Wow, Jim, I just spent about an hour on the phone with Gary Wiggins talking about a visit. He volunteered to take me all over the Southeastern end of Texas, and basically said I'd be SOL without his guidance (relating how you guys got pulled over by a cop wondering what you guys were doing stomping around out in the boonies at the Dance Bros & powder lab site at Anderson -- something you haven't told us). He could not have been nicer, and I learned a ton.
In addition to all the history, I learned that a visit to Anderson is a full day expedition for him as well as me and so I think that's a lot to ask, not being blesse with your New Jersey chutzpah
And it sounds like there is not much left to see other than the site, the hill where the magazine stood and the quaint town that I could see pretty much on my own without making him drive 5 hours roundtrip to show me around. That said, he seemed willing.
He then told me we should instead head a couple hours in clear the opposite direction down to Brazoria County to see the original Dance Brothers factory site and home (still standing) along with a bunch of earthworks and other stuff down in West Columbia County. This sounds like the making for a future forum roadtrip!
Finally, he gave me the names of places in Houston that are way easier to get to and can be done on my own. A building from the original Houston Ordnance works has been converted into a pub (right up my power alley)
http://houstorian.wordpress.com/2007/03/11/foley-house/...and he suggested the Museum of Southern History (used to be called the Confederate Museum before PC resulted in a name change).
http://www.hbu.edu/About-HBU/The-Campus/Facilities/Morris-Cultural-Arts-Center/Museums/Museum-of-Southern-History/Weapons-Room.aspxAl in all a good tip for me to reconnect with Gary. Thanks Jim.