Product Description
The vast genealogical records of Texas are available to the researcher provided heknows how and where to find them. Texas covers a lot of ground, but this guide cuts it rightdown to size and makes record searching fast and convenient. In text and maps it providesdetailed information on the legal and historical background of the state, the origin of each countyin the state, the location of the records for each portion of the county before it was organized intoits present boundaries, and the specific records available in the various county courthouses, theTexas State Library, the Texas State Archives, and the Texas General Land Office. Essential! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A must for Texas genealogy reserch
this book lists all texas records available, where to find them and how to get them.
The very best the very best Texas research book written. ... Read more

Product Description
Arranged alphabetically, this work lists the names and counties of residence ofapproximately 18,000 Texas taxpayers. (A "poll" tax of one dollar was levied on every whitemale resident over the age of twenty-one and on women who were heads of household.) By1846, when Texas became the thirty-sixth state in the Union, there were sixty-seven countygovernments already organized as functioning units of the state, yet no authorized census of thestate was undertaken until 1850. This 1846 poll list, compiled from the original tax rolls housedin the Texas State Archives, is actually the nearest thing we have to a complete census of theperiod.

It should be pointed out that a good deal of the 1846 population of Texas derived from thevarious settlement schemes which proliferated under the so-called impresario system, by whichcontracts for the settlement of immigrants were awarded to citizen-adventurers and commercialorganizations. Dozens of ambitious contractors followed the example of Moses Austin, who hadvery early on petitioned the Mexican government for impresario rights in the Republic of Texas.From these groups and independent streams of immigration, and from people already settled inthe former Province, Texas had an aggregate population in 1846 of just under 150,000. The PollLists for 1846 is a very near approximation of the entire adult male population of the state, andas such it has the same authority as a reconstructed census. ... Read more

Product Description
This work is essentially a compilation of information gleaned from the passengerlists of ships that arrived at Galveston between the years 1847 and 1861. It is also the story of theGerman immigration to Texas during this formative period of Texas history.

From all sources researched the compiler located a total of 105 passenger lists, compilingtherefrom this master list of 5,600 German immigrants. Information regarding age, family,residence in Europe, name of ship, and dates of departure from Germany and arrival inTexas is included in this list, as well as the name of the county in Texas in which theimmigrant settled.

In addition to the lists of immigrants, this work includes a brief history of Germanimmigration to Texas together with the names and a description of some of the Germanswho were in Texas before it was a Republic. New Homes in a New Land is the sequel tothe author's A New Land Beckoned and brings the story of the German immigration toTexas up to the time of the Civil War. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Bettter World Books
My experience with Better World Books was very good .... condition as promised, delivery earlier than promised, follow-up excellent.I will most assuredly buy from them in the future. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

1830 Citizens of Texas
I have already benefited from the information in lthis book !!

I expect to benefit over many years myself .....and for friends I have who should equally benefit.

Our interest is Genealogical Research....so you can understand our appreciation of this information all in one place.

Sincerely,

Lola Simmons

A useful reference for Texas Genealogy
Tracing your Texas ancestry can be a major chore, especially with a common name like 'Smith' but Gifford White makes the process much easier. Using census, tax and land grant records, White provides useful documentation for people working on their family tree. Even if searching for your roots is not a major interest, it's still a useful reference for Texas History buffs. ... Read more

Product Description
Fort Worth has been called "the City Where the West Begins," "Cowtown," and the silent partner in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. None of these descriptions quite tells the story of this city and its people. Since its founding in the mid-nineteenth century as a military outpost, Fort Worth has gone through many phases--cattle, oil, aviation, and tourist. The little village on the Trinity has grown up to become a global city that is a melting pot of economic forces and diverse cultures.

At its most basic, Fort Worth's history is the story of leadership, of how men and women of vision built a flourishing community at a river crossing on the north Texas plains. Through troubled times--the 1850s, the Civil War, the 1930s, the 1970s--the leadership kept its eye on the future. The city pulled itself through the down times--and put itself on the map--by visionary projects like the railroad, the Spring Palace, the Stockyards, Camp Bowie, the Bomber Plant, and Sundance Square. This book helps to put a modern face on Fort Worth, move it out of the shadow of Dallas, and place it firmly in the twenty-first century.

The book is illustrated with many historic photographs, including: a pair of Wichita Indians; Main Street in old Fort Worth; the current Tarrant County Courthouse, under construction in 1895; Fort Worth Medical College, opening in 1893 as just the third medical school in Texas; Fort Worth's Meacham Field in its early years (ca. 1926) and Meacham field in 1937; the Boeing B-29 and the Convair B-36 side by side at Carswell Air Force Base; Pig Stand drive-ins; the Fort Worth Cats and their opponents, the Memphis Chicks; the Light Crust Doughboys Western swing band in the 1940s; Six Flags over Texas; the "Bombardier 500" race; William B. McDonald, successful African American businessman and political leader; the Woman's Wednesday Club in its weekly luncheon meeting at the Metropolitan Hotel, 1918; the flood of 1949; Sundance Square, looking west across Main Street in the 1980s; and African American drover Chester Stidham with the "Fort Worth Herd" of longhorns.

Also enlivening the text are various sidebars giving detailed information about "Fort Worth's Most Historic Cemeteries," "Courthouse Square," "The Cultural District," "Sundance Square," and "The Historic North Side." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A descriptive history of an amazing Texas community
Illustrated with occasional historic photographs ranging from the Tarrant County Courthouse under construction in 1895, to the Fort Worth Medical College opening in 1893, to Meacham Field in 1937, and the Light Crust Doughboys Western swing band in the 1940s, Fort Worth is a descriptive history of an amazing Texas community and its people from it's days as a military outpost on the banks of the Trinity, to it evolution into the Dallas/Forth Worth Metroplex. Ably researched and written by Fort Worth native son Richard Selcer, this historical survey of Fort Worth's history is one of leadership with men and women of vision building a flourishing community at a river crossing on the north Texas plains through the troubled times of the 1850s, the years of the Civil War, the Great Depression of the 1930s, and the economic difficulties of the 1970s. Fort Worth is a unique and very welcome addition to American History reference collections.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wealth of information
This book is a complete history of the Justin and nocona Boot Companies and of Spanish Fort and Nocona, Texas ... Read more

Product Description
This engaging illustrated history of Fort Davis, one of the U.S. Army's most important western posts, relates the exciting history of Trans Pecos Texas. Wooster traces the history of the Davis Mountains region from the days when Indians and later Spaniards and Mexicans inhabited the area, through its days as the site of Texan and American interests. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good, short overview of Fort Davis, but without the bigger picture

If you're visiting Fort Davis National Historic Site in West Texas, and if you'd like to know more than what the Park Service tells you at the site, this pamphlet is a good place to start.It's only about 50 pages, and an easy read.(Wooster has also written a longer book if you'd like more depth.)

The pamphlet follows the topics you'd expect - - the problem of the frontier, US exploration in the region and establishment of the fort, a history of the military engagements, daily life in the fort, and the Buffalo Soldiers (African-American soldiers who made up most of the enlisted men at the fort).

The book falls short in failing to look at the bigger picture.Why did the US expand westward in general, and into Texas in particular?Why were its conflicts with the Indians so different from the Mexican experience in the same region?Why did the Apaches and Comanches respond to the threat with raiding, as opposed to the other forms of resistance they might have tried?

That might be asking too much for a pamphlet.But another five or ten pages setting the stage would have served Wooster well.Objections aside, it's a good background for your visit.
... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Must Read
This book is full of great informaton for the Texas History buff. Not only information about the flags but what percipitated the need for the flag.

Dad loved it!
I bought this book for my Dad for Christmas and he loved it! He is a big TX History guy and this book was perfect for him.

Best Not So Little Flag Book in Texas
If you like flags, history and Texas this is the book for you.Extremely well written, researched and illustrated.The computer graphics are excellant, the large flag pictures are some of the best that I have seen.A must have for any Texan or flag lover. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume contains a wealth of information gleaned from two Kerr County, Texas courts. The first section, devoted to 216th Court records, spans 1856 through 1985. The second portion of the book covers Kerr County Family Court records from 1985 through 1 ... Read more

Product Description
This book preserves a glimpse into the universal roles of a mother in a daughter's life. It is a poignant collection of tales told by well-known women of Texas as they share the life moments and memories of their mother's influence on their own lives. From stories and tales that span generations, Susie weaves a tapestry of legacies in the form of insightful interviews about the mothers, delectable family recipes, and profiles of the daughters. Family photographs submitted by each woman add another fascinating glimpse into their lives. Liz Carpenter, Lady Bird Johnson, and dozens of other great Texas women fill the pages of this memorable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Not a Daughter--Darn it!
Looking through this book, I realized that I might have achieved more in this life if I had been a daughter.The supporting relationships between daughters and mothers, so well detailed in this book by Susie Kelly Flatau, would make any guy a bit envious.Don't get me wrong--fathers are O.K.And, being a son to a mother is fine too, but reading this book it brought home to me that I could neither fully appreciate nor appropriate that special relationship enjoyed by a daughter and her mother.

Mothers of Distinction
Browsing through the index one is aware that most of these names are not that familiar (some are very, as in the case of Luci and Lady Bird Johnson) to the average reader.What is familiar, however, are the testaments given to some very average, yet phenominal mothers who have had a significant impact on the shaping of their daughters ideas, dreams and accomplishments.Anyone reading this book becomes immediately aware that the so called women's "revolution" was taking place long before bras were burned and names were hyphenated and most of the real battles were being fought from the kitchen as often as from an office or boardroom.These are no ordinary women and the daughters they raised atest to that fact.As De Lamartine asserted "there is a woman at the beginning of all great things" and nowhere is this more evident than between these pages.
Although recipes are included from each mother/daughter team, this is so NOT a cookbook.It is a book to be placed by the bedside or on a table in the livingroom where one can just pick out a chapter at random and remember again just how important mother really was.It is a very personal journey and one that might even require a tissue or two.My only regret is that I cannot share this with my own mother who passed away before this book was published, but I can read and remember with a grateful heart.
A perfect gift for the mom in anyone's life!

storycircle.org/BookReviews
With a masterful hand of her own, Susie Kelly Flatau has captured the compelling dynamics of a positive mother-daughter relationship within this book. The enchanting tributes to their mothers by 33 prominent Texas women will entice readers to embark on their own reflective journey home to their mothers' arms. ... Read more

Product Description
From the simplest slab of weathered stone to the most imposing mausoleum, every marker in a Texas cemetery bears witness to a life that--in ways small or large--helped shape the history and culture of the state. Telling the stories of some of these significant lives is the purpose of this book. Within its pages, you'll meet not only the heroes of the Texas Revolution, for example, but also one of the great African American cowboys of the traildriving era (Bose Ikard) and the first woman in Texas elected to statewide office (Annie Webb Blanton). Visiting cemeteries from every era and all regions of the state, Bill Harvey recounts the histories of famous, infamous, and just plain interesting Texans who lie at rest in Texas cemeteries. The book is organized alphabetically by city for easy reference. For each city, Harvey lists one or more cemeteries, giving their location and history, if significant. At the heart of the book are his profiles of the noteworthy people buried in each cemetery. They include not only famous but also lesser-known and even unknown Texans who made important contributions to the state in the arts, sports, business, military service, politics--truly every area of communal life. For those who want to visit these resting places, Harvey also includes tips on finding cemeteries, locating gravesites, and taking good photographs. Spend time with him in the graveyards of Texas, and you'll soon appreciate what fascinating stories the silent stones can tell. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Texas Cemeteries: A very enlightening book
This book was an enjoyable and easy read.It had many known historical facts and an some interesting and entertaining unknown facts.It made searching cemeteries something of an adventure and one that could be thoroughly fun! The pictures were good, but would have liked to have seen more. I enjoyed it very much!

Great book on personalities, less so on graveyards themselves
This is a really good book if you are interested in the final resting places of many lesser known as well as morefamous Texans with all kind of interesting life stories that are buried throughout the state. The book goes into pretty good detail about what made each Texan that is highlighted interesting and pretty much pinpoints their individual graves. It also does a good job of representing the entire state. However, if you are interested in the stories of the graveyards themselves, as I am, this book is missing that information for the most part, and Texas graveyards themselves have some interesting stories.

I'll give an example. When I was in college I was living in an apartment complex in Arlington, Tx. Across from the complex was/is a park, adjacent to the University of Texas at Arlington. There is an unnamed cemetery in that park with headstones from 1900-1920 approximately. A couple of the headstones are large and elaborate, but there are about two rows of headstones that merely say Infant #1, Infant #2, etc. It turns out that the apartment complex I lived in was once the site of an unwed mother's home and the cemetery across from it was where those unwed mothers who had died in childbirth, disowned by their families, were buried. The unnamed infants were the ones that didn't make it at a time in the early 1900's when so many babies didn't make it through the birthing process. How sad to think about these infants, buried with nothing more than a number to ID them. These were the kinds of stories I was really looking for, but it is not really the subject of this book.

DEAD IN TEXAS
Interesting book on a seemingly obscure subject, a very good nitch book.I really was surprised at how fascinating I found this book, it's amazing how many famous people are buried here in the Lone Star State.The research is well done and the book is quite thorough, frankly this is a very good history lesson:don't be alarmed this is a lesson that you will enjoy, reguardless of your acumen for history.In my experience the dont miss cemetery in Texas is Glenwood in Houston, it is simply spectacularly beautiful, it's actually hilly, so odd for Houston and many famous Texans are buried there, most famous of course being Howard Hughes.Highly recommended.

Great book
This book will make you want to explore the cemeteries of Texas and learn more about the people you find buried there.The authour has thoughtfully included GPS coordinates to help find the cemeteries.This is especially helpful for some of the more remote locations.I was especially glad to see the respect shown to the people mentioned in the book, especially Congressional Medal of Honor winners.Hopefully this book will help to foster a deeper understanding of our state's history and a nurturing of it cemeteries. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Interesting book
I like books like this. Lots of info if you like this sort of thing.

Ghost Towns Of Texas
Fun read for anyone, however, I wanted the book for research and record, as my family owned the Pickering Lumber CO. andthousands of acres of timberland, which they eventually sold to the federal government to create the Sabine National Forest. I was interested in only one chapter, however, my interest was piqued and I read the entire book, informative, fun and interesting.
Jill Ball

Lone Star Ghosts
This is a great book on ghost towns (and near ghost towns) of Texas, and a model on how to present a guide to local history for travelers in a given state or area. This book describes 88 sites throughout Texas; each site has its own detailed map as well as precise directions on how to find the location. Also each townsite has at least one accompanying photograph, most more than one. Baker's text is lively and interesting and relates information about each town that is useful and informative. If you are interested in local history, especially of places that have seen better days, this book will give you much pleasure.

Hunting Down Texas' Ghosts
Although, by their very nature, the Texas ghost towns featured in Baker's book have deteriorated even more - or disappeared altogether - since the publication of this book in 1986, it remains a classic reference on this material and is a "must have" for the ghost town hunter's library.

The historical research is very in-depth and resurrects these "towns that time forgot" in the reader's mind.The book is lavishly illustrated with black and white photos taken by the author, as well as archival material.Highly recommended!

Wonderful!!
This is the kind of book you want to take in your car always! You never know in Texas when your going to be near a ghost town! The book has a map and is indexed, with good information on the towns , how to get there andwhat you will find. A must by for anyone interested in TX history ... Read more

Product Description
This work describes the Verein colonzation in Texas, a movement that brought thousands of German immigrants into Texas from 1844 to 1847. The goal of the Verein movement was to create a settlement of German immigrants on the 3,800,000-acre Fisher-Miller grant and in a number of other places in Texas. Of special interest to the descendants of these early Texas settlers is a list of over 4,000 immigrants compiled from German and Texas ship passenger lists, which provides such information as age, names of accompanying family members, place of residence in Europe, name of ship, and dates of departure and arrival.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A primary source on German immigration to Texas
This book is one of several primary sources that are a foundation to studies of German immigration to Texas in the 19th century. It focuses on what many consider to be the first wave of German immigration to the state, and is a key, welcome addition to anyone with an interst in that or related topics. Certainly, decisions about traveling across the ocean to a strange, undeveloped land were not easy for the immigrants who made the trip or for their friends and family members who were left behind in German lands. Additional insights into that seldom-explored issue -- the effect of 19th century German emigration on the folks who stayed behind -- is explored in the book Man of Two Worlds.

Publishers' notes:
This work is the answer to an increased interest in the Verein colonization in Texas, a movement that brought thousands of German immigrants into Texas from 1844 to 1847. A short history describes the beginnings of the Verein movement in Germany, its development into the largest colonization project in Texas history, and the fulfillment of its goal to create a settlement of German immigrants on the 3,800,000-acre Fisher-Miller grant and in a number of other places in Texas. Published in English for the first time are the twelve reports made by Prince Karl Solms of Braunfels, who was the leader of the expedition in Texas. These reports describe the activities of the Verein and the first phase of German colonization in Texas.

Of special interest to the descendants of these early Texas settlers is a list of over 4,000 immigrants compiled from German and Texas ship passenger lists, which provides such information as age, names of accompanying family members, place of residence in Europe, name of ship, and dates of departure and arrival. Research on the origins of Germans in Texas begins here!

See also the sequel to this book, New Homes in a New Land ... Read more

Product Description
Includes the banner of Castile and Leon flown by the Spanish explorers, the French flag borne by La Salle, the Mexican flag, the Stars and Bars, and the famous Lone Star flag. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Flags of Texas
I'm doing my own documention of the Texas Revolution, and this book has been an excellent source of information. Pleased that I bought it.

Mistakes abound in this disappointing book
Texas certainly needs a good book on its flag history; unfortunately, "Flags of Texas" isn't that book.This is a revision of "A Concise History of Early Texas" (1964), which itself was based on theMamie Wynne Cox's greatly flawed "The Romantic Flags of Texas"(1936).

Mistakes abound--the silly conception of the "IndianFlag," the use of archaic French and Spanish flags no longer in use at the time of the exploration of Texas, the use of the current Mexican flag when the text speaks of "Mexico's Historic Flag," a discussion ofthe "De Zavala Flag" when no such flag existed, the apocryphal designation of Charles Stewart as the designer of the current Lone StarFlag, and the statement that the Confederate "Star and Bars Flag" was "the first official Confererate flag."There is no bibliography, probably because most--if not all--of the research came from reading Mamie Wynne Cox's book.

Fortunately Texas flag scholarship is improving with newer works such as Alan K. Sumrall's "Battle Flags of Texas in the Confederacy," Robert Maberry's "Texas Flags," and flag entries in "The New Handbook of Texas." ... Read more

Product Description
When people hear the word "Texas" certain images come into their minds. Because of its size and unusual history, the myths and legends of Texas have pretty much become the embodiment of the American West. Although some of the symbols of mythic Texas have evolved into stereotypes (sometimes with the help of self-promoting Texans), they all have their basis in the history, culture, and geography of the state. This book examines some of those symbols: oil wells, the saddle, the Pecos River, longhorn cattle, and the famous Lone Star, to mention a few, and their relationship to Texas today. Author Wooley also includes the people of Texas--folks who represent our state and what it stands for. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Worth browsing
This is a reprint of an original 19th Century "Emigrant's guide" to Texas. The author, born in Scotland, makes pointed, and sometimes caustic remarks about the land, the people, wildlife, politics and other topics. Students of Texas History will spot a number of inaccuracies throughout the text. Names are mispelled and some Spanish words are spelled they way they would sound to an Anglo. The author entertains a low opinion of the Mexican people, but also derides the dullards and loafers among the "Yanquiz". (An equal opportunity offender perhaps?)
The writer's sarcasm bubbles up often, which tends to become tiresome after several chapters. It is still worth browsing, but you'll need to compare it to other published works to get an accurate picture. ... Read more

Product Description
The principle that all people make history continues to drive the Fourth Edition of our well-loved text, one that continues to consider the different cultures within the state as well as the unique heritage shared by all Texans. Unlike other surveys of the Lone Star State, "The History of Texas" goes beyond accounts of well-known figures to consider the lives of ordinary Texans, as seen in the continued and expanded coverage of topics such as agriculture, industrialisation, urbanisation, economic disparity, migration patterns, and demographic change. Like its predecessors, the Fourth Edition features the history of folklore, music, literature, sports, religion, and other important aspects of Texas culture that help determine the flavour of Texas, past and present. In response to the feedback of instructors and students alike, this edition has been re-edited and revised, making it more accessible to student readers of all levels and representative of the very latest historical research.Additions include broader discussions of American Indian peoples, the activities in Texas of the French explorer La Salle, the lead up to and the battles and other events comprising the Texas Revolution, and the affinity between Texas and southern culture that ensued once the Republic became a state in 1845.In addition, the description of Reconstruction in Texas has been reorganised and simplified to help students grasp better this complex topic. Naturally, the final chapter has - in light of the rapid movements in politics, the economy, and culture - undergone extensive revision, bringing the coverage through the election of 2006. Still the best-illustrated survey of Texas history, "The History of Texas" remains the most inclusive, relevant, and up-to-date account of all those who call the Lone Star State home. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

1 Star says it all
I had a high school history teacher who taught like this book reads. She just wrote facts down on the overhead and had the students copy. No exposition, no narrative. Just bland facts.

Thank God for the history books that read like the great storytellers tell them. Sadly, this isn't one of them. Steer clear of this one.

Horrible
This is my textbook for my college Texas History class, and I hate it. As others have said, it definitely lacks organization. In other words, it sucks. Please don't read it unless you're assigned to it like I am.

As dry and boring as it gets.
I read the book while preparing for my teacher certification exam.My professional training is in History and I have had my share of dry, boring books, but this one literally put me to sleep.I used to read few pages before going to bed, a sure way to cure insomnia.

The textbook is just a collection of facts, dates and names.There is no cause-and-effect line in the book, not even an attempt to draw some conclusions.Instead, it reads like a statistician report.If memorizing the dry numbers is your thing, go for it.For the rest of us, who are trying to actually understand and make some sense out of the past, stay away from this book.You will get your basics in, but it will not make you think or encourage you to seek more information.

De Leon strikes again...
If you've ever read anything by De Leon--master of the term "White Supremecy"--then you know what he's capable of. And, unfortunately, his grubby little fingers were all over this book; which--again, unfortunately--is used as a college textbook. Therefore all evil in Texas leads back to one thing--the white man. Boo!

That aside, it's little things that add up. Such as stating for a fact that Crockett was executed after the The Alamo fell. There is no opposition statement.

That may not seem like much, but this isn't yet another history; this is a textbook, used to teach our future leaders. Any hedging of facts, no matter how subtle, should not be tolerated. ... Read more