Ever see something that brings a song to mind? Well, back in the day when people saw the sign for Juliff Texas about 20 miles east of Richmond, they probably continued along singing a ditty about a diddy.
What? Well, like most things, there’s a story there.
In 1933 a few enterprising citizens opened a dance hall and several taverns right along the railroad line in town. The drinking, gambling and . . . well . . . working women . . . that followed made this little town a pretty rowdy place. But it helped them get through the Great Depression.
Inspired by the female professionals, a local musician wrote a song in 1934 called “Diddy Wa Diddy” that was supposedly about Juliff. In part it went, “I got a gal down in Diddy Wah Diddy. Ain’t no town an it ain’t no city.” Some even suggested changing the name of the town to Diddy Way Diddy (I kind of wish they had!), but that was probably after they’d enjoyed themselves a bit too much at the saloons.
Juliff, a shipping point on the Brazos River, was born on land that was originally part of the antebellum Arcola plantation. It was named for early settler John J. Juliff – “Triple J” to his friends. The town earned a post office in 1891 and by 1896 had its own general store. Business wasn’t steady in the community, and the post office closed in 1908 – only to reopen in 1914 and then – yup – close again in 1958
But what about the song? It was recorded by countless artists including Bo Diddley (which I guess would be Diddley’s version of Diddy) through the years.
The playful wording was likely inspired by a 1929 tune by Arthur “Blind” Blake from Florida, whose song was also named Diddy Wah Diddy, but had different lyrics. It wasn’t the only time the phrase was “borrowed” for a song.
Here are a few of the words from Juliff’s own version:
“… I gotta gal down in Diddy Wah Diddy
(Diddy Wah)
Ain’t no town an it ain’t no city
(Diddy Wah)
She loves her man, just is a pity
Crazy ’bout my gal in Diddy Wah Diddy
… This little girl is sweet as she could be
(Diddy Wah)
I know she’s in love with me
(Diddy Wah)
A lovely face, she’s so pretty
(Diddy Wah)
But she’s still way down in Diddy Wah Diddy
… Ain’t no town, an it ain’t no city
But oh, how they love in Diddy Wah Diddy
… She kissed me all the time
(Diddy Wah)
She gonna turn me outta my mind
(Diddy Wah)
Anything, she says she’s ready
(Diddy Wah)
Run right back to Diddy Wah Diddy
(Diddy Wah)
(Diddy Wah)
(Diddy Wah)
(Diddy Wah)
… Ain’t no town, ain’t no city
Lord, how they love in Diddy Wah Diddy
… Diddy Wah
If you want to hear audio of the song, click HERE for a link to the 1960s version by Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band. Yes, really.
One of the lines of the song might hide a reason for the fate of the decline of Juliff: “Everybody would live in Diddy Wa Diddy – if only it wasn’t so hard to find.”
And that’s how the small town became connected with the jaunty tune. The next time you zoom through Juliff, hum a little diddy to let John Juliff you heard about the good old days in town.
There’s a tiny town in far west Texas that really gets to the heart of things…and its name says it all: Valentine. The city limits sign lists its population as 217, but anyone who lives there will tell you that’s an exaggeration.
This time of year Valentine’s small post office is bustling, processing thousands of pieces of mail from all over the world – including 30 foreign countries. Surprised? You see, it’s become a tradition to send Valentines through the town’s post office so they receive special, customized romantic post marks that change every year. You can find all the details about that in one of my earlier blog posts, HERE.
Valentine, Texas Post Office
Last year I sent my own round of Valentines through the post office, and this year I was happy to finally get to see the post office halfway between Marfa and Van Horn in person.
There are two versions of the story about how Valentine got its name, and locals happily embrace both. When a Southern Pacific Railroad crew finished laying tracks in 1882, they needed to establish a stopping point for fuel. Since it was Valentine’s Day, they named the station Valentine. Of course, it didn’t hurt that the president of Wells Fargo and a significant stock holder in the railroad was named John Valentine – so they could easily say it was in his honor as well.
Trains began running through the town in 1883, and in 1886 its now infamous post office was established.
By 1890, Valentine boasted about 100 citizens, two saloons, a general store, a hotel and a meat market. Ranchers in the area took advantage of the railroad to ship cattle out of town to markets.
The settlement has the unusual distinction of being the site of the largest earthquake known to have occurred in Texas. At 5:40 a.m. on August 16, 1931 a 6.5 magnitude quake really shook things up, damaging every building and even rotating gravestones in the local cemetery.
By the 1950s though, roadways and trucking were becoming more established and led to the demise of Valentine’s rail depot…and eventually local businesses. One that managed to stay open for years was a small café, where James Dean frequently ate while filming the 1956 movie “Giant” with Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson nearby. Pretty big excitement for a small, dusty town.
James Dean at the Cafe
Today Valentine looks a lot more like a classic ghost town, although it does still have living residents and even its own school. To find the post office you’ll need to drive west all the way (and yes, it only takes a minute) through Valentine past abandoned buildings, and the post office is on your right just at the edge of town.
If you can’t visit Valentine for yourself, mark your calendar to send your mail their way several weeks before their namesake holiday next year. It’s a sweetly unique Texas tradition.
Why the big dice in Decatur? Well, since you asked . . .
If you want to start a friendly debate in Decatur, Texas just ask a group of people about the origin of the phrase “Eighter from Decatur.”
The slang phrase is used by craps shooters who want to roll an eight, and it’s also the title of a song by Western swing legend Bob Wills.
The legend traces back to 1900 when a group of Home Guards and Army Regulars traveled by train to Virginia to participate in a reenactment of the Battle of Manassas.
Will Cooper, had been hired as a cook for the Decatur participants, participated in a game of craps during the train ride. As a lucky phrase when he wanted to roll a ‘hard eight,’ Will would either say “Ada from Decautur” (supposedly referencing his sweetheart’s name) or “Eighter from Decatur” (which would have been more literally what he was hoping to roll.” Once the men reach the site of the reenactment and joined with others from around the country the craps games continued and Will’s catchphrase spread like wild fire. Supposedly it was taken back to all parts of the country and spoken by people in the following years who had no idea where Decatur was.
Soon after the phrase caught on, it was incorporated in local signs, businesses and even became the name of the local Navy Band, seen here posing in front of the local courthouse.
Whichever way the phrase rolls off your tongue, you’ll want to keep a sharp eye out in the small Texas town for dice in logos, signs, and sculptures.
Ever see something that brings a song to mind? Well, back in the day when people saw the sign for Juliff Texas about 20 miles east of Richmond, they probably continued along singing a ditty about a diddy.
But what about the song? It was recorded by countless artists including Bo Diddley (which I guess would be Diddley’s version of Diddy) through the years.
If you want to hear audio of the song, click HERE for a link to the 1960s version by Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band. Yes, really.
