Native or not, we need to know these facts...
Here are some little known, very interesting facts about Texas:
1. Port Arthur to El Paso: 889 miles. Port Arthur to Chicago: 770 miles.
2. Brownsville to Texline (north of Amarillo): 956 miles. Texline to Canada: 960 miles.
3. El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas.
4. World's first rodeo was in Pecos, Texas, July 4, 1883.
5. The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water. Destroyed by Hurricane Ike - 2008!
6. The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the first full-time coach at Rice University in Houston, Texas.
7. Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America.
8. Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America 's only remaining flock of whooping cranes.
9. Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978.
10. The worst natural disaster in US history was in 1900, caused by a hurricane in which over 8,000 lives were lost on Galveston Island.
11. The first word spoken from the moon, July 20, 1969, was "Houston", but the Space Center was actually in Clear Lake City at the time.
12. The King Ranch in South Texas is larger than Rhode Island.
13. Tropical Storm Claudette brought a US rainfall record of 43" in 24 hours in and around Alvin in July of 1979.
14. Texas is the only state to enter the US by TREATY, (known as the Constitution of 1845 by the Republic of Texas to enter the Union) instead of by annexation. This allows the Texas Flag to fly at the same height as the US Flag, and Texas may choose to divide into 5 states.
15. A Live Oak tree near Fulton is estimated to be 1500 years old.
16. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.
17. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period in Dr Pepper.
18. Texas has had six capital cities: Washington-on-the Brazos, Harrisburg, Galveston, Velasco, West Columbia, and Austin.
19. The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the US which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington, DC (by 7 feet).
20. The San Jacinto Monument is the tallest free standing monument in the world and it is taller than the Washington Monument.
21. The name 'Texas' comes from the Hasini Indian word 'tejas' meaning "friends". Tejas is NOT Spanish for Texas.
22. The State Mascot is the Armadillo. An interesting bit of trivia about the armadillo is they always have four babies. They have one egg, which splits into four, and they either have four males or four females.
23. The first domed stadium in the US was the Astrodome in Houston.
24. The Beck family ranch land grant is one days ride by horse (25 miles) in each direction from the headquarters.
25. The name of the XIT ranch in Dalhart Texas stands for "ten in texas". That means 10 counties in Texas!
I use to study most all the Battles of the Civil War. Wasn't General John Bell Hood a Texan? Distinguished, fearless commander at Gettysburg, but threw his army away at Franklin and Nashville Tennessee.
As independent as Virginia and Texas were in the States Rights issues, even had the South won, Texas and Virginia would have had to fight it out to see who ruled the Confederacy. :D
Thanks for the Texas lesson, TR!
I guess I'd better study up!
I remember reading about #10 a very long time ago. Horrible tragedy!
Very interesting.
Chain, yep, Hoods Texans, one account says the mounted troops preferred two double barrel shotguns, two pistols, a bouie knife, and a saber. Shock troops for sure. Aside, I have a single barrel pistol, cap lock, that was with Hoods Texans. Oh, and guess what individual was the source of the name for Fort Hood in Texas.
Oh, I received a saddle holster of that era for the pistol, from Bro Noble. The man is still with me, through the holster.
I was stationed at Ft. Hood for awhile but did not know was named for General Hood. Pleased to know you have a souvenir from Bro Noble. He was truly a good man.
I made the mistake of driving through Texas on a cross country trip back in the 80's. It just went on....and on...and on.... ;D
Quote from: kevin19343 on December 19, 2013, 05:13:45 PM
I made the mistake of driving through Texas on a cross country trip back in the 80's. It just went on....and on...and on.... ;D
Yeah, I've been across Texas three times, twice when I was six years old, my parents drove from Troy Alabama to Los Angeles and back, and the third time I was twenty years old and drove from Lafayette LA to El Paso TX in one day (was on my way from Florida to California)
And I have to say my Dad described it best. He said "Texas has miles and miles of nothing but miles and miles."
Herb
yup, that's what we like about Texas, room. 8)
I'm thinking #7 is North America, not including Mexico......
Texas is OK. ;D Oh, that's Oklahoma. Whatever. ;D ;D 8) 8) 8) 8)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10007/texas.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10007/steinbeck.jpg)
I have crossed Texas many many times since 1973. I know for sure that the sun will rise and set and you will still be in Texas. ;D
But Texline, Tx. is not a nice place to visit !!! :-\
Texline has all the grandeur of Texas, earthquakes, blizzards, tornadoes, rock slides, floods, no hurricanes, though.
I used to work with a guy from Texas and I teased him all the time over his Texas pride. I'd tell him "if you cut Alaska in half, Texas would be the 3rd biggest state". For some reason he didn't like that one...
Ya melt Alaska and it would be the size of Rhode Island.
Quote from: Texas Ranger on December 20, 2013, 10:22:28 AM
Texline has all the grandeur of Texas, earthquakes, blizzards, tornadoes, rock slides, floods, no hurricanes, though.
Plus one very cleverly designed "School Zone". :-\
Yeah, they have those scattered all over Texas, my last one was in a "school zone" that had no signs, but the public was expected to know about it, even if from counties over.
Went to houston last month thought i was in Mexas!
Houston is an international city, you can get a neighborhood of most any nation in the world, choice of food is.....endless. and wonderful, even cajun. 8)
We went to Rice Texas last year to pick up a travel trailer. Before we left I called the lady at the factory and asked..."what's the best time of the year weather-wise to come down there?" She just laughed and said.."Hon, this is Rice Texas and there ain't no good time of the year.
We went in July 'cause I was shut down at home for fire danger. July wasn't good. Not good at all.
The people we met were great. The food was excellent wherever we stopped. Everyone we ran across treated us in a generous and hospitable manner. I'd heard of Texas hospitality and it's the real thing.
But Rice Texas in July? We'll never do that again. I thought the Sacramento Valley got hot in the summer but Rice showed us what hot really was.
I'd add one more and make it .....
26. Texas is the only state that has it's own power grid.
Cowboy Ten Commandments posted on the wall at Cross Trails Church in Farlie , Texas :
(1) Just one God.
(2) Honor yer Ma & Pa.
(3) No telling tales or gossipin'.
(4) Git yourself to church meeting.
(5) Put nothin' before God.
(6) No foolin' around with another fellow's gal.
(7) No killin'.
(8) Watch yer mouth.
(9) Don't take what ain't yers.
(10) Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff.
Did y'all git all that?
https://www.youtube.com/embed/4CDFxeB7Y-s
Good one Ranger!
BTW, I think I've had blanks slipped into my shotgun when I wasn't looking too. :)
Thanks for sharing that great vid Ranger. Made my day!
He made some mighty fine points.
Spent some time in TX many years ago, 1990 and earlier & found people to be great, but driving north to south I loved the cruise control crawl in back for a nap ;) they all talked about how big the Deer were, heheh not so much more like our goats in size vs our DEER...
Liked the girls with the southern draw too 8) 8)
I couldn't get over the bright red lakes/rivers vs our crystal clear ones made me think of what other planets might look like. ::) ;D
Mark