Old Rip

Description 

Old Rip: The Horned Toad That Just Wouldn’t Die 

In 1928, workers opened the cornerstone of an old courthouse in Eastland, Texas. Inside were items placed there 31 years earlier—and a horned toad that appeared to be dead. 

Then, according to the story, he opened his eyes. 

They called him Old Rip, and before long this little Texas horned lizard was a national celebrity. He traveled the country, met President Calvin Coolidge, and became part of one of the strangest legends in Texas history. 

Was Old Rip really sealed inside that cornerstone for 31 years? Was there a switch? Or was the whole thing an elaborate Texas-sized hoax? 

Nearly a century later, people are still arguing about it. And maybe that's part of what makes the story so much fun. 

Show Notes 

Old Rip: The Horned Toad That Just Wouldn’t Die 

In this episode of The Texan Edge, Tweed Scott heads to Eastland, Texas, for one of the state's strangest—and most enduring—stories. 

In 1897, a Texas horned lizard was reportedly placed inside the cornerstone of the Eastland County Courthouse. When the cornerstone was opened 31 years later, the little fellow was found inside. 

And then, according to witnesses, he started moving. 

In this episode: 

• How a horned toad supposedly wound up inside a courthouse cornerstone
• The opening of the cornerstone in February 1928
• The moment Old Rip reportedly came back to life
• Why skeptics questioned the story almost immediately
• Old Rip's rise to national fame
• His trip to Washington and meeting with President Calvin Coolidge
• What happened to Old Rip after his death
• Where you can still see him today

Was Old Rip the toughest horned toad Texas ever produced—or the star of one terrific hoax?
 
Maybe some Texas stories are more fun when we don't know for certain.
 

This isn't just a podcast, it's a Texas state of mind.

Transcript

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The Lizard That Wouldn’t Die

SPEAKER_00 0:05

Old Rip, a horned toad that just wouldn't die. In 1828, folks in Eastland, Texas opened the cornerstone of their old courthouse. Inside they found a Bible, some newspapers, a few other things that had been put in there 31 years earlier. Oh, and a horn toad. That's right, a horn toad. A dead horn toad, you'd figure, well, according to the story, old Rip opened his eyes.

Skeptics Welcome, Story Included

SPEAKER_00 0:39

Hi there, I'm Tweed Scott, and this is the Texan Edge. Now, right up front, I need to tell you that there are people who don't believe a word of this story. And hey, that's okay. We're gonna tell it anyway.

Why Seal A Horned Lizard

SPEAKER_00 0:55

It started back in 1897 when Eastland County built a new courthouse. Somewhere along the way, somebody apparently got the idea to put a Texas horn toed lizard into the cornerstone. Why? Hey, I have no idea. Maybe there just wasn't much to do in Eastland in 1897. I don't know. Anyway, the story goes that they placed the little fellow inside and sealed the cornerstone. And that was that. Years passed. Then even more years passed. By the nineteen twenties, Eastland had changed quite a bit. The oil boom had brought money into the area, and eventually the county decided it was time for another courthouse, and that meant the old courthouse was coming down. And somebody remembered the horn toad. By then thirty one years had passed. Surely nobody expected to find anything but whatever was left of the poor little

The Cornerstone Opens In 1928

SPEAKER_00 1:50

thing. But when they opened the cornerstone in February of nineteen twenty eight, there he was, apparently dead. Then somebody picked him up. And according to the story, one of his legs twitched, then another. And before long, that horned toad was very much alive. Now, if you're sitting there thinking, Tweed, there's no way a horned toad lived inside a courthouse cornerstone for thirty one years. You're not the first person to have that thought. People questioned the story almost immediately. Some accused someone of switching lizards. Others swore it was absolutely true. Eastland didn't seem particularly bothered by the argument. They had themselves a celebrity.

Old Rip Goes National

SPEAKER_00 2:36

They named him Old Rip, and old Rip went on the road. People came to see him. Newspapers picked up the story. He traveled around the country and eventually made his way all the way to Washington, D.C., where old Rip was presented to President Calvin Coolidge. Think about that for a minute. You're President of the United States. You've got meetings to attend. There are affairs of state waiting for your attention, and somebody from Texas walks into your office carrying a horn toad that supposedly spent thirty one years inside a courthouse. Now I don't know what Calvin Coolidge said, but I'd like to have seen

Death, Display, And Lasting Doubt

SPEAKER_00 3:17

his face. Old Rip's second chance at life didn't last very long, by the way. He died the following year. Pneumonia, at least according to the story. But Eastland wasn't about to let its most famous resident simply just disappear. Old Rip was preserved. In fact, he's still there. You can go to the Eastland County Courthouse today and see him in his little display case. Nearly a hundred years after somebody opened that cornerstone, people are still arguing about what really happened. Was old Rip actually sealed inside for thirty one years? Was another horn toad slipped in there before the cornerstone was opened? Was the whole thing a wonderful Texas sized hoax? I don't know. And you know what? I'm not sure I want to know. Sometimes figuring out exactly how the magician did the trick takes a little fun out of watching it. What I do know is that in 1928, a little Texas horn toad came out of a courthouse, cornerstone, in Eastland, and became famous all over America. In fact, he even met a president. And nearly a century later, we're still talking about him. That's good enough for me. I'm Tweed Scott, and this is The Texan Edge. See you next time.