Name: Gristmills of Central Texas
Brand: Charlene Ochsner Carson
SKU: 9781467125963
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Gristmills of Central Texas

9781467125963

$24.99

Gristmills were once commonplace in Texas. There was hardly a river, a creek, or a stream without one. The purpose of the gristmill was to grind wheat into flour and corn into meal. Prior to the water-powered gristmill, grinding was a tedious, time-consuming task that was usually performed by hand using some type of mortar and pestle. When a gristmill began operating in an area, settlers from near and far traveled to the mill to have their grain ground. The gathering of these settlers and farmers at the mill was the beginning of many settlements that grew into the Texas towns of today. Many of these picturesque settings have become major tourist destinations.

Lost Restaurants of Fort Worth

9781467137973

$21.99

Despite a thriving culinary scene, Fort Worth lost some of its most iconic restaurants decades ago. Locals still buzz about the legendary chili dished out at historic Richelieu Grill and the potato soup Sammy's served all night. Fort Worth could accommodate every palate, from the Bakon Burger at Carlson's Drive-Inn to the escargot and chateaubriand laid out at the Carriage House. Even movie stars like Bob Hope and Gene Autry frequented the city for steaks from the Seibold Café, and President Lyndon B. Johnson loved Cowtown for the barbecue from famed chuckwagon cook Walter Jetton. Join food writer Celestina Blok as she journeys through her hometown's dining past.

Lubbock

9780738596082

$24.99

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.

The North Shore of Lake Travis

9780738578675

$24.99

Change is just about the only constant in the area that is now the north shore of Lake Travis. The limestone, gravel, clay, and loam that make up the land have evolved under the influence of wind and the mighty floodwaters of the untamed Colorado River. Comanche Indians and other tribes lived here long before settlers arrived from back east. Land grants helped many pioneers settle in the area, and their descendents benefited from electricity brought here through the Rural Electric Administration. Gradually the rural farming and ranching community developed into incorporated cities with a state-of-the art education system. The Mansfield Dam transformed a small section of the Colorado River into Lake Travis and enabled fishing and water sports. In spite of this growth, however, the north shore of Lake Travis still retains its small-town feel. Change continues, and the flora and fauna, rocks and hills, and ranches and communities that make up this beautiful part of the hill country still draw people of all ages.

Frontier Medicine at Fort Davis and Other Army Posts

9781467152464

$23.99

From a headless burial to cocaine toothache drops, the true stories hidden in the Wild West's medical records are a match for its tallest tales.

In the 19th century, when dying young was a fact of life, a routine bout of diarrhea could be fatal. No one had heard of viruses or bacteria, but they killed more soldiers on the frontier than hostile raiding parties. Physicians dispensed whiskey for TB, mercury for VD and arsenic for indigestion. Baseball injuries were considered to be in the line of duty and twice resulted in amputations at Fort Davis. Donna Smith explains how an industrious laundress could earn more than a private, a female army surgeon won the Medal of Honor and a garrison illegally hung its bartender.

Frontier Medicine at Fort Davis and Other Army Posts

McKinney

9780738586670

$24.99

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.

Coppell, Texas

9781467136617

$21.99

Coppell history is rooted in peace and community. In 1843, Sam Houston met with ten native tribes along Grapevine Springs Creek to negotiate an accord to end fighting and allow trade and settlement in the area. When Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport opened in 1974, Coppell transformed from a farming hamlet into a thriving town with expanding economic opportunity. Through firsthand accounts with longtime residents and meticulous research, authors Jean Murph and Lou Duggan unfold the contemplative story of a complex and historic community.

Texas BBQ Adventure Guide

9781467150897

$23.99

From the bayous of the east to the dusty deserts of the west, embark on a journey through the countless smokehouses, roadhouses and barbecue food trucks that line the back roads and main streets of Texas. Dive into a history that dates back to treasure-hungry conquistadors and swashbuckling buccaneers. Learn what divides the state into five main flavor regions and read your plate of BBQ like a roadmap through history. Author Jason Weems journeyed more than 3,500 miles around the highways and byways of Texas to bring you a guide that's dripping with pro tips and sizzling with backstory.

Sixth Street

9780738586694

$24.99

Now listed in the National Register of Historic Places, Sixth Street began more than 170 years ago as the only level pathway into the town of Austin from the east. Originally called Pecan Street, throughout its history the street was also a level playing field for merchants and minorities, for moneyed dynasties and little mom-and-pop places. When Austin was a segregated society, Sixth Street was a standout exception where people of all races lived and worked. By 1871, the arrival of the railroad kindled the explosive development of Pecan Street into Austin's first mercantile center. It was home to Austin's first hotel, Bullock's at Congress Avenue and Pecan Street; the first fight with the government of the new Republic of Texas; and the first brothel. In the 1970s, the commercial district suffered some deterioration. Then, as it has done before, Sixth Street was reborn, this time as the Sixth Street Historic Entertainment District. Loved by Austin residents and visitors alike, Sixth Street is Texas's most famous thoroughfare.

Houston's River Oaks

9781467117340

$24.99

River Oaks is a name that has rung out in Houston, Texas, since its founding in 1923. The neighborhood's uncertain geographical boundaries may be a point of controversy, but the impact River Oaks has had on the city is indisputable. River Oaks has been home to astronauts who have contributed to American space exploration; lawyers who are involved in the interworking of the United States' legal system; oil tycoons who have helped Houston grow; and doctors who are responsible for inventing lifesaving medical procedures. The neighborhood is also home to one of the country's most exclusive country clubs, and River Oaks has been served by some of the same schools, churches, stores, and restaurants since its founding. This book explores how River Oaks not only celebrates, grieves, and lives life day-to-day, but also how it changes the world.

Around Clear Lake

9781467130783

$24.99

With the coming of the Manned Spacecraft Center in the early 1960s, the Clear Lake Area became the center for cutting-edge technology and space travel. Soon to follow were numerous aerospace contracting firms and other high-tech enterprises, giving the area one of the highest concentrations of aerospace expertise in the nation. Nine distinct cities make up what is referred to as the "Clear Lake Area." From east to west along the north shore are Seabrook, El Lago, Taylor Lake Village, Nassau Bay, Houston, and Webster. From west to east on the south shore are League City, Clear Lake Shores, and Kemah. The lake feeds into Galveston Bay, creating a waterfront lifestyle with the third largest boating community in the United States.

Laughlin Air Force Base

9781467107099

$23.99

Today, Laughlin Air Force Base is one of the busiest pilot-producing bases in the world. Named after Jack Thomas Laughlin, the base traces its history back to 1942. During World War II, the base was called Laughlin Field and trained bomber pilots in the B-26 Marauder. The base closed in 1945, after the war, but reopened again as an Air Force base in 1952 to train fighter pilots for the Korean War. It then took on a Cold War mission from 1957 to 1963. During this time, the base was home to the 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, which flew the U-2 spy plane. The 4080th played a key role in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. From 1961 onward, however, Laughlin has served primarily as an undergraduate pilot training base, helping hundreds of brave men and women, every year, earn their wings as military aviators.

Due Santi and the University of Dallas

9781467147651

$24.99

With a name bearing witness to Peter and Paul's meeting on the Appian Way, Due Santi has been the setting for a thousand different stories. This collection celebrates twenty-five years of such stories at the current campus and half a century of the University of Dallas Rome Program. The narrative stretches from last semester's G[r]eek Olympics to the chariot races of ancient Bovillae and strolls from the history of the villa to the future of the vineyard. Anyone who still dreams of Due Santi will instantly recognize the timeless landscape and the people who lovingly made it home, even if only for a little while.

The Houstorian Calendar

9781467139878

$21.99

September 4, 2000, was Houston's hottest day on record, as well as Beyoncé's nineteenth birthday. Sam Houston was elected president on September 5, 1836. The city was awarded a National League baseball franchise on October 17, 1960, and on November 1, 2017, the Astros won their first World Series. On December 13, 1882, the Capitol Hotel became Houston's first public building to get electricity. Tragedy struck on April 16, 1947, when a ship carrying ammonium nitrate fertilizer exploded alongside a Texas City dock. James Glassman captures every single day of the year in the prism of Houston history, from the Texas Revolution to the moon landing.

Karnes County

9780738584928

$24.99

Karnes County's history is rich in folklore, tall tales, real-life feuds, and even an outlaw or two. Declared a county in 1854, it was named after Henry Karnes, a heroic peace negotiator and early Texas Ranger. Despite struggles along the way, the county has survived due to its strong and sturdy pioneers who came from many countries, including the first Polish community to arrive in the United States. From those beginnings and the desire to take advantage of the good ranch and farming lands, the county grew into a great area to raise a family. The local school districts have excellent standards, boasting high ratings in every area and even a state championship football team in Falls City that won the 1A division in 2010. Furthermore, the latest boom in oil and gas drilling is bringing a growth surge that is expected to continue for quite some time.

The Old Spanish Trail Highway in Texas

9781467106924

$23.99

At the dawn of automobile travel in the United States, visionary entrepreneurs proposed a Southern transcontinental route called the Old Spanish Trail (OST) that would stretch across eight states from Florida to California. The central third of the road spanned more than 900 miles and traversed Texas. The collaboration of communities, both large and small, that worked to bridge rivers and pave primitive roads made the OST a reality during the 1920s. As travelers ventured forth on the route, a diverse crop of businesses--filling stations, autocamps, tourist courts, motels, and myriad eating establishments--sprang up to meet the needs of tourists, wanderers, migrants, and truckers while also fueling economic growth. For over 50 years, the OST continuously underwent construction and redesign that transformed a small roadway into a multilane interstate highway carrying a constantly increasing flow of goods, services, and people. Although the OST identity is gradually growing fainter amidst the standardization of businesses and rerouting of numbered highways around (instead of along) city streets, it still survives among many Texans who dwell along the Trail.

Lampasas County

9781467108935

$23.99

Lampasas County's sulfur springs fueled early success in the region, but when the railroad extended past its small towns, prosperity waned. Today, Lampasas enjoys a renaissance as crowds, real estate prices, and high taxes drive people from the big cities into the countryside. These newcomers have taken an interest in the history of the county and have worked alongside natives to restore many historic sites.

San Benito

9780738580241

$24.99

San Benito was built on the banks of a dry riverbed of the Rio Grande, called a resaca. Long ago, Coahuiltecan Indians made their home here, and Spanish land grant ranches flourished in the 1700s. The arrival of the railroad in 1904 brought a diverse group of pioneers from the Midwest in search of cheap and fertile land. These early settlers, together with descendents of Spanish colonizers, began an agricultural community. During his engineering surveys in 1903 for the proposed railroad connection to the rest of Texas, Sam Robertson realized the potential of the land. He envisioned an irrigation plan that would utilize the resacas to bring water from the Rio Grande and thus make arid ranch land into a garden. It was with this history and this dream that the little town of San Benito was created. San Benito is also home to entertainment--Conjunto Music began here--and it is the hometown of international singing star Freddy Fender and Olympic athlete Bobby Morrow.

Fayette County

9780738584867

$24.99

Established in 1837 out of Stephen F. Austin's original colony, Fayette County's roots reach back in Texas history to the days of Mexican empresarios and native Indian tribes, spanning the boom period of 19th century European migration and colonization and stretching into the earliest days of 20th century America. It is the quintessential Texas county made up of vibrant, diverse cultures and unique communities. Originally settled by "Americans" from the southern United States, its later development was influenced and led by first German and then Czech immigrants escaping the European revolutions and economic hardships in search of the definitive American Dream.

Southside Place

9781467131742

$24.99

In 1924, Edward Lilo Crain platted Southside Place, a 329-lot subdivision on the soggy prairie just west of bustling downtown Houston. Ahead of his time, Crain combined the roles of real estate investor, developer, and builder, establishing Southside Place with prefabricated catalog homes. The neighborhood's most defining attribute, however, is the 1.5-acre park Crain created as its geographic and civic center. This thoughtful early attempt at city planning made Southside Place the first Houston subdivision to provide a swimming pool, tennis court, clubhouse, and park for the private use of residents.

San Juan

9780738566818

$24.99

In 1904, when the railroad completed its expansion westward from Brownsville through the Rio Grande Valley, small towns were aligning the tracks. Rich, fertile valley territory was attractive to new settlers during the early 1900s, and land developers promoted a place where one could buy a piece of the American dream. Around the same time, immigrants from south of the border were arriving with dreams of starting a new life away from the tumult of the Mexican Revolution. Situated at the crossroads of both rail and roadways, San Juan was the optimal place to settle. Rapid agricultural growth had in turn fostered community growth. As San Juan celebrates 100 years of vitality, this book reflects and recalls why this city was known as the "friendly city in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley."

Rockwall

9780738558585

$24.99

Rockwall owes its name to a unique underground formation discovered by three men digging a well. In 1852, Terry Utley Wade, Benjamin Boydstun, and William Clay Stevenson exposed what they termed a "rock wall." When a city name was needed in 1854, Rockwall was chosen. In the 1880s, the railroad's arrival had a significant impact on the area and ushered in cotton as the main cash crop. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Rockwall was the epitome of small-town Texas: Yellow Jacket football on Friday nights, movies at the Ritz theatre on the square, lunch at the Mecca Café, milk shakes at Cunningham's Drugstore, and watching television through the front window of Payne's Appliances. Resting on the banks of Lake Ray Hubbard and sitting in Dallas's shadow, Rockwall is faced with the unique challenge of balancing rapid growth while maintaining its historic charm.

Historic Dallas Hotels

9780738578798

$24.99

In Dallas's infancy, accommodations for the traveler arriving by stage or horseback consisted of boardinghouses or unfurnished rooms, but within 10 years of the city's founding, Dallas could boast about what is considered to be its first hotel: Thomas Crutchfield's log cabin and livery stable. As the village evolved from town to city, these early facilities were replaced with elegantly appointed hotels that rivaled those in New York or Chicago and established Dallas as a modern city. As the 20th century progressed, many older hotels were replaced with up-to-date facilities, and the rise of the automobile following World War II saw the establishment of dozens of motels and motor courts. There were accommodations for every type of traveler, and Dallas had established itself as a hotel town.

Austin

9780738570679

$24.99

As the capital of Texas, Austin has a long and colorful history. The first residents were nomadic Native Americans who camped here as long ago as 9000 BC because of the area's beauty, the clear Colorado River, and the wildlife. These are the very same things that attract people to Austin today. Originally called Waterloo, Austin has grown from a tiny town on the edge of the western frontier in 1839 into the capital city it is today. The University of Texas lent prestige, the state government erected buildings, the railroads came to town, and Congress Avenue--the "main street" of Texas--filled with thriving businesses.

Metroplex Monsters

9781467145435

$21.99

In the metropolitan mosaic that joins Dallas and Fort Worth together into a brightly lit metroplex, some mysterious figures still manage to keep to the shadows and slip through the cracks. Even after the Lake Worth Monster inspired a rash of phone calls to the Fort Worth Police Department, the "Goatman of Greer Island" faded back into the haze of myth. Is Lake Granbury's Ol' One Eye an impossibly large catfish or a sidetracked sea serpent? Could pterosaurs really coexist with the region's congested skies? From the Lady of White Rock Lake to the Creature of Copper Canyon and the Chupacabras of Cedar Hill, Jason McLean methodically follows inexplicable events to their source and bizarre beasts to their lairs.

Wood County

9780738529363

$24.99

Though small and primarily agricultural for much of its history, Wood County in East Texas has been "home sweet home" to many well-known personalities, including former Quitman High School homecoming queen and Coal Miner's Daughter star Sissy Spacek, former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown, Lillian Richard (the woman who inspired Quaker Oats to create Aunt Jemima), and several country music performers and songwriters. The peaceful Caddo tribe inhabited the area before white settlers established the county in 1850. Railroads built in the 1870s made coal mining the dominant industry, and the towns of Mineola, Winnsboro, Quitman, and Hawkins were founded and continued to grow. The county's many lakes, historic sites, festivals, and musical events draw thousands of visitors every year.

Legends & Lore of the Texas Capitol

9781467137584

$24.99

From its beginning as one of the most ambitious construction projects west of the Mississippi, the imposing red granite Lone Star statehouse loomed large in Texas lore. The iconic landmark rests on a foundation of election rigging, an unsolved murder, land swaps and pre-dedication blackmail. It bore witness to the first meeting between LBJ and Lady Bird, as well as a bizarre resolution honoring the Boston Strangler. Mike Cox digs up a quarry's worth of the capitol's untold history, cataloguing everything from its ghost stories to its public art and collectible tourist kitsch.

Oak Cliff

9780738570686

$24.99

An advertisement heralded, "Oak Cliff gets its name from the massive oaks that crown the soft green cliffs." Originally called Hord's Ridge for its founder William Henry Hord, the area was purchased by two enterprising developers, Thomas L. Marsalis and John S. Armstrong, and renamed Oak Cliff. Also touted as the "Cambridge of the South," the community flourished until the depression of 1893. The partnership split, and in 1903, the beleaguered Oak Cliff voted itself into the city of Dallas. The area has seen much change over the years, but the physical separation the Trinity River creates from Dallas provides Oak Cliff a permanent and unique identity from the "big city" and helps it maintain remnants of its original small-town atmosphere.

San Antonio in the 1920s and 1930s

9780738501529

$24.99

While recounting the story of a childhood in San Antonio, Mary Linvingston also tells the story that exemplifies the opportunities and struggles faced by countless people growing up during this time of opportunity and change in America. The author's memories and reflections are illustrated by over 100 photographs, providing readers with an authentic view of life in San Antonio in the early twentieth century. From detailed accounts of canning fruits and vegetable during the Depression, watching movies at the Majestic Theater, and life on a "domestic zoo," to colorful antecdotes about makeing tamales, shopping for shoes using an X-ray machine, and visiting the San Antonio parks and missions, this entertaining and educational book will give older readers and younger readers a glimps of a way of life that is long gone, but not forgotten.

Hill Country Hindsights

9781467153522

$23.99

Encounter fascinating characters and forgotten stories from the Texas Hill Country's past, before the crowds and amenities made life complicated. Settled by German immigrants in the 1840s, Fredericksburg's corner of the Texas Hill Country bustles with the trendy energy of an international tourist destination. But there was a time not long ago when the quiet community remained off the beaten path, even if it continued to draw in luminaries like O. Henry, Buck Taylor and Bob Hope. A working knowledge of Town Creek German wasn't necessary, but it sure came in handy. From the White Elephant Saloon to the 87 Drive-In, Michael Barr tours the bygone byways of the Hill Country, showcasing the heritage that predates the overbooked wine tours and vacation rentals.

Carthage

9780738571126

$24.99

Founded in a pine forest on the East Texas frontier, Carthage assumed the name of one of the greatest cities of the ancient world. Although Carthage, Texas, did not become a bustling metropolis, the community has enjoyed a long history as the type of stable town that forms the backbone of America. For more than a century and a half, residents have played roles--at times prominently--in the historical and cultural life of Texas and the nation. Carthage has produced decorated war heroes, internationally famous country music stars, a noted American historian, and a groundbreaking political figure. As the home of Tex Ritter, Gentleman Jim Reeves, Linda Davis, and the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame, the community has become a country music mainstay. Beyond its celebrities, however, Carthage has most importantly produced generation after generation of patriotic and hard-working men and women.

Houston Police Department

9780738595351

$24.99

The Houston Police Force was established by the naming of a city marshal in January 1841. Houston Police Department historian Denny Hair wrote, "As befitted a frontier community, the meeting of justice in Houston was swift and uncompromising. Trials were conducted in an informal manner with little attention paid to formal rules of evidence and legal procedure." Eventually, conditions changed and law enforcement became more sophisticated. The "Bayou City" population went from 44,633 in 1900 to almost 1 million by 1960. "Houston" was the first word spoken from the moon, thus it became "Space City" and, ultimately, the nation's fourth-largest city. Its police department weathered decades of mayoral appointment for every officer before state civil service reform in the 1940s. It also met the civil rights years better than most cities and saw dramatic change with the 1982 appointment of Lee Brown as the first African American police chief of a large American city.

Surfing Corpus Christi and Port Aransas

9780738584560

$24.99

Surf culture in the Texas Coastal Bend began in the early 1960s when a few young men set up surfboard rental stands on the beach. By 1970, thousands of people had caught the surfing bug. In the decades that followed, dozens of surf shops and surfboard makers established themselves in Corpus Christi, Port Aransas, and nearby communities. Coastal Bend surfers won national championships for their wave-riding prowess, beating out counterparts from the East Coast, California, and Hawaii. By the 21st century, Coastal Bend wave riders had become a force to be reckoned with, playing strong roles in local political movements that influenced public policy.

Port Aransas

9780738579603

$24.99

Port Aransas, known colloquially as Port A, is on Mustang Island, one of the Texas barrier islands. This community grew from the seed of El Mar Rancho, the homestead an Englishman established for his family in 1855--the name Port Aransas was adopted in 1910. The evolution of Port A includes the guiding of sport fishermen to the hard-fighting tarpon fish, bouncing back from five major hurricanes, and the development of tourism that has made the town a nationally sought out destination. Despite all of the changes that have visited Port Aransas, the pace there still conforms to "island time." Indeed, a number of images in this book were selected for how they portray that unique quality of life.

Erath County

9781467108454

$23.99

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.