Archived Feature:
Old Rip, Eastland, Texas
Old Rip was named after the legendary Rip Van Winkle. Back in 1897, a live horned-toad was enclosed in the cornerstone of the county courthouse being constructed at the time. Thirty-one years later, in 1928, the courthouse burned down and the cornerstone was opened. After a few minutes of appearing dead, the horned-toad jumped to life. He instantly achieved quite a degree of notoriety, and was the inspiration for a Warner Brothers cartoon entitled One Froggy Evening, released in 1955, still considered one of their more classic episodes. That is why, to this day, a frog is still one of the primary symbols for the Warner Bros. entertainment conglomerate.
Old Rip, when he finally did die (of pneumonia) a year or so later, was fitted with a tiny custom casket. He continues to lie in state in the front window of the Eastland County Courthouse.
Eastland, Texas, is on old US 80 (now I-20) west of Fort Worth.
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