Name: Claremore
Brand: April Churchill
SKU: 9780738550565
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Claremore

9780738550565

$24.99

Throughout the years, a city's history has a way of disappearing along with a way of life that will most likely never be seen again. The reader will be offered a rare glimpse into the very heart of Claremore's vibrant past. Claremore is truly brimming with history, from the radium baths to the Frisco Railroad to the town's famous residents, including Clem Rogers, father of the widely loved entertainer and advocate for Oklahoma statehood in 1907. This collection of vintage postcards contains views from the town beginning at prestatehood, when Claremore was considered part of Indian Territory. Each postcard sends the reader on a journey through time from an era full of freedom and spirit to "getting your kicks on Route 66."

Sapulpa

9781467125598

$24.99

Sapulpa is named after a young Creek Indian who came to the area around 1840 and opened a trading post near Pole Cat Creek. Sapulpa's arrival in Indian Territory was independent of the famed "Trail of Tears," a term used for the federal government's forced removal of Creek (Muskogee) and other tribes from their southern homelands in the 1830s. The area that would become the Creek Nation is a small part of the land acquired by the United States after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. At one time, Spain, England, and France each laid claim to Oklahoma. Trails, rails, and oil; bricks, clay, and glass; and streetcars, highways, and automobiles are all parts of the historic community of Sapulpa. The diverse people who came to the area--Indians, cowboys, railroaders, settlers, loggers, farmers, wildcatters, oilmen, businessmen, manufacturers, workers, and dreamers--recorded the town's story, as captured in photographs, beginning more than a century ago. Sapulpa was and remains a crossroads in more ways than one.

Texas Mother Goose

9781589803695

$18.99

This fun Texas romp through the Mother Goose tales yields such results as "Mary Had a White-Faced Calf," "There Was an Old Cowgirl Who Lived in a Boot," "Cactus Jack Horner," and many more. Western illustrations enhance the Texas theme and add a sense of humor to this beloved classic.

Texas County

9780738590950

$24.99

Although there is evidence that prehistoric people lived in the area, Texas County did not officially exist until the area comprising No Man's Land, the Neutral Strip, and later Cimarron Territory was tacked onto Oklahoma at statehood in 1907. For the 70 years prior, the area belonged to no state or nation, and for 70 years it was a haven for those who chose not to abide by the law, as well as some good folks who established ranches and small villages. The area drastically changed with the arrival of railroads at the beginning of the 20th century, causing the creation of new towns and the influx of homesteaders who created a whole new culture. From these humble beginnings, the area has grown to become a leader in gas production and hog farms, as well as a home for prosperous ranches and a packing plant.

Party Weird:

9781626196520

$21.99

In 1839, Texas officials toasted their new capital of Austin, and its citizens never ran out of excuses for revelry. Austinites celebrate their homegrown and vibrant culture, renowned and innovative music, street life and collective quirkiness with pride. While world-class events now call the city home, in a culture that eschews conformity at every turn, Austin's underground social gatherings are what truly earn it bragging rights. Discover the grass-roots origins of the enigmatic eccentricity that has drawn people from all corners of Texas and now from the whole world. Feel the beat of drum circles at Eeyore's Birthday Party in April, sling puns at the annual O. Henry Pun-Off or share a meal with strangers at the monthly Perpetual Potluck Picnic--or Jim O's, as the locals say. Author Howie Richey explores the offbeat, exuberant culture and history of the city that started with a party that just didn't stop.

Fort Worth's Quality Hill

9781467132114

$24.99

In the late 19th century, Fort Worth's Quality Hill succeeded Samuels Avenue as the city's prestigious residential neighborhood. Cattle barons, bankers, attorneys, and business entrepreneurs selected this west-side locale to construct exquisite homes that reflected their wealth and prominence in the community. Bounded by Seventh Street on the north, Pennsylvania Avenue on the south, Henderson Street on the east, and the Trinity River on the west, the area had an unequaled civility. Quality Hill set the standard for fine living, elaborate entertaining, and philanthropy. Just a handful of these gracious homes have survived the years. Fort Worth's Quality Hill offers you an opportunity to explore this historic neighborhood in its finest and waning days.

Navajo and Hopi Art in Arizona

9781467117890

$24.99

Arizona's Navajo and Hopi cultures span multiple generations, and their descendants continue to honor customs from thousands of years ago. Contemporary artists like Hopi katsina doll carver Manuel Chavarria and Navajo weaver Barbara Teller Ornelas use traditional crafts and techniques to preserve the stories of their ancestors. Meanwhile, emerging mixed-media artists like Melanie Yazzie expand the boundaries of tradition by combining Navajo influences with contemporary culture and styles. Local author Rory Schmitt presents the region's outstanding native artists and their work, studios and inspirations.

Artesia

9780738576282

$24.99

Before New Mexico became a state in 1912, hardy pioneers had already established the village of Miller, known today as Artesia, on the dusty southeastern plains of the territory. Abundant artesian wells and, later, oil wells drew settlers from far and wide to make a living and a home in Artesia. As with any town, Artesia has evolved and changed throughout the years; businesses have come and gone, while the love for Bulldog sports still attracts the young and old. Today, Artesia continues to grow as the community takes pride in preserving and displaying the history of the town. Artesia captures this story in photographs, tracing the growth of Miller to Stegman to Artesia.

Snowflake

9780738548388

$24.99

A temple with the traditional angel-tipped spire stands on a little juniper-covered hill in the northeastern Arizona town of Snowflake as a testament to the hard work and sacrifices of early Mormon pioneers. These ranching and farming families, sent from fruitful Utah to colonize a land only marginally suitable for farming, became experts in irrigation as they struggled to utilize the waters of Silver Creek and the Little Colorado River. Through sheer determination, they turned alluvium into verdant fields, and the surrounding well-drained Great Basin Desert Shrub became their pastures. But their religion and their families were always the main focus. Today the growing communities of Snowflake, Taylor, and Shumway attract new residents and visitors alike with the beauty of their natural setting, mild yet distinct seasons, and hometown charm. Many historic pioneer-era buildings have been restored to honor the area's unique past.

Legendary Locals of Alamogordo

9781467102117

$24.99

By the time Alamogordo's founders platted the town in the late 1800s, bestowing it with the Spanish name for Fat Cottonwood, the region's lush grasses were luring cowboys such as Oliver Lee. Then, in 1941, an event more than 3,000 miles away changed the quiet community. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, chamber president Mose Cauthen quickly spearheaded bringing the Army's mission to train bomber pilots to the Tularosa Basin. During the Space Race, Dr. John Stapp oversaw the programs at Holloman Air Force Base that sent Joe Kittinger, Dave Simons, and "Demi" McClure floating heavenward underneath balloons. Soon after, Ed Dittmer was training chimpanzees to rocket out of Earth's atmosphere and prove man could survive in that hostile environment. Alamogordo is where the Old West melds with ever-evolving technology, along with a rich artistic and literary legacy championed by such women as Linnie Townsend, Maude Rathgeber, and Margaret Flickinger.

Graham County

9780738548487

$24.99

Originally located in Doña Ana County in New Mexico Territory, the area that eventually became Graham County, Arizona, was part of a vast high desert landscape that stretched all the way to the Colorado River. In 1881, the Arizona legislature broke from the tradition of naming counties after local Native American tribes when it carved Graham County out of Pima and Apache Counties and named it for the 10,516-foot Mount Graham, the highest peak in the area. The last refuge of the legendary Native American war leader Geronimo, the region also boasts some of southeastern Arizona's most beautiful topography, including the Santa Teresa Range, Mount Turnbull, the Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness, Roper Lake, the Pinaleño Range, and the Gila River. Today more than 33,000 residents call Graham County home.

Cowboy Reunions of Las Vegas, New Mexico

9781609496920

$21.99

For nearly a half-century, Las Vegas, New Mexico, held Wild West" adventures rivaling Cheyenne's Frontier Days, the Calgary Stampede, and Oregon's Pendleton Round Up. The San Miguel County seat annually hosted full-dress cowpunchers, Native Americans, ranchers, dance bands, artists and writers, moviemakers, and rodeo performers. The Las Vegas Cowboys' Reunion became legendary in western lore, drawing such ten-gallon names as Tom Mix, Jim Shoulders, Montana Belle, Prairie Rose Henderson, and Roosevelt's Rough Riders. Dick Bills and his nephew, Glen Campbell, played at the "Big Balls," and the reunions drew famous western artists, such as Randall Davey. Join author Pat Romero for these reunion tales based on Git Fer Vegas, Cowboy , the exhibit she curated at the City of Las Vegas Museum and Rough Rider Memorial Collection."

Cowboy Reunions of Las Vegas, New Mexico

Avondale

9780738548432

$24.99

Founded in 1896 and originally known as Coldwater, the town of Avondale was settled along the banks of the Agua Fria River under the leadership of William "Billy" Graham Moore, a former blacksmith who supposedly ran with the Civil War's infamous Cantrell's Raiders. Moore operated a freight station on the west bank of the river, but after an argument with a postal inspector who proclaimed that homemade "hooch" was not to be sold in an enterprise that handled government mail, the post office was moved to the Avondale Ranch and took on the ranch's name as the Avondale Post Office. Since that time, Avondale has grown tremendously to become a thoroughly modern city, near the heart of the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Lewisville

9780738579931

$24.99

Originally known as Holford's Prairie, Lewisville's name is not the only thing that has changed about this town in its long history. Settlers sponsored by the Peters Colony Company founded the small community in the 1840s. In the ensuing years, the settlement, renamed to Lewisville by Basdeal W. Lewis in 1856, consistently grew and prospered until its incorporation in 1925. Cotton farming and ginning, the arrival of the Dallas and Wichita Railroad in 1881, the expansion of Lake Dallas into Lake Lewisville in 1954, and the opening of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in 1974 ensured that Lewisville became an important commercial center in booming North Texas. Throughout its phenomenal growth, however, Lewisville still retained the charm and bonds of its farm-centered past. Today Lewisville boasts the largest population and school district in Denton County and serves as a suburb for the bustling Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.

McKinney Avenue Trolleys

9780738584973

$24.99

Streetcar lines grew and prospered in Dallas from 1872 until the 1920s. Automobile competition siphoned many of their riders away, but ridership soared again during World War II. After the war, the trolleys entered an era of gradual attrition, and they were abandoned by 1956. Amazingly, in 1989, the nonprofit McKinney Avenue Transit Authority (MATA) returned restored vintage trolley cars to the city in the Uptown neighborhood near downtown. MATA evolved from a tourist attraction into a true transit company and became the M-Line. Since then, the area has experienced rapid growth and is now home to midrise office buildings and upscale apartments.

Haunted Plano, Texas

9781467140386

$21.99

Plano's old homes and businesses are rife with haunted history. Explore eerie urban legends like the Goat Man, the Clown Threat, and Ranch 111, where devil worshipers performed their rituals. The Evaporating Apparition spooked the staff at the Art Centre Theatre, while the grumpy spirit of an old rancher stalks the Masonic Lodge. Some specters are harmless, such as the Giggling Ghost, a little girl in the Cox Building with a penchant for peanut butter and pranks. Other figures own a more sinister reputation. The Witch Lady of Plano was feared by city youth and monitored by the FBI. Mary Jacobs examines the ghostly fallout of Plano's darkest moments, from the smallpox epidemic to the gruesome Muncey family murders.

Clarksville and Red River County

9780738579146

$24.99

Red River County and Clarksville are actually older than the state of Texas itself. Once known as the Red River District, the area represented all or part of 39 present-day Texas counties. Some of the area's earliest Anglo settlements could be found along the Red River as early as 1816 and included Pecan Point, the Burkham Settlement, and Jonesboro, followed by the settling of Clarksville in 1833. Many of Texas's earliest pioneers passed through the county, including Sam Houston, who spent his first night in Texas in Jonesboro at James and Isabella Clark's home; and Davy Crockett, who spent time at Whiterock at John Stiles's home before he perished at the Battle of the Alamo. Today Red River County is known as the "Gateway to Texas."

Johnson County

9781467130707

$24.99

In 1854, land that was covered in trees, tall grass, spring-fed creeks, and rivers and was home to abundant wildlife, including deer, buffalo, and turkey, became Johnson County. In the early years, a trickling of brave pioneers developed cattle trails and iron rails, and as the area continued to grow and change, many farms and ranches were replaced with industrial and retail enterprises. In 2013, the Chisholm Trail Parkway, which efficiently connects the western part of the county to the metroplex and the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, was nearing completion.

Colleyville

9781467133944

$24.99

Ranked by multiple magazines, including Money and D Magazine, as one of the "Best Places to Live" in the United States, it is easy to forget where Colleyville came from. A rural farming outpost that started out as six different "parent communities," residents eventually banded together and incorporated to become Colleyville in 1956. While Colleyville is named for Dr. Lilburn Howard Colley, entire generations of Colleyville citizens have displayed his spirit of hard work, determination, and caring for this city. From a few clusters of pioneering families to a close-knit community known for its dairy farms and horse racing track to becoming one of the nation's premier cities, Colleyville's population has grown from about 1,500 in 1960 to more than 24,000 today.

Midland

9781467134460

$24.99

Midland was a young farming and ranching community on the southern edge of the Llano Estacado when the real-photo postcard era began near the opening of the 20th century. Businesses, residents, and promoters embraced this new technology to produce images capturing Midland's unusual rural-and-cosmopolitan mix. As postcards changed to linen and chrome, Midland also underwent dramatic changes. The city on the plains worked hard to become an indispensable part of the vast 1920s Permian Basin oil industry. In post-World War II years, Midland grew into an urban center of West Texas, positioned strategically at the midpoint of Interstate 20's path from Fort Worth to El Paso.

Belen

9781467130530

$24.99

In 1740, a group of Hispanic families, seeking new cultivatable land, received a grant of more than 200,000 acres from the governor of Spanish New Mexico. In 1793, a church was built in the Belen Old Town Plaza under the direction of Franciscan priests. An agricultural community was formed around several plazas, and residents prospered through barter and subsistence farming. In the 1850s and 1860s, German immigrants joined Hispanic merchants to form a vibrant business community. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad arrived in Belen in the 1880s, and the nearby "Belen Cutoff" in 1908 linked both north-south and east-west rail lines to give Belen the nickname of the "Hub City." Today, more than 100 trains travel through the Belen rail yard daily.

North Texas Beer:

9781626194328

$23.99

Texas is historically a large beer-drinking state. Unlike the brewing heritage of the Central Texas German settlements, the North Texas area--Dallas, Fort Worth and the cities of the surrounding Metroplex--always approached local beers from more of a commercial standpoint. Though local brewing dates back to 1857, early, larger brewers from other states influenced those in Dallas and Fort Worth before and throughout the twentieth century. After the opening of the first craft brewery in the state (and sixth in the nation) in Plano in 1982, North Texas breweries began to flourish in later years and today find a consuming public fiercely devoted to their local brews. Join authors Paul Hightower and Brian L. Brown for a complete yet refreshing look at the history, business and fun of beer in North Texas.

Camp Verde

9781609493868

$21.99

The Verde Valley the seemingly easy route to West Texas was in fact a land of peril, adventure, and near mythic heroes. Historic Camp Verde has long been a strategic stronghold guarding the pass, the valley and the many trails converging at this river crossing. As frontiersman and settlers pushed through the pass and Native Americans responded with violent force, the famed Texas Rangers attempted to control the region. Officially established in 1856, the camp would become the testing ground for the Army's Camel Experiment and an outpost for Robert E. Lee's legendary Second U.S. Cavalry. Join local historian Joseph Luther as he narrates the tumultuous and uniquely Texan history of Camp Verde.

The Oklahoma Cowboy Band

9780738552453

$24.99

The Oklahoma Cowboy Band was the first western string band in the nation to broadcast over the radio and appear on vaudeville, drawing large audiences throughout the Midwest and Northeast. The band began in Ripley as Billy McGinty's Cowboy Band and first played over radio station KFRU in Bristow in May 1925. Billy McGinty was a Rough Rider with Theodore Roosevelt and performed in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. The public responded to the broadcast of his band with a steady stream of telegrams, telephone calls, and letters asking for more of that old-time cowboy music. Soon Otto Gray and his wife, Mommie, of Stillwater joined the band, with both performing rope tricks, Mommie singing sad songs, and their son, Owen, performing comedy routines as "the Uke Buster." Renamed Otto Gray and His Oklahoma Cowboys, the band traveled for a decade to such cities as St. Louis, Chicago, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse. Its custom-built Cadillacs drew crowds wherever the band went. By the early 1930s, other acts were copying the band's cowboy themes and songs, and Otto Gray's lawyers threatened legal action. The lawyers met with only limited success, though, and today the cowboy image is firmly established in country music, thanks in large part to the early success of Billy McGinty, Otto Gray, and the Oklahoma Cowboy Band.

Legendary Locals of Coppell

9781467102216

$24.99

Coppell has produced a wealth of personalities that could have leapt from the pages of a novel. The town's early days brought John and Sarah Stringfellow, who helped found the town's oldest church, and Josiah and John Record, a father-and-son duo who were victims of lynching. The coming of the Cottonbelt Railroad created the mystery of town namesake George Coppell. The town was home to farmers like domino-loving Buren Ledbetter and sharecropper W.A. Ottinger. It had its own "Floyd the Barber" (Floyd Harwell), as well as Jo Jackson, the librarian known to most as the "Bird Lady of Coppell." The town has produced a wealth of heroes like Carroll Kirkland, who was killed in World War II, and Jacob Schick, a decorated veteran of the Iraq War. It is also a town that has turned tragedy into triumph through stories like Todd and Tara Storch, who transformed the pain of their daughter Taylor's death into the life-giving charity Taylor's Gift. Together their stories tell the story of Coppell, a place that at its heart will always be a small town.

Vernon

9780738595467

$24.99

Located in the north-central part of Texas, Vernon is the county seat of Wilbarger County. Originally, the area was home to the Kiowa and Comanche Indians. The first white settlers came in April 1878. Two years later, on April 23, 1880, Vernon was settled as Eagle Flat, though that name was changed to Vernon on March 27, 1881, because the postal department said there were too many towns in Texas with the word "eagle" in their name. Once the Fort Worth & Denver Railway extended to Vernon, the population began to boom.

Capitan, New Mexico:

9781609494513

$21.99

In early May 1950 a massive forest fire spread through the Capitan Gap in the Capitan Mountains. A young black bear cub was found clinging to a tree with his paws singed and his mother nowhere in sight. That cub, later named Smokey Bear, was doctored and eventually sent to Washington, D. C. where he became the living symbol of fire prevention. Without a doubt, Smokey Bear is the most famous resident of Capitan, NM, but he is not the sole history of the area. In addition to a comprehensive chapter on Smokey Bear, Cozzens's history of Capitan will cover everything from the significant coal mining and ranching history of the area (Block Ranch was the largest in the country at the turn of the century), US Forest Service's involvement in the area, Civilian Conservation Corps history (one of the few CCC camps for women was located here), and the story of one of Capitan's most famous, but not so well-covered, citizens, George A. Titsworth.

Cleburne Baseball

9781467137010

$21.99

Shortly after Cleburne landed the largest railroad shops west of the Mississippi, it set its sights on securing a professional baseball team. Against the odds, Cleburne became a Texas League town in 1906. After the first championship, the Railroaders loaded a train and left Cleburne. The town's professional teams would amass two championships, three pennants and several legendary major league players, including Tris Speaker, before disappearing. Despite lacking a professional club, the town continued to field teams at all levels, until the Railroaders made their triumphant return in 2017. Scott Cain shares a century of Cleburne baseball, including the cowboys who gunned down fly balls to intimidate umps, the pro team that played the Chicago White Sox and the city councilman who was a scorekeeper for the Negro Leagues in the 1950s.

Driving Southwest Texas:

9781609490720

$21.99

West of Austin lies Big Bend Country. A region of rich history that still resembles the old frontier, Southwest Texas epitomizes the mystique and allure of this grand state. From the sweeping desert vistas to the canyons of Big Bend National Park, the geography itself is nothing short of incredible. Whether it's discovering historic Fort Davis, sharing in Annie Riggs's legacy or watching the Marfa Lights, a treasure awaits every traveler in this land. Join historian and travel writer Byron Browne as he and his wife, Angie, explore the sights and stories of this unique and charming piece of the Lone Star State

Enchanted Legends and Lore of New Mexico

9781609495725

$19.99

Beginning in the seventeenth century, townsfolk and rural dwellers in the remote Spanish colonial city of Santa Fe maintained a provocative interest in mysterious and miraculous visions. This preoccupation with the afterlife, occult forces and unearthly beings existing outside the natural world led to early witch trials, stories about saintly apparitions and strange encounters with spirits and haunted places. New Mexican author Ray John de Aragón explores the time-honored tradition of frightening folklore in the Land of Enchantment in this intriguing collection of tales that crosses cultures in the dark corners of the southwestern night.

Enchanted Legends and Lore of New Mexico

Helotes

9780738579443

$24.99 $12.50 Save 50%

A small town with a big history, Helotes--20 miles northwest of downtown San Antonio--was named for the Spanish word elotes, or corn on the cob. So extensive were the fields of corn along its namesake creek, a Spanish official in 1723 called the area el Puerto de los Olotes, or Corncob Pass. When settlers later arrived, few ancient cornfields remained. Situated along Bandera Road, the town became a stagecoach stop, and a post office was established in 1873. Nevertheless, the settlement remained rural for the next 100 years. Helotes, known as a place to "let down yer hair and kick up yer heels," solidified its reputation in 1946, when John T. Floore Country Store, a dance hall and concert venue for top-rated country musicians, opened for business in downtown Helotes. The annual Cornyval Festival, inaugurated in 1966, continues this tradition. Incorporated in 1981, the town provides a verdant and hilly escape from the city.

San Augustine County

9780738579375

$24.99

San Augustine has been called the "Eastern Gateway into Texas" for more than three centuries. Many immigrants crossed the Sabine River and followed El Camino Real to the little settlement nestled on each side of this ancient roadway. Alamo-bound David Crockett wrote his last letter to his daughter Margaret from San Augustine on January 9, 1836. Davy's words echoed the favorable impressions expressed by new arrivals to Texas: "I am hailed with hearty welcome to this country . . . The cannon was fired here in San Augustine on my arrival. What I have seen of Texas, it is the garden spot of the world, the best land and the best prospects for health I ever saw, and I do believe it is a fortune to any man to come here." San Augustine County still retains the charm of times past through her well-preserved 19th-century homes and churches. Images of America: San Augustine County profiles these cherished landmarks and others through the vintage photographs of local historical groups, family collections, and private archives.

Early Woods County

9780738583105

$24.99

Woods County, Oklahoma, is showcased in images dating from 1894 to statehood in 1907. This time span covers the period of early settlement and the hardships of pioneers in a new territory. It includes the growth from a wide-open prairie to the beginnings of small towns and school districts, from mostly one-room schoolhouses to the Normal School for higher education, known today as Northwestern Oklahoma State University. People from all walks of life came to the Cherokee Outlet before the land run of 1893 and after. Those frontier inhabitants suddenly found themselves nearly alone on the wide expanse of prairie unbroken by a single building and with almost no trees. Early settlers came from across the country and even from across the ocean, many with nothing but the clothes on their backs and hope. These new residents carved out a living and made Woods County what it is today.

Yellow Fever on Galveston Island

9781467146555

$21.99

Jan Johnson provides a definitive account of Galveston's fight against outbreaks of Yellow Fever, which transformed an island paradise into the City of Dreadful Death.

In the summer of Galveston's founding year, a mysterious malady accompanied by black vomit descended upon the inhabitants. Names for the devastating plague came quick and fast as the body count rose. Saffron Scourge. Bronze John. Yellow Jack. Yellow Fever. The disease's cause and cure remained elusive, as did the medical institutions Galveston would need treat the illness. Four thousand souls perished in nine epidemics between 1839 and 1867. By the time of Galveston's final Yellow Fever outbreak in 1903, however, residents were better informed and equipped. Discover the key figures and pivotal events of the island city's experience with the mosquito-borne disease.

Bowie

9780738585093

$24.99

Founded in 1880 along the Southern Pacific Railroad line, Bowie is located in northern Cochise County. It was originally named Teviston after Capt. James H. Tevis, operator of the Butterfield Overland Stage Station. Later, the town was named after nearby Fort Bowie, which was the scene of many battles with the Chiricahua Apaches. In 1886, the Apaches, including Geronimo and Cochise's son Naiche, were loaded on trains in Bowie and sent to Florida as prisoners of war. The Indian Wars in America were over. Bowie became a major shipping point for the military and the mines. A beautiful train station with a first-class hotel and dining room served the thousands of passengers traveling through. Great soil, pleasant climate, and artesian wells attracted homesteaders who grew every kind of fruit and vegetable imaginable. Ranchers in the nearby mountains shipped cattle by hundreds of carloads at a time. After US Highway 86 was completed, Bowie became a favorite stopping point for travelers. Pecans, pistachios, and wine from local vineyards attract visitors today.