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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (March 13, 1956)
Statesman, Salem, Ore, Tuc, Mar. 13, 'Zo (Sec. eft! olds Many Firsts' Pric Si fare exas TK2 jtat;j f; Exclusive Serin la THE STATESMAN i : j .. ..... '(;.;'. - p. -. r, " .' : . tew - fv , ." "l ,.. . Colorful Past Still Apparent in Land of Diversified Attractions AUSTIN, Tex. -Regardless of the craving of the vacation palate, you will be satisfied and then some when you visit the Lone Star State. Texas is a land of diversified attractions, ranging from mountains and canyons in the west to the cypress bayous in the east, island beaches in the south to the plains of the great northern Panhandle. In addition to the many natural and man made attractions set in this west ern frontier land, Texas affords visitors a glimpse of many mis sions and monuments which re flect the state's colorful and ro mantic past The Texts coast was first ex plored by Alvarez de Fineda in 1519, and Cbronado moved along the inland in 1541. Texas became a Spanish province in 1691, a Mexican state in 1821, fought its wsy to being an Independent Re public in 1836, and was admitted as a state by the United States, Dec. 29, 184o. It was re-admitted March 30, 1879, after seceding during the Civil War. , Many "Firsts" The state ranks first in size, oil, beef production, sheep-raising, wool, mohair, cotton, sul- fihur. It'a top industry is petro eum refining, followed by meat- Sacking and cotton-seed products, ouston, largest city in the South, is the second largest port, by volume, in the nation. The state Has more than 600 airports, 55 major U. S. Air Force bases, 126 Institutions of higher learning. Texas derived its. jiame from the Indian word "tejas," mean ing "friendly." From the friendly Indians of yesterday to the friendly, prideful Texans of to day, a warm hospitable atmos phere has covered this-great land. The sobriquet of "Friend ship State" was officially adopt ed. Bluebonnet Noteworthy Among the 4,000 different kinds of species of wild flowers in Texas, the Bluebonnet is prob ably the most noteworthy of them all. The bluebonnet -was adopted as the state flower by act of the legislature on March 7, 1901. It is known that they grow most abundantly in north central and southwest Texas There are 54 mountains in Texas having altitudes of more than 6,000 feel The highest is the Guadalupe Peak, which towers to 8,751 feet above sea level and is the tallest peak east of the Rocky Mountains. The Black Hills of South Dakota rate as the tallest range. Unusual Formations Found The topography between the Gulf of Mexico and the towering mountains of West Texas consists of fertile black lands, rolling UL ICllUe UIHIH ItlllUS, lulling !,.. mllllm. v.-nnl . hills and semiarid country. Manyjf0n ' jver three mil,lon PeoPle features such as winding streams, , unusual rock and hill formations .State, National Forest lie within this area. Besides the state parks and Amnne the most imnortant' national Dark. Texas has five rivers in Texas are the Rio H Austin, Tex.-Thero are 1,000 roadside parka like this in Texas, j offering complete picnicking facilities throughout tho state. L Grande River, 900 miles long in Texas; Brazos River, 840 miles; Colorado River, 600 miles; Trin ity River, 450 miles; Red River, 450 miles; Sabine River, 360 miles; Nueces River, 315 miles: Neches River, 260 miles; and Pecos River, 260 miles. In addi tion to these rivers, there are 525 lakes and reservoirs and many other streams, totaling 3,695 square miles of water area in Texas. Beside being t source of water supply and scenic beauty, these streams offer ex- Texas Population 7,711,191 (1950) (6th). Area 267,339 sq. mi. (1st). Capital Austin. M o t t o Friendship (Texas in Indian). Flower Bluebonnet. Tree Pecan. Bird Mockingbird. Largest Cities Houston (596,1(3); Dallas (434,462); San Antonio (408,442); Fort Worth (278,778); Austin (132, 459); El Paso (130,485). cellent recreation. Many of the streams and lakes ire known for excellent fishing. Over 200 kinds of fresh- and salt-water fish can be caught in Texas waters. Licenses Available nunung and lishlng are con trolled by the Game and Fish Commission. Nonresident fish ing licenses are $5.25 per year or $1.63 for a five-day period, and a hunting license costs $25. These may be purchased from any game warden or may be found at many sporting goods jitores. There are 47 state jiarks and one national park in Texas. The Big Bend National Park covers 707,000 acres of scenic beauty, including colorful mountains, canyons, picturesque native flora and an abundance of wildlife. The state parks total.an area of 9J.35U acres and are well distrl buted throughout the state. A number of these parks have re fectory buildings, lodges, and camp sites. Several have over night accommodations and most have facilities for recreation, con sisting of dance terraces, riding academies, playground equip ment, golf courses and swimming pools. I he popularity oi these Darks is reflected by the attend state forests and four national ! f . V Austin, Texas Texas isn't all prairie and oil derricks, h has hundreds of mites of water frontage (typified by this beach scene on the Gulf of Mexico at Galveston): maior cities such as Hous ion. vinai. aan Anion a ana . n -1 1 A . . I Is typical, and minions such as the San Joie y San Miguel do Aguayo Mission below, regard- ed as one of the finest examples of mission architecture ever erected. - forests, which provide scenic beauty and facilities for recrea tion. Possibly one of the most in teresting features of Texas is the historical landmarks. Old mission buildings, such as .the Alamo, San Jose, Capistrano, Concepcion and Espada in San Antonio and LaBahia at Goliad, are some of the better known historical landmarks. In these missions one can see the influence of the Spanish Mexican and the Anglo-American era up to the period of the form ing of the Republic of Texas. Certainly the Alamo, cradle of Texas liberty, which houses a museum, and the San Jacinto Monument, built in commenmor I ation of the Battle of San Jacinto j April 21, 1836, cannot be over looked among historical land marks. Respectively, they are ranked as first and second among ! Texas historical landmarks. I The San Jacinto Monument, ! located on the San Jacinto Battle field near Houston, stands 570 feet and Is the tallest stone Imomument in the world from the base to the too. The base of the monument houses the San Jacinto Museum of History. "Wild West" Leaves Brand ' I The old "Wild West" has left :its brand on Texas culture. Any one with an adventurous spirit ! would welcome the opportunity to explore the customs and traits of the old strange and fantastic stories of the gun-toting cowboys of Texas. Most of these stories are only memories. Today many i i . .i i i j are enjoying wnai uiey ueueve was once the life of the typical cowboy of yesteryear. Dude and guest ranches and rodeos have been substituted for the old western life. - Entertainment consists of folk songs, old fashioned square dances ana the companionship of people of all walks of life. Be sides offernut-excellent entertain ment 'and relaxation, the dude and guest ranches are ideal to escape the "hustle and bustle" of city life. Rodeos Popular Events Rodeos are one of the most colorful and exciting sporting events of the'year. Western para phernalia is the dress of the day during this -sporting event. In many cities rodeos are an annual event and in others seasonal. There are more rodeos in July than any other month of the year. The popularity of this event is increasing from year to year. even thoueh it may not be the same as the "Old West," it is just as enjoyaoie. There are over 53,000 miles of highways leading to the out stand ins attractions in this state. Anyone planning to vacation in Texas may obtain free maps and complete routing service, includ ing authentic road information. literature, and othermaterial or any additional Information desir ed from the Texas Highway De partment, Traffic Services Divi- ' sion, Austin 14, Texas. s . - ? - , 1 m ... .1 a .... . ... ran norm; avriretiwav er which t) v IV-J-v'V. Austin, Tex.-Natwral gas provides one of Texas' most important at Carthago is an example. It Is used for fuel, as a primary source of power for oil wells, and in tho rhaking of carbon black, natural gasoline and helium. (All photos by Texai Highway Department). m - ; i i i i . ". , . i : ' . .. ' - ,'.. V . , - ' V. f:V: " K ' " T r....y-u.ii'-rif.. ...x.-s.:j . , 1 ,1 i ... .-- . ., f tha mauiIah kMh ih . - .Jk T V l;tl ! r-.' i r - ( n it .i s 1 ),. Austin, Tex. Typical of tho tropical lower Rio Grande Valley, center of Texas' fruit industry. It this luscloua citrus grove. tz," .... , -wl-i., , - V -.wy. ;. , 'V ' - N'B.I- . If i t . I ! . 4 1 ' n Industries of which this refinery I 1 .Ma. i.i'jii.i'j.i'.'i"'- t ' ' ' K ! i I I i ; i:' - "i.t J. ; ' i .' ; ; j t . t t T- - t l r I .: ." i r.r. $r . .' i ' r - '; ' 1. ,! f " ! -... t i 1 ..... - , j , " " - Ci r;' n - - A;: -k;;hi f ""1 ''1 i " .' 7t ' I - ' " I ... ' . ; -
