Why I chose to stop in Kerens remains a mystery. A much better idea would have been to stop in Marlin, the Mineral Water Capital of Texas, a town which is trying to capitalize on its history, or Old Fort Parker outside of Groesbeck, where they've spent a lot of time restoring an old fort that has some historical import for the state. But, me, I went to Kerens.
I knew two things about Kerens: It's the place where Big Tex, that huge cowboy that stands in the Texas State Fair Grounds, was built. Of course, Big Tex is no longer in Kerens. It also was supposed to have a really great website at one point (although the server seems to be down at the time of this writing).
The truth is that Kerens is letting itself go to pot. There was one restored building downtown (although others were in use), but everything else seemed to be falling apart. The one really neat building I saw looks like it's just going to be left to fall into complete ruin. Sad.
Why the hell didn't I stop in Marlin?
© 2000 E.V. Hobbs