Name: Limestone County
Brand: William F. Reagan
SKU: 9780738596396
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Limestone County

9780738596396

$24.99

Though Limestone County was established on April 11, 1846, the first Anglo settlers arrived in 1833, while Texas was still part of Mexico. They built Fort Parker, the site of an 1836 Indian attack. Of the five captives taken, Cynthia Ann Parker grew up as a Comanche, married a Comanche chief, and became the mother of Quanah Parker, the last great Comanche chief. Springfield was the first permanent settlement and first county seat. The Houston and Texas Central Railroad began construction of a line through the county in 1869 and established the towns of Kosse, Thornton, Groesbeck, and Mexia. Following the Civil War, cotton became the major agricultural endeavor. During the 1920s, the Mexia Oil Boom brought prosperity to the county. Sadly, many of the small farming communities disappeared after World War II, when cattle ranching replaced farming. Today, major attractions include Lake Limestone, Old Fort Parker, Fort Parker State Park, the Confederate Reunion Grounds, and the Prairie Hill Drag Strip.

Fort Sam Houston

9780738596167

$24.99

Fort Sam Houston has been San Antonio's Army post since 1845. Originally located in the city, elements of the post began moving to Government Hill in 1876. Fort Sam Houston became one of America's most important military installations, witnessing the end of the Indian Wars, the Spanish-American War, the birth of military aviation, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. "Fort Sam" contributed more than one million soldiers and airmen to the defense of the United States, including many of its most distinguished leaders. Its contributions to the nation merited its designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1974. More than 800 historic buildings are within its boundaries--more than at Colonial Williamsburg and the largest collection on any installation within the Department of Defense. Images of America: Fort Sam Houston portrays the fort during its first hundred years on Government Hill.

The Bolivar Peninsula

9781467133869

$24.99

The Bolivar Peninsula is a quirky coastal community consisting of Port Bolivar, Crystal Beach, Caplen, Gilchrist, and High Island. "The peninsula," as locals call it, is a 27-mile-long barrier formation. Bounded on one side by the Gulf of Mexico and on the other by the Intracoastal Waterway, it is a short ferry ride from Galveston, Texas. The history of the peninsula includes filibusterers, pirates, fierce natives, and headstrong settlers. A spirit of independence survives to this day, providing a continuation of the story of this unique landmass and its people. An unlikely conglomeration of cowboys and farmers, third- and fourth-generation landowners, retired executives and professors, fishermen, shrimpers, and birding enthusiasts comes together with weekenders and tourists to enjoy the beauty and bounty of the Gulf Coast. Its beautiful setting and wild, storied past make the Bolivar Peninsula a fascinating place to explore.

Texas Lawmen, 1835-1899

9781609492168

$29.99

The tally of Texas lawmen killed during the state's first sixty-five years of organized law enforcement is truly staggering. From Texas Rangers the likes of Silas Mercer Parker Jr., gunned down at Parker's Fort in 1836, to Denton County sheriff 's deputy Floyd Coberly, murdered by an inmate in 1897 after ten days on the job, this collection accounts for all of those unsung heroes. Not merely an attempt to retell a dozen popular peace officer legends, Texas Lawmen, 1835-1899 represents thousands of hours of research conducted over more than a decade. Ron DeLord and Cliff Caldwell have carefully assembled a unique and engaging chronicle of Texas history.

San Angelo and Arthur Stilwell's Dream of Steam

9781467153492

$23.99

The Story of the Railroad Visionary Who Put San Angelo on the Map. Over 100 years ago, Arthur Stilwell built 2,300 miles of railroad, founded 40 cities, and added $1 billion to the US economy. He was a visionary. He was controversial. He picked San Angelo for a main depot on his Kansas City, Mexico and Orient railway line. But he hadn't counted on the Mexican Revolution and challenging characters like the revolutionista general, Pancho Villa. Meanwhile, San Angelo wrestled with neighboring Texas town Sweetwater for the right to host the depot. Dr. Linda Thorsen Bond sorted through scores of sources to piece together the fascinating fragments of Stilwell's dream of steam.

San Angelo and Arthur Stilwell's Dream of Steam

Historic Tales of Arlington, Texas

9781625858955

$21.99

Even before its immense population surge, Arlington never dreamed small. In the 1930s, Arlington Downs attracted thousands to its state-of-the-art horse racing facility. Just three decades later, Six Flags Over Texas opened, cementing a reputation as an entertainment destination. The hubbub of the stadiums and shopping complexes that followed often obscured other parts of the community's rich heritage, including far-reaching contributions to the disability rights movement. The city suffered growing pains as well, such as the demise of college football and the deadly 1892 train depot shootout that ended the town's lawless period. Join Evelyn Barker, along with Davis McCown, Leslie Wagner and Trevor Engel, for the forgotten details of Arlington's dynamic past.

True Tales of the Texas Frontier

9781626190290

$23.99

For eight centuries, the Texas frontier has seen conquest, exploration, immigration, revolution and innovation, leaving to history a cast of fascinating characters and captivating tales. Its historic period began in 1519 with Spanish exploration, but there was a prehistory long before, nearly fifteen thousand years earlier, with the arrival of people to Texas. Each story pulls a new perspective from this long history by examining nearly all angles--from archaeology to ethnography, astronomy, agriculture and more. These true stories prove to be unexpected, sometimes contrarian and occasionally funny but always fascinating. Join author and historian C. Herndon Williams as he recounts his exploration of nearly a millennium of the Texas frontier.

The 1913 McKinney Store Collapse

9781467139502

$21.99

A powerful vibration, a deafening noise and a swell of thick dust brought residents of McKinney pouring into the public square on the afternoon of January 23, 1913. What they saw was horrifying--an entire building had collapsed, demolishing two popular retailers, the Cheeves Mississippi Store and Tingle Implement Store. Their contents, including many shoppers and clerks, spilled out into the streets, where layer upon layer of debris settled into a massive, ragged pile. In spite of a herculean rescue effort, eight people perished. Carol Wilson sifts through the disaster and its aftermath, dredging up some troubling facts about how the tragedy might have been prevented.

Texas Obscurities

9781626192812

$23.99

Some of these quirky true stories might surprise even the most proud Texan. Austin sat the first all-woman state supreme court in the nation in 1925. A utopian colony thrived in Kristenstad during the Great Depression. Bats taken from the Bracken and Ney Caves and Devil's Sinkhole were developed as a secret weapon that vied with the Manhattan Project to shorten World War II. In Slaton in 1922, German priest Joseph M. Keller was kidnapped, tarred and feathered amid anti-German fervor following World War I. Author E.R. Bills offers this collection of trials, tribulations and intrigue that is sure to enrich one's understanding of the biggest state in the Lower Forty-eight.

Garland

9781467132268

$24.99

Garland began as an amalgamation of a number of rural communities in northeastern Dallas County. A compromise solution to the rivalry of two railroad towns, Duck Creek and Embree, it is now the 12th largest city in Texas and the 87th most populous city in the United States. Evolving from its origins as a farming community, by the 1950s, Garland had become an industrious suburb of the Dallas metro area. The can-do spirit of the community has enabled its stalwart pioneer settlers to overcome natural disasters and make necessary improvements that contributed to its growth and position in the county. Surrounded by interstates, toll roads, and connecting rail lines, Garland links the Dallas Metro with Northeast Texas. Its future continues to diversify and adapt to the growing environments of Texas.

Austin's Montopolis Neighborhood

9781467131766

$24.99

Montopolis is a multiethnic neighborhood located approximately four miles southeast of downtown Austin. The area was long visited and occasionally occupied by various Texas Indian nations; the first documented European or American to settle here was Jessie C. Tannehill, who in 1830 built a cabin and townsite and gave the new community its pretentious name. Instead of establishing a permanent presence in Montopolis, however, subsequent European colonizers looked a few miles upriver to the new settlement of Waterloo, later to be called Austin. Rural and sparsely populated, the remainder of the 19th century saw the Montopolis area used primarily for plantation agriculture. In the 1920s, succeeding waves of Mexican migrants helped establish the modern neighborhood that exists today. Between the 1950s and 1970s, the City of Austin annexed Montopolis, although the area retains much of its rural character.

Mercedes

9781467132060

$24.99

Mercedes is located in Hidalgo County in South Texas in a geographic area called the Lower Rio Grande Valley, which is really a river delta at the mouth of the Rio Grande River first inhabited by Coahuiltecans. Spanish colonists arrived in this area in 1749 to establish ranching communities. In 1905, the American Rio Grande Land and Irrigation Company purchased land in the Llano Grande Spanish land grant, built Mercedes as a showcase headquarters, constructed the largest irrigation system then known, and proceeded to develop the area through commercialized agriculture. Home of notable author Dr. Rolando Hinojosa-Smith, G.I. Forum founder Dr. Hector P. García, Olympic athlete Billy Gene Pemelton, US congressman Rubén Hinojosa, and the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show, Mercedes continues to attract many visitors who seek the mild climate and warm hospitality of the town.

Dallas Tough

9781467146081

$21.99

The history of Dallas is speckled with the lean, the determined and the obstinately opinionated--fighters who brought the city up out of the prairie. Ride with Nicholas Sparks, who christened the soil with his blood, and stand with Henry Ervay, the mayor who challenged one of the most powerful governors Texas has known. Bonnie Parker shot her way to infamy, while Corinne Maddox solved her stalker problem with two pocket guns. Herbert Noble pushed his luck to the breaking point. Jacob Rubenstein avenged his fallen idol. Accompany Josh Foreman and Ryan Starrett into a largely forgotten Dallas, where citizenship was a matter of gumption.

Lubbock

9781467108614

$23.99 $12.00 Save 50%

Since its earliest days, the city of Lubbock has actively pursued opportunities and infrastructure for its citizens. Highlighted in this book are homes, businesses, buildings, and quality-of-life spaces that speak to this heritage.

Deadly Dallas

9781467148498

$21.99

With dynamite on grocery shelves and livestock rampaging through the streets, Dallas was a dangerous place in its formative years.

Spring 1904. An inexperienced automobile driver jumps the curb and drives into the lobby of the St. George Hotel. The mayor orders a roundup of unlicensed dogs due to a city-wide outbreak of rabies. An elevator crushes the head of a young man as he retrieves a half-dollar he had dropped down the shaft. Embers from a wood burning stove transform a sleeping house into a funeral pyre. A ten-year-old boy in City Park has a spike driven into his temple by a playmate with a fence picket. All this in just a few days.From airships falling from the sky to pestilence floating in on the Trinity, Rusty Williams catalogues the heartbreaking and bizarre forms in which death stalked Dallas at the turn of the twentieth century.

Stephenville

9780738579634

$24.99

On July 4, 1855, on the fringe of the Texas Cross Timbers frontier, John M. Stephen and George B. Erath completed the survey of the Stephenville city square. Stephenville quickly became a prosperous settlement and a center for cattle raising, cotton production, and most recently dairy production. Styled today as the "City of Champions," "Cowboy Capital of the World," and the "Dairy Capital of Texas," Stephenville has a colorful 155-year history. The evolution from cattle ranching to dairy farming finds delightful expression on the original town square where Moo-la--a life-size fiberglass Holstein milk cow--celebrates Stephenville's agricultural achievements. "The 'Ville" has produced football heroes such as 1938 NFL Champion New York Giants fullback Hugh Wolfe and 2010 Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb and rodeo champions Whit Keeney, Tuff Hedeman, and "King of the Cowboys" Ty Murray. Music celebrities Lee Roy Parnell, Johnny Duncan, Larry Joe Taylor, and Jewel have also called Stephenville home.

Donna

9780738519432

$24.99

Donna, Texas, named for the daughter of one of the town's founders, is located in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley. Established in 1904, Donna has grown from a village of tent-dwelling pioneers to a community of families who share a productive agricultural and economic tradition. Captured here in over 150 vintage images, from the 1890s to the 1950s, is the rich history of the ranchers who lived along the Rio Grande, the entrepreneurs and families who settled in Donna and contributed to its development, and the social impact of the military in the years just before World War I. Advertisements from developers, railroads, and businessmen's organizations brought many Texans and Midwesterners to Donna. Deployment of U.S. soldiers, Texas state militia, and National Guardsmen to the border during the 1914-1917 bandit raids brought a new prosperity to Donna with the influx of these troops. From the coming of the railroad and construction of the irrigation system, to the laying out of farms and groves, and finally to the building of the town itself, Donna residents have always seen the potential of their chosen land.

Caprock Chronicles

9781467150804

$23.99 $12.00 Save 50%

The hardpan layer of the Caprock undergirds the high plains of the Llano Estacado, where it has resisted erosion with the same tenacity that it has collected stories. From Apache hunting grounds to Mennonite settlements, the region is no stranger to the searching gaze of the weary traveler. Follow the career of Texas Tech's Señor Sack, the lure of the Wolfcamp Shale and the bloom of the Tahoka daisy. In this exceptional collection of forty-eight essays from local contributors, David Murrah and John T. "Jack" Becker continue the work of cataloguing the memory of the mesa.

Baytown

9781467109130

$23.99

The early history of Baytown is intertwined with the early history of Texas. The first president of the Republic of Texas, David G. Burnet, and two-time president Sam Houston both lived in the neighborhood. Dr. Ashbel Smith, Texas ambassador to France and England, first president of the University of Texas in Austin, and a founder of the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, called Goose Creek home. After the last president of Texas, Anson Jones, committed suicide, his widow, Mary Jones, moved here with their children. She later helped form the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and served as its first president. The major industry in the 1800s was brick making, and over a 100-year period, up to 12 million bricks a year were made on Cedar Bayou and shipped to Galveston, where many buildings built with these bricks still stand. In 1908, the industry became oil with the discovery of the Goose Creek oil field, which, for a while, was the largest producing field in Texas. Because of the proximity to the oil field and access to shipping, the huge Humble Oil Refinery was built at Baytown, starting up in 1919.

Around Aldine

9781467109161

$23.99

Straddling a major railroad with plenty of open prairie, 1890s Aldine offered an ideal real estate development to enterprising land agent Ferris Colby. Colby platted a townsite and marketed acreage to Northerners looking for a warmer climate. Advertisements by Colby, as well as Eugene Robertson, touted Aldine's agricultural potential. Satsuma oranges and magnolia figs provided early cash crops. Entrepreneur John Carpenter started a fig canning factory after winning a silver medal for preserved figs at the 1904 World's Fair. The orange and fig orchards failed by 1920, however, and local farmers switched to produce and dairying. In the early 1960s, the automobile and new freeways opened Aldine to suburban development. Houses, apartments, retail centers, and even a major airport replaced the farms and dairies, changing Aldine from a rural outpost to an almost indistinguishable part of Houston's near-endless urban sprawl.

Galveston Seawall Chronicles

9781467137898

$21.99

Along Galveston's Gulf Coast runs a seventeen-foot-high, ten-mile-long protective barrier--a response to the nation's all-time deadliest natural disaster. The seawall remains a stoic protector more than a century later, shielding the island from much more than physical destruction. As the foundation of Seawall Boulevard, this structure created an entirely new tourism industry that buoyed the city's economy through war, the Great Depression and hurricanes. Adapting to the cultural trends and political movements that defined the past century, the seawall represents the unbreakable spirit of Galveston's resilient population and provides a fascinating glimpse into bygone times.

Flatonia

9781467128698

$23.99

Flatonia owes its place on the map to the railroad and its name to German immigrant and entrepreneur F.W. Flato. The Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio Railway first traversed southwestern Fayette County in 1874. Inexpensive land along the line attracted farmers and ranchers, and new shipping and trade opportunities enticed merchants. Immigrants of German and Czech origins mingled with Mexican Americans, African Americans, and transplants from the Southeastern United States. These diverse groups were known to brawl one minute and unite in a common cause the next. Flatonia's survival has depended upon its ability to adapt while honoring its heritage. As rail service declined, a location on the coast-to-coast Old Spanish Trail (US Highway 90) provided a steady flow of automobile traffic. Cotton disappeared, but cattle and egg production remained strong. The buildings of the Flatonia Commercial Historic District still retain their late-19th- to early-20th-century charm, earning distinction in the National Register of Historic Places.

Ellington Field

9781467104807

$24.99

Ellington Field was one of 32 training airfields authorized by Congress in 1917. During World War I, it became one of the most highly regarded training fields in the United States, reaching a peak of 250 aircraft and 5,000 troops. From that peak, it experienced many ups and downs. Closed by 1940, it was reopened for World War II to conduct advanced aviation training. Closed again in 1946, it reopened for the Cold War as a combat and training air base. It then became NASA's airfield for Johnson Space Center. As the Cold War wound down, in 1984 Ellington became Houston's third municipal airport. From Jennies to jets, Ellington's story mirrors America's aviation history from 1917 to the 21st century.

Edinburg

9780738584775

$24.99

A town with two locations and multiple names, Edinburg today is the seat of Hidalgo County. Edinburgh, Texas (now known as Hidalgo) was first established on the Rio Grande River by shopkeeper John Young, who was originally from Edinburgh, Scotland. In 1852, Hidalgo County was formed, and Edinburgh became the county seat. In 1908, the changing course of the river threatened to flood the courthouse, resulting in a small but contentious countywide election about where to move the courthouse. Under armed guard, John Closner and other victors of the election led a hurried move by oxcart through the brush to the undeveloped townsite of Chapin. Dennis Chapin lost his good name and reputation in 1911, and as a result, the town became Edinburg (without the h). Today Edinburg is recognized for its location as a gateway city and as the home of the University of Texas-Pan American. Edinburg residents' pride in their town has shown throughout the years, from beautifying the courthouse square to being named an All-America City three times by the National Civic League.

Spanish Missions of Texas

9781467136303

$24.99

After the conquest of Mexico by Hernán Cortés in the sixteenth century, conquistadors and explorers poured into the territory of Nueva España. The Franciscans followed in their wake but carved a different path through a harsh and often violent landscape. That heritage can still be found across Texas, behind weathered stone ruins and in the pews of ornate, immaculately maintained naves. From early structures in El Paso to later woodland sanctuaries in East Texas, these missions anchored communities and, in many cases, still serve them today. Author Byron Browne reconnoiters these iconic landmarks and their lasting legacy.

Randolph Field

9781467132336

$24.99

Once touted as the "West Point of the air" in the pre-Air Force Academy years, Randolph Field/Air Force Base is famous for its Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, its iconic Administration Building (nicknamed the "Taj Mahal"), and its rectangular layout. Allowed by the Army hierarchy to design its own installation from the ground up, the Army Air Corps hit a home run in design uniqueness and functionality. When the Corps of Engineers built the base, working from 1928 to 1931, it was its biggest project since the Panama Canal. Randolph has been a popular assignment location for Air Force members for over 80 years and is currently home to the 12th Flying Training Wing, the Air Education and Training Command Headquarters, and the Air Force Personnel Center. Thousands have passed through Randolph's gates as students and permanent personnel, and many have chosen to live in the San Antonio area after discharge or retirement. Carefully landscaped with trees and shrubbery from the very beginning, Randolph is the "showplace of the Air Force."

Irving

9781467116084

$24.99

Irving, Texas, was founded in 1903 by two eager individuals, J.O. Schulze and Otis Brown, of the Chicago, Rock Island & Gulf Railway Company. Beginning as an agrarian area of farmland, cotton, and cattle, Irving grew to include industrial facilities while persevering through the financial difficulties resulting from the Civil War and the two world wars. Irving maintained its growth when other cities in the United States could not. Schulze and Brown recognized the importance of utilizing both agricultural and industrial resources in creating and sustaining a successful city. Remnants of early communities, such as Bear Creek, Elm, Estelle, Kit, Sowers, Twin Wells, and Union Bower, can still be identified. Situated between Dallas and Fort Worth, Irving is a robust and thriving city that has greatly contributed to the creation and preservation of Texas history.

Crowley

9781467108287

$23.99 $12.00 Save 50%

Established around 1848 as Deer Creek Settlement, Crowley grew from a small pioneering community just south of Fort Worth, Texas. When Galveston, Colorado & Santa Fe Railroad Company constructed a rail line during the 1870s connecting Cleburne to Fort Worth, the settlement relocated about a mile west. The first train ran through Crowley on December 8, 1881. An integral part of Crowley's growth, the railroad provided ease of shipping cattle and crops and access to transportation. Cattle were either loaded on to railcars or unloaded and sent directly to stock pens. From there they went straight to an auction barn. A feed mill was built, and grocery and hardware stores soon opened. Records indicate that the first post office was housed in Hayes Brothers General Store and opened in 1883. Crowley was officially on the map as a thriving town. By the end of the 20th century, Crowley boasted approximately 8,000 residents. Since then, the population size has doubled.

Thurber

9781467105569

$24.99 $12.50 Save 50%

Once a busy industrial town of nearly 10,000, Thurber now boasts a residency of less than 10. For approximately 50 years, from 1886 to 1936, migrants from the United States, Mexico, Russia, Britain, and Eastern and Western Europe mined bituminous coal, manufactured bricks, and provided the labor for all of the residual businesses in an entirely company-owned town. The rich history of Thurber includes big-city investors, Texas Rangers, labor unions, railroads, sports, opera, diversity, tragedy, triumph, and the everyday lives of men, women, and children.

The Big Bend Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of West Texas

9781626197220

$24.99

Early settlers of the Big Bend honed a culture of self-reliance, resilience and creativity. Today, this is reflected in the diverse art, music and cuisine of the area that draw visitors undeterred by its isolation. Though sparsely populated, Big Bend is home to nationally acclaimed restaurants and chefs, as well as generations' worth of family recipes. Travel town by town and plate by plate in this culinary and cultural tour through the Big Bend. Indulge in a slice of jalapeno chocolate cake from Lajitas. Taste the way Big Bend Brewery's beer makes beef stew irresistible. Take a bite of an innovated classic with the rich pistachio fried steak in Marfa. From barbecued cabrito in Marathon and pozole in Fort Davis to adventures foraging in the desert, savor a part of Texas unlike any other. Author Tiffany Harelik guides the journey with interviews, history and, of course, recipes.

The Big Bend Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of West Texas

Ghosts of Bell County, Texas

9781467139779

$21.99

Centuries of violent history have laced Bell County with a potent compound of haunted activity. Spectral conquistadors stand guard over the Treasure of the Golden Bull, hidden in Salado caverns by the Coronado expedition. Countless frontier skirmishes, bank robberies and stage holdups echo along thoroughfares from Stillhouse Hollow to the Maxdale Bridge. Author Chet Southworth lies in wait for the Killeen Watchman, the Fort Hood Phantoms, the Wedermeyer Wraiths and other Bell County spirits.

The Port of Houston

9781467130769

$24.99

To reach the Port of Houston's Turning Basin, a ship must travel 50 miles along a narrow and twisting channel that passes through Galveston Bay, the San Jacinto River, and Buffalo Bayou. Despite this improbable location, Houston has the world's largest landlocked port. Measured by annual tonnage shipped, the Port of Houston is the second-largest port in the United States. Its docks, wharves, and facilities cover more than 25 miles. The port starts its second century as a seaport in 2014. Its transformation from a crowded river port into an industrial giant is fascinating. It is a tale of technology, geography, politics, hard work, and Texas brag--mixed with a little luck.

South Plains Army Airfield

9781467131339

$24.99

South Plains Army Airfield in Lubbock, Texas, was a major training base for US Army Air Force glider pilots during World War II. Approximately 80 percent of the roughly 6,000 pilots trained to fly the combat cargo glider received their advanced training and were awarded their "G" Wings at SPAAF, as it was known. The base was conceived, built, used, and then closed in a short five-year period during World War II. Today, little remains to remind one of the feverish and important military training program that once took place on the flat, featureless South Plains of Texas. During World War II, American military strategy and tactics included a significant airborne component. Major invasions, such as D-Day at Normandy, were preceded by huge aerial fleets carrying paratroopers and their equipment. These airborne invasion fleets sometimes exceeded well over 1,000 Allied gliders. The American airborne forces depended upon an ungainly looking aircraft, the CG-4A glider, to carry the vehicles, munitions, and reinforcements needed to survive. The pilots who flew them learned their trade at South Plains Army Airfield.

Fort Davis

9780738579863

$24.99

Established and named for US secretary of war Jefferson Davis in 1854, Fort Davis was key to the eventual settlement of the Davis Mountains' rich grasslands. Camels once grazed at the fort. It served as home to the African American regiments known as the Buffalo Soldiers, and Lt. Henry Flipper, the first African American to graduate from West Point, was court-martialed at this post. Present-day visitors to the town of Fort Davis can gaze at the stars and imagine the immensity of the universe at the University of Texas McDonald Observatory, stay the night at the Civilian Conservation Corps-built Indian Lodge at Davis Mountains State Park, or visit with a living-history volunteer or park ranger at Fort Davis National Historic Site.