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Texas History – What were the “Corduroy Roads”?

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During the early days of oil discovery and development in Texas, drilling crews frequently found accessibility to their work hampered by seas of mud around the drilling rigs. According to Houston wildcatter Glenn McCarthy, at times the so-called roads were hip-deep in mud on a man and belly-deep on a horse or mule. When vehicles were so mired, drilling crews would lay logs on the roads to travel on. These were referred to as "corduroy roads." … [Read more...] about Texas History – What were the “Corduroy Roads”?

Disinheriting a Spouse

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Cutting a spouse out of an estate is the single most difficult thing to do in an estate plan. Most of the time, there is absolutely no way that it can be done as by law the spouse is entitled to a portion of the estate. It is always interesting then to hear about cases where a spouse is successfully cut entirely out of an estate. The actor Dennis Hopper appears to have accomplished this feat. When he passed away, he was in the process of getting a divorce. Because the divorce had not been … [Read more...] about Disinheriting a Spouse

You Can’t Leave Property You Are Not Supposed to Own

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We have previously discussed that any property that you own can be left to your heirs in your estate plan. However, there are some limits to that basic principle. You cannot make property that is illegal to own part of your estate plan and expect that your heirs can inherit it. A recent case out of Philadelphia illustrates this exception. When coin dealer Israel Switt passed away, his children found 10 gold coins in a safety deposit box. The coins had a long history. They were originally cast … [Read more...] about You Can’t Leave Property You Are Not Supposed to Own

Texas History – What was the First National Park Created in Texas?

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Big Bend National Park, located in Brewster County, became the first national park created in Texas. In 1935, Congress proclaimed this 801,163-acre tract to be worthy of preservation because of its wilderness aspects, scenic beauty, and unusual biological features. … [Read more...] about Texas History – What was the First National Park Created in Texas?

Texas History – What was the First Official State Park in Texas?

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In 1916, Isabella Neff, mother of later governor Pat Neff, donated to the state a six-acre tract in Coryell County. When the court probated her Will in 1921, no legislative provision existed to manage such public property. In 1923, the legislature created a state parks board, and Mother Neff State Park became the first official state park in Texas. … [Read more...] about Texas History – What was the First Official State Park in Texas?

Avoiding Trust Mistakes

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It is very easy to make mistakes with your estate plan that are not discovered until long after it is time to administer your estate. Most estate plans actually do very little while you are alive. They tend to sit there so they are ready after you pass away. For this reason, mistakes are not discovered until it is too late to do anything about them. A common mistake is creating a Trust and not making sure that an appropriate person is named as the Trustee. Many people choose to appoint a … [Read more...] about Avoiding Trust Mistakes