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History & Culture
Local Notes
History & Culture notes
DeWitt County · Historic Courthouse
The 1896 DeWitt County Courthouse Was Fully Restored and Is Worth a Visit
The DeWitt County Courthouse in Cuero was built in 1896 in Romanesque Revival style and underwent a thorough restoration that reopened in 2007.
Dickens County · County Name
Dickens County Is Named for a Man Who Died at the Alamo
The county and its seat are both named for J. Dickens, a soldier who died at the Battle of the Alamo in 1836.
Dickens County · Geography
Dickens County Straddles the Caprock Escarpment
The county has two distinct landscapes — flat High Plains to the northwest above the Caprock, and rolling breaks below it to the southeast.
Dickens County · Ranching History
The Spur Ranch Once Covered Much of Dickens County
The Spur Ranch (Espuela Cattle Company) was one of the largest ranches in Texas and shaped how Dickens County was settled.
Dimmit County · County History
Carrizo Springs Has Been the County Seat Since 1880
Dimmit County was formed in 1858 and Carrizo Springs grew from a small ranching camp into the permanent county seat.
Dimmit County · Agriculture History
Dimmit County Was Part of the Texas Winter Garden Region
Artesian wells discovered in the 1880s turned Dimmit County into a vegetable farming area known as the Texas Winter Garden Region.
Donley County · Town Origins
Clarendon Started as a Dry Methodist Colony on the Open Prairie
Clarendon was founded in 1878 by a Methodist minister who wanted a temperance community on the Texas Panhandle, earning it the nickname 'Saints' Roost.'
Donley County · Historic Courthouse
Donley County's 1891 Courthouse Is Still in Use Today
The Donley County Courthouse in Clarendon was built in 1891, survived a tornado that took off its top floor, and was fully restored in 2003.
Duval County · Culture & Heritage
Duval County Has Deep Tejano Roots
Most people in Duval County are Hispanic. The county's culture comes from Tejano and South Texas ranching traditions.
Duval County · County History
Duval County Was Named for a Victim of the Goliad Massacre
Duval County was created in 1858 and named for Burr H. Duval, a soldier killed during the Texas Revolution.
Eastland County · Oil Boom History
The 1917 Ranger oil strike transformed Eastland County
An oil strike near the town of Ranger in 1917 flooded the county with workers and money, briefly making it one of the most active places in Texas.
Eastland County · Local History
The Eastland County Courthouse and Old Rip
Eastland's courthouse holds the preserved remains of Old Rip, a horned lizard that became a national story in 1928.
Ector County · Natural Landmark
A Meteor Crater Sits About Ten Miles Southwest of Odessa
The Odessa Meteor Crater is a prehistoric impact site in south-central Ector County, designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service.
Ector County · Founding History
A Railroad Built Odessa in the 1880s
Odessa was founded in 1881 when the Texas and Pacific Railway extended across West Texas and workers established a water stop on the South Plains.
Ector County · County History
Ector County Is Named for a Confederate General and Texas Judge
Texas created Ector County in 1887 from Tom Green County land and named it for Mathew D. Ector, a Confederate general who later served as a Texas appeals judge.
Ector County · Higher Education
Odessa College and UT Permian Basin Anchor Ector County
Odessa's college story runs through Odessa College, founded in 1946, and UT Permian Basin, which began classes in 1973.
Ector County · Cultural Institution
Odessa Has a Museum Dedicated to the U.S. Presidency
The Presidential Museum in Odessa focuses on the office of the U.S. presidency, tracing its roots to a Presidential Room opened in the Ector County Library in 1965.
Ector County · Cultural Landmark
Odessa Has a Replica of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
A replica of the original Globe Theatre in London sits on the Odessa College campus and hosts seasonal Shakespeare performances.
Ector County · Oil History
Oil Was Discovered in Ector County in 1926 and Changed Everything
The first producing oil well in Ector County came in on December 28, 1926, launching a boom that turned a small cow town into a major city.
Ector County · Indigenous History
Prehistoric Rock Art Exists in Ector County
Blue Mountain pictographs in Ector County are ancient rock paintings left by prehistoric peoples, depicting hunting scenes.
Edwards County · Agriculture & Economy
Edwards County's Wool and Mohair Heritage Still Shapes the Economy
Sheep and angora goat ranching built Edwards County and still drives its rural economy today.
Edwards County · Disaster History
The 1927 Tornado That Almost Wiped Out Rocksprings
On April 12, 1927, a massive tornado destroyed most of Rocksprings and killed 74 people — a defining event in the county's history.
El Paso County · County History
El Paso's County Seat Moved Four Times Before Landing in El Paso City
El Paso County was created in 1850. Its county seat bounced between San Elizario and Ysleta before El Paso city took over for good in 1883.
El Paso County · Military History
Fort Bliss Has Shaped El Paso Since 1854
Fort Bliss, established in 1854, is one of the largest military installations in the country and a defining part of El Paso's economy and culture.
El Paso County · Economic History
Four Railroads Arrived in 1881 and Transformed El Paso Overnight
The arrival of four major railroads in 1881 turned El Paso from a small village of 736 people into a regional hub of over 15,000 within two decades.
El Paso County · Texas History
The Salt War of 1877 Was a Violent Border Conflict in El Paso County
The Salt War of San Elizario in 1877 was a months-long violent fight over salt lake rights. It drew in Texas Rangers and led to Fort Bliss being reopened.
El Paso County · Higher Education
UTEP Has Been Part of El Paso Since 1914
The University of Texas at El Paso was founded in 1914 as a mining school. Today it is a major research university and a key part of city life.
El Paso County · Mission History
Ysleta Mission Was Established in 1682 and Is Still Active Today
The Corpus Christi de la Isleta Mission in Ysleta, now part of El Paso, was founded in 1682 and is tied to the Tigua people who have lived there continuously since.
Ellis County · Agricultural History
Cotton farming once made Ellis County a powerhouse in Texas agriculture
When the Houston and Texas Central Railroad arrived in 1872, Ellis County shifted from cattle range to one of Texas's top cotton-producing counties.
Ellis County · County Origin
Ellis County was carved from Navarro County in 1849
Texas created Ellis County on December 20, 1849, probably naming it for Richard Ellis, who led the 1836 convention that declared Texas independence.
Ellis County · Science History
Ellis County was the planned site of a massive cancelled physics project
The Superconducting Super Collider was being built near Waxahachie in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Congress cut funding and cancelled the project in 1993.
Ellis County · Early Settlement
Forreston is considered the oldest Anglo settlement in Ellis County
Forreston, in southern Ellis County, is one of the county's oldest Anglo settlements. Settlers were there before the county was even formally created in 1849.
Ellis County · Industrial Economy
Midlothian is home to major cement and steel manufacturing
Midlothian grew around limestone, cement plants, and steel, so its local identity includes both small-town Ellis County and heavy industry.
Ellis County · Historic Neighborhoods
Waxahachie has a large collection of preserved Victorian-era homes
Waxahachie is called Gingerbread City for its hundreds of well-kept Victorian homes. Many are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ellis County · Film History
Waxahachie was a filming location for several 1980s Hollywood movies
In the 1980s, Waxahachie's preserved Victorian streets attracted four major Hollywood films that used the town as a period set.
Ellis County · Historic Landmark
Waxahachie's 1897 courthouse is one of Texas's most recognized buildings
The Ellis County Courthouse in downtown Waxahachie was completed in 1897, built of red sandstone and granite in a Victorian Romanesque style.
Erath County · County Origins
Erath County Was Founded in 1856 and Named for a Texas Surveyor
Erath County was carved out of Bosque and Coryell counties in 1856 and named after George B. Erath, a surveyor who mapped much of this part of Texas.
Erath County · Rodeo Culture
Stephenville Calls Itself the Cowboy Capital of the World
Stephenville keeps the Cowboy Capital name in city life, and Dublin carries another deep piece of Erath County's rodeo story.
Erath County · Historic Courthouse
Stephenville's Victorian Courthouse Has Stood Since 1892
The Erath County Courthouse in Stephenville is a National Register landmark built in 1892 from local limestone and red Pecos sandstone.
Erath County · Higher Education
Tarleton State University Has Been in Stephenville Since 1899
Tarleton State University is based in Stephenville. It is part of the Texas A&M System and has shaped the county's economy and culture for over a century.
Falls County · Local History
Marlin's mineral springs made it a 19th-century health destination
Workers found hot mineral water in Marlin in 1892. That discovery turned the town into a health resort that lasted about fifty years.
Falls County · Local History
Why Falls County is called Falls County
The county is named after a natural waterfall on the Brazos River. Early settlers used it as a landmark.
Fannin County · County History
Bonham Grew from Fort Inglish and a Town Called Bois d'Arc
Bonham's names tell its early story: Fort Inglish, then Bois d'Arc, and finally a name honoring Alamo defender James Butler Bonham.
Fannin County · Notable History
Sam Rayburn Kept Coming Home to His Bonham Farm
The longest-serving U.S. House speaker spent his Washington years returning to a family farm just west of Bonham.
Fayette County · Heritage
Czech and German settlers shaped Fayette County's towns and culture
German and Czech settlers came to Fayette County in the mid-to-late 1800s. They shaped the food, buildings, churches, and community life still seen here today.
Fayette County · History & State Park
Monument Hill preserves a key moment in Texas independence history
Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Site in La Grange honors Texans killed during the Mier Expedition and Dawson Massacre of the 1840s.
Fisher County · Local History
How Fisher County and Roby Got Their Names
Fisher County was named for a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Its county seat was chosen in an election where one voter turned out to be a dog.
Fisher County · Local Economy
Oil and Gas Has Shaped Fisher County Since the 1920s
Oil was discovered in Fisher County in 1928 and has been part of the local economy ever since, alongside cotton and cattle.
Floyd County · County History
Floyd County was named for an Alamo defender
Floyd County was created in 1876 and named after Dolphin Ward Floyd, who died at the Alamo in 1836.
Foard County · County History
Foard County Was Carved Out in 1891 and Built on Cattle and Cotton
Foard County was established in 1891, named for a Confederate officer, and grew around cattle ranching, cotton farming, and a railroad that arrived in 1908.
Fort Bend County · Reconstruction Era
Black residents held major county offices in Fort Bend during Reconstruction
After the Civil War, African Americans won elected office in Fort Bend County as sheriff, commissioner, and justice of the peace.
Fort Bend County · County Origins
Fort Bend County was founded in 1837 and named for a bend in the Brazos River
Fort Bend County gets its name from a small cabin settlement built near a sharp curve in the Brazos River in the 1820s.
Fort Bend County · Plantation History
Fort Bend County was one of Texas's major plantation and slavery counties
By 1860, Fort Bend County had more enslaved people than white residents, making it one of the heaviest slaveholding counties in Texas.
Fort Bend County · Immigration History
German, Austrian, and Czech immigrants settled small farms in Fort Bend County in the 1890s
About 400 Central European immigrants moved to Fort Bend County between 1890 and 1900, founding towns like Beasley and Needville.
Fort Bend County · Oil & Gas History
Oil was discovered in Fort Bend County in 1919
Gulf Oil drilled the county's first producing oil well in 1919, adding petroleum to a county economy built on sugar and cotton.
Fort Bend County · County Seat
Richmond has been Fort Bend County's seat since 1838
Richmond on the Brazos River has served as the county seat since 1838 and is where county government offices are located.
Fort Bend County · City History
Sugar Land grew from a sugar plantation company town into a major suburb
The city of Sugar Land traces its roots to a 19th-century sugar plantation and the Imperial Sugar Company that once dominated the area.
Fort Bend County · Reconstruction & Race
The Jaybird-Woodpecker War in 1889 ended Black political power in Fort Bend
A violent political conflict in 1889 led to the exclusion of Black voters from Fort Bend County politics for more than 60 years.
Franklin County · County History
Franklin County Was Named for a Judge, Not the President
Franklin County was created in 1875 and named for Judge Benjamin C. Franklin, an early Red River County settler and jurist — not for Benjamin Franklin.
Freestone County · Local History
Freestone County is the birthplace of blues musician Blind Lemon Jefferson
Blues pioneer Blind Lemon Jefferson was born near Wortham and is buried at what is now Blind Lemon Memorial Cemetery.