Old Rip was a reptile with quite a legend. Some people believed that he survived a 31-year entombment in a courthouse cornerstone, and he became celebrity, even gaining an audience with President Calvin Coolidge. But was it all a hoax?

Research:
“Toad Alive After 31 Years Sealed in Texas Cornerstone.” New York Times. Feb, 20, 1928. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1928/02/20/91477181.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0
“Coolidge Sees Famous Horned Toad of Texas.” The Greenville News. May 4, 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/image/188233123/?terms=toad&match=1
“Texas Horned Frog Upsets Scientists.” Times Record News. Feb. 21, 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/image/774886762/
“Horned Lizard Facts.” Texas Parks and Wildlife. https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/wildlife_diversity/texas_nature_trackers/horned_lizard/facts/#:~:text=Its%20horny%20appearance%20and%20coloration,(actually%2C%20its%20eyelid).
“RipFest.” https://www.eastlandchamber.com/ripfest/
“Texas Court Frees Entombed Toad.” New York Times. May 14, 1928. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1928/05/15/91511824.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0
“Experts Are Skeptical About Horned Frog.” Fort Worth Record-Telegram. Feb 21, 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/image/634555101/?terms=Eastland%2C%20Texas&match=1
“Old Frog Leaps Back Into Case.” Austin American-Statesman. September 29, 1961. https://www.newspapers.com/image/357861533/
House, Boyce. “Amazing Story of Rip Is Told in Its Entirety.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Feb, 13, 1938. https://www.newspapers.com/image/636009835/
“Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum).” Texas Parks and Wildlife. https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/thlizard/
“Eastland Asks Old Rip’s Return.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram. April 18, 1972. https://www.newspapers.com/image/644137888/?terms=old%20rip&match=1
“Three-corner Fight Rages for Possession of Eastland’s Reptile.” The Amarillo Globe-Timed. Feb. 27, 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/image/29483459/?terms=will%20m.%20wood&match=1
“Famous New York Scientist Tells Whopper Frog Tale as Illustration That He Believes Texas Toad Story.” Wichita Falls Times. Feb. 21, 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/image/773773857/
“’Rip,’ Famous Sleeping Horned Toad, Here but Still Drowsy.” Indianapolis Star. May 1, 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/image/104983172
“Tulsa Barber Aided in Placing Famous ‘Rip’ Frog in Stone.” The Tulsa Tribune. Feb. 21, 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/image/884100535/?terms=Eastland%2C%20Texas
“The Spirit of Old Rip to Be Revived.” The Odessa American. Sept. 11, 1977. https://www.newspapers.com/image/301920827/?
Donnelly, Claire.” How Curious: What Happened To All Of The ‘Horny Toads’?” KGOU. https://www.kgou.org/oklahoma-news/2019-09-10/how-curious-what-happened-to-all-of-the-horny-toads
“Frog Question Acute and Threatens to Become National.” Wichita Daily Times. Feb. 26, 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/image/773773951/
“Doubts Horned Toad Tale.” New York Times. February 21, 1928. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1928/02/21/109853229.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0
Dabney, James. “Letter Reawakens ‘Rip’ Toad Legend.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Sept. 10, 1976. https://www.newspapers.com/image/633757078/

<p>Old Rip was a reptile with quite a legend. Some people believed that he survived a 31-year entombment in a courthouse cornerstone, and he became celebrity, even gaining an audience with President Calvin Coolidge. But was it all a hoax?</p>
<p>Research:</p>
<ul>
<li>“Toad Alive After 31 Years Sealed in Texas Cornerstone.” New York Times. Feb, 20, 1928. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1928/02/20/91477181.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&amp;ip=0</li>
<li>“Coolidge Sees Famous Horned Toad of Texas.” The Greenville News. May 4, 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/image/188233123/?terms=toad&amp;match=1</li>
<li>“Texas Horned Frog Upsets Scientists.” Times Record News. Feb. 21, 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/image/774886762/</li>
<li>“Horned Lizard Facts.” Texas Parks and Wildlife. https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/wildlife_diversity/texas_nature_trackers/horned_lizard/facts/#:~:text=Its%20horny%20appearance%20and%20coloration,(actually%2C%20its%20eyelid).</li>
<li>“RipFest.” https://www.eastlandchamber.com/ripfest/</li>
<li>“Texas Court Frees Entombed Toad.” New York Times. May 14, 1928. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1928/05/15/91511824.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&amp;ip=0</li>
<li>“Experts Are Skeptical About Horned Frog.” Fort Worth Record-Telegram. Feb 21, 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/image/634555101/?terms=Eastland%2C%20Texas&amp;match=1</li>
<li>“Old Frog Leaps Back Into Case.” Austin American-Statesman. September 29, 1961. https://www.newspapers.com/image/357861533/</li>
<li>House, Boyce. “Amazing Story of Rip Is Told in Its Entirety.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Feb, 13, 1938. https://www.newspapers.com/image/636009835/</li>
<li>“Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum).” Texas Parks and Wildlife. https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/thlizard/</li>
<li>“Eastland Asks Old Rip’s Return.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram. April 18, 1972. https://www.newspapers.com/image/644137888/?terms=old%20rip&amp;match=1</li>
<li>“Three-corner Fight Rages for Possession of Eastland’s Reptile.” The Amarillo Globe-Timed. Feb. 27, 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/image/29483459/?terms=will%20m.%20wood&amp;match=1</li>
<li>“Famous New York Scientist Tells Whopper Frog Tale as Illustration That He Believes Texas Toad Story.” Wichita Falls Times. Feb. 21, 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/image/773773857/</li>
<li>“’Rip,’ Famous Sleeping Horned Toad, Here but Still Drowsy.” Indianapolis Star. May 1, 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/image/104983172</li>
<li>“Tulsa Barber Aided in Placing Famous ‘Rip’ Frog in Stone.” The Tulsa Tribune. Feb. 21, 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/image/884100535/?terms=Eastland%2C%20Texas</li>
<li>“The Spirit of Old Rip to Be Revived.” The Odessa American. Sept. 11, 1977. https://www.newspapers.com/image/301920827/?</li>
<li>Donnelly, Claire.” How Curious: What Happened To All Of The ‘Horny Toads’?” KGOU. https://www.kgou.org/oklahoma-news/2019-09-10/how-curious-what-happened-to-all-of-the-horny-toads</li>
<li>“Frog Question Acute and Threatens to Become National.” Wichita Daily Times. Feb. 26, 1928. https://www.newspapers.com/image/773773951/</li>
<li>“Doubts Horned Toad Tale.” New York Times. February 21, 1928. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1928/02/21/109853229.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&amp;ip=0</li>
<li>Dabney, James. “Letter Reawakens ‘Rip’ Toad Legend.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Sept. 10, 1976. https://www.newspapers.com/image/633757078/</li>
</ul>

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Stuff You Missed in History Class

Old Rip was a reptile with quite a legend. Some people believed that he survived a 31-year entombment in a courthouse cornerstone, and he became celebrity, even gaining an audience with President Calvin Coolidge. But was it all a hoax?

Old Rip, Famous Texas Horned Lizard

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