The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 71, July 1967 - April, 1968 Page: 143
686 p. : ill. (some col.), maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Book Reviews
libraries in Austin; the National Archives; the Records of Irion
County; and the files of the Mertzon Star and the San Angelo Standard
Times.
The work represents a tremendous amount of detailed research from
primary sources with a running account of numerous "firsts," includ-
ing: the first election, the first murder, the first church established, the
first school, and the first (and only) railroad. These are interspersed
with interesting accounts of the pleasures and problems experienced
by the hardy pioneers who settled in the county.
Numbered among the early settlers are some of the outstanding
pioneer families of West Central Texas. These include: John Arden,
Bruce McCain, Thompson McDonald, C. B. Metcalf, M. B. Pulliam,
Granville H. Sherwood, W. F. Tankersley, and G. W. Wood.
Angelo State College ESCAL F. DUKE
History of Titus County, Texas. By Traylor Russell. Waco (W. M.
Morrison), 1966. Pp. 256. Illustrations, bibliography, index. $7.50.
A deep love of history, which the author said was instilled by a
Georgia-born mother, comes to fruition in Russell's second volume
of History of Titus County.
Settled in the fifth decade of the last century, this northeast Texas
county has had an interesting and varied past, well-chronicled by this
author. Far too many county histories are afflicted with a two-fold
deficiency: a lack of factual content and accuracy, and a total absence
of literary style. Russell has not fallen prey to either of these. On the
other hand, his book represents a novel breath of fresh air in local
historiography. A facile style combined with an evident perspicacity
makes the work valuable. A thorough bibliography at the end makes
the book of even greater value.
Only two faults may be discerned-one structural and the other
interpretive. One would wish that the series of family accounts had
been tied together more closely with bridging sentences or paragraphs.
There seems to be no attempt to relate the experiences of one family
group to that of another. One might also quarrel with the author's
interpretation of Reconstruction in the county. This reviewer, admit-
tedly a revisionist on the subject, finds it difficult to believe the United
States troopers were actually the scoundrels they are made out. As
mentioned, however, these criticisms are highly debatable. Writing143
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 71, July 1967 - April, 1968, periodical, 1968; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117145/m1/161/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.