Authentic Texas 2016 Fall

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Bankhead Highway

plus D EEP-FRIED DELIGHT

BABE’S CHICKEN FAIR FOOD DINNER HOUSE

Broadway of America

FORT W O R LGRIFFIN D FANDANGLE BIRDING CENTER

JUNETEENTH Celebrating “Howdy!”

More Than 150 Years Park: ofFair Freedom

QUINTA PALO DURO CANYON MAZATLAN PREHISTORIC R IDING TEXAS

THE RAILS IN

Home of the State Fair Don Henley ofRevisits Texas

GALVESTON

Dramatic contrasts and scenic grandeur AUTHENTIC

CASS COUNTY

BIG LAURA BUSH BEND Texan By Nature

BIG BEND BEND NATIONAL NATIONAL PARK PARK BIG SUPERINTENDENT SUPERINTENDENT

Cindy Ott-Jones Ott-Jones Cindy

TEXAN

NATIONAL PARK

FROM THE TEXAS HERITAGE TRAILS LLC

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WELCOME to Authentic Texas, the magazine that focuses on heritage

tourism in Texas. Five Texas Heritage Trail Regions have collaborated to produce this quarterly magazine and its online counterpart as vehicles for presenting the people, places and products that make traveling the state a unique experience. We explore Texas from border to border, opening the door to fascinating stories for both our fellow Texans as well as visitors from afar.

We’re humbled by the wonderful responses of Texans regarding our last two issues, where we celebrated the National Parks Centennial featuring Big Bend National Park, honored the Buffalo Soldiers, explored the lighthouses along the Texas Coastline, played Vintage Baseball and went on a journey to the White House with Tom Perini, chuck wagons in tow. These are just a few of the many stories we wanted to tell, and there are many more about the Lone Star State to come.

In this issue, we’re excited to feature former First Lady Laura Bush, a true leader and founder of Texan by Nature, a conservation organization dedicated to activating new investments in Texan-led conservation. We’ll also be taking a look at some of Texans’ favorite foodie destinations — the State Fair, the Terlingua Chili Cookoff(s), the Henderson Syrup Festival and Chuy’s in Van Horn, an annual pit stop for NFL Hall of Famer John Madden.

We’ll honor preservation hero Bernie Sargent of El Paso, chair of the El Paso County Historical Commission, travel the Quanah Parker Trail in the Plains Region, and explore the Bankhead Highway and its communities. And for those seeking out the most beautiful places to see fall colors, we’ll share our favorites. We’ll also follow the wild and scenic Rio Grande and the amazing birds that live there.

Also, we’re delighted to announce a new regular feature from the Texas State Library and Archives. Communications Director Steve Siwinski will be authoring an article each quarter that highlights a Texas artifact or collection. The item(s) can be visited at the Library and Archives and will also direct the reader to the item’s hometown or place of origin. In this issue, readers are challenged to learn more about the early history of Texas state parks.

Another new development is our subscription program. Authentic Texas will remain available at no charge throughout the state at travel information centers, visitor centers, state historic sites, museums and a variety of selected retail establishments. However, in response to numerous requests from individuals who wish to make sure they don’t miss a single issue, we’re now offering a one-year subscription (four issues) for $15. You can find the comprehensive list of our outlets as well as subscription details online at AuthenticTexas.com.

Please join us as we explore the Texas Heritage Trails together. We hope you enjoy this fall edition and the many more to come. We feel Texas is the greatest place on the planet, and as all proud Texans can agree, there’s so much more than meets the eye.

Happy Trails,

Ron Sanders Manager, Texas Heritage Trails LLC President, Texas Mountain Trail Region

CORRECTIONS

Spring Issue: Will Cradduck, Ph.D., serves as herd manager of the Official State of Texas Longhorn Herd.

We regret the misspelling of Dr. Cradduck’s name.

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Summer Issue: Please note that the hours for the USS Lexington Museum on the Bay are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Labor Day to Memorial Day. From Memorial Day to Labor Day the hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

AU THENTIC TEX AS

Contents FALL 2016

BARBARA BRANNON / TEXAS PLAINS TRAIL

FEATURES

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AUTHENTIC THING

AUTHENTIC PERSON

AUTHENTIC PLACE

Another historic football rivalry — one that doesn’t involve Longhorns or Sooners — takes place at the Cotton Bowl each fall. Since 1985, the State Fair Classic has pitted Prairie View A&M against Grambling State.

Laura Bush’s love of the outdoors was established at an early age, and now the former first lady is demonstrating her commitment to the land as founder of Texan by Nature. “The prosperity of our great state and our quality of life,” she says, “are tied to the conservation of natural resources.”

The State Fair of Texas, held each year at Fair Park in Dallas, has its roots, in part, in the Texas Centennial Exposition of 1936, a world’s fair that celebrated the founding of the Lone Star State and for which some 50 buildings were constructed.

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Contents 46

65

TRAIL DRIVES

LIVE SHOWS

Quinta Mazatlan

Corpus Christi Jazz Festival

Fall Foliage

Some of the most colorful displays of autumn occur right here in the Lone Star State.

Pumpkins

The artistry at Pumpkin Village transforms a scenic garden into a wonderland of orange, green and gold.

Quanah Parker Trail

Celebrating a story known from legend of a proud, nomadic people who kept no record of their own past.

56 EATS & DRINKS PUMPKINS P. 50

Chuy’s Tolbert’s

Departments

Syrup Time in Henderson

LOCAL

Celebrating the century-old tradition of making ribbon cane syrup.

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TEXAS ICON

CITY LIGHTS

Pecan Tree

Harlingen

The official state tree since 1919, the pecan can reach heights of up to 100 feet with trunks three feet around.

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YONDER

Lumber Capital of Texas

By the 1880s, dozens of sawmills made Lufkin and Angelina County the lumber capital of Texas.

Terlingua Chili Cookoff

Searching for the perfect bowl of red.

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Pioneers opened the once sparsely populated area to agriculture.

Riding the Rails In the 19th century, Galveston competed with Houston as a seaport to and from Central Texas.

Fair Food

62 DEEP IN THE ART

Texas Book Festival

Co-founded by Laura Bush — a featured author — the festival begins its third decade.

66 HAPPENINGS

LEGACY

74 HISTORIES

Bankhead Highway

The nation’s first all-weather, coastto-coast highway was launched in 1916.

78 TEXAS ORIGINAL

Bernie Sargent

The mustachioed chairman of the El Paso County Historical Commission has a passion for preservation.

Trails in This Issue Brazos 66 Forest 16, 20, 48, 66 Forts 12, 66 Hill Country 12, 48, 62, 66 Independence 24, 66 Lakes 32, 36, 50, 58, 60, 66 Mountain 18, 48, 56, 66, 78 Pecos 66 Plains 48, 50, 54, 66 Tropical 22, 46, 65, 66

LIFE

44 ARCHIVE

State Parks

Where the toughest Texans become tree-huggers.

BANKHEAD HIGHWAY P. 74

FROM TOP: DALLAS ARBORETUM; TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION

A natural haven for a variety of birds and a prime destination for birders from all over the U.S. and Europe.

TRAILS MAP THE TEXAS HERITAGE TRAILS program is based on 10 scenic driving trails created in 1968

by Gov. John Connally and the Texas Highway Department (now the Texas Department of Transportation) as a tool for visitors to explore the Lone Star State. The trails were established in conjunction with HemisFair, an international expo that commemorated the 250th anniversary of the founding of San Antonio.

In 1997, the State Legislature charged the Texas Historical Commission with creating a statewide heritage tourism program. The THC responded with a program based on local, regional, and state partnerships, centered on the 10 scenic driving trails. Today, each trail region is a nonprofit organization governed by a regional board of directors that supports educational and preservation efforts and facilitates community development through heritage tourism.

PUBLISHER

Stewart Ramser EDITOR

Tom Buckley ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Allie Eissler COPY EDITORS

Julie Seaford, Anne Herman, Michael Marchio

ART DIRECTOR

Martha Gazella-Taylor, Gazella Design ADVERTISING DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Lisa Reiley

PLAINS TRAIL REGION

CONTRIBUTORS

Jeremy Burchard, Mike Carlisle, Dan Carpenter, Norman Rozeff, Douglas Harman, Dan L. Smith, Steve Siwinski, Valerie D. Bates

LAKES TRAIL REGION FORTS TRAIL REGION MOUNTAIN TRAIL REGION

EDITORIAL BOARD

PECOS TRAIL REGION

BRAZOS TRAIL REGION

HILL COUNTRY TRAIL REGION

FOREST TRAIL REGION

INDEPENDENCE TRAIL REGION

TROPICAL TRAIL REGION

Jeff Salmon, Texas Forts Trail Region Patty Bushart, Texas Lakes Trail Region Ron Sanders, Texas Mountain Trail Region Kay Ellington, Texas Plains Trail Region Rick Stryker, Texas Tropical Trail Region

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS OF PARTICIPATING TEXAS HERITAGE TRAIL REGIONS

Margaret Hoogstra, Texas Forts Trail Region Jill Campbell Jordan, Texas Lakes Trail Region Wendy Little, Texas Mountain Trail Region Barbara Brannon, Texas Plains Trail Region Nancy Deviney, Texas Tropical Trail Region

Legend

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BRAZOS TRAIL TexasBrazosTrail.com

INDEPENDENCE TRAIL TexasIndependenceTrail.com

FORTS TRAIL TexasFortsTrail.com

MOUNTAIN TRAIL TexasMountainTrail.com

FOREST TRAIL TexasForestTrail.com

PECOS TRAIL TexasPecosTrail.com

HILL COUNTRY TRAIL TxHillCountryTrail.com

PLAINS TRAIL TexasPlainsTrail.com

LAKES TRAIL TexasLakesTrail.com

TROPICAL TRAIL TexasTropicalTrail.com

AU THENTIC TEX AS

Texas Heritage Trails LLC 3702 Loop 322 Abilene, TX 79602 AuthenticTexas.com 325.660-6774 Texas Heritage Trails LLC is owned and operated by five nonprofit heritage trails organizations.

Texas Heritage Trails LLC member organizations are participants of the nationally award-winning Texas Heritage Trails Program of the Texas Historical Commission.

Texas Heritage Trails, LLC dba Authentic Texas is a member of the Texas Travel Industry Association and is a Go Texan partner.

LOCAL

TEXAS ICON p. 12 H YONDER p. 16 H CITY LIGHTS p. 22 H FEATURES p. 26

PECANS! SCOTT BAUER

Lone Star State Delicacy!

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Pecan The

TREE

by DAN CARPENTER photograph by BUDDY WHITLEY

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photograph by

COOKIES, COBBLERS, crackers and coffee – these are just a few of the delicacies that feature nuts from our state tree, the pecan. Towering at heights up to 100 feet with trunks measuring up to three feet around, some pecan trees in Texas are more than 150 years old. The Lone Star State is the largest producer of native pecans, and second only to Georgia in the production of hybrid varieties.

The pecan became the official Texas state tree in 1919. Gov. James Hogg loved the tree so much that he requested that one be planted at his gravesite. Millions of pounds of pecans are harvested every year in San Saba, Texas, which boasts the moniker “Pecan Capital of the World” and whose county reportedly has the largest concentration of pecan orchards in the entire state.

In 1874, Edmund E. Risien, a young English cabinetmaker, stopped in San Saba on his way to California. “His plan was to only stay for a short while,” explains San Saba Director of Economic Development Tony Guidroz, “but thanks to his

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love of horticulture and a thriving casket-making business, he settled and lived the rest of his life here.” Risien began experimenting with upbreeding native pecans, and he is credited with creating several hybrid varieties. His pioneering efforts earned him accolades in 1931 by the 42nd Texas Legislature as a world leader in the pecan industry.

According to information from the Texas State Historical Association, fossil remains found in Texas show that the native pecan tree was here long before humans ever came on the scene. Many American Indians relied on the nuts as an important food staple, gathering • SAN SABA wild pecans to create all kinds of culinary combinations — mixing them with fruits and beans, corn and squashes; forming energy drinks with pecan milk; using ground pecan meal to thicken meat stews; and carrying roasted pecans along on long journeys to sustain them when other food was scarce.

FAIRWAY BEAUTY: The San Saba River Golf Course features elegant views as well as refreshing shade from stately pecan trees.

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Saba. At Oliver Pecan Co., the third-generation business started by Gordon Lee and Clydene Oliver in 1970 is busy growing, harvesting and processing pecan products. With more than 30,000 pecan trees to harvest from, Oliver Pecan ships worldwide as well.

San Saba Pecan, the second largest pecan sheller in the world, processes and ships millions of pounds of pecans worldwide each year.

Pecans are an excellent source of protein and can be substituted for meat, poultry or fish in one’s diet. The nuts can even be used as a substitute for flour for those needing a gluten-free option. While pecan pie is one of the more common crowdpleasers, other favorites include caramel pecan popcorn, white chocolate cranberry pecan cookies and pecan pork tenderloin.

Besides producing the delicious pecan nut, the pecan also provides wood used in agricultural implements, baseball bats, hammer handles, furniture, wall paneling, flooring, carvings and firewood.

BUDDY WHITLEY

Winston Millican, a fifth-generation descendent of Risien, owns and operates Millican Pecan in San Saba, carrying on his family’s legacy.

Millican combines his pecan production experience with his wife Kristen’s love for cooking to produce pecan halves and pieces, pecan meal and a variety of other pecan-themed treats.

The pair also teach others about the myriad possibilities for this versatile nut. The Millican Pecan orchards span more than 500 acres, with over 6,000 pecan trees. In 2015, the Millicans produced approximately 25,000 pounds of pecans, and sold and shipped them worldwide.

“My great-great-grandfather founded the West Texas Pecan Nursery at the junction of the San Saba and Colorado Rivers,” says Millican. “The ‘Mother Pecan Tree,’ located in the heart of this orchard, has been used to produce many great pecan varieties. Some of these include the San Saba Improved, Texas Prolific, Onliwon, Squirrel Delight, No. 60 and Western Schley.”

During his era, Riesen’s customer base included Queen Victoria of England, Lord Alfred Tennyson and the cereal company giant C.W. Post.

In addition to the Millican producers, you can visit several other pecan operations in San

LOCAL YONDER

LUMBERING ALONG: The Museum of East Texas (below) includes the historic St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church, Lufkin’s oldest church building; a McGiffert Log Loader c.

1907 (bottom) at work in Jefferson Country.

Lufkin

Lumber Capital of Texas RICK STRYKER

AS YOU DRIVE out to Lufkin through the Davy Crockett National Forest, you know you’re headed somewhere special. If the horizon hidden by trees is not a convincing clue, then getting behind the inevitable logging truck provides confirmation that you are experiencing East Texas. Lufkin’s beautiful and historic downtown offers the opportunity to explore its natural resources and local industry, from museums to lumbering short line railroads.

The forest business developed into a booming industry by the 1880s, when dozens of sawmills made Lufkin and Angelina County the lumber capital of Texas. Between 1890 and 1900, the timber business brought the Lone Star State more money than any other industry. Visitors can get a full picture of the people, places and products of the Piney Woods with a tour of the

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Texas Forestry Museum. Pick up a driving tour brochure for a 45-minute exploration of logging, sawmilling and rural life in East Texas.

Another local highlight is the Museum of East Texas, which contains an impressive collection of sculptures and paintings produced by East Texas artists and American, Latin American and European masters. The modern facility encompasses an adaptive reuse of the former St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church, dating back to 1906.

The museum offers an active schedule of changing exhibits and cultural enrichment programming.

Last, the Naranjo Museum of Natural History digs up the fascinating history of dinosaurs, geology and ancient civilizations, with a collection of artifacts and fossils that rivals those of many more urban museums.

FOREST TRAIL REGION

• LUFKIN

RICK STRYKER / HISTORIC PHOTO COURTESY OF TEXAS FORESTRY MUSEUM

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Texas Forestry Museum 1905 Atkinson Drive Lufkin, TX 75901 (936) 632-9535 treetexas.com HOURS Monday - Saturday 10 am – 5 pm

Museum of East Texas 503 N. Second Street Lufkin, TX 75901 (936) 639-4434 metlufkin.org HOURS Tuesday – Friday 10 am – 5 pm Saturday and Sunday 1 – 5 pm

Naranjo Museum of Natural History 5104 South 1st Street (Hwy 59 S) Lufkin, TX 75904 (936) 639-3466 naranjomuseum.org HOURS Monday – Saturday 10 am – 6 pm Sunday 1 – 6 pm

Lufkin Convention and Visitors Bureau 1615 S. Chestnut Lufkin, TX 75901 (936) 633-0349 visitlufkin.com NECK OF THE WOODS: (from top) A sawmill steam engine is on display at the Texas Forestry Museum; if you’re behind a logging truck, there’s a good chance you’re in East Texas.

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HOT ENOUGH FOR YOU?: Cook-off judges taste the various chili concoctions as eager contestants look for signs of approval. Each fall the ghost town of Terlingua comes alive and bursts from its seams with two chili cook-offs. Chili aficionados have flocked to Terlingua for the chili cook-offs since the late 1960s.

YONDER

A Terlingua BowlChiliof Red Cookoffs

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WENDY LITTLE

Both cookouts are held the first weekend Big Bend Country, Amarillo-born historian, in November (the Rancho CASI de los Chisos, author, journalist and chili enthusiast Frank X. and the Original “Behind the Store”), creatTolbert roamed, always searching for the perfect ing the ultimate celebration of chili. Chili was bowl of red. Tolbert’s most popular work, 1972’s named the state food in 1978 as proclaimed by the governor’s office, but whatever A Bowl of Red, was devoted to chili your tastes, the best damn chili in con carne, and soon after its publica50th Annual CASI tion, he and Wick Fowler found- Terlingua Championship the world is in Terlingua, Texas.

Nov. 2 – 5 CASI, the granddaddy of all chili ed the Chili Appreciation Society casichili.net cookoffs, is a four-day celebration International, known as CASI. 50th Annual Original beginning on Wednesday and culmi It all started in jest at a place Terlingua International called Terlingua in 1967. The idea Championship Chili Coo nating on Saturday with the Terlingua Nov. 2 – 5 International Chili Championship. seemed simple enough — instead of abowlofred.com Friday of this week is referred to a shootout to determine who made as Scholarship Day, and anyone is the best chili, there would be a conVisit Terlingua visitbigbend.com/ welcome to try their hand in beans, test. All two contestants prepared terlingua wings and salsa competitions, with all their chili, the contest was declared a proceeds from entry fees going to the tie, and the Original Championship Chili Cookoff was born. In 1983, the original CASI Scholarship Fund. Since being refounded founders split off and a second cookoff was in 1983, CASI has generated and donated over formed. So now — in addition to arguing about $30 million in financial support for local charities.

Both cookoffs turn into parties of epic proporwhich chili is better — everybody’s arguing about tion with activities, live music and plenty of quirky which cookoff is better.

FROM THE PLAINS of the Panhandle to the

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• TERLINGUA

MOUNTAIN TRAIL REGION

characters, as folks travel from far and wide to cook or taste the flaming red brew. This year will mark the 50th annual cookoffs. If you can’t make it to the chili extravaganza in Terlingua, Tolbert’s Restaurant and Chili Parlor in Grapevine serves up Tolbert’s famous chili recipe — but nothing quite beats the true Terlingua experience.

The Depot Museum 514 N. High St. Henderson, TX 75652 (903) 657-4303 depotmuseum.com

DON’T MISS DINING High Hill Farm Resort 12626 County Rd 217 Arp, TX 75750 (903) 730-5055 Sal’s Italian Restaurant 210 Hwy 79 South Henderson, TX 75654 (903) 657-8000 Hushpuppies Restaurant 721 Fair Park Dr. Henderson, TX 75654 (903) 655-7933

CANE SYRUP: The sweet syrup bubbles in the syrup pan as it did over 100 years ago. Visitors crowd historic downtown Henderson.

YONDER

Syrup Time inEnjoyHenderson the flavor of the season JILL CAMPBELL JORDAN

syrup. Getting a taste is one of the best parts of AUTUMN IS a treat for the senses, as the landscape in East Texas bursts with the golden hues of the festival, but there’s no shortage of other activithe season and the flavor of the seasonal harvest. ties to keep you busy as the festivities spread to Come November, the cool weather brings people Heritage Square. Watch folk singers and square out by the droves for the 28th Annual Heritage dancers perform on two downtown stages, sample Syrup Festival in historic Henderson, commemo- East Texas cuisine and peruse the classic cars on display around the historical Rusk rating the century-old tradition of County Courthouse. A variety of making ribbon cane syrup.

Heritage Syrup Festival

Spend your visit exploring two Annually the Second Saturday folk artists will also be on hand of November to demonstrate the techniques of beautiful locations – the five-acre Saturday, Nov. 12 making lace, rope, baskets, wood grounds of the Depot Museum carvings, quilts and more. As you and 10 blocks in the National VISIT HENDERSON visithendersontx.com explore the 150 arts and crafts Register Historic Downtown booths set up in the street and District. The Depot Museum offers a glimpse into the agricultural history of downtown shops housed in beautifully restored the region, showcasing an antique, mule-pow- buildings, it won’t be hard to find a treasure or ered syrup mill that produces old-fashioned cane two to take home.

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• HENDERSON

FOREST TRAIL REGION

COURTESY HENDERSON SYRUP FESTIVAL

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LOCAL CITY LIGHTS

HOUSE AND HOME: Pioneer Lon C. Hill’s house at the original site (below) and today (left).

Harlingen

The story of turning the Wild Horse Desert green

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NORMAN ROZEFF

first built in Harlingen) via numerous period artifacts. Nearby in the same patio area are the reconstructed 1884 Paso Real Stagecoach Inn, once located at the Arroyo Colorado ferry crossing west of Rio Hondo, and Harlingen’s first hospital (1923).

short, if the river water could be pumped above the river’s bank, its waters would flow northward by gravity. A few enterprising individuals had created canals and pumping stations over the decades, but only on a limited scale.

The Geography

Newer entrepreneurs quickly realized that any commodity produced in the LRGV had no place to go, as the area had no reliable • port or railroad connections.

Hill and a group of businessmen persuaded investors to construct a railroad financed by St. Louis investors. Railroad builder Uriah Lott

In 1890, Lt. William H. Chatfield, an officer stationed at Fort Brown, Brownsville, conducted an in-depth survey of the LRGV and documented an important topographical fact. The Rio Grande was at a higher elevation than the lands to its north. In

The Railroad

Harlingen Arts and Heritage Museum 2425 Boxwood St. Harlingen, TX 78550 (956) 216-4901 visitharlingentexas.com/visitors/ things-to-do/attractions/ HOURS Tuesday – Saturday 10 am – 4 pm Sunday 1 – 4 pm

Harlingen Convention and Visitors Bureau 311 E. Tyler St. Harlingen ,TX 78550 (956) 622-5053 VISIT HARLINGEN visitharlingentexas.com

RICK STRYKER; COURTESY ARCHIVE ROOM HARLINGEN PUBLIC LIBRARY

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THE AREA extending from the Rio Grande River to Kingsville was once known as the Wild Horse Desert — a disputed territory that was as lawless as its name suggests until the Mexican-American War. Raising livestock was the primary use for the semi-arid land. The Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of Texas, the area north of the Rio Grande, remained sparsely populated and largely unproductive until strong-willed pioneers like Lon C. Hill opened it up to agriculture.

A visit to the Harlingen Arts and Heritage Museum shines some light on this Texas success story.

Here visitors learn about Hill’s history and original 1904 house (the

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BIG DRINK OF WATER: (from left) First Harlingen Canal Pumping plant; Harlingen Irrigation Canal

Old Hidalgo Pumphouse Museum and World Birding Center 902 S. Second Street Hidalgo, TX 78557 (956) 843-8686 theworldbirdingcenter.com/ Hidalgo.html HOURS Monday – Friday 10 am – 5 pm Sunday 1 – 5 pm

began construction of the line from Robstown to Brownsville in 1904, and on the fourth of July, Brownsville celebrated the arrival of its first train from outside the Valley.

Irrigation Canals

Hill created the Lon C. Hill Town and Improvement Company and laid out a town along the Arroyo Colorado that he named Harlingen in honor of Lott’s ancestors from Harlingen, Holland.

Entrepreneurs began constructing giant gravity flow canals, and Hill constructed his Harlingen Canal about 10 miles south of the Arroyo Colorado in January of 1907. By early September of that year, the pumping station on the river filled the canal on its 18-mile journey to Harlingen.

Soon canals would be constructed to serve more of the Brownsville–Los Fresnos area as well as San Benito, La Feria, Mercedes, Llano Grande (later to be Weslaco), Donna, Pharr-San Juan, McAllen and Mission.

Land Sales In order to recoup canal construction costs, land sales along these canals were highly promoted in the Midwest. Early area farmers experimented with a host of agricultural plants, including broom corn and cabbage. Eventually Valley farmers concentrated their agricultural production primarily on citrus, cotton, grain sorghum and various winter vegetables — foods that brought the region fame and continue to attract visitors today.

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CITY LIGHTS

FAST TRACK: (from left) Southern Pacific Engine No. 314 built in 1892 by Cooke Locomotive Works of Patterson, N.J.; the Great Texas Midland Route map of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway.

CITY LIGHTS

Riding the Rails To Historic Galveston

to Galveston, modern travelers likely assume they’re off to the Houston suburbs – beach edition. But in the nineteenth century, Galveston competed with Houston as a seaport and transshipment point to and from central Texas. Colonel William Lewis Moody was a wealthy cotton merchant who helped finance the railroad Galveston needed to help central Texas farmers bypass Houston to get their cotton to markets around the world.

The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway, established in Galveston in 1873, is one of 390 different rail lines that presently make up

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RICK STRYKER

the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Dallas and Greenville.

At the Galveston Railroad Railway.

To celebrate the heritage of the Museum, visitors can experience time when the railroad was king, the magic of train travel up close the folks in Galveston have put by boarding their “rolling stock” of together a tour package featuring trains and rail cars, and via historithree of the city’s finest museums: cal relics and memorabilia from the the Galveston Railroad Museum, largest and finest collection in the the Bryan Museum and the Southwest. Also not to be missed is the sumptuous Moody Moody Mansion.

TICKETS Mansion, where guests The goal is to ridingtherails.info may explore Moody’s encourage the Good through • development December 31, 2016 legacy through family stories and self-guided of heritage tourism partnerships with the very audio tours of the house and grounds. communities the Galveston-based Meanwhile, the Bryan Museum fearailway bolstered, including Alvin, tures the world’s largest collection of Rosenberg, Brenham, Somerville, historical artifacts, documents and Navasota, Temple, Lampasas, artwork related to the Southwestern McGregor, Morgan, Fort Worth, United States.

Galveston Railroad Museum 2602 Santa Fe Place Galveston, TX 77550 (409) 765-5700 galvestonrrmuseum.com HOURS 10 am – 5 pm

Galveston Island Visitors Center 2328 Broadway Galveston, TX 77550 (888)425-4753 galveston.com/visitorscenter HOURS 10 am – 5 pm

FROM LEFT: RICK STRYKER; TEXASANDSANTAFEHISTORY.COM

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WHIZZING DOWN Interstate 45

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: COURTESY MOODY MUSEUM; COURTESY BRYAN MUSEUM; COURTESY MOODY MUSEUM

WHEN RAIL WAS KING: Col. William Lewis Moody (above) helped finance the railroad that Galveston needed to transport its cotton to world markets; the Moody Mansion (top) and Bryan Museum (top right) feature memorabilia and collections of historical artifacts.

Moody Mansion 2618 Broadway Avenue J Galveston, TX 77550 (409) 762-7668 moodymansion.org HOURS 10 am – 5 pm

The Bryan Museum 1315 21st St. Galveston, TX 77550 (409) 632-7685 thebryanmuseum.org HOURS Thursday – Monday 11 am – 4 pm

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Laura Bush

a TEXAN 26

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by NATURE

The former first lady’s love of the outdoors has been a lifelong passion. by

MARGARET HOOGSTRA

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N A WARM SUMMER evening connected to this land, Texan by Nature is telling the story of how the this past June, former first lady prosperity of our great state and our quality of life are tied to the conserof natural resources.” When Mrs. Bush finished her remarks, two Laura Bush walked across the vation young actors dressed in buckskin costumes escorted her from the field as open field of the Prairie Theater applause echoed across the hills. in Albany, Texas, to the admira- The Fort Griffin Fandangle was just one stop on Mrs. Bush’s tion of an eager crowd. Ranchers ongoing journey with Texan by Nature to activate new investments in on horseback were positioned conservation that are Texan-led, community-organized and science-based. behind stands of mesquite trees, and performers Together, they envision a future in which all Texans, urban and rural alike, in pioneer dress waited in the wings; the amphi- share a conservation ethic that ensures Texas’ economic vitality and heritheater brimmed with visitors from across the tage by conserving our natural resources for generations to come. country who had come to enjoy the Fort Griffin Fandangle, the state’s oldest outdoor musical.

A lifelong passion for nature

With ease and grace, Mrs. Bush addressed the audience. “The community members performing this evening have proven themselves trusted stewards of Texas heritage,” she said, “not just by reenacting the story of this prairie land year after year, but by living that heritage every day.”

Mrs. Bush was on hand that night to pay special tribute to a cause that’s near and dear to her. “Communities like this one inspired me to found Texan by Nature, an organization that recognizes contributions to our state’s natural heritage,” she explained. “At Texan by Nature, we are committed to conserving our natural resources for generations to come.

Just as the Fort Griffin Fandangle tells the story of how our heritage is

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GOOD NATURE: Laura Bush (top left) waves to the Fandangle crowd before speaking to them (bottom) about her conservation organization, Texan by Nature.

Mrs. Bush’s mother, Jenna Welch, is credited with nurturing this appreciation for outdoor life. A self-taught naturalist, Mrs. Welch was an active member of the Midland Naturalist Group and the Audubon Society. Because Midland is located in the West Central Flyway, migrating birds, waterfowl and butterflies can be seen there throughout the year. So when Mrs. Welch served as her daughter’s Girl Scout leader, the troop worked on their bird badges. Today, Laura Bush

FROM TOP: GRANT MILLER; GRANT MILLER

LAURA WELCH BUSH’S love of the outdoors and nature was established at an early age. Growing up in Midland, she was no stranger to the vast openness of West Texas. Weekend trips to visit family in Lubbock introduced her to the landscape of plains and canyons. Excursions to El Paso and summer weeks spent with grandparents there sparked an appreciation for cool spring waters and exploring the foothills of the Franklin Mountains.

“As a child, I frequently visited my grandparents in both Lubbock and El Paso, and spent time at Balmorhea,” she says. “Recently I was back at Balmorhea as part of a camping and hiking trip with childhood friends. I loved El Paso — the Pass of the North. It was, and is, so important to Texas history.” Her early experiences formed strong lifelong values. “More than that, I recall outside free-play, when children would go outside to play after school and would play until called in for the night,” she remembers. “It’s been documented that children today are outside less than any previous generation. Children need that free, imaginary play outdoors.”

describes herself as a “lifelong bird watcher” and traces this interest to her mother. And, as with thousands of girls, Girl Scouts provided opportunities for camping, hiking and outdoor adventures.

For several decades, the Midland Naturalists and volunteers such as Jenna Welch maintained property that had been donated to the City of Midland for a park. The land included an 86-acre urban playa wetland in its natural state. “Flying over West Texas after a rain, you will see silver spots across the land,” Mrs. Bush explains. “These are watering holes — natural playas. These low spots in the landscape are very important to the survival of birds and animals.”

Today, naturalists and birders can enjoy the I-20 Wildlife Preserve and Jenna Welch Nature Study Center, which stands as a tribute to the love of nature Welch passed on to her daughter — and provides habitat essential to the survival of local bird populations, native wildlife and thousands of migratory birds.

Her passionate appreciation for the beauty of Texas and the desire to make sure future generations would have these natural resources led Laura Bush to establish Texan by Nature in 2011. Working with several childhood friends, she founded the group as a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting conservation of our state’s natural resources.

“Texans are proud and want the best for our state,” Mrs. Bush acknowledges. “It’s the people and the land that make Texas great. We’re blessed with such geographic diversity — from the coastlands and Piney Woods to the Hill Country, plains and mountains. It’s the land that helps define our identity as Texans. It’s in our nature to care for the land and our natural resources. We know that what’s best is what’s natural, and our economy thrives when there’s that natural harmony.”

Recognizing good stewardship is good business. One of this group’s primary aims is to align the broad interests of conservation groups with business, healthcare, schools, the scientific community and faith-based organizations. By connecting new audiences to resources and education on the importance of native habitat, private land stewardship and water and wildlife conservation, the organization makes a positive and lasting tangible impact on people, the economy and our state’s natural resources.

To date, Texan by Nature has helped activate $33.5 million in economic impact, the involvement of over 3 million Texans, and the conservation of nearly 44,000 acres of land through their programs, initiatives and collaborations with partners.

Laura Bush on Twitter:

“Earth Day wildflowers at Prairie Chapel Ranch. #EarthDay2016 #EarthDayEveryDay #nofilter”

A legacy for future generations

was also a factor when Mrs. Bush, with her husband, Texas Governor and future President George W. Bush, sought to become landowners and purchased their Crawford ranch. Mrs. Bush’s eyes sparkle when conversation turns to their Prairie Chapel Ranch. “We were looking for a convenient place between Austin and Dallas,” she says. “It took several years, but we’ve worked to restore the land from coastal Bermuda to native prairie grasses. We also have a wetlands area where water again naturally accumulates; wildlife and birds are attracted there. Our property has seven box canyons, and we’re fortunate to have the Middle Bosque River and Rainey Creek flow through the ranch. Plus, there’s a tank where George can do some fishing!”

COURTESY LAURA BUSH

LOVE OF THE LAND

FORT GRIFFIN FANDANGLE FortGriffinFandangle.org

VISIT MIDLAND VisitMidland.com

VISIT 1-20 WILDLIFE PRESERVE & JENNA WELCH NATURE STUDY CENTER I20WildLifePreserve.org

VISIT EL PASO VisitElPaso.travel

VISIT THE GEORGE W. BUSH PRESIDENTIAL CENTER bushcenter.org

Texan by Nature’s executive director, Erin O’Neil Franz, explains how Texan by Nature organizes itself for success. “What distinguishes this group from other conservation organizations is that it provides three key services: connecting people with resources, catalyzing projects for accelerated execution and visibility, and communicating the successes achieved by these projects, communities and other conservation efforts. We hope to be the megaphone of conservation, bringing the message to audiences that have never been reached so that all Texans feel connected and invested in taking care of Texas.”

Franz believes that “with Mrs. Bush’s support and leadership, we have the opportunity to elevate the boots-on-the-ground conservation work being done across our state, and we can focus on a collab-

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A CUT ABOVE: Laura Bush (right) snips the ribbon at the grand opening of Goldthwaite’s Legacy Plaza; Texan by Nature has secured land for the largest colony of free-tailed bats (bottom) on the globe.

“A moral duty to care for the land”

Texan by Nature endeavors to shift the mindset that conservation is only something “someone else” does and appeals to our state’s unique Texan pride to inspire commitment and collaboration for the betterment of our natural resources — no matter if you call Muleshoe or Houston home. This shared culture of conservation will be increasingly critical, claims Texan by Nature, as our population continues to explode in urban centers. About 85 percent of Texas’ 29 million citizens now live in an urban environment.

Skyscrapers and bustling urban lifestyles make it easy to become disconnected to our natural world and lose sight of how rural land stewardship impacts the water and air quality enjoyed in city centers. Texan by Nature wants all Texans to experience the benefits of nature, to understand the interconnectedness of our ecosystem with

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our economy, and to acknowledge the important role each of us plays in conserving our natural resources.

“We know that conservation is good business and that it enhances the quality of life for all Texans,” Mrs. Bush says. “I believe we have a moral duty to care for the land; it starts with taking care of your own yard.” Continuing, she adds, “Conservation really helps our state in so many ways, and we need to build on educating ourselves. We know that getting outdoors has so many benefits and leads to good physical and mental health.” Mrs. Bush encourages Texans, especially those in urban environments, to get outside and experience the joys of Texas’ natural landscapes, knowing that once they do, they too will grow invested in taking care of Texas.

Texan by Nature board member Tamara Trail of Albany, also a Fort Griffin Fandangle performer, fully supports Mrs. Bush’s view.

“Stewardship is not a spectator sport,” she says, “and Texas’ natural landscape is inextricably

tied to our Texas heritage.

Landowners like my husband and me — and so many other ranchers — have an intergenerational approach: it’s about our family. It’s in our best interest to take care of the land.”

Trail adds, “I’m proud to be part of Texan by Nature, an organization that takes a common sense approach to conservation. I’m grateful that through this organization, founded by Mrs. Bush, Texans like me can be part of the solution in strengthening the Texas economy through conservation stewardship and sharing our heritage with others.”

Preserving the land and its heritage

Laura Bush’s conservation advocacy extends beyond the land itself. As first lady of the United States, Mrs. Bush was honorary chair of the Preserve America initiative. In May of 2005, President and Mrs. Bush presented the Preserve America Presidential Award to the Texas Heritage Trails Program for activities advancing heritage tourism.

In discussing why heritage sites should matter to the next generation, Mrs. Bush observes that “the older I become, the more I realize that knowing history enables one to move forward.

It’s important to understand the legacy of what has been left to you. As Texans and Americans, we have been incredibly blessed to have inherited

GRANT MILLER

orative effort in getting new audiences to invest with time, expertise and financial resources.”

More than 45 organizations in Texas partner with Texan by Nature, including the Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources and the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, as well as the Witte Museum, the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Dell and BAE Systems.

Along with their partners, Texan by Nature has helped secure 1,500 acres of land surrounding Bracken Cave near San Antonio as protected habitat for 15 million Mexican free-tailed bats, the largest maternal colony of bats on Earth.

The organization also teamed up with the city of Goldthwaite, Texas, for the development of Legacy Plaza, a cultural and educational center in the heart of the city that features an educational native botanical garden, and a project that has resulted in over $13 million in economic development for the area. Texan by Nature partnered with project leaders to provide visibility, resources and expertise to help the project succeed, and Mrs. Bush keynoted the grand opening ceremony.

Now, Texan by Nature looks forward to building on their most recently launched program, Monarch Wrangler, a statewide initiative for Texas employers, organizations and individuals to get involved in creating habitat essential to the monarch butterfly. The organization hopes Monarch Wrangler will help address the decline of the monarch butterfly population — critical to the Texas economy as it helps to pollinate flowering plants and food crops. The monarch butterfly is the state insect of Texas and counts on the milkweed and native habitat it finds here, along its central migration route, to rest, feed and breed.

our democracy and our established institutions.”

She adds, “Also, it’s important to know your personal family history; tell your children about your parents and grandparents so that children get a sense of their heritage and where they fit.”

That’s a point she makes in a new children’s book coauthored with daughter Jenna Bush Hager, Our Great Big Backyard. “Parents need to put down their own electronic devices. A recent study shows that when parents are continually focused on their devices, it sends a message that they’re not interested in their children. Children perceive they’re not important. Parents need to talk to their children and be with them.”

As an “authentic Texan,” Mrs. Bush makes some travel suggestions for families and heritage tourists. “Visit El Paso, explore the San Antonio Riverwalk, take advantage of seeing Albany’s Fort Griffin Fandangle.” Then with a sly smile, she adds, “and of course, visit the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas!”

Texan by Nature Texan by Nature is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2011 by former First Lady Laura Bush as a way to align the broad interests of conservation groups with business, healthcare, schools, the scientific community and faith-based organizations. Apply to be a Monarch or Conservation Wrangler online when you visit the Texan by Nature website.

TexanByNature.org PROGRAMS Monarch Wrangler A statewide initiative for employers and organizations to get involved in creating habitat essential to the monarch butterfly.

Conservation Wrangler Locally led conservation projects are provided with tailored support and visibility during their startup phase.

VISIT THESE PARTNERS Armand Bayou Nature Center Pasadena Bracken Bat Cave San Antonio Texas Botanical Gardens and Native American Interpretive Center Goldthwaite Cibolo Nature Center & Farm Boerne John Bunker Sands Wetland Center Seagoville Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Austin National Ranching Heritage Center Lubbock San Antonio Botanical Garden San Antonio The Witte Museum San Antonio FA L L 2 0 1 6

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State Fair

E

VERY FALL, tens of thousands of

football fans descend upon Dallas for one of football’s most intense rivalries. Throngs of people pour through the gates at the Texas State Fair hours before kickoff, often donning their colors for the festivities all weekend long.

One team, a storied and proud university with ties rooted deeply in the state. The other, an equally historic school from a neighboring state.

Their identities are unique and fiercely independent, yet undeniably connected. A sibling rivalry

AS THENTICTEX TEX AS 3226 AUAUTHENTIC

of Shakespearean passions.

And every year, if only for a year, bragging rights begin and end on the Cotton Bowl gridiron. But if you think you know where this story goes, and who it involves, guess again.

Neither Longhorns nor Sooners command the passions of thousands on this weekend. It’s the Panthers of Prairie View A&M University and the Tigers of Grambling State University.

Dubbed the “State Fair Classic,” the meeting between the Prairie View A&M Panthers and Grambling State Tigers takes place the week before UT and OU meet for the Red River

Rivalry. The fans are just as passionate and the stakes are just as high for each school.

Prairie View A&M and Grambling State enroll fewer than 13,000 students every year — combined. But more than 50,000 pack the Cotton Bowl stadium to witness the historic rivalry between Southwestern Athletic Conference foes, which has taken place in Dallas since 1985.

But for Prairie View A&M, the history and significance of meeting at Fair Park dates back nearly a century. In fact, Prairie View A&M’s participation in the State Fair Classic predates the existence of the Cotton Bowl stadium altogether.

RAYMOND HOLLEY/PV PANTHERS

HOLD THAT TIGER: Grambling State’s Tigers dominated Prairie View A&M for 17 straight seasons, from 1992 through 2008. Then, in 2009, Prairie View’s Panthers roared back to win, 35-32.

RAYMOND HOLLEY/PV PANTHERS

Classic

The Classic began in 1925 between Wiley University (located in Marshall, Texas) and Langston University (Langston, Okla.). The inaugural game resulted in a rousing 0-0 tie.

Four years later, Prairie View A&M took over Langston’s spot in the game, possibly in an effort to reinvigorate an in-state rivalry. Or to give Wiley a chance to win, since they’d lost or tied every game up to that point.

And in an ironic fashion that only sports can deliver, the first meeting featuring Prairie View A&M resulted in another 0-0 barn burner. Over the next 50 years, Prairie View A&M remained

the Classic’s resident home team, hosting varying combinations of Wiley, Bishop University, East Texas State and even Tennessee State University.

But Prairie View A&M’s participation in the game is more than just revelry. It’s an important part of a school whose heritage and existence defines a whole town. Nestled northwest of Houston and bisected

by Highway 290, Prairie View

O N E O F T H E FA L L’S MOST HISTORIC GRIDIRON R I VA L R I E S D O E S N ’ T I N V O LV E LONGHORNS OR SOONERS. by

JEREMY BURCHARD

owes its existence to the university.

In 1876, near the end of the post-Civil War reconstruction period, Prairie View A&M was established under the Morrill Act of 1862 as a historically black university. As the name suggests, the school was part of the larger Texas A&M University System, and actually opened its doors the same year as Texas A&M, making it the secondoldest public university in the state.

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another.

That can be seen in people like Alicia Pete.

Originally a native of San Antonio, Pete moved to Prairie View as a basketball recruit for the school in 1987. She soon transitioned to the volleyball team, where she earned All-SWAC honors in the ’89 and ’90 seasons. She later returned for a master’s degree in 1997, also establishing the school’s bowling program.

In 1999, Pete took her dedication to Prairie View A&M back to the volleyball court, where she helped the team earn its first and second-ever berths in the NCAA Division I tournament. She finished as the most successful volleyball coach in the school’s history with 7 SWAC titles.

She was eventually named Prairie View A&M’s assistant athletic director for women’s

sports. In a sign of mutual dedication, the university nominated Pete to the SWAC Hall of Fame, into which she was inducted in 2012 for her continuous contributions to a proud school and program. Pete’s transition from student-athlete to coach to administrator exemplifies the spirit of the school and how the community inspires growth from within. She also knows the Grambling rivalry well, taking part in it on three separate levels.

But Prairie View A&M’s athletics program suffered a debilitating blow the year after Pete finished her undergrad. After discovering the athletic department had dug itself into more than $3 million worth of debt, the school board suspended all sports except track and field.

Eventually, the school and community banded together to bring the athletics programs back through various donations and support — another testament to the mutual respect between the town and university.

Since Prairie View A&M’s return to the football field, the State Fair Classic continues to be an inspired and uniquely Texas affair. As can be expected when a program is completely rebuilding, the Panthers struggled mightily in their first years back from the early ’90s absence.

The team lost 80 straight games through 1998, the longest losing streak in NCAA football history. Despite his best efforts, then-coach Ronald Beard held the dubious distinction of losing all 44 games he coached in four years. It was a long, harsh fall from grace for a team that dominated in the ’50s and ’60s, sending several players to the NFL and winning multiple conference championships.

And to make matters more difficult, the hated Grambling State Tigers dominated Prairie View for 17 straight seasons, from 1992 through 2008. The Tigers match the Panthers in their pride

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COURTESY PVAMU / TOM JOYNER FOUNDATION

The school served an African-American population that was forbidden from attending A&M (all the way until 1963) but hungry to further their education. In a sign of resilience, strength and opportunity, Prairie View A&M was erected on top of cotton fields that once enslaved some 5,000 African-American Texans — an extraordinarily high number for one small county in the massive state.

The town of Prairie View grew around the institution of higher learning with a population almost exclusively tied to the school. Even today, the tiny community’s official population sits just below the school’s enrollment. The town mirrors the university’s largely African-American population, and both celebrate their 140th anniversary next year. They really do find identity in one

and tradition, but never saw a decline quite like Prairie View A&M. But in the absence of particularly competitive games on the field during game time, a new rivalry formed during halftime.

Every year, the Prairie View A&M Marching Storm and Grambling’s “World Famed Tiger Marching Band” face off in one of the Classic’s most consistently exciting events. The bands’ energetic, contemporary style of marching mixes modern and classic

with a 35-32 victory.

Since then, the State Fair Classic has featured two of the SWAC’s best teams, with the Panthers holding a slight 4-3 edge. The resurgence even helped Prairie View A&M secure funding for a new $61 million home stadium opening just in time for the 2016 season.

Without a doubt, the State Fair Classic presents one of Texas’ most authentic football experiences in the whole state. While Texas and Oklahoma may command the big television crews and big coverage, the State Fair Classic showcases an immense community pride untainted by the allure of a national spotlight. The pep rallies, the festivities, the alumni events all bring the tiny Texas and Louisiana communities to Dallas in one

of the largest social events for both schools.

Both know that when the state thinks of “State Fair” and “football,” Prairie View A&M and Grambling State aren’t the first schools to come to mind. But with the unique culture surrounding the State Fair Classic and the return to prominence for the two teams, that just may change.

COURTESY PVAMU / TOM JOYNER FOUNDATION

TO THE BEAT OF THEIR OWN DRUMS: The two teams’ bands face off every year in an energetic, contemporary style of marching that eventually inspired the Drumline film franchise.

forms of movements and music.

Band members transition from formation to formation, effortlessly flowing between their unique high step to traditional movements, then running into place for a dance number featuring modern moves and music.

The style gained so much popularity throughout the South, Hollywood eventually released the Drumline film franchise based around it — with its own Hollywood twists, of course. It’s a school tradition uniquely tied to historically black universities, and every year at the State Fair Classic, two of the finest face off in an exciting display of school and state pride.

For a while, the tongue-in-cheek joke was the fan base made sure to get their concessions during the game so they could be in their seats during halftime. But that all changed in 2009, when Prairie View A&M roared back into Southwestern Athletic Conference contention FA L L 2 0 1 6

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TAKE ME TO THE

FAIR W H E R E A R T A N D I M A G I N AT I O N M I X

by

ROBERT HENSLEY

O

NE

HUNDRED

DOUGLAS HARMAN

YEARS

after Texas was founded, the state organized a grand birthday party to celebrate and show the world exactly what the Lone Star State had to offer – the 1936 Texas Centennial.

The world’s fair was a whopping 178 days long and attracted six million visitors, showcasing the state’s heritage and assets in agriculture, natural resources and business.

The road to the 1936 Centennial, however, was long and bumpy. For starters, Texas took on the enormous project at a time when the country was still

suffering from the lingering national economic depression. In 1935, the State Legislature provided $3 million for the statewide celebration, but the state expected the Centennial headquarters city to be responsible for most of its expenses. A competition quickly developed between Dallas, San Antonio and Houston to determine which would become the headquarters city.

It soon became clear that

Dallas was the frontrunner. Not only did the city have strong interest in taking on both the job and the financial obligations, but it could also offer an 80-acre area with public spaces and roads that had already been used for the State Fair. The Dallas business community worked to gain approval of the local, federal and corporate

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OVERSEERS: Tenor (above left) and its counterpart, Contralto (not shown) — a pair of Art Deco statues — adorn the Esplanade Fountain; Big Tex (above right and at left), erected in 1952, has served as the State Fair’s cultural icon since.

exhibits from the Dallas Historical Society. The Magnolia Lounge was the hospitality lounge of the Magnolia Petroleum Company, reflecting Texas’ importance as an oil and gas center. The Leonhardt Lagoon was designed to be a tranquil area around which key Centennial buildings were located. The only building not in Art Deco style, the Old Mill Inn served as a promotional building for the flour milling industry. The African American Museum is a contemporary building built on the site of the Centennial Hall of Negro Life. The Museum of Nature and Science has seen most of its functions relocated to the new Perot campus downtown. The Music Hall was originally the General Motors Building and is in Spanish Colonial revival style. The Fair Park Band Shell is a 5,000-seat amphitheater in the Art Deco style. And last, the Discovery Garden was the Horticulture Building and is the site for

PHOTOS COURTESY STATE FAIR OF TEXAS

funding needed for the city to serve as headquarters. They acquired additional land to increase the available acreage to 200 and created a special corporation that employed 100 architects and numerous contractors to design and construct Centennial buildings.

The Centennial Exposition opened on June 6, 1936, providing visitors a broad range of exhibits and entertainment, including a show called the “Cavalcade of Texas,” a large livestock exposition and displays on an array of modern technology. American singer, actor and bandleader Rudy Vallée was one of the many national stars to perform. The Centennial also made full use of the “myth of the cowboy” to lure visitors in order to show them the many other dimensions of the state.

You can still visit many of the great Centennial buildings at Fair Park in Dallas today — impressive for both their size as well as their Art Deco design. George L. Dahl was the lead architect for the Centennial buildings, and he and his assistants designed these dramatic structures. The Hall of State was the official Texas State building, and today it hosts

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: BARBARA BRANNON; RAFIUL ALAM; ANDREAS PRAEFCKE; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

SITES TO BEHOLD: (clockwise from top left) Texas Hall of State; the Tejas Warrior, sculpted by Allie Victoria Tennant, at the State Hall is a signature element of the exterior; Spirit of the Centennial statue depicts a young woman rising from a cactus plant; the famous Woofus, a statue on the side of the Swine Building that’s a blend of six animals: sheep, Texas Longhorn, horse, hog, turkey and duck; Centennial Building.

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the 1936 Portland Cement Company’s model home.

These buildings provided Texas with the opportunity to promote its food and agriculture, including grains, livestock and poultry. In addition, all of the major national auto, food and fuel companies were there to display their many services and products — including air conditioning, which was just then becoming more widely available. Despite looming war possibilities in Europe, Germany even had a large area to promote travel to their country.

The Centennial wasn’t just relegated to Dallas; it was a statewide celebration that included 241 official events, like Jacksonville’s National Tomato Show, Mount Pleasant’s Milk Festival and Mission’s Citrus Festival. Local rodeos, livestock shows and pageants were dedicated to the Centennial, and historic sites across the state received much-needed repairs and signs.

In preparation, Texas placed numerous large granite markers all across the state to educate visitors about its colorful heritage. Today Texas is one the best states in the nation for providing heritage information, an effort that started with the Centennial.

When powerful Fort Worth promoter Amon Carter found out that Dallas had been picked to be the headquarters for the Texas

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FROM LEFT: BARBARA BRANNON; ANDREAS PRAEFCKE

BRIGHT IDEA: (from left) Leonhardt Lagoon in 2014, the third year in which the colorfully lighted Chinese Lantern Festival filled the lagoon area; built in 1936, the Tower Building is capped by a bald eagle.

Centennial, he became determined to create an extravaganza that would outshine it. He organized the Fort Worth Frontier Centennial, planned and directed by nationally renowned New York theater producer Billy Rose with the tagline, “For education go to Dallas, for entertainment come to Fort Worth!”

The Frontier Centennial took the spectacle to the next level with saloons, burlesque and Old West shows, circus plays with elephants, and the ever-popular Sally Rand’s Nude Dude Ranch. As an aggressive promotional tactic, Amon Carter placed a huge 130-by-60-foot neon sign across from the entrance to Fair Park urging Centennial attendees to go to Fort Worth for real “Wild and Whoo-pee!” fun. It was the second-largest neon sign in the country at the time. Other advertising

cheekily proclaimed that visitors would see “The Old West Recreated in the Flesh!” The Will Rogers Memorial Complex is the only major Centennial building remaining in Fort Worth today.

Both Fair Park and the Will Rogers Memorial Center are currently involved in dynamic evolutions. Today in Dallas, there is lively community debate about the possible transfer of Fair Park to private management and about the need for major infrastructure investments. In Fort Worth, construction is underway to create a much larger arena complex in addition to the historic complex from 1936. This arena will provide a new home for the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo as well as space for large concerts.

GYROFROG

NOT ITS FIRST RODEO: The Will Rogers Memorial Center is an 85-acre complex located in Fort Worth.

The complex is named for the American humorist and writer, and is the home of the annual Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. The Memorial Center was built in 1936, and designed by architect Wyatt C. Hedrick, who employed the Moderne (Art Deco) style.

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LIFE

ARCHIVE p. 44 H TRAIL DRIVE p. 46 H EATS & DRINKS p. 56 H DEEP IN THE ART p. 62 H LIVE SHOWS p. 65 H HAPPENINGS p.66

PUMPKINS!

RICK STRYKER

Eat, Carve, Decorate!

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LIFE ARCHIVE

Setting Up

CAMP T H E E A R LY H I S T O R Y O F T E X A S S TAT E PA R KS by

T

STEVE SIWINSKI

Before you start stocking up on hot dog THERE’S A heated Texas debate that has spawned friendly feuds and spirited spats among buns, don’t miss the latest Texas State Library and outdoor enthusiasts, weekend warriors and nature Archives Commission exhibit to learn more about the history of these carefully nuts for generations. Every curated natural playgrounds.

Texan who has ever pitched a Setting Up Camp: The Early Setting Up Camp: The Early tent, paddled a canoe, roasted History of State Parks History of Texas State Parks illusa marshmallow or sat around trates the early history of Texas’ a crackling campfire swapping Runs from Monday, stories until the wee hours of Oct. 3, 2016 – Friday, March 17, 2017 state parks, first established by Lorenzo De Zavala State Archives Gov. Pat Neff in 1923, through the morning has a favorite and Library Building hand-drawn park blueprints, Texas state park.

1201 Brazos St. Austin, TX 78701 vintage tourism guides, period

With 54 state parks pep(512) 463-5455 promotional photographs and pered throughout Texas, it’s safe FOR MORE INFORMATION more. to say that there’s no shortage tsl.texas.gov of excuses to lace up your hik Visitors are sure to fall in ing boots and get inspired by Locate and explore love with nature at one of Texas State Parks at the great outdoors — from the Texas’ 54 state parks. This welltpwd.texas.gov/state-parks towering sandstone formations timed image comes from the of Palo Duro in the Panhandle photo archives of the Parks to the otherworldly underand Wildlife Department ground landscape of the Longhorn Caverns. magazine at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

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LIFE TRAIL DRIVE

WORLD BIRDING CENTER Quinta Mazatlan by

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SOUTH PADRE ISLAND EDINBURG • HARLINGEN • MISSION • • MCALLEN • • WESLACO ROMA

VALERIE D. BATES

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BROWNSVILLE

OPEN INVITATION: The 28-foot model of a Pliosaur at the Mayborn Museum.

World Birding Center

A Whole New Nature Adventure

N

NESTLED in the lush tropical Tamaulipan thorn-

scrub of deep South Texas, Quinta Mazatlan is a natural haven for a variety of birds and a prime destination for birders from all over the United States and Europe.

But Quinta Mazatlan is more than just the World Birding Center. Its distinctive Spanish Revival-style architecture starts with a story rooted in world travel.

The Quinta Mazatlan legend begins with its visionary creator, Jason Chilton Matthews (1887–1964) and his wife, Marcia Jamieson (1891–1963). Matthews traveled

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extensively before finally settling in what he called the “Crossroads of the Western Hemisphere,” but particularly frequenting the city of Mazatlán in Mexico.

McAllen, Texas, became home to Quinta (Spanish for country house, villa or estate) Mazatlan (from an ancient Indian translation in Mexico meaning “land of the deer”).

At the time of its construction in 1935, it was the largest adobe structure in Texas, and today remains so with an impressive 10,000 square feet of unique architectural, historical, cultural and natural elements.

theworldbirdingcenter.com Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley (Mission) Edinburg Scenic Wetlands Estero Llano Grande (Weslaco) Harlingen Arroyo Colorado Old Hidalgo Pumphouse Quinta Mazatlan (McAllen) Resaca de la Palma (Brownsville) Roma Bluffs South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center

VALERIE D. BATES

BIRD’S EYE VIEW: At the time of its construction, Quinta Mazatlan was the largest adobe structure in Texas.

The World Birding Center is a network of nine distinctly different birding sites, set along a 120-mile historic river road — each sponsored by one of the Valley’s nine partner communities. It is a $20 million development based on the joint partnership between the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Rio Grande Valley Communities and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. More than 500 bird species make this a not-to-be-missed nature destination year-round.

ICONIC: Legend has it that the wood used for this room came from Lebanon, a gift from the king to Jason Chilton Matthews for his fight alongside Lawrence of Arabia. At right, the main doors were carved by renowned Swiss carver Peter Mansbendel. The property is managed by the McAllen Parks and Recreation Department.

The doors on the main house are just one of 600 Sunset Drive the property’s McAllen, TX 78503 many highlights.

(956) 681-3370 Renowned Swiss quintamazatlan.com wood carver Peter HOURS Mansbendel was Tuesday – Saturday commissioned 8 am – 5 pm to recreate San (Thursday nights until dark) Antonio’s Spanish Governor’s Palace doors, which feature gargoyles and cherubs.

Another point of interest is the back corridor, known as Cedar Hall. Legend has it that the Lebanese cedar was gifted to Matthews by the King of Lebanon for his service alongside Lawrence of Arabia. The 20-acre estate includes the cottage, hootch and main house, as well as a greenhouse for the study of hydroponics and a draw and fill pool. The pool was filled from a freshwater well using a six-inch pipe fastened to a jet airplane engine that sent water 15 feet through the air, filling the pool in minutes.

The iconic property is managed today by the McAllen Parks and Recreation Department and offers a full line of events, programming, world class birding, history and culture. The Quinta Mazatlan is a singular South Texas experience in a natural setting that showcases true Texas pioneer spirit.

Quinta Mazatlan World Birding Center

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DRIVE TIME: Brilliant shades of gold, red and orange line the road to greet visitors who come to Canadian for the Fall Foliage Festival. This year’s event will be held October 15 and 16.

Fall Foliage

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Colorful in every corner of Texas WENDY LITTLE

WHEN asked where to find the best fall foliage,

most folks will suggest the Great Smokies or New England. But after the first nippy days of October, some of the most colorful displays of autumn color in the nation occur right here in the Lone Star State.

Lost Maples State Natural Area Located on the Sabinal River, the quiet Lost Maples State Park is known for its spectacular Uvalde bigtooth maple trees, including the largest isolated stand east of the Guadalupe Mountains.

When the seasons change, visitors are treated to a dazzling show of fall colors. (The best time of the year to see it is generally the last two weeks of October through the first two weeks of November.) The sprawling 2,174-acre park

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is filled with steep, rugged limestone canyons, springs, plateau grasslands, wooded slopes and clear streams, and is home to a number of rare birds like the green kingfisher, the endangered black-capped vireo and the golden-cheeked warbler. You’re also likely to spot a variety of wild animals, from gray foxes and white-tailed deer to armadillos, raccoons, bobcats, javelinas and rock squirrels.

tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lost-maples

The Texas State Railroad Foliage Brunch Train

VISIT TEXAS STATE RAILROAD FOLIAGE BRUNCH TRAIN

The Texas State Railroad, one of the nation’s largest and most historic surviving steam engine train systems, has been traversing the Piney Woods of East Texas since 1893. Now, over 100 years later, visitors can get a taste of time travel with a scenic

VISIT LOST MAPLES STATE NATURAL AREA

texasstaterr.com

VISIT GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK nps.gov/gumo

VISIT CANADIAN RIVER VALLEY FALL FOLIAGE FESTIVAL canadiantx.org

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COURTESY CANADIAN, TX CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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MOUNTAIN MARVEL: One of the state’s most impressive shows of autumn foliage can be found along the canyons of Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Bigtooth maples and other trees provide awesome fall color in the Lost Maples State Natural Area.

ride in a historic passenger car pulled by an antique locomotive. Marvel at some of the most spectacular displays of color in the state while relaxing and enjoying a light meal on the Fall Foliage Brunch Train, a special excursion specifically designed to give nature lovers an opportunity to see the annual show closeup.

The Guadalupe Mountains National Park Fall foliage probably isn’t the first thing you think of when you imagine the Chihuahuan Desert, a stark landscape that seems too harsh for anything but the hardiest of plants. Guadalupe Mountains National Park’s slopes are covered with ponderosa pines and Douglas fir greenery year-round, but there’s a special spot that attracts thousands of fall leaf seekers. McKittrick Canyon, in the northeastern part of the park, is known for its geology, flora and sparkling streams. Here, Bigtooth maples, oaks, walnuts and shrubs turn brilliant shades of yellow, red and orange each fall, creating a scene so striking that sometimes park managers must limit entry to prevent damage from crowds. Most times of the year, however, visitors are more likely to run into elk than other hikers, as GMNP is

one of the least visited of all the national parks.

Canadian River Valley Fall Foliage Festival The city of Canadian is particularly scenic in the fall, when the foliage is ablaze. The Fall Foliage Festival has been a local tradition since the mid-1950s, an annual event on the third weekend in October. Attendees can cross the picturesque Canadian River Historic Wagon Bridge and walk the trails at Lake Marvin and the Black Kettle National Grasslands. Other nearby attractions include the Citadelle Art Foundation, the Canadian River Art Center, home tours, wagon rides, an arts & crafts festival, special exhibits at Lake Marvin and special museum exhibits.

Visitors will see a multitude of cottonwood, persimmon, hackberry, mulberry and soapberry trees, along with plenty of wildlife — rabbits, deer, swallows, flycatchers and more.

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GOURDS GALORE: The pumpkin house is one of the most popular draws at the Dallas Arboretum’s autumn celebration.

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DON’T MISS DALLAS Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens Dining options, walking trails, exhibits and recreational opportunities throughout the gardens

From the Panhandle to the Prairie

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by JILL CAMPBELL JORDAN and BARBARA BRANNON

ral materials. And the majority of those pumpDallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden during kins start as seeds 327 miles away in Floydada, Texas, “Pumpkin Capital USA.” its annual autumn festival and you’d “We purchase 75 percent of swear you’d stepped into a fairytale scene worthy of Cinderella. VISIT FLOYDADA our pumpkins from the Pumpkin The plant artistry that goes into floydadachamber.com Pyle Farm in Floydada,” says Terry Lendecker, vice president Autumn at the Arboretum and its VISIT DALLAS of advertising and promotions for Pumpkin Village transforms this visitdallas.com the arboretum, who visited Floyd scenic garden into a wonderland in County on a media tour last fall shades of orange, green and gold.

More than 90,000 pumpkins, squash and with Arboretum Director Dave Forehand and a gourds in all shapes and varieties go into this photography crew. (The other 25 percent comes horticultural masterpiece, along with other natu- from East Texas.)

WANDER THE GROUNDS of the 66-acre

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White Rock Lake Park and Trail (City of Dallas) 8300 Garland Rd. Dallas, TX 75218· (214) 670-8740 dallasparks.org/235/White-Rock-Lake

FLOYDADA Pumpkin Pyle 900 N. 2nd St. Floydada, TX 79235 (806) 983-2363 See their pumpkins at Autumn at the Arboretum in Dallas or visit Floydada during Punkin Days, Sat., Oct. 8,. floydadachamber.com/punkin-days Assiter Punkin Ranch & Pumpkin Patch 3451 Ralls Hwy. South Floydada, TX 79235 (806) 983-3322 Open daily 8 am – 6 pm floydadachamber.com/punkin-days

DALLAS ARBORETUM

Town and Country Pumpkins

8525 Garland Rd. Dallas, TX 75218 (214) 515-6500 Open 7 days a week 9 am – 5 pm dallasarboretum.org

GOURD AND MASTER: Dave Forehand of the Dallas Arboretum picks from a variety of gourds and pumpkins at the Pyle packing shed in Floydada.

DALLAS ARBORETUM

Pumpkins have been raised commercially in Floyd County going back to the 1950s, when B.A. “Uncle Slim” and Grace Robertson sold them from a roadside stand and, eventually, to produce brokers in Dallas. But things didn’t really take off for agritourism until more recently. Jason Pyle started his first pumpkin crop from seed money provided by his grandfather, Louis, in 1991, when he was only a junior in high school. “He told me I could plant anything I wanted on five acres,” he says. “And I picked pumpkins.” Pyle and his friends sold his first harvest from a farm stand on the highway, but they quickly learned that customers also wanted ornamental gourds for fancy fall décor.

The result was an agricultural boon for this West Texas county. Twenty-five years later, Floydada celebrates its pumpkin-patch reputation with its annual Punkin Days the second Saturday in October. Activities from cakewalks, history activities, food and vendor booths to a giant pumpkin weight-guessing contest take place around the historic courthouse square.

And down the road at the Assiter Punkin Ranch, families can enjoy hayrides, gourd art and refreshments and pick out their jack-o’lanterns starting Sept. 20.

Back in Dallas, Texas, pumpkins go into the creation of pumpkin houses, pumpkin paths, pumpkin sculptures, a hay bale maze, scavenger

GRAND TOUR: Visitors can tour the 1940 DeGolyer home, now a centerpiece of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.

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Autumn at the Arboretum by the Numbers Dallas' most anticipated fall festival, Autumn at the Arboretum, returns Sept. 17 through Nov. 23, 2016. Fodor’s Travel named it one of "America's Best Pumpkin Festivals.” Here's a look at some of the event’s impressive statistics.

YEARS 1982: year Dallas Arboretum opened as a public botanical garden 66: number of acres at the Dallas Arboretum 10: number of years the Dallas Arboretum has had the Pumpkin Village

PUMPKIN VILLAGE 150,000: fall blooming flowers and plants 75,000: number of pumpkins, gourds and squash that make up the Pumpkin Village (the most ever!)

1,500: ears of corn 1,200: corn stalks in the Pumpkin Village 900: bales of hay 48: number of workers it takes to decorate the garden for Autumn Festival AMBIENCE The historic DeGolyer home overlooking White Rock Lake is a great place to stop for lunch during a visit to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.

30: number of pumpkin types 21: number of days it takes to build the Pumpkin Village 16: number of types of squash 6: number of gourd types 4: number of pumpkin houses 1: number of acres in the Pumpkin Village

PEOPLE 978,468: number of visitors to the Arboretum in 2014 (a record!)

245,150: number of visitors who attended Autumn at the Arboretum in 2014 105,286: number of children served by all Arboretum education programs led by degreed teachers in 2014 79,936: number of hours worked by volunteers at the Dallas Arboretum in 2014 33,989: number of Dallas Arboretum members 24,944: number of children who visited the Arboretum on field trips during Autumn at the Arboretum 2014

3,012: number of volunteers who volunteered at the Dallas Arboretum in 2014 544: number of weddings and private events held at the Dallas Arboretum in 2014

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DALLAS ARBORETUM

17,414: number of volunteer hours contributed during Autumn at the Arboretum 2014

Nell in 1972, the DeGolyer children donated the estate to Southern Methodist University, which later sold it to the City of Dallas. Combined with the purchase of the adjacent Camp Estate, it opened to the public in 1984 as the Dallas Arboretum.

The estate is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is open for daily tours.

At the DeGolyer house, visitors can enjoy an elegant seated meal or a seasonal and delicious three-course tea amid the festive settings of the beautiful DeGolyer Tea Room.

Across Texas, pumpkin fun is popping up FUN IN FLOYDADA: The this fall. Floyd 2016 Punkin Days is slated for Saturday, Oct. 8.

County’s the place to pick ’em, and the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens invites visitors to make a day of it, have a picnic, make memories and take advantage of the beautiful backdrop for dazzling photos.

BARBARA BRANNON/TEXAS PLAINS TRAIL

hunts and more at the Dallas Arboretum. Tens of thousands of visitors stroll the lush, shaded grounds, enjoying one of “America’s Best Pumpkin Festivals” according to Fodor’s Travel, along with other features of a garden begun in 1940.

The Arboretum developed around the Everette and Nell DeGolyer estate, Rancho Encinal, on the shores of White Rock Lake.

Everette was a successful Dallas oilman, geophysicist, rarebooks collector and philanthropist known as “the founder of applied geophysics in the petroleum industry” and “the father of American geophysics.”

Landscape architects Arthur and Marie Berger designed the 4.5-acre DeGolyer Gardens for the family in 1940. Many of the original garden features remain, including the Magnolia Allee, the Sunken Garden and the Octagonal Fountain.

After the deaths of Everette in 1956 and

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Quanah Parker Trail

Honoring Texas’ Comanche heritage by

AMARILLO

BARBARA BRANNON

GOODNIGHT •

MAJESTIC: The giant arrow markers along the Quanah Parker Trail attract visitors and history buffs throughout the Plains and Panhandle.

Below, members of the Wheeler County Historical Committee welcome descendants of Quanah Parker to dedicate the arrow marker in Old Mobeetie, Texas, 2014.

• CANYON

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QUANAH • 27

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VISIT QUANAH PARKER TRAIL

Log Cabin Village, Fort

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RISING UP from the vast, flat landscape of the Texas Plains, an enormous arrow is lodged in the earth as if shot by a giant bow. Soaring 23 feet skyward, it commemorates a nearby site of Comanche history — a story known from legend and misunderstood for generations, of a proud nomadic people who kept no written record of their own past.

For hundreds of years the Comanches, the “Lords of the Plains,” dominated the area now encompassed by the Texas Plains Trail Region. So profound was their influence that in 2010, when Plains Trail volunteers and friends traversed the region visiting museums and historic sites, fascinating bits of their history turned up in every corner of the region’s 52 counties. Everywhere,

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people knew the name of Quanah Parker, the tribe’s last war chief, son of a white captive and a Comanche warrior. And yet, volunteers discovered, only a small percentage of Texas historical markers noted the state’s rich Native American heritage.

The group began to craft a virtual “trail” linking the sites related to the Comanches and other Southern Plains Indians, starting with a simple website that provided historical information to entice travelers. The project took on new dimensions when metalsmith Charles A. Smith of Lynn County was recruited to mark a dozen or so locations with giant, rugged steel arrows decorated in Comanche colors.

NATIVE SON : Chief Quanah Parker visited Quanah, Texas, his namesake city, on July 4, 1896.

BARBARA BRANNON / TEXAS PLAINS TRAIL; COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS

Historical information and maps at QuanahParkerTrail.com

As more communities uncovered evidence of their ties to native history, requests for arrows grew, and this grassroots project has become one of the largest public art installations in the nation. Today, more than 80 sites in the region

Quanah Parker Trail

83 arrow markers to date located in 52 counties from I-20 to the top of the Texas Panhandle

ARROW HIGHLIGHTS: AMARILLO At Wildcat Bluff Nature Center, 2301 N. Soncy Rd. Amarillo, TX 79124

are home to Quanah Parker Trail arrow markers.

Part memorial, part public sculpture, part roadside icons, these majestic arrows and the accompanying granite markers comprise a story told on the land.

Travelers are welcome to visit and photograph the arrows at any time — almost all are accessible or visible from main roads. The Quanah Parker Trail invites visitors to envision the campsites and buffalo trails, the sites of battles and raids and trades, in the places where history happened.

Geocachers enjoy following clues leading to arrow locations. Visitors may also plan to attend a Comanche cedar blessing of new arrow installations. Several events are scheduled for the weekend of Sept. 16–17 in Lubbock and surrounding areas.

Indians hunted bison for centuries in this part of the Canadian River Valley. They established the Tascosa Trail that crosses this preserve, used primarily by traders and buffalo hunters.

CANYON On the south side of TX 217, 100 yards from the entrance gates to Palo Duro Canyon State Park Palo Duro Canyon, called “Prairie Dog” by the Comanches, served as sanctuary and home to Indians for millennia, until the U.S. army drove them out in the 1870s.

GOODNIGHT On the grounds of the Charles Goodnight Historical Center, US 287 between Clarendon and Claude The arrow celebrates the friendship between Col. Goodnight and Chief Quanah Parker, to whose band he provided beef for nourishment in the desperate hunting year of 1878.

QUANAH On the grounds of the Quanah, Acme & Pacific Railway Depot Museum, 102 Mercer St. Quanah, TX 79252.

The city was named for Chief Quanah himself, who took pride in calling it “my town” and the QA&P “my railroad.” On July 4, 1896, Quanah led a parade through town with three of his wives and more than 250 mounted Comanches; on another occasion he delivered a speech blessing the city and its people.

GAIL Along the south side of US 180, 1/4 mile west of Gail Near present-day Gail and Mucha-Que Peak was Quanah Parker’s last encampment before his 1875 surrender to lead his band to the reservation at Fort Sill, OK.

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LIFE EATS & DRINKS FIT FOR A KING — OR COACH: The restaurant’s fare earned it a place on former NFL coach and broadcaster John Madden’s Haul of Fame list.

Chuy’s

From Dairy King to Mexican food empire

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WHEN JESUS “Chuy” and Marylou Uranga bought a small drive-in in the sleepy West Texas town of Van Horn in 1959, the odds were not in their favor. Not only was it a time when Hispanic business owners were rare, but it was a business that had failed under three previous owners.

Despite the obstacles, that spot — Dairy King — became known as one of the best hamburger joints in town, and eventually, it would become the nationally known Chuy’s Mexican Restaurant.

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WENDY LITTLE

More than three decades ago, former Oakland Raiders coach John Madden walked away from the sidelines and into the broadcast booth.

The signing of the NFL’s winningest coach by CBS raised eyebrows not because of Madden’s lack of qualifications but his pronounced fear of flying.

The 300-pound redhead bought a 40-foot horse trailer, modified it to his specifications, hired a driver and set out from his San Francisco Bay-area home each week.

Madden loved scenic views, quaint stops and hole-in-the-wall, mom-andpop restaurants.

On a Monday night back in 1987, he made a stop at Chuy’s to watch the Monday night football game on television. “By the grace of God, John Madden visited our restaurant,” begins the story on the back of the laminated plastic menu.

In 1993, the celebrity featured the restaurant on his “All Madden Show” and officially inducted Chuy’s into the All Madden Haul of

Fame.

Today the dining room is decorated with footballs, autographs, photos, posters and other memorabilia surrounding a thronelike canvas director’s chair which is always reserved for the big man when he arrives. There’s even a huge mural of Jesus smiling down on Madden’s tour bus.

Madden has continued to visit the restaurant every year since then to enjoy his favorite plate on the menu: “Chicken Picado” (No. 21).

Chuy’s Restaurant SINCE 1945

1200 W. Broadway Van Horn, TX 79855 (432) 283-2066 HOURS 10 am – 10 pm chuys1959.com

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COURTESY CHUY’S RESTAURANT

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a dv e rt ise m e nt

EATS & DRINKS

House Concurrent Resolution H.C.R. No. 18 – 1977

Texas History in a Bowl From Terlingua to Grapevine

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TEXANS ARE serious

about their chili. The spicy dish was proclaimed the Official State Food of Texas in 1977, but President Lyndon B. Johnson perhaps put it best when he said, “Chili concocted outside of Texas is a weak, apologetic imitation of the real thing.” There’s no place better to find a topnotch “bowl of red” than at Tolbert’s Restaurant and Chili Parlor in Grapevine, where the chili is made from Terlingua International Championship Chili CookOff founder and A Bowl

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by

JILL CAMPBELL JORDAN

of Red author Frank X. Tolbert’s original recipe.

Tolbert moved to Dallas to open the restaurant in 1976 with his son, Frank. The next year, his daughter Kathleen began managing the place with her brother, making it a true family affair. Still in the hands of Kathleen, the res• taurant moved to historic downtown Grapevine, where it is currently housed in a building that dates back to 1911 — very much in keeping with Tolbert’s love for Texas history.

Tolbert’s chili can be

dressed in four ways: the Original Texas Red with cheese, onions and serrano peppers; North of the Border with pinto beans; Frank’s Frito Chili Pie with onions, Fritos and cheese; and the Red Dog, featuring a Texas-sized hot dog on a bun smothered in Texas Red Chili, cheese and onions. For dishes outside the realm of chili, there are plenty of favorites sure to please any palate, from chicken fried steak to fried catfish to fajitas.

After finishing a meal at Tolbert’s, be sure to take some time to peruse the historic district, which is

filled with all manner of shops, museums and galleries.

Tolbert’s 423 S. Main St. Grapevine, TX 76051 (817) 421-4888 tolbertsrestaurant.com

HOURS

Sunday – Thursday 11 am – 10 pm Friday and Saturday 11 am – 11 pm

VISIT GRAPEVINE 636 S. Main St. Grapevine, TX 760511 (817) 410-3185

grapevinetexasusa.com

WHEREAS, Texans continue today the tradition begun in San Antonio 140 years ago of making the best and only authentic concoction of this piquant delicacy; and WHEREAS, President Lyndon B. Johnson commented that “chili concocted outside of Texas is a weak, apologetic imitation of the real thing,” and Will Rogers described Texas chili as “the bowl of blessedness”; and WHEREAS, Texas has been the site of the annual International Chili Cook-Off since 1967 and is the home of the 1976 World Champion Chili Cooker, Albert Agnor, of Marshall; and WHEREAS, It is customary for the legislature to designate certain state emblems in recognition of this state’s great heritage and rich resources; and WHEREAS, The beauty of Texas trees and flowers is represented by the pecan and bluebonnet and the mockingbird is emblematic of our abundant and varied wildlife, but the internationally esteemed cuisine of this great state had received no official recognition and has no official symbol; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the State of Texas, the Senate concurring, That the 65th Legislature in recognition of the fact that the only real “bowl of red” is that prepared by Texans, hereby proclaims chili as the “State Dish of Texas.”

FROM LEFT: STEVE TREMAYNE; COURTESY TOLBERT’S

IN THE RED: Frank X. Tolbert (top right) founded the Terlingua International Championship Chili Cook-Off.

WHEREAS, One cannot be a true son or daughter of this state without having his taste buds tingle at the thought of the treat that is real, honest-to-goodness, unadulterated Texas chili; and

EATS & DRINKS

CHICKEN FRIED BACON, ANYONE?: If bacon’s not to your liking, how about deep-fried butter? Or deep-fried bubblegum?

Contestants compete for Best Taste and Most Creative. Of course, Fletcher’s Corny Dogs have been a fair favorite for years.

Fry Me to the Fair Eat to your heart’s deep-fried delight

American culture than a traditional fall festival? And none may be more celebrated than the State Fair of Texas, held every year at historic Fair Park in Dallas.

Since its inception in 1886, the annual event has commemorated our history, agriculture, education and, of course, food.

A time-honored favorite of the State Fair is the Competition Kitchen, where cooks and aspiring

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3430 Grand Ave. Dallas, TX 75210 (214) 565-9931

PATTY BUSHART

DATES/HOURS

chefs from all corners of the state enter treasured family recipes and special creations, vying for a coveted blue ribbon in categories ranging from biscuits and barbecue to jams, jellies and gingerbread.

But when it comes to food, most fairgoers rush headlong to their favorite concession stand for an annual fair food fix. There are more than 200 food stands on the fairgrounds, and for many conces-

sionaires the State Fair is a family tradition, some having been around the business since childhood.

There are classic favorites like cotton candy, ice cream, turkey legs and candied apples, but undoubtedly the granddaddy of all fair food is that batter-dipped sausage, impaled on a stick and deep-fried to golden brown perfection — the Fletcher’s Original State Fair Corny Dog.

Brothers Carl and Neil Fletcher first sold their corny dogs from a single stand on the fairgrounds in 1942. Today multiple stands dot the 277-acre park, where Neil’s sons Skip and Bill carry on the family business, selling nearly 630,000 corny dogs in an average season.

The fair is well known for unique food creations, but in 2005 the selections reached unprecedented originality with the intro-

Sept. 30 – Oct. 23 10 am – 10 pm Daily exhibitions, museums, livestock and creative arts competitions, vendors, auto show, live music, food, games, midway rides and more VISIT THE STATE FAIR BigTex.com

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FROM LEFT: COURTESY BIG TEX; COURTESY FLETCHER’S CORNY DOGS

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WHAT IS MORE iconic in

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State Fair of Texas

FROM TOP: COLLIN HARVEY; COURTESY STATE FAIR OF TEXAS

duction of the Big Tex Choice Awards, an annual competition among concessionaires to create traditional dishes with a not-so-traditional Texas twist.

Contestants are judged in two categories, Best Taste and Most Creative, and deep-fried creations seem to be the most popular, and winningest, entries.

Winners have fried up everything from butter — yes, deep-fried butter — to bubblegum, and 2016 is shaping up to be just as tasty and creative as ever before with semifinal entries such as crunchy fried oinkers and fried Jell-O. You can view a list of all this year’s semifinalists at bigtex.com/food/ choiceawards, with winners to be announced Labor Day weekend.

A portion of the annual concession sales go to the State Fair Youth Scholarship Fund, so plan to visit the State Fair of Texas Sept. 30 – Oct. 23, and fill up on your favorite fair food.

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LIFE DEEP IN THE ART

MOTHER NATURE: Our Great Big Backyard (below), by Laura Bush and daughter Jenna Bush Hager, is a tribute to our national parks and the importance and fun of connecting with nature. The book helps to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.

LITERARY LINEUP: Fans of fiction, memoir, children’s books and more find something to entertain and inspire at the 2015 Texas Book Festival

Texas Book Festival First Lady Laura Bush kicks off the Festival’s third decade

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BARBARA BRANNON

ORMER FIRST LADY Laura Bush cofounded the Texas Book Festival in 1996, and this year she returns again as a featured author.

She and her co-author, daughter Jenna Bush Hager, will honor our National Parks Centennial at the 2016 festival, with their new children’s book, Our Great Big Backyard.

In the years since Mrs. Bush helped launch one of the nation’s largest and most diverse book festivals, attendance has grown to more than 40,000 during the autumn weekend in Austin. Over the course of two days, book lovers of all ages can discover new reads, meet more than 250 great authors from Texas and beyond, and enjoy food, music, multimedia and exhibitor booths in dozens of

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venues inside the state capitol building and all around it.

While it’s a treat to attend author panels inside the capitol — and take a picture underneath the impressive dome while you’re there — the many tents, booksellers and food vendors set up from Colorado Street to South Congress make for a delightful outdoor stroll. Bring a picnic and a blanket to spread on the capitol lawn. Watch cooking demonstrations, catch a favorite band, have a bookmark personalized in calligraphy, get a book signed by a dog, watch a magic show, find a signed gift for everyone on your list — the Texas Book Festival has it all.

The 2016 festival takes place Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 5 and 6. It’s free, it’s fun, and it’s a fantastic way to spend a weekend in the capital with family and friends.

Texas Book Festival Saturday, Nov. 5, and Sunday, Nov. 6 texasbookfestival.org VISIT AUSTIN austintexas.org

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BARBARA BRANNON / TEXAS PLAINS TRAIL

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DON’T MISS Scholz Garten Authentic beer, brats and live music since 1866 1607 San Jacinto Blvd.

Austin, TX 78701 (512) 474-1958 Open 7 days a week, 11 am – 11 pm scholzgarten.com Austin Segway Tours Adjacent to the Texas Book Festival 1718 Lavaca St, Austin, TX 78701 (512) 402-9299 or (512) 499-0331 segcity.com/austin

COURTESY SEGCITY

Texas State Library & Archives / Texas Center for the Book Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building 1201 Brazos St. Austin, TX 78701 (512) 463-5455 tsl.texas.gov

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Texas Jazz Festival OCT. 21–23 CORPUS CHRISTI, TX texasjazz-fest.org

COURTESY GARY N. BLUM, D.D.F., M.S.

COME OCTOBER, it’s

all about jazz at Corpus Christi’s Heritage Park. The 56th Annual Heritage Park Texas Jazz Festival is the longest and largest jazz fest in the world that is free and 1581 N. Chaparral open to the public, showcasing dozens of talented acts and drawing crowds of over Corpus Christi, TX 78401 60,000, with food, drinks and souvenirs to boot. And in addition to the traditional three stages at the park, this year’s extravaganza will feature a fourth stage at the • Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz International Center, bringing salsa music and dance to the weekend party.

The festival’s origins date all the way back to 1959, when Al “Beto” Garcia brought his jazz group to Del Mar College’s Student Union Building to demonstrate the fine art of jazz. They expected an audience of about 30, but much to their delight, some 150 people showed up. The following May, local jazz enthusiasts organized a free concert in connection with Buccaneer Days, an annual civic celebration, and the Texas Jazz Fest was born. Its organizers are committed to keeping the event entirely free for families to enjoy and embrace the culture and history of jazz. (This is actually written into the charter — “No admission costs, not even for the headliners,” emphasizes festival board member Charles Herschbach.)

Each year the lineup features everything from local high school bands to international stars — the Bayou City Brass Band, San Gabriel Seven, Kirk Whalum and Beto & the Fairlanes are just a few of this year’s guests. The event is always family-friendly, but be forewarned: with the addition of “Salsa Under the Stars” on Saturday night, Herschbach says, “With all the hot salsa music and dancing going on, we may just shake the Ortiz Center off into the ship channel and melt down the Harbor Bridge!”

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DO-NOT-MISS STUFF TO DO AROUND TEXAS

FORTS TRAIL

FOREST TRAIL

HILL COUNTRY INDEPENDENCE TRAIL TRAIL

PLAINS TRAIL REGION

9th Annual Dripping with Taste Wine & Food Festival

LAKES TRAIL REGION FORTS TRAIL REGION MOUNTAIN TRAIL REGION

PECOS TRAIL REGION

BRAZOS TRAIL REGION

HILL COUNTRY TRAIL REGION

DRIPPING SPRINGS

FOREST TRAIL REGION

INDEPENDENCE TRAIL REGION

TROPICAL TRAIL REGION

September Septemberfest MIDLAND

Viva Mexico - San Elizario Cultural Exchange EL PASO

El Paso/San Elizario September 11 sanelizariohistoricdistrict.org (915) 851-0093 This annual cultural exchange will feature performances by Ballet Folklorico Flor y Canto, Grupo Folklorico Awiratzi and Grupo Folklorico Rondalla de Guitarras Armonicas from Delegacion DIV3, under direction of Professor Pablo Munoz Villanueva. “El Grito,” the independence yell, will highlight the evening. The event is made possible by special invitation from the San Elizario Historic District to Delegacion DIV3 in Cuidad Juarez, Mexico, and made possible by Artistas Unidos de Cuidad Juarez.

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LAKES TRAIL

Museum of the Southwest 1705 W. Missouri Ave. September 9–11 museumsw.org/explore/ events/septemberfest (432) 683-2882 x316 Now celebrating its 47th year, this annual juried arts festival draws artists from far and wide to display their works on the first weekend after Labor Day.

1042 Event Center Drive September 10 www.destinationdrippingsprings.com (512) 858-4740 What pairs best with a fall afternoon in the Texas Hill Country? Savoring all the flavors of Texas, of course.

Come out and sample the largest assortment of Texas wines, craft beers, gourmet foods and spirits available under one roof at the Dripping with Taste Wine & Food Festival.

MOUNTAIN TRAIL

PECOS TRAIL

16 de Septiembre Fiestas PECOS

Santa Rosa de Lima Catholic Church September 16–18 visitpecos.com (432) 445-2309 ¡Vivan los buenos tiempos!

Come enjoy vendors, live music, dancing, food and more.

Stripes River Fest SAN ANGELO

Concho River Area September 16–17 cosatx.us/departments-services/parks-recreation/river-fest River Fest’s festivities begin Friday, Sept. 16, with a concert featuring Tejano artist AJ Castillo. The Randy Rogers Band headlines River Fest 2016, which returns to the banks of the Concho River Sept. 16–17 with three concerts,

PLAINS TRAIL

TROPICAL TRAIL

a competitive washer-pitching tournament and a teeming kids’ court. A morning fun run culminates with a free family concert at the finish line at the RiverStage.

Pioneer Days EARLY

September 16–17 earlychamber.com With a county fair theme, enjoy a pie and hot dogeating contest, sack races, three-legged races, wheel barrel races, horseshoes and washers. A local favorite, Callahan Divide, will open for Casey Donahew at Saturday night’s concert.

At’l Do Farms Corn Maize SHALLOWATER

6323 FM 1294 September 17 – November 12 atldofarms.com (806) 763-5594 Hayrides, pumpkin picking, Fairy Tale Trail, petting zoo, corn maze — featuring a portrait of Quanah Parker as 2016 maze design.

SHUTTERSTOCK

BRAZOS TRAIL

Texas Heroes Day LA GRANGE

Monument Hill State Park 414 State Loop 92 September 17 tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/ monument-hill-kreischebrewery (979) 968-5658 Honor our Texas heroes of the Dawson Massacre and Mier Expedition. Enjoy pioneer craft demonstrations, reenactors, musket salutes, a memorial wreath-laying ceremony and historic presentations.

Texas State Forest Festival LUFKIN

September 21–25 TexasStateForestFestival.com (936) 637-3976

craft beer tasting, vendor marketplace, Kid Kountry Playground, western art exhibit and the World Tamale Eating Championship.

221nd Annual Big County Balloon Fest ABILENE

Western Days Festival LEWISVILLE

Old Town Lewisville September 23–24 lewisvillewesterndays.com Celebrate Texas culture and heritage! The two-day event includes three live stages, featuring national and regional country recording artists, plus all types of boot-stomping fun. Western Days rocks with the Eli Young Band Friday night and Old 97’s on Saturday. Check out the Cattle Drive parade, gunfighters, a blacksmith, cooking demonstrations,

Rose Park 3125 S. 32nd Street September 23–25 hotairballoon.com/BigCountry-Balloon-Fest (325) 795-0995 A weekend of family fun, including hot air balloons, live entertainment, children’s games and inflatable rides, silent auction, food and craft vendors and a balloon glow on Friday and Saturday nights.

In Touch Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival PLANO

Red Bud Park September 23–24 bigcountryballoonfest.org (972) 867-7566

Chuck Wagon Cook-Off BRYAN

Come to Plano, the Hot Air Balloon Capital of Texas, for this spectacular three-day event! This weekend offers something for everyone: live stage entertainment, sky divers, kids’ activities and fireworks.

Comanche Pow-Wow COMANCHE

City Park September 24–25 comanchechamber.org/ pow-wow (325) 356-3233 The annual Pow-Wow includes entertainment, arts and crafts vendors, and a state sanctioned barbecue cook-off plus an antique tractor and engine show, classic car show, photography show and art show.

Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History 3232 Briarcrest Drive October 1 brazosvalleymuseum.org (979) 776-2195 As part of the annual Boonville Days, come see authentic chuck wagons and their teams compete to be named the best! Noon meal tickets will be sold for $10 each. (The plates are big so children can share.)

Purchase tickets at the event or pre-order at the museum.

Pat Gavin and the Buckaroo Band will provide music to keep your feet tapping while you eat. Browse our heritage fair or visit the museum; see our exhibit on crystallography and explore our Discovery Room with live animals.

Floating on Air: Hanging just above the morning mist, balloonists take flight at the Plano Balloon Festival.

COURTESY VISIT PLANO

The 32nd Annual Texas State Forest Festival is a five-day festival full of exciting events

for the whole family. This year’s festival includes a carnival, petting zoo, the Canine Stars Stunt Dog Show, the Axe Women Loggers of Main, the Great Bear Show, a children’s festival, shopping, great festival food and a variety of competitions, including the 45th annual Southern Hushpuppy Championships.

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CLARENDON

610 E. Harrington St. September 24 saintsroostmuseum.com (806) 874-2746 Museum tours, live entertainment, a chuck wagon dinner, and more — in the heart of historic JA Ranch country.

October

Meridian State Park Open House

gun fights, Drummer Boy ice cream, 1800s children’s games, period music by Time Was..., Native American culture and dancing, Texas Longhorns, the Texas Camel Corps and frontier living.

Fiddlesticks Farms

ing at 11 a.m. A friendly rivalry between Cuero’s Ruby Begonia and Worthington, Minnesota’s “Paycheck” takes place in a race to declare the title of Turkey Capital of the World for their town at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

MIDLAND

5610 E. County Rd 120 October 1 through Thanksgiving fiddlesticksfarms.com (432) 687-6293 Enjoy a 10-acre cornfield maze, pumpkin patch, Halloween events, plus a country store, farm animals, hayrides, pig races and more.

Chicks in the Sticks MINEOLA

Ride 4 Trails

Downtown October 7–9 Mineolachamber.org (903) 569-8228

BIG BEND AREA

Join in a weekend filled with shopping, food, seminars, fun activities, historical tours and a Saturday night street party.

Ride 4 Trails benefits Big Bend National Park in the construction and maintenance of hiking trails in the park.

October 14–15 ride4trails.com (432) 371-2218

MERIDIAN

173 Park Rd. 7 October 1 (254) 435-2536 Meridian State Park celebrates the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps with an open house. Park entry will be free on the day of the event. The event tentatively will start at 10 a.m. and will include a lunch fundraiser, educational and historic booths, kayaking, nature hikes and kids’ fishing.

Dine on the Line

Fort Griffin Living History Days

Turkeyfest

ALBANY

CUERO

Fort Griffin SHS 1701 N. U.S. Hwy 283 October 7–8 thc.texas.gov/news-events/ events/living-history-days (325) 762-3592

Cuero Municipal Park October 7–9 turkeyfest.org/ (361) 275-2112

Step back in time as Fort Griffin portrays life as it was in the 1870s at the post and the nearby Wild West town.

Activities include military interpretations from various time periods with artillery, infantry and cavalry demonstration, blacksmithing,

Each year, about 200 local, national and international artists from all disciplines create a fun, quirky and diverse environment for people of all ages to enjoy. The event features temporary interactive art installations, live dance and theatrical performances, a sidewalk chalk art competition, live bands, art and food vendors, access to various activities and exhibits at both the El Paso Museum of Art and Museum of History and more!

Hamilton County Dove Festival and Wild Wing Cook-Off

Tables line the TexasArkansas state line for eating and family fun.

HAMILTON

Downtown Hamilton October 22 hamiltondovefest.com (254) 386-3216

Ripfest EASTLAND

October 1 eastlandchamber.com (254) 629-2332

AU THENTIC TEX AS

October 14–16 chalktheblock.com (915) 212-0110

Hamilton County Dove Festival and Wild Wing Cook-Off Hamilton

Stateline Courthouse/Post Office October 1 mainstreettexarkana.org (903) 792-7191

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EL PASO

The carnival opens Thursday evening and the barbecue chefs check in Friday to set up their cook wagons for the big cook-off on Saturday.

Stage entertainment is featured Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Don’t miss the big parade down Esplanade Street through downtown Cuero on Saturday morn-

TEXARKANA

This 36th annual festival celebrates Old Rip, the horned toad that was found alive after 31 years in the

Chalk the Block

Dine on the Line Texarkana

Hamilton’s historic downtown square fills with vendors, a dove cook-off, kids’ zone, dance, wine tasting, gun show, and entertainment.

A rodeo is held at Circle T Arena.

FROM TOP: COURTESY HAMILTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE; COURTESY MAIN STREET TEXARKANA

Col. Charles Goodnight Chuck Wagon Cookoff

courthouse cornerstone (1897–1928). A parade starts at 10 a.m., with a festival and car show afterward.

Texas Clay Festival NEW BRAUNFELS

1296 Gruene Rd. October 22–23 texasclayfestival.com (830) 833-2860 Featuring the work of over 60 Texas potters and clay artists, the festival offers the opportunity to view and purchase a wide variety of pottery, from traditional to sculptural by the top clay artists in the state. Watch and learn as demonstrations are held in four tents throughout both days.

Come enjoy these great events during the weekend: wagon train and trail ride from Jacksboro, exciting ranch rodeo action, chuck wagon camp and competition, trappings show, cowboy poetry and cowboy music, rodeo finals, youth poetry contest, youth fiddle contest, youth chuck wagon cook-off, Texas Trail of Fame, cowboy church, cowboy gospel concert, Western swing dances and the new Texas Lone Star Open Live Bid Calling Contest.

features Grammy awardwinning bluegrass artists, a taste of some of the best chili in DFW and the magnificent Rose Gardens of Farmers

Branch. Admission is free and includes lots to do for the entire family, including a kids’ area, arts and crafts vendors and concession booths.

Bluegrass Festival & Chili Cook-off Farmers Branch

Bluegrass Festival & Chili Cook-Off Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering & Western Swing Festival FORT WORTH

Farmers Branch Historical Park 2540 Farmers Branch Lane October 14–15 bloominbluegrass.com (972) 919-2620 Join us for Blooms, Tunes & Chili Spoons! The 7th annual Bloomin’ Bluegrass Festival

COURTESY VISIT FARMERS BRANCH

Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District October 28–30 redsteagallcowboygathering. com (817) 444-5502

FARMERS BRANCH

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MARATHON

October 22 marathon2marathon.net This day of footraces consists of the full 26.2-mile marathon, a 13.1-mile half marathon, a 6.2-mile 10K and a 3.1 mile 5K, all sharing the same course on Hwy 385 north between Fort Stockton and Marathon, finishing in front of the historic Gage Hotel in downtown Marathon. Other activities included in this event are a pre-race pasta dinner, a catfish fry fundraiser with live entertainment, and an awards ceremony followed by a post-race party with live entertainment. You don’t have to be a runner to participate and enjoy this exciting event!

Storyfest November 4 - 6 Free Admission georgeweststoryfest.org (361) 449-2481 Since 1989, the art and tradition of storytelling has been celebrated around the Live Oak County Courthouse square in downtown George West, the Storytelling Capital of Texas. This Texas tradition includes storytellers, musicians, delicious food, arts and crafts vendors, children’s area, petting zoo, living history exhibits and more.

Round Top Wine Trail

ROCKSPRINGS

Downtown November 5 roundtop.org (888) 368-4783

Stories will be shared and treats offered as the hotel commemorates and celebrates 100 years of hospitality.

November

23rd Annual Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival HARLINGEN

November 2-6 rgvbf.org (209) 227-4823 At one of the longestrunning birding festivals in the country, birders flock to Harlingen to see some of the 500+ species of birds recorded in the Rio Grande Valley. Field trips with professional

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Home for the Holidays

Ranch Hand Festival

OLD TOWN SPRING

KINGSVILLE

PORT ISABEL

Every Weekend November 12 - December 24 oldtownspring.com (281) 353-9310

Downtown November 18 – 20 info@ranchhandfestival.com

November 6 portisabel.org (800) 527-6102

GEORGE WEST

Ghost Stories of the Historic Rocksprings Hotel 200 W. Austin October 31 historicrockspringshotel.com (830) 683-4212

World’s Championship Shrimp Cook-Off

ROUND TOP

Stroll the town sipping quality wine while enjoying early Christmas shopping!

Wine tastings offered from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Live music.

Purchase your commemorative glass at Bybee Square.

The 23rd Annual World’s Championship Shrimp Cook-Off includes dozens of contestants and thousands of attendees who are treated to world-famous shrimp recipes. The festival includes great food and a variety of vendors, live music, activities for kids of all ages, original artwork, gifts and collectibles.

The local shops and businesses come alive with the spirit of Christmas, strolling performers and festive exhibits.

Linden Art & Wine Festival 2016 LINDEN

Texana Chili Spill EDNA

Brackenridge Recreation Complex 284 Brackenridge Parkway November 10-12 texanachilispill.com (361) 782-7272 This 16th annual event includes a veterans ceremony, fireworks display, Texana market, barbecue cook-off and much more.

Music City Texas Theater 108 Legion St. November 15 lindentexas.org (903) 756-7774 Heart of Cass County Art Show inside the Music City Texas Theater; hand-crafted gifts and collectibles bazaar outside and in front! $10 admission to wine tasting on the patio with complimentary keepsake wine glass and sixbottle wine tote bag.

Artwalk Frontier Days at Fort Martin Scott

ALPINE

November 18 – 19 artwalkalpine.com

Kingsville honors the city’s Texas ranching heritage with food, wine, live music, cooking demonstrations, art, storytelling, book signings by local authors and more. Local museums, artists, businesses, community organizations, vendors and the university work together to provide cowboy-themed entertainment. The event also kicks off Kingsville’s La Posada holiday celebration.

2016 Pioneer Days CLEBURNE

Chisholm Trail Museum 101 Chisholm Trail November 18-19 jcchisholmtrail.com (817) 648-4633 13th Annual Pioneer Days featuring historic buildings, Native American museum, cowboys, Terry’s Texas Rangers Civil War re-encampment, Native Americans in full regalia, Ghosts of Buzzard Flats gunfighters, craft and food vendors. Come and explore our Western town!

FREDERICKSBURG

Fort Martin Scott 1606 E. Main St. November 11 -12 ftmartinscott.org (830) 217-3200 Featuring living history re-enactors, pioneer crafts, chuck wagon food, Old West shootouts, Native Americans, storytellers, musicians and hands-on activities for kids.

Fun, music, food and beautiful art.

2016 Pioneer Days Cleburne

FROM LEFT: FRANCESCO VERONES/FLICKR; COURTESY VISIT CLEBURNE

Marathon 2 Marathon

guides, large trade show, well-known speakers, socials and children’s activities make this festival one of the best.

Polar Express Train Ride Texas State Railroad

roping demonstrations, reenactors, musical entertainment, poetry and storytelling.

Palestine/Rusk November 18-20, 25-27; December 2-4, 9-11, 16-18, 23 texasstaterr.com (877) 726-7245 All Aboard! The Polar Express Train Ride™ comes to life this holiday season as the Texas State Railroad rolls out of the Palestine station bound for the “North Pole!”

Ranch Hand Breakfast KINGSVILLE

King Ranch Highway 141 Saturday, November 19 king-ranch.com (361) 592-8055 Park downtown, take the free shuttle bus to the breakfast and enjoy a heapin’ plate of eggs, refried beans, biscuits n’ gravy, sausage, tortillas, coffee and juice. Watch team

Christmas in Comfort COMFORT

PALESTINE / RUSK

San Antonio Christmas Light Fest SAN ANTONIO

November 24 - December 31 visitsanantonio.com (201) 434-2340 Overflowing with Hill Country holiday fun, Christmas Light Fest features holiday light displays at an historic ranchland just 20 minutes outside of San Antonio. Usually reserved for private events, the ranch opens its gates to the public for everyone to enjoy the dazzling drive-through.

The 125-acre historic Don Strange Ranch is a real working Longhorn ranch just 20 minutes from La Cantera off IH-10 West, exit 533, at 103 Waring Welfare Rd. in Boerne.

Downtown November 26 comfortchamber.com (830) 995-3131 One of the area’s most popular holiday events draws visitors for holiday shopping and family fun the Saturday after Thanksgiving. There’s more than 125 art and craft vendors and a full day of holiday activities from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

December

Christmas at Old Fort Concho SAN ANGELO

Fort Concho NHL 630 S. Oakes St. December 2-4 fortconcho.com (325) 481-2646 Three days full of Christmas cheer including shopping,

living history, a special area for children, ongoing entertainment as well as special scheduled shows, and much more, all on the historic fort grounds.

Holly Jolly Weekend Christmas Marketplace ANDREWS

Ace Arena 1441 E. Hwy 176 December 3-4 andrewstx.com (432) 523-2695 38th Annual Christmas Marketplace — the longestrunning Christmas market in West Texas! Enjoy free entertainment for the kids (and hubby) while you shop: “Ice Skating” at the Marketplace, inflatable jumpers and a man cave complete with big screen TV and football.

Dickens on the Strand GALVESTON

December 4-6

Comanche Trail Festival of Lights Big Spring

galvestonhistory.org/events/ dickens-on-the-strand/ dickens-on-the-strand (409) 765-7834 Galveston’s Victorian holiday street festival features parades, entertainment on six stages, strolling carolers, roving musicians, bagpipers and jugglers. Costumed vendors in street stalls and rolling carts with holiday food and drink, Victorian-inspired crafts, clothing, jewelry, holiday decorations and gift items.

Annual Christmas at the Fort Festival Rendezvous and Flying Field GROESBECK

Old Fort Parker 866 Park Rd. 35 December 8-11 oldfortparker.org (254) 729-5253

Candlelight at the Ranch LUBBOCK

National Ranching Heritage Center 3121 Fourth St. December 9-10 nrhc.ttu.edu (806) 742-0498

COURTESY BIG SPRING CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Thousands of luminarias line the paths to historic structures as Ranch hosts dress in period clothing to recreate holiday scenes of trimming trees, playing traditional music and gathering around a campfire on a cold winter night.

Comanche Trail Festival of Lights BIG SPRING

310 Nolan St. December 15–31 bigspringchamber.com (432) 263-7641 Over 1 million lights are on display throughout the historic park, including the famed lighted poinsettias.

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LEGACY BANKHEAD HIGHWAY p. 74 H BERNIE SARGENT p. 78

A

NEW FRONTIER

NATIVE REST AREA: The Bankhead Highway introduced travelers to new experiences and ushered in the modern era of automobile travel. Fashioned after an Indian teepee, this roadside park offered a view of West Texas near Sierra Blanco, 1960.

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COURTESY TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION

The Bankhead Highway launched a new era of transportation and travel.

LEGACY HISTORIES

BROADWAY

of

AMERICA 100 years along the Bankhead Highway

TODAY IN TEXAS, travelers can drive more than 79,000 miles of farm-to-market, ranch-to-market, state, U.S. and interstate highways. Only a century ago, however, not a single highway existed in the Lone Star State, and Texas had no highway department — until in 1916, a landmark bit of federal legislation came together with a promoter’s dream, and a new route made history.

That year the Bankhead National Highway was launched, becoming the nation’s first allweather coast-to-coast highway. It would stretch roughly 3,000 miles from Washington, D.C., to San Diego, California, with nearly a third of its length in Texas.

Hewing to a southerly route, skirting the western mountains and largely free from ice and snow, it could be used reliably year-round.

While the Lincoln Highway to the north predated the Bankhead by a few years and is fairly regarded as the first transcontinental highway, it was practically impassable during the winter.

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ROOTS IN ALABAMA: BANKHEAD AND ROUNTREE THE BANKHEAD was named in honor of Alabama Senator John Hollis Bankhead, a driving force behind the Federal Highway Act of 1916, also called the Bankhead Bill, which for the first time provided federal aid to states for highway construction. Roads at the time were largely the

responsibility of local communities or counties. Existing roads were largely dirt and unusable in wet weather; construction was poor and maintenance even worse. For years prior to Bankhead’s bill, members of Good Roads Associations nationwide lobbied for better roads in America.

Sen. Bankhead understood that federal aid

was no less important for adequate roads than for rivers and harbors, dams and other major civil engineering projects. In addition, although America had not yet joined in the European War in 1916, it was increasingly obvious from the ongoing conflict that better roads were essential to America’s military preparedness and defense.

(The same impetus would later propel creation of the Interstate H i g h w a y System in the 1950s, following World War II.) In 1913, the same year the Lincoln Highway came into existence, John Asa Rountree of Birmingham, ON THE MAP: The only map known to have been Alabama, formed the produced by Asa Rountree United States Good and the Bankhead Highway Roads Association.

Association, published in a 1922 road guide and He convinced felreprinted in newspapers low Alabamian John nationwide, shows the Bankhead to assume middle third of the route the role of president crossing Texas.

COURTESY DAN L. SMITH

by DAN L. SMITH

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION; BARBARA BRANNON / TEXAS PLAINS TRAIL; BARBARA BRANNON / TEXAS PLAINS TRAIL; TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION

LIVING HISTORY: (clockwise from top left) Ranch style motel, 807 E. Broadway St., Van Horn, 1958; Hi Ho Ballroom, 2315 W. Jefferson St., Grand Prairie, 1959; in Spring 2016, the Sisters on the Fly women’s outdoor enthusiasts group “waltzed across Texas” from El Paso to Texarkana along the Bankhead Highway. Car clubs, motorcycle groups, motor coaches and even cyclists are finding the historic route appealing for leisure trips; Art Deco restaurant, 123 E. Jefferson Blvd., Dallas, 1938.

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of the association, which served the senator’s political purposes and at the same time enhanced the visibility and stature of Rountree’s organization. The U.S. Good Roads Association quickly became the largest such association in the South, with members nationwide. Thousands attended their annual conventions.

Asa Rountree and Senator Bankhead were of like minds regarding the importance of better roads in the South, with its economy still struggling even decades after impacts of the Civil War and Reconstruction. A former newspaperman, now editor, publisher, salesman and pitchman, Rountree was tireless in his support of Bankhead’s efforts toward federal assistance to the states, but he also had his own dream — a first-class Southern highway. The Bankhead Bill was just what Rountree was waiting for. Shortly after President Wilson enthusiastically signed the bill on July 11, 1916, officials of the U. S. Good Roads

apportioned according to mileage of highways to be built. Texas was slated to receive the lion’s share of federal funds.

Curtis Hancock of Dallas was appointed the first chairman of the Texas Highway Commission, and he and other state road officials lost no time in mapping where primary highways would be built. After coordinating with county officials, the commission published the first Texas Highway Map in 1918. Unlike later state road maps, of course, the first map showed primarily where the roads would be, not where they already existed, at least as anything other than dirt trails. The first map showed a network of 25 number highways, with the numbers more or less indicating a priority. Texas Highway No. 1 was designated to stretch the width of the state, from El Paso to Texarkana. Significantly, the highway commission also announced in 1918 that Texas 1 would be the Bankhead Highway in Texas.

port of routes of their own.)

Rountree’s U.S. Good Roads Association and Bankhead Highway Association met jointly in conventions each April. High on the agenda was receiving and approving the report of the pathfinders. In 1917, the route was decided between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta; in 1918, from Atlanta to Memphis; in 1919, the route across Texas to El Paso; and in 1920, the final section on to San Diego.

The 1919 convention was held in Mineral Wells, Texas. As many as two thousand enthusiastic delegates attended the often rowdy weeklong meetings. Stakes were high: the route to be determined was the middle third of the national highway. Texas delegates dominated the convention, but a significant number of delegates were there from Oklahoma and New Mexico, and they lobbied for a route from Arkansas, across southern Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle,

PATHFINDERS AND PROMOTERS

then through New Mexico to El Paso (what later was called the “Four-States” route).

Association agreed that no more fitting tribute could be paid to the man already known as “The Father of Good Roads” than to name the proposed Southern Highway after John H. Bankhead. The Bankhead National Highway Association was incorporated, with its headquarters in Birmingham, on October 6, 1916. Asa Rountree was the executive secretary; former Alabama Congressman (and close friend of Sen. Bankhead) Thomas Plowman was named president.

THE BANKHEAD IN TEXAS TEXAS ALSO responded quickly to the Bankhead Bill. As a result of the 1916 legislation, Texas signed a bill in early 1917 establishing a state highway department — the last of the 48 states to do so. (The federal bill required a state highway department to participate in the cost-sharing of federal and state funds.) Moreover, as a result of its size, Texas was positioned to benefit as no other state when it came to federal funding, which was

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MEANWHILE, the cross-country route of the

Bankhead Highway was being established in segments, after pathfinding teams, always led

by Rountree himself, explored and investigated possible routes. They evaluated the condition of existing roads; consulted with local, county and state officials about plans for road building; evaluated the level of local and state enthusiasm, support and funding; and otherwise sought out what would be the best possible alignment for the highway. Miles of road, primarily dirt, already existed, but many more miles were yet to be constructed. The Bankhead Association also established standards for their road, similar to requirements of the government’s Bureau of Public Roads for cost-sharing under the federal aid act.

There was no shortage of potential routes, as it seemed every town offered inducements to be on a national highway. (There were many other named highway associations, all jostling for sup-

THE “ALL-TEXAS” ROUTE AND BRANCHES NOW RECALL that in 1917, Texas officials had announced that Texas 1 would be the Bankhead route in Texas. Asa Rountree by then had become a frequent and familiar visitor to Texas. Prior to the 1919 convention he and the pathfinders dutifully explored both the Texas and proposed Oklahoma routes, but the deal was no doubt done by then. The hopes of Oklahoma’s outnumbered contingent at the convention were likely doomed from the start. The “All-Texas” route was chosen for the Bankhead Highway.

The Oklahoma delegation did not hide their disappointment at Mineral Wells, but they took some consolation a year later when their route, called the Four-States Division, was designated a branch of the primary Bankhead Highway align-

BARBARA BRANNON / TEXAS PLAINS TRAIL

THE VINTAGE DINER: Situated along the Bankhead Highway in Weatherford, the Vintage Grill & Car Museum serves as eatery, live music venue and classic car showroom. Weatherford will host its Bankhead Highway Centennial celebration Sat., Sept. 24, as part of its annual Stray Days festival.

ment. Nonetheless, nothing seems ever to have come of that route, other than being noted on a few maps.

There were other branches in Texas as well. A “White Mountains” branch from Roscoe through Snyder and Plains into New Mexico was designated, providing an alternate route to Carlsbad Caverns. Another branch was mapped that diverted from the primary Bankhead route at Mount Pleasant in East Texas, joining the Meridian Highway at Waco and extending to Laredo. It was designated the “Texas-Mexico Division” of the Bankhead National Highway.

There would be roads along those routes, but unlike the primary Bankhead route, the “Four States” and several other designated branches seem to have quickly faded from memory.

PAVING THE WAY THE ROUTE of the primary Bankhead Highway route across Texas was finalized after the April 1919 convention in Mineral Wells, but it remained to turn that route into a paved highway, and that took several years. By the end of 1930, all but 20 percent (about 180 miles) of the Bankhead in Texas had been paved with brick, macadam, asphalt, or concrete. The Bankhead Highway Association itself turned no dirt, laid no bricks, poured no concrete. Neither did any of the other named highway associations around the country. Instead, they sold the idea of good roads. In the process they furthered the goals of the Good Roads Associations and facilitated the fund raising necessary to allow state highway departments and the Bureau of Public Roads to finance the construction of a highway network in America second to none.

The “Roaring ’20s” may have had its flappers and jazz, but much of the noise was from road construction. It was the automobile age, complete with new industries such as service stations, tourist camps — which soon became courts and later motels — and such other businesses as roadside produce stands. Those who argued that better roads meant better economics were soon vindicated as the auto travel boom brought prosperity.

By 1926, there were so many named highways, with overlapping and intersecting routes, along with numbered state highways, that signage became impossibly confusing. The Bureau of Public Roads, in coordination with the states, established a system of numbered federally financed highways, banning the named highways to memory. From Dallas to El Paso, then on to San Diego, what had been Texas 1 — the Bankhead Highway — became part of the US 80 alignment from Savannah, Georgia, westward. From Dallas to Texarkana, the Texas 1/ Bankhead route was absorbed into US 67.

competition with “Route 66” from Chicago to California, known colloquially as “The Mother Road,” enthusiasts and town fathers in El Paso rallied a convention in Memphis in 1928, and there they succeeded in branding the Bankhead Highway from San Diego to Memphis as part of the “Broadway of America.” The “Broadway” continued eastward across Tennessee to New York City. A few Texas cities (Sweetwater, Roscoe and Colorado City, for example) renamed their Main Streets “Broadway.”

Alignments have changed over the years, but today Interstates I-30, I-20, and I-10 follow the route of the original Bankhead Highway across Texas through cities such as Texarkana, Mount Vernon, Dallas, Fort Worth, Weatherford, Abilene, Big Spring, Midland, Van Horn and El Paso. But most of the earliest Bankhead Highway in Texas remains as state and county roads that still connect towns the interstates bypass. Some miles lie under the service roads of the interstates, and more are visible as long-abandoned pavement winding across private ranchland. Roadside bridges and culverts dating to the 1920s, and beautiful brick streets that were paved in the early 1920s, can also be found along the way.

Vestiges of tourist camps, motor courts, service stations, eateries, elegant hotels and resorts (and a speakeasy or two!) remain to capture the imagination. Some institutions, like the Hotel Settles in Big Spring and the Hotel El Capitan in Van Horn, have already been restored to

their original glory and welcome travelers. Other projects, such as restoration of the famous Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells, are promising. New safety rest areas along I-20 at Thurber (Ranger) Hill celebrate the Bankhead heritage, even preserving part of the old road. Parker County preserves the longest still-named stretch of the Bankhead in Texas. And in Rowlett, a Bankhead Brewing Company is even in the works. The Bankhead name lives on in public memory, aided by some stretches of road that still carry the original name. For heritage travelers, this legacy endures and entices, a century later.

For more, read Dan L. Smith’s The Bankhead Highway in Texas (2013), which includes an illustrated history of the Good Roads Movement, Asa Rountree and the Bankhead Highway Association, routing of the highway, and the 2nd U.S. Army Transcontinental Motor Convoy that crossed the country on the Bankhead Highway in 1920. The book also provides a detailed driving guide to allow the reader to follow the earliest mapped (1921) Bankhead route across Texas.

Explore the Texas Historical Commission’s website at www.thc.texas.gov/bankhead, where you can also download the Bankhead Highway Mobile App Tour covering 850 miles of historic highway from Texarkana to El Paso.

NAMES TO NUMBERS THE ROMANCE of roads was well established, however, and names persisted long after 1926.

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LEGACY TEXAS ORIGINAL

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Historian El Paso’s Bernie Sargent has a passion for preservation. by WENDY

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DESERT WATER: The Keystone Heritage Park includes natural wetlands supporting life in an arid landscape. Upper right: Bernie Sargent. Lower right: Six Guns and Shady Ladies.

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cinated by corridor, you’ll see some incredible preservation the USS efforts. You may even run into the man behind N i a g a r a , many of them — Bernie Sargent, a lanky cowboy the 200with an oversized mustache, distinguished smile f o o t - t a l l and wicked sense of humor. Sargent’s passion for c o m m a n d preservation led him to become chairman of the ship that led the Lake Erie fleet to victory El Paso County Historical Community, where during the War of 1812. Sargent was born in Pennsylvania, and he and his famhe’s directly involved in historical ily often traveled to the shores research of districts, sites, peoVISIT EL PASO of the lake to see the historic ple and events throughout West VisitElPaso.com ship. That old wooden-hulled Texas and the Mexican border brig (along with a pair of Gene state of Chihuahua.

Autry pajamas given to him by his

As a child, Sargent was fas-

COURTESY BERNIE SERGEANT

IF YOU VISIT El Paso and exit the busy I-10

grandmother) sparked a lifelong passion for history, cowboys and Indians, and preservation.

In 1961, Sargent’s family moved to California for his father’s job. He went on to study business and marketing management at California State University in Fullerton. Not long after, while in San Diego on business, he met Melissa, now his wife of 35 years. After two kids and “too many moves” around the country, Sargent promised his

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family that they would settle in El Paso until the kids were out of school. Sargent and his wife still reside in the Sun City, 28 years later.

Sargent has worked on many projects over the years, including writing a paper on the Camino Real in El Paso for Sul Ross University.

A team of architects and historians compiled a list of over 200 addresses located in the downtown El Paso area to preserve and protect vital historical assets in a portion of the community that greatly needed redevelopment. As a result of these efforts, a list of “carrots and sticks” was created that city officials still use to assist landowners to rehabilitate their properties, using myriad tax credits and assistances available for renovation.

One of Sargent’s favorite projects is Keystone

Heritage Park, a 52-acre property in El Paso’s Upper Valley that is home to an archaeological site, archaic wetlands and a botanical garden. The 4,500-year-old archeological site was first discovered in the late 1970s by the Army Corps of Engineers during construction of a flood control dam.

Runoff from a thunderstorm washed away the bank of a shallow arroyo, revealing indications of ancient settlements.

Preliminary research revealed a hut that was part of a larger village. According to National Geographic, it may

be one of the largest and oldest villages of its kind in the southwestern United States.

When the railroad wanted to put a switching yard at the historic site, countless citizens from West Texas and New Mexico rallied to save the park. “In the state of Texas, it’s nearly impossible to convince the railroad to do something,” says Sargent, “so the land sat idle for years. But with the help of two grants, it was eventually purchased and then turned over to the city to develop the park.” Locals developed the “parks within a park” concept behind Keystone and raised more than $6 million. The botanical garden represents a $1.2 million investment in the community, and its beauty is the result of generous donations and volunteers. It features a xeric demonstration garden, a children’s garden, an amphitheater, a moonlight garden, an ethnobotanical garden, several sculptures by artist John Houser and more.

Sargent is also one of the cofounders of Six Guns and Shady Ladies, a group of reenactors that perform everything from Wild West gunfight scenes to Victorian life vignettes. Visitors to El Paso’s celebration of National Day of the Cowboy each July are sure to catch Bernie Sargent among the colorfully dressed. He’ll be the one in the mustache and ten-gallon hat, cracking jokes.

BERNIE SARGENT’S RECOGNITIONS John Ben Shepperd CHC Leadership Award Texas Historical Commission Excellence in Community Service Daughters of the American Revolution Rebecca Stoddard Award Parade Volunteer of the Year Sun Bowl Association Mission Possible Award 5th Annual Mission Possible Conference

Volunteer Award West Point Society of El Paso Environmental Preservation Award Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes, Juarez, Mexico Real Places Scholarship Texas Historical Commission

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courtesy bernie sargent

Citizen Involvement Award 4th Annual Mission Possible Conference

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