Chicken Ranch redux, redux

I know what you're thinking: "Whoa, wait! Another Inside the Texas Chicken Ranch post? What's going on here?" I know, right? I've gone a long time without taking about that particular whorehouse, and now it seems like something's coming up every other week!

Today I'm heading back to Houston, where I'll be guest speaker for the Bellaire Historical Society's monthly meeting. I mean, what better way to spend Valentine's Day than learning all about the infamous Chicken Ranch? What could be more romantic? The presentation will be held in the CenterPoint Energy Community Room at 7001 5th Street in Bellaire. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the program beginning at 7:00.

And while I have your attention, can I take a moment to point out what a fascinating character our host, Mister McKinney is? A major history buff with a passion for the story of Houston and its environs, people with this kind of passion are few and far between. If you're of a mind to, how about giving him a "Like" on Facebook? You'll be glad you did!

If you know of a civic or business group in need of a speaker who can entertain and enthrall audiences with tales of a popular, yet widely misunderstood episode of Texas history, I am accepting bookings for the remainder of 2019!

Inside the Texas Chicken Ranch: The Definitive Account of the Best Little Whorehouse is available from both Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com. It's also available as an ebook in the following formats: Kindle, Nook, Google Play, iBooks and Kobo.

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Chicken Ranch rides again!

It's been a while since I shared anything related to Inside the Texas Chicken Ranch here, but I've got a couple of upcoming events folks in the Houston area might find of interest. This Saturday, January 26, I'll be guest speaker for the Baytown Historical Preservation Association's 2019 Saturday History Lecture Series. My presentation will be held in the big red barn meeting room of the Republic of Texas Plaza, 5117 N. Main Street. Doors open at 9:30 a.m., with the program beginning at 10 p.m. I'll give an entertaining and informative audio/visual presentation filled with rare, vintage photographs and artifacts, followed by the always-popular question-and-answer session. Those are invariably a hoot. Books will be available for purchase, and I'll be happy to sign anything and everything. As a bonus, the good folks there will have the historic buildings at the Republic of Texas Plaza open for free tours afterward.

If you can't make Baytown this Saturday, you're not out of luck--the Bellaire Historical Society has booked me to give a presentation on the Chicken Ranch Thursday, February 14. Yes, that means you can learn all about the Chicken Ranch on Valentine's Day! What could be more romantic? The presentation will be held in the CenterPoint Energy Community Room at 7001 5th Street in Bellaire. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the program beginning at 7:00.

If you know of a civic or business group in need of a speaker who can entertain and enthrall audiences with tales of a popular, yet widely misunderstood episode of Texas history, I am accepting bookings for the remainder of 2019!

Inside the Texas Chicken Ranch: The Definitive Account of the Best Little Whorehouse is available from both Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com. It's also available as an ebook in the following formats: Kindle, Nook, Google Play, iBooks and Kobo.

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Chicken Ranch report: Rotary!

Good grief! I wholly intended to write up this report of my trip to La Grange last Thursday, but a whole herd of Distractions with a capital D afflicted me and, well, here we are.

My presentation to the Rotarians went swimmingly. There was a packed house, and I overheard more than one person say they'd come that day specifically for my talk. I had a full half hour to use this time, and I like to think I put it to good use. I went through my slide show--which is always popular, as I have some of the only existing photos of the inside of the Chicken Ranch--and then read my paper from the East Texas Historical Association conference, which audiences seem to find moving. After that, we had a lively Q&A session in which I learned something new that somehow hadn't come up before in my research. It seems that the first madam, Jessie Williams, was known locally as Aunt Jessie as opposed to the Miss Jessie I'd been using all this time. Which just goes to show that there are always new details and facts waiting to be uncovered.

This marked the fifth presentation I've given in La Grange on the defunct Chicken Ranch brothel in the past couple of years, and every single time there has been a significant percentage of those in the audience that regard me with wary civility. These are, invariably, the people who lived through the final years of the Chicken Ranch and suffered through the Marvin Zindler-led media circus that led to its closing. Lots of inaccurate and outright wrong things have been written about it in the ensuing years, and even more rumors and whispered stories. So it's understandable that they view me, an outsider, with no small amount of suspicion, expecting me to just repeat those old, tired stories based more in a Burt Reynolds/Dolly Parton fiction than in reality. Each time, I've won them over. I've had reports of elderly ladies planning to "set me right" only to depart with smiles and laughter. I've received emails thanking me and offering suggestions of additional sources. Following the Rotary presentation, I had folks come up and commend me for my extensive research far beyond what they thought possible--bearing in mind that this is for a 30 minute audio-visual presentation. The history book itself is 110,000 words long! But more than that, the Rotarians wanted to reminisce. I heard stories of visiting the short-lived restaurant in Dallas, scribbling down license plate numbers in the parking lot to see if any classmates were "visiting" the brothel, others whose fathers and mothers as local merchants did brisk business with the Chicken Ranch and all the philanthropic gifts Aunt Jessie and later Miss Edna made that improved the quality of life for everyone in La Grange. I also confirmed that H-E-B's "Texas Chicken Ranch Eggs" are indeed available in town.

But do you know what really topped the day off? Their presenting me with the Speaker Appreciation Award. Oh, I know it's not a Nobel or Pulitzer, but is a kind and considerate gesture and I appreciate it deeply. It's hanging on my office wall as I write this. You know, a fellow could get used to this public speaking stuff...

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Chicken Ranch report no. 53: La Grange can't get enough brothel talk!

I'm going back! Those of you keeping score at home may recall that I traveled to La Grange last Thursday to give a Chicken Ranch presentation to the Noon Lions Club. Well, the reviews are in, and they're good enough to prompt the La Grange Rotary Club to invite me back to that fair city to give another presentation! They want me there soon, too--I'm scheduled to talk to them April 1 (no joke!).

I have to say I'm getting pretty comfortable discussing the Chicken Ranch in front of large groups. I've given variations on this presentation more than half a dozen times over the past 18 months and have ironed out most of the kinks. I have a video slide show that runs 10-12 minutes, and give a reading from my paper "The Last Madam" which I originally presented at the East Texas Historical Society annual meeting a while back. That leaves a modest amount of time for audience questions and makes for a tightly-moving half hour. What's more, I've got additional material that I can present in video, audio and artifacts that can expand the presentation to fill an entire hour if need be.

To be honest, it's great fun sharing some of what I've learned with such receptive audiences, and it's gratifying when long-held rumors and myths are dispelled and understanding comes to their faces. This will mark the fifth time I've spoken in La Grange, and to say the audiences approach me and my research with some skepticism is an understatement. Most of them lived that history, or live in its shadow. I can't count how many times those people have come up afterwards and thanked me for "finally setting the record straight."

There's a strong possibility that a few more return trips to La Grange lie in my future, and that's great, because I sincerely enjoy these presentations. But I'm really looking forward to branching out and speaking in other locales. If any of you know of a civic or corporate group or event in need of an entertaining speaker with subject matter guaranteed to pack the house, go ahead and point them my direction. I'd certainly appreciate it!

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Chicken Ranch report no. 52: Lions!

I returned to La Grange today to give a Chicken Ranch presentation to the Noon Lions Club. This marks the fourth time in the past 18 months that I've been invited to that town to speak about the infamous brothel. Since many of these people lived through the events I've researched and written about, I have to believe I'm doing something right for them to keep bringing me back!

What a great bunch of people! I met so many friendly and enthusiastic folks today that everyone's names just became a big jumble once all was said and done. The running joke of the day was that I was going to ask everyone who'd visited the Chicken Ranch as a customer to stand up. I never put that question to the group, but I believe just about every other person who stood up to talk did! Since this was a lunch meeting and the membership presumably had jobs and lives to get back to, I had only a 15 minute time slot to work with. Anyone who's seen my full presentation knows I can easily fill an hour with lots of content to spare. So, rather than do my usual reading and discussion, I opted for a condensed slide show. Good call. The rare photos got a lot of attention and we had a lively talk about the various fake Chicken Ranch memorabilia available online. The ensuing Q&A session ran over long, so we cut it short, wrapped up the meeting, and then I stayed on for another half hour answering the eager questions from the club members who didn't have to get back to work. I sold a few books in the parking lot and a huge stack of my Ghosts of the Chicken Ranch postcards vanished as just about everyone present took one. Many made me promise to let them know once my actual history book on the Chicken Ranch becomes available.

After the dust settled, I had a nice long sit-down with author Joy Jones, who is writing a historical novel featuring some of the characters from events surrounding the Chicken Ranch closure, and was looking to nail down some details about them and their lives. I was a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to seeing her novel when it comes out.

Finally, on the drive back to New Braunfels, I saw a blimp flying over Flatonia. It was too hazy for me to make out any details, but the mere sight of such a massive airship floating in the sky was enough to get my heart thumping. Yes, I've got a serious thing for dirigibles, and would very much love to see a cruise industry emerge based around the enormous passenger liners like the Graf Zeppelin. At any rate, I took the blimp sighting as a good omen and smiled the rest of the way home.

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Chicken Ranch anniversary (plus news): Miss Edna (1928-2012)

It is officially official: the publisher accepted my withdrawal of my manuscript this morning, so my book is officially back on the market. That's not exactly good news, but it is better than signing a bad contract that would essentially tie up all rights and interest in the book with that publisher forever. If they were offering an outrageous advance, that'd be one thing, but they weren't. Life goes on.

And speaking of going on, and on, and on, I have accepted an invitation to be a guest speaker at the Noon Lions Club in La Grange on March 19. Time is limited, so I won't be giving my full-blown dog-and-pony show, but I'll bring along some rare photographs and copies of Ghosts of the Chicken Ranch for anyone so interested. It should be a lively Q&A session--this is the first time men from La Grange have invited me to speak, as my previous three appearances were for women of the town. And if anyone knows of organizations or libraries in need of speakers, I am available.

As for the anniversary, on this date in 2012, Edna Milton Chadwell, better known as Miss Edna, passed away at the age of 84 in Phoenix, Arizona, where she'd lived a life of quiet anonymity since the early 1980s. She would've been 87 this year.

Her final days were tragic. The previous October (or September--my memory is imprecise) she was involved in a car wreck that left her hospitalized with an array of injuries. From what I understand, her memory was affected, and her brain stopped converting short-term memory into long. In practical terms, it meant somebody could introduce themselves and begin a conversation with her, but five minutes later she'd have no recollection. Over the previous three years I feel I've gotten to know her as much as any person alive today who wasn't related to her. She enthusiastically supported my book project and graciously invited my wife and myself into her home for hours of interviews. It is my everlasting regret that I did not complete the book in time for her to have her own copy.

She never lived the kind of life she'd wanted, but she still carved out a place in Texas history for herself. For that, her memory will endure.

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Chicken Ranch: Of Sheriff Flournoy and Scarlett Hens

On this date in Chicken Ranch history, 1902 to be exact, J.T. "Big Jim" Flournoy, the larger-than-life Fayette County sheriff in the center of the epic Chicken Ranch dust-up of legend, was born. Happy birthday to Big Jim, who passed away in 1982. As the saying goes, they don't make 'em like him anymore.

Marking Sheriff Jim's birthday isn't the only Chicken Ranch news of late--no, sadly I don't have a publishing deal yet. Rather, I've developed something of a speaking career as the go-to authority on the infamous brothel. Those of you keeping score at home may remember I gave presentations ("lectures" seems too pretentious a word, doesn't it?) at the Nesbitt Memorial Library in Columbus, the San Antonio Writers Guild and the Fayette Public Library in La Grange. I've honed my presentation to the point where it's pretty doggone tight. Through trial and error, I've gotten a pretty good idea of what works and what doesn't, and the audience responds.

So Saturday, Sept. 20, I was the guest speaker for the Queen's Confab of Texas (QCT) #16, sponsored by the La Grange Scarlett Hens chapter of the Red Hat Society. Yeah, that Red Hat Society. And I have to say I couldn't have asked for a better audience! Take a look at this crew and try telling me we didn't have a blast:

They soaked up my tour of the ruins, asking plenty of questions, and found the history of all Chicken Ranch fakes for sale interesting. But Miss Edna's story held them in thrall. What she accomplished with her life, the obstacles and setbacks she overcame, really hit home for these ladies. More than one commented that "she was a real person" as opposed to the over-the-top Dolly Parton caricature from the movie. That Miss Edna had the same hopes and dreams as a child that any of them may have had, and lived out the final decades of her life in quiet anonymity humanized her for them. One piped up from the back that she'd rather see a movie version of Miss Edna's life than watch The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas again. Many of them came up to me afterward and thanked me for the presentation, telling me how interesting and meaningful it was. And they bought copies of Ghosts of the Chicken Ranch. Lots and lots of copies, so that I need to reorder. For a writer, this is always a good thing. It's nice to know when I've put together a book people want!

And I really need to get those Ghosts of the Chicken Ranch copies ordered ASAP--Oct. 9 I'm heading back to La Grange for a meeting of the Episcopal Church Women for St. James Episcopal Church. The Red Hens set the bar pretty high, but I have confidence the Episcopal women will have a good accounting of themselves.

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Chicken Ranch report no. 48: SAWG

Thursday night's presentation at the San Antonio Writers Guild went very well, thank you for asking. Despite the wintry weather and threat of ice, turnout was fantastic. My official topic was to speak on the research that went into my Chicken Ranch history book, and while I fear I spoke more about what I discovered rather than how I discovered it, the audience seemed fully engaged. If I give this particular talk again, I'll have to bring along note cards to keep myself on track. Some of the greatest interest seemed to be in my choice to pursue traditional publication with my Chicken Ranch history (and all the frustrations that entails) whilst simultaneously pursuing the self-publishing route with Ghosts of the Chicken Ranch and the drawbacks of that approach. Publishing is changing, and a good number of people in the audience were discouraged and/or dismayed by some of my experiences. But you know, I'm not sugar-coating any of it. Many publishers these days are more interested in how many Twitter followers you have rather than the quality of your writing. That's a sad truth, but a truth nonetheless.

Some folks shared stories about the Chicken Ranch they'd heard from relatives with me. Others asked how the place got its name (I told them the popular version, then followed up with the less-glamorous truth) and the brass tokens so often seen on eBay (they're fake--all of them). I also touched on the ill-fated Dallas restaurant and the brothel in Nevada that was the target of arsonists, thereby giving rise to the rumor that the La Grange brothel had burned down. I sold some books, passed out a lot of business cards and generally had a great time. A bunch of folks said they really, really wanted to see my history book in print. Hopefully, I'll be able to make a return visit with that very book in the not-too-distant future!

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Chicken Ranch report no. 47: San Antonio bound

This is a little late in coming, so for that I apologize. But tonight at 7 p.m. I am the featured speaker at the San Antonio Writers Guild monthly meeting. I will be discussing the role of research in my Chicken Ranch writings, which is a topic worthy of a book in and of itself. As a writer of science fiction and fantasy, research has always played a significant role in my writing, but for a non-fiction topic such as the Chicken Ranch, which is already shrouded by myth, mystery and misinformation to an astounding degree, thorough and exhaustive research was crucial. I drew extensively on my journalism background, and will share how chasing down any one particular lead often opened up several additional avenues of inquiry. It should be a great deal of fun.

Anyone willing to brave the chilly weather is welcome to come out. If you're not already a member of the SAWG, fear not--I suspect they'll be more than happy to sign you up on the spot.

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Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!

A little reminder...

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Chicken Ranch report no. 44: La Grange date!

For all you folks who missed out on my presentation last month at the library in Columbus, I've got some good news for you: On Sunday, November 17, I'll be giving a presentation at the Fayette Public Library/Heritage Museum and Archives! The show starts at 2 p.m. and should wrap up around 3:30.

I will be giving a reading and book signing for Ghosts of the Chicken Ranch. The event is free and open to the public. Copies of the book will be available to purchase for anyone who is interested in getting a head start on their Christmas shopping this year!

I'm super-jazzed about this event. Sheri, and Kathy before here, have been tremendous resources and very supportive of my research efforts into the Chicken Ranch. For anyone who hasn't been paying attention, I spent most of 2009-2012 researching and writing the definitive history of the Chicken Ranch brothel in La Grange. This history goes way beyond the trite song and dance most people know from the motion picture version of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas." It's far more complex and fascinating a history than most people--even those who lived through it--realize. 2013 marked the 40th anniversary of the closure of the brothel, and my wife, professional photographer Lisa Elliott Blaschke, along with myself, edited and published a fine art book titled Ghosts of the Chicken Ranch in recognition of the anniversary. I will present a slideshow of images of the modern ruins from Ghosts of the Chicken Ranch as well as other, previously unpublished photos which will be included in the more exhaustive (and as-yet unpublished) history book. I'll read, "The Last Madam: The Unexpected Life of Edna Milton (1928-2012)" which I originally presented at the East Texas Historical Association fall conference in 2012. I'll also read some selected excerpts from the unpublished book, present a short but illuminating 11-minute video and engage in as much discussion as I'm able.

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Chicken Ranch report no. 43: Columbus in the rear-view mirror

Well, my speaking engagement at the Nesbitt Memorial Library in Columbus turned into a nice event. With the cold front threatening to turn the evening into a wet, sloppy mess, I was afraid everybody would stay home and my drive back to New Braunfels would be a trying one. Fortunately, things stayed dry. There was a nice turnout, the audience was curious and engaged, and everyone seemed to like what I had to share. Heck, I even sold a few books--including a couple copies of Voices of Vision, despite the insanely creepy cover. How cool is that?

All in all, yesterday was a good day for me. On top of the presentation, I received an encouraging response from a well-established agent. I've been down this road before, and know a simple "no" can dash my hopes within sight of the finish line, but still, it's encouraging. That, coupled with the response of the audience at the library, reenforces my confidence that a market does indeed exist for my Chicken Ranch history. The readers might not know they're waiting for the book, but they are. Universal disappointment came when I explained my history wasn't available, and that I couldn't even give them a publication date. Folks want this story. They want to know what really happened with the Chicken Ranch. That's enough to make me keep plugging away. I learned some other things as well:

• Trim back some of my reading materials. I was so worried about not having enough content to fill my allotted time that I didn't leave room for much of a Q&A session.
• The East Texas Historical Association paper I presented last year in Nacogdoches works well as reading material. The intro is a little too academic, but the meat of the paper is gripping, even outside of an academic setting. This is good to know.
• Scale back the number of Ghosts of the Chicken Ranch images. Specifically, multiple shots/angles of the same thing. What works well in book form can get repetitive quickly on screen.
• People really liked seeing the ruins and getting a virtual tour of the place. The years of neglect and vandalism sickened them as much as it does me.
• People really, really liked seeing my historical photos, including the Chicken Ranch restaurant in Dallas and Miss Edna standing in the oh-so-tastefully-decorated parlor.
• Keep a checklist so I don't forget anything. I was baffled as to how I end my presentation early (15 minutes ahead of time, to be precise). It wasn't until after the throngs had departed that I realized I'd completely forgotten about the 11 minute video I'd brought along. I screened it for the library staff, so it wasn't a total waste, but I'm kicking myself.
• Bring multiple titles to a signing. I almost didn't bring Voices of Vision along, because it has absolutely nothing to do with the Chicken Ranch. But the $45 price of Ghosts was too steep for some (understandably enough) so they opted for the $15 interview collection instead. Ghosts will make a very good companion volume to take along when I'm touring for the history book (whenever that may be). Lots of potential here, yes indeed.
• At its core, I have a very good Chicken Ranch presentation. This will play very well to audiences across the state, and can be tailored to specific audiences with minimal effort. Once I get the big history book published, I'm loaded for bear.

Jacob Truchard from the Colorado County Citizen stayed for the duration, taking photos and copious notes. The paper comes out on Tuesdays, so I'll need someone to snag a copy for me next week.

The last thing I learned is that driving from San Marcos to Columbus and back to New Braunfels when the lower back is throbbing does little to reduce said throbbing in said lower back. If anything, it makes the discomfort worse. I know I'm an old man now, because I'm always complaining about back aches. Such is life.

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Chicken Ranch report no. 42: Tonight! Tonight! Tonight!

Okay, gang, in case you didn't catch the word the first couple times around, here it is again: I'm speaking at the Nesbitt Memorial Library in Columbus tonight! I'll be speaking from 7 p.m. until 8:30 or so. I've got a cool slide show ready to share, complete with some rare photos that have never been seen in public. Plus, I've got a nifty video as well. A true multimedia spectacular! Books will be available for purchase, but the presentation, discussion, Q&A is all free. So you folks from Columbus, La Grange, Weimar, Schulenburg, Sealy and Eagle Lake who've been sending me questions about the Chicken Ranch for the past few years, here's your chance to learn a lot of cool history. I'll see you there!

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Chicken Ranch report no. 41: Public speaking!

Who says you can't go home again? Next week, on Tuesday, October 15, I'll be returning to my home town of Columbus. No, I'm not going to marvel at the new Tesla Supercharging Station there (although that's pretty cool in its own right). Instead, I will be at the Nesbitt Memorial Library, giving a reading and book signing for Ghosts of the Chicken Ranch. The event begins at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Copies of the book will be available to purchase for anyone who is interested in such things.

For anyone who hasn't been paying attention, I spent most of 2009-2012 researching and writing the definitive history of the Chicken Ranch brothel in nearby La Grange. This history goes way beyond the trite song and dance most people know from the motion picture version of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas." It's far more complex and fascinating a history than most people--even those who lived through it--realize. 2013 marked the 40th anniversary of the closure of the brothel, and my wife, professional photographer Lisa Elliott Blaschke, along with myself, edited and published a fine art book titled Ghosts of the Chicken Ranch in observance of the anniversary. I will present a slideshow of images of the modern ruins from Ghosts of the Chicken Ranch as well as other, previously unpublished photos which will be included in the more exhaustive history book. I'll read, "The Last Madam: The Unexpected Life of Edna Milton (1928-2012)" which I originally presented at the East Texas Historical Association fall conference in 2012. I'll also read some selected excerpts from the unpublished book, and engage in as much discussion as I'm able.

I'm pretty jazzed about returning to the Nesbitt Library for this. This was my library growing up. I'm old enough to remember the cold dampness of the old Mansfield Library's concrete floors that predated the Nesbitt, but it was the Nesbitt where I learned to use the card catalog and where I discovered my first science fiction novels that started my lifelong love of genre. Wandering the stacks 30 years ago, I certainly never expected to return to speak about the Chicken Ranch, of all things, but life's funny that way. I hope to see you there.

Ghosts of the Chicken Ranch by Jayme Blaschke & Lisa Blaschke

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