Name: Los Alamos and the Pajarito Plateau
Brand: Sharon Snyder
SKU: 9780738584836
Price: 18.74 USD
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Los Alamos and the Pajarito Plateau

9780738584836

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The story of Los Alamos and the Pajarito Plateau begins with explosive eruptions. An ancient volcano in northern New Mexico created the mountainous region known as the Jemez, and with time, erosion sculpted narrow mesas and canyons. The first residents were Native Americans. One of their many pueblos was called Tsirege, or the "bird place," from which the name Pajarito originates, meaning "little bird" in Spanish. Homesteaders arrived in the 1880s, but the area was sparsely settled. In 1917, former Rough Rider Ashley Pond started the exclusive Los Alamos Ranch School in the isolated setting, but in 1942 the US government took an interest in that isolation. They abruptly closed the school, and Los Alamos became a secret military post. There, under J. Robert Oppenheimer's leadership, the atomic bomb was created. Postwar housing shortages, Cold War threats, and disastrous fires have challenged Los Alamos, yet it has endured as a place of unique history and natural beauty.

Duncan and Stephens County, Oklahoma

9780738503134

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Including some of Oklahoma's earliest and most productive oil fields, Duncan and Stephens County played a major role in the development of America's oil industry. Through historic images, this book focuses on the two themes that emerge from the area's past: first, the settlement, growth, and development of communities with strong, progressive pioneer heritage; and second, the discovery of oil in the late teens, and the development of a petroleum industry with a worldwide reach and impact.
Using primarily the archives of the Stephens County Historical Museum, the authors selected photographs that illustrate the two themes of community and oil, and how they impact each other. Highlights include the growth and development of Duncan, Marlow, and Comanche; prosperity from the oil boom; the strong
sense of community through the Depression; service in both World War I and World War II; renewed growth following World War II; and contemporary efforts to strengthen the communities.

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Apache Legends & Lore of Southern New Mexico

9781626194861

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Storytelling has been a vital and vivid tradition in Apache life. Coyote tales, the creation legend and stories of historic battles with Comanche and Anglo intruders create a colorful mosaic of tribal heritage. Percy Bigmouth, a prominent oral historian of the Mescalero and Lipan Apache tribes, realized in the early twentieth century that the old ways were waning. He wrote in longhand what he had learned from his father, Scout Bigmouth, a prison camp survivor at Fort Sumner and participant in the turbulent Apache Wars. Join author Lynda Sanchez as she brings to light the ancient legends and lore of the Apaches living in the shadow of Mescalero's Sacred Mountain. Seventy-five years in the making, this collection is a loving tribute to a way of life nearly lost to history.

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Route 66 in Tulsa

9781467162197

$24.99

Tulsa has always been vital to Route 66. In 1920, as the automobile was altering American life, good roads were nonexistent. Tulsa businessman and civic leader Cyrus Avery led the charge to transform the patchwork of dirt and mud trails that linked cities into a national system of paved highways, culminating in the creation of Route 66 in 1926.

For this, Avery is known as the “Father of Route 66.” Through the Great Depression, World War II, and the country’s postwar prosperity, the “Main Street of America” permeated culture through song, literature, movies, and even a television show. All the while, Tulsa—the “Magic City” with a petroleum pedigree—hosted travelers with big-city services and shopping in an Art Deco setting. And then, the road was gone. It was replaced by the faster, straighter interstate highway system in 1985. The signs came down and the double sixes disappeared until another Tulsan, Michael Wallis, brought them back. In 2024, Tulsa officially became the “Capital of Route 66.” Travelers from around the globe get their kicks at exciting attractions from Buck Atom Space Cowboy to Meadow Gold Mack and Mother Road Market to Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza. Again, neon dances in the Capital of Route 66.

Steve Clem is a Route 66 “roadie” (aficionado) and a trustee at Sand Springs Cultural and Historical Museum. Becky Hatchett is president of the Southwest Tulsa Historical Society and volunteers at the Route 66 Historical Village. Rhys Martin serves on Tulsa’s Route 66 Commission and is president of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association.

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100 Oklahoma Outlaws, Gangsters & Lawmen

9781589803848

$22.95 $17.21 Save 25%

This book includes difficult-to-find information about significant Oklahoma outlaws who lived and worked during the 100-year period ï¿½from horseback to Cadillac.ï¿½ While criminal history within Oklahoma is the focus, famous crimes committed elsewhere by Oklahomans, such as the Barker Gang, Wilbur Underhill, and Machine Gun Kelly, as well as Oklahoma connections to legendary outlaws like Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid, John Dillinger, and Baby Face Nelson are also mentioned.

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Galveston’s Historic Downtown and Strand District

9780738566856

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The Strand, known as the Wall Street of the Southwest, contains a significant collection of 19th-century buildings. Long the center of Galveston's business community, its architecture is a reminder of this historic port city. The National Historic Landmark District includes buildings classified as Greek Revival, Italianate, and Victorian style--sometimes with traces of vernacular building traditions that date to the 1850s. Historic images found within this book illustrate the development of the Strand and surrounding streets, including Mechanic, Market, and Postoffice. Galveston's Historic Downtown and Strand District demonstrates the power of place, despite an ever-changing economy and natural disasters.

Galveston’s Historic Downtown and Strand District

Early Beaumont

9781467131957

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Beaumont was born when the thickly wooded banks of the Neches River were settled in the 1820s. Businessmen and adventurers stayed in the area once they saw the advantages of the river and the region's abundance of timber and other agricultural resources. By 1880, Beaumont was a lumber, ranching, farming, and shipping center. The railroad spurred population growth from 2,500 to 5,000, then Providence intervened: the Lucas Gusher at Spindletop blew in on January 10, 1901, and suddenly more oil than had ever been seen ushered in a new world. The Rockefeller Standard Oil monopoly may have ended in the courts, but Spindletop's oil dwarfed the known world supply, creating companies like Humble Oil (now ExxonMobil), Gulf, and Texaco. Beaumont continued to grow, and with a second boom in 1925, flowing oil brought more people and the building of a gracious city.

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The Cruiser Houston

9781467127424

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The cruiser Houston was the first warship named for the Bayou City, and the ship proved a favorite of the city for which it was named. It was also a favorite of Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt, who traveled on the Houston no fewer than four times. Houston was twice the flagship of the US Navy's Asiatic Fleet. In the opening days of World War II, it battled the Imperial Japanese Navy, culminating in its midnight loss at the Battle of Sunda Strait. The Cruiser Houston tells the story of this magnificent ship and the city of Houston's reaction to its namesake's loss.

Hidden History of Southeast New Mexico

9781467137812

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Outlaws, cattlemen and a plethora of quirky pioneers once riddled southeastern New Mexico. In November 1892, E.W. Doll and J.B. Coates ignited rumors of an eight-foot petrified man in McKittrick Cave. A massive fire and subsequent shootout led to the demise of Phenix, one of the Old West's most scandalous towns. And in August 1932, Bonnie and Clyde kidnapped Carlsbad's Deputy Sheriff Joe Johns. Authors Donna Blake Birchell and John LeMay explore these little-known tales and more that have beguiled this region for centuries.

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Ardmore

9780738560854

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Although part of the Chickasaw Nation, virgin soil lured pioneers into Indian Territory, and by 1900, intruders outnumbered Native Americans 10 to 1, building communities throughout Native American lands. In 1887, on a grassy prairie where buffalo had roamed, men gathered where the Santa Fe Railroad planned to build a station. By 1898, Ardmore was a thriving city with businesses, churches, electricity, and telephones. Under a new federal law in late 1898, Ardmore became an incorporated city. Several disasters including a massive explosion and two major fires almost destroyed the town, but the people who built Ardmore came from sturdy stock. After each disaster, they rebuilt, and Ardmore continued to prosper.

Cover image for Ardmore, isbn: 9780738560854

New Mexico Filmmaking

9781467117999

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The moderate climate and majestic western landscapes of New Mexico make it an enchanting locale for the motion picture industry. Thomas A. Edison's crew shot the very first film in the state at the Isleta Indian Pueblo in 1897. Silent-era icons like directors Romaine Fielding and Tom Mix shortly followed to take over the small town of Las Vegas, setting the stage for an explosion of western movies. Today, New Mexico's generous incentive programs and quality facilities make it one of the top filming destinations in the country, attracting big projects like the Academy Award–winning No Country for Old Men and AMC's critically acclaimed television series Breaking Bad. In this comprehensive volume, local author and film historian Jeff Berg explores the history and legacy of New Mexico on the big screen.

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Bryan

9780738579573

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Cotton was king during Bryan's early history. Many prominent planters and farmers lived on the high ground between the Brazos and Navasota Rivers in the market town of Bryan, and the cotton crop thrived in the fertile Brazos River Bottom. The railroad's arrival after the Civil War provided a link to textile mills in other parts of the world via the nearby ports of Houston and Galveston. Land availability and economic opportunity attracted settlers not only from the southeastern United States, but also from Italy and Eastern Europe. When cotton's economic dominance began to wane, other agricultural crops, livestock, a strong commitment to education, and oil and gas production diversified the local economy. As the seat of county government, and with its close proximity to Texas A&M University, Bryan today is a vibrant community strategically located in the heart of the Texas Urban Triangle.

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Flower Mound

9780738595832

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Flower Mound was originally known only as an area seven miles west of Lewisville, Texas. The city was incorporated in 1961, and its official name is derived from a mound that rose 50 feet above the surrounding flat Blackland Prairie. In the springtime, it is covered with beautiful wildflowers, thus the name. Inhabitants have never lived on the mound. The rich soil was good farmland and its grass gave support for raising cattle. In the early years, nothing was known of the rich gas shale that rested beneath its soil. While the modern city of Flower Mound has a 50-year history, past generations have a story to tell. The modern city of Flower Mound confidently moves forward as shopping centers, medical facilities, and gas wells dot its promising horizons.

Yuma and La Paz Counties

9781467102568

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Yuma County was created in 1864, following the organization of the Arizona Territory in 1862, and was one of the four original counties along with Yavapai, Mohave, and Pima. With the arrival of E.F. Sanguinetti and John Gandolfo in the late 19th century, a business empire was born and a community developed. Due to the creation of stores, farms, and the mining industry, the area's population grew from 4,415 in 1900 to 224,427 in 2015. Now a ghost town, the original county seat was formed in La Paz. By 1871, it was relocated 100 miles south to Arizona City, which was renamed Yuma in 1873. In 1982, Yuma County was divided in half, creating Yuma and La Paz Counties.

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Lost Restaurants of Tulsa

9781625859105

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In the early twentieth century, Tulsa was the Oil Capital of the World. The rush of roughnecks and oil barons built a culinary foundation that not only provided traditional food and diner fare but also inspired upper-class experiences and international cuisine. Tulsans could reserve a candlelit dinner at the Louisiane or cruise along the Restless Ribbon with a pit stop at Pennington's. Generations of regulars depended on family-owned establishments such as Villa Venice, The Golden Drumstick and St. Michael's Alley. Join author Rhys Martin on a gastronomic journey through time, from the Great Depression to the days of Liquor by the Wink and the Oil Bust of the 1980s.

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Crosby

9781467106177

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The town of Crosby is one of the oldest settlements in Texas and has a rich history that began in 1823, when Humphrey Jackson built a cabin on Jackson Bayou near the San Jacinto River. Humphrey was a lawyer readying for a position in the Irish parliament. His family was part of the Irish aristocracy and had supported a bloody rebellion that lost to Great Britain. Like Humphrey, many of his family members fled to America. His cousins included US president Andrew Jackson and state senator James Jackson, the wealthiest man in Alabama. Humphrey faced tremendous challenges in his dream to build a new settlement in what would be East Harris County. The Karankawa Indians, who often cannibalized their enemies, occupied much of the area. Unfortunately, the early death of his wife and the eventual premature death of Humphrey himself ended the dream. The settlement he started sat virtually idle for over a decade until 1860, when one of the state's earliest railways renamed the settlement Gentry.

Scottsdale

9780738548753

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Just a century ago, the now-tony tourist destination of Scottsdale was a tiny farming village in the pristine desert east of Phoenix. Named for its 1888 homesteaders—U.S. Army chaplain Winfield Scott and his wife, Helen—Scottsdale remained a farming and ranching community through World War II. After the war, businesses and families flocked to Scottsdale for its climate and unlimited opportunities—creating a place they branded The West's Most Western Town. Throughout the decades, residents and visitors alike have enjoyed adventures in the desert; a thriving arts, crafts, and cultural community; a healthful climate and healthcare industry; and fun-packed events and outdoor sports. Residents have had the additional benefits of living and working in a great hometown, with excelling schools, an international reputation for environmental preservation, and a diverse economy that boasts an eclectic array of businesses.

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Big Bend National Park and Vicinity

9780738578538

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The Rio Grande makes a large bend into Mexico and forms the "boot heel" of Texas that is the Big Bend. Big Bend National Park nestles inside this meander, and its history is as much a part of Mexico as it is of Texas. The remote border location is historically replete with rich cultural diversity, including nomadic bands of Native Americans, Spanish explorers, Mexican and Anglo farmers, ranchers, miners, military men, and entrepreneurs. In the 1930s, a handful of people saw the Big Bend's majestic ruggedness as a place where all Americans could touch the Creator in nature and appreciate the alien qualities that both test and console the human spirit. This remote frontier still draws the souls of those seeking wide-open vistas and crystal-clear night skies.

Ghosts of Galveston

9781467119658

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One of the oldest cities in Texas, Galveston has witnessed more than its share of tragedies. Devastating hurricanes, yellow fever epidemics, fires, a major Civil War battle and more cast a dark shroud on the city's legacy. Ghostly tales creep throughout the history of famous tourist attractions and historical homes. The altruistic spirit of a schoolteacher who heroically pulled victims from the floodwaters during the great hurricane of 1900 roams the Strand. The ghosts of Civil War soldiers march up and down the stairs at night and pace in front of the antebellum Rogers Building. The spirit of an unlucky man decapitated by an oncoming train haunts the railroad museum, moving objects and crying in the night. Kathleen Shanahan Maca explores these and other haunted tales from the Oleander City.

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The Tohono O'odham and Pimeria Alta

9780738556338

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The Tohono O'odham have lived in southern Arizona's Sonoran Desert for millennia. Formerly known as the Papago, the people, acting as a nation in 1986, voted to change the colonial applied name, Papago, to their true name, Tohono O'odham, a name literally meaning "desert people." Living within a region the Spanish termed Pimeria Alta, the Tohono O'odham, from the time of Spanish Jesuit Kino's first missionary efforts in the late 1680s, have been witness to numerous governmental, philosophical, and religious intrusions. Yet throughout, they have adapted and survived. Today the Tohono O'odham Nation occupies the second largest land reserve in the United States, covering more than 2.8 million acres. The images in this volume date largely between 1870 and 1950, a period that documents great change in Tohono O'odham traditions, culture, and identity.

Texas BBQ Adventure Guide

9781467150897

$23.99 $17.99 Save 25%

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

Around Clear Lake

9781467130783

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

Hill Country Hindsights

9781467153522

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

Santa Fe Art and Architecture

9780738595986

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The oldest capital city in the United States is Santa Fe, which has a rich and varied cultural history as well as the oldest public building still in use. Ancestral Puebloan Indians inhabited the area as early as 500 AD, and Spanish explorers arrived in the early 1540s. When Mexico gained independence from Spain, Santa Fe became the capital of Nuevo Mejico. It was not until 1912 that New Mexico achieved statehood. In the late 19th century, the Southwest became a haven for tuberculosis patients, and a number of sanatoriums were built in Santa Fe. Many creative individuals, including poets, artists and architects, stayed and significantly contributed to the city's cultural and architectural development. In 2005, Santa Fe received the distinction of being the first America community to be designated a "Creative City" by UNESCO.

Brenham

9781467108621

$23.99 $17.99 Save 25%

While “Born in Brenham” is a local badge of honor, thousands of people who are not originally from the area have been welcomed into the charming city and nearby rural communities of Washington County. Visitors and newcomers will discover a relaxed atmosphere infused with the better aspects of the past. Even in the face of modern change and growth, history occupies a place of value, and traditions in Brenham still reign. Maifest, the spring celebration spawned by German immigrants, has been an annual tradition since 1881, and young and old alike line downtown streets to cheer on the royal courts. The Washington County Fair is the oldest in Texas, honoring the family farms and ranches that still abound. The streets surrounding the courthouse square have remained largely intact for the past century. Once fueled by cotton and railroads, Brenham’s economy now reflects a diversity that ranges from artists to ice cream, and historic buildings are seen as treasures to be adapted and reused.

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Classic Restaurants of Oklahoma City

9781467119214

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Some of Oklahoma City's earliest famous restaurants included a side of gambling, bootlegging and mayhem. Cattlemen's Café changed hands by a roll of the dice one Christmas. In more recent years, establishments like O'Mealey's and Adair's positioned the city's identity as a unique, groundbreaking culinary hub. The city became known as the Cafeteria Capital thanks to the revolutionary approach of a diminutive Kansas woman named Anna Maude Smith. Beverly's Chicken-in-the-Rough became a national fried-chicken franchise two decades before Harland Sanders sold his first drumstick. And world-renowned chef Rick Bayless first learned to cook at his parents' barbecue restaurant in south Oklahoma City. Join author Dave Cathey as he dishes on these delectable stories and more.

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New River

9781467115933

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Long before the cavalry and stagecoaches traveled through on military roads and the Old Black Canyon Stage Road, the ancient Hohokam people relied on New River's peaks for fortresses and lookouts. In the late 1800s, the military sweep of the last native people, the Apache and Yavapai, rendered the region safe for settlers. Situated between the cool north and the hot, arid Salt River Valley below, New River became a key location for watering sheep and cattle driven between seasonal pastures. Ranches, such as the Triangle-Bar, sprang to life in the cactus-studded foothills. From the 1920s to the 1940s, the arrival of tough, capable homesteaders formed the community that thrives today. Still an unincorporated area of north Maricopa County, New River retains its western heritage and scenic desert vistas

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Johnson Space Center

9780738595108

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NASA 's Johnson Space Center (JSC ) in Houston, Texas, has been the home of human spaceflight operations since its inception in 1961. The first US manned spaceflight controlled from its iconic Mission Control Center was in 1965. From JSC 's control center, engineers also helped place humans on another celestial body for the first time, operated 135 Space Shuttle missions, and expanded human spaceflight to an international endeavor. Housed on more than 1,600 acres just south of downtown Houston, the center is the curator for the precious samples returned from the moon, the base for the training
of astronauts, and the developer of innovative engineering to support future exploration deep into the solar system and world-class technical research on earth.

New Mexico Death Rituals

9781467142076

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Spirituality, last Ceremonies and the afterlife shaped New Mexico's culture in many unique ways.

New Mexico’s harsh terrain, countless wars and epidemics were a challenging and fascinating environment for the many cultures and peoples who settled there. When tragedy struck, their faith and religious rituals allowed them to mourn, celebrate and commemorate their dead. From Pueblo Indians and Spanish colonists to Jewish immigrants and American veterans, many old traditions have endured and blended into modern society. The area is also home to many unique death sites, including the graves of Smokey Bear and Billy the Kid, and the largest contemporary collection of human bones in the world. Author Ana Pacheco guides you through the history of Christmas death rituals, roadside descansos, communal smallpox graves, Civil War memorials and more.

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Murder & Mayhem on the Texas Rails

9781467151450

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

Texas has a long, romantic history when it comes to railroads. But even though steam engines and streetcars offer nonstop service to Nostalgia City, there's a dark side to Texas rail. The Black Widow of Fort Worth engineered a fatal double-cross at a railroad crossing. The Mountaineer Madman brought death to the Texas Electric Railway, while the Trolley Bandit terrorized the citizens of El Paso. From a freak accident involving a banana peel to a tragic trip to see Santa Claus, Jeff Campbell and the staff of the Interurban Railway Museum cross the Lone Star State on trains derailed by murder and mayhem.

The Civilian Conservation Corps in Arizona

9781467130974

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In the 1930s, the United States was in the grip of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. Jobs were scarce, people were hungry, and the nation's lands and forests were in decline. To combat these harsh realities, Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a 1933-1942 program that put young unemployed men to work developing and conserving natural resources. The men lived together in camps where they received medical care, food, and education, and a portion of their salaries went home to support their families. In Arizona, they battled soil erosion on grazing lands, built roads, and developed parks, including Petrified Forest National Park, Saguaro National Park, and South Mountain Park. At Grand Canyon, they built trails, roads, and buildings. Throughout the state's national forests, they constructed recreational facilities and improved the health of the woods. The magnitude of the work they accomplished is staggering, and their enduring contribution to the state is unquestionable.

The Civilian Conservation Corps in Arizona

Historic Tales of the Llano Estacado

9781467146548

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The distinctive high mesa straddling West Texas and Eastern New Mexico creates a vista that is equal parts sprawling lore and big blue sky. From Lubbock, the area’s informal capital, to the farthest reaches of the staked plains known as the Llano Estacado, the land and its inhabitants trace a tradition of tenacity through numberless cycles of dust storms and drought. In 1887, a bison hunter observed antelope, sand crane and coyote alike crowding together to drink from the same wet-weather lake. A similarly odd assortment of characters shared and shaped the region’s heritage, although neighborliness has occasionally been strained by incidents like the 1903 Fence Cutting War. David Murrah and Paul Carlson have collected some three dozen vignettes that stretch across the uncharted terrain of the tableland’s past.

Cover image for Historic Tales of the Llano Estacado, isbn: 9781467146548

Sheppard Air Force Base

9781467134644

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The history of flight for the US Army Air Corps became increasingly important during World War I. Wichita Falls, Texas, was determined to be a fair weather flying location for training cadets to become aviators. Wichita Falls was the gracious host not only for World War I pilots training at Call Field, located near the city, but when World War II came along, the city also hosted the opening of Sheppard Field, adjacent to the municipal airport. Thousands of personnel were trained there during World War II, and later, the field was redesigned as Sheppard Air Force Base. The base has been a hub for pilot training as well as technical training for many Air Force specialties. Wichita Falls, therefore, has a rich history as a host for decades of military training. Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, has trained hundreds of thousands of military men and women from within the United States, as well as thousands of men and women from allied countries around the globe. Sheppard Air Force Base became the largest training base in the Air Force and continues actively today with its primary mission of training military personnel.

Limestone County

9780738596396

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Though Limestone County was established on April 11, 1846, the first Anglo settlers arrived in 1833, while Texas was still part of Mexico. They built Fort Parker, the site of an 1836 Indian attack. Of the five captives taken, Cynthia Ann Parker grew up as a Comanche, married a Comanche chief, and became the mother of Quanah Parker, the last great Comanche chief. Springfield was the first permanent settlement and first county seat. The Houston and Texas Central Railroad began construction of a line through the county in 1869 and established the towns of Kosse, Thornton, Groesbeck, and Mexia. Following the Civil War, cotton became the major agricultural endeavor. During the 1920s, the Mexia Oil Boom brought prosperity to the county. Sadly, many of the small farming communities disappeared after World War II, when cattle ranching replaced farming. Today, major attractions include Lake Limestone, Old Fort Parker, Fort Parker State Park, the Confederate Reunion Grounds, and the Prairie Hill Drag Strip.

Colorado's Mrs. Captain Ellen Jack

9781467153638

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"You get off this property." - Capt. Ellen Jack, 1887
Ellen E. Jack backed up her orders with a shotgun as she stood at the entrance to her Black Queen Mine. To profit from the mine, located near Aspen, Colorado, she engaged in many other battles with lawyers and capitalists who tried to wrest her ore away. Mrs. Captain Jack contributed to the myth of the West by crowning herself as the "Mining Queen of the Rockies" as she entertained tourists at her roadhouse near Colorado Springs. Author Jane Bardal offers a captivating biography of a pioneering woman who fashioned a legacy through true tenacity and maybe even a few tall tales.

Historic Tales of Arlington, Texas

9781625858955

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

Even before its immense population surge, Arlington never dreamed small. In the 1930s, Arlington Downs attracted thousands to its state-of-the-art horse racing facility. Just three decades later, Six Flags Over Texas opened, cementing a reputation as an entertainment destination. The hubbub of the stadiums and shopping complexes that followed often obscured other parts of the community's rich heritage, including far-reaching contributions to the disability rights movement. The city suffered growing pains as well, such as the demise of college football and the deadly 1892 train depot shootout that ended the town's lawless period. Join Evelyn Barker, along with Davis McCown, Leslie Wagner and Trevor Engel, for the forgotten details of Arlington's dynamic past.

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Flagstaff

9780738571157

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On July 4, 1876, immigrants from Boston traveling to California were camped at Antelope Spring in a valley just south of the San Francisco Peaks. To celebrate the nation's centennial, the pioneers stripped the branches off a tall pine tree and ran up Old Glory. This event gave Flagstaff its name. Six years later, in 1882, the Atlantic and Pacific Railway reached Flagstaff, and a small settlement was born. Railroad construction crews used local ponderosa pine trees for rail ties, beginning a timber industry that thrived in the region for the next century. Flagstaff also became a center of tourism as visitors came to see spectacular natural sights in the surrounding territory, including the Grand Canyon, Oak Creek Canyon, and Sunset Crater, and to experience the Native American cultures of the American Southwest. This volume traces the establishment and early development of Flagstaff and depicts many facets of life in Arizona's Mountain Town.

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Black Cowboys and Early Cattle Drives

9781467153645

$23.99 $17.99 Save 25%

Dust and Determination

After the Civil War, emancipated slaves who didn’t want to pick cotton or operate an elevator headed west to find work and a new life. Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving drove two thousand longhorns across southern Texas blazing a trail to Bosque Redondo in New Mexico. In 1866, the new Goodnight-Loving Trail was crowded with cattle headed for a government market. By the 1870s, twenty-five percent of the over thirty-five thousand cowboys in the West were black. They were part of trail crews that drove more than twenty-seven million cattle on the Goodnight-Loving Trail, Western Trail, Chisholm Trail and Shawnee Trail. They were paid equally, and their skill and ability brought them earned respect and prestige. Author Nancy Williams recounts their lasting legacy.

Cover image for Black Cowboys and Early Cattle Drives, isbn: 9781467153645

Haunted Jerome

9781467141659

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

The New York Sunonce described Jerome as “the Wickedest Town in the West.

The area was once home to the largest copper mine in Northern Arizona, built on the steep terrain of Cleopatra Hill. The small town, population fifteen thousand at its peak, was shockingly nefarious. Diversions for the hardworking miners came by way of saloons, gambling and ladies of the evening. Shootouts and murders, violent accidents in the mines and smelters and fires and diseases scourged its denizens. Life was tough on the mountain—death came too soon for many. When the copper mine closed in 1953, Jerome was rendered a ghost town, and its spirits still lurk among the living. The stories in this book will convince you they are here for a reason.

Cover image for Haunted Jerome, isbn: 9781467141659

1947 Woodward Tornado

9781467107716

$23.99 $17.99 Save 25%

The 1947 Woodward Tornado remains the deadliest tornado in Oklahoma history, leaving more than 100 people dead and nearly 1,000 seriously injured. The tornado struck the city of Woodward under cover of darkness and without warning at 8:42 p.m. on April 9, 1947. The storm left in its wake hundreds of stories of tragic loss, devastation, and even mysteries that remain unsolved. These include the three unidentified girls--one as young as six months--whose bodies have remained unclaimed, as well as the mystery of what happened to Joan Gay Croft, a girl who disappeared from the local hospital on the night of the storm. Croft's disappearance was featured in an episode of the television show Unsolved Mysteries in the early 1990s. There is also the oft-overlooked story of those who took up residence (some for more than a year) in "Tornado Town" west of the city and found some glimmer of hope in an otherwise hopeless situation.

Texas True Crime Miscellany

9781467149013

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

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.

Griffin Memorial Hospital

9781467106979

$23.99 $17.99 Save 25%

Griffin Memorial Hospital is located at the end of East Main Street in Norman, Oklahoma. The hospital was originally started as High Gate College, a girls' school established by the United Methodist Church, South in 1890, one year after the settlement of Norman. With competition from the University of Oklahoma, High Gate College closed its doors in early 1895 and was soon bought by the Oklahoma Sanitarium Company. In 1915, the State of Oklahoma bought the Oklahoma Sanitarium Company and renamed the institution Central State Hospital. In 1953, the hospital was renamed Griffin Memorial Hospital. Under the supervision of Dr. David Griffin, the hospital grew to over 30 buildings and three farms in its first 40 years. With a change in institutional care in the 1960s, the state built a Community Health Care Center on the hospital grounds. Today, Griffin Memorial Hospital has few institutionalized patients and little resembles the thriving establishment of the early 20th century.

Harvey Houses of New Mexico

9781626198593

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

The Santa Fe Line and the famous Fred Harvey restaurants forever changed New Mexico and the Southwest, bringing commerce, culture and opportunity to a desolate frontier. The first Harvey Girls ever hired staffed the Raton location. In a departure from the ubiquitous black and white uniform immortalized by Judy Garland in 1946's Harvey Girls, many of New Mexico's Harvey Girls wore colorful dresses reflective of local culture. In Albuquerque, the Harvey-managed Alvarado Hotel doubled as a museum for carefully curated native art. Join author Rosa Walston Latimer and discover New Mexico's unique history of hospitality the Fred Harvey way.

Cover image for Harvey Houses of New Mexico, isbn: 9781626198593

Jarrell

9780738558714

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In 1909, real estate developer Orlando D. Jarrell had a vision: He would sell lots near the Bartlett Western Railroad site and name the town Jarrell. When the railroad bypassed the nearby town of Corn Hill and Jarrell's lots began to sell, the residents of Corn Hill--and their houses--moved to the promising, new town. Rock quarries became and are still a mainstay of this area, shipping limestone all over the world. About 200 vintage photographs illustrate the time between 1855 and more recent years, including the monstrous 1997 tornado that put Jarrell into the national spotlight.

Cover image for Jarrell, isbn: 9780738558714

The Texas League Baseball Almanac

9781626190658

$19.99 $14.99 Save 25%

Since forming in 1888, the Texas League has produced some of the most beloved American baseball players and seen more than its fair share of colorful events. In 1931, Houston pitcher Dizzy Dean pitched and won both ends of a double-header in Fort Worth, throwing a three-hit shutout in the second game. In 1906, center fielder Tris Speaker pitched for Cleburne to beat Temple 10-3. In 1998, Arkansas' Tyrone Horne hit for the homer cycle" in San Antonio, finishing to a standing ovation. "The Texas League Baseball Almanac" delivers day by day the record-breaking events, personal triumphs and memorable games that helped to shape baseball in the region. Join authors David King and Tom Kayser on a nine-inning trip down one of minor-league baseball's most historic institutions, both in season and off. ."

Glen Rose, Texas

9780738519425

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Charles Barnard, a Connecticut entrepreneur, settled in the Brazos Valley in 1849, running an Indian Trading Post. He built a gristmill in 1860 near the confluence of the Brazos and Paluxy Rivers, around which the town of Glen Rose sprang up. Captured here in over 200 vintage photographs and postcards is the history of this quintessential little Texas town, from its origins as a mill town, to the bedroom community of Fort Worth that it has become today. In its earliest days, settlers flocked to the region from the war-torn South during the Civil War. By the 1900s, both Somervell County and Glen Rose established fame as a tourist resort, offering springs and artesian waters to heal the body and spirit. Naturopathic and magnetic healers built sanitariums, while locals built tourist parks to entertain the crowds that came for rest and relaxation. Showcased here are images of the Hill postcard collection, which relay the intriguing story of Glen Rose as a recreation mecca, the Moonshine Capital of Texas during Prohibition, the discovery of the infamous dinosaur tracks, and its development as it enters the 21st century.

Cover image for Glen Rose, Texas, isbn: 9780738519425

Forgotten Tales of New Mexico

9781609494858

$14.99 $11.24 Save 25%

New Mexico, a place defined by a history of grand conflicts, conquistadores, Pueblo warriors, and nuclear scientists, will celebrate its state centennial in 2012. What better time for a collection of forgotten tales that recounts the adventures and exploits of priests, soldiers, witches, and politicians, who carved out a living in the harsh frontier. Ellen will introduce the reader to a cross-dressing Buffalo Soldier, a French trailblazer who opened a road from Santa Fe to Texas, an American spy who became a Mexican general, a Mexican raised by the Navajo who helped round up the Din for removal, and a governor whose head was removed and used as a football. Spanning from the 17th century to World War II, these stories are drawn from Native oral histories as well as the state's written records, and provide a sampling of New Mexico's colorful past.

West Texas Tales

9781609493295

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

Historian Mike Cox has been writing about Texas history for four decades, sharing tales that have been overlooked or forgotten through the years. Travel to El Paso during the Big Blow" of 1895, brave the frontier with Elizabeth Russell Baker, and stare down the infamous killer known as Old Three Toe. From frontier stories and ghost towns to famous folks and accounts of everyday life, this collection of West Texas Tales has it all."

A Legal History of Maricopa County

9780738548159

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The roots of Maricopa County's legal community reach as far back as the Spanish conquest of the New World. Since that time, soldiers, farmers, miners, adventurers, and others transformed this wild, lawless desert into a productive agricultural community, a tourist destination, and a center for commercial, financial, and political activity in the Southwest. The region's legal community--populated by diverse, distinguished, and sometimes infamous men and women--participated in every aspect of this development of Phoenix and the surrounding metropolitan area. The history of Maricopa County law, illustrated here in vintage photographs, reflects the social, political, economic, environmental, architectural, and cultural journey of what has become one of America's fastest growing and most populous counties.

Clarksville and Red River County

9780738579146

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Red River County and Clarksville are actually older than the state of Texas itself. Once known as the Red River District, the area represented all or part of 39 present-day Texas counties. Some of the area's earliest Anglo settlements could be found along the Red River as early as 1816 and included Pecan Point, the Burkham Settlement, and Jonesboro, followed by the settling of Clarksville in 1833. Many of Texas's earliest pioneers passed through the county, including Sam Houston, who spent his first night in Texas in Jonesboro at James and Isabella Clark's home; and Davy Crockett, who spent time at Whiterock at John Stiles's home before he perished at the Battle of the Alamo. Today Red River County is known as the Gateway to Texas.

Cover image for Clarksville and Red River County, isbn: 9780738579146

Fort Whipple

9781467162418

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Established in 1863 as an important US Army post and ordered to protect the area of newly discovered gold in central Arizona, Fort Whipple became a key post during the Indian Wars. Photographs and text present the transition of this National Register of Historic Places landmark, including its people, events, and buildings.

It was named in honor of Brig. Gen. Amiel Weeks Whipple, military officer and topographical engineer. Protecting Prescott, the first capital of the Arizona Territory, the post served many roles, from a military headquarters to a large tuberculosis treatment facility to today's medical center complex serving veterans.

Cover image for Fort Whipple, isbn: 9781467162418

Ghost Stories of Central New Mexico

9781467157582

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

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

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

Granbury, Texas

9781467156677

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Explore Granbury’s celebrated history. Granbury owes much of its present charm to its vibrant heritage, from the elegant limestone facades that ring the historic town square to its treasury of Victorian homes. And it owes much of its resilience to the rougher portions of its past, dating back to a frontier era filled with saloons and land disputes. Sitting on one of its sunny restaurant patios, it’s hard to image figures like Jesse James or John Wilkes Booth flitting through Granbury’s lore, but the town has stared down its fair share of mysterious tragedy and stubborn prejudice. Join Author David K. Barnett in navigating the landmarks and legacies of a town flooded with history.

Cover image for Granbury, Texas, isbn: 9781467156677

West University Place

9781467161350

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The real estate development called West University Place was part of a trend in the early 20th century of building affordable neighborhoods away from city centers; it was never meant to be a city on its own.

Early residents wanted Houston to annex their land, but when Houston declined, A.D. Foreman raised enough money to supply electricity, water, and phone service. Lewis and Mae Ryon took the next step by petitioning their neighbors to apply for a city charter, which was granted on January 2, 1924. Slowly, over the next century, West University Place evolved from treeless farmland into one of the most livable small towns in Texas—but the journey was not easy. More than once, the enterprise could have failed. If not for the actions of visionary leaders and dedicated residents, things may have turned out quite differently.

Freelance science writer Richard Cunningham is on the City of West University Place Parks and Recreation Board. In 2021, he originated research into the location of the 1894 Harris County Poor Farm, which led to the approval of a historical marker on the Edloe Street pathway. Richard and his wife, Lily Ann, live on Ruskin Street in a 1948 cottage that they remodeled in 2007.

Cover image for West University Place, isbn: 9781467161350

Roman Spectacle on the Rio Grande

9781467155335

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How the gladiatorial games of ancient Rome appeared on the Texas frontier. From 1895 to 1913, promoters on the Texas-Mexico border imported a variety of large mammals from around the world to pit them against one another in interspecies combat. Lions fought bears, an elephant took on a bull, and one promoter released a tiger, a bull, and a bear into the same cage at the same time. Human combatants occasionally entered the fray, from a rodeo pioneer who squared off against an elk to a bullfighter who took on a buffalo. Vaudeville showmen supplied livestock, sensationalistic newspapers drove ticket sales, and Progressive Era animal rights groups lobbied to shut down the spectacle. Bradley Folsom gives an account of the epic border battles, both in and out of the cage, which tell the story of a time when Texas was a rising economic power and Mexico verged on revolution.

Cover image for Roman Spectacle on the Rio Grande, isbn: 9781467155335

Expedition Texas

9781467155267

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

If the weathered landmarks and forgotten trails of the Lone Star State could talk, this is what they might say. The TV show Expedition Texas brings to life stories of abandoned buildings, ghost towns and other lost Texas history locations. Hit the road with Bob Mauldin and his crew and hear the stories behind the stories. Venture deep beneath the surface to explore a missile launch site. Climb crumbling stairs high above the ground to the top of amazing historical hotels. There's lost history all over Texas. And, on Expedition Texas, we're gonna find it.

Cover image for Expedition Texas, isbn: 9781467155267

Historic Dance Halls of East Central Texas

9781467131506

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Texas dance halls are iconic structures that have played a prominent role in the state's culture from its earliest stages. They became central institutions in the earliest European settlements and provided these immigrant communities with a common, central space in which to build new ways of life in a new land. The settlement patterns of the mostly German, Czech, Polish, and other central European migrants of this period gave East Central Texas the state's greatest concentration of dance halls. Thousands of these halls were built throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, but at present, their numbers have dwindled considerably, and many are at risk.

Cover image for Historic Dance Halls of East Central Texas, isbn: 9781467131506

El Paso's Manhattan Heights

9780738584805

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Manhattan Heights Historic District can trace its beginnings to June 9, 1899, when paperwork was filed by El Paso and New York investors to begin the process of opening the Federal Copper Company. By 1912, however, the smelter was closed and demolished. Shortly thereafter, four of the five parcels of land originally owned by the smelter were purchased to build what many considered to be El Paso's first suburban neighborhood. The first house was built in 1914, with many more to follow, representing Spanish, Georgian, and Moderne architectural styling of the times. With the construction of Manhattan Heights School and Veterans Memorial Park, the small district covering 1,910 acres attracted many of El Paso's prominent citizens.

El Paso, 1850-1950

9780738571201

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Examine the early years of El Paso’s evolution from a sleepy, adobe village to a vital international crossroads.

Located at the far western tip of Texas, the city of El Paso is bordered on the north by New Mexico and on the south by the city of Juarez, Mexico. The area's recorded history dates back more than 400 years when Spanish missionaries gave the region its name: El Paso del Norté, or The Pass of the North. Between 1850 and 1950, El Paso's growth was influenced by a variety of people and events. The four dead in five seconds shootout in 1881 gave El Paso the short-lived nickname Six-Shooter Capital until the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, happened later that year. The Mexican Revolution influenced the city in the early part of the 20th century, and the 1920s saw Prohibition energize the local tourist trade with barrooms and gambling available just across the border. El Paso also became an inland Ellis Island, with thousands of immigrants entering the United States eager for a new start.

Cover image for El Paso, 1850-1950, isbn: 9780738571201

Houston

9780738571225

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Along the banks of Buffalo Bayou, Houston was founded by John and Augustus Allen on August 30, 1836. The city was named after Gen. Sam Houston, a prominent military hero of the Texas Revolution. After the Civil War ended, Houston flourished as agricultural, industrial, and commercial interests generated economic growth. In 1901, the discovery of oil at nearby Spindletop ushered in a new era, fueled by the addition of an inland port when the Houston Ship Channel was dredged in 1914. During the latter half of the 20th century, energy, space exploration, and the medical sciences placed this city on the world stage. Big dreams, big discoveries, hard work, and a little luck made Houston the thriving city it is today.

Tyler

9780738571782

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

In the early 1900s, the golden age of postcards was just beginning. Millions of cards were mailed across America, and many survive today in archives and private collections. Through these snapshots of history, Tyler's evolution can be traced. While fruit and cotton production was king into the early 20th century, a floral beauty soon brought Tyler new royalty-the Rose Queen. The discovery of oil in the city's backyard supplied a security blanket during the Great Depression's uncertain days, and Tyler benefitted with commercial and population growth. This book contains more than 200 vintage postcards that chronicle Tyler's social, educational, and medical history and its place in the heart of East Texas.

Kingman

9780738579306

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

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

Cover image for Kingman, isbn: 9780738579306

Houston's River Oaks

9780738596693

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

In the early 1920s, when T.W. House Jr., A.C. Guthrie, and Thomas Ball came to the conclusion that Houston needed a new country club, complete with an 18-hole golf course, they formed Country Club Estates. They chose to build on land called the House tract just west of downtown. Very quickly, 300 memberships were sold, with each including one share of stock in the company. Within a year, Will and Mike Hogg, along with Hugh Potter, recognized this as a perfect idea for the bustling city of Houston. They purchased 1,100 acres, eventually creating the River Oaks Corporation. Images of America: Houston's River Oaks takes the reader from 1923 to 1970 and tells the story of one of the most carefully planned subdivisions in America. Today, River Oaks is known as an enviable place to call home. The careful planning undertaken by these Houstonians 90 years ago produced results of unmatched beauty and a quality of life still enjoyed today.

Oklahoma City Rediscovered

9780738551494

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Oklahoma City has a fascinating history. By 1907, when Oklahoma became a state, the diversity of business, entertainment, industry, manufacturing, and transportation was experiencing rapid development. Contained within Oklahoma City Rediscovered is the story of four aspects of that development: Deep Deuce with the rise of blues and jazz music, town site development with the goal of establishing a seat of government with the founding of Capitol Hill, manufacturing that led to the warehouse district that evolved into the premier entertainment area known as Bricktown, and transportation with the love affair of the automobile along a major thoroughfare downtown that was devoted to showcasing the latest models of cars to capture the fancy of the public.

US Airways

9780738596235

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The history of US Airways begins in 1939 as All American Aviation, flying single-engine Stinson Reliant aircraft to carry mail under a contract by the US Postal Service. By 1953, All American became Allegheny Airlines with the goal to become one of America's premier airlines in the East. Allegheny grew by acquiring other airlines, the first being Lake Central Airlines in 1968, followed by Mohawk Airlines in 1972. In 1979, Allegheny became US Air to reflect the airline's desire to grow to the West Coast; this was followed by merging with PSA in 1988, Piedmont in 1989, Trump Shuttle in 1992, and America West in 2005. US Airways is now the fifth-largest airline in the United States, operating more than 2,000 flights daily. This book tells the story of the many men and women who transformed a small regional airline to become one of America's great success stories.

Cover image for US Airways, isbn: 9780738596235

Pearl

9781625858283

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

"The finest flavored beer in the market. Be sure and try, and you will be convinced. Warranted to be the same at all times. Ask for it, drink no other." In 1887, these were bold words about the City Brewery's new beer with the pearly bubbles, considering how the recent flood of German immigrants to Central Texas brought along expert fermentation. As that business evolved into the San Antonio Brewing Association, XXX Pearl Beer became the mainstay of the largest brewery in the state. Its smokestack formed an intrinsic part of the San Antonio skyline. A regional powerhouse for more than a century, it was the only Texas brewery to survive Prohibition. It also endured the onslaught of a president's scandalous death and Lone Star's fierce rivalry. Grab a pint and join author Jeremy Banas for a tour of Texas's most iconic brewery.

Paris

9780738585260

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Paris and Lamar Counties were first settled by Americans during the Republic of Texas period, but their history stretches back into dim antiquity--as local Indian mounds testify. Although it was never a cow town, Paris was once home to one of the Old West's most famous cattle barons. It was never as lawless as other Western towns, but Frank James, whose brother was the infamous Jesse, at one time called Paris home. Although Paris has undergone a number of devastating natural and economic tragedies, its citizens have never given up on themselves or their city.

The Dallas Music Scene

9781467131513

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

For much of the 20th century, Dallas was home to a wide range of vital popular music. By the 1920s, the streets, dance halls, and vaudeville houses of Deep Ellum rang with blues and jazz. Blind Lemon Jefferson was discovered singing the blues on the streets of Deep Ellum but never recorded in Dallas. Beginning in the 1930s, however, artists from Western swing pioneer Bob Wills to blues legend Robert Johnson recorded in a three-story zigzag moderne building at 508 Park Avenue. And from the late 1940s to the mid-1960s, a wrestling arena called the Sportatorium was home to a Saturday night country and rock-and-roll extravaganza called the Big D Jamboree.

Cover image for The Dallas Music Scene, isbn: 9781467131513

Building Modern Houston

9780738585246

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Founded in 1836, Houston is now the country's fourth-largest city. In the early 20th century, Houston's economy shifted from agriculture to oil, fueling the city's explosive growth in the following decades. Houston grabbed the reins and saw a building boom in commercial, residential, and civic architecture redefine the city and skyline. Modernism was a new and fresh architectural expression and the perfect complement to the city's can-do entrepreneurial spirit. The 1960s brought ground-breaking ceremonies for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) headquarters, while residents and tourists alike lined up to tour the revolutionary new Astrodome. Building Modern Houston tells the story of Houston's architecture during its transformation from "Bayou City" to "Space City."

Huntsville Penitentiary

9780738599618

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

The state of Texas, home to one of the largest prison systems in the country, opened its first penitentiary in 1849. The Walls Unit in Huntsville was the genesis of a prison system that became the home of notorious convicts and the focus of much debate about incarceration and the death penalty in the United States. The Walls Unit housed gunslinger John Wesley Hardin, members of the Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker gang, and infamous drug cartel leader Fred Carrasco. Built using convict labor, the Walls Unit was heralded as a modern approach to incarceration in Texas. The prison dominated the landscape of the town of Huntsville when it was built and remains central to that community today.

Cover image for Huntsville Penitentiary, isbn: 9780738599618

Phoenix Television

9781467102797

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Immediately following World War II, television burst upon the American scene. Radio had been the popular way of receiving news and entertainment during the war years, but now, television could provide pictures to illustrate radio's programs. It was like having your own personal movie theater in your living room. Although isolated in the Sonoran Desert, Phoenix citizens were not to be denied the wonders of this new communication medium. KPHO-TV, Channel 5, signed on the air on December 4, 1949, with a selection of programs from all four television networks. Channels 12, 10, and 3 were soon to follow, and the lifestyles of the residents of Phoenix would never be the same. The flickering blue light from the Magnavox or RCA receivers danced on the curtains of the darkened living rooms all over town. Now Phoenicians could experience the televised dramas from New York City or view the films of Hollywood with just the flip of a switch—and maybe some careful adjustment of the rabbit ears.

Cover image for Phoenix Television, isbn: 9781467102797

Haunted Fort Worth

9781609491765

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

In Fort Worth, the past and present exist side by side and spirits walk among the living. Stay the night at Miss Molly's Hotel; the oldest bed-and-breakfast in the city boasts frequent eerie occurrences and unexplained sightings. Nearby, Cattlemen's Fort Worth Steak House features a special like no other, just watch out for flying liquor! From Bonnie and Clyde's old "haunts" to the once notorious Hell's Half Acre, Fort Worth is filled with historic spots rumored to play host to lingering ghosts and specters.

Cover image for Haunted Fort Worth, isbn: 9781609491765

A History Lover's Guide to Austin

9781467145473

$21.99 $16.49 Save 25%

Leave the brochures behind and tour Austin neighborhoods with an ambassador of the city’s less familiar history, from the dirt on 6th Street to the music of hidden wildlife.

Witness the rise of a metropolis from the tiny frontier outpost of Waterloo into a world leader in culture and technology. Discover the lost treasure of Shoal Creek in Pease Park or just a sense of inner peace amid the koi ponds and waterfalls of the Zilker Botanical Gardens. Like the bats of Congress Avenue, navigate Austin neighborhoods by sound, taking cues from the Stevie Ray Vaughn’s beloved guitar and Angelina Eberly’s city-saving cannon. Award-winning tour guide Jason Weems charts a course through Austin’s heritage, treading the back streets stalked by a serial killer and the stately halls of the Texas State History Museum.

Cover image for A History Lover's Guide to Austin, isbn: 9781467145473

Oklahoma City Zoo

9781467112246

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

What started as a small menagerie in 1902 officially became Oklahoma City Zoo in 1903. Journey through the second half century of its illustrious history in Oklahoma City Zoo: 1960-2013. Meet the staff and animals and explore the exhibits that propelled it from a third-class animal facility to one of the best zoos in the United States. In the 1960s, its animal population exploded as knowledge of animal care improved. The zoo soon assembled the largest-known collection of hoofed animals. Later, a rare mountain gorilla named M'Kubwa stole newspaper headlines, a third leopard escaped, and the zoo met its first cheetah babies. The opening of Aquaticus in the 1980s "brought the ocean to the prairie" in the form of a dolphin and sea lion show. Elephants, however, remain the queen attraction at the Oklahoma City Zoo. In 2011, the birth of the zoo's first baby elephant baby, Malee, was a crowning achievement in its 110-year history.

The Glen Rose Moonshine Raid

9781625859457

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With hills studded with whiskey stills and cisterns brimming over with beer, Glen Rose operated in concerted defiance of one of Prohibition's chief champions, Governor Pat Neff. In 1923, Neff dispatched Texas Rangers and undercover agents to do the job of the unwilling local law enforcement. More than fifty men were arrested, including the sheriff and the county prosecutor. Outraged, the town's most prominent citizens stalked the Rangers and their agents, assassinating the primary operative in an ambush and further escalating the affair. Author Martin Brown follows the frenzy of the raid and its aftermath.

Sun City

9780738579511

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Sun City, Arizona, the nation's first master-planned, active-adult retirement community, reinvented the definition of "retirement living" when it opened its doors in 1960. Located 14 miles northwest of Phoenix, this community was cultivated from the dusty desert cotton fields once known as Marinette Ranch. Developed by master builder Del E. Webb, Sun City combined affordable housing with recreational amenities to create a lifestyle designed to rejuvenate the body and keep the mind and spirit feeling forever young. Sun City's success gave birth to an entirely new industry catering to older Americans. The famous "Sun City Lifestyle" remains as popular today as it was in 1960.

Guthrie and Logan County

9780738583594

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Guthrie and Logan County lie at the geographical center of Oklahoma, just north of Oklahoma City. The bulk of Logan County was opened by the Land Run of April 22, 1889, with the eastern portion opened by the run of September 6, 1891, that opened the Iowa, Sac and Fox, and Potawatomi reservations. The town of Guthrie was the political and cultural center of first the territory of Oklahoma from 1890 to 1907, then the state of Oklahoma until 1910. Guthrie attracted architects who built impressive buildings, businessmen and farmers who hoped to make a new life, and a variety of other characters wanting to make a new home. While Guthrie was the most important town, others thrived as well: Marshall (home of Angie Debo, an important Oklahoma historian), Langston (home of Oklahoma's first black university), Mullhall, Orlando, Crescent, Meridian, and Coyle, as well as many towns that did not survive.

Alpine

9780738578941

$24.99 $18.74 Save 25%

Alpine was born a railroad town, but long before the whistle of the steam locomotive broke the silence of Alpine Valley, the nearby spring was a favored campground for prehistoric nomads and later for Spanish explorers and freighters along the Chihuahua Trail. When the Southern Pacific unfurled its line down from Paisano Pass in 1882, landowner Thomas Murphy saw opportunity and platted the town. In 1887, Alpine was chosen as the county seat, and with the opening of Sul Ross Normal College in 1920, the town became the academic hub of the region. Following a decade of prosperity, the Great Depression and recurrent droughts triggered a slow decline. But since the early 1990s, Alpine has enjoyed a surge in regional art and culture, allowing it to reclaim its former glory as a proud little cosmopolitan cowtown perched at the top of the Texas Big Bend.

Oro Valley

9780738548340

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Located on ancient land between the Tortolita and Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, the town of Oro Valley is very much a newcomer, having officially incorporated in 1974. But its earliest families date back to 1100, when the Hohokam established villages in the area. In the 1800s, hardy pioneers used the abundant waters of the nearby Cañada del Oro to establish cattle ranches, while the early 1900s brought health seekers to ranch or establish other business endeavors. In the 20th century, the Cañada del Oro dried up, forcing many residents to move. But others remained and fought to keep their community from being absorbed by a booming Tucson. They were successful, and today the growing Oro Valley boasts a fascinating history, thriving technology sector, emerging arts scene, and all the comforts of modern living.

True Tales of Prescott

9781467151870

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Located in the center of Arizona, Prescott is the heart and soul of the state. Carved out of the wilderness to become the first capital of Arizona Territory, the town has been a magnet for colorful characters since 1864. From Isaac Goldberg, proprietor of the first saloon, to musical icon Bruce Springsteen, Prescott has hosted its fair share of legends. Highwayman Brazen Bill Brazelton moseyed through the streets of Prescott, as did Bucky O'Neill and Barry Goldwater. Famous landmarks like the Palace Saloon survived not only Prohibition but also the Great Fire of 1900, which burned through Whiskey Row. Join historians Bradley G. Courtney and Drew Desmond as they round up tales of Prescott's fascinating past.

Arizona Chimichangas

9781467140195

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Many claim to be the first to turn a plain burrito into a crispy chimichanga, but everyone agrees that it happened in Arizona. Fried to golden brown perfection at iconic restaurants like Casa Molina, El Charro and Macayo’s, these crunchy wonders are favorites from Flagstaff to Bisbee, Safford to Yuma and all parts in between. Discover the disputed history of how chimichangas got their name and whether Chinese immigrants really invented them. Learn what goes into making a chimi, down to creating the perfect tortilla, as well as the variety of creative ingredients—from seafood to strawberries—that have been wrapped up in this delightful dish. Join author Rita Connelly as she presents recipes and behind-the-scenes stories from the Grand Canyon State’s beloved chimichangas.

Cover image for Arizona Chimichangas, isbn: 9781467140195

Oklahoma Scoundrels

9781467135191

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Early Oklahoma was a haven for violent outlaws and a death trap for deputy U.S. marshals. The infamous Doolin gang's OK Hotel gunfight left five dead. Killers like Bible-quoting choir leader Deacon Jim Miller wreaked havoc. Gunslinger femme fatale Belle Starr specialized in horse theft. Wannabe outlaws like Al Jennings traded train robbing for politics and Hollywood films. And Elmer McCurdy's determination and inept skill earned him a carnival slot and the nickname "the Bandit Who Wouldn't Give Up." Historians Robert Barr Smith and Laurence J. Yadon dispel myths surrounding some of the most significant lawbreakers in Sooner history.

Wood County

9780738529363

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

Carthage

9780738571126

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

Cover image for Carthage, isbn: 9780738571126

Woolaroc

9781467110471

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Nestled in the rough and tumble Osage Hills of northeast Oklahoma, Woolaroc is a place of magic. The sound the wind makes whistling through the blackjack oaks, the water lapping against the shores of Clyde Lake, and the thundering hooves of a herd of American bison create a symphony of nature on the more than 3,600 acres that make up Woolaroc. The woods, lakes, and rocks of this region inspired oil magnate Frank Phillips, the founder of Phillips Petroleum, to build a rustic lodge getaway for his family in 1925. Away from the boardrooms of New York City and the more refined atmosphere of his grand home in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Phillips could unwind and relax. Entertaining family, friends, business associates, and dignitaries at the lodge at Woolaroc was one of Phillips's favorite things to do when he was not working. Today, Woolaroc is home to one of the nation's finest collections of Western art and attracts visitors the world over. The spirit of the Oklahoma oilmen and pioneers that made the state great is alive and well in Woolaroc.

Southern Arizona Cemeteries

9781467131230

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In a quest to understand an area as diverse as Arizona, there can be no better way than to take a journey to the grave sites of its pioneers and observe the style whereby they made their journey from this world. The sites may be as simple as a cross or a shrine by the side of a road or as large as Tucson's Evergreen Cemetery, which has provided a final resting place to more than 40,000 interments. In this book, one will find the graves of governors, sheriffs, gunfighters, business owners, soldiers, schoolteachers, sports figures, madams, miners, and many others from all walks of life. Where possible, an image of the deceased and a brief bio has been included. The epitaphs, symbols, and expressions of grief on the graves provide an insight into the loss felt by family and friends. The graves are brief glimpses into Arizona's pioneer past.

Cover image for Southern Arizona Cemeteries, isbn: 9781467131230

Dallas Landmarks

9780738558523

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Dallas has a reputation as a progressive city—always ready to build something new and better to replace the old.

In the late 19th century, as Dallas became the transportation and commercial center for North Texas, brick and stone edifices supplanted the simple frame structures of the early days. By the 1920s, the city was the financial capital of the region and boasted the tallest building west of the Mississippi. In 1936, Dallas hosted the Texas Centennial Exposition in Fair Park, an ensemble of art deco buildings that is a National Historic Landmark. As business grew, so did the skyline. Today Dallas has a rich collection of historic buildings that chronicle the city's growth and progress.

Cover image for Dallas Landmarks, isbn: 9780738558523

Houston Heights

9780738571188

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In 1891, O. M. Carter purchased 1,756 acres 2.5 miles from downtown Houston to develop one of the largest planned communities in America. Located 23 feet higher than the surrounding area, the new neighborhood was named Houston Heights. Carter also purchased the City of Houston's mule-drawn streetcar system and then electrified it to provide reliable transportation to downtown. By 1896, Houston Heights was an incorporated village with its own elected mayor and aldermen. From across America, buyers came, eager to build their homes in what Carter called "a model community." Vintage photographs chronicle this charming suburb's development and the residents who have left their imprint. Time has brought change and new challenges to Houston Heights, but the community retains its small-town, friendly atmosphere and strives to maintain its historical identity.

Kirtland Air Force Base

9781467128872

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In late 1939, the US Army leased from the City of Albuquerque 2,000 acres adjacent to the municipal airport to house a small Air Corps detachment servicing transient Army and Navy aircraft. From these humble beginnings, construction began on Albuquerque Army Air Base on January 7, 1941. Starting as a B-17 training base in the months prior to World War II, the airfield would contain a bombardier school, glider replacement center, and four-engine transition school. On February 25, 1942, at the special request of Gen. Henry Hap Arnold, Albuquerque Army Air Base was renamed after Col. Roy C. Kirtland, one of the early Army aviation pioneers. Today, Kirtland Air Force Base has evolved into a military base different in many respects from its predecessor installations—Oxnard Field, Sandia Base, and Manzano Base. The base's presence is significant to Albuquerque's economic and social life, as well as housing several of the nation's most important defense research and development organizations.

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Galveston's Maceo Family Empire

9781626197534

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At the dawn of the twentieth century, Galveston was a beacon of opportunity on the Texas Gulf Coast. Dubbed the Wall Street of the Southwest, its laissez-faire reputation called those hungry for success to its shores. Led by brothers Salvatore and Rosario at the height of Prohibition, the Maceo family answered that call and changed the Oleander City forever. They built an island empire of gambling, smuggling and prostitution that lasted three decades. Housed in their nightclubs frequented by stars like Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra and Duke Ellington, they endeared themselves to their Galveston neighbors by sharing their profits, imitating crime syndicates in their native Sicily. Though certainly no saints, the Maceos helped bring prosperity to a community weary from a century of turmoil. Discover the history of Galveston's famous crime family with authors Nicole Boatman, Dr. Scott Belshaw and Texas historian Richard McCaslin.

Cover image for Galveston's Maceo Family Empire, isbn: 9781626197534

Galveston's Red Light District

9781467138833

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Known today as a colorful resort destination featuring family entertainment and a thriving arts district, Galveston was once notorious for its flourishing vice economy and infamous red-light district. Called simply The Line, the unassuming five blocks of Postoffice Street came alive every night with wild parties and generous offerings of hourly love. A stubborn mainstay of the island cityscape for nearly seventy years, it finally shut down in the late 1950s. But ridding Galveston of prostitution would prove much more difficult than putting a padlock on the front door. Kimber Fountain pursues the sequestered story of women who wanted to make their own rules and the city that wanted to let them.

Cover image for Galveston's Red Light District, isbn: 9781467138833

Canary Islanders of San Antonio

9781467138215

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Acting on a decree from the king of Spain, the first Canary Islanders arrived in San Antonio in 1731, just thirteen years after the city's founding. In the intervening centuries, the descendants of those sixteen families became inextricably intertwined with the story of their chosen home. From the formation of the first city council to the siege of the Alamo, they contributed to the formative moments of San Antonio's legacy. Several of these descendants collected oral family traditions and combed archival records to preserve this important thread running through the rich tapestry of San Antonio's heritage.

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West Texas Cattle Kingdom

9780738596488

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Images of America: West Texas Cattle Kingdom relates the frontier saga of cowboys and longhorn cattle, of trail drives and great ranches. Cattle and horses were introduced to the Western Hemisphere by Spanish conquistadores and colonizers while Mexican vaqueros handled cattle from horseback, developing special techniques, equipment, and attire. Half-wild longhorns multiplied into the millions in the unpopulated brush country above the Rio Grande. After the Civil War, a hungry market for beef developed in the north. Texas "cow boys" learned the vaquero skills of roping and branding and adapted heavy-duty Mexican saddles, wide-brimmed hats, high-heeled boots, jingling spurs, leather chaparejos, and colorful bandanas. The adventure of driving large herds of cattle up the Chisholm Trail and other famous trails captivated America. Vast Texas ranches included the fabled King Ranch, the three-million-acre XIT, Charles Goodnight's JA Ranch, and El Rancho Grande of legendary Shanghai Pierce, who described himself as "Webster on cattle, by God."

Socorro

9781467132190

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The town of Socorro got its name from the "succor" travelers found at the northern end of a 90-mile-long desert trail known as the Jornada del Muerto, the "Journey of the Dead Man," in central New Mexico. The village of Socorro, located at the site of the ancient 1600s Piro Pueblo, was first settled sometime around 1816 as an agricultural community. The discovery of silver at Socorro Peak and the Magdalena Mountains and the arrival of the railroad in 1880 brought boom times to the town. The demonetization of silver in 1893 was the end of Socorro's boom, and the community gradually reverted to its agricultural heritage. Reminders of days gone by can still be seen in Socorro. The Garcia Opera House, the Crown Mill, the Illinois Brewery, and several historic houses have been successfully preserved.

Hidden History of Spanish New Mexico

9781609497606

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New Mexico's Spanish legacy has informed the cultural traditions of one of the last states to join the union for more than four hundred years, or before the alluring capital of Santa Fe was founded in 1610. The fame the region gained from artist Georgia O'Keefe, writers Lew Wallace and D.H. Lawrence and pistolero Billy the Kid has made New Mexico an international tourist destination. But the Spanish annals also have enriched the Land of Enchantment with the factual stories of a superhero knight, the greatest queen in history, a saintly gent whose coffin periodically rises from the depths of the earth and a mysterious ancient map. Join author Ray John de Aragón as he reveals hidden treasure full of suspense and intrigue.

Haunted Dallas

9781609492014

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Tales of the strange and supernatural echo through the halls and city streets of the Big D. At the Renaissance-inspired Majestic Theater, it is rumored that the curtains are lowered by ghostly hands, and it is said that there is a sadness that lingers at the Sixth Floor Museum in the room where Oswald aimed at JFK. Travel downtown to the grand Adolphus Hotel, where guests from the turn of the century still dance to the strains of a phantom waltz, but beware of the stretch of road along White Rock Lake where a mysterious force kills the engines of unwary motorists. Join local author Rita Cook as she journeys into the darkest corners of the Texas heartland with this chilling collection of stories.

Legendary Locals of Carlsbad

9781467102261

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Born from opportunity and a promotional scheme hatched by founding father Charles B. Eddy, Carlsbad started life as a tent city on a desolate landscape. As the investment money started to flow, the Pecos River was harnessed through the creation of irrigation, which turned the region into a rich, fertile valley. As tuberculosis swept the nation, hundreds of new settlers arrived in Carlsbad for the arid climate. Legendary Locals of Carlsbad celebrates their descendants who forged the community of today. Learn about socialite Cesarine Graves, daredevil and Mr. Welcome Frank Kindel, actors Dan Blocker and Bruce Cabot, drag racer Dick Harrell, newscaster Linda Wertheimer, astronaut F. Drew Gaffney, and baseball star Cody Ross, to name but a few. Included also are the tales of the trials and heroism shown and faced by all the veterans of wars that Carlsbad provided, especially the World War II veterans of the Bataan Death March, the Vietnam War, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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The Oklahoma Music Trail

9781467109277

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The Oklahoma Music Trail is a pictorial essay that features the music genres, performers, and songwriters of Oklahoma. There are literally hundreds of artists who have made their home in Oklahoma. The cowboy ballads of Gene Autry, Western swing that originated with the fiddle of Bob Wills, the Tulsa Sound of Leon Russell and gospel songs of Albert E. Brumley have paved the way for generations of Oklahoma musicians and performers. This book tells the story of country music legends who have traveled along the Oklahoma Music Trail.

Baytown

9781467109130

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The early history of Baytown is intertwined with the early history of Texas. The first president of the Republic of Texas, David G. Burnet, and two-time president Sam Houston both lived in the neighborhood. Dr. Ashbel Smith, Texas ambassador to France and England, first president of the University of Texas in Austin, and a founder of the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, called Goose Creek home. After the last president of Texas, Anson Jones, committed suicide, his widow, Mary Jones, moved here with their children. She later helped form the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and served as its first president. The major industry in the 1800s was brick making, and over a 100-year period, up to 12 million bricks a year were made on Cedar Bayou and shipped to Galveston, where many buildings built with these bricks still stand. In 1908, the industry became oil with the discovery of the Goose Creek oil field, which, for a while, was the largest producing field in Texas. Because of the proximity to the oil field and access to shipping, the huge Humble Oil Refinery was built at Baytown, starting up in 1919.

Kyle

9781467134910

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Kyle, Texas, was founded in 1880 when settlers from the nearby established communities of Blanco and Mountain City purchased lots in the 200-acre township deeded to the International-Great Northern Railroad by David E. Moore and Fergus Kyle, who gave his name to the new city. Beneath a live oak tree, which still stands, lots for both businesses and residences that had been laid out by surveyor Martin Groos were sold at auction in October 1880. Within two years, the town had 500 residents, although it would not be incorporated until 1928. Around the time Kyle was founded, Col. R.J. Sledge brought German workers to his Pecan Springs Valley plantation east of Kyle, generating new customers for his mercantile store in town. Kyle has been the home of some famous people, including author Katherine Anne Porter, Boston Red Sox pitcher Tex Hughson, Rhodes Scholar Terrell Sledge, and Dean Edwin J. Kyle, namesake of Kyle Field at Texas A&M University.