Name: Around Terlingua
Brand: Thomas C. Alex
SKU: 9781467132015
Price: 17.49 USD
Availability: InStock

Around Terlingua

9781467132015

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

The origin of the name "Terlingua" is obscure and lost in time. For the past century and a half, the area covered by the name has expanded to include numerous concentrations of people engaged to varying degrees in ranching, farming, and mining, or the support thereof. Farmers and ranchers produced agricultural products, woodcutters supplied timbers for the mines or fuel for the furnaces, and storekeepers supplied the goods needed for sustenance of this diverse community that was spread over much of south Brewster County in West Texas. Hispanic people who began settling the region in the 18th century were the backbone of the mining industry. Many of the families here today are descendants of the mine workers and continue contributing to the community. This story tells of the establishment and abandonment of Terlingua following the rise and decline in demand for mercury and how the ghost town was resurrected in the 20th century.

Austin and the State of Texas:

9781439600887

$11.99

DO YOU KNOW...
WHY people flock to the Congress Avenue Bridge on
many spring and summer evenings?
(Hint: It's not to see the people!)
WHAT nickname Zilker Park has earned because of
its size?
(Hint: Even New Yorkers would be impressed!)
Find these answers and more in Cool Stuff Every Kid Should Know?
--an interesting little book about a very special place on the planet! Arcadia Kids is a new series of fun, colorful, easy-to-read books for children ages 7-11 featuring attention-grabbing cover art, inviting conversational style content, and vivid full-color images of landmarks and geography. Parents, grandparents, and savvy shoppers will appreciate the feel good factor of purchasing books that are both fun AND educational.

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.

Elephant Butte Dam

9781467133326

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On November 18, 1904, engineer B.M. Hall submitted his final report to the 12th National Irrigation Congress in El Paso, Texas. He concluded that the ideal location for a dam and reservoir would be a site in western New Mexico. A congressional act of February 25, 1905, authorized the construction of Elephant Butte Dam, the first civil engineering structure concerned with international allocation of water. Part of the Rio Grande Project, the dam and its reservoir would provide irrigation water for farmers along the Rio Grande in New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico. Today, Elephant Butte Dam is designated as a National Historical Engineer Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the oldest national professional engineering society in the United States. The area is home to Elephant Butte Lake State Park, where camping, fishing, and water sports are enjoyed by both residents and tourists.

Washita County

9780738551517

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Created from part of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Indian reservation, 1,008 square miles of rich agricultural land became home to over 5,000 homesteaders with a run at high noon on April 19, 1892. The county has a rich heritage as about 55 communities and over 100 school districts were established during the first 10 years. As Oklahoma was a territory at the time, only Congress could establish a county seat, and it named Cloud Chief, with a population of about 20 or 30, as the county seat. According to history, Cloud Chief, located in the southeast corner of the county, had several businesses established by midafternoon and a population of over 3,000 that first night. In 1900, the people of Washita County, by a vote of 1,349 in favor to 282 in opposition, illegally moved the courthouse under gunfire to Cordell, which was located in the exact center of the county. Today Washita County has 44 ghost towns, which had a post office or a community store that no
longer exist.

Clarksville and Red River County

9780738579146

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

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."

The Nogal Mesa: A History of Kivas and Ranchers in Lincoln County

9781609491314

$21.99

This book was a finalist for the New Mexico Book Co-Op History Book of the Year. Most people think of Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County War when Lincoln County, New Mexico is mentioned. Yet, the county has a rich history besides that chapter of lawlessness and violence. In writing this book I wanted to tell the story of the miners and forest rangers and the Civilian Conservation Corps and early settlers. The Jornada Mogollon culture was here over a thousand years ago but had left before Christopher Columbus arrived in the new world. They have left pieces of their lifestyle in the form of pueblos and pottery. A railroad was built in the basin below the Mesa, but the water there was full of alkaline and chemicals. The Mesa had pristine mountain water and an engineering miracle was built in the form of a pipeline to get the water from the Mesa to the railroad. A western religious revival in the form of the Ranchman's Camp continues this summer for the 71st year.

The Nogal Mesa: A History of Kivas and Ranchers in Lincoln County

Getting Away with Bloody Murder

9781455626205

$19.95

James Brockman rose from shady character to preeminent defense attorney in Houston, Texas representing clients including gang leaders, jilted spouses, wealthy storekeepers and drunken on-duty policemen. These high-profile true crime and murder accounts take place between 1895 and 1910. They cross racial lines, revealing instances of separate and unequal justice in segregated Texas that had a lasting effect on the city and the state. His career gained national recognition, including his involvement in the most famous American murder case of the young twentieth century, when he himself was murdered leaving a dubious legacy.

Encyclopedia of Early Texas History

9781626194540

$14.99

In this age of hustle and bustle, Texans cannot afford to flounder about unawares of where to turn for information most urgent and necessary as their own history. What you want--nay, what you need--is the encyclopedia herein. The patriot will find stories of heroism and warning, the student will discover annals of valuable learning and the curious will discover purpose renewed in historical origin. With educational and entertaining illustrations, the reader will at once be transported back to historic times and doubtless become the "go-to" guy or gal for Texas trivia. From the arrival of Aguayo to the zeal of Zavala, each page contains a morsel of valuable history of the great state of Texas. Texan and scholar Stephen Biles has collected an invaluable source of information so exciting and excellent that it has been sized to fit within your pocket or purse--after all, one never knows when history might call.

Helotes

9780738579443

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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

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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.

La Grange

9780738556369

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

La Grange, voted the capital of the Republic of Texas in 1838, is as colorful and audacious as the state itself. Its citizens were instrumental in winning the republic's freedom and have always been willing to fight for their beliefs. Many defend La Grange as the true capital of Texas, unfairly stripped of its title. The town flourished during the 19th century and witnessed the birth of a rough-and-tumble society, where arguments were commonly settled with fists, knives, and guns. In later years, immigrants flocked to the area and built a strong agricultural economy. The 20th century might have passed quietly into history if not for a Houston television reporter who publicized the demise of one of Texas's best-known brothels, the Chicken Ranch, located just outside of La Grange. The extensive publicity surrounding the closing of the "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" resulted in a musical and movie of the same name, as well as a song by ZZ Top.

Ghost Stories of Central New Mexico

9781467157582

$21.99

Central New Mexico remains a vault of long-buried secrets and restless ghosts. Bloodcurdling tales from a haunted Civil War battlefield at Val Verde mingle with the whispers of unsettled spirits in Socorro. The notorious Luna mansion and the cursed rooms of Mountainair’s Shaffer Hotel gather in the otherworldly apparitions of a shadowy past. Cody Polston, a local ghost hunter, skeptic, and collector of the macabre offers a spine-tingling selection of stories from Central New Mexico’s haunted heritage.

Cover image for Ghost Stories of Central New Mexico, isbn: 9781467157582

Lost Restaurants of Fredericksburg

9781467155113

$24.99

From soda fountains to beer gardens, celebrate the founders of Fredericksburg's feasts.

Fredericksburg's heritage of dining hospitality is full of unforgettable corner booths and legendary roadside stands. The Crown Saloon gave pioneer teamsters a welcome chance to wet their whistle, while the Manhattan Cafe brought pickled herring and other delicacies of the 1920s to the Hill Country frontier. At the state's first wine festival, Haversack Winery treated guests to a 2,100 lb. chunk of cheddar cheese along with performances from The Ballet Folklorico España and Pehl's Old Time Band. The Wild Game Dinner raised a healthy chunk of change for worthy Gillespie County causes. Michael Barr lines up a buffet of iconic Fredericksburg eateries that will have readers smelling Noble's brisket through the butcher paper and hearing the sizzle of Oma Koock's Schnitzel.

San Antonio Cemeteries Historic District

9781467131865

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In his Spoon River Anthology, Edgar Lee Masters uses a series of poetic monologues to have his characters finally tell their true stories from their graves. The first section lets the reader know that "all, all, are sleeping on the hill." San Antonio has its Powder House Hill about three miles from its central business district. Known as the Eastside Cemetery District, there are 31 cemeteries here, owned by different religious congregations, fraternal organizations, military groups, and the City of San Antonio. Like Masters's Spoon River, within the Eastside Cemetery District reside people of many occupations and nationalities, including soldiers and statesmen, rich and poor, as well as husbands, wives, and children. Through photographs and research, the authors hope to tell some small part of the stories and the history of this unique burial ground.

San Antonio Cemeteries Historic District

Prescott Valley

9780738570709

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

When gold was discovered along Lynx Creek in 1863, the area that would later become Prescott Valley began to attract attention from the outside world. Miners came and so did the military, which established Fort Whipple in nearby Prescott but made use of Glassford Hill as part of a communication system. By the early 1900s, homesteaders, merchants, freighters, and ranchers had also arrived. As the 20th century progressed, what had been a peaceful stretch of grazing land known as Lonesome Valley gave way to a budding town finally incorporated in 1978 with 1,520 citizens. On the land where a volcano erupted long ago, mammoths once roamed, prehistoric people hunted, miners sought their fortunes, and ranchers herded cattle, Prescott Valley is today a thriving--and rapidly growing--town of more than 35,000 residents that has retained much of its small-town character and charm.

Lake Jackson

9780738584799

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The city of Lake Jackson is located adjacent to an oxbow lake of the same name. The land was part of the original Stephen F. Austin land grant from Mexico in 1822. Abner Jackson began to develop the land in 1842, and his family and slaves resided there until 1870, when the end of the Civil War ultimately ended the habitation of the plantation. The land was bought to resume the production of sugar in 1900, but the effort was quickly ended by the famous Galveston storm. In 1938, the Dow Chemical Company bought the land in their effort to build a chemical plant on the Gulf Coast. The plant size greatly expanded with the advent of World War II, and beginning in 1943 Alden Dow designed one of the first planned communities to house Dow employees. The city expanded after the war, and the chemical plant grew to the second largest in the world. By 2010, the population of Lake Jackson had grown to 27,000.

Hearne

9780738585406

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H earne earned the title "the Crossroads of Texas" by virtue of two rail lines and two highways crisscrossing within its boundaries. A small town with an inordinate amount of heavy traffic, Hearne has always been a place where a lot of moving and shaking occurs. Indeed, "moving and shaking" characterized Hearne from its beginnings when namesake Christopher Columbus Hearne convinced the Houston & Texas Central Railroad to make a tiny, unincorporated village its terminus. Some years after, a visitor referred to Hearne as "19 saloons surrounding an artesian well." Ninety-year resident Bill Palmos described Hearne as a rough town of good-hearted people with a matching reputation. He added that when people traveled by rail, "Houston, Hempstead, and Hell" was the conductor's call. Even after saloons gave way to churches, schools, and service clubs, Hearne's reputation for roughness stuck.

Haunted Cochise County

9781467151894

$21.99

Some of the most notorious characters in American history once called Cochise County home. From the well-known shootout at the OK Corral to the Greenway Manor, Southeastern Arizona is haunted by the shades of its violent past. Go beyond the tales of the restless spirits buried at Boothill, and discover an abandoned train tunnel plagued by a tragic death. In Douglas, the ghost of young Mabel haunts the halls of the Avenue Hotel, hoping someone will solve her murder, while the spirit of a Bisbee fireman still works tirelessly to save lives. Join author and paranormal historian Francine Powers as she uncovers the stories behind the hauntings, banshees and apparitions of Cochise County.

The White Mountains of Apache County

9780738566900

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Towns and communities such as Springerville, Eagar, Alpine, Nutrioso, Vernon, Greer, McNary, and Maverick of Apache County's White Mountains hold fascinating histories of outlaws and Arizona Rangers; Texas cattlemen and Mormon farmers; and New Mexico Hispanics and forest service men. Aldo Leopold was one of the forest service men who, in A Sand County Almanac, described the Boneyard, Campbell Blue, and Frijole Cienega. Of Paradise Valley, he wrote, "What else could you call it?" In 1913, the Good Roads Association described the roads winding through the area with "canyons that are flanked on every side by timber-covered, snow-clad peaks." It also noted that the area had become "an interesting point for the genuine home seeker, who will not likely want to continue his journey farther." That description remains true today.

Ash Fork

9780738548326

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The tiny community of Ash Fork lies on the juniper-studded hills some 15 miles west of Bill Williams Mountain. Founded in 1882 when the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad was laying tracks for a transcontinental railroad, Ash Fork became an important rail junction by 1895 when another new line was built, this one south to Phoenix. The storied Route 66 opened in 1926 and U.S. Highway 89 not long after, making Ash Fork the most important link between Northern and Southern Arizona by both rail and highway. By the mid-20th century, however, rail routes changed and Interstate 40 opened a half-mile south of town, stopping overnight the flow of traffic through Ash Fork. While many residents were forced to leave, those who remained stubbornly refused to concede defeat. As the new century dawned, the citizens of Ash Fork had developed a new community spirit and hopes for a brighter future.

Greenville

9780738579108

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Located on the rolling Blackland Prairies of Northeast Texas, Greenville was founded in January 1847 as the county seat of Hunt County. Through the years, it became not only the seat of local and county government, but the economic, social, and cultural center of much of the area. With the arrival of the railroads in 1880, Greenville became a market center for cotton, livestock, and other agricultural products, and a vast assortment of goods were available to discerning shoppers. Paved roads, a professional theater, baseball, football, and the North Texas Fair brought visitors to Greenville from the surrounding areas. Merchants, bankers, and entrepreneurs worked diligently to create a community of modern conveniences, beautiful homes, churches, and schools. One of the first municipally owned power plants opened in Greenville in the late 19th century. Though they do keep up with the times, Greenville residents continue to honor their town's remarkable history.

Lampasas County

9780738558813

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

About an hour's drive northwest of Austin, Lampasas County is located in the center of the state of Texas, on the northern edge of the Hill Country. Native Americans were the first to discover the area, and they told settlers about the natural sulfur springs there. In the 1850s, Moses Hughes and his ailing wife, Hannah, traveled to the region to drink and bathe in the medicinal waters of the springs. The sulfur cured Hannah, and word traveled quickly. In 1856, Lampasas County was created. The Santa Fe Railroad completed its line from Galveston to the county seat in 1882, and with hotels and bathhouses booming, Lampasas became known as the "Saratoga of the South." In towns such as Lometa and Kempner, ranchers raised goats and sheep for mohair and wool and cattle for beef. Though fires and floods struck the county on several occasions, Lampasas soldiered on and continues to thrive today.

Kingman

9780738579306

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Kingman, county seat of Mohave County in northwestern Arizona, owes its beginning and subsequent prosperity to the building of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad in 1882. The city was named for the project's chief engineer, Lewis Kingman. The initial railroad siding quickly became a supply center for mining and ranching operations that dotted the beautiful surrounding valleys and mountain ranges. Through the years, Kingman has been at the crossroads of rail, highway, and air transportation routes. A B-17 bomber gunnery training base brought changes by exposing the area's potential to thousands of soldiers during World War II, many of whom would later return. Actor Andy Devine grew up here, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard were married here, and Charles Lindbergh would establish a route for Transcontinental Air Transport through here. Today Kingman is the "Heart of Historic U.S. Route 66" and is located in the middle of the longest remaining stretch of the "Mother Road," making it a must-see destination for thousands of tourists each year.

Galveston Chronicles

9781626191822

$24.99

Named for Bernardo de Galvez and established in 1839, Galveston measures just over two hundred square miles. In early Texas history, however, it was actually the largest city in the Lone Star State, as well as a hugely important port that would become a strategic target during the Civil War. The Oleander City survived the depredations of war and flourished, a resilience it would also display in the wake of the devastating hurricane of 1900. From early cannibals and pirates to the woman suffrage movement and Nazi POWs, Galveston's amazing story continues to evolve today. Join thirteen of Texas's most noted scholars and historians as they share this remarkable island history.

Grand Canyon's Tusayan Village

9780738578903

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

With the glamorous Grand Canyon as its backyard, Tusayan has a fascinating history. Dedicated just one year after the Grand Canyon National Park, the village of Tusayan had its humble beginnings in 1920 as a small sheep ranch operated by the Hull brothers. Tusayan quickly became a hub for the millions of travelers who made their way to the Grand Canyon each year. The two areas share a mutual school, a health care center, and other amenities. Other pioneers, such as R. P. Thurston, helped ensure the area's longevity with the addition of Highway 64 through the center of the village and the arrival of the Grand Canyon Airport, making Tusayan one of the most visited little towns in northern Arizona.

Wickenburg

9780738585048

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Once known as the "Dude Ranch Capital of the World," Wickenburg, Arizona, has had many lives since its founding during the Civil War years. When German immigrant Henry Wickenburg discovered the Vulture Gold Mine in the fall of 1863 and put down roots as a miner and farmer, he also set down the beginnings of the city that would be named in his honor. Early residents and visitors included miners, ranchers, gunslingers, newspaper editors, and saloon keepers. Families made their way to town in the early 20th century and opened businesses, established churches and a library, and sent their children to local schools. In the 1930s, dude ranches blossomed in and around the city limits and tourists were enchanted by the real Wild West ambience. As the century progressed, people remained in town for generations, while newcomers regularly moved in to enjoy Wickenburg's desert setting and modern amenities.

Lost Restaurants of Tucson

9781467118859

$21.99

From western roadhouses to fine dining, Tucson boasts an extraordinary lineup of diverse restaurants. Though some of its greatest no longer exist, their stories conjure the sights, smells and sounds of the city's history. Longtime locals still buzz about Gordo's famous chimichangas, an accidental dish originating in Tucson. The legendary Tack Room was a beacon of fine dining. Places like Café Terra Cotta and Fuego pioneered a new southwestern cuisine, serving regional dishes like prickly pear pork and stuffed poblanos. University of Arizona alumni miss old spots like the Varsity, while long-gone haunts like Gus & Andy's attracted a unique crowd of businessmen, movie stars and the occasional mobster. Join local food writer Rita Connelly as she serves up savory stories of good food and good company from the gone but never forgotten favorites of the Old Pueblo.

Green Valley, Arizona

9780738520728

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

Called one of the top 20 retirement communities in the United States, Green Valley is a place of tiny towns, old ranches, extinct and extant mines, and ghost towns. Captured here in over 200 images is the history of Green Valley, chronicling the life of the community from social, political, economic, and geographic perspectives. Located in Arizona's Sonoran Desert just south of Tucson, the region where Green Valley lies has been centuries in the making. The pioneers and explorers who arrived and left their mark included Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries, Spanish colonists and warriors, ranchers and desperados, land speculators and prospectors, and Mexicans and Anglo-Americans. Established as a retirement community in 1964, the town was barely a dot on the Arizona map; today almost 20,000 residents call it home. This pictorial tribute covers not only the history of Green Valley, but also delves into the past of the Santa Cruz River Valley, featuring images from the Arizona Historical Society, the Farmers Investment Company, the Green Valley News & Sun, and local residents.

Legendary Locals of Marana, Oro Valley, and Catalina

9781467100168

$24.99

Running west to east along the northern boundary of Tucson is a corridor of unique and inspiring communities. In Legendary Locals of Marana, Oro Valley, and Catalina, readers will discover the historical riches, courage, and determination of the Western spirit that shaped the state and the country. George Pusch was a member of the Arizona Territorial Legislature that guided Arizona from territory to statehood. Sam Chu, a Chinese immigrant, turned barren land into one of the most productive cotton farms in America. Sheriff John Nelson helped establish Arizona's reputation as cattle country. Under the guidance of Dick Eggerding, the public arts program made Oro Valley one of the best small towns in America. America's talented athletes have called the corridor home, including Hank Leiber, 1930s baseball star; Maren Seidler, Olympic shot-putter; and Sherry Cervi, barrel racing champion. In these communities, charity work, artistic talent, and military courage are found in abundance. If people make history, then the corridor is a treasure trove of the country's past and future.

Legendary Locals of Marana, Oro Valley, and Catalina

Hatch Valley

9781467133142

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

The headline said it all: "Chili Industry Gains Foothold in the Hatch Community." The Las Vegas Daily Optic of January 17, 1929, reported that the "Farmers of [the] Hatch community, who have developed the chile industry as one which threatens the laurels of King Cotton, are moving out shipments to market." The article reported that just three years prior, only a mere 300 pounds of chile had been marketed in the entire Rincon Valley, of which the Hatch Valley was a part. As of 1929, farmers estimated that 250,000 pounds of chile were being sent to market. The Hatch Valley was on its way to being known as the Chile Capital of the World. True to the nature of a pioneer, the hardy residents of the Hatch Valley have fought against the devastation of floods, the Great Depression, and a changing economy. Their tenacity has made the Hatch Valley what it is today.

Page and Lake Powell

9781467131582

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

The people who descended on the remote northern Arizona wilderness in the early 1950s to build Glen Canyon Dam and the town of Page were true pioneers. They arrived to find Glen Canyon, a sandy, desolate hilltop with walls over 700 feet deep that had been part of the vast Navajo reservation, and an incredibly challenging way of life. The first blast necessary for site excavation at Glen Canyon Dam was triggered on October 15, 1957, when Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower pressed a key setting off the explosion from an office in Washington, DC. Almost 10 years later, construction was completed on the nation's second-highest concrete dam, harnessing the waters of the Colorado River and forever changing the history of the local area and the West. Today, over three million annual visitors enjoy the diverse and awe-inspiring landscape surrounding Page and Lake Powell.

Gillespie County

9780738596495

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

The Society for the Protection of German Immigrants was formed in Germany in 1842 by a group of German noblemen with both philanthropic and commercial goals for a settlement in Texas. Over 5,200 German immigrants arrived on the Texas coast between October 1845 and April 1846. Lack of adequate funding and planning, as well as the continued war between Texas and Mexico, left many immigrants stranded at Indianola without sufficient food, water, shelter, or transportation inland. Hundreds perished on the Texas coast, on the journey inland, and in cholera epidemics. Traveling by wagon, cart, and on foot, leaving behind much of what they had brought from their homeland, thousands made their way toward the land that was to be their new home. Through the courage, tenacity, and diligence of the German pioneers who survived, "Friedrichsburg" was founded. Today, Fredericksburg, the county seat, continues in the cooperative spirit of these determined German pioneers, honoring their traditions, heritage, and culture.

Killeen

9780738596044

$24.99 $17.49 Save 30%

The story of Killeen is aptly called "a tale of two cities." Killeen was founded on May 15, 1882, when the first Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway Company (GC&SF) locomotive arrived from east Bell County. The original town contained 360 acres purchased from Susan Spofford for $960. GC&SF honored its assistant general manager, Frank Patrick Killeen, by naming the new town for him, although he probably never visited his namesake. During its first 60 years, Killeen developed into a busy agricultural center specializing in cotton and wool. It remained a town of approximately 1,200 until 1942, when a tank destroyer center was opened nearby and became Killeen's close neighbor--physically, economically, and socially--displacing farms and ranches and converting the town from an agricultural to a military-based economy. That conversion and Killeen's boomtown future were sealed in 1950, when Camp Hood, the tank destroyer center named for Confederate general John Bell Hood, became a permanent military installation and was renamed Fort Hood.

Lost Restaurants of Galveston's African American Community

9781467141772

$21.99

People of African descent were some of Galveston's earliest residents, and although they came to the island enslaved, they retained mastery of their culinary traditions. As Galveston's port prospered and became the "Wall Street of the South,'? better job opportunities were available for African Americans who lived in Galveston and for those who migrated to the island city after emancipation, with owner-operated restaurants being one of the most popular enterprises. Staples like Fease's Jambalaya Café, Rose's Confectionery and the Squeeze Inn anchored the island community and elevated its cuisine. From Gus Allen's business savvy to Eliza Gipson's oxtail artistry, the Galveston Historical Foundation's African American Heritage Committee has gathered together the stories and recipes that preserve this culinary history for the enjoyment and enrichment of generations, and kitchens, to come.