State House Press / McWhiney Foundation Press – förlag

By 1850, the frontier settlement of San Antonio had seen more than its share of hardships, Indians attacks, rebellions, and repeated military occupations.  These events all marked the towns recent past.  In 1854, though, the editor of the Alamo Star felt confident enough in the town’s progress to announce that the embattled outpost would soon be known as the “Queen of the West.”  The Star, of course, capitalized on the name of the town’s most famous landmark—the Alamo.Although historians have written about the battle and the town, no one has yet adequately explained how they are connected to each other.  A deeper look at the development of San Antonio shows that it was not only the site of the Battle of the Alamo, it was the center of much of the history of Spain, Mexico, Texas, and the United States. Queen of the West: A Documentary History of San Antonio, 1718–1900 takes readers through a series of important writings detailing how San Antonio transformed from an important but threatened outpost to a thriving Edwardian city.  The author, Richard Bruce Winders, provides an introduction to each eye-witness account providing diverse perspectives on the history of San Antonio by the people who  actually lived it.  The author is an internationally noted authority on the topic of the Alamo.  The work will be a valuable resource for students of history and teachers.  The book draws together a body of work that readers would have a difficult time finding on their own.The cover art is by noted artist Don Yena.

Sulphur Springs native Frank Webster Pearce was a soldier in Texas’ own 36th Infantry Division and the 111th Engineer Combat Battalion. The Division’s story has been told before, but never from start to finish by a combat engineer, whose footprints stirred the sands of three invasion beaches, wallowed through the mud, and trudged in the snow of every battle. From training in the United States to the war’s end in Austria, Pearce chronicled it all..  With the combination of diary, numerous letters home, and official division reports, this is the most complete look ever produced on the 111th Engineers and their war against Hitler’s Germany. This is a primary account written daily as the events unfolded. It was the war years. Here you find out how to properly bury a man in the water soaked Italian soil, a fool proof way to smuggle liquor from the US to the soldiers overseas, the foul stench of death reeking across the battlefield, and the beauty of exploding artillery shells in the night sky. These are his thoughts and letters as he wrote them—raw and unfiltered.

Juneteenth has been touted as a national day celebrating the end of slavery. Observances from coast to coast have turned this event into part of the national conversation about race, slavery, and how Americans understand, acknowledge, and explain what has been called the national “original sin.”But, why Juneteenth? Where did this celebration—which promises to become a national holiday—come from? What is the origin story? What are the facts, and legends, around this important day in the nation’s history?This is the first scholarly book to delve into the history behind Juneteenth. Using decades of research in archives around the nation, this book helps separate myth from reality and tells the story behind the celebration in a way that provides new understanding and appreciation for the event.This book will captivate people interested in the history of emancipation and African American history but also those interested in Civil War and Texas history.As the United States continues to wrestle with race relations and the meaning of full equality, Juneteenth promises to become an important expression of that equality—an Independence Day celebration in its own right, a couple of weeks in advance of the traditional July 4th Holiday. This book will be a welcome addition to classrooms, book clubs and general readers interested in this once obscure regional event now destined for the national spotlight.

There was never any doubt that Emma Burgemeister shot and killed beer and real estate magnate Otto Koehler on November 12, 1914. The question remained: Why? The deceased was one of the wealthiest and most respected persons in the Southwest and a pillar of the community. As a result, his murder and trial drew national attention. Soon, the entire affair was one of the most famous murder cases ever tried in Bexar County—a part of Texas known to have some notorious characters.Now, for the first time ever, Money, Murder, Sex, and Beer presents testimony from the trial, legal analysis and other information that allows the readers to draw their own conclusions regarding the guilt or innocence of the alleged murderess. What makes the story unique is the efforts of officials in San Antonio and friends of Koehler to subvert the judicial process to avoid having the case go to trial. For a dead man with a recently spurned mistress, who could predict what secrets might come to light on the witness stand?

The famous siege and fall of the Alamo in 1836 is the stuff of legends. What is often missing from most discussion of that battle is why the Texian defenders were in the Alamo in the first place! Richard L. Curilla’s pathbreaking book, Battleground BÉxar, shows how the famous compound that has become such a Texas icon was just a small piece of the strategic real estate that now composes downtown San Antonio. In 1835, Mexican Centralist soldados faced a deteriorating political situation in the region and the very real threat of an insurgent attack by the Texian Federalist Army of the People. They fortified the main plazas in the frontier town of BÉxar to meet the attack they knew must certainly come. Today, where traffic and pedestrians compete for the right of way, once stood cannon, earthworks, and barricades that transformed streets and blocks of downtown San Antonio into a stronghold.Using advanced computer-generated imaging, Curilla has recreated San Antonio de BÉxar as it looked in 1835. Now, for the first time ever, the location of the Alamo and its role as an important garrison and artillery position covering the approaches to the heart of the town is revealed. Mexican Centralist troops reinforced and modified the old mission compound and transformed it into a fortress which they believed they could defend. The Siege of BÉxar in December 1835 created the battleground and circumstances that would shape the destiny of Texas forever.

This book follows the route of Sam Houston’s army from Gonzales to San Jacinto during the Texas Revolution. The author visited every campsite or important location to see what is there now and to look for the footprints of the Texian army. What is left over from his time? What is there now? Using both primary and secondary sources, Dyer stitches together a historically accurate story of each site and illustrated it with his modern photos. Directions to each site are provided to encourage readers to visit. Many of these sites have no historical markers and have been forgotten or ignored. The goal of this work is to encourage people to explore some forgotten local history by visiting these sites as a great way to gain an appreciation for Texas History. An accompanying podcast will be made available to make it easy to listen to each description while visiting the sites.

Around 1848 Wilhelm Friedrich, a young German immigrant to Texas, completed three drawings that capture unique details of life on the frontier. Friedrich’s sketches feature Comanches, Germans, a captive girl, a wagon train, the landscape and wildlife of the Texas Hill Country, and dynamic scenes of cultural contact. Friedrich is the only artist known to have produced contemporaneous images of a Comanche captive while still in captivity. The authors use their expertise in Comanche culture, German immigration, art, and Hill Country history to explore the many layers of meaning in Friedrich’s drawings. Who was Wilhelm Friedrich? How did he come to Texas? What information does he pack into his drawing? How can we understand his work—as art, as data about Comanche life and customs, and as a record of German values and priorities in the New World? Who is the captive girl? And why is her portrayal important today?

When Americans settled Texas in the 1830s, they brought their booze with them and found some made by the locals when they got here! Before long, the Lone Star State had a thriving distillery business, more than a century ahead of modern craft distillers that are changing the face of the spirits industry today. This is a fascinating history filled all too frequently with floods, fires, explosions, and lots of bad luck. Had the development of Texas happened a little differently, the state might have well become a major whiskey producer intertwined with barbed wire, refrigeration, cattle, railways, oil, and cooperage all coming into play.Texas distilling is older than both the American and Texan Republics, but the history of transforming grains into whiskey in Texas goes back to at least the early 1840s. No spirit is more associated with the state’s frontier history than American whiskey. But even during its wildest days, there was a vocal prohibitionist element in Texas that was working to outlaw distilleries, and more importantly, close the saloons. Texas distillers also made liquor for the Confederate war effort, and operations in Tyler and near present day Denison played an often-overlooked role in supporting the troops in the field with medicinal whiskey. After the war, home-grown Texas whiskey found a market and seemed destined to takes its place among the great American spirits of its day.

Tempest Over Texas: The Fall and Winter Campaigns, 1863–1864 is the fourth installment in Dr. Donald S. Frazier’s award-winning Louisiana Quadrille series. Picking up the story of the Civil War in Louisiana and Texas after the fall of Port Hudson and Vicksburg, Tempest Over Texas describes Confederate confusion on how to carry on in the Trans-Mississippi given the new strategic realities. Likewise, Federal forces gathered from Memphis to New Orleans were in search of a new mission. International intrigues and disasters on distant battlefields would all conspire to confuse and perplex war-planners. One thing remained, however. The Stars and Stripes needed to fly once again in Texas, and as soon as possible.

Schreiner University, started as a military institute in 1923, is a landmark institution in the state of Texas. Schreiner at 100 tells the story of the last quarter century of the university’s 100 years. The narrative interprets the institutional journey in terms of its enduring traits including a holistic learning commitment, its emphasis on relationships, and the value of outcomes over inputs. Above all, this book tells a story of a tough and resilient little school in the hill country that stands for something while also being flexible enough to weather all the vicissitudes of higher education. Engraved on the entrance of Schreiner University are the phrases “Enter with Hope, Leave with Achievement”. This is no mere slogan—this is the ethos of Schreiner University.Filled with vintage photographs and contemporary images of this gorgeous place, Schreiner at 100 leaves readers with a glimpse of an amazing university deep in the heart of Texas.

Landmark Maps of Texas features important depictions of the Lone Star State and the Americas from 1513 to 1904. Nearly 100 maps in their original color grace its pages and many of these specimens are extraordinary and rare. This is not just a picture book designed to sit on a coffee table but rather a book to be read and referenced. Landmark Maps of Texas features the story behind the original map and its owner and how Frank Holcomb brought this treasure to Texas. Provenance takes center stage and there is an emphasis on items from 1830–1850 when Texas became a Republic and later joined the United States. Another section in this book takes readers on a chronological trek that shows how our understanding of the lay of the land evolved over time. This is more than geography. This is history and the geographical canvas that it is painted upon. If you live in Texas, have been to Texas, or might come to Texas, Landmark Maps of Texas brings the finest assembly of Lone Star State charts to the reading public.

Mandred Wood may have caught a glint off the Bowie knife that sank into his belly—but probably not. On the afternoon of November 11, 1837, he had exchanged "harsh epithets" with David James Jones, a hero of the Texas Revolution. When words failed, Jones closed the argument with his blade. Such affrays were common in Houston, the fledgling capital of the Republic of Texas. This one, however, was singular. Wood was a gentleman and Jones a member of a disruptive gang of vagrants that the upper crust denounced as the "rowdy loafers." Jones went to jail; Wood went to his grave.In the weeks that followed, the killing resounded throughout the squalid, verminous city that one resident described as the "most miserable place in the world." Stephen L. Hardin's suspenseful and witty narrative reads like a contemporary page-turner, yet all is carefully documented history. He entwines the murder into the story of the sordid city like the strands of a hangman's rope.It is an astonishing tale peopled by remarkable characters: the one-armed newspaper editor and political candidate who employs the crime to advance his sanctimonious agenda; the Kentucky lawyer who enjoys champagne breakfasts and collecting human skulls; the German immigrant who sees rats gnaw the finger off an infant lying in his cradle; the Alamo widow whose circumstances force her to practice the oldest profession; the sociopathic physician who slaughters an innocent man in a duel; the Methodist minister horrified by the drunken debaucheries of government officials; and the president himself—the Sword of San Jacinto— who during a besotted bacchanal strips to his underwear.Skillfully conceived and masterfully written, Texian Macabre: A Melancholy Tale of a Hanging in Early Houston will transport readers to a lost time and place.

Rachel Moores and her husband David operated a cotton plantation in the bottoms of the Sulphur River in North East Texas. From that vantage point, they viewed the changing fortunes of Texas as the American Civil War opened their privileged lifestyle. David went to war while the task of operating this large farming enterprise fell to Rachel. More than 2000 acres and dozens of enslaved people fell to her to manage.  This diary chronicles her struggles and provides a priceless voice of a woman having to adapt and overcome the adversities of that violent age. Female perspectives often get overlooked when discussing the American Civil War and the effects of distant events often had catastrophic implications on the folks back home. Rachel’s Moores diary provides a priceless window into the changing realities of Texans who once bet their futures on the value of cotton.   This diary and journal will be an important addition to the scholarship about elite white women and their lives in the antebellum south.  This manuscript is unique in that is is an extensive and detailed look into the life of a woman of the slave-owning class in frontier Texas, offering not only her vivid view of the slave system but of the daily life of a plantation mistress and of an invalid seeking a cure for her disease from New Orleans to New York.

Texas was a land of change in the nineteenth century. Different flags flew in Texas skies during this period, but horse racing remained the most popular sport under each banner. Settlers from the United States started jockey clubs and Thoroughbred horse races in the cities, while sprint racing for a quarter mile with horses of dubious ancestry reigned in the small towns and rural areas. Whether a man enjoyed short distance sprints or the longer heats of Thoroughbreds, it was clear that Texans preferred racing above all other pastimes.   As Stephen F. Austin brought his first colonists to Texas, race tracks drew huge crowds back east with crowds larger than 60,000 gathering at places like the Union Course on Long Island, New York.  As settlers moved west, they took their love of the track with them.  This book looks at the two types of racing popular in Texas from the arrival of American settlers to the beginning of the twentieth century—Thoroughbreds and quarter running horses. The new immigrants formalized racing to fit the mold practiced at the established tracks found in the eastern states. In 1903 gambling on horse racing became illegal across Texas and eventually much of the nation. The Golden Age of organized racing ended. Texans, and their love of horses, though, remains.  Anne Bailey’s Texas Turf recalls that bygone era when the most popular sport in in the state was betting on the ponies, and explores an often overlooked aspect of the Lone Star story.

Few topics have fascinated American readers more than the Civil War. Occurring as it did at the beginning of a new industrial age, it fostered a wide variety of strange and innovation contraptions that shaped the course of the conflict. Texans were among the most creative in their designs, and added their talents to the mix, creating a variety of war machines and devices that are remarkable for their ingenuity. Ed Cotham is a veteran Civil War author, and his list of publications continues to grow. This latest offering takes the reader through a remarkable ride complete with all sorts of schemers, spies, tinkerers, and dreamers, trying to harness technology to help them win the war. In an age where innovation happens in real time, and new weapons like drones and cellphones are changing the nature of the battlefield, Cotham’s Rockets, Tanks, and Submarines reminds us that this process has been going on for a very long time! And Texans were there all along, adding their imaginations to the problems their comrades faced under fire.

Texans take great pride in having been an independent nation prior to annexation to the United States, but few understand the overwhelming challenges even to the basic demand on all government; i.e., providing protection and security. When the government proved incapable of fulfilling its most basic responsibilities, citizen-soldiers did the job themselves, saving the country until the U. S. came to the rescue. The Rangers prevailed because of captains and volunteers alike who, though having no formal training, grasped key strategic and tactical principles, allowing them to prevail against equally courageous enemies, earning their hold on the land in a primal struggle for survival. The Rangers enrolled hundreds of volunteers; in fact, in the hotly contested areas a clear majority of settlers turned out in response to calls for Ranger companies issued by leaders who would become legendary. They watered the land with their own blood and that of their enemies, a story that has never before been told comprehensively and accurately.

Beneath the vast, unyielding Texas sky lies a story of grit, gushers, and grandeur—a tale of how oil, cattle, and the audacious dreams of larger-than-life figures forged a state unlike any other. Under Texas Skies: Oil, Ranches, and Dreams that Shaped a State takes readers on a sweeping journey through Texas history, from the explosive birth of the modern petroleum industry at Spindletop to the fracking boom and beyond. This is not just a chronicle of black gold; it’s a vibrant tapestry of ranches sprawling across millions of acres, visionary philanthropists building cities from scratch, and a cowboy culture that defied stereotypes to fuel a global economic titan.With 22 meticulously researched chapters, Under Texas Skies uncovers the improbable friendships, family dynasties, and technological leaps that defined Texas. Discover how oil taxes—starting with a modest 1905 levy—built a state without income tax, funding highways, Neiman Marcus glamour, and a war-winning effort in World War II with pipelines and synthetic rubber. Texas also played a crucial role during World War I, as the nation relied on its oil to power military vehicles and support the war effort. From the million-acre ranches of Texas to the coastal wells rising from Gulf waves, this book captures the raw energy of a land where dreams were as big as the horizon.

Adding Life to Years: The Wesleyan at Georgetown "The skill of science has added years to life—now we must add life to years." At the heart of The Wesleyan at Georgetown lies a profound truth: it is not just a place to live—it is a home. Any meaningful narrative of The Wesleyan must begin with the people who chose to spend their later years within its walls. These women and men brought with them stories, resilience, and a deep desire for belonging. Over the years, thousands have called The Wesleyan their home, and they have done so with sincerity and pride. Few words carry the emotional weight and universal meaning of "home." At The Wesleyan, residents have repeatedly affirmed, "This is our home," and they have meant it in the fullest, most heartfelt sense. It is a place of comfort, community, and continuity—a sanctuary where life is not only extended but enriched. The residents of The Wesleyan are not just seniors—they are survivors. Statistically, to reach the age of 78 (for men) or 83 (for women) in America is to have outlived half of one's peers. Many of The Wesleyan's residents have surpassed those milestones, having lived through decades of change, challenge, and triumph. They are part of a generation that has witnessed history and contributed to it. In the second half of the 20th century, life expectancy increased significantly. Some of those who benefited from this longevity chose to spend their extended years at The Wesleyan, drawn by its promise of peace, security, and dignity.

Teaching the Texas Story is a dynamic and inclusive curriculum guide developed by The Texas Center at Schreiner University. Designed for K–12 educators, it presents a rich, multicultural narrative of Texas history through the lens of E Pluribus Texas—"Out of many, one Texas." This statewide cultural literacy project aims to: tell the full story of Texas through a diverse and inclusive perspective; Foster civic engagement and a shared identity among Texans; Support educators with accessible, high-quality instructional resource.The guide is accompanied by more than 250 short video episodes (approximately 5 minutes each) that bring Texas history to life. It aligns with TEKS standards, with a particular focus on 4th and 7th grade Texas history.Using a story-driven approach, the curriculum emphasizes the people, places, and cultural intersections that have shaped the state. It promotes civic literacy, encourages critical thinking and historical empathy, and helps students see themselves as part of the Texas story. For educators, it offers engaging tools to make history both relevant and memorable.Useful for Texas natives and newcomers alike, and for school kidsCrafted to be engaging, historically accurate, and accessible, helping students and viewers connect with the people, places, and events that shaped TexasDesigned to tell the full, inclusive story of Texas

Beneath the vast, unyielding Texas sky lies a story of grit, gushers, and grandeur—a tale of how oil, cattle, and the audacious dreams of larger-than-life figures forged a state unlike any other. Under Texas Skies: Oil, Ranches, and Dreams that Shaped a State takes readers on a sweeping journey through Texas history, from the explosive birth of the modern petroleum industry at Spindletop to the fracking boom and beyond. This is not just a chronicle of black gold; it’s a vibrant tapestry of ranches sprawling across millions of acres, visionary philanthropists building cities from scratch, and a cowboy culture that defied stereotypes to fuel a global economic titan.With 22 meticulously researched chapters, Under Texas Skies uncovers the improbable friendships, family dynasties, and technological leaps that defined Texas. Discover how oil taxes—starting with a modest 1905 levy—built a state without income tax, funding highways, Neiman Marcus glamour, and a war-winning effort in World War II with pipelines and synthetic rubber. Texas also played a crucial role during World War I, as the nation relied on its oil to power military vehicles and support the war effort. From the million-acre ranches of Texas to the coastal wells rising from Gulf waves, this book captures the raw energy of a land where dreams were as big as the horizon.

Adding Life to Years: The Wesleyan at Georgetown "The skill of science has added years to life—now we must add life to years." At the heart of The Wesleyan at Georgetown lies a profound truth: it is not just a place to live—it is a home. Any meaningful narrative of The Wesleyan must begin with the people who chose to spend their later years within its walls. These women and men brought with them stories, resilience, and a deep desire for belonging. Over the years, thousands have called The Wesleyan their home, and they have done so with sincerity and pride. Few words carry the emotional weight and universal meaning of "home." At The Wesleyan, residents have repeatedly affirmed, "This is our home," and they have meant it in the fullest, most heartfelt sense. It is a place of comfort, community, and continuity—a sanctuary where life is not only extended but enriched. The residents of The Wesleyan are not just seniors—they are survivors. Statistically, to reach the age of 78 (for men) or 83 (for women) in America is to have outlived half of one's peers. Many of The Wesleyan's residents have surpassed those milestones, having lived through decades of change, challenge, and triumph. They are part of a generation that has witnessed history and contributed to it. In the second half of the 20th century, life expectancy increased significantly. Some of those who benefited from this longevity chose to spend their extended years at The Wesleyan, drawn by its promise of peace, security, and dignity.

The Southern Front of the Texas Revolution has long been overshadowed by the iconic battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto, yet it was along this front that the conflict reached its greatest intensity. Stretching across the most populous and culturally diverse regions of the Texas colonies, the Southern Front became the stage for the majority of the war's engagements—skirmishes and battles that shaped the revolution as profoundly as their better-known northern counterparts.For generations, most of these events have been condensed into brief mentions or footnotes within mainstream histories of the Texas Revolution. As a result, entire battlefields—once as fiercely contested as the Alamo—have faded from public memory. Neighbor fought against neighbor, communities split along political and cultural lines, and the war's violence left deep, lingering consequences that have never been fully explored. Even the Goliad Massacre, often presented as a single tragic episode, had far-reaching effects on the population, morale, and military strategy in ways that have never been adequately revealed.This book restores the Southern Front to its rightful place as a defining theater of the Texas Revolution. Drawing extensively from first-hand accounts, letters, military reports, diaries, and period newspapers, it reconstructs the experiences of the men and women who lived through these turbulent months. Their voices—long buried in archives or scattered across fragmented local histories—bring vivid life to a region rocked by war, political uncertainty, and cultural collision.More than a military narrative, this work examines the human dimension of the revolution: the alliances forged across cultural boundaries, the divisions that tore families apart, and the resilience of communities caught between competing armies. It explores the strategic importance of the Southern Front, the volatile blend of Tejano, Texian, Irish, and Mexican settlements, and the simmering tensions that would continue to influence local politics and identity long after independence was won.Comprehensive, deeply researched, and richly narrated, this book unveils a forgotten epic of Texas history. For the first time, the Southern Front emerges not as a peripheral story, but as a central chapter in the struggle for Texas—one whose significance has been neglected for nearly two centuries.

This engrossing historical study follows the remarkable journey of Theodore Specht, a German immigrant who became one of the foundational figures of early Fredericksburg, Texas. Arriving with the first wave of settlers in 1846, Specht quickly established one of the community's earliest mercantile stores'an outpost that soon became an essential crossroads for cultural exchange, trade, and survival on the frontier.At a time when relations between settlers and the Penateka Comanches were precarious, Specht's store emerged as a vital meeting ground. His respectful and mutually beneficial trade with the Comanches supplied food and goods that proved crucial to the survival of Fredericksburg's earliest residents during their difficult first year. Over the next decade, Specht expanded his operations to serve Forts Mason, McKavett, and Chadbourne, becoming an indispensable merchant and observer of life on the rapidly changing Texas frontier.This volume brings together, for the first time in English, Specht's extensive correspondence to the Neu Braunfelser Zeitung, a German-language newspaper serving frontier communities. His letters offer unparalleled firsthand insight into Native-settler relations, Texas Ranger activities, military operations, and the day-to-day realities of life at remote forts. Through these documents, readers gain a clearer view of the political tensions, cultural negotiations, and practical challenges faced by those shaping early Texas.The book also includes Specht's farsighted essay on Indian policy—an articulate and thoughtful argument that reveals the distinctive relationship German settlers cultivated with the Comanche people. His writings shed new light on the development of German Texan identity and illuminate the cooperative spirit that set the German colonies apart from other frontier settlements.Richly annotated and contextualized, this work provides scholars, historians, and general readers with an indispensable primary source. It deepens our understanding of frontier diplomacy, immigrant experiences, and the intricate ties between German Texans and the Native nations whose lands they settled. Both a compelling biography and a contribution to Texas historiography, this book restores Theodore Specht to his rightful place as a key interpreter of frontier life and cultural exchange in nineteenth-century Texas.