by Terry Lidral
Legend has it that Ol’ Rip was a Texas “horned toad” who lived for 32 years. As the story goes, it was in 1897 that a 4-year-old boy deposited his Texas “horned toad,” (more correctly known as the Texas horned lizard) in a time capsule in the cornerstone of Eastland, Texas County Courthouse. Texas “horned toads” were thought to be able to survive long periods of hibernation. It was a chance to test the theory. Thirty-one years later, upon demolition of the building, the time capsule was recovered with the “horned toad” inside.
Media hype surrounded the ceremony for the opening of the box, especially as to the fate of the hibernating reptile. The great throng of people gathered around were amazed to see the little dust covered creature actually come awake from his 30-year sleep.
That infamous “horned toad” became a national star and was taken on tour. He was named Ol’ Rip after Washing Irving’s deep sleeper Rip Van Winkle. In addition to being cast in motion pictures, he was taken to the White House by a Texas political delegation where the Texas “horned toad” was introduced to President Calvin Coolidge.
It was said that Ol’ Rip and President Coolidge had a stare down. Coolidge was known for his unblinking, silent stare. But in Ol’ Rip, Coolidge had met his match. Final word had it that the contest was a draw.
Read more of the story of Ol’ Rip here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ol%27_Rip_the_Horned_Toad
The story of the Texas “horned toad” who stared down President Coolidge made the little lizard a national sensation. It seemed that everyone wanted to have their own Ol’ Rip. Captured “horned toads” were sold at the 1928 Democratic National Convention held in Houston, Texas for $2.50 each. The demand for the Texas reptile became so great that the Department of Agriculture lobbied to stop the sale of these creatures before their numbers in the wild became depleted.
Travel and fatigue eventually led to Ol’ Rip’s demise. On January 19, 1929, he succumbed to pneumonia. His body was placed in a tiny satin lined coffin and was displayed in the lobby of the new Eastland County Courthouse.
Ol’ Rip’s story has been immortalized in the 1955 Looney Tunes Classic One Froggy Evening. In the cartoon, a construction worker finds a time capsule from which emerges a singing frog, known as Michigan J. Frog, whose rendition of “Hello, My Baby” is a traditional favorite of Looney Tunes lovers everywhere.
