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34-581: The Fort Griffin Fandangle traces the historical and cultural development of the area along the Clear Fork of the Brazos River in northern Shackelford County near Fort Griffin, the military outpost that from 1867 to 1881 provided protection for settlers in the region and gave rise to the town of Albany. The story is recalled through the memory of two old-timers of the region, a cattleman and his wife, who sit on

68-767: A dollar a year from the John Alexander Matthews estate. Performances have been held there since that time. Full-scale productions are held only in Albany, but short versions have been given in many locations over the years. These are usually performed in the spring and serve as the core around which the major show is built during late May and early June. These "samplers" were performed in Europe in 1967 and 1976 and in Washington, D.C. , in 1984. After Marge Bray's death in 1994, Betsy Black Parsons assumed directing responsibilities. In 2008

102-577: A regular basis before a piecemeal levee system was replaced, notably in 1913 when a massive flood affected the course of the river. The river is primarily important today as a source of water for power, irrigation, and recreation. The water is administered by the Brazos River Authority . The 2000 book, Sandbars and Sternwheelers: Steam Navigation on the Brazos by Pamela A. Puryear and Nath Winfield, Jr., with introduction by J. Milton Nance , examines

136-486: Is a Latin contraction of de-quadrans which means "a whole unit less a quarter" ( de means "from"; quadrans means "quarter"). Thus for the example of 175 years, the term is a quarter century less than the next whole (bi)century or 175 = (−25 + 200). In Latin, it seems that this rule did not apply precisely for 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 . While secundus is Latin for "second", and bis for "twice", these terms are not used such as in sesqui-secundus. Instead sesqui (or ses )

170-610: Is considered to be state-owned public property. Fishing, camping, and picnicking are legal here, including on the sandbars. The river and its three lakes are popular spots for avid anglers and boat enthusiasts due to the diverse ecosystems in the water and convenient marinas nearby such as The Cliffs Marina . Several scout camps are located along the Brazos River, and they support a wide range of water and shoreline activities for scouts, youth groups, and family groups. The Brazos River Authority maintains several public campsites along

204-481: Is repeated from year to year, each season's version varies from any previous show in both content and focus. The Fandangle was retired during World War II because writer-director Robert Nail was serving his country in the armed services, as were many of the other Fandangle personnel. The Fandangle was revived in 1947 and ran through 1957. For a number of reasons, the Fandangle was not performed again until 1964 when

238-590: Is used by itself. Many anniversaries have special names. Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home by Emily Post , published in 1922, contained suggestions for wedding anniversary gifts for 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 50, and 75 years. Wedding anniversary gift suggestions for other years were added in later editions and publications; they now comprise what is referred to as the "traditional" list. Generally speaking,

272-607: The Fort Griffin Fandangle celebrated its seventieth anniversary as well as the sesquicentennial of Albany. A "sampler" show was performed at the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park LBJ Ranch that year. By this time the Fandangle had grown to more than 400 cast and crew members. The Dallas Morning News describes Fandangle accordingly: "as professional as a multi-million dollar Broadway musical, with sets and costumes to match." The Abilene Reporter-News calls

306-453: The Gulf of Mexico in the marshes just south of Freeport . The main stem of the Brazos is dammed in three places, all north of Waco, forming Possum Kingdom Lake , Lake Granbury , and Lake Whitney . Of these three, Granbury was the last to be completed, in 1969. When its construction was proposed in the mid-1950s, John Graves wrote the book Goodbye to a River . The Whitney Dam, located on

340-488: The Brazos. In 1822, the lower river valley of the Brazos River became one of the major Anglo-American settlement sites in Texas. This was one of the first English-speaking colonies along the Brazos and was founded by Stephen F. Austin at San Felipe de Austin. In 1836, Texas declared independence from Mexico at Washington-on-the-Brazos , a settlement in now Washington County that is known as "the birthplace of Texas". Brazos River

374-764: The West Texas Panhandle Heritage Foundation contracted with Robert Nail to bring the Fandangle to Canyon, Texas , to open the new outdoor amphitheatre in Palo Duro Canyon . In 1979 the Sixty-Sixth Texas Legislature designated the Fort Griffin Fandangle as one of four official state plays of Texas. In addition to Nail and Reynolds, numerous other citizens have contributed significantly. Songs written by James Ball, Elsa Turner, and later Luann George, who replaced Reynolds as organist in 1983. Marge Bray, long-time choreographer for

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408-487: The anniversary of the founding ("legal or statutory birth") of an institution, such as an alma mater (college or other school). In ancient Rome, the [dies] Aquilae natalis was the "birthday of the eagle", the anniversary of the official founding of a legion. Anniversaries of nations are usually marked by the number of years elapsed, expressed with Latin words or Roman numerals . Latin terms for anniversaries are mostly straightforward, particularly those relating to

442-403: The date of establishment of an institution, and it is generally decided within the institution by convention . The important dates in a sitting monarch's reign may also be commemorated, an event often referred to as a "jubilee". The Latin phrase dies natalis (literally "birth day") has become a common term, adopted in many languages, especially in intellectual and institutional circles, for

476-481: The early vessels that attempted to navigate the Brazos. On June 2, 2016, the rising of the river required evacuations for portions of Brazoria County . The Brazos River watershed covers a total area of 46,013 sq mi (119,174 km ). Within the watershed lie 42 lakes and rivers, which have a combined storage capacity of 2.5 million acre-feet. The Brazos watershed also has an estimated groundwater availability of 119,275 acre-feet per year. Around 31% of

510-483: The first thirty years (1–30), or multiples of ten years (30, 40, 50, 60, 70 etc.), or multiples of centuries or millenniums (100, 200, 300, 1000, 2000, 3000, etc.). In these instances, the name of the anniversary is generally derived from the Latin word(s) for the respective number of years. When anniversaries relate to fractions of centuries (125, 150, 175, 225, 250, 275 years—i.e. 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, 2.25, 2.5, and 2.75 centuries),

544-528: The first water to be found by desperately thirsty parties. In 1842, Indian commissioner of Texas, Ethan Stroud established a trading post on this river. The river was important for navigation before and after the American Civil War , and steamboats sailed as far up the river as Washington-on-the-Brazos . While attempts to improve commercial navigation on the river continued, railroads proved more reliable. The Brazos River also flooded, often seriously, on

578-593: The head of Blackwater Draw , Roosevelt County, New Mexico to its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico with a 45,000-square-mile (116,000 km ) drainage basin . Being one of the largest rivers in Texas, it is sometimes used to mark the boundary between East Texas and West Texas . The river is closely associated with Texas history, particularly the Austin settlement and Texas Revolution eras. Today major Texas institutions such as Texas Tech University , Baylor University , and Texas A&M University are located close to

612-571: The land use within the watershed is cropland, and roughly 61% is grassland (30%), shrubland (19.8%), and forest (11%), while urban use only makes up 4.6%. The population density within the watershed is 50.5 people/sq mi (19.5/km ). The main water-quality issues within the Brazos watershed are high nutrient loads, high bacterial and salinity levels, and low dissolved oxygen. These issues can be attributed to livestock waste, fertilizer, and chemical run offs. Sources of run off are croplands, pastures, and industrial sites, among others. The watershed receiving

646-413: The longer the period, the more precious or durable the material associated with it. There are variations according to some national traditions. There exist numerous partially overlapping, partially contradictory lists of anniversary gifts (such as wedding stones), separate from the "traditional" names. The concepts of a person's birthday stone and zodiac stone, by contrast, are fixed for life according to

680-1167: The main river near Graham . Important tributaries of the Lower Brazos include the Paluxy River , the Bosque River , the Little River , Yegua Creek , the Nolan River , the Leon River , the San Gabriel River , the Lampasas River , and the Navasota River . Initially running east towards Dallas - Fort Worth , the Brazos turns south, passing through Waco and the Baylor University campus, further south to near Calvert, Texas , then past Bryan and College Station , then through Richmond, Texas , in Fort Bend County , and empties into

714-408: The most toxic pollution is the lower Brazos river, which received 33.4 million pounds of toxic waste in 2012. Canoeing is a very popular recreational activity on the Brazos River, with many locations favorable for launching and recovery. The best paddling can be found immediately below Possum Kingdom Lake and Lake Granbury. Sandbar camping is also permitted, since the entire streambed of the river

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748-480: The organ for the performances. She died in May 1984. The title of the show was chosen for its alliteration and euphony. Fandangle is a provincial version of Spanish fandango , a fast dance. Originally only traditional or folk music and dances were used, but as the show was repeated in later years by popular demand, new material was written and included in the performances, a practice that is still followed. Although material

782-471: The porch of a ranch house to reveal the past as they remember it. The production consists of a series of segments, each based on historical material introduced by the narrators and then interpreted by one or more songs and dancing. The Fandangle can trace its beginning to a performance of Dr. Shackelford’s Paradise, written and directed by Albany native Robert Edward Nail Jr., with the help of local music teacher Alice Reynolds . "Dr. Shackelford'd Paradise"

816-598: The program "Frontier history served up with genuine earthiness, spiced by rare humor." Brazos River The Brazos River ( / ˈ b r æ z ə s / BRAZ -əs , Spanish: [ˈbɾasos] ), called the Río de los Brazos de Dios (translated as "The River of the Arms of God") by early Spanish explorers, is the 14th-longest river in the United States at 1,280 miles (2,060 km) from its headwater source at

850-430: The river and at the lakes. Hunting is also permitted at select locations along the river. Fishing is permitted on all of the river, subject to regulations. Outdoor enthusiasts have the opportunity to view the area's scenery and the wildlife on the river. Fly fishing and river fishing for largemouth bass are common. Sesquicentennial An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution

884-700: The river's basin, as are parts of metropolitan Houston. The Brazos proper begins at the confluence of the Salt Fork and Double Mountain Fork , two tributaries of the Upper Brazos that rise on the high plains of the Llano Estacado , flowing 840 miles (1,350 km) southeast through the center of Texas. Another major tributary of the Upper Brazos is the Clear Fork Brazos River , which passes by Abilene and joins

918-549: The show, assumed the directorship after James Ball, who served for four years after Nail's death in 1968. Of particular significance to the development of the Fandangle over the years is the work of G. P. Crutchfield, engineer with MArshal R. Young Oil Co., who built the authentic replica of the Butterfield stagecoach, the machine representing the Texas Central Railroad train, a self-contained blacksmith shop on wheels, and

952-441: The show; second, the show would have to be publicized by word of mouth, not by paid publicity; and third, there would be no profanity in the show. Alice Reynolds was active from the beginning in writing songs, in designing sets and the numerous banners associated with the play, particularly the steer-head and fiddle emblem that represents the Fandangle , and in sketching some of the elaborate costumes. For many years she also played

986-635: The situation is not as simple. Roman fractions were based on a duodecimal system . From 1 ⁄ 12 to 8 ⁄ 12 they were expressed as multiples of twelfths ( uncia "twelfth"; the source of the English words inch and ounce ) and from 9 ⁄ 12 to 11 ⁄ 12 they were expressed as multiple twelfths less than the next whole unit—i.e. a whole unit less 3 ⁄ 12 , 2 ⁄ 12 or 1 ⁄ 12 respectively. There were also special terms for quarter ( quadrans ), half ( semis ), and three-quarters ( dodrans ). Dodrans

1020-399: The steam calliope with the help of Cecil R. Dye, which is still played regularly before performances. All of these works and many other entries, bands, and horse units appear in the annual parade, which occurs on Thursday afternoon of the second week. The early performances were held at the local football stadium. The Prairie Theatre, west of town, was constructed in 1965, on land leased for

1054-487: The upper Brazos, provides hydroelectric power, flood control, and irrigation to enable efficient cotton growth in the river valley. A small municipal dam (Lake Brazos Dam) is near the downstream city limit of Waco at the end of the Baylor campus; it raises the level of the river through the city to form a town lake. This impoundment of the Brazos through Waco is locally called Lake Brazos. Nineteen major reservoirs are located along

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1088-704: Was also the scene of a battle between the Texas Navy and Mexican Navy during the Texas Revolution . Texas Navy ship Independence was defeated by one Mexican vessel. When it was first named by European explorers is unclear, since it was often confused with the Colorado River not far to the south, but it was certainly seen by René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle . Later Spanish accounts call it Los Brazos de Dios (the arms of God), for which name several different explanations were given, all involving it being

1122-563: Was an outdoor musical pageant presented by the senior class that portrayed the history of Shackelford County. The play was so well received that it was expanded to include adults in the cast and was produced that summer under the name Fort Griffin Fandangle . A sponsoring organization, the Fandangle Association, was first incorporated in 1947. Nail established three rules: first, anybody with ties in Shackelford County could be in

1156-420: Was founded in a previous year, and may also refer to the commemoration or celebration of that event. The word was first used for Catholic feasts to commemorate saints . Most countries celebrate national anniversaries, typically called national days . These could be the date of independence of the nation or the adoption of a new constitution or form of government. There is no definite method for determining

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