Texas Almanac, 1943-1944 Page: 205
[338] p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
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STATE
DESCRIPTIVE REMARKS.
On opposite page is list of Texas State
Parks, location and classified recreational
assets. Below are remarks on additional
attractions and natural characteristics of
these parks.
Balmorhea.-An oasis at the foot of the
Davis Mountains. San Solomon Springs sup-
plies world's largest outdoor swimming pool.
Bastrop.-Unique forest of loblolly pine.
Low rolling hills. Well-kept nine-hole golf
course.
Big Bend.-Texas' first national park.
Mountains, plains and desert. Last great wil-
derness of Texas.
Big Spring.-Scenic drive up and around
high mesa.
Blanco.-Delightful picnic grounds on shady
banks of Blanco River.
Bonham.-Recreational lake.
Buescher.-Dense woodland of pine and
moss-draped oaks. Small lake.
Caddo Lake.-One of South's largest natural
lakes. Exceptionally good fishing. Mixed
forest of moss-covered cypress, pine and oak.
Cleburne.-Rugged cedar brakes and small
canyons.
Daingerfield.-Eighty-acre lake of crystal-
clear water is ideal for fishing, swimming
and boating.
Davis M ou ntai ns.-Picturesque Indian lodge,
mile high in the cool Davis Mountains. Native
stone and adobe construction.
Fort Griffin.-Ruins and restoration of
historic fort.
Fort Parker.-Recreational lake on Nava-
sota River. Restored historic shrine of Texas.
Frio.-Shady picnic grounds on banks of
Frio River.
Garner.-Woods and hills and the clear,
cold Frio River make ideal vacation spot.
Goose Island.-On the Gulf of Mexico. Sand
beach and sea fishing.
Huntsville.-Recreational lake. Located in
national forest.
Inks Lake.-Large recreational lake In the
heart of the Texas Hill Country.
Kerrville.-Shady picnic grounds In the
Texas Hill Country.
Lake Abilene.-Rugged hills and dense
woodlands. Popular recreational area.
Lake Brownwood.-Recreatlonal lake with
ninety-six-mile shore line.
Lake Corpus Christi.-6,900-acre recreational
lake.
Lockhart.-Rolllng wooded hills. Well-kept
nine-hole golf course.
Longhorn Cavern.-Texas' largest cavern.
Electrically lighted. Guide service.
Mackenzie.-Only timber and streams in
the plains territory. Well-kept nine-hole golf
course.
Meridian.-Seventy-five-acre lake, extreme-
ly popular for fishing. Rolling wooded hills.
Mineral Wells.-Well-kept picnic grounds.
Mother Neff.-Flrst park of the state parks
system. Dense "bottomlands" and rugged
cedar brakes. On Leon River.
Normangee.-Fishing is principal attraction.
Palmetto.-"Troplcs of Texas." Tropical
jungle and flower preserve in San Marcos
River Valley. Scenic hills, strange marsh-
lands, and hot sulphur springs.
Palo Duro Canyon.-Deep, colorful can on
surrounded by level, treeless plains. ut-
standing example of erosion.
Possum Kingdom.-Recreational lake sur-
rounded by low rolling hills covered with
cedar.
San Jose Mission.-Hlstorlc mission and
grounds.
Stephen F. Austin.-Slte of S. F. Austin's
original colony on banks of Brazos River.
Tyler.-Recreational lake surrounded by
pine forest. Good fishing.PARKS. 205
(Continued from Page 203 )
Grande, which in threading its way though
the mountains toward the Gulf of Mexico is
forced to make a wide diversion. It is a land
of deep canyons, of wide arid plains, and
high rugged mountains, some hea ily wooded
on their upper slopes. The Big Bend area is
known as the last great wilderness of Texas
The Guadalupe Mountains offer another im-
portant recreational area with great possibili-
ties in the Trans-Pecos Region. Here are the
highest mountains in Texas rising abruptly
5,000 feet above the plateau. Guadalupe Peak
(8,751 feet) is higher than any mountain east
of it in the United States. In the heart of
Texas' highest mountains is McKittrick Can-
yon, one of the foremost beauty spots in
Texas. A luxuriant growth of trees and
shrubs line its walls and great springs of
clear, cold water furnish a rushing stream
along its floor.
The Edwards Plateau, the eastern part of
which is known as the Hill Country of South-
west Texas, has long been a vacation land
where the people of Texas go to escape the
summer heat. The clear, cold streams, the
green wooded hills and the cool nights have
drawn Texans exery summer for many years.
There are many "dude ranches" and vacation
camps in this section, and some of the best-
organized camps in the South are located
here.
"Piney Woods" of East Texas.
East Texas has a pine forest belt about the
size of the state of Indiana. There are four
National Forests in this region, which are
great potential recreational grounds. The
United States Forest Service has developed a
number of places throughout the national
forests. The Big Thicket is an area of great
potential assets as a tourists' and sportsmen's
resort. (See page 111.)
Establishment of State Parks Board,
The Texas State Parks Board was created!
in 1923 by the Thirty-Eighth Legislature upon
the recommendation of Gov. Pat M. Neff. His.
mother, Mrs. Isabella Neff, motivated this
action by deeding to the state a small tract of
land on the banks of the Leon River to be
used by the general public perpetually for. a
picnic ground and a religious meeting place.
The park was named Mother Neff State Park
in her honor.
The Parks Board was made up of members
serving without pay, who were instructed to
solicit donations to the state of lands to be
used as public parks. The late D. E. Colp be-
came the first chairman of the board and
remained in that position until 1935 Mr. Colp
had long been an advocate of and worker for
a state park system. The first appropriation
by the state for the Parks Board was $500
for 1932 and for 1933.
The board is now made up of six members
appointed by the Governor with the advice
and consent of the Senate. The present chair-
man is J. V. Ash of Bastrop. The adminis-
trative official is the executive secretary,
Frank D. Quinn.
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Texas Almanac, 1943-1944, book, 1943; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117165/m1/207/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.