Chicken Ranch anniversary: Dolph Briscoe (1923-2010)

On this date in 2010, Dolph Briscoe, the 41st governor of Texas, died. Briscoe, a long-time Uvalde rancher, is generally remembered fondly from his terms as governor for being a decent guy. But his administration did earn some dubious distinctions. Briscoe was the last Texas governor to serve a two-year term and the first to serve a four-year term. He undermined two efforts to rewrite Texas' abysmal constitution (which remains a trainwreck to this day). Briscoe once appointed a dead man to the State Health Advisory Commission, and if what I've heard is true, called a press conference in the aftermath to reassure the press and public that he hadn't lost his grip on sanity.

But what most people remember him for--and which doesn't appear in most official biographies--is that he is the governor who ordered the closure of the infamous Chicken Ranch brothel in La Grange. Ironically, Briscoe had no actual legal authority to order the Chicken Ranch (or any other brothel, for that matter) closed. But he did, hoping nobody would call his bluff. Fayette County Jim Flournoy certainly knew the governor had no authority to do so, but acquiesced to Briscoe and effectively ended a surreal two-week media circus that captured the attention of Texas as well as the rest of the country.

Governor Briscoe died after ignoring multiple interview requests from me. Way to sidestep this writer, Dolph!

While I have your attention, I'd like to share that I will be at Pantego Books in Arlington (actually Dalworthington Gardens) on July 27 of this year for a 7-9 p.m. book signing of "Inside the Texas Chicken Ranch." This is only my third signing in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 2016, so any of you local folks wanting to catch me in-person, here's your chance! Independent bookstores are the lifeblood of a community and I love to support them every chance I get. I'd love to get a good turnout for Pantego, even if you're just going to stop in to say hello. Shop local!

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