Little-Known Facts in our History: From 32 Flags to the Locofoco Party

April 9, 2015 - It may be trivia but it is a little-known fact: “Thirty-Two Flags over Texas” is a bit more complete than saying “Six Flags over Texas.” (Don’t forget that the transition from thirteen to fifty states over time required twenty-six versions—a new flag every time a star was added.)

And, as one would expect, Texas has more counties than any other state (254); and of those counties, four of them (Harrison, Parmer, Rains, & Roberts) are named after Shelby County residents. No other county can boast of this fact.

Did you also know that Tanaha (not Nashville, as popular sources say) was the first name for the village of Shelbyville?

We recently dealt with a change from Standard Time to Daylight Savings Time; it reminded me that our time zones in the United States are separated by one hour. However, rather far to our east and north, Newfoundland is separated by ½ hour from its time-zone neighbors…..Interesting…..

What about this? As an original county in the State of Texas, Shelby County first included what are now the counties of Panola, Harrison, and a portion of Rusk.

Without doubt, the little-known fact I most enjoy exposing is this: there are specific dates in the 18th century calendar Which Do Not Exist. They are Sept. 3rd through the 13th, 1752. Do you believe this is fact? Check it out with a multi-year calendar that reaches back to the 18th century (such as http://calendarhome.com). One of my archived articles in the Summer 2013 issue of We the People of Shelby County explains this phenomenon.

Some might suggest that most or all of these previous statements have no relevance in today’s world, so let us examine a little-known fact that readers who follow day-to-day politics may find informative or, at least, amusing.

Yes, it’s true; we had a political entity in the United States with a bit of clout, helping to shape our destiny, called the Locofoco Party. The Locofocos influenced President Martin Van Buren, a democrat, so much that the opposing party (the Whigs) labeled the entire Democrat Party the Locofocos in the early 1840's.

The Locofoco Party was a segment of the Democrat Party for a rather brief period during the first half of the 19th century. While its time span was more limited and did not have as much strength, in some ways it might be considered as the democrat’s Tea Party of an earlier time. Even in those days of the first half of the 19th century, “factions created a grid-lock situation in which many Americans, religiously devoted to the Republic, found themselves frustrated with the landscape of politics.” (thelocofocolog.wordpress.com)

In its six-year life, the Locofoco Party grew in number, meeting privately at times to try to preserve their principles. Some opponents thought they were anti-economic growth and anti-industrialization, but they stood opposed to taxes, hierarchies, governors, and too much government control. (Jacob Harris Patton, Political Parties in the United States: Their History and Influence. New York: 1896)

Their label sounds stranger than their principles. Depending on what side of the aisle you sit, it might be said that we could use a bit of Locofoco thinking today.