Texas Almanac, 1992-1993 Page: 31
656 p. : ill. (some col.), maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this book.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
CENTRAL TEXAS HISTORY 31
Central Texas:
A History
Acknowledgements
Mary G. Crawford, associate editor of the Texas Almanac, prepared this brief history of Central Texas. She
wishes to thank the following historians for their help in presenting this material accurately: T. Lindsay Baker, cu-
rator, Gov. Bill and Vara Daniel Historic Village, Strecker Museum, Baylor University, Waco; Walter L. Buenger,
Ph.D., associate professor of history, Texas A&M University, College Station; Bob Calvert, Ph.D., associate pro-
fessor of history, Texas A&M University, College Station; Randolph B. "Mike" Campbell, Ph.D., professor of histo-
ry, University of North Texas, Denton; Donald E. Chipman, Ph.D., professor of history, University of North Texas,
Denton; Thomas R. Hester, Ph.D., director, Texas Archeological Research Laboratory, Balcones Research Center,
Austin; Paul Lack, Ph.D., professor of history, McMurry College, Abilene; Robert S. Weddle, Bonham; Frank Weir,
Ph.D., State Department of Highways and Public Transportation, Austin; and Ralph Wooster, Ph.D., Regents Pro-
fessor of History, Lamar University, Beaumont.
Introduction
The mild climate, gently rolling terrain and depend- from the German.
able water supplies of Central Texas attracted immi- Some Central Texas communities exhibit ties with
grants of many different nationalities. Central Texas still the homelands of their founding families beyond mere
shows the influence of these different cultures, promi- place names - the German architecture, foods and tra-
nent among them American Indians, Spanish, French, ditions of Germany in Fredericksburg and New Braun-
Mexicans, English, Scots, Germans, Czechs, Poles and fels; the Czech foods and fraternal organizations in West,
Italians, and, to a smaller extent, Belgians, Chinese, McLennan County. The central region of the Lone Star
Alsatians and Irish. The most common ethnic footprints State, then, is not exactly a melting pot; it is more like a
visible in Central Texas today are the names of cities, stew pot, with clearly recognizable parts, each contribut-
towns and topographic features: Osage and Keechi from ing flavor to the whole dish that is Central Texas. What
the Indian; San Antonio and Lampasas, to name lust two follows is the recipe for that "stew" - the ingredients
of hundreds from the Spanish; Westphalia and Weimar that went into the making of present-day Central Texas.
The Earliest Central TexansWe do not know exactly when the first humans
arrived in Texas. Since they were nomadic and left few
concentrations of artifacts, there is but scarce evidence
of their existence. But several archaeological sites have
yielded up faint whispers of human habitation in Central
Texas at the end of the last Ice Age.
Paleo-Indians migrated to the Western Hemisphere
across land bridges over the Bering Sea. The bridges,
which are under water most of the time, were exposed
during the Ice Ages of the Pleistocene era when the
amount of ocean water tied up in ice caused a drop in
sea level.
In January 1982, professional archaeologists with the
State Department of Highways and Public Transporta-
tion began investigating the Wilson-Leonard site in Wil-
liamson County, north of Austin. Since 1970, Texas law
has required that an archaeological impact statement be
completed before any highway construction. From 1970
to late 1982, the archaeology section of the highway de-
partment excavated more than 60 of the 600 prehistoric
sites that had been found during preparations for road
construction.
The Wilson-Leonard dig was routine until archaeolo-
gist Wayne Young uncovered three skeletal fingers on
Dec. 29, 1982. Two inches away was the skull. Excavation
of the prehistoric burial pit revealed the skeleton of a
woman between 5 feet 2 inches and 5 feet 4 inches tall,
who died between 25 and 35 years of age. She was lying
on her right side, with her legs drawn up toward her
chest and her head resting on her hands. Grave goods,
including a granitic sandstone grinding stone with a cut-
ting edge, and a fossil shark tooth, which may have been
part of a necklace, indicated a possible ceremonial
burial.
Most important was the age of the site. Radiocarbon
dating indicates that the burial occurred between 9,000
and 10,000 years ago. Wilson-Leonard contains one of the
longest records of continual occupation in prehistoric
Texas. State Archeologist Robert Mallouf says that the
site is one of the three or four oldest intact grave sites in
North America. Since the site was near the town of
Leander, the skeleton was nicknamed "Leann" by ar-
chaeologists.Not long after the Leander discovery, amateur ar-
chaeologists made public the discovery of two complete
skeletons in a rock shelter in Bosque County near Waco.
Protected from the elements by the rock overhang, the
skeletons were well preserved. The Horn Shelter site was
discovered on Aug. 15, 1970, by amateur archaeologists
Al Redder and the late Frank Watt, both with the Central
Texas Archeological Society (CTAS). The discovery was
kept confidential while the site was being excavated to
protect it from vandals. The excavation was done
with painstaking care over a 15-year-period by
amateur archaeologists from the CTAS using scientific
methods.
The skeletons were of a man between 30 and 40 years
of age and a 12-year-old child of undetermined sex. Each
was buried in a flexed position, much as "Leann," but on
their left sides, with their heads, which were resting on
turtle shells, to the south and their feet to the north.
Their bodies, except for the skulls, were completely cov-
ered with limestone slabs. This site, too, was about 10,000
years of age. Artifacts found with the bodies included
seashells, apparently from the Gulf Coast, as well as flint
that may be from the Alibates quarry in the High Plains,
suggesting that these people participated in a broad
trade network. Many seashell beads were found, along
with projectile points and other stone tools, a small-eyed,
curved bone needle and a shaft straightener made of
deer antler. Artifacts found in strata above the double
burial indicate seasonal, regular habitation of the shel-
ter.
The culture of early human inhabitants of Central
Texas is divided into three basic periods: the Paleo-lndi-
an (from about 11,200 years ago to 8,000 years ago),
Archaic (about 8,000 years ago to A.D. 700) and
the Late Prehistoric (1,000 years ago to the time of Eu-
ropean contact). Radiocarbon dating places the Wilson-
Leonard and Horn Rock Shelter sites in the Paleo-lndian
period.
Many archaeological sites of later periods have been
excavated in Central Texas, indicating that the lush veg-
etation, clear streams and plentiful game have lured hu-
mans to the area for thousands of years prior to
European settlement.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This book 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 Book.
Kingston, Mike. Texas Almanac, 1992-1993, book, 1991; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth279642/m1/35/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.