The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 50, July 1946 - April, 1947 Page: 429
582 p. : ill. (some col.), maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The Texas Almanac
cultural economy. During this period more than half a million
people had poured across the eastern Texas boundary line,
practically doubling the state's population. Possibly, too, Colonel
A. H. Belo was not intrigued by the Almanac idea as was Wil-
lard Richardson. Colonel Belo had joined the Galveston News
shortly after the close of the War between the States, and he
became a guiding force in 1873, when the much older Richardson
partially retired from active duty. Richardson died two years
later in 1875. Colonel Belo was a great newspaper publisher,
but he seems not to have had the Almanac idea. At no time
during his ascendancy in the affairs of the Galveston and Dallas
News, 1874 to 1901, was the Texas Almanac published. It was
through the influence of G. B. Dealey, late publisher of the
Dallas News, that the Texas Almanac was revived in 1904, and
again in 1911-1914, and finally in the present series in 1925.
Dealey had joined the Galveston News as an office boy in 1874,
the year after the last of the early series of Texas Almanacs
had been issued. But he was, through the years, interested in
the revival of the annual as an aid in the economic and social
progress of Texas. It was with this in mind that the title was
altered in 1904 to Texas Almanac and State Industrial Guide.
To summarize, from the investigation that I have been able
to do, I think that the early series of Almanacs can be evaluated
as of material influence and effect on the economic and social
progress of the state. First, it was an effective promotional
effort for the economic development of Texas. Furthermore,
the Almanac was a unique manifestation of frontier spirit and
purpose, regarding which Dr. Walter Prescott Webb recently
spoke before the Texas State Historical Association. Dr. Webb
used the illustration of the man who suddenly awaked to find
that he had, not a quarter-section of land, but two sections-
two sections of virgin soil with untouched timber, mineral, and
other native resources. Dr. Webb said he fancied that, under
these circumstances, the man would walk about over his new
acres, thinking of its settlement and the utilization of its re-
sources. That is what the early publishers of the Texas Almanac
were doing. They saw great material resources but little pop-
ulation to give these resources value.
Second, the Texas Almanac, directly and indirectly, has been
a preserver of Texas history. Sam Acheson, in his 35,000 Days
in Texas, says that Richardson had a great interest in history.429
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 50, July 1946 - April, 1947, periodical, 1947; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101117/m1/537/: accessed April 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.