Texas Tommy

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Posted By: Mike

A question on Texas Tommy's. I know most were found in the Northern california region. Does anyone know what Texas Tommy was, and were they only distributed in Northern Cal. And can anyone show us the Wagner from either the small or the large set ? I've always wanted to see them. I know they're obscure, but I also know someone in here has them.

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Posted By: barrysloate

There was a dance around the turn of the century called the "Texas Tommy."

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Posted By: Mike

Where do the cards come in then?

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Posted By: Brad

http://www.oldcardboard.com/e/e2/e224/e224-1gal.asp

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Posted By: Mike

Duh.....I should have consulted Old C.

Thanks.

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Posted By: barrysloate

I don't get the connection between the cards and the dance, but if the dance was popular for a period of time, then Texas Tommy might be a catchy name for a product. I admit I'm grasping straws here.

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Posted By: Steve f

I believe a derivative of that dance survives today, in a ranch outside of Lubbock.

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Posted By: Mike

I get dizzy when I turn my riding lawn mower too fast....That dance isn't for me. And happily, people in my neighborhood are into sailing....And is there a winner in this Tractor dance?

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Posted By: Zach Rice

I posted this once earlier but thought it fit this thread well so am posting it again.

John Esch did a wonderful article on the E224 set for Old Cardboard magazine. In it, he goes into great depth into the set, the name and the set's origin. Below is a part of the article where his opinion on the name is given. To understand the below section, it is important to know that earlier in the article the company that produced the set is discussed, the Cardinet Candy Company which was located in San Francisco.

The Texas Tommy was a popular ballroom dance, which began gaining notoriety about 1909. According to the website wwww.streetsing.com, Texas Tommy is said by many to be the first swing dance. It is credited as the forerunner of the Lindy Hop and later, the Jitterbug. The Fairmont Hotel is credited with giving birth to the Texas Tommy. And where was the Fairmount located? Yes, San Francisco--just across the Bay Bridge from Oakland. We may be on to something here ! The Dance was solidified as a craze with its appearance in the Ziegfield Follies in 1911 and the Darktown Follies in Harlem in 1913. Texas Tommy cards date from 1914. Hmm!

But why choose to name a candy bar for a dance? Well, why not? You had baby Ruth, O'Henry and for that matter, Cracker Jack which used names totally unrelated to the product's content. Texas Tommy was a catchy name; it had some common usage and a positive, maybe even hip connotation. Considering the Cardinet's other brands including names like Abba Zabba and U-NO, the Texas Tommy name seems very plausible.

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Posted By: Mike

Makes sense. As good as any.

Thanks