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From its humble beginning in 1972 when 13 hot-air balloons ascended from an Albuquerque shopping center parking lot to a stunning annual gathering of 500-plus aeronauts, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta lives on as the most-photographed air show on the planet. As you page through this book, imagine yourself going along for the ride and soaring to new heights. Or if you prefer to keep your feet on the ground, imagine yourself strolling among hundreds of swaying giants, seemingly lost in a dizzying kaleidoscope of color. Join in the camaraderie that draws pilots and fans to Albuquerque from all over the world. You will find yourself mesmerized by the Balloon Fiesta's signature events and its spirited competition among hot-air balloon pilots. As an added attraction, step back in time to when hydrogen-gas balloons once graced Albuquerque skies and enjoy the fascinating world of silent flight, the America's Challenge Gas Balloon Race.
Legend City
9781467130714
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Conceived and built in the early 1960s by local artist and advertising man Louis E. Crandall, Legend City was an ambitious and star-crossed mid-century attempt to bring a world-class theme park to the Phoenix metropolitan area. Despite daunting financial challenges and an unforgiving Arizona sun, the park managed to survive for two full decades, entertaining countless Arizonans and forging an enduring place for itself in the hearts and minds of local residents. A sad tale of broken dreams and economic failure on the surface, the story of Legend City is actually an exhilarating and fascinating chapter in the cultural history of Arizona.
The Hash Knife Around Holbrook
9781467130936
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For more than 140 years, the Hash Knife brand has intrigued Western history lovers. From its rough-and-ready-sounding name to its travels throughout Texas, Montana, and Arizona, the Hash Knife sports a romance like few others in the cattle industry. Several outfits have been proud to call the brand their own, and the stories behind the men who worked for these companies are the epitome of Western lore and truth combined. Beginning in 1884, the Hash Knife--owned by the Aztec Land and Cattle Company--came to Arizona. The brand left a lasting impression on places like Holbrook, Joseph City, Winslow, and the famed OW Ranch while shaping Northern Arizona. From its historic roots to the famed Hash Knife Pony Express Ride that takes place each January, the Hash Knife has left its mark as a beloved mainstay of the American West.
The Cadet Nurse Corps in Arizona: A History of Service
9781467118255
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Congress established the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps during World War II to meet the high demand for medical care. The first federal women's education program, it included a nondiscrimination policy decades before the civil rights movement. The trailblazing cadets and innovative healthcare practices at the five participating teaching hospitals in Arizona left a lasting national legacy. Sage Memorial Hospital was the country's only accredited nursing school for Native Americans. Santa Monica's Hospital and nursing school was the first to integrate west of the Mississippi. The daughter of a Navajo medicine man, U.S. Army Nurse Corps second lieutenant Adele Slivers helped bridge a gap between traditional healing practices and modern medicine. Arizona author Elsie Szecsy details momentous local challenges and achievements from this pivotal era in American medicine.
The Inspiring Life of Texan Héctor P. García
9781467119016
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As a Mexican immigrant, Dr. Hector P. Garcia endured discrimination at every stage of his life. He attended segregated schools and was the only Mexican to graduate from the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, in 1940. Garcia's passion for helping others pushed him to advocate for equal rights. After serving in World War II, the doctor worked to help minorities achieve greater access to healthcare, voting rights and education. He started a private practice in Corpus Christi and in 1948 founded the American GI Forum. Cecilia Garcia Akers shares a daughter's perspective on her father's remarkable achievements and sacrifices as an activist and physician.
Val Verde County
9780738501284
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Along the banks of the Rio Grande lies Val Verde County, one of the largest counties in Texas and the only one named for a Civil War battle. Although Del Rio is the county seat, Langtry is more famous as the home of Judge Roy Bean, the famous (as well as infamous) Law West of the Pecos. Among the many evocative images of the county featured in this new book are photos of the judge's unique court/saloon. Val Verde County captures the spirit of a region and its people through historic photographs. Most of the topics included are not strictly local in nature: Pre-Columbian art, United States westward expansion, the creation of the state of Texas, radio and modern telecommunications, military history and the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the oldest continually operating winery in Texas. From being the oldest archaeological site in Texas to playing a role in international relations between the United States and Mexico, Val Verde County undoubtedly has a rich and varied history.
Circle Z Guest Ranch
9781467116626
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$29.99
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Nestled in Sonoita Valley along the banks of Sonoita Creek, just 15 miles north of Mexico, Circle Z Guest Ranch welcomes vacationers to experience a taste of the Old West, with the comfortable pleasures of a traditional family-style ranch but without the risks. Horseback riding, relaxation, and cowboy cookouts have been the ranch's main attractions for the past 90 years, earning Circle Z the distinction of being the oldest continuously operating guest ranch in Arizona. It evolved from a four-room adobe homestead to a working cattle ranch before becoming a highly profitable sheepherding operation. In 1924, brothers Carl and Lee Zinsmeister arrived in Patagonia with a vision of developing a dude ranch with a resort feel. They purchased 5,000 acres of the San José de Sonoita land grant, which included the Sanford estate. Circle Z opened in 1926 and quickly became one of the finest guest ranches in the state. Today, the Nash family operates this memorable ranch famous for its well-trained horses and miles of scenic trails.
Early Maricopa County
9780738574165
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In 1863, the first mining town, Wickenburg, was established in what would become Maricopa County, when it was created from parts of Pima, Yuma, Mohave, and Yavapai Counties on February 12, 1871. Spanish Franciscan missionary Francisco Garces claimed the name "Maricopa" came from the Pima word for the Pipatsje, a Yuman tribe from the Gulf of California that migrated to Arizona's central valley long ago. Ten years after Maricopa County was established, Jack Swillings's original settlement had begun its evolution into the ever-expanding city of Phoenix. By the turn of the 20th century, Maricopa County was no longer just a dusty settlement for a few hundred sturdy souls. Its rich agricultural districts had grown in scope and breadth, since its irrigation systems were fed by the Salt and Verde Rivers impounded in Roosevelt, Apache, and Canyon Lakes. Phoenix led the explosive growth of Maricopa County and Arizona, and by 1920 had become a dynamic, vibrant state capital. Today Maricopa County is the state's major economic engine and home to the fifth-largest city in America.
Flagstaff
9780738585109
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On July 4, 1876, members of the Second Boston Party made camp at Antelope Spring on their way to California. To celebrate the country's centennial, the men prepared a ponderosa pine tree by stripping it of its branches and creating a flagpole. With the arrival of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad in 1882, this "flag staff" was once again discovered. The area was growing in population, so it became necessary to establish a post office. Many names were proposed for the new town, such as "Antelope City" and "Flagpole," but the name "Flag Staff" fit best. As an oasis in the middle of the southwest desert, Flagstaff has been a hub for many attractions surrounding the city, prompting visitors to send news of their experiences via a picture postcard. Many of the cards in this volume have messages and postmarks that help show a glimpse of what life was like in Arizona's High Country.
Oklahoma City's African American Education
9781467127400
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Oklahoma City's African American community, from the beginning of the settlement of the Oklahoma Territory in 1891, placed a high priority on education. Established on January 5, 1891, Frederick A. Douglass High School became an Oklahoma City institution that produced scholars, educators, military heroes, musicians, athletes, attorneys, firefighting experts, doctors, national and international leaders in medicine, civil rights pioneers, and even cowboys. At the center of this substantial pool of achievers stood one man, Frederick Douglass Moon, the longest-serving principal at the school. His vision established the winning model that produced students who could compete anywhere in the world with their talents, skills, and knowledge. Countless legends and icons attended the school, including Charlie Christian, Ralph Ellison, Jimmy Rushing, Anthony Watson, Zora Brown, Dr. Roger Countee, and others. This book showcases former students of Oklahoma City whose contributions still matter today.
Dallas Aviation
9780738579887
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Since Otto Brodie's airplane flight at Fair Park in 1910, the city of Dallas has seen over 100 years of rich and diverse aviation activity. Many of those years were spent on a long and complex road to a consolidated airport for the Dallas-Fort Worth area, an impasse finally resolved with the dedication of Dallas-Fort Worth Regional Airport in 1974. Central to Dallas aviation history is Love Field, established as a military base in 1917. A waypoint for famous flights such as the first round-the-world flight in 1924, a venue for colorful characters like barnstormer and bootlegger "Slats" Rodgers, and the site of World War II's largest Air Transport Command base--Love Field was all this and more. Although no longer the region's primary commercial airfield, Love Field remains a major aviation facility as the home of Southwest Airlines and several internationally recognized business aircraft operations.
Flowing Wells
9781467127158
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The community of Flowing Wells covers 13 square miles, partially in the city of Tucson, as well as in unincorporated Pima County, Arizona. The area was named after the bubbling water from sunken pipes at the base of Sentinel Peak ("A" Mountain) by Warren Allison. Around 1895, Allison bought 500 acres of uncultivated land about three miles northwest of downtown Tucson. He and a sturdy team dug a canal, the Allison Ditch, from his wellfield to his land, called the Flowing Wells Ranch, to grow alfalfa, hay, watermelons, and cantaloupes. Farms, dairies, hatcheries, Gilpin Airport, and the railroad dominated the community throughout the early years. Urbanization was slow but steady, starting in the late 1940s. The community transitioned from farming to residential and industrial, with the school district binding the community together. Flowing Wells, while designated a community, was recognized as an All-America City by the National Civic League in 2007; its residents and those that work within the school district describe it as a family to this day.
Filipinos in Houston
9781467129688
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The first sign of Filipinos in Houston was when Igorots were featured on a 1908 postcard at the annual carnival known as No-Tsu-Oh. Then, in 1912, a young man by the name of Rudolfo Hulen Fernandez appeared in the Campanile yearbook as the first Asian graduate from Rice University. Though the Philippines were an American colony, and Filipinos immigrated to the United States freely in the 1920s and 1930s, there is little evidence of their presence in Houston. In 1934, the Tydings-McDuffie Act reclassified all Filipinos from nationals to aliens, establishing a limit of 50 immigrants per year. The most significant wave of immigration started with the 1965 Immigration Act, which granted the Philippines 20,000 visas a year, igniting the era of the Philippine nurse and her career in the Texas Medical Center. Other professionals, such as accountants and engineers, followed.
Big Thicket Region
9781467129534
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The Big Thicket region is centered in Hardin County but includes land in Tyler, Jasper, Newton, Polk, Liberty, Orange, and Jefferson Counties as well. Changes to the dense forests of the thicket began with pioneers who first cleared land for family farms and communities. Economic pressure on the forests occurred as steam engines rode iron rails through vast stands of yellow pine and timber harvesting laid waste in a "cut and get out" sawmilling method. The oil boom also resulted in enormous changes as town populations doubled almost overnight. In 1936, R.E. Jackson, a conductor on the Santa Fe Railway, formed the first organization with the goal of protecting the thicket. Later individuals continued the fight, and in 1974, the United States Congress authorized the Big Thicket National Preserve. The preserve, with its 112,500 acres in nine land units and six water corridors, now protects the remnants of a biological crossroads that once covered more than three million acres.
Hidden History of Waco
9781467140874
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$21.99
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Since its establishment in 1849, Waco has grown from a frontier town on the Brazos River to a thriving city of more than 125,000 residents. And in those 171 years, Waco's citizens have seen triumph, tragedy, humor, heartbreak and infamy. Some of those stories garnered widespread attention or became established local lore, but many more have fallen through the cracks. Catch up on the backstory of notorious figures like W.C. Brann, firebrand publisher of the Iconoclast. Discover how one of the longest novels published in the English language was written by a wealthy recluse in a downtown mansion. From the artesian wells of "Geyser City'? to the tombs of Telephus Telemachus Louis Augustus Albartus "Tel'? Johnson, author Eric Ames offers a chance for a deeper appreciation of Waco's unique history.
Lost Abilene
9780738596938
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$24.99
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In 1881, the Texas & Pacific Railroad described Abilene as the "Future Great City of the West." While the train line was laying rails west out of Fort Worth, a group of ranchers, wanting the new town to become a prominent cattle-shipping point, selected the name Abilene after Abilene, Kansas, which was a main cattle-shipping town in the 1870s. With the arrival of the railroad to Abilene, this part of Texas opened up for settlement. Families rushed to establish the town and set up new businesses, but it was the military coming to Abilene that really made the city's population explode. Lost Abilene documents the early homes, businesses, schools, and entertainment that helped shape the city.
Early Settlers of the Panhandle Plains
9781467130684
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The panhandle plains were Texas's last frontier, barren lands populated by hostile Comanche and outlaws attempting to outrun civilization. It was Texas Ranger and frontier scout Jim Jackson who first saw potential in the region. Jackson accompanied Col. Ranald Mackenzie into unsettled Kent County in 1875. He climbed a mountain at Polar to witness a sea of tall grass and a good stream of water. This was good news for Jackson's friends and relatives in Coleman County. Many chose to leave the crowded range and move their cattle herds west. Those who answered the call of the wild were Elkins, Mann, Brown, Overall, Sharp, Wallace, and a host of others. They were the point riders who took the challenge of opening Kent, Garza, Crosby, Lynn, Borden, Dawson, Mitchell, Fisher, Scurry, Stonewall, and Nolan Counties to permanent settlement.
Early Abilene
9780738579542
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During the 1870s, there was wondrous change in West Texas. The area was ripe for settlement, and as the Texas and Pacific Railroad pushed west from Fort Worth, towns began springing up along the tracks. Ranchers coming to the area took advantage of the vast grasslands, and the new arrival of settlers was the beginning of a town named Abilene. Deriving its namesake from the town of Abilene, Kansas, the locals hoped the city would become a shipping point for cattle on their way to eastern markets. The town has since grown to be one of West Texas's most thriving metropolitan areas. The city--which is home to Dyess Air Force Base--is also well known for its numerous parks, schools, universities, and historic neighborhoods that are enjoyed by its 120,000 residents.
Unforgettable Galveston Characters
9781467140232
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$23.99
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From financiers of the Texas Revolution to contestants in the Pageant of Pulchritude, the shores of Galveston enticed and cultivated a host of memorable men and women. Bishops and bookies, concert pianists and cotton tycoons--all left an indelible print on their remarkable home. Magnolia Willis Sealy and the members of the Women's Health Protective Association reshaped the ravages of the Great Storm into the glories of the Oleander City. The benevolent activism of Norris Wright Cuney transformed the social landscape, while actress Charlotte Walker and painter Boyer Gonzales Sr. extended the island's cultural reach abroad. Jan Johnson keeps company with Galveston's most fascinating characters.
Anderson County
9780738584621
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From its roots in the unbroken wilderness of central East Texas, Anderson County has overcome many adversities to become the crossroads of East Texas. In the 1830s, rugged pioneers came to the fertile Trinity River Valley to carve out a place for themselves from the untamed country. These pioneers began a settlement along a stream about 10 miles east of the Trinity River in what would become Anderson County. Other families joined their effort, and Fort Houston was soon built in 1835-1836 to protect settlers from the dangers inherent to the wild frontier. Lost in the passage of time, many communities no longer exist. Today the principal towns are Palestine, Frankston, and Elkhart, but many other communities contribute to the quality of life across the county.
Leon Valley
9780738585130
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$24.99
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Surrounded by the city of San Antonio and bisected by Texas State Highway 16, Leon Valley is known as the City of the Lions. In the early 1800s, European and Mexican immigrants homesteaded and raised their families here. Joseph Huebner, an Austrian immigrant, built a limestone house that became a stagecoach stop, providing a change of stock and overnight accommodations for weary travelers. Stories about strange noises and hauntings told by former homestead residents were thought to be related to the circumstances of his death. In the mid-1930s, a building boom attracted many to the quiet countryside. By the 1940s, dairy farming was the main occupation. From its beginnings, Leon Valley residents have chosen to preserve and celebrate its history, and concern for the well being of its citizens has remained a priority. This small community offers the advantages of a big city but retains its small-town atmosphere.
Tucson Mountains
9780738579238
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$24.99
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The Tucson Mountains are located several miles west of downtown Tucson. For thousands of years, this mountain range has been inhabited, explored, and traveled by Native Americans who settled near the Santa Cruz River. Homesteaders, prospectors, and ranchers arrived in the late 19th century, drawn by the area's close proximity to Tucson and the Southern Pacific Railroad, as well as the promise of land and mineral wealth. During the past 100 years, conservation efforts to preserve and enhance the community's understanding of this geologic treasure have led to the establishment of museums and parks, including Tucson Mountain Park, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, and Saguaro National Park West. Old Tucson Studios has used the surrounding Tucson Mountains as a movie backdrop for more than 70 years. The White Stallion Ranch and the J. W. Marriot at Starr Pass make the Tucson Mountains a popular destination for visitors who want to experience the rugged beauty and character of the American Southwest.
Texas Ingenuity
9780738503561
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Imagination is bigger in Texas, too. This collection of inspiring and often quirky stories highlights dozens of examples of innovation from Lone Star history. The Hamill brothers devised a better oil well to reach gushers at Spindletop. The first Neiman-Marcus store opened in Dallas in 1907, revolutionizing the retail fashion world. Astroturf emerged at the Astrodome in 1966. Fritos and corn dogs are just two ubiquitous snack foods claimed as Texan originals. Houston native, and civil rights activist, Congresswoman Barbara Jordan rose to national prominence as a voice of unity during the Watergate scandal. Author Alan C. Elliott details these and many more lessons in success in Texas Ingenuity.
Heath
9781467133494
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When John O. Heath first settled in the area now known as Heath in 1848, wild turkey and deer were as plentiful as the area's timber and rich, black soil. The fertile land and convenient location along the east fork of the Trinity River prompted several settlers to follow the Heath family's lead, and Heath experienced steady growth in the early 1900s, with several businesses and schools in operation. Life was hard in those days, with food and money hard to come by, but locals found sanctuary in social gatherings, endless games of 42, mink hunting in the winter, and baseball. Heath's economy was given a big lift when the lake adjacent to the community, known as Lake Ray Hubbard, was filled in 1969 after a seemingly endless rain. With the attraction of the lake and developments that stemmed from it, such as the Rush Creek Yacht Club, Heath now faces the challenge of maintaining steady growth while continuing to stick to its roots as a charming, tight-knit community with an open countryside atmosphere.
Robert Potter
9781589804739
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$29.95
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Robert Potter flashed across the history of Texas and North Carolina during the early 1800s, leaving an enduring record of inspired leadership and achievement. Known for engaging his enemies in legislative and political debate as well as in physical confrontations, Potter was the first person to be named secretary of the Texas Navy.
Grants-Milan
9780738599649
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$24.99
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Grants-Milan, New Mexico, is located on historic Route 66 between Albuquerque and Gallup. The Atlantic & Pacific Railroad hired three Grant brothers to establish Grant's Camp in 1882, including a post office and telegraph office. The railroad changed the way of travel, and the marketing of cattle, farm products, and timber created a number of booms for this little town. "Grant" was officially changed to "Grants" in 1935, and the village of Milan was established in 1957 by Salvador Milan. In 1946, he converted a sheep ranch to a truck farm, which resulted in Grants-Milan being designated the "Carrot Capital of the World." A uranium boom started in 1950 when the carrot boom busted. The uranium companies needed water and housing, while the auxiliary uranium businesses needed a place to operate, resulting in the village of Milan being incorporated since Grants refused to annex the original unincorporated Milan townsite.
El Camino Real de los Tejas
9781467131940
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The Royal Road of the Tejas Indians, El Camino Real de los Tejas, was born hundreds of years ago when the Native Americans followed routes used by buffalo and other animals, realizing that these early creatures knew the best paths to take. Also known as Kings Highway, it later became a major thoroughfare used by travelers from the East coming to Louisiana, Texas, and Mexico. In 2004, El Camino Real de los Tejas took on new meaning when the historical road was designated as the 19th National Historic Trail in the United States. Development is guided by El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail Association housed in Austin, Texas.
Painting the Town Orange:
9781626194397
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$24.99
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Houston's sprawl has come with controversy, but it has created a blank canvas for the public art community. It all started in the Telephone Road Place subdivision, where retired mail carrier Jefferson Davis McKissack built the Orange Show, an extraordinary and eccentric monument to self-reliance, hard work and, yes, the fruit itself. McKissack's installation spawned more of its kind in the Bayou City, like the Beer Can House, the Flower Man's House, Pigdom--one woman's shrine to swine"--and a flourishing art scene committed to preserving Houston's art environments. Author Pete Gershon tells the stories of these sites, their creators and the members of Houston's unique art community, all set against the backdrop of the city's quirky history.."
Plano's Historic Cemeteries
9781467132350
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$24.99
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The Plano of today would not be recognizable to the pioneers who settled this section of the blackland prairie. Arriving in the early 1840s, these colonists from Tennessee and Kentucky were captivated by Sam Houston's stump speeches about the rich, fertile farmland of North Texas. All of their frontier cemeteries, large and small, are now surrounded by golf courses, subdivisions, and commercial development. The final resting places of Plano's pioneers still exist because of the hard work of cemetery associations, civic groups, concerned citizens, the City of Plano Parks Department, and the Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation. These silent spaces hold a wealth of history that helps tell the story of Plano's beginnings as a rural farming community.
Tovrea Castle
9780738579139
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For more than 80 years, the remarkable, wedding cake-like structure located on the eastern fringe of Phoenix has intrigued residents and visitors alike. Perched on a granite promontory, Tovrea Castle at Carraro Heights reflects the dreams of several people. Alessio Carraro started construction in 1929, but the Depression spoiled his dream of a magnificent resort. E. A. Tovrea purchased the property in 1931 but died soon thereafter. Tovrea's widow, Della, after marrying William Plato Stuart in 1936, moved back and forth between the castle and Prescott, depending on the weather. When Stuart died in 1960, Della lived in the castle until her death in 1969. For many years after her death, the castle stood lonely and neglected, and it held its mystique because few people were ever invited inside. In 1993, the castle and surrounding acreage were acquired by the City of Phoenix for a new purpose: transformation into a city park.
Sugar Land
9780738578804
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$24.99
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Sugar Land's earliest settlers arrived in the 1820s with Stephen F. Austin, "the Father of Texas." Originally named Oakland Plantation, the area was planted with cotton, corn, and sugar cane, and by 1843, it had its own sugar mill. Benjamin Franklin Terry, famous for leading Terry's Texas Rangers, and William Jefferson Kyle purchased the plantation in 1852 and were the first to name it Sugar Land. Col. Edward H. Cunningham, a Confederate veteran, later bought the property and built the first sugar refinery as well as a railroad to transport cane from nearby plantations. Under his ownership, a fledgling town emerged that included a store, post office, paper mill, acid plant, meat market, boardinghouse, and depot. The town, refinery, and surrounding 12,500 acres were acquired by Isaac H. Kempner and William T. Eldridge in 1908. Their vision resulted in Imperial Sugar, a thriving business and company town.
Progreso
9780738579474
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Spanish for "progress," Progreso is famous for the millions of tourists, known as "Winter Texans," who drive through the town to visit Mexico. Rumor has it that Al Capone did the same thing during Prohibition. Perhaps the first visitor captivated by the Rio Grande was Juan Jose Hinojosa, as he asked the Spanish crown for rights to the land that is now Progreso on July 4, 1776. But it was Florencio Saenz, founder of the iconic Toluca Ranch, who requested a U.S. post office in 1896. Connecting to the Spiderweb Railroad in the 1920s gave the town a short-lived commercial farming boom that attracted prominent investors. In the late 1940s, though, two disastrous freezes killed the citrus industry, and farmers switched to vegetables and cotton. After the Progreso International Bridge was built in 1953, growers gained access to the Mexican market, an advantage that continues to attract people to this small town along the Rio Grande.
Carrollton
9780738556376
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$24.99
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Over 160 years ago, bear and buffalo roamed the prairie and Wichita Indians camped on the banks of the Elm Fork of the Trinity River. Settlers from places like Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and as far away as England and Ireland began arriving in North Texas. Texas was not yet a part of the United States when Sam Houston, as president of the Republic of Texas, entered into an agreement with the Peters Colony Company to attract settlers to the area with the promise of free land. Carrollton likely received its name from one of these groups that emigrated from Carrollton, Illinois. The city grew as it became a railroad hub and later transitioned from a rural community to a prosperous Dallas suburb. In 1976, the city participated in many national bicentennial celebrations, and volunteers restored and opened a museum to honor its rural beginnings and courageous settlers.
Oak Cliff
9781467116268
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$24.99
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The community of Oak Cliff is one of progress and transformation, experiencing a "rebirth" over the last few decades. Covering approximately one fourth of Dallas County, Oak Cliff has become one of the most ethnically diverse and culturally opulent neighborhoods in the state of Texas. From the events surrounding the death of Pres. John F. Kennedy to the demographic shifts over the last 40 to 50 years, Oak Cliff has become a symbol of inimitability, re-establishing its image as one of the most desirable neighborhoods in the United States.
Tulsa Movie Theaters
9781467106856
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$23.99
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Going to the movies has always been special. Tulsa's first theater opened in 1906 with a lineup of silent reels and live vaudeville entertainment. During the next two decades, dozens of movie houses opened downtown, including the "Big Four:" the Ritz, Orpheum, Majestic, and Rialto. As Tulsa grew, neighborhood theaters, including the Brook, Delman, and Will Rogers, became favorites. Drive-in theaters soon followed around the city boundaries. In 1965, Tulsa's first multiplex--the Boman Twin--opened. Tulsans experienced blockbuster films at these theaters with multiple screens and increasingly smaller auditoriums. Tulsa also hosted star-studded movie premieres. Among them were The Outsiders and the 1949 premiere of Tulsa, featuring the biggest parade and crowd in Tulsa's history. Perhaps the most well-known theater--the Dreamland on Black Wall Street--was destroyed during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Although it was rebuilt, images of the Dreamland in ruins are iconic.