The Blackland Museum

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The Blackland Museum The Taft Blackland Museum is 501-c-3 non-profit history museum which offers Free Admission to all patrons, open three days a week.

Striving to preserve the history of Taft, the Coastal Bend and San Patricio County of Texas, the Blackland Museum remains a free admission attraction with the generous support of patrons, members and fans since 1979. We accept monitary gifts and maintain support through donations and generous giving from members, the general public and private contributions. Without your help we could not exist.

Almost Forgotten Events and Facts Within the Coastal History of Texas – (Ed. III) – White Point and Midway Blowouts.By P...
10/06/2026

Almost Forgotten Events and Facts Within the Coastal History of Texas – (Ed. III) – White Point and Midway Blowouts.
By Patrick King MA

It is a common sight to see Pumpjacks across the South Texas landscape, especially among the farmlands scattered between Mathis and Sinton, Portland, Taft, White Point. Through much of the 20th century oil and gas production became the serious focus for many local landowners encompassing San Patricio, Aransas, Nueces, Jim Wells and Live Oak Counties.

In 1886 Germany, Carl Benz invented the first petroleum fueled automobile. His invention spread globally almost overnight. Some inventors created steam driven engines, though none of those were successful as modes of transportation that could rival gasoline powered motors.

In just fourteen years of the advent of the automobile, oil and gas discoveries skyrocketed globally, especially in Texas. Major oil companies quickly rose overnight as the demand for petroleum grew. As a fledgling industry it lacked obvious knowledge and experience in the dangers of mishandling volatile substances. Extracting this product did not come with manuals or guidelines. Hard lessons of what not to do were trial by errors.

San Patricio County, White Point peninsula, Texas, by 1910, natural gas deposits were discovered almost by accident. Crude oil discoveries led to rushed, almost overnight drilling efforts. In 1913, one drilling team hit a huge pocket of natural gas. It immediately got out of control. Resulting in an explosion that sent a shockwave of energy so powerful across Nueces Bay, it broke windows and shook homes in Corpus Christi. The blowout lasted three weeks and the crater around the hole would eventually collapse in on itself, ending the catastrophe.

Just off highway 181, halfway between the cities of Taft, and Gregory/Portland stands what appears to be as a small volcano in an otherwise flat farming land. That is the site of the Midway Oil Field 1938, blowout. On July 28 of that year, a wildcat crew lost control of their drilling operation and a blowout rocked the area. The massive plume of oil caught fire and lit up the night skies brightly. It burned for weeks. Taft citizens were able to read books and newspapers on their front porches after dark by the radiating flames. The explosion created a crater so high it still remains there today.

Almost Forgotten Events and Facts Within the Coastal History of Texas – (Ed. II) – Edna, Texas/Changing Texas Law. By P...
09/05/2026

Almost Forgotten Events and Facts Within the Coastal History of Texas – (Ed. II) – Edna, Texas/Changing Texas Law.
By Patrick King MA

The Coastal Bend City of Edna, in Jackson County, a mere 89.6 miles east/northeast of Rockport, is known for Lake Texana. It’s also famously known by wrestling enthusiasts as the hometown of WWE pro-wrestler Hall of Famer ‘Stone Cold Steve Austin’.

However, few are aware of the almost forgotten event which occured in Edna, in 1954, which changed the face of Texas and National Law history, which is still intact to this day, in every town, every city and every court of law nationwide.

A murder took place in Edna in 1951. A Mexican American farm worker, Peter Hernandez shot and killed another Hispanic citizen, Cayetano “Joe” Espinosa, at a bar in Edna, Texas. Hernandez was represented by the Hispanic Corpus Christi legal team of Carlos Cadena, John J. Herrera and Gustavo C. García. The first day of the trial the lawyers took careful note of the fact that the Jury selection were all white/Anglo members. Not one Hispanic, black or Asian representative was included.

During the trial they researched the history of the city and previous courts cases and discovered that in all of Edna’s history of trials as well as city leadership since 1882, not one Hispanic or "other than white” citizen had ever served in any position of leadership or civil service; nor had any previous Courts of Law, admitted anyone other than all white citizens to serve as Jurists.

The all-white Jury found Hernandez guilty. The legal team immediately appealed the sentence based on Edna’s history of exclusionary practices. The legal team discovered that Texas Law, as it stood at the time, specifically stated that Hispanics throughout the State were classified only on paper as White. Despite this legal fluke, Edna’s judicial history of all white jurists utterly conflicted with the law.

By 1954, the first ever team of Hispanic Lawyers appealed to the United States Supreme Court. Hearing the historical evidence presented, the Court unanimously ruled that Hernandez did indeed have the right to a jury of Hispanic peers to be included in a retrial. He was retried with Hispanic jurists present but was still found guilty.

Since that 1954 ruling, the history of racially stacked jury selections not only changed in 70 specific counties in Texas that were practicing this racial discrimination, it applied to all Texas Counties Statewide and spread Nationwide where it applied. All accused individuals are entitled to a Jury of their peers despite race, creed, religion or color. Those are the Facts Jack.

Almost Forgotten Events and Facts Within the Coastal History of Texas – Texas City By Patrick King MAOur daily attentio...
08/06/2026

Almost Forgotten Events and Facts Within the Coastal History of Texas – Texas City
By Patrick King MA

Our daily attention is on the here and now of life. We primarily focus on what affects our immediate welfare and status quo. History is meant to instruct us on how to engage in the immediate and plan for our future. If we ignore it or forget it, we run the risk of repeating mistakes.

Texas City, Texas, was established in 1830 by settlers to Texas who came to ranch, farm and fish. It was named Shoal Point. By 1893, the Myer brothers from Duluth Minnesota came to the “Point” and saw vast opportunity. They brought money, they started the Texas City Development Company and bought nearly 10,000 acres of land. Soon a deep-water channel was created allowing for ports and piers to handle fleets of commercial and military shipping to dock there.

An oil refinery was built in 1908. Warehouses, storage, shipping and receiving depots were created for nearly every product a growing State needed to thrive on was housed there. Year after year, decade by decade it grew.

Safety was of course always an issue, but unforeseen safety hazards were beyond imagination. On or around midmorning of April 16, 1947, one of those unforeseen hazards would occur. A French registered cargo ship at dock, the “SS Grandcamp,” carrying 2,300 tons of ammonium nitrate, experienced a minor fire, which within minutes ignited the entire cargo hold of chemical fertilizer, creating the second largest non-nuclear explosion, in recorded American history, and the worst industrial accident in U.S. History; which then chain-reacted to numerous nearby ships, warehouses and oil storage facilities.

The initial explosion was heard and felt for roughly 60 miles in circumference. Almost vaporizing everything at the blast point, the concussion leveled 1,000 homes and buildings to the ground. As tragic as it began, the end results were even more horrifying. 581 souls were lost, including all but one member of the Texas City Volunteer Fire Department.

In the end the FTCA, Federal Tort Claims Act was enacted. The federal government was found guilty of having failed to properly follow the safety protocols for private civilians. The total damages and losses incurred in 1947, are still considered insurmountable to this day…and yet, this history is slowly fading out of modern memory,

Exploring Everyday Life and Tales of the Coastal Bend of Texas – SGT Paul P. Brown - POWby Patrick King, MAThe following...
07/08/2026

Exploring Everyday Life and Tales of the Coastal Bend of Texas – SGT Paul P. Brown - POW
by Patrick King, MA

The following account is a reprint of a story published by this author in March of 2013, for the Taft Blackland Museum. This reprint is a condensed version.

There were many heroes who emerged from WWII and many who did heroic deeds without validation. Surviving and enduring inhuman living conditions and facing constant threats of death; coming home alive can be classified as just such an act.

Paul P. Brown was the son of Charles (Charlie) Brown a farmer of Taft, Texas, Paul was born in San Antonio, Texas. Shortly after his 18th birthday Paul joined the U, S. Army around 1942. Achieving the rank of Sergeant by the winter of 1944, Paul was captured by German forces during the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes and taken prisoner.

The U. S. Army reported him missing and possibly KIA to his family. His personal effects were assembled and returned to his family. Living with this sad news until the end of the war, the Brown family was beyond shock when Paul came home unexpectantly in the latter part of 1945.

The following is an abbreviated account of Paul’s own testimony of the conditions he was subjected to as a POW from December 16, 1944, to April 12, 1945. On the evening of December 16, 1944, while stationed near Luxemburg and Bastogne, near a hamlet named Wiltz, his Battalion, the 630TD (Tank Destroyers) was overrun by German forces. He and 800 fellow troops were taken prisoner.

For the next several days they were force marched across rugged country, through brutal winter conditions with little food, water, medical or latrine privileges along the route, to a POW encampment inside Germany.

While imprisoned there, the site was bombed by allied forces, unaware it housed American prisoners. Several unexploded bombs were discovered by the Germans in the camp center. Under threat of death and against the articles of the Geneva Convention, the Germans forced Paul and his fellow prisoners to dig up the live ordinance and move them by hand to locations outside the enclosure. Throughout Paul’s internment he and fellow U.S. prisoners were constantly being threatened if they remained uncooperative. German doctors and medics carried “Mercy Pistols” and threatened to use them if soldiers did not comply with orders. Several American soldiers were killed in this fashion.

Paul Brown was among the fortunate to survive and returned home, an unsung hero in his own right. Several of Paul’s personal effects which have survived are on display today at the museum.

06/27/2026

On behalf of the staff, the Board of Directors, and all the supporter's of the Blackland Museum, we wish to thank everyone for gracing this facility today with your attendance at this 250th Birthday celebration and for your interest in our continuing efforts to honor, preserve and promote the historical elements we all cherish.
A special thanks to all the veterans, Armed Service members and any dependants present today.
(added thanks) Thank you to all the volunteers, you are deeply appreciated.
Thank you City of Taft.
Thank you one and all!

06/27/2026

From today's events...

The doors opened at 10:00 this morning, please come join in the 250th Birthday celebrations today honoring our Veterans ...
06/27/2026

The doors opened at 10:00 this morning, please come join in the 250th Birthday celebrations today honoring our Veterans at the Taft Blackland Museum 301 Green Ave. Taft, Texas. 10::00 - 4:00.

Big day tomorrow at the Museum
06/26/2026

Big day tomorrow at the Museum

Please mark your calendars and plan on joining the 250 celebrations at the Taft Blackland Museum, June 27, 2026 starting...
06/21/2026

Please mark your calendars and plan on joining the 250 celebrations at the Taft Blackland Museum, June 27, 2026 starting at 10:00 A.M.

Exploring Everyday Life and Tales of the Coastal Bend of Texas – Lafayette Green Pool by Patrick King, MAInternationally...
06/06/2026

Exploring Everyday Life and Tales of the Coastal Bend of Texas – Lafayette Green Pool
by Patrick King, MA

Internationally known by his nickname of War Daddy, recognized nationally as the U.S. Army Tank Commander Ace of Aces (who still holds that distinction to this day) Lafayette Green Pool was born the son of a farmer, a son of San Patricio County and a venerated War hero of Texas. The following is an abbreviated story of a man of humble beginnings who left his mark on the history of Taft and on the United States Armed Forces.

According to the records Lafayette Pool (July 23, 1919 – May 30, 1991) was born in Odem, Texas, relocated to Sinton as a child, went to high school in Taft, and graduated from school by 1938. Because of an eye injury at age 5, Lafayette “Lafe” was involved in the Taft Pep Squad.

By his first year of college however, he entered amateur boxing in Kingsville, Texas to pay for his tuition and quickly gained a Golden Gloves Boxing Championship title in New Orleans, LA.

Prior to his enlistment he was given the chance to face off the Mighty Joe Luis, World Heavy Weight Champion, in an exhibition match. Lafayette, according to the reports, did not quite view the match-up as a “Just for Fun” event. He began beating Luis so badly, the match was called with no declared winner after Luis left the ring, bloodied and bruised. He continued to box even while in the Army but declined an offer as a Golden Glove Champ to box for a National Title.

Responding to the needs of the nation, being rejected by the Navy, Lafayette entered the U.S. Army instead and began training in the Armored tank Divisions. WWII European theatre, on approximately June 27, 1944, at Normandy, France, Pool arrived with his crew of the 3rd Armor Division 21 days after the initial assaults, aboard his famous Sherman M4A1 tank “In-The-Mood.”

SSGT Pool came at full speed and continued his fast-paced incursion into enemy territories until September 19, 1944. In a record holding 81 days, he and his crew are credited with 12 tank kills, 258-armed vehicles destroyed, 1,000 German soldiers eliminated and 250 prisoners of war captured. His part in the war ended when he was severally wounded by enemy shrapnel, mangling one of his legs.

In brief, Lafayette spent almost two years rehabilitating, learning to use a prosthetic leg. He rejoined the Army for the Korean War, and retired from service on September 19, 1960, as Chief Warrant Officer 2. He went into retirement, opened a filling station, went on to gain a theology degree, and became the pastor for the Church of Christ in Taft, Texas.

By 1990 he was living in Killeen, Texas outside Ft. Hood, home of the Third Armored Corp. As the Gulf War began on February 24, 1991, it is reported by family members that he sat glued to his T.V. agonizing over the tank battles as reported by the live media coverage, deeply moved to tears as he witnessed his 3rd Armored Division race through the deserts of Iraq.

Pool passed quietly into history in his sleep on May 30, 1991. Today he is interred at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery.
Lafayette Pool left behind a record of fourteen Honors and Awards, including a Silver Star, a Distinguished Service Cross and a Purple Heart, but sadly, and still believed by many, he was deserving of … the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Address

301 Green Avenue
Taft, TX
78390

Opening Hours

Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+13615282206

Website

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