The archive
All stories
History · Places
History of Nacogdoches TexasSettled in 1716, Nacogdoches claims to be the oldest town in Texas. It was then that Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe de los Nacogdoches was established as one of a series of Spanish missions in the area. The…
History · Places
Matagorda Texas HistoryLocated on Matagorda Bay at the mouth of the Colorado River, the town of Matagorda lies near the site where French explorer LaSalle landed with some 200 colonists in February of 1685. It was there that LaSalle…
History · Places
History of La Grange TexasLa Grange is perhaps best known today as the home of the “Chicken Ranch” that provided the inspiration for the screenplay and movie “The Best Little Whore House in Texas.” The town got its start, however,…
History · Places
Republic of Texas SettlementsThe above map shows the major settlements in Texas that date from the time of the Republic. Additional background information is available for each town by selecting the desired point on the map, or by…
History · People
Native American Indian Tribes of Texas: Past and PresentLong before Texas had its name, its flag or its first cowboy, it was home to dozens of Native peoples. Their ways of life were as varied as the land itself: farmers in the East Texas pine woods, fishermen paddling dugout canoes along the Gulf Coast, buffalo hunters on the plains and traders in the deserts of the far west.
History · Places
The History of Harrisburg TexasCarved out of a portion of the Austin colony grant of Richardson Harris, the town of Harrisburg was laid out in 1826. Located on Buffalo Bayou near present day Houston, it became an important trading center…
Events · Facts
Battleship Texas I and IIThe USS Texas is now a shrine moored at the site of the San Jacinto battlefield about 20 miles east of Houston. Perhaps better known as the Battleship Texas, she remains as an icon of a noble past. Although…
Events · Facts
Early Texas Baseball CardsSeveral sets of some of the earliest baseball cards ever issued depict players from the Texas League or were issued and distributed by sponsors in the Lone Star state. Among these were two sets issued in 1910:…
Facts · History
Money of the Republic of TexasFinancing the public debt and implementing a stable currency system were among the many challenges facing the government of the Republic of Texas. Although the Constitution of 1836 gave Congress the power to…
Events · History
U.S. Postage Stamps about Texas and TexansOver the past sixty years, the United States Postal Service has issued almost two dozen stamps commemorating Texas and Texans. They are presented here, courtesy of the lifetime collection of the late Mrs.…
Facts · History
US Postage Stamps About Texas WildlifeWhooping Cranes Issued November 22, 1957 3-cents
Events · History
US Postage Stamps Commemorating Famous TexansStamps are presented in the order issued.