Editing Anson, Texas (section)

==Traditions==
Anson is home to the "Texas Cowboys' Christmas Ball", a three-night event held the weekend before Christmas. The first ball was held by M.G. Rhodes at his Star Hotel in Anson in 1885 and annually thereafter until 1890, when the hotel burned down. The event happened sporadically until it faded away during [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]]. Teacher and folklorist Leonora Barrett revived the event in 1940. The dance was (and still is) held in Pioneer Hall, a [[Works Progress Administration]] project from the [[Great Depression]]. Music is usually provided by [[Michael Martin Murphey]] and his band.<ref>Leanna Skarnulis. "Cowboys' Christmas Ball" ''AmericanProfile'' December 6–12, 2009. pp 14–16</ref>

Anson also may or may not have been the inspiration for the movie "[[Footloose (1984 film)|Footloose]]" and, as of 1987, still had an enforced "no dancing" law on the books that is/was only lifted for the annual Christmas dance.[http://www.barryshlachter.net/no-dancin-in-anson.html]  An effort was made in 1987 to change the ordinance to allow supervised dancing, which was successful. The conflict was the basis for the book, ''No Dancin' In Anson: An American Story of Race and Social Change'', by University of Texas professor Ricardo Ainslie.