Houston News : TXDoT pitches in to help solve the mystery unearthed by a Houston Chronicle coin
Published
9:28 am CST, Friday, February 28, 2020
Local archaeologists found this mystery “Houston Chronicle” coin in Houston. But what is it?
Local archaeologists found this mystery “Houston Chronicle” coin in Houston. But what is it?
Photo: Courtesy Photo
Local archaeologists found this mystery “Houston Chronicle” coin in Houston. But what is it?
Local archaeologists found this mystery “Houston Chronicle” coin in Houston. But what is it?
Photo: Courtesy Photo
TXDoT pitches in to help solve the mystery unearthed by a ‘Houston Chronicle’ coin
Recently, the Houston Chronicle’s Lisa Gray wrote a Gray Matters piece about a mystery coin unearthed by archaeologists in a dig at a historical site.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TXDoT) hired archaeologists to excavate Frost Town, which for generations, was immigrants’ first rung on the ladder — the place they first settled after coming to Houston to work their way up in the world, according to Gray.
She adds that the neighborhood’s story began in 1836 — the year of the Texas Revolution. In the 1890s, people of Mexican descent moved in, renaming it “El Barrio del Alacrán” — “Neighborhood of the Scorpion.”
DIGGING UP HISTORY : Torched town from Texas Revolution reemerges in archaeological dig west of Houston
During the dig under what is now a four-lane freeway flyover connecting Near Northside to a downtown spot a little north of Minute Maid Park, archaeologists unearthed an unusual coin.
The stamped coin reads, “30 CHRONICLE CENTS.” According to Gray, “It’s the diameter of a Kennedy half dollar, but thinner. Judging from other objects where they dug it up, it’s from the late 1940s or early ’50s.”
TXDoT turned to the Chronicle to see if anyone at the paper could identify the coin, but so far no luck. So this week, TXDoT reached out to the Twitterverse for help:
TxDOT archeology efforts at the Frost Town site just north of @downtownhouston uncovered this amazing artifact. It was recently featured in an @chron article by @LisaGray_HouTX. Let us know if you have info on its origin by DM or via our contact page at t.co/ij5XSn6MuS. pic.twitter.com/Aq551wNPt9
— TxDOT- HOU District (@TxDOTHouston) February 27, 2020
There has been a lot of interest, but still no answer. So if you can help solve this history’s mystery, drop us a line. If not, take a look at the slideshow above to check other interesting artifacts that were dug-up in and around Houston.
Danny Hermosillo is the Sr. Digital News Editor for Chron.com | Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @Dannyherm1| Email him at Danny.Hermosillo@chron.com
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Source : chron.com
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