Name: The Alton Bus Crash
Brand: Juan P. Carmona
SKU: 9781467143615
Price: 21.99 USD
Availability: InStock

The Alton Bus Crash

9781467143615

$21.99

A September morning in 1989 changed Alton's history forever. At 7:34 a.m., a Dr Pepper truck collided with Mission School Bus no. 6. After the bus and its occupants plunged into a water-filled caliche pit, twenty-one students lost their lives. The resulting investigation flooded the small South Texas community with reporters and lawyers. The heavily scrutinized legal battle divided the city, but it did ultimately produce changes in school bus safety that continue to save lives today. Juan Carmona navigates the complicated legacy of the tragic accident and its aftermath.

Caprock Chronicles

9781467150804

$23.99 $12.00 Save 50%

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

Galveston Burning

9781467144650

$23.99

Since 1821, when Jean Lafitte sailed away from a burning Campeche, the history of Galveston has often been wreathed in smoke. Over the next century, one inferno breached the walls of Moro Castle, while another reduced forty-two blocks of the residential district to ash. Recognizing the importance of protecting the city, concerted efforts were made to establish the first paid fire department, create a city waterworks and regulate construction standards. Yet even with all the forethought and planning, rogue fires continued to consume architectural gems like Nicholas Clayton's Electric Pavilion. Author James F. Anderson explores the lessons that Galveston has learned from its fiery past in order to safeguard its future.

Galveston Seawall Chronicles

9781467137898

$21.99

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

Texas Ingenuity

9780738503561

$24.99

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.

Texas Oblivion

9781467147378

$21.99

On February 2, 1963, a tanker with thirty-nine men aboard departed Beaumont and never returned. In the mid-spring of 1882, Billy the Kid's friend, foe and equal escaped Huntsville Penitentiary and vanished. On December 9, 1961, a young boy in Wichita Falls disappeared without a trace. On November 18, 1936, a father and son were swallowed by a "Walled Kingdom." On December 23, 1974, three girls went to a Fort Worth mall and were never seen or heard from again. This collection explores twenty baffling disappearances that investigators have studied for decades, to no avail. Homicide, patricide, filicide, genocide, devil worship, the Devil's Triangle, the Devil's River, the assassination of JFK, UFO abductions, legal limbo, literal limbo--oblivion. Award-winning author E.R. Bills drags the facts of these mystifying cases back from the void.

Unforgettable Galveston Characters

9781467140232

$23.99

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.

Spanish Missions of Texas

9781467136303

$24.99

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

Gunfights & Sites in Texas Ranger History

9781626199712

$24.99

Since colonizer Stephen F. Austin proposed hiring ten rangers "for the common defense" in 1823, the Texas Rangers have protected the Lone Star State from its enemies with dedication and fortitude. All across Texas are places where Rangers made history. From the Alamo to nearly forgotten graves and battle sites, important landmarks in the story of these legendary lawmen lie in every corner of the state. Historian and author Mike Cox reveals history hiding in plain sight and true tall tales of the world-famous Texas Rangers.

Gunfights & Sites in Texas Ranger History

Texas True Crime Miscellany

9781467149013

$21.99

Outrageous acts of villainy have slowly drifted out of the national limelight and into the dustbin of Texas history. Consider the uproar over the 1879 shooting of actor Maurice Barrymore in Marshall and the 1949 murder of oil field legend Tex Thornton in Amarillo. The 1909 Coryell County Courthouse massacre committed by a sixteen-year-old girl remains just as shocking today. For the long-suffering associates of repeat offenders like Fort Worth's Flapper Bandit or Temple's International Man of Mystery, notoriety couldn't fade quickly enough. From the lawless days of the frontier to the rise of organized crime, Clay Coppedge sifts through eighteen obscure case files to chart the evolution of crime and punishment in the state.

Painting the Town Orange:

9781626194397

$24.99

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.."

Cold War Texas

9781467152471

$23.99

From missile launch sites to Soviet espionage, experience the Cold War deep in the heart of Texas.

In an era when miscalculation or a mistake could lead to global annihilation, Texas operated 12 Atlas F intercontinental ballistic missile launch sites near Abilene's Dyess Air Force Base. Nuclear-capable Nike Hercules surface-to-air antiaircraft missiles protected Austin and the Metroplex from a Soviet bomber attack. An American pilot stationed at Laughlin Air Force Base near Del Rio was the only fatality of the Cuban Missile Crisis. After he was accused of spying for the Soviet Union, former Ranger College professor Maurice Halperin fled the country. Amarillo's Pantex plant, where three employees died in a 1977 explosion, maintains the security and reliability of the nation's nuclear weapons arsenal. Landry Brewer explores how the Lone Star State shaped American Cold War policy.

Hidden History of Waco

9781467140874

$21.99

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.

The Vanished Texas Coast

9781467149853

$21.99

People may associate Texas with cattle drives and oil derricks, but the sea has shaped the state's history as dramatically as it has delineated its coastline. Some of that history has vanished into the Gulf, whether it is an abandoned port town or a gale-tossed treasure fleet. Revisit the shipwreck that put Texas on the map. Add La Salle's lost colony, the Texas Navy's forgotten steamship and Galveston's overlooked 1915 hurricane to the navigational charts. From the submarines of Seawolf Park to the concrete tanker beached off Pelican Island, author Mark Lardas scours the coast to salvage the secrets of its sunken heritage.

Murder Most Texan

9781626197176

$23.99

Texas has long boasted its iron fist of the law and strict treatment of its hardest criminals. Nevertheless, scoundrels, fiends and homicidal criminals inevitably slipped through the Lone Star justice system despite the best efforts of even the legendary Texas Rangers. From roadside murder to political assassinations, discover the seedy underbelly of Texas' murderous past. In 1877, Texas saw its first high-profile murder case with the slaying of a woman in Jefferson and the subsequent "Diamond Bessie" trial. Over a century later, state legislator Price Daniel Jr. was shot in cold blood by his wife at their home in Liberty. Texas true crime writer and historian Bartee Haile unburies this collection of sixteen coldblooded killings from Lone Star history and the dirty details that have shocked and bewildered Texans for decades.

Murder and Mayhem in Houston:

9781626195219

$23.99

When the Allen brothers sold Houston's first lots, the city became a magnet for enterprising tycoons and opportunistic crooks alike. As the young city grew, a scourge of crime and vice accompanied the success of oil and real estate. The Bayou City's seedy side--flashing Bowie knives, privileged bad boys, hardened prostitutes and unchecked serial killers--established its hold. From a young Clyde Barrow to the Man Who Killed Halloween," Houston's past is filled with bloody tales, heartbreaking loss and despicable deeds. Authors Mike Vance and John Nova Lomax shine a light on these dark days."

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

9781626197220

$24.99

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

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

Ghosts of Bell County, Texas

9781467139779

$21.99

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

Remembering Slaton, Texas:

9781609492434

$21.99

Retrace Slaton's history with local author James Villanueva as he profiles one hundred years of the town's stories and its people. From its founding in 1911, through the Roaring Twenties, the turbulent 1960s and into today, Remembering Slaton, Texas, is a look at the rich history of this charming Texas town. Sometimes haunting and sometimes inspiring--but always entertaining--these are the tales and legends that made Slaton what it is today.

Ross Youngs:

9781626191105

$21.99

Though Ross Youngs has been enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame since 1972, few have given his remarkable career its due. Born in Shiner and raised in San Antonio, Youngs played his first game as a professional at the age of sixteen, and just three years later, his contract was purchased by the New York Giants, one of baseball's elite teams in the early twentieth century. Tragically, his promising career ended when he died from an illness at age thirty in 1927. Join author David King in a journey to discover the amazing Youngs as he was and the incredible legacy he left behind.

Hill Country Chronicles

9781596299801

$21.99

Texas Hill Country is a rugged and hilly area of central Texas known for its food, architecture and unique melting pot of Spanish and European settlers. The area's rich history is filled with quirky and fascinating tales about this landscape and the animals and people who have called it home. Clay Coppedge has been gathering Texas stories for over thirty years. This collection of his favorite columns includes his best Texas-sized stories on Hill Country history. From the legend of Llano's Enchanted Rock and the true story of Jim Bowie's famous knife to one rancher's attempt at bringing reindeer to the hottest area of the country and an oilman's search for Bigfoot, Hill Country Chronicles has them all and more.

Historic Austin Restaurants

9781626191235

$21.99

Austin has staked its claim as the seat of innovative culinary movements, and its food culture mirrors the transformations taking place across the city. The evolution of the east side is reflected in joints like Franklin Barbecue, while landmarks like Scholz Garten, the oldest restaurant in the capital, testify to the contributions of the town's college presence and a healthy German influence. Joe's Bakery isn't just one of the town's most beloved Tex-Mex spots; it's the place where the real wheeling and dealing in Texas politics happens. Food writer Melanie Haupt samples Austin's iconic restaurants and the rich heritage that produced them.

Historic Road Trips from Dallas/Fort Worth

9781596290815

$21.99

Rick Steed and his driving companion, Wendi Pierce, set off with one goal in mind: to travel Texas's old fort trails and scout today's remnants of the bloody skirmishes and battles of long ago. Historic Road Trips from Dallas/Fort Worth provides not only a road map of day trips throughout Texas but also a narrative history of the tiny towns, historic markers and frontier excitement along the way. After collecting these stories for years, Steed teamed up with Pierce to bring to life this fascinating guidebook for anyone who yearns to venture off the main road and discover old Texas. Each drive begins in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and travels a different route through the state. Travel along and discover the site of Buffalo Hump's revenge raid or Cynthia Ann Parker's harrowing pioneer experiences, as well as other local lore, including the haunting of Jefferson, Texas's Jefferson Hotel, the notorious New London school accident and much, much more.

Historic Road Trips from Dallas/Fort Worth

Texas Singularities

9781467140867

$21.99

Texas, that most singular of states, conceals an entire parade of peculiar events and exceptional people in the back pages of its history books. A Lone Star man once (and only once) tried to bulldog a steer from an airplane. One small Texas town was attacked by the Japanese, while another was "liberated" from America during the Cold War. Texan career choices include goat gland doctor, rubbing doctor, striking cowboy and singing cowboy, not to mention swatter, tangler and dunker. From gunslinger Sally Skull to would-be rainmaker R.G. Dyrenforth, Clay Coppedge collects the distinctive odds and ends of Texan lore.

The Coast Guard on the Texas Border

9781467150125

$21.99

The Revenue Cutter Service, which later merged with the U.S. Life-Saving Service to form the Coast Guard, patrolled South Texas as early as 1846. In 1852, the first lighthouse was built in Point Isabel, followed by the first lifesaving station in 1881. Salute the heroes who responded to the devastating hurricane of 1919 and stand watch with Chief Pablo Valent, the first Hispanic American to command a rescue station. From Commander Charles R. Wilson's oral history of World War II boot camp to the legacy of station keeper Wallace L. Reed, the longest-serving officer in charge, Dr. Jackie Kyger preserves the heritage of the men and women whose unofficial motto was "Law and Order, on the Border."

Preston Hollow

9781467149389

$21.99

It takes only a brief drive past the stately homes that line Preston Hollow's winding tree-lined streets to understand the neighborhood's appeal. Glimpse the rich farmland that stunned Ira DeLoache on his fortuitous 1922 flight over the countryside. Revisit the early days of the pre-annexation town, when citizens relied on septic tanks and a volunteer fire department. Stop by institutions like Lobello's Bar-B-Que or the Northwest Hi-Way Drive-In Theatre and attend Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church's first service. From the architectural legacy of Charles Dilbeck to the destructive path left by the 2019 tornado, author Jack Walker Drake relates the heritage of a premier Dallas neighborhood.

Hip Hop in Houston:

9781609499785

$21.99

Rap-A-Lot Records, U.G.K. (Pimp C and Bun B), Paul Wall, Beyonce, Chamillionaire and Scarface are all names synonymous with contemporary hip-hop. And they have one thing in common: Houston. Long before the country came to know the chopped and screwed style of rap from the Bayou City in the late 1990s, hip-hop in Houston grew steadily and produced some of the most prolific independent artists in the industry. With early roots in jazz, blues, R&B and zydeco, Houston hip-hop evolved not only as a musical form but also as a cultural movement. Join Maco L. Faniel as he uncovers the early years of Houston hip-hop from the music to the culture it inspired.

Houston Beer

9781609495374

$21.99

From the early days, and long before Americans had ever heard the term "craft beer," settlers in the Bayou City excelled in the art of ales, stouts and lagers. In 1913, it was a Houston brewery that claimed the distinction of "the world's finest bottled beer" after winning an international competition in Belgium. The unfortunate rise of Prohibition put the industry on hold, but recent years have seen a strong resurgence. At the beginning of 2008, Saint Arnold Brewing Company was the only craft brewery in Houston. Just a few years later, there are five and counting within an hour's drive of downtown. Journalist and "Beer, TX" blogger Ronnie Crocker chronicles Houston's long and surprising history of brewing, tracing everything from the grand legacy of Anheuser-Busch to the up-and-coming craft beer makers and those brewing it right at home.

Hudson Bend and the Birth of Lake Travis:

9781626196674

$21.99

Along the picturesque shores of the Colorado River lies historic Hudson Bend. Established by Wiley Hudson in the 1850s, the verdant hills and abundant water attracted scores of farming families. Hudson's example was soon followed by still more settlers, who created their own thriving communities in the area. Discover the evolution of this cherished region and the courageous people who shaped it, from the Comanche tribes and Anglo settlers to the developers, cedar choppers" and construction workers who forged the lake in 1937. Author and hill country native Carole McIntosh Sikes offers a collection of essays that explores a history forever linked with hill country culture, New Deal-era programs and Texas politics."

Hudson Bend and the Birth of Lake Travis:

Central Texas Tales

9781609497392

$21.99

Central Texas is an area as diverse culturally as it is geographically. Bordered by Hill Country in the west, green farmland in the east and Waco and New Braunfels in the north and south, this area has drawn settlers from around the globe for over two centuries, leaving their mark and their stories along the way. From a surprising story of nineteenth-century psych ops at Fort Mason and what really happened to Bevo, the UT longhorn, in 1920 to Mrs. Ross's Croghan Cobbler recipe and rumors of a Lone Star visit by old Abe himself, historian Mike Cox regales readers with over fifty stories about the fascinating people, history and places of middle Texas.

Hidden History of the Llano Estacado

9781625858863

$24.99

The Llano Estacado, or "Staked Plain," of Texas and eastern New Mexico spreads two hundred miles across what early visitors called "an ocean of land." No other place on Earth is quite like it. Humans first inhabited the area more than twelve thousand years ago. Subsequently, settlers came to convert the grassland to ranches and then to sprawling farms. Every new generation performed its duty at this cultural crossroads, from the trade routes established by the comancheros to the fateful meeting between Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley at Lubbock's Cotton Club. Noted West Texas historians Paul H. Carlson and David J. Murrah compiled and edited fifty-six brief stories presenting the Llano Estacado's heritage at its liveliest and most unfamiliar.

Prohibition in Dallas & Fort Worth

9781609499723

$21.99

A place with wild men and wilder women," 1920s Dallas boasted one bar for every one hundred people, and a thirsty Texan could find a drink nearly anywhere. Although home to the Texas Anti-Saloon League, drinks never stopped pouring in Dallas and Fort Worth, fueled by the likes of Jack Ruby, Benny Binion, saloons and dance halls. Homegrown moonshine and bathtub gin yielded specialty recipes that today's barkeeps have honed into tasty concoctions for a contemporary palate. Join Rita Cook as she explores prohibition in Dallas and Fort Worth and learn from Jeffrey Yarbrough and his band of local mixologists about their modern takes on classic drinks so readers can step back in time, drink in hand."

Civil War Blockade Running on the Texas Coast

9781626195004

$21.99

In the last months of the American Civil War, the upper Texas coast became a hive of blockade running. Though Texas was often considered an isolated backwater in the conflict, the Union's pervasive and systematic seizure of Southern ports left Galveston as one of the only strongholds of foreign imports in the anemic supply chain to embattled Confederate forces. Long, fast steamships ran in and out of the city's port almost every week, bound to and from Cuba. Join author Andrew W. Hall as he explores the story of Texas's Civil War blockade runners--a story of daring, of desperation and, in many cases, of patriotism turning coat to profiteering.

Civil War Blockade Running on the Texas Coast

The Streets of Dayton, Texas: History by the Block

9781626194731

$21.99

The history of Dayton, Texas, is memorialized at every street corner and intersection. Street signs throughout town bear the names of characters in Dayton's past, the people who helped the city become what it is today. They are war heroes, a governor, business leaders, developers and everyday men and women dedicated to making Dayton a better community. Descend the Old Spanish Trail that cuts through the center of town, and meet those who settled what once was a western wildness. Author Caroline Wadzeck examines and explains the history of many of the town's streets, preserving their contributions and legacy in Dayton history.

The Streets of Dayton, Texas: History by the Block

Texas Depression-era Desperadoes

9781626192270

$21.99

The lives of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow started in Texas, but their stories have become legend across the country. They, along with a band of other ne'er-do-wells from other Texas towns, grew to national infamy during the Great Depression. West Dallas's Ralph Fults smuggled hacksaw blades into jail to break out Raymond Hamilton. In Galveston, the Downtown Gang, Beach Gang, Maceo brothers and others hustled and smuggled liquor for their speakeasy casinos. In 1940, bank robber and Texas Public Enemy Number One Red Goleman led authorities on a wild chase through Texas's Big Thicket. But behind the headlines lived real people and a Texas legacy. Author Bartee Haile weaves the stories of the well-known Barrow Gang, along with other notorious criminals of the day, together with their Texas roots..