The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 45, July 1941 - April, 1942 Page: 74
This periodical is part of the collection entitled: Southwestern Historical Quarterly and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Texas State Historical Association.
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TEXAS COUNTY HISTORIES
H. BAILEY CARROLL
Introduction
A resident of the Panhandle country recently said to me: "I
wish I knew what has been written about Hutchinson County. I
have been wondering if there are any old county histories or
even theses on this county. Could you tell me ?" This is a typical
inquiry made not infrequently by non-professional historians.
A letter to the Texas State Historical Association from a lead-
ing citizen of New York State says: "Call attention to any
book or books, articles or pamphlets bearing directly upon my
native Texas county." In compliance with such requests, the
bibliography which follows is intended to serve as a starting
point for the teachers, students, and laymen who are seeking
specific information regarding some particular Texas county.
No such compilation has, up to now, been available.
The writer belongs to that host of people who collect Texana,
or, more especially, to that group which collects Texas county
histories. Both the number of collectors of county histories
and the potential number of items available for collection are
surprisingly larger than one unfamiliar with the field would
suspect. These collectors represent a quiet, frequently unher-
alded social group, but are so definitely related to the field of
local history and community interests that some remarks re-
garding them and the characteristics of the materials which
they collect should not be out of place.
Usually the individual who is at all awake has absorbed some-
thing of the flavor and the color of his local history. He likes
what he knows and he knows the places and people of his
county. He likes the past of his community, for it merges into
a livelier interest in his every-day life and surroundings. Thus,
it is not strange that in many Texas homes one finds an old
county history which is a most treasured heirloom-as revered
as the family Bible-for it is focused upon something with{ 74 ]
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 45, July 1941 - April, 1942, periodical, 1942; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth146053/m1/80/?rotate=270: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.