The archive
All stories
History · Places
The History of Texas A&M UniversityPlanning for a public institution for higher education in Texas can be traced back to the early days of the Republic of Texas and, more directly, to the Morrill Act, approved by the United States Congress on…
History · Places
The History of Southwestern UniversityAlthough officially chartered as Southwestern University in 1875, the school’s roots extend back to 1840, making it the oldest institution of higher learning in Texas. Located in Georgetown, a community just…
History · Places
The History of Southern Methodist UniversitySouthern Methodist University was chartered on April 17, 1911 by the United Methodist Church. Classes were planned to officially begin in 1913, but construction delays on the university’s first building…
History · Places
The History of Sam Houston State UniversityOriginally chartered as the Sam Houston Normal Institute, Sam Houston State University was established in 1879 by the 16th Texas Legislature. It is located at Huntsville in Walker County at a site formerly…
History · Places
The History of Stephen F. Austin State UniversityStephen F. Austin State University (SFA) is a public university located in Nacogdoches, Texas. It was founded as a teachers’ college in 1923 and named after one of Texas’ founding fathers, Stephen F. Austin.…
History · Places
The History of Rice UniversityThe Rice University first opened in 1912 after the murder of its namesake William Marsh Rice. But the saga of the school’s opening extends back a decade or so earlier.
History · Places
The History of Prairie View A&M UniversityPrairie View A&M University, the second oldest public institution of higher education in Texas, originated in the Texas Constitution of 1876. On August 14of that year, the Texas Legislature established the…
History · Places
The History of Washington on the Brazos TexasWashington, better known as Washington-on-the-Brazos, is best known as the location of the drafting and signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence.
History · Places
The History of Victoria TexasVictoria is located on the Guadalupe River not far from the Texas coast. The town became the hub of the De Leon Colony, founded by Don Martin De Leon in 1824. Earlier, the site had been known as Las Sabinas, or…
History · Places
The History of Velasco TexasVelasco, located at the mouth of the Brazos River, is one of the oldest towns in Texas. In 1821, the schooner Lively brought the first of Austin’s colonists to the site, and over 25,000 settlers entered Texas…
History · Places
The History of San Felipe de Austin, TexasSan Felipe de Austin was the site on the Brazos River chosen as the headquarters of the colony of Stephen F. Austin. As such, it became the unofficial capital of the region. By 1828, the town consisted of about…
History · Places
San Antonio Texas HistoryThe area around San Antonio was established in the early 1700’s. Its early history centers around several Spanish missions built during that period. The most famous of these missions, the Alamo, served as a…