture's Go Texan site (www.gotexan.org), yet one ideal for vehicle owners is the Native Texan license plate. The plate costs $30, plus the normal vehicle registration. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT) receive $22 out of the $30 for preserving Texas historic sites and funding educational programs that teach Texas history. The county tax assessor-collector's office has information about ordering the special license plate.