Name: Atascosa County
Brand: Martin Gonzales
SKU: 9781467108836
Price: 17.49 USD
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Atascosa County

9781467108836

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

A rural area in Texas, Atascosa County is located directly south of San Antonio. The old roads traveled through this land were en route to missions, forts, and places of importance to natives, explorers, settlers, wildlife, and battle-tested armies. Atascosa County was created in 1856 by the Texas Legislature, and since the land grants were distributed in the late 1800s, the population has increased substantially as settlers dealt with Indian raids, drought, and the hardships of farming and ranching. As the rest of America embraced the machine age and technical wonders, Atascosa County has evolved along in stride. Initially, wagons, plows, and mules toiled for rural Atascosa County; today, vehicles, tractors, and modern machinery keep the county moving forward. Coined “The Birthplace of the Cowboy” by historian Dr. Ben Parker, the land continues to be dominated by the cattle industry. In modern history, country stars such as Willie Nelson and George Strait have blazed a path through Atascosa County with deep ties and humble beginnings.

Martin Gonzales is the chairman of the Atascosa County Historical Commission. He and his fellow volunteers have carried on the great work of appointed commissions of the past by recognizing and continuing to study local history. This publication was made possible with contributions from Atascosa County citizens who gladly answered the call for historical pictures and the stories that went with them.

Cover image for Atascosa County, isbn: 9781467108836

African Americans of Round Top

9781467160742

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Round Top's African American pioneers came into Texas in 1825 when Stephen F. Austin brought in 300 Anglo-Americans, and the people they enslaved, for the purpose of colonizing the area. Soon afterward, more slaves were bought in from other slaveholding states. After the Civil War ended, the descendants of these original Round Top pioneers began building their own community. Many earned money by toiling away in the cotton fields for the very men who had once enslaved them. Others earned money working as cowboys, washerwomen, barbers, or blacksmiths. In 1867, the group founded the Concord Missionary Baptist Church as a communal space for them to come together and pool their resources to buy their own land, build their own homes, and hire teachers, which led to the creation of the Concord Missionary Baptist Church Colored School. For generations, this school successfully educated freedmen, their children, and their descendants before finally closing its doors due to desegregation. Despite many challenges, they overcame obstacles that grew into a prosperous community.

Texas Gunslingers

9781467132718

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Images of America: Texas Gunslingers presents the concept of Texas as the Gunfighter Capital of the West. Indeed, after the cowboy--a Texas creation--the most colorful and romanticized frontier figure is the gunfighter. Nothing is more dramatic than life and death conflict, and the image of men in big hats and boots brandishing six-shooters and Winchesters has been portrayed in countless Western novels, movies, and television shows. Texas made an enormous contribution to gunfighter lore. Texas Rangers were responsible for the evolution of Sam Colt's revolving pistol, key weapon of gunfighters. More shoot-outs occurred in Texas than in any other state or territory. More gunfighters were from Texas, including kill-crazy Wes Hardin and Killin' Jim Miller, the West's premier assassin. There were more blood feuds in Texas than in any other state. Frequently, gunplay erupted in towns such as Tascosa, El Paso, Fort Worth, and Lampasas, where four lawmen were killed in an 1873 saloon battle.

College Station

9780738579559

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The first land-grant college in Texas--called the Agricultural and Mechanical College--was predominantly a military school, built in 1876 in a then-remote area of Central Texas. Like other developments, the institute was a result of the expanding railroad, so a station named "College" was erected to service the new school. Drawing newcomers to the area, the city of College Station was incorporated in 1938, and its size soon rivaled that of neighboring Bryan--the Brazos County seat. The College Station area offers a surprisingly diverse mix of attractions, including the George Bush Presidential Library, the Texas Motor Speedway, and Kyle Field. During the last century, the college has grown from a few hundred students into a major university with more than 49,000 students, making Texas A&M the seventh-largest school in the nation. Today College Station is home to some 100,000 people.

Georgetown

9780738584508

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Before 1840, the land along the three forks of the San Gabriel River attracted trappers, traders, and frontiersmen. The town of Georgetown, situated at the confluence of these forks, was founded and named the Williamson County Seat in May 1848. It quickly grew as an agricultural center. Well-known cattlemen such as future Nevada governor John Sparks and the Snyder Brothers lived in Georgetown, and thousands of cows were driven right through downtown to the famed Chisholm Trail. Economic forces lined up favorably for this small village as cattle, cotton, and railroads combined to set off a boom in growth. Southwestern University, established here in 1873, further influenced the character of Georgetown. The wild cowboy town full of saloons and gambling halls soon developed great opportunities for education and business. Today the courthouse square from that earlier era is one of the most intact Victorian town squares in Texas. Georgetown is now recognized for its outstanding quality of life, vibrant business community, and award-winning historic preservation efforts.

Downtown San Antonio

9780738584911

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With its diverse cultural background and down-home atmosphere, San Antonio resounds with a vivacious spirit and rich history. Founded in 1691 by Spanish explorers and missionaries, the city later served a vital role in the Texas War for Independence when, in 1836, many brave, passionate men gave their lives at the Alamo. Downtown San Antonio is home to this sacred site and to the nearby River Walk as well as to other historic structures, plazas, parks, modern-day hotels, flourishing businesses, and a thriving nightlife. The rare photographs found between the covers of this book provide extraordinary glimpses back through time to the true building blocks of today's beautiful, historic downtown San Antonio.

Granbury and Hood County

9781467161169

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Granbury and Hood County's history is both an American pioneer saga and a 20th-century rags to riches story. In the 17th century, Spanish explorers and the Comanche were vying to control the land carved across Texas by the mighty Brazos River. By the mid-19th century, white settlers came, led by visionaries like fiery preacher "Fighting" Joe Robinson in Acton, lawyer and legislator Abel Landers, the Nutt brothers, and Quaker-raised farmer Amon Bond in Granbury as well as education-minded Campbellite Pleasant Thorp in Thorp Spring and the Sears family in Lipan. Soon small settlements dotted the area. Once the Civil War passed and Hood County was formed in 1866, Granbury and the towns across the county became thriving centers of commerce fed by nearby farms and ranches. The 20th century brought hard times, but the creation of Lake Granbury in 1969 opened a new era of possibilities. Newcomers joined founders' descendants to create a multifaceted renewal inspired by echoes of the past.

Cover image for Granbury and Hood County, isbn: 9781467161169

Lighthouses of Texas

9781467130912

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Not long after winning their independence from Mexico in 1836, Texans began clamoring for lighthouses. Hundreds of miles of barrier islands, shifting sandbars, and shallow bays made the Texas coast treacherous at a time when few overland routes provided access to the new republic. Beginning in 1852, twenty-eight lighthouses were built along the Texas coastline, on land and over water. Lighthouse service was often a family affair, with husbands, wives, and children working together as keepers and assistants. For nearly 70 years, construction continued as coastal erosion, hurricanes, and wars regularly damaged or destroyed those lighthouses already built. These "sentinels of the sea" lessened but did not eliminate the chance of shipwreck, so lifesaving stations, manned by able seamen with unsinkable surfboats, were established as well. As Texas's lighthouses were gradually automated throughout the 20th century, many were sold to private owners or abandoned. Today, several have been restored, and two--at Aransas Pass and Port Isabel--still function as aids to navigation.

The Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate

9781467129244

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For 125 years, the Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate served the poor and, in particular, people of color. They are the first order of sisters founded in Texas. Their foundress, Margaret Mary Healy Murphy, built the first Catholic African American school and church in San Antonio, the second in the state of Texas. The sisters carried their mission and work beyond the Lone Star State's borders and included most of the South and a few metropolitan areas of the North. They crossed the Rio Grande and had several missions in Mexico and traversed a new continent when they opened a learning center in Zambia. The sisters were primarily known as educators and, in later years, worked in religious education and pastoral ministry. They have also operated orphanages and nursing homes and served in hospitals, homeless shelters, incarceration facilities, and immigration residences. The school they built over 100 years ago, now known as the Healy Murphy Center, serves the community as an alternative high school, and the sisters still teach there.

Lubbock

9780738596082

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For 12 millennia, people were drawn to a water source located in the region Spanish conquistadores named the Llano Estacado, a vast plateau 3,000 feet above sea level and 300 miles long and wide. Near this site in 1890, settlers combined two fledgling communities to create the town of Lubbock. Finally incorporated in 1909 and soon promoted as the "Hub City," Lubbock doubled its original population of 1,900 in each of its first six decades, nurturing growth through civic cooperation, small business enterprise, higher education, and health care services. Today, almost 240,000 people call Lubbock home, and the city serves as the socioeconomic center of the Llano Estacado.

Austin, Texas

9780738508320

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When General Sam Houston's Texas army defeated Mexican General Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, the Republic of Texas was born. Austin, located on the banks of the Colorado River, was laid out as the capital city in 1839, and has remained the capital since statehood in 1846. Featured here in over 200 vintage photographs is the history of this independent city, and the people who made it what it is today. Land agent Stephen F. Austin brought the first Anglo settlers to the Spanish territory in 1821 and guided them until independence in 1836. Seen here are the images that capture the spirit of those original pioneers and their achievements, including the French Legation, the construction of the capitol, and the Texas governor's mansion, the oldest governor's residence west of the Mississippi. Also pictured are the familiar faces of Austin's long history, including Austin's first mayor, Edwin Waller, and past governor Alan Shivers.

Tyler

9780738548418

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Nestled in the beautiful Piney Woods of East Texas, Tyler is known as the "Rose Capital of America." While the moniker is well-deserved given the local rose industry, the Rose Festival, and its claim to America's largest municipal rose garden, Tyler's history is just as colorful as any rose. From the days when it hosted the largest Confederate prisoner-of-war camp west of the Mississippi River, through the years when cotton, fruit trees, and then roses became the local cash crops, to the time when the East Texas oil field was discovered and launched a new economy, Tyler boasts a fascinating past.

Lost Austin

9780738596136

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Known to some as "Capitol City," "River City," and "Groover's Paradise," Austin is a diverse mix of university professors, students, politicians, musicians, state employees, artists, and both blue-collar and white-collar workers. The city is also home to the main campus of the University of Texas and several other universities. As Austin has grown to become more cosmopolitan, remnants of its small-town heritage have faded away. Austin's uniqueness--both past and present --is reflected in its food, architecture, historic places, music, and businesses. Many of these beloved institutions have moved on into history. While some are far removed in the mists of time, others are more recent and generate fond memories of good times and vivid experiences. Images of America: Lost Austin explores, through the collections of the Austin History Center and others, where Austinites once shopped, ate, drank, and played.

Dealey Plaza

9781467130226

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Dealey Plaza is famous for many things, both locally and nationally. Considered "the front door of Dallas," the park rests on a bluff near the Trinity River, where Dallas's founder, John Neely Bryan, identified a natural low-water crossing in 1841. This ford was the site of Bryan's cabin and was also the site of the first ferry and bridge over the Trinity River. Home to several Dallas County buildings and other historic structures, Dealey is not just the birthplace of Dallas; it is also the site of Dallas's first large-scale city planning solution, a traffic diverting triple underpass, and a beautiful downtown park built in the 1930s. The park was launched into national history when Pres. John F. Kennedy was assassinated here on November 22, 1963. Today, the site is visited by over two million annually. To preserve Dealey Plaza and its surrounding buildings, the federal government designated it a National Historic Landmark District in 1993.

McKinney

9780738586670

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McKinney's very first settlers began arriving from Kentucky, Arkansas, and Tennessee in the early 1840s. Collin County was created by the Texas legislature on April 3, 1846, and due to a provision violation requiring the county seat to be within 3 miles of the center of the county, McKinney replaced Buckner as the seat in 1848. The vote deciding the new seat, however, went in McKinney's favor primarily because flooding kept many citizens from casting ballots. On March 16, 1848, the state legislature passed an act to name the new town in honor of Collin McKinney, one of five original draftees of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Today McKinney is one of America's fastest growing cities and has seen a population boom from approximately 16,000 residents in 1985 to more than 120,000 in 2010.

Ranger

9780738584591

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Ranger began in the 1870s near a Texas Ranger camp in northeastern Eastland County. It remained a farming community of about 700 people until October 17, 1917, when an oil well on the McCleskey farm, south of town, ushered in one of the best-known oil discoveries. Within months, Ranger's population had surged to approximately 30,000, including investors, speculators, wildcatters, oil field workers, curious onlookers, and the usual criminal element attracted to oil boomtowns. Crime became so rampant that the Texas Rangers eventually were called in to intercede. Oil production peaked in 1919 before tapering off. Images of America: Ranger covers a period of about 75 years from the town's beginnings to 1950.

Williamson County

9780738578651

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The area now known as Williamson County has attracted humans for over 13,000 years. The Tonkawa Indians called the area takachue pouetsu, which means land of good water. In 1848, the Texas Legislature carved a county out of a southwestern portion of the Milam District. They named it after Robert McAlpin Williamson, a judge, lawmaker, and Battle of San Jacinto veteran who was widely known as Three-legged Willie. Just as the Native Americans before them, settlers were drawn to the area for its abundant water and fertile soil, and the population quickly grew. While agriculture has been a driving force behind the local economy for decades, the county has witnessed a shift from the small farmer and rancher to the larger agribusiness. In addition, Williamson County is a center for education and the high-tech industry and is home to institutions and companies including Southwestern University, the Round Rock Higher Education Center, and Dell.

Cover image for Williamson County, isbn: 9780738578651

Houston

9780738566832

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In an area that was little more than a thick forest lining Buffalo Bayou, Houston was founded in 1836 by the Allen brothers and named after the Republic of Texas's beloved general Sam Houston. By 1860, there were 5,000 residents in Houston, wooden sidewalks, a few shell-paved roads, and five railroads. Out of the mud and mayhem of Houston's humble frontier beginnings arose men like Thomas W. House, Alexander P. Root, Edward Hopkins Cushing, Thomas Bagby, and William S. Swilley. The sleepy little bayou that wound from Main Street and emptied into Galveston Bay would soon become one of the largest ports in the south. By 1900, the founders' grandchildren were ready to strike out on their own and would play their part in building a great Texas city, a railroad nexus for the Gulf Coast, and an international port of call.

Kingsville

9780738584829

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Kingsville is located in the northern part of the Wild Horse Desert region of South Texas. The storied history of this Texas town is part of Western lore. The region was originally a patchwork of large Spanish land-grant ranches, and the ranchers needed a way to bring their cattle to market. The legal contract made between King Ranch manager Robert Kleberg and railroad builder Benjamin Yoakum secured the general office, shops, and roundhouse of the St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico Railway with a handshake. Laborers, skilled workers, merchants, and farmers soon flocked to this barren area to build Kingsville and make a home for their families. Kingsville became a railroading community, college town, center of the oil industry, and home to the Naval Air Station at Kingsville. Modern Kingsville is an intellectual center for ranch management, a home to state-of-the-art training for naval aviators, and an ecotourism center for birding and wildlife enthusiasts.

Bryan

9780738579573

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Cotton was king during Bryan's early history. Many prominent planters and farmers lived on the high ground between the Brazos and Navasota Rivers in the market town of Bryan, and the cotton crop thrived in the fertile Brazos River Bottom. The railroad's arrival after the Civil War provided a link to textile mills in other parts of the world via the nearby ports of Houston and Galveston. Land availability and economic opportunity attracted settlers not only from the southeastern United States, but also from Italy and Eastern Europe. When cotton's economic dominance began to wane, other agricultural crops, livestock, a strong commitment to education, and oil and gas production diversified the local economy. As the seat of county government, and with its close proximity to Texas A&M University, Bryan today is a vibrant community strategically located in the heart of the Texas Urban Triangle.

Mineral Wells

9780738579856

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The family of James Alvis Lynch headed west from Denison, Texas, to find a dry climate that would alleviate Lynch's symptoms of malaria and his wife Amanda's rheumatism. They traveled as far as the Brazos River, where U.S. 180 crosses today, when one of their oxen drowned, and the other was struck by lightning. To make matters worse, the Lynches learned of hair-raising tales of the struggles between Comanches and settlers. So on Christmas Eve in 1877, the Lynch family decided to settle 4 miles east of the Brazos in the beautiful valley between what are the East and West Mountains in present-day Mineral Wells. There, the Lynch family discovered the mineral-rich water that mended their maladies and brought tourists from far and wide to take the healing cure. The geology of the area also brought oil, gas, and brick plants, while the attacks on local settlers brought a military presence to the region. The history of Mineral Wells is alive today, as many descendants of early pioneers still live and work in the community, full of pride for their families' contributions to the area.

Flower Mound

9780738595832

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Flower Mound was originally known only as an area seven miles west of Lewisville, Texas. The city was incorporated in 1961, and its official name is derived from a mound that rose 50 feet above the surrounding flat Blackland Prairie. In the springtime, it is covered with beautiful wildflowers, thus the name. Inhabitants have never lived on the mound. The rich soil was good farmland and its grass gave support for raising cattle. In the early years, nothing was known of the rich gas shale that rested beneath its soil. While the modern city of Flower Mound has a 50-year history, past generations have a story to tell. The modern city of Flower Mound confidently moves forward as shopping centers, medical facilities, and gas wells dot its promising horizons.

Conroe

9781467105996

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Conroe, largely a product of intersecting railroads and timber, was founded in 1881 and, by 1889, was the county seat of Montgomery County, Texas. Named for timber magnet and former Union officer Isaac Conroe, with its resilient spirit, Conroe eventually became one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. At one point during the oil boom in the 1930s, Conroe was home to more millionaires per capita than any other town in the United States. Innovative individuals from all walks of life have graced the community, lending fodder to the community goal of becoming the cultural capital of Texas. One of those individuals, oil magnet George Strake, laid the foundation for Conroe's slogan, "The Miracle City." The community has survived and overcome many obstacles in its 150-year history, including several fires and floods, and continues to live up to that motto to this day.

Erath County

9781467108454

$23.99 $16.79 Save 30%

Carved from central Comancheria, Erath (EE-rath) County was created by stock raisers and settlers with little to lose but hopes and dreams. Bisected by Grand Prairie and Western Cross Timbers, this is where East Texas ends and West Texas begins. The Bosque and Paluxy Rivers welcomed ranchers, farmers, millers, and ginners. Rustlers, deserters, train robbers, vigilantes, lawmen, and Texas Rangers soon followed. Faith, education, life, and death cultivated villages with churches, schools, stores, and cemeteries in walking distance. Bridges, roads, and railways meant the life or death of a township. This volume commemorates the people, places, and events of lost communities that made the "Cowboy Capital of the World'? what it is today.

Humble

9781467131001

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Humble was originally established as a sawmill town along the Houston East & West Texas Railway in 1886. It was named for Pleasant Smith Humble, the town's first US postmaster. Humble became a boomtown overnight when oil was discovered in 1904. Humble and neighboring Moonshine Hill became places where million-dollar fortunes were made and lost. In 1911, the Humble Oil Company was founded by Ross Sterling and other men from the Humble oil fields. Sterling went on to become governor of Texas in 1931. The Humble Oil Company became one of the dominant oil companies in the world, eventually becoming Exxon in 1972.

Nacogdoches

9780738578613

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Nacogdoches derives its name from the Caddo tribe that once lived in central East Texas along Banita and LaNana Creeks. Franciscan father Antonio Jesus de Margil established a mission for the Caddo people there in 1716. In 1779, Antonio Gil Y'Barbo founded the puebla of Nacogdoches and built the Stone House, or Stone Fort, the town's most enduring symbol of European influence. Nacogdoches served as headquarters for one of three administrative districts in Texas under Mexican authority and played a significant role in the Texas Revolution before stabilizing into a predominately rural and agricultural society. Two notable 20th-century developments--the selection of Nacogdoches as the home of Stephen F. Austin State University and the founding of Texas Farm Products, the city's first major industry--changed the community into a regional education, medical, and commercial center.

Lost Galveston

9780738566849

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For nearly 200 years, a permanent settlement at the mouth of Galveston Bay has welcomed pirates, sailors, immigrants, and visitors from around the world. As Galveston grew, its buildings were visible signs of the city's prosperity and the talent of its craftsmen. For many, this city was a gateway to America and an inspiration of what other communities in Texas and the Southwest would become. Although Galveston has thousands of historic buildings remaining, many have been lost to the elements and development over the years. Buildings such as the ones found within these pages define the character of our city and its culture.

Corpus Christi

9780738558530

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Latin for "Body of Christ," Corpus Christi is a popular vacation destination, military town, and thriving seaport. Legend has it that Spanish explorer Alonso Álvarez de Pineda discovered and named Corpus Christi Bay in 1519. Henry L. Kinney, a trader who arrived in the area around 1838, is credited with starting the trading post that eventually grew into one of Texas's largest cities and became home to one of the nation's busiest ports. This "Sparkling City by the Sea" balances growth and industry with an appreciation for the air, water, and wildlife that attract both sportsmen and environmentalists. Corpus Christi is a bilingual, bicultural community that embraces both its Mexican and American roots.

Lost Dallas

9780738585086

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Although founded in 1841, Dallas did not experience significant growth until 1873 when the Texas and Pacific (T&P) Railroad crossed the Houston and Texas Central Railroad (H&TC) near downtown. Securing these railroads led to a prolific building boom that has never fully ended, even during the Great Depression and subsequent world wars. Dallas's ability to sustain growth and development as a banking and commercial center led to the demolition of much of the early built environment, a trend that continues even today. Lost Dallas explores and documents those buildings, neighborhoods, and places that have been lost and even forgotten since the city's modest antebellum beginning.

River Oaks

9781467162142

$24.99

The city of River Oaks, Texas, has always been defined by its people. With only 1.9 square miles of land, built up to over 90 percent, the city has little room for geographical expansion. Yet the city has thrived because of the resilient, pioneer spirit of the citizens who call River Oaks home.

From the early pioneer settlers who first farmed and settled the wild prairie to the modern-day citizens who work, play, and raise their families in the city, the people who call River Oaks home have exemplified a blue-collar, industrious, rebellious spirit that rebukes the more humdrum “bedroom community” label hung upon it by others. Many of the original families still have descendants living in the city whose streets bear their name. River Oaks boasts an International Motor Sports Hall of Fame member, several Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame members, an International Hot Rod Association Hall of Fame member, and an Olympian.

Darren Houk, an entrepreneur, has served as mayor and on the city council of River Oaks. Mark A. Nobles is a writer of fiction and nonfiction. The two have endeavored to tell the history of River Oaks through photographs from archives and personal collections as well as interviews with longtime residents and historians. This book is more than the story of a city, it is the story of the people who built and continue to give a thriving heartbeat to the city of River Oaks.

Cover image for River Oaks, isbn: 9781467162142

Galveston’s Historic Downtown and Strand District

9780738566856

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

The Strand, known as the Wall Street of the Southwest, contains a significant collection of 19th-century buildings. Long the center of Galveston's business community, its architecture is a reminder of this historic port city. The National Historic Landmark District includes buildings classified as Greek Revival, Italianate, and Victorian style--sometimes with traces of vernacular building traditions that date to the 1850s. Historic images found within this book illustrate the development of the Strand and surrounding streets, including Mechanic, Market, and Postoffice. Galveston's Historic Downtown and Strand District demonstrates the power of place, despite an ever-changing economy and natural disasters.

Galveston’s Historic Downtown and Strand District

Early Beaumont

9781467131957

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Beaumont was born when the thickly wooded banks of the Neches River were settled in the 1820s. Businessmen and adventurers stayed in the area once they saw the advantages of the river and the region's abundance of timber and other agricultural resources. By 1880, Beaumont was a lumber, ranching, farming, and shipping center. The railroad spurred population growth from 2,500 to 5,000, then Providence intervened: the Lucas Gusher at Spindletop blew in on January 10, 1901, and suddenly more oil than had ever been seen ushered in a new world. The Rockefeller Standard Oil monopoly may have ended in the courts, but Spindletop's oil dwarfed the known world supply, creating companies like Humble Oil (now ExxonMobil), Gulf, and Texaco. Beaumont continued to grow, and with a second boom in 1925, flowing oil brought more people and the building of a gracious city.

The Cruiser Houston

9781467127424

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The cruiser Houston was the first warship named for the Bayou City, and the ship proved a favorite of the city for which it was named. It was also a favorite of Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt, who traveled on the Houston no fewer than four times. Houston was twice the flagship of the US Navy's Asiatic Fleet. In the opening days of World War II, it battled the Imperial Japanese Navy, culminating in its midnight loss at the Battle of Sunda Strait. The Cruiser Houston tells the story of this magnificent ship and the city of Houston's reaction to its namesake's loss.

Richmond

9781467131193

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In 1822, a group of Americans immigrating to Stephen F. Austin's colony stopped at a bend in the Brazos River and built a fort. Originally called "Fort Bend" and "Fort Settlement," Richmond was incorporated in May 1837. A prosperous river port, Richmond became a boomtown with the completion of the first railroad in Texas in 1855. One of the most notorious episodes in Richmond's history was the Jay Bird-Woodpecker War in 1888-1889, which led to a gun battle on the streets between the two political factions. Richmond was home to notable historical figures, including Jane Long, "Mother of Texas;" Mirabeau B. Lamar, second president of the Republic of Texas; "Deaf" Smith, Texas Revolutionary scout; Carry A. Nation, temperance activist with a penchant for smashing up saloons with a hatchet; and Hilmar Moore, longest-serving US mayor.

Marfa

9780738558554

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

In the rugged High Chihuahua Desert of West Texas, Marfa lies in the northeast corner of Presidio County, 60 miles from the Mexico border. Originally established as a water stop for the Galveston, Harrisburg, and San Antonio Railroad in 1883, it soon became the county seat and heart of a thriving commercial center built around ranching. Marfa's Fort D. A. Russell, first known as Camp Albert and later Camp Marfa, has been home to numerous military units from the early 1900s through the end of World War II. This military presence, combined with the development of the famous Highland Hereford that propelled local cattle ranching to a nationally recognized level, provided the economic and social base for the community well into the 1950s. Marfa's proximity to Mexico contributes tremendously to a remarkable blend of cultures, and today the once remote frontier town has established itself as a sophisticated arts and cultural mecca.