Texas Almanac, 1954-1955 Page: 75
[674] p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
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Landmarks of Texas History
Old Towns and Ghost Towns, Battlefields, Missions and Churches,
Presidios, Forts and Military Camps, Old Homes, Historic Hostelries,
River Crossings, and Memorials, Monuments and Markers.The swift procession of events through
four hundred years of history has left its
evidences across the surface of Texas
from Sabine to Upper Rio Grande Valley,
from the southernmost point of Texas to
the Panhandle. They are as varied in
character as the history of Texas has
been varied, mute evidences of the faith,
work and ambitions of those in the long
struggle for the region that lay at the
vortex of Spanish, French, English-and
wild Indian-strife during the first three
and a half centuries of Texas history.
In some instances, old mission buildings,
forts, residences or other structures stand
as reminders of the heroism of those who
participated in the epic of Texas. In
other instances only written record or
tradition identifies the historic spot.
Until recent years Texas was laggard
in preserving these landmarks and mark-
ing the sites of those that had been de-
stroyed. However, under the program
of the *Commission of Control for the
Texas Centennial Celebration of 1936,
many of these landmarks were repaired
or restored, monuments and markers
were erected and museums constructed
for the preservation of historic relics.
Since that date there has been increased
local interest in preserving historic edi-
fices and marking historic sites.
The historic cities and towns of Texas
began with the old Spanish settlements
along the Rio Grande-Ysleta, Socorro,
San Elizario, Penitas-and moved east-
ward with the Spanish missionary effort
to such places as San Antonio, Nacog-
doches and Goliad.
There is no permanent record of the
French effort of that period. The latter
historic places are those of the Anglo-
American colonization which moved from
east to west, leaving such historic towns
as Washington-on-the-Brazos, San Felipe
de Austin and Old Columbia.
Some of the famous ghost towns of
Texas came in a later period with the
building of the railroads which caused
many prosperous communities to fade
after being by-passed by the new method
of transportation.
Other early towns disappeared when
they lost the county seat, as Belle Plain
in Callahan, or Runnels in Runnels. Again
storm demolished towns, as Indianola.
The closing of coal mines made a ghost
town of Thurber. New Birmingham dried
up after the early iron industry died. The
latest crop of ghost and near-ghost towns
in Texas is being made by the rise and
fall of oil fields.
"A report of this work can be found in the
illustrated book, Monuments Commemorating the
Centenary of Texas Independence, cop iled under
direction of Pat M. Neff, Waiter F. Woodul and
L. W.o Kemp. publication committee for the Com-
mission of Control.The old forts are those of (1) the early
Spanish and French exploratory period,
(2) Anglo-American colonization period
and the Texas Revolution and (3) those
of the frontier fight against the Indians,
with (4) a few intermediate forts of the
War Between the States.
There are several fairly distinguishable
lines of forts against the Indians, estab-
lished successively as the Indian retreated.
There were (1) those of the Blackland
area, (2) those of the West Cross Tim-
bers and (3) the later forts out on the
plains.
Though lacking in political significance,
the old homes are the most varied. Those
of Spanish, from adobe hut to imposing
structures for that day, lie along the
border and in South Texas. Those of the
Anglo-American type reach into the state
from the east, varying from humble one-
room log cabin to the Southern Colonial
home with its classic pillars-itself a
glorified double log cabin and, as such
the only type of indigenous home archi-
tecture in America.
Variety is lent to the scene, however,
by such variations in home-building as
are found in German New Braunfels and
Fredericksburg, Alsatian Castroville and
Polish Panna Maria and Bandera.
The list of landmarks on the following
pages is compiled from several such lists
published in preceding editions of the
Texas Almanac, plus additions from his-
torical articles in the Texas State His-
torical Association Quarterly, and sundry
newspaper and magazine articles.
Following introductory remarks on the
four chief centers of historic interest-
San Antonio, San Jacinto Battlefield, Go-
liad and Washington-on-the-Brazos, land-
marks are grouped under the counties in
which located, with counties in alphabeti-
cal order.
In- Historic San Antonio.
First among the landmarks of Texas
are, of course, the Alamo in San Antonio
and the San Jacinto Battlefield near
Houston. The Alamo, "Cradle of Texas
Liberty," and the other old mission struc-
tures at San Antonio constitute, in every
respect, one of the interesting and re-
markable historic building groups in the
United States. (See pp. 55 and 56).
In the park that surrounds the tAlamo
is a museum housing relics of the mem-
tThe Alamo was purchase red by the state in
1883. Only the chapel building was aired at
the time, however; and it was not until 1905 that
the state came into possession of the adjoining
ruins of the old barracks where the major part
of the Battle of the Alamo was fought. In 1932
additional land was bought by the state and a
state park was established surrounding the Alamo.
The last two purchases were made largely through
the efforts of the Daughters of the Republic of
Texas and Mrs. Clara Driscoll who, as a schoolgirl,
began her fight to save the Alamo grounds.
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Texas Almanac, 1954-1955, book, 1953; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117168/m1/77/: accessed May 21, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.