The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 94, July 1990 - April, 1991 Page: 650
692 p. : ill. (some col.), maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
650 Southwestern Historical Quarterly
Anyone who has ridden Texas backroads on public conveyances will
find the 8o percent of this work that is devoted to Texas full of fascina-
tion. Buses linked the state's regions when no other form of transporta-
tion could-or would. While the non-Texan cries out for a map or two,
the older native will have no trouble imagining what it meant for South-
land Red Ball Motorbus to link San Antonio and Dallas via Austin,
Temple, Waco, and Alvarado in 1928 (p. 20). The value of such service
to the salesman, as well as the central role of the bus in the life of the
smaller town whose rail connections (if any) tied it to but one or two
other Texas cities, and the special, emotionally flavored memory of
World War II-era service to and from military camps should give the
book much added value for older Texans. While Oklahoma's story
comes across here as nearly a clone of Texas's, New Mexicans may find
their state's bus history especially interesting, illustrating as it does the
importance not only of tourism but of the state's river-and-railroad de-
termined distribution of "Anglo" population in giving the bus a distinc-
tive meaning for that state.
Above all, perhaps, all who remember intercity buses fondly (and
there are more than a few who do) should enjoy the plentiful photo-
graphs. In contrast to most such works, Interczty Bus Lznes pictures a
good proportion of its buses in service or in a service context, not in the
builder's shops. This, then, is not "the" history, either social or eco-
nomic, of the bus in the Southwest. For bus fans, nostalgia buffs, or
fans of the entrepreneurial tradition, however, Jack Rhodes's work will
be a welcome contribution to the history of the Southwest.Illinois Institute of Technology
PAUL BARRETT
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue 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 Periodical.
Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 94, July 1990 - April, 1991, periodical, 1991; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101214/m1/728/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.