Establishing its collection as the Age of Steam exhibit at Dallas's Fair Park in 1963, the Museum of the American Railroad would go on to acquire over 45 locomotives and railcars. By 2006, the museum needed to move from its first home to a larger facility to allow more space to exhibit the collection of railcars, documents, and other artifacts. One of the keystone pieces is the GG-1 electric locomotive that pulled Robert Kennedy's funeral train in 1968. It has been restored to its original Pennsylvania Railroad appearance. The museum also houses the Centennial--the world's largest diesel-electric locomotive--as well as the rare and famous Santa Fe Alco PA-1 locomotive, acquired from the Smithsonian Institution.
Austin, Texas
9780738508320
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When General Sam Houston's Texas army defeated Mexican General Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, the Republic of Texas was born. Austin, located on the banks of the Colorado River, was laid out as the capital city in 1839, and has remained the capital since statehood in 1846. Featured here in over 200 vintage photographs is the history of this independent city, and the people who made it what it is today. Land agent Stephen F. Austin brought the first Anglo settlers to the Spanish territory in 1821 and guided them until independence in 1836. Seen here are the images that capture the spirit of those original pioneers and their achievements, including the French Legation, the construction of the capitol, and the Texas governor's mansion, the oldest governor's residence west of the Mississippi. Also pictured are the familiar faces of Austin's long history, including Austin's first mayor, Edwin Waller, and past governor Alan Shivers.
Southern Arizona Mining
9781467109758
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The mines that were founded in the last half of the 19th century brought an international spotlight to Southern Arizona. Silver, placer gold, and the rich mineral wealth first drew adventurous prospectors, but soon came the settlers and major investors who built the mines that fed the world demand for copper. Arizona mines became unique test beds for new technology after the turn of the 20th century, as mining companies sought more economical and productive ways to extract precious metals. Some mining towns in Southern Arizona came and went, leaving no trail other than historic photographs. A few left scattered dilapidated buildings that remain today as ghost towns. Others grew into communities with stable populations and amenities like opera houses and theaters that joined the stores and saloons as they prospered.
Beaumont's Civil Air Patrol in World War II
9781467106207
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During World War II, Beaumont and Port Arthur were leaders in oil refining, which literally kept the Allied wheels moving toward victory. The Germans recognized the importance of Texas oil and sent submarines to sink American ships carrying the valuable cargo. Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Coastal Base No. 10, located at the Municipal Airport in Beaumont, Texas, in 1942-1943, helped alleviate the submarine menace by logging over 14,000 hours in the air over the Gulf. CAP was unconventional. As a part of the Office of Civilian Defense, CAP's members were civilians, many of whom were too old for the military. Other members owned airplanes or had experience flying to help go on missions patrolling the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico searching for enemy submarines or survivors of sub attacks. Although the men had training in military protocol, they remained civilians and often returned to their homes after completing their missions.
High Road to Taos
9781467116053
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The High Road to Taos, listed in the New Mexico Register of Cultural Properties in 1975, covers 52 miles from just north of Santa Fe to Ranchos de Taos at the southern boundary of the town of Taos. In addition to spectacular mountain scenery, the High Road contains Pueblo Indian settlements dating back to the 1300s and Hispanic settlements dating back to the 1600s. Historic adobe Catholic churches can be seen in each village, with the church at Las Trampas having been constructed in 1760. Today, artist communities have grown in and around the villages. Photographers from the federal Farm Security Administration extensively photographed the villages along the High Road in the 1930s and 1940s. These photographs provide an exceptional record of Hispanic village life in northern New Mexico and will be of interest to travelers along the High Road as a basis of comparison to what they are viewing today.
Mesa
9780738548425
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From the prehistoric Native Americans to the first wave of pioneers in 1877 and all who came later, the desert lands east of Phoenix have been a rich and fertile home to a wide diversity of people. Surmounting the early challenges of settling the mesa top and moving water uphill gave rise to a resilient agricultural community famous for cotton, citrus, grapes, and other crops. The boom years that began in the 1950s ushered in a new wave of industry and change to the city of Mesa. Large corporations created jobs, new freeways formed a corridor into the heart of the community, educational and health care facilities improved and expanded, and the advent of air conditioning brought tourists from all over the world. Now boasting a population of over 450,000, Mesa has truly evolved from its pioneer beginnings to a modern city in the Valley of the Sun.
Medicine Park
9780738577456
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The historic cobblestone community of Medicine Park was founded on July 4, 1908, as Oklahoma's first planned resort. It is located in southwest Oklahoma at the entry to the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, the second most visited wildlife refuge in the country, hosting 1.5 million annual visitors. Through the political connections of founder Sen. Elmer Thomas, the resort enjoyed a great deal of early success. Tourists flocked to the area to enjoy mountains, wildlife, swimming, fishing, food, and lodging. From its founding through the 1930s, it became a getaway to relax, chum-around, gamble, and even partake in some illegal bootleg whisky. Medicine Park became known as the jewel of the Southwest. There was a spa, dance hall, bathhouse, general store, school, hydroelectric plant, and cafe, along with creek swimming and tennis courts. Following World War II, the resort was subject to economic struggles that lasted more than four decades. Today much of the resort town of 400 has been restored and revitalized, and there is renewed excitement about its future.
Fred Harvey Houses of the Southwest
9780738525631
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The Fred Harvey Houses of the Southwest boast a rich
history.
Fort Sill
9781467129640
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Established in 1869, Fort Sill initially hosted cavalry regiments, including buffalo soldiers, charged with pacifying native tribes in portions of Texas, Kansas, and Colorado. Replete with old West sagas, heroes, and villains, accounts from the post fascinate enthusiasts even today. Its namesake was chosen by Maj. Gen. "Little Phil" Sheridan to memorialize Brig. Gen. Joshua Sill, who gave his life in the Civil War. Similarly, the lasting impressions of great Americans are commemorated within the fort at Henry Post Army Airfield, "Flipper's Ditch," "Ambrosia Springs," "Sherman House," and of course, "Geronimo's Guardhouse." Even the city of Lawton was named after the "Prince of Quartermasters," Gen. Henry W. Lawton. Fort Sill's reputation as the premier artillery training and development center for the US Armed Forces has endured, preparing servicemen for every significant American conflict since its inception.
San Marcos
9781467133500
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San Marcos, Texas, permanently settled in 1846, was founded by former members of John C. Hays's company of Texas Rangers. The town was designated the county seat of Hays County by the Texas legislature in 1848 and was formally laid out in 1851. A center for local commerce associated with cattle and cotton production, San Marcos became an educational center with the chartering in 1899 and subsequent opening in 1903 of the Southwest Texas State Normal School. The normal school is now Texas State University, the fourth largest university in Texas with more than 36,000 students. This volume tells the story of a formerly sleepy college town on the edge of the Texas Hill Country that has become the fastest-growing city in the United States.
Lighthouses of Texas
9781467130912
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Not long after winning their independence from Mexico in 1836, Texans began clamoring for lighthouses. Hundreds of miles of barrier islands, shifting sandbars, and shallow bays made the Texas coast treacherous at a time when few overland routes provided access to the new republic. Beginning in 1852, twenty-eight lighthouses were built along the Texas coastline, on land and over water. Lighthouse service was often a family affair, with husbands, wives, and children working together as keepers and assistants. For nearly 70 years, construction continued as coastal erosion, hurricanes, and wars regularly damaged or destroyed those lighthouses already built. These "sentinels of the sea" lessened but did not eliminate the chance of shipwreck, so lifesaving stations, manned by able seamen with unsinkable surfboats, were established as well. As Texas's lighthouses were gradually automated throughout the 20th century, many were sold to private owners or abandoned. Today, several have been restored, and two--at Aransas Pass and Port Isabel--still function as aids to navigation.
McKinney
9780738586670
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McKinney's very first settlers began arriving from Kentucky, Arkansas, and Tennessee in the early 1840s. Collin County was created by the Texas legislature on April 3, 1846, and due to a provision violation requiring the county seat to be within 3 miles of the center of the county, McKinney replaced Buckner as the seat in 1848. The vote deciding the new seat, however, went in McKinney's favor primarily because flooding kept many citizens from casting ballots. On March 16, 1848, the state legislature passed an act to name the new town in honor of Collin McKinney, one of five original draftees of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Today McKinney is one of America's fastest growing cities and has seen a population boom from approximately 16,000 residents in 1985 to more than 120,000 in 2010.
Laughlin Air Force Base
9781467107099
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Today, Laughlin Air Force Base is one of the busiest pilot-producing bases in the world. Named after Jack Thomas Laughlin, the base traces its history back to 1942. During World War II, the base was called Laughlin Field and trained bomber pilots in the B-26 Marauder. The base closed in 1945, after the war, but reopened again as an Air Force base in 1952 to train fighter pilots for the Korean War. It then took on a Cold War mission from 1957 to 1963. During this time, the base was home to the 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, which flew the U-2 spy plane. The 4080th played a key role in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. From 1961 onward, however, Laughlin has served primarily as an undergraduate pilot training base, helping hundreds of brave men and women, every year, earn their wings as military aviators.
Williamson County
9780738578651
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The area now known as Williamson County has attracted humans for over 13,000 years. The Tonkawa Indians called the area takachue pouetsu, which means land of good water.  In 1848, the Texas Legislature carved a county out of a southwestern portion of the Milam District. They named it after Robert McAlpin Williamson, a judge, lawmaker, and Battle of San Jacinto veteran who was widely known as Three-legged Willie. Just as the Native Americans before them, settlers were drawn to the area for its abundant water and fertile soil, and the population quickly grew. While agriculture has been a driving force behind the local economy for decades, the county has witnessed a shift from the small farmer and rancher to the larger agribusiness. In addition, Williamson County is a center for education and the high-tech industry and is home to institutions and companies including Southwestern University, the Round Rock Higher Education Center, and Dell.
Spiro Mounds and WPA Archaeology in Oklahoma
9781467160032
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The Land Run of 1889 and the oil boom in the early 20th century cemented Oklahoma's reputation as a place where fortunes could be made and lost seemingly overnight. In eastern Oklahoma, a group of men formed the Pocola Mining Company to loot the Spiro Mounds and make a fortune selling their finds. Their remarkable discovery was billed in newspapers as "King Tut's Tomb in Oklahoma." With only profit in mind, the looters gave little care to the archaeological value of their finds, allowing many valuable and perishable items to be destroyed. A handful of young archaeologists from the University of Oklahoma and crews of local men were left to salvage what they could at Spiro; their work was funded by relief money provided by the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression. In three years, the team excavated dozens of sites in eastern Oklahoma. The photographs in this volume tell the story of the looting of Spiro and professional archaeological excavations in eastern Oklahoma.
Frontier Forts of Texas
9781467128599
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With its vast size and long frontier period, Texas was the scene of more combat events between Native American warriors and Anglo soldiers and settlers than any other state or territory. The US Army, therefore, erected more military outposts in Texas, a tradition begun by Spanish soldados and their presidios. Settlers built blockhouses and even stockades, the most famous of which was Parker's Fort, the site of an infamous massacre in 1836. Successive north to south lines of Army forts attempted to screen westward-moving settlers from war parties, while border posts stretched along the Rio Grande from Fort Brown on the Gulf of Mexico to Fort Bliss at El Paso del Norte. Texas was the site of the first US Cavalry regiment employed against horseback warriors, as well as the experimental US Camel Corps. From Robert E. Lee to Albert Sidney Johnston to Ranald Mackenzie, the Army's finest officers served out of Texas forts, and 61 Medals of Honor were earned by soldiers campaigning in the Lone Star State.
Houston
9780738566832
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In an area that was little more than a thick forest lining Buffalo Bayou, Houston was founded in 1836 by the Allen brothers and named after the Republic of Texas's beloved general Sam Houston. By 1860, there were 5,000 residents in Houston, wooden sidewalks, a few shell-paved roads, and five railroads. Out of the mud and mayhem of Houston's humble frontier beginnings arose men like Thomas W. House, Alexander P. Root, Edward Hopkins Cushing, Thomas Bagby, and William S. Swilley. The sleepy little bayou that wound from Main Street and emptied into Galveston Bay would soon become one of the largest ports in the south. By 1900, the founders' grandchildren were ready to strike out on their own and would play their part in building a great Texas city, a railroad nexus for the Gulf Coast, and an international port of call.
J.M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum (50th Anniversary Edition)
9781467104043
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In 1929, a transplanted Arkansas sawmill owner named J.M. Davis decided to put his collection of 99 firearms on display in the lobby of his Claremore, Oklahoma, hotel. Some 40 years later, on Davis's 82nd birthday, the artifacts found a permanent home at the Claremore's J.M. David Arms and Historical Museum, an internationally known tourist attraction celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019. Today, thousands of visitors a year marvel at exhibits featuring statuary, knives, swords, saddles, American Indian artifacts, political buttons, World War I posters, and many other items--all in addition to the most extensive private collection of guns on the face of the earth. With words and pictures, this book tells the behind-the-scenes story of the museum and John Monroe Davis--the man, his times, and his amazing acquisitions.
Granbury and Hood County
9781467161169
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Granbury and Hood County's history is both an American pioneer saga and a 20th-century rags to riches story. In the 17th century, Spanish explorers and the Comanche were vying to control the land carved across Texas by the mighty Brazos River. By the mid-19th century, white settlers came, led by visionaries like fiery preacher "Fighting" Joe Robinson in Acton, lawyer and legislator Abel Landers, the Nutt brothers, and Quaker-raised farmer Amon Bond in Granbury as well as education-minded Campbellite Pleasant Thorp in Thorp Spring and the Sears family in Lipan. Soon small settlements dotted the area. Once the Civil War passed and Hood County was formed in 1866, Granbury and the towns across the county became thriving centers of commerce fed by nearby farms and ranches. The 20th century brought hard times, but the creation of Lake Granbury in 1969 opened a new era of possibilities. Newcomers joined founders' descendants to create a multifaceted renewal inspired by echoes of the past.
Lost Galveston
9780738566849
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For nearly 200 years, a permanent settlement at the mouth of Galveston Bay has welcomed pirates, sailors, immigrants, and visitors from around the world. As Galveston grew, its buildings were visible signs of the city's prosperity and the talent of its craftsmen. For many, this city was a gateway to America and an inspiration of what other communities in Texas and the Southwest would become. Although Galveston has thousands of historic buildings remaining, many have been lost to the elements and development over the years. Buildings such as the ones found within these pages define the character of our city and its culture.
Old Tucson Studios
9780738556291
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In 1939, Columbia Pictures based a film on Clarence Kelland's book Arizona, set during the Civil War in Arizona Territory. To accurately portray the novel's landscape, Columbia selected a spot about 10 miles from what is now downtown Tucson in the middle of a large Pima County park for the filming. In 1959, Bob Shelton, a Kansas City developer, purchased the lot, determined to build an active movie studio and tourist attraction. His vision was successful, and Old Tucson Studios has set the stage for over 200 movies and television shows. As Western movies regain their popularity in the box office, the future looks bright for Old Tucson Studios to become a premier filming site in Arizona.
Tulsa
9780738533520
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In 1905, a gusher of "black gold" sprang up southwest of Tulsa, two years before Oklahoma became a state. The site, known as Glenn Pool, became the first major oil field in Oklahoma, with reserves so huge that it could produce millions of barrels of crude. As word of the boom spread, a rush of laborers, lease buyers, oilmen,promoters, producers, and speculators flooded into the area with dreams of striking it rich. Oil fields adjacent to Glenn Pool developed, and Tulsa, which grew to be Oklahoma's second largest city, became the hub of the oil industry. Tulsa: Oil Capital of the World tells the story of one Oklahoma town's rise to fame and fortune and its emergence as an international leader in business and politics.
Conroe
9781467105996
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Conroe, largely a product of intersecting railroads and timber, was founded in 1881 and, by 1889, was the county seat of Montgomery County, Texas. Named for timber magnet and former Union officer Isaac Conroe, with its resilient spirit, Conroe eventually became one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. At one point during the oil boom in the 1930s, Conroe was home to more millionaires per capita than any other town in the United States. Innovative individuals from all walks of life have graced the community, lending fodder to the community goal of becoming the cultural capital of Texas. One of those individuals, oil magnet George Strake, laid the foundation for Conroe's slogan, "The Miracle City." The community has survived and overcome many obstacles in its 150-year history, including several fires and floods, and continues to live up to that motto to this day.
The Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate
9781467129244
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For 125 years, the Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate served the poor and, in particular, people of color. They are the first order of sisters founded in Texas. Their foundress, Margaret Mary Healy Murphy, built the first Catholic African American school and church in San Antonio, the second in the state of Texas. The sisters carried their mission and work beyond the Lone Star State's borders and included most of the South and a few metropolitan areas of the North. They crossed the Rio Grande and had several missions in Mexico and traversed a new continent when they opened a learning center in Zambia. The sisters were primarily known as educators and, in later years, worked in religious education and pastoral ministry. They have also operated orphanages and nursing homes and served in hospitals, homeless shelters, incarceration facilities, and immigration residences. The school they built over 100 years ago, now known as the Healy Murphy Center, serves the community as an alternative high school, and the sisters still teach there.
Skiing in New Mexico
9781467107020
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New Mexico's long and distinguished skiing history began with the miners of the late 19th century and its pioneer settlers. Ski area development was launched in the 1930s in the Sandia Mountains near Albuquerque and quickly spread to the southernmost range of the Rocky Mountains--the Sangre de Cristos, north of Santa Fe. Students of a boarding school, the Los Alamos Ranch School, took up the sport in the Jemez Mountains, and when the school was occupied in the 1940s by American and international scientists like Neils Bohr working to create the world's first atomic bomb, they enthusiastically pursued skiing in their rare spare time. Taos Ski Valley's founding in 1955 elevated the scene to world-class status, and today, there are eight major downhill ski areas and one cross-country center stretching from the deserts of south-central New Mexico to the Colorado border.
Lubbock
9780738596082
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For 12 millennia, people were drawn to a water source located in the region Spanish conquistadores named the Llano Estacado, a vast plateau 3,000 feet above sea level and 300 miles long and wide. Near this site in 1890, settlers combined two fledgling communities to create the town of Lubbock. Finally incorporated in 1909 and soon promoted as the "Hub City," Lubbock doubled its original population of 1,900 in each of its first six decades, nurturing growth through civic cooperation, small business enterprise, higher education, and health care services. Today, almost 240,000 people call Lubbock home, and the city serves as the socioeconomic center of the Llano Estacado.
Fort Bliss
9781467129152
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Established as one of many frontier Army posts in 1849 following the Mexican-American War, Fort Bliss, Texas, has endured as an Army installation when most other frontier posts have faded from memory. From a small collection of adobe buildings, it has seen growth, decline, two closures, and ultimately survival as the major Army maneuver post that it is today. The post, named for West Point math prodigy and soldier William Wallace Smith Bliss, has served many roles in America's conflicts and has seen the march of technology in war fighting. Its role today includes training for the Army's only armored division, known as 1st Armored Division; training for major Army air and missile defense forces; serving as a mobilization platform for Army soldiers and civilians to deploy to support America's missions overseas; and testing of major equipment to be adopted for military use.
Meteor Crater
9781467116183
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There have been numerous books and periodicals written about Meteor Crater, the meteorites, and the crater's scientific value, but this book, with supporting images, is more about people. The story covers some history of the crater's founding and the many people who have been, and presently are, associated with the custody and maintenance of the site, preserving it for future scientific study and generations of visitors. These people include geologists, astrophysicists, astronauts, generations of families named Barringer and Tremaine, and local ranchers named Chilson-Prosser. All have, and continue to, influence and shape what the site has become, each adding their signature to the famous landmark. Today, these families, supported by Meteor Crater Enterprises management and staff of dedicated people, continue the legacy of sharing the history and science with 250,000 annual visitors from around the globe while they continue to focus on preserving the scientific integrity of the crater for future generations.
The Cherokee Nation and Tahlequah
9780738502892
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The Cherokee Nation, world-famous for its turbulent and colorful past, is home to the second-largest American Indian tribe in the United States. This fascinating visual history spans 14 counties of northeast Oklahoma, from the Arkansas River to the Kansas border, and features the capital, Tahlequah. The U.S. government's harsh treatment of the Cherokees culminating in the notorious "Trail of Tears" is documented here. In Indian Territory, the Cherokees quickly established systems of democratic government, education, and communication. Many lived in the same manner as their white counterparts of the time, as wealthy plantation owners and ranchers. They were completely literate in their own written language, printing newspapers, magazines, and books. Devastation struck as the Civil War split the Cherokees into factions, dividing families and neighbors and destroying communities and homes. Again, the resilient Cherokees rebuilt their nation, enjoying growth and renewed prosperity until land allotment and statehood stripped away their self-governance. The progressive, accomplished character of the Cherokees is evidenced by the pictures and stories in this book. Here you will meet the leaders who helped rebuild the great Cherokee Nation, legendary figures like Sequoyah and Will Rogers, and the patriots and artisans who have kept the tribe's culture and tradition alive throughout history.
Fort Worth
9781467103848
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Fort Worth exudes a vivacious Western spirit founded upon a rich history. In 1849, four years after the Republic of Texas became the 28th state, the Army built a fort to keep native tribes west of the Trinity. That fort grew into a focal stop on the Chisholm Trail and later became the western terminus of the railroad. In World War I, Fort Worth housed one Army and three aircraft training bases, while Fort Worth Stockyards, which became one of the largest in the nation, provided multitudes of horses and mules. From pianos on dirt floors to the Van Cliburn Competition, from the earliest portraits by itinerant French artists to world-class art museums, Fort Worth has always been home to high culture. Groups such as the Woman's Wednesday Club made sure art and libraries stood in the old fort town once more famous for its saloons. No matter the era, and no matter the many reasons, Fort Worth will always be "where the West begins."
Tyler
9780738548418
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Nestled in the beautiful Piney Woods of East Texas, Tyler is known as the "Rose Capital of America." While the moniker is well-deserved given the local rose industry, the Rose Festival, and its claim to America's largest municipal rose garden, Tyler's history is just as colorful as any rose. From the days when it hosted the largest Confederate prisoner-of-war camp west of the Mississippi River, through the years when cotton, fruit trees, and then roses became the local cash crops, to the time when the East Texas oil field was discovered and launched a new economy, Tyler boasts a fascinating past.
Lost Austin
9780738596136
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Known to some as "Capitol City," "River City," and "Groover's Paradise," Austin is a diverse mix of university professors, students, politicians, musicians, state employees, artists, and both blue-collar and white-collar workers. The city is also home to the main campus of the University of Texas and several other universities. As Austin has grown to become more cosmopolitan, remnants of its small-town heritage have faded away. Austin's uniqueness--both past and present --is reflected in its food, architecture, historic places, music, and businesses. Many of these beloved institutions have moved on into history. While some are far removed in the mists of time, others are more recent and generate fond memories of good times and vivid experiences. Images of America: Lost Austin explores, through the collections of the Austin History Center and others, where Austinites once shopped, ate, drank, and played.
Arizona’s Historic Trading Posts
9781467132497
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On the sparsely settled Arizona reservation lands, trading posts were important centers for commerce as well as social gathering destinations. With a subsistence economy, the posts offered opportunities to trade sheep, wool, and crafts for necessities such as flour, coffee, sugar (known as "sweet-salt"), and tools. Most often, traders were Anglos, living as partners among their Indian neighbors. They often were the only contact with the outside culture, and their stores provided an outlet for local arts such as rugs, pottery, baskets, and jewelry. Traders helped with correspondence, transportation, and sickness, and they even buried the dead. Trading posts were the sites of marriages and murders; they were destinations for artists, scientists, and adventurous tourists. With the coming of roads and automobiles, trading posts have all but disappeared, but the stories and photographs shared in this volume offer a glimpse into a vanishing time in the Southwest.
Dealey Plaza
9781467130226
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Dealey Plaza is famous for many things, both locally and nationally. Considered "the front door of Dallas," the park rests on a bluff near the Trinity River, where Dallas's founder, John Neely Bryan, identified a natural low-water crossing in 1841. This ford was the site of Bryan's cabin and was also the site of the first ferry and bridge over the Trinity River. Home to several Dallas County buildings and other historic structures, Dealey is not just the birthplace of Dallas; it is also the site of Dallas's first large-scale city planning solution, a traffic diverting triple underpass, and a beautiful downtown park built in the 1930s. The park was launched into national history when Pres. John F. Kennedy was assassinated here on November 22, 1963. Today, the site is visited by over two million annually. To preserve Dealey Plaza and its surrounding buildings, the federal government designated it a National Historic Landmark District in 1993.
The Old Spanish Trail Highway in Texas
9781467106924
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At the dawn of automobile travel in the United States, visionary entrepreneurs proposed a Southern transcontinental route called the Old Spanish Trail (OST) that would stretch across eight states from Florida to California. The central third of the road spanned more than 900 miles and traversed Texas. The collaboration of communities, both large and small, that worked to bridge rivers and pave primitive roads made the OST a reality during the 1920s. As travelers ventured forth on the route, a diverse crop of businesses--filling stations, autocamps, tourist courts, motels, and myriad eating establishments--sprang up to meet the needs of tourists, wanderers, migrants, and truckers while also fueling economic growth. For over 50 years, the OST continuously underwent construction and redesign that transformed a small roadway into a multilane interstate highway carrying a constantly increasing flow of goods, services, and people. Although the OST identity is gradually growing fainter amidst the standardization of businesses and rerouting of numbered highways around (instead of along) city streets, it still survives among many Texans who dwell along the Trail.