If you’re ever in Eastland, Texas, be sure to visit the Eastland County Courthouse. It is the final resting place of Old Rip, the most famous horned lizard in the world.
LEAPLN’ LIZARDS
Old Rip’s story begins back in 1897. In those days, people used to say a horned lizard could live for 100 years without food or water. A local kid named Will Woods wanted to know if that was true.
About that time, the town was building a new courthouse. During the ceremony for the laying of the cornerstone, Justice of the Peace Ernest Woods (Will’s dad) placed a Bible, a newspaper, and a few other mementos into the cornerstone. Then, as a sort of joke, Mr. Woods dropped in a horned lizard that Will had found out in the desert. The stone was sealed and the courthouse built on top of it.
A VERY LONG NAP
Thirty-one years went by. Then, in 1928, the townspeople decided they needed a new courthouse. Just as they were getting ready to tear the old building down, some people remembered the horned lizard sealed into it three decades before. Could the lizard still be alive?
On the day of the demolition, 3,000 people showed up to watch the opening of the horned lizard’s tomb. He was still there, but he was as flat as a piece of cardboard and covered in dust.
Sliced bread was first introduced in 1930. (It was Wonder Bread.)
The county judge grabbed the lifeless creature by the leg and held him high in the air for all to see. To the crowd’s astonishment, the lizard’s other leg suddenly quivered. Then the lizard’s body inflated as it took a big gulp of air. That was its first breath of fresh air in 31 years!
The average life span of a horned lizard is about seven years. But somehow this one had gone into hibernation. People quickly named the lizard “Old Rip,” after the legendary Rip Van Winkle, the man who slept for 20 years.
DEAD AGAIN
Old Rip instantly became famous. People wanted to see this creature that had managed to live without food or water for 31 years. Old Rip went on tour. He even visited the White House and met President Coolidge.
Old Rip lived for another year. When he died, the town had him stuffed and put into a little casket lined with velvet.
And there he remained until 1962, when Governor John Connally stopped in Eastland on his reelection campaign tour. Unfortunately, at one rally, Governor Connally held Old Rip up in the air for the crowd to see…and dropped him, snapping off one of Rip’s legs.
Today, Old Rip, minus one leg, lies in his casket in a glass case in the courthouse lobby. If you are ever in Eastland, stop by and say, “Howdy, Old Rip!”
Peeee-eeew! Osphresiophobia is the fear of body odors.