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Texas History – Do You Know What the Fence Cutting War Was?

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The Fence Cutting War occurred at the end of the 19THcentury and was a dispute between advocates of the open range and ranchers who wished to fence off their property in Texas. The first real incidents of the war started in 1883, when open range advocates, cowboys really, began cutting any fences they came across. There were many cases when large ranch owners not only fenced property they claimed ownership over, but also property considered public land. This led to hostilities between the two … [Read more...] about Texas History – Do You Know What the Fence Cutting War Was?

What Will Happen to Your Cat When You Die?

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According to the Humane Society of the United States, there are just over 86 million owned cats in the United States. One in three households in America includes at least one or more cats as part of the family. Unlike dog owners who are more likely to only own one dog, cat lovers, on average, own at last two cats. If you are a cat lover, have you given any thought to what will happen to your cat when you die? As a general rule, people who own cats consider them to be part of the family. Some … [Read more...] about What Will Happen to Your Cat When You Die?

Texas History – Do You Know Who Established the First Large Ranch in the Panhandle?

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Probably the best known rancher in Texas, Colonel Charles Goodnight established the first large Panhandle ranch in 1876. At the outbreak of the Civil War he joined the Confederate States Army. After the war he became involved in the herding of feral Texas Longhorn cattle northward from West Texas to the railroads. In 1866, he and Oliver Loving drove their first herd of cattle northward along what would become known as the Goodnight-Loving Trail. After Loving’s death, Goodnight and Chisum … [Read more...] about Texas History – Do You Know Who Established the First Large Ranch in the Panhandle?

Amending a Trust

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For many people an estate plan includes much more than a simple Last Will and Testament. Although there are numerous estate planning tools and documents that can be incorporated into an estate plan, some are used more than others. Trusts, for example, are a common estate planning addition. Once created though, what happens if you want to change something in the trust? For starters, not all trusts can be changed. Irrevocable trusts cannot be changed absent the intervention of a court, for … [Read more...] about Amending a Trust

Texas History – Do You Know Who Was the First Woman Elected Mayor of Dallas?

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Annette Strauss became Dallas’s first elected woman mayor. She was born in Houston, Texas, graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1944. Strauss served as mayor from 1987 to 1991. She was the second female mayor - Adlene Harrison was acting mayor of Dallas in 1976, succeeding Wes Wise when he resigned to run for the U.S. Congress. She served until the election of a new mayor, Robert Folsom, at the end of the year. … [Read more...] about Texas History – Do You Know Who Was the First Woman Elected Mayor of Dallas?

Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts – Do I Still Need Mine?

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Recent changes to the tax laws that went into effect after the passage of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2013 have caused many taxpayers to review and modify their existing estate plans. One estate planning tool that many people are wondering what to do with in light of the new laws is the Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust, or ILIT. All estate assets owned by you at the time of your death are potentially taxable. The lifetime exclusion limit allows each taxpayer to exclude assets up to a … [Read more...] about Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts – Do I Still Need Mine?

Texas History – Do You Know By What Treaty the U.S. Formally Relinquished All Claims to Texas?

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The Adams-Onis Treaty of 1819 was a treaty between the United States and Spain that gave Florida to the U.S. and set out a boundary between the U.S. and New Spain (now Mexico). It settled a standing border dispute between the two countries and was considered a triumph of American diplomacy. The latter "settlement" was never accepted by American Southerners in general or Louisianans in particular. They later migrated from Louisiana territory and crossed into Spanish Texas, firm in their belief … [Read more...] about Texas History – Do You Know By What Treaty the U.S. Formally Relinquished All Claims to Texas?