Texas Almanac, 1943-1944 Page: 92
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TEXAS ALMANAC.-1943-1944.
about 30 inches. There are wide expanses of
prairie country with pecans along streams.
Dense growth of cedar In broken regions.
There is some commercial production of
cedar. This is an eroded area, traversed by
the deep valleys of the Colorado and Llano
Rivers with much broken and mountainous
country. Exposed igneous intrusions form
such eminences as Granite Mountain and En-
chanted Rock. Much granite quarried. Region
known for its variety of beautiful and useful
stone. Evidences of a wide variety of min-
erals including iron, lead, manganese, copper,
silver, gold, and many nonmetallic minerals.
Graphite was produced in large quantities at
one time, and small amounts of lead have
been produced, but quarrying is the only
steady mineral industry that has been devel-
oped. Production of a limestone approximat-
ing dolomite for-production of manganese was
begun in 1942. In the gorge of the Colorado
four dams-Buchanan, Inks, Marshall Ford
and the reconstructed Austin Dam (Tom
Miller)-have formed lakes for power produc-
tion and flood control. Livestock raising is
the principal industry, including cattle rais-
ing, and the sheep-wool and Angora goat-
mohair industries. Crop growing is limited,
but there is some production of cotton, corn,
oats and forage. Llano and Burnet are prin-
cipal local markets; Austin serves as city
market and distributing point.
4. West Texas Rolling Prairies. A wide
area lying between the West Cross Timbers
on the east and the Cap Rock Escarpment
on the west. Elevation 1,000 to 2,500 feet.
Distinctly more nearly a middle temperate
climate than lower sections of Texas. Rain-
fal) averages about 27 inches. An undulating
terrain traversed by occasional low, flat-
topped mountains, notably the Callahan Di-
vide between Colorado and Brazos water-
sheds, and partly covered by mesquite wood-
lands, especially in southern portion. Soils
are principally gray and dark loams and cot-
ton, corn, oats, wheat, grain sorghums and
forage are principal crops. Much stock farm-
ing, also large-scale ranching in the broken
portions especially just below the Cap Rock.
The Croton Breaks, or rough lands, are a
distinctive feature of Eastern Dickens and
portions of adjoining counties. Red Permian
soils of the north central section are some-
times referred to as the Redlands, a local des-
ignation also applied to East Texas red soils
in vicinity of Palestine. Much dairying and
poultry raising Sheep widely introduced in
recent years. Extensive oil production from a
number of fields. Brick clays, coal, copper,
and gypsum found, the latter produced com-
mercially. Wichita Falls principal city in
north part, Abilene in south, Big Spring,
Sweetwater. Midland and Odessa also sizable
cities supported by oil, cattle and farming
country.
III. THE GREAT PLAINS.
An extension of the Great High Plains
which lie at the base of the Rockies from
Canada to Southwest Texas. Properly the
Great Plains extend to the Balcones Escarp-
ment running from Del Rio to Austin, but
ordinarily a sharp distinction is made be-
tween the High Plains of Northwest Texas
and the Edwards Plateau of Southwest Texas.
Principal subdivisions of the Great Plains in
Texas are as follows:
1. Llano Estacado or Staked Plains or High
Plains. A level to slightly rolling plain that
lies above the Cap Rock Escarpment which
extends in an irregular line from the north-
east corner of the Panhandle to Martin Coun-
ty. Through much of its course, the Cap
Rock Escarpment is an abrupt lift of the
earth's surface of 300 to almost 1.000 feet
Below are the remnants known as buttes and
rough lands which gradually soften to the
gently rolling prairies of Middle West and
North Central Texas. In sharp contrast,above the escarpment is a plain sometimes
as level as the sea, excepting draws and
canyons where the Canadian, and the upper
tributaries of the Red and Brazos make their
descent from the high plain to the lower level
of the rolling prairies. Elevation 2,500 to 4,000
feet. Middle temperate climate. Rainfall
about 20 inches. The Llano Estacado is
divided into the Panhandle Plains or North
Plains and the South Plains. The Panhandle
or North Plains area is devoted primarily to
wheat growing, cattle raising and dairying.
There is a large oil and gas industry. Ama-
rillo is the principal city, and Pampa is sec-
ond in rank. The South Plains is devoted to
cotton growing in its central portion, pro-
ducing also wheat, grain sorghums, and for-
age. Cattle raising is the principal industry
in the western and southern parts. There is
considerable oil production in the southwest-
ern part. Lubbock is the principal city.
Plainview near the dividing line between
North and South Plains is the center of large
irrigated area, waters coming from under-
ground reservoir.
2. Edwards Plateau. Rolling to broken, the
Edwards Plateau is an extension of the Great
Plains to a junction with the Coastal Plains
at the Balcones Escarpment. Elevation 700 to
2,500 feet. Temperature mild except for oc-
casional "northers" in winter. Rainfall 20
to 30 Inches. Draining In all directions, ex-
cept northwest, from its apex in Edwards
County, this is an area of thin limestone
soils. The interior portion of the Edwards
Plateau is usually rolling with some level
topography. As the streams approach the
Balcones Escarpment on south and east sides,
however, they cut into the earth forming a
broken, mountainous country, with some deep
canyons. This region is known as the Hill
Country. There are many summer resorts
and encampments. Tourist trade contributes
materially to the income of this area. A
prairie country fifty years ago, it is now
argely covered with mesquite, small oak and
cedar. Many streams, fed by innumerable
springs from the Edwards limestone, flow
across and from the edge of the plateau.
Cypress trees are found along many of these
streams. Good cover, sparse settlement and
co-operation of landowners with game en-
forcement authorities have increased deer,
wild turkeys and other game until this is now
the principal hunting ground of Texas. Most
of the Texas sheep and Angora goat industry
is in this region and there is also much cattle
raising. Farming is largely confined to pro-
duction of feedstuffs and forage. Stone, in-
cluding granite and marble, and a variety of
metallic minerals are known to exist but
there is relatively little mining. Oil produc-
tion in western part. The Edwards Plateau
proper lies east of the Pecos, but there is an
extension west of the Pecos known as the
Stockton Plateau, which has the Edwards
Plateau physical characteristics and indus-
tries. San Angelo, Kerrville and Del Rio are
the principal cities of this region. San An-
tonio, just outside its bounds, serves a wide
area as commercial and financial center.
IV. TRANS-PECOS TEXAS.
The extension of Texas west of the Pecos
is a high plateau traversed from northwest to
southeast by ranges of mountains which are
part of the Rockies in the United States and
become the Sierra Madre Oriental in Mexico.
Principal subdivisions of the Trans-Pecos are
as follows'
1. Stockton Plateau. A Trans-Pecos exten-
sion of the Edwards Plateau, this area is a
rolling to broken plain extending eastward
from the Davis Mountains. Elevation 2,000
to 4,000 feet. Middle temperate climate.
Rainfall 15 inches. Cattle and sheep raising
principal industries. Irrigation of forage and
truck crops from springs and wells near Fort
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Texas Almanac, 1943-1944, book, 1943; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117165/m1/94/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.