Texas Almanac, 1978-1979 Page: 20
[708] p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
20 TEXAS ALMANAC-1978-1979
1 ;i -i I' I;
r ; r
i' /~ Ai -I1 '& -
' 1 a N T t i ., I . 7"' , ,. 4,., " . 4, ,Y.. . .._. ; ' !. .t '. .r I..t'
This pastoral community, quiet most of the time, comes alive each August when thousands of Czechs attend an
annual homecoming at St. Mary's Church and nearby Praha community hall.of the state capitol, the University of Texas at Austin and
the Lyndon B. Johnson Library.
Westward from Austin is the home country of the
nation's 36th president, Lyndon B. Johnson. It is one of
the best known and most widely visited sections of the
state. Nowhere else in the nation is there a place
where, within a distance of a few miles, the story of an
American president can be retraced through visiting
the settlement of his grandparents, his birthplace,
boyhood home, his "White House" away from Wash-
ington, and the ranch where he lived in retirement and
where he died and is buried.
At Denison, near the Oklahoma border, is the
birthplace home of another president, Dwight D. Eisen-
hower. A short distance east of Denison, at Bonham, is
the home of the late famous Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Sam Rayburn, and the Rayburn Li-
brary.
Within this central area can also be found many
lakes, dinosaur tracks preserved at a state park, and
Fort Fisher Museum, replica of an early fort honoring
Texas Rangers.
Texas Woodlands
To those who enjoy deep woods and rich native
vegetation, this section of Texas may be considered
the state's most beautiful. The East Texas Piney
Woods, covering 43 counties, encompasses an acreage
almost equal to the combined forest areas of New
England.
The region contains four national forests, four
state forests and numerous lakes including Lake O' the
Pines, Lake Palestine, Caddo Lake, Toledo Bend Lake,
Lake Livingston, Lake Sam Rayburn and Cedar Creek
Lake.
In this area also are found some of the state's most
historical places. North Street in Nacogdoches is be-
lieved by many to be the oldest public thoroughfare in
the U.S. Old Stone Fort was originally built in 1779 as a
Spanish trading post and has been reconstructed from
original materials. It now houses an excellent
museum.
San Augustine was an early gateway to Texas. Sam
Houston was a frequent visitor and Davy Crockett was
feted there on his way to the Alamo. San Augustinerew up around the Spanish mission, Mission Nuestra
enora de los Dolores de los Ais, built in 1716. Sites of
several other Spanish missions are located in this
woodlands region.
Stephen F. Austin's colonists settled on land east-
ward from Austin. The Texas Declaration of Independ-
ence was written and adopted at Washington-on-the-
Brazos in Washington County.
Within the area are the East Texas oil field, Tyler's
famous rose garden, Jefferson with its Excelsior Hotel
and old homes and the Alabama-Coushatta Indian
reservation. Federal legislation has been passed and
Progress is under way establishing an 84,550-acre Big
hicket National Preserve.
Texas Gulf Coast
From Orange, near the Louisiana border, to
Brownsville, a gateway to Mexico, the Texas Gulf
Coast is an exciting tourist playground as well as a
dynamic industrial center and rich agricultural
producing region.
Seashore recreation, wildlife and historical sites
are found throughout this southern band of Texas.
Goliad, one of Texas' oldest municipalities, was
inhabited by Indians long before recorded history. In
the area are restored Missions Nuestra Senora del Espir-
itu Santo and Presidio La Bahia which were established
by Spain at the site in 1749. A monument marks the
graves of Col. James Fannin and 342 of his men who
were massacred after surrendering during the Texas
Revolution.
Galveston is an important shipping center and is a
popular water playground. Galveston Island once was
the home of pirate Jean Lafitte and the city, one of the
state's oldest, is rich in historical points of interest.
Corpus Christi, a beautiful city on a bay, has a
major deepwater port and is an industrial, agricultur-
al and recreation center. Across the causeway are Port
Aransas, a favorite fishing and water recreation vil-
lage, and the northern edge of Padre Island National
Seashore.
The Rio Grande Valley in the southern tip of Texas
is famous for its citrus groves and farm food produc-
tion. The southern tip of Padre Island has many hotels
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This book can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Book.
Texas Almanac, 1978-1979, book, 1978~; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth113814/m1/24/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.