Here is my initial take on the intro podcast. I left some information blank (like battle numbers) so we could verify with the other groups. Let me know what you think!
Dowling Introduction Script
(Musical introduction bagpipe, fife, snare drum mashup?)
A: Hello and welcome to the Dick Dowling tour of Houston podcast series.
J: My name is Jocelyn
E: My name is Elizabeth
A: and my name is Alex,
You are currently listening to the Dick Dowling introductory podcast—the first of five podcasts discussing the life and legacy of Houston’s own Lt. Dick Dowling. The purpose of this podcast series is not to provide an exhaustive history on Dowling and his memory—for a more comprehensive account of Dowling, we invite you to peruse our websites’ extensive databases—in contrast, the purpose of these recordings is to educate as well as to provide a more unique perspective on the way Houstonians and people across the country have chosen to remember Dowling. It is clear that many of the prevailing views on Dowling’s life and legacy, were, and are continually shaped by the competing, and sometimes collaborative, interests of many different groups. In these podcasts, we will take you on a tour of many different sites celebrating Dowling, while at the same time illuminating the ways in which different perspectives have shaped the creation of these sites. By the end of this podcast, we hope you will not only learn a couple things about Dowling and the battle of Sabine Pass, but we hope you will understand many of the influential perspectives and interests surrounding Dowling and his physical and non-physical memory. Although Dick Dowling’s bust may be permanently etched in stone at the outskirts of Houston’s Hermann, the content of his actions and the importance of his legacy have been a subject of contention and consensus since his death in 1867.
Musical interlude
J: For those of you completely new to Dowling or need a refresher course on the man and his legacy, we will provide a very brief outline of Dowling’s life and his physical monuments.
Richard William Dowling was said to have been born in Taum, County Galway, Ireland in 1838. During the period of the Great Famine in Ireland, and at the age of 19, he immigrated to Houston, Texas. However, the first actual record of Dowling’s existence comes from his marriage to Annie Elizabeth Odlum in 1857, another Irish Catholic. While in Houston, Dowling became a very successful bar owner and businessman. In 1859, he became the first resident in Houston to install gas lighting, furnishing his home as well as his saloon, known as “the shades,” with this uncommon technology. This a major display of successfulness for any entrepreneur at the time. Much of Dowling’s business success came from his shrewd ability to get newspapers to write good reviews about his establishments by alluring journalists and ciritcs with free drinks. Very exceptional to other Irish immigrants in the South, and most likely due to his great achievements in the Houston community, Dowling was granted U.S. citizenship. At the Lone Star Hall, the location of Dowling’s saloon, members from the local community, including Dowling, formed the Houston Hook and Latter Company No. 1. Afterword, in 1859, the Houston Light Infantry chose Dowling’s Lone Star Hall as the site for their armory. After this chance occurrence, Dowling began his military service as a private in the local unit. During his early beginnings in the infantry, Dowling opened his most popular saloon, known widely as the Bank of Bacchus. However, as tensions between the north and the south grew hot in the summer of 1860, Dowling decided to join the Davis Guard, a mostly Irish immigrant group commanded by Frederick Odlum under Cook’s regiment. It was under this post where he gained the honorable distinction of first lieutenant. Additionally, it was in this Davis Guard that Dowling would come to fight at the famous battle of Sabine Pass; a role which would cement Dowling as an important Houstonian and Confederate soldier.
(Gun Shot noises, battle sounds)
Although the actual importance of the Battle of Sabine Pass is disputed, it is clear that many confederates viewed it as a battle of epic proportions. Even Confederate president Jefferson Davis described the battle as “one of the most heroic and brilliant achievements of this war.”In short, the Battle of Sabine Pass involved the encounter of Union forces trying to access Texas through the Sabine river with Confederate forces stationed in Fort Griffin, an effective fort along Sabine River. Under the apt military skill of Lt. Dowling, the small confederate artillery force of (number#) was able to turn away a Union fleet of (number#) gunboats, (number#) transport boats with a potential of landing (number#) union troops. Although the battle did not stop the inevitable surrender of the confederacy, it was looked upon as a high point of resiliency and bravery by many confederates. As will be discussed at length, the number of troops presents, the magnitude of the confederate victory, and the role Dowling played in the battle have been major points of contention in the creation of Dowling’s legacy. After the well fought battle, Dowling promptly returned to his Houston based entrepreneurship , re-opening the Bank of Bacchus and starting an oil company in Houston. He unfortunately died of yellow fever in 1867 and is currently buried in St. Vincent’s Cemetery.
(funeral bagpipes!!???!!?!)
Not long after his death, various groups such as an Irish society called the Ancient Order of the Hibernians and the United Confederate Veterans sought to create a statue in Dowling’s honor. After a long, drawn-out process, the final bust of Dowling was completed in 1905 and placed was placed at City Hall on Market square. It was formally dedicated on St. Patrick’s Day of that year, in front of a sizeable crowd of Irishmen, Civil War enthusiasts, and Houstonians. In 1939 the statue was moved to Sam Houston Park, and in 1958 it was relocated to its current resting place in the outskirts of Hermann Park. Also in dedication to Dick Dowling is Dowling Street which is now the hub of the Third Ward, one of Houston’s notable black communities. Intersecting Dowling Street is Taum Street, the alleged birthplace of Dowling. Interestingly, the two streets meet on what was to become, and what is now today, Emancipation Park.
For more in-depth information about Richard Dowling, the Battle of Sabine Pass, his physical monuments, or his collective memory, please visit the Dowling website at (url address)
Musical interlude
E: Despite our increasing understanding of the life of Dick Dowling, much of his different legacies as a Civil War hero, an Irish immigrant, a Confederate sympathizer, a shrewd businessman, and a proud Houstonian are still shrouded in relative obscurity. This obscurity is precisely the reason why the story of Dick Dowling has come to mean so many different things for so many different people. If you have lived in Houston or have ever visited Houston, you have probably run into, whether you realized it or not, many different sites holding some piece of Dowling’s legacy: whether it be the statue in Hermann Park, the gravestone in St. Vincent’s cemetery, the two original sites of the statue at Houston Market Square or Sam Houston Park, Dick Dowling Street, or even Dowling Middle School. No matter how you feel about Dowling, or how he should be remembered (even if not at all), it is clear that he has left many marks on the city of Houston.
Fife playing?
E: In this podcast series we will be taking you on a tour of various sites of Dowling’s memory around Houston. You can follow along by driving to these spots, walking on foot around these locations, or just using the provided Google street view and online images to get a closer view. In all, the podcast series is broken up into 5 audio files—including this introductory podcast. Whether you wish to take a virtual or physical tour, be sure to download the podcasts that correspond to the various sites you wish to visit.
Exitlude music playing (snare drum?)
A (said over the music): Thank you for joining us, and we hope you have a wonderful time on the Dick Dowling Tour of Houston.
Nice first draft, Alex! You may be able to shorten the introductory paragraph somewhat, but I think you’re off to a good start.
Some of the other posts on this blog mention a Google Doc where you are keeping your scripts. Can you share that Doc with me? It may be easier for me to make more specific suggestions for revision there than it would be here.
One thing that occurs to me as I read this draft is that you say it’s “interesting” that Dowling and Tuam streets intersect at Emancipation Park, but the listener would have a hard time figuring out why this is noteworthy or ironic. One way to bring this out would be to talk more about the context of the war–like the Emancipation Proclamation–relative to the Battle of Sabine Pass. You might have time to do this by being really picky about what information you want to repeat in your podcast that would already be available on the marker that someone standing at the statue will be able to read. For example, they can read about the Bank of Bacchus there, but they won’t have any notion of Emancipation Park, the processes that produced it, and why it is “interesting” that Dowling and Tuam streets intersect there.