1.
National Register of Historic Places
–
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States federal governments official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation. The passage of the National Historic Preservation Act in 1966 established the National Register, of the more than one million properties on the National Register,80,000 are listed individually. The remainder are contributing resources within historic districts, each year approximately 30,000 properties are added to the National Register as part of districts or by individual listings. For most of its history the National Register has been administered by the National Park Service and its goals are to help property owners and interest groups, such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation, coordinate, identify, and protect historic sites in the United States. While National Register listings are mostly symbolic, their recognition of significance provides some financial incentive to owners of listed properties, protection of the property is not guaranteed. During the nomination process, the property is evaluated in terms of the four criteria for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, the application of those criteria has been the subject of criticism by academics of history and preservation, as well as the public and politicians. Occasionally, historic sites outside the proper, but associated with the United States are also listed. Properties can be nominated in a variety of forms, including individual properties, historic districts, the Register categorizes general listings into one of five types of properties, district, site, structure, building, or object. National Register Historic Districts are defined geographical areas consisting of contributing and non-contributing properties, some properties are added automatically to the National Register when they become administered by the National Park Service. These include National Historic Landmarks, National Historic Sites, National Historical Parks, National Military Parks/Battlefields, National Memorials, on October 15,1966, the Historic Preservation Act created the National Register of Historic Places and the corresponding State Historic Preservation Offices. Initially, the National Register consisted of the National Historic Landmarks designated before the Registers creation, approval of the act, which was amended in 1980 and 1992, represented the first time the United States had a broad-based historic preservation policy. To administer the newly created National Register of Historic Places, the National Park Service of the U. S. Department of the Interior, hartzog, Jr. established an administrative division named the Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation. Hartzog charged OAHP with creating the National Register program mandated by the 1966 law, ernest Connally was the Offices first director. Within OAHP new divisions were created to deal with the National Register, the first official Keeper of the Register was William J. Murtagh, an architectural historian. During the Registers earliest years in the late 1960s and early 1970s, organization was lax and SHPOs were small, understaffed, and underfunded. A few years later in 1979, the NPS history programs affiliated with both the U. S. National Parks system and the National Register were categorized formally into two Assistant Directorates. Established were the Assistant Directorate for Archeology and Historic Preservation and the Assistant Directorate for Park Historic Preservation, from 1978 until 1981, the main agency for the National Register was the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service of the United States Department of the Interior. In February 1983, the two assistant directorates were merged to promote efficiency and recognize the interdependency of their programs, jerry L. Rogers was selected to direct this newly merged associate directorate
National Register of Historic Places
–
Logo used for the NRHP.
National Register of Historic Places
–
Old Slater Mill, a historic district in
Pawtucket, Rhode Island, was the first property listed in the National Register on November 13, 1966.
National Register of Historic Places
–
The
Loren Andrus Octagon House in
Washington, Michigan has been on the NRHP since September 3, 1971.
National Register of Historic Places
–
Built in 1800 by
Samuel McIntire in
Salem, the
Stephen Phillips House is operated as a
historic house museum by
Historic New England and open for public tours.
2.
National Historic Landmark
–
A National Historic Landmark is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Of over 85,000 places listed on the countrys National Register of Historic Places, a National Historic Landmark District may include contributing properties that are buildings, structures, sites or objects, and it may include non-contributing properties. Contributing properties may or may not also be separately listed, prior to 1935, efforts to preserve cultural heritage of national importance were made by piecemeal efforts of the United States Congress. The first National Historic Site designation was made for the Salem Maritime National Historic Site on March 17,1938. In 1960, the National Park Service took on the administration of the data gathered under this legislation. Because listings often triggered local preservation laws, legislation in 1980 amended the procedures to require owner agreement to the designations. On October 9,1960,92 properties were announced as designated NHLs by Secretary of the Interior Fred A. Seaton, more than 2,500 NHLs have been designated. Most, but not all, are in the United States, there are NHLs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Three states account for nearly 25 percent of the nations NHLs, three cities within these states all separately have more NHLs than 40 of the 50 states. In fact, New York City alone has more NHLs than all but five states, Virginia, California, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, there are 74 NHLs in the District of Columbia. Some NHLs are in U. S. commonwealths and territories, associated states, and foreign states. There are 15 in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and other U. S. commonwealths and territories,5 in U. S. -associated states such as Micronesia, over 100 ships or shipwrecks have been designated as NHLs. About half of the National Historic Landmarks are privately owned, the National Historic Landmarks Program relies on suggestions for new designations from the National Park Service, which also assists in maintaining the landmarks. A friends group of owners and managers, the National Historic Landmark Stewards Association, works to preserve, protect, if not already listed on the National Register of Historic Places, an NHL is automatically added to the Register upon designation. About three percent of Register listings are NHLs, american Water Landmark List of U. S
National Historic Landmark
–
USS Constitution
National Historic Landmark
–
Frank Lloyd Wright 's
Taliesin is a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
–
The
American Legation in Tangiers, Morocco, was the first National Historic Landmark on foreign soil.
National Historic Landmark
–
Navajo Nation Council Chamber, the seat of government for the
Navajo Nation,
Window Rock, Arizona.
3.
Harris County, Texas
–
Harris County is a county located in the U. S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 4,092,459, making it the most populous county in Texas and its county seat is Houston, the largest city in Texas and fourth-largest city in the United States. The county was founded in 1836 and organized in 1837 and it is named for John Richardson Harris, an early settler of the area. By the July 2016 Census Bureau estimate Harris Countys population had grown to 4,589,928, Harris County is included in the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land Metropolitan Statistical Area. John Richardson Harris, early Harris County settler and founder of Harrisburg, on May 7,1813, he married Jane Birdsall. John and Jane Birdsall Harris settled near Waterloo, New York, in 1819 they were living in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, where their daughter Mary Jane Harris Briscoe was born, a third son, John Birdsall Harris, was born in 1821. Genevieve Harris met Moses Austin and decided to move to Texas and he came to Texas in his own vessel in 1824 and received title to 4,428 acres of land at the junction of Brays and Buffalo bayous in what is now Harris County. He boarded with William Scott while he built a house on the peninsula between the bayous and a store and warehouse on Buffalo Bayou, in 1826 he employed Francis W. Johnson to lay out the town of Harrisburg. With his brother David Harris, John Harris established a trading post at Bells Landing on the Brazos River. Their sloops and schooners plied between Texas and New Orleans, One of these vessels, the Rights of Man, carried eighty-four bales of cotton to New Orleans in 1828. Harris was building a steam sawmill-gristmill at Harrisburg in 1829, when he went to New Orleans to buy equipment, after his death on August 21,1829, his sawmill and shipping enterprise were operated by his brothers David, Samuel, and William Plunkett Harris. His widow and son DeWitt moved to Texas in 1833, the children came later. Litigation over Harriss estate prevented Harrisburg from becoming the seat of the new Texas government in 1836, when Houston was named instead. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 1,777 square miles. Both its total area and land area are larger than the state of Rhode Island. 6% of Harris Countys population, black Americans made up 18. 9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0. 7% of Harris Countys population, Asian Americans made up 6. 2% of the population. Pacific Islander Americans made up just 0. 1% of the population, individuals from other races made up 14. 3% of the population, people from two or more races made up 3. 2% of the countys population
Harris County, Texas
–
The Harris County Civil Courthouse in Houston
Harris County, Texas
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Map of Harris County – Northeast one-fourth (circa 1912)
Harris County, Texas
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Firefighters on San Jacinto Street, circa 1914
Harris County, Texas
–
Harris County 1910 Courthouse Restored
4.
Deer Park, Texas
–
Deer Park is a city in the U. S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The city is located in Harris County and is situated in Southeast Texas, as of the 2010 U. S. Census, the population of Deer Park was 32,010. Deer Park was founded in 1892 by Simeon Henry West, a farmer, retired legislator and he named the town for the large number of deer that roamed the Gulf plains. A railroad station opened later that year and a post office followed in 1893, the subdivision was established in 1893 and was the site of a Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway station by about 1894. A Deer Park post office was established in 1893, discontinued in 1919, in 1896, the community, with a population of forty, had a hotel, a general store, and three resident carpenters. By 1922 Deer Park had dwindled down to almost nothing with four houses, one schoolhouse. 1928 brought in Shell Oil Company breaking ground on a new refinery, in the 1930s, an independent school district was established. By 1940, the population had grown to 100, by 1946, however, the area began to flourish as Deer Park became the site of refineries and toluene plants for the production of TNT. The citizens of Deer Park voted to incorporate on December 12,1948, because of the 1948 incorporation, Houston did not incorporate Deer Parks territory into its city limits. The first city council meeting was held on February 7,1949, the population had grown to 700 by 1948, to 5,000 by 1960 with a fire station, city hall, playground parks and an independent city water supply. A public library was begun in 1962, population was 12,773 in 1970, and 28,520 in 2000. This growth has been fueled by the growth of the industry as well as the growth of business along the Houston Ship Channel. Today, Deer Park has approximately 9,000 homes and more than 30,000 residents and it is near the site of the Battle of San Jacinto, where, on April 21,1836, Texas won its independence from Mexico. Because the initial surrender treaty after the battle was signed in Dr. George Moffitt Patricks cabin, the original cabin was located on Buffalo Bayou where Rohm and Haas now has a chemical plant in Deer Park. A replica of Dr. Patricks cabin is in front of the Theatre/Courts Building on Center Street, on June 22,1997, an ethylene explosion occurred at the nearby Shell Chemical Company plant that was heard and felt as far as 25 miles away. While no evacuation of the city was ordered, residents living within a mile west of the plant were advised to remain inside their homes, Deer Park is located at 29°41′31″N 95°7′5″W. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 10.4 square miles. Deer Park is bounded by the cities of Pasadena and La Porte to the east, south, and west, as of the census of 2000, there were 28,520 people,9,615 households, and 7,941 families residing in the city
Deer Park, Texas
–
Location in
Harris County in the state of
Texas
5.
Texas
–
Texas is the second largest state in the United States by both area and population. Other major cities include Austin, the second most populous state capital in the U. S. Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State to signify its former status as an independent republic, and as a reminder of the states struggle for independence from Mexico. The Lone Star can be found on the Texan state flag, the origin of Texass name is from the word Tejas, which means friends in the Caddo language. Due to its size and geologic features such as the Balcones Fault, although Texas is popularly associated with the U. S. southwestern deserts, less than 10 percent of Texas land area is desert. Most of the centers are located in areas of former prairies, grasslands, forests. Traveling from east to west, one can observe terrain that ranges from coastal swamps and piney woods, to rolling plains and rugged hills, the term six flags over Texas refers to several nations that have ruled over the territory. Spain was the first European country to claim the area of Texas, Mexico controlled the territory until 1836 when Texas won its independence, becoming an independent Republic. In 1845, Texas joined the United States as the 28th state, the states annexation set off a chain of events that caused the Mexican–American War in 1846. A slave state before the American Civil War, Texas declared its secession from the U. S. in early 1861, after the Civil War and the restoration of its representation in the federal government, Texas entered a long period of economic stagnation. One Texan industry that thrived after the Civil War was cattle, due to its long history as a center of the industry, Texas is associated with the image of the cowboy. The states economic fortunes changed in the early 20th century, when oil discoveries initiated a boom in the state. With strong investments in universities, Texas developed a diversified economy, as of 2010 it shares the top of the list of the most Fortune 500 companies with California at 57. With a growing base of industry, the leads in many industries, including agriculture, petrochemicals, energy, computers and electronics, aerospace. Texas has led the nation in export revenue since 2002 and has the second-highest gross state product. The name Texas, based on the Caddo word tejas meaning friends or allies, was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves, during Spanish colonial rule, the area was officially known as the Nuevo Reino de Filipinas, La Provincia de Texas. Texas is the second largest U. S. state, behind Alaska, though 10 percent larger than France and almost twice as large as Germany or Japan, it ranks only 27th worldwide amongst country subdivisions by size. If it were an independent country, Texas would be the 40th largest behind Chile, Texas is in the south central part of the United States of America. Three of its borders are defined by rivers, the Rio Grande forms a natural border with the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the south
Texas
–
Sam Rayburn Reservoir
Texas
–
Flag
Texas
–
Texas Hill Country
Texas
–
Big Bend National Park.
6.
Geographic coordinate system
–
A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation, to specify a location on a two-dimensional map requires a map projection. The invention of a coordinate system is generally credited to Eratosthenes of Cyrene. Ptolemy credited him with the adoption of longitude and latitude. Ptolemys 2nd-century Geography used the prime meridian but measured latitude from the equator instead. Mathematical cartography resumed in Europe following Maximus Planudes recovery of Ptolemys text a little before 1300, in 1884, the United States hosted the International Meridian Conference, attended by representatives from twenty-five nations. Twenty-two of them agreed to adopt the longitude of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the Dominican Republic voted against the motion, while France and Brazil abstained. France adopted Greenwich Mean Time in place of local determinations by the Paris Observatory in 1911, the latitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle between the equatorial plane and the straight line that passes through that point and through the center of the Earth. Lines joining points of the same latitude trace circles on the surface of Earth called parallels, as they are parallel to the equator, the north pole is 90° N, the south pole is 90° S. The 0° parallel of latitude is designated the equator, the plane of all geographic coordinate systems. The equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the longitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle east or west of a reference meridian to another meridian that passes through that point. All meridians are halves of great ellipses, which converge at the north and south poles, the prime meridian determines the proper Eastern and Western Hemispheres, although maps often divide these hemispheres further west in order to keep the Old World on a single side. The antipodal meridian of Greenwich is both 180°W and 180°E, the combination of these two components specifies the position of any location on the surface of Earth, without consideration of altitude or depth. The grid formed by lines of latitude and longitude is known as a graticule, the origin/zero point of this system is located in the Gulf of Guinea about 625 km south of Tema, Ghana. To completely specify a location of a feature on, in, or above Earth. Earth is not a sphere, but a shape approximating a biaxial ellipsoid. It is nearly spherical, but has an equatorial bulge making the radius at the equator about 0. 3% larger than the radius measured through the poles, the shorter axis approximately coincides with the axis of rotation
Geographic coordinate system
–
Longitude lines are perpendicular and latitude lines are parallel to the equator.
7.
Column
–
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member, the term column applies especially to a large round support with a capital and a base or pedestal and made of stone, or appearing to be so. A small wooden or metal support is called a post. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces, other compression members are often termed columns because of the similar stress conditions. Columns are frequently used to support beams or arches on which the parts of walls or ceilings rest. In architecture, column refers to such an element that also has certain proportional. A column might also be an element not needed for structural purposes, many columns are engaged. All significant Iron Age civilizations of the Near East and Mediterranean made some use of columns, egyptian columns are famously present in the Great Hypostyle Hall of Karnak, where 134 columns are lined up in 16 rows, with some columns reaching heights of 24 metres. Some of the most elaborate columns in the ancient world were those of the Persians and they included double-bull structures in their capitals. The Hall of Hundred Columns at Persepolis, measuring 70 ×70 metres, was built by the Achaemenid king Darius I, many of the ancient Persian columns are standing, some being more than 30 metres tall. The Minoans used whole tree-trunks, usually turned upside down in order to prevent re-growth, stood on a set in the stylobate. These were then painted as in the most famous Minoan palace of Knossos, the Minoans employed columns to create large open-plan spaces, light-wells and as a focal point for religious rituals. These traditions were continued by the later Mycenaean civilization, particularly in the megaron or hall at the heart of their palaces. Being made of wood these early columns have not survived, but their bases have and through these we may see their use. The Greeks developed the classical orders of architecture, which are most easily distinguished by the form of the column and their Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders were expanded by the Romans to include the Tuscan and Composite orders. Columns, or at least large structural exterior ones, became less significant in the architecture of the Middle Ages. Early columns were constructed of stone, some out of a piece of stone. Monolithic columns are among the heaviest stones used in architecture, other stone columns are created out of multiple sections of stone, mortared or dry-fit together
Column
–
National Capitol Columns at the
United States National Arboretum in
Washington, D.C.
Column
–
Marble columns with antique capitals in the
Great Mosque of Kairouan also known as the Mosque of Uqba, city of
Kairouan,
Tunisia
Column
–
Illustration of Doric (left three), Ionic (middle three) and Corinthian (right two) columns.
Column
–
Plan, front view and side view of a typical
Persepolis column, of
Persia (Iran)
8.
Houston Ship Channel
–
The Houston Ship Channel, in Houston, Texas, is part of the Port of Houston, one of the USs busiest seaports. The channel is the conduit for ocean-going vessels between Houston-area terminals and the Gulf of Mexico, and it serves a volume of inland barge traffic. The channel is a widened and deepened natural watercourse created by dredging Buffalo Bayou, major products, such as petrochemicals and Midwestern grain, are transported in bulk together with general cargo. The original watercourse for the channel, Buffalo Bayou, has its headwaters 30 miles to the west of the city of Houston, the navigational head of the channel, the most upstream point to which general cargo ships can travel, is at Turning Basin in east Houston. The channel has numerous terminals and berthing locations along Buffalo Bayou, the major public terminals include Turning Basin, Barbours Cut, and Bayport. Many private docks are there, as well, including the ExxonMobil Baytown Complex, the channel, periodically widened and deepened to accommodate ever-larger ships, is 530 feet wide by 45 feet deep by 50 miles long. The islands in the channel are part of the ongoing widening and deepening project. The islands are formed from soil pulled up by dredging, the channel has been used to move goods to the sea since at least 1836. Buffalo Bayou and Galveston Bay were dredged during the late 19th, by the mid 1900s the Port of Houston had established itself as the leading port in Texas eclipsing the natural harbors at Galveston and Texas City. The Turning Basin terminal in Harrisburg became the ports largest shipping point. On January 10,1910, residents of Harris County voted 16 to 1 to fund dredging the Houston ship channel to a depth of 25 feet for the amount of $1,250,000, which was then matched by federal funds. On June 14,1914 the first deepwater ship, steamship Satilla, arrived at the port of Houston, on November 10,1914, President Woodrow Wilson opened the Houston Ship Channel, part of the Port of Houston. The onset of World War I and the first mechanized wars thirst for oil greatly increased use of the ship channel, the United States Army Corps of Engineers increased the depth of the channel from 25 to 30 feet in 1922. The Public Works Administration provided $2,800,000 dollars for the project, now the channel and surrounding area support the second-largest petrochemical complex in the world. While much of the Houston Ship Channel is associated with heavy industry, the USS Texas saw service during both world wars, and is the oldest remaining example of a dreadnought-era battleship in existence. The nearby San Jacinto Monument commemorates the Battle of San Jacinto in which Texas won its independence from Mexico, the US Armys San Jacinto Ordnance Depot was located on the channel from 1941–1964. Currently, the channel is dredged to a depth of 43–45 feet, the channel was designated a National Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1987. The “Texas chicken” maneuver is known to mariners who regularly navigate large vessels on the Houston Ship Channel
Houston Ship Channel
–
The Buffalo Bayou portion of the Houston Ship Channel
Houston Ship Channel
–
San Jacinto River in Channel - inset (white line top left) magnified as bottom photo showing the
Texas and
San Jacinto Monument
Houston Ship Channel
–
Drawing of ship at port 1859
Houston Ship Channel
–
The Houston Ship Channel during its first opening in 1915
9.
Unincorporated area
–
Occasionally, municipalities dissolve or disincorporate, which may happen if they become fiscally insolvent, and services become the responsibility of a higher administration. In some countries, such as in Brazil, Japan, France or the United Kingdom, unlike many other countries, Australia has only one level of local government immediately beneath state and territorial governments. A local government area often contains several towns and even entire cities, thus, aside from very sparsely populated areas and a few other special cases, almost all of Australia is part of an LGA. Unincorporated areas are often in locations, cover vast areas or have very small populations. Postal addresses in unincorporated areas, as in parts of Australia. Thus, there is any ambiguity regarding addresses in unincorporated areas. The Australian Capital Territory has no municipalities and is in some sense an unincorporated area, the territorial government is directly responsible for matters normally carried out by local government. The far west and north of New South Wales constitutes the Unincorporated Far West Region, a civil servant in the state capital manages such matters as are necessary. The second unincorporated area of state is Lord Howe Island. In the Northern Territory,1. 45% of the area and 4. In South Australia, 60% of the area is unincorporated and communities located within can receive services provided by a state agency. Firstly, the remote area that is unincorporated is the Abrolhos Islands. Secondly, the unincorporated areas are A-class reserves either in, or close to. In Canada, depending on the province, a settlement is one that does not have a municipal council that governs solely over the settlement. It is usually, but not always, part of a municipal government. This can range from hamlets to large urbanized areas that are similar in size to towns. In British Columbia, unincorporated settlements lie outside municipal boundaries entirely, Unincorporated settlements with a population of between 100 and 1,000 residents may have the status of designated place in Canadian census data. In some provinces, large tracts of undeveloped wilderness or rural country are unorganized areas that fall directly under the provincial jurisdiction
Unincorporated area
–
Sign at
Contra Costa Centre Transit Village, an unincorporated community in
Contra Costa County, California, United States, north of the city of
Walnut Creek.
Unincorporated area
–
Sign prohibiting entry to the
Military Area Boletice
Unincorporated area
–
Nutbush, an unincorporated area in
Haywood County,
Tennessee
Unincorporated area
–
Rosslyn, one of many highrise neighborhoods in
Arlington County, Virginia. The county has no cities within its borders, and five times the
population density of the state's most populous city,
Virginia Beach.
10.
Houston
–
Houston is the most populous city in the state of Texas and the fourth-most populous city in the United States. With a census-estimated 2014 population of 2.239 million within an area of 667 square miles, it also is the largest city in the southern United States and the seat of Harris County. Located in Southeast Texas near the Gulf of Mexico, it is the city of Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land. Houston was founded on August 28,1836, near the banks of Buffalo Bayou and incorporated as a city on June 5,1837. The city was named after former General Sam Houston, who was president of the Republic of Texas and had commanded, the burgeoning port and railroad industry, combined with oil discovery in 1901, has induced continual surges in the citys population. Houstons economy has an industrial base in energy, manufacturing, aeronautics. Leading in health care sectors and building equipment, Houston has more Fortune 500 headquarters within its city limits than any city except for New York City. The Port of Houston ranks first in the United States in international waterborne tonnage handled, the city has a population from various ethnic and religious backgrounds and a large and growing international community. Houston is the most diverse city in Texas and has described as the most diverse in the United States. It is home to cultural institutions and exhibits, which attract more than 7 million visitors a year to the Museum District. Houston has a visual and performing arts scene in the Theater District. In August 1836, two real estate entrepreneurs from New York, Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen, purchased 6,642 acres of land along Buffalo Bayou with the intent of founding a city. The Allen brothers decided to name the city after Sam Houston, the general at the Battle of San Jacinto. The great majority of slaves in Texas came with their owners from the slave states. Sizable numbers, however, came through the slave trade. New Orleans was the center of trade in the Deep South. Thousands of enslaved African Americans lived near the city before the Civil War, many of them near the city worked on sugar and cotton plantations, while most of those in the city limits had domestic and artisan jobs. Houston was granted incorporation on June 5,1837, with James S. Holman becoming its first mayor, in the same year, Houston became the county seat of Harrisburg County and the temporary capital of the Republic of Texas
Houston
–
Clockwise from top: Sam Houston monument,
Downtown Houston,
Houston Ship Channel,
The Galleria,
University of Houston, and the
Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center.
Houston
–
Sam Houston
Houston
–
Houston, c. 1873
Houston
–
Union Station, Houston, Texas (postcard, c. 1911)
11.
Battle of San Jacinto
–
The Battle of San Jacinto, fought on April 21,1836, in present-day Harris County, Texas, was the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Sam Houston, the Texian Army engaged and defeated General Antonio López de Santa Annas Mexican army in a fight that lasted just 18 minutes, Santa Anna, the President of Mexico, was captured and surrendered the following day and held as a prisoner of war. Three weeks later, he signed the treaty that dictated that the Mexican army leave the region. These treaties did not specifically recognize Texas as a sovereign nation, Sam Houston became a national celebrity, and the Texans rallying cries from events of the war, Remember the Alamo. and Remember Goliad. became etched into Texan history and legend. General Antonio López de Santa Anna was a proponent of governmental federalism when he helped oust Mexican president Anastasio Bustamante in December 1832. Upon his election as president in April 1833, Santa Anna switched his political ideology, while in Mexico City awaiting a meeting with Santa Anna, Texian empresario Stephen F. Austin wrote to the Béxar ayuntamiento urging a break-away state. In response, the Mexican government kept him imprisoned for most of 1834, Colonel Juan Almonte was appointed Director of Colonization in Texas, ostensibly to ease relations with the colonists and mitigate their anxieties about Austins imprisonment. He delivered promises of self-governance, and conveyed regrets that the Mexican congress deemed it impossible for Texas to be a separate state. In consolidating his power base, Santa Anna installed General Martín Perfecto de Cos as the military authority over Texas in 1835. Cos established headquarters in San Antonio on October 9, triggering what became known as the Siege of Béxar, after two months of trying to repel the Texian forces, Cos raised a white flag on December 9, and signed surrender terms two days later. The surrender of Cos effectively removed the occupying Mexican army from Texas, many believed the war was over, and volunteers began returning home. In compliance with orders from Santa Anna, Mexicos Minister of War José María Tornel issued his December 30 Circular No,5, often referred to as the Tornel Decree, aimed at dealing with United States intervention in the uprising in Texas. It declared that foreigners who entered Mexico for the purpose of joining the rebellion were to be treated as pirates, to be put to death if captured. In adding since they are not subjects of any nation at war with the republic nor do they militate under any recognized flag, the Mexican Army of Operations numbered 6,019 soldiers and was spread out over 300 miles on its march to Béxar. General Joaquín Ramírez y Sesma was put in command of the Vanguard of the Advance that crossed into Texas. Santa Anna and his aide-de-camp Almonte forded the Rio Grande at Guerrero, Coahuila on February 16,1836, Béxar was captured on February 23 and when the assault commenced, attempts at negotiation for surrender were initiated from inside the fortress. Travis sent Albert Martin to request a meeting with Almonte, who replied that he did not have the authority to speak for Santa Anna. Bowie dispatched Green B. Jameson with a letter, translated into Spanish by Juan Seguín, requesting a meeting with Santa Anna, Santa Anna did, however, extend an offer of amnesty to Tejanos inside the fortress
Battle of San Jacinto
–
The Battle of San Jacinto-1895 painting by
Henry Arthur McArdle (1836–1908)
Battle of San Jacinto
–
Sam Houston
Battle of San Jacinto
–
San Jacinto battlefield with troop movements
Battle of San Jacinto
–
"Surrender of Santa Anna" by
William Henry Huddle shows the Mexican president and general surrendering to a wounded Sam Houston, battle of San Jacinto
12.
Texas Revolution
–
The Texas Revolution began when colonists in the Mexican province of Texas rebelled against the increasingly centralized Mexican government. After a decade of political and cultural clashes between the Mexican government and the large population of American settlers in Texas, hostilities erupted in October 1835. Texians disagreed on whether the goal was independence or a return to the Mexican Constitution of 1824. While delegates at the Consultation debated the wars motives, Texians, the Consultation declined to declare independence and installed an interim government, whose infighting led to political paralysis and a dearth of effective governance in Texas. An ill-conceived proposal to invade Matamoros siphoned much-needed volunteers and provisions from the fledgling Texas army, in March 1836, a second political convention declared independence and appointed leadership for the new Republic of Texas. Determined to avenge Mexicos honor, President Antonio López de Santa Anna vowed to personally retake Texas and his Army of Operations entered Texas in mid-February 1836 and found the Texians completely unprepared. Mexican General José de Urrea led a contingent of troops on the Goliad Campaign up the Texas coast, defeating all Texian troops in his path and executing most of those who surrendered. Santa Anna led a force to San Antonio de Béxar. On March 31, Houston paused his men at Groces Landing on the Brazos River, becoming complacent and underestimating the strength of his foes, Santa Anna further subdivided his troops. On April 21, Houstons army staged an assault on Santa Anna. The Mexican troops were routed, and vengeful Texians executed many who tried to surrender. Santa Anna was taken hostage, in exchange for his life, Mexico refused to recognize the Republic of Texas, and intermittent conflicts between the two countries continued into the 1840s. The annexation of Texas as the 28th state of the United States, in 1845, after a failed attempt by France to colonize Texas in the late 17th century, Spain developed a plan to settle the region. On its southern edge, along the Medina and Nueces Rivers, on the east, Texas bordered Louisiana. Following the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, the United States also claimed the land west of the Sabine River, following the Mexican War of Independence, Texas became part of Mexico. Under the Constitution of 1824, which defined the country as a federal republic, Texas was granted only a single seat in the state legislature, which met in Saltillo, hundreds of miles away. Texas was very sparsely populated, with fewer than 3,500 residents, and only about 200 soldiers, in the hopes that an influx of settlers could control the Indian raids, the bankrupt Mexican government liberalized immigration policies for the region. Finally able to settle legally in Texas, Anglos from the United States soon vastly outnumbered the Tejanos, most of the immigrants came from the southern United States
Texas Revolution
–
The campaigns of the Texas Revolution
Texas Revolution
–
A reproduction of the original
Come and take it flag, which flew during the
battle of Gonzales
Texas Revolution
–
General
Martín Perfecto de Cos
Texas Revolution
–
Antonio López de Santa Anna
13.
San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site
–
The San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site includes the location of the Battle of San Jacinto, and the USS Texas. It is located off the Houston Ship Channel in unincorporated Harris County, the site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960. A prominent feature of the park is the San Jacinto Monument, visitors can take an elevator to the monuments observation deck for a view of Houston, the Houston Ship Channel and the USS Texas. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas pressured the Texas Legislature for more appropriations for San Jacinto, in 1897, Texas State Senator Waller Thomas Burns of Houston helped to pass legislation to fund $10,000 to establish a public park. The money was used to purchase an additional 336 acres of land at San Jacinto, the state appropriated another $25,000 in 1907 for improvements at the battleground and officially named it San Jacinto State Park, the first official state park in Texas. A governor appointed local commission managed the park and reported to the State Board of Control, more state-assisted improvements came to the park in preparation for the 1928 Democratic National Convention in Houston. The San Jacinto Museum of History is located inside the base of the San Jacinto Monument, the 160-seat Jesse H. Jones Theatre for Texas Studies presents a 35-minute movie titled Texas Forever. On 17 April 1947, the Battleship Texas Commission was established by the Texas Legislature to care for the ship, the $225,000 necessary to pay for towing her from Baltimore to San Jacinto was the Commissions first task. Her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 30 April 1948, Texas was the first battleship memorial museum in the US. When the battleship was presented to the State of Texas, she was commissioned as the flagship of the Texas Navy, drilling for oil and underground water have led to severe land subsidence and erosion along the Bay Area shoreline, especially in the Baytown-Pasadena area. Since the beginning of the 20th century approximately 100 acres of the battleground have become submerged under the bay, San Jacinto Battlefield State Historic Site Battleship Texas State Historic Site San Jacinto Museum of History - includes Monument information
San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site
–
San Jacinto Battlefield
San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site
–
Museum Battleship
USS Texas (BB-35)
San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site
–
Texas and the monument at sunrise in late 2007.
14.
Washington Monument
–
It is the tallest monumental column in the world if all are measured above their pedestrian entrances. Although the stone structure was completed in 1884, internal ironwork, the knoll, a difference in shading of the marble, visible approximately 150 feet or 27% up, shows where construction was halted and later resumed with marble from a different source. The original design was by Robert Mills, but he did not include his proposed colonnade due to a lack of funds, despite many proposals to embellish the obelisk, only its original flat top was altered to a pointed marble pyramidion, in 1884. Upon completion, it became the worlds tallest structure, a previously held by the Cologne Cathedral. The monument held this designation until 1889, when the Eiffel Tower was completed in Paris, the monument was damaged during the 2011 Virginia earthquake and Hurricane Irene in the same year and remained closed to the public while the structure was assessed and repaired. After 32 months of repairs, the National Park Service and the Trust for the National Mall reopened the Washington Monument to visitors on May 12,2014, as of September 2016, the monument has been closed indefinitely due to reliability issues with the current elevator system. On December 2,2016, the National Park Service announced that the monument would be closed until 2019 in order to modernize the elevator. The $2 to 3 million project will correct the elevators ongoing mechanical, electrical and computer issues, the National Park Service has also requested funding in its FY2017 Presidents Budget Request to construct a permanent screening facility for the Washington Monument. The Washington Monument is expected to re-open to visitors in 2019, even his erstwhile enemy King George III called him the greatest character of the age. At his death in 1799 he left a legacy, he exemplified the core ideals of the American Revolution. Washington was the unchallenged public icon of American military and civic patriotism, starting with victory in the Revolution, there were many proposals to build a monument to Washington. After his death, Congress authorized a memorial in the national capital. The Republicans were dismayed that Washington had become the symbol of the Federalist Party and they also blocked his image on coins or the celebration of his birthday. Further political squabbling, along with the North-South division on the Civil War, by that time, Washington had the image of a national hero who could be celebrated by both North and South, and memorials to him were no longer controversial. As early as 1783, the Continental Congress had resolved That an equestrian statue of George Washington be erected at the place where the residence of Congress shall be established, currently, there are two equestrian statues of President Washington in Washington, D. C. Ten days after Washingtons death, a Congressional committee recommended a different type of monument, John Marshall, a Representative from Virginia proposed that a tomb be erected within the Capitol. Progress toward a memorial began in 1832. That year, which marked the 100th anniversary of Washingtons birth, in 1836, after they had raised $28,000 in donations, they announced a competition for the design of the memorial
Washington Monument
–
(January 2006)
Washington Monument
–
Sketch of the proposed Washington Monument by architect
Robert Mills (circa 1836)
Washington Monument
–
The partially completed monument, photographed by
Mathew Brady; circa 1860
Washington Monument
–
P.H. McLaughlin setting the aluminum apex
15.
USS Texas (BB-35)
–
USS Texas, the second ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the US state of Texas, is a New York-class battleship. The ship was launched on 18 May 1912 and commissioned on 12 March 1914, soon after her commissioning, Texas saw action in Mexican waters following the Tampico Incident and made numerous sorties into the North Sea during World War I. Texas was decommissioned in 1948, having earned a total of five stars for service in World War II. She is also noteworthy for being one of seven remaining ships. Texas was the first of two New York-class battleships authorized on 24 June 1910, bids for Texas were accepted from 27 September to 1 December with the winning bid of $5,830, 000—excluding the price of armor and armament—submitted by Newport News Shipbuilding. The contract was signed on 17 December and the plans were delivered to the building yard seven days later, Texass keel was laid down on 17 April 1911 at Newport News, Virginia. She was launched on 18 May 1912, sponsored by Miss Claudia Lyon, daughter of Colonel Cecil Lyon, the ship was commissioned on 12 March 1914 with Captain Albert W. Grant in command. Texass main battery consisted of ten 14-inch /45 caliber Mark 1 guns and her secondary battery consisted of twenty-one 5-inch /51 caliber guns. She also mounted four 21-inch torpedo tubes for the Bliss-Leavitt Mark 8 torpedo, one each on the port bow and stern and starboard bow. The torpedo rooms held 12 torpedoes total, plus 12 naval defense mines, Texas and her sister New York were the only battleships to store and hoist their 14-inch ammunition in cast-iron cups, nose-down. On 24 March 1914, Texas departed Norfolk Navy Yard and set a course for New York City, making a stop at Tompkinsville, New York. Entering New York Navy Yard on the day, she spent the next three weeks there undergoing the installation of fire-control equipment. President Wilson saw in the incident an opportunity to put pressure on a government he felt was undemocratic and that action was carried out on 21–22 April. Due to the intensity of the situation, Texas put to sea on 13 May and headed directly to operational duty without benefit of the shakedown cruise. After a five-day stop at Hampton Roads from 14–19 May, she joined Rear Admiral Fletchers force off Veracruz on 26 May and she remained in Mexican waters for just over two months, supporting the American forces ashore. On 8 August, she left Veracruz and set a course for Nipe Bay, Cuba, and from there steamed to New York, where she entered the Navy Yard on 21 August. The battleship remained there until 6 September, when she returned to sea, joined the Atlantic Fleet, in October, she returned to the Mexican coast. Later that month, Texas became station ship at Tuxpan, a duty that lasted until 4 November, while at Galveston on 7 November, Texas Governor Oscar Colquitt presented the ships silver service to Captain Grant
USS Texas (BB-35)
–
USS Texas at San Jacinto State Park, 2014
USS Texas (BB-35)
–
Texas in World War I (after July 1916 and before October 1917). The two large steel towers are her
lattice masts, which were replaced with a tripod version during her modernization overhaul in 1925–1926
USS Texas (BB-35)
–
Crewmen of Texas pose for a picture on top of one of the
main battery guns, 1918
USS Texas (BB-35)
–
Texas in the Gatun Locks, while transiting the
Panama Canal en route to the US east coast, 21 June 1937
16.
List of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks
–
The following is a list of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks as designated by the American Society of Civil Engineers since it began the program in 1964. The designation is granted to projects, structures, and sites in the United States, as of 2013, there are over 260 landmarks included on the list. Sections or chapters of the American Society of Civil Engineers may also designate state or local landmarks within their areas, list of Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmarks American Society of Civil Engineers - Search by landmark name, project type, city, year of designation
List of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks
List of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks
List of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks
List of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks
17.
Texas Legislature
–
The Legislature of the state of Texas is the state legislature of Texas. The legislature is a body composed of a 31-member Senate. The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin, the Legislature is the constitutional successor of the Congress of the Republic of Texas since Texass 1845 entrance into the Union. The Legislature held its first regular session from February 16 to May 13,1846, the Texas Legislature meets in regular session on the second Tuesday in January of each odd-numbered year. The Texas Constitution limits the regular session to 140 calendar days, the lieutenant governor, elected statewide separately from the governor, presides over the Senate, while the Speaker of the House is elected from that body by its members. Both have wide latitude in choosing committee membership in their houses and have a large impact on lawmaking in the state. Only the governor may call the Legislature into special sessions, unlike other states where the legislature may call itself into session, the governor may call as many sessions as he or she desires. For example, Governor Rick Perry called three consecutive sessions to address the 2003 Texas congressional redistricting, any bill passed by the Legislature takes effect 90 days after its passage unless two-thirds of each house votes to give the bill either immediate effect or earlier effect. The Legislature may provide for a date that is after the 90th day. Under current legislative practice, most bills are given a date of September 1 in odd-numbered years. As of 2015, a majority of the members of each chamber are members of the Republican Party. After the initial election, the Senate is divided by lot into two classes, with one class having a re-election after two years and the other having a re-election after four years. A representative must be at least 21 years of age, a citizen of Texas for two prior to election and a resident of the district from which elected one year prior to election. They are elected for terms, running for re-election in even-numbered years. Neither the House of Representatives nor the Senate has term limits, state legislators in Texas make $600 per month, or $7,200 per year, plus a per diem of $190 for every day the Legislature is in session. That adds up to $33,800 a year for a regular session, the Texas Legislature has five support agencies that are within the legislative branch of state government. The report noted how representatives would race to the nearest empty seats to register votes for absent members on the legislatures automated voting machines, each representative would vote for the nearest absent members, apparently regardless of party affiliation. This practice was in violation of a Rule of the Texas Legislature, however
Texas Legislature
Texas Legislature
–
Texas State Legislature
18.
Houston, Texas
–
Houston is the most populous city in the state of Texas and the fourth-most populous city in the United States. With a census-estimated 2014 population of 2.239 million within an area of 667 square miles, it also is the largest city in the southern United States and the seat of Harris County. Located in Southeast Texas near the Gulf of Mexico, it is the city of Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land. Houston was founded on August 28,1836, near the banks of Buffalo Bayou and incorporated as a city on June 5,1837. The city was named after former General Sam Houston, who was president of the Republic of Texas and had commanded, the burgeoning port and railroad industry, combined with oil discovery in 1901, has induced continual surges in the citys population. Houstons economy has an industrial base in energy, manufacturing, aeronautics. Leading in health care sectors and building equipment, Houston has more Fortune 500 headquarters within its city limits than any city except for New York City. The Port of Houston ranks first in the United States in international waterborne tonnage handled, the city has a population from various ethnic and religious backgrounds and a large and growing international community. Houston is the most diverse city in Texas and has described as the most diverse in the United States. It is home to cultural institutions and exhibits, which attract more than 7 million visitors a year to the Museum District. Houston has a visual and performing arts scene in the Theater District. In August 1836, two real estate entrepreneurs from New York, Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen, purchased 6,642 acres of land along Buffalo Bayou with the intent of founding a city. The Allen brothers decided to name the city after Sam Houston, the general at the Battle of San Jacinto. The great majority of slaves in Texas came with their owners from the slave states. Sizable numbers, however, came through the slave trade. New Orleans was the center of trade in the Deep South. Thousands of enslaved African Americans lived near the city before the Civil War, many of them near the city worked on sugar and cotton plantations, while most of those in the city limits had domestic and artisan jobs. Houston was granted incorporation on June 5,1837, with James S. Holman becoming its first mayor, in the same year, Houston became the county seat of Harrisburg County and the temporary capital of the Republic of Texas
Houston, Texas
–
Clockwise from top: Sam Houston monument,
Downtown Houston,
Houston Ship Channel,
The Galleria,
University of Houston, and the
Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center.
Houston, Texas
–
Sam Houston
Houston, Texas
–
Houston, c. 1873
Houston, Texas
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Union Station, Houston, Texas (postcard, c. 1911)
19.
Daughters of the Republic of Texas
–
The Daughters of the Republic of Texas is a lineal association dedicated to perpetuating the memory of the founding families and soldiers of the Republic of Texas. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas is best known for its role as caretakers of The Alamo. In early 2015, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush officially removed control of the Alamo to the Texas General Land Office, the DRT are also the custodians of the historic French Legation Museum owned by the State of Texas. In addition, they operate a museum in Austin on the history of Texas, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas was formed in 1891 by cousins Betty Eve Ballinger and Hally Ballinger Bryan Perry. The organization was called the Daughters of the Lone Star Republic before taking its present name. The first president of the organization in 1891 was Mary Smith Jones, the first chapter that was chartered in DRT was the Sidney Sherman Chapter. The chapter was chartered in Galveston on November 6,1891, hallys father Guy Morrison Bryan had emigrated to Texas in 1831. In March 1836, Bryan became the courier for at least one of William Barret Traviss Alamo letters from Bells Landing to Velasco and he was an army orderly under Alexander Somervell, and in the Brazoria volunteer company under John Coffee Hays. He served in both the Texas House of Representatives and Texas State Senate, Bryan was a veteran of the American Civil War. He was a member and president of the Texas Veterans Association. Bettys grandfather William Houston Jack He had served in the Alabama state legislature and he was one of the authors of the Turtle Bayou Resolutions. Jack participated in the capture of Goliad, later joined Sam Houstons army and was a veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto and he served in both the Texas House of Representatives and Texas State Senate. By the late 1880s the historic San Antonio missions were falling into disrepair, two dedicated DRT women stepped forward to restore and preserve the Alamo for future generations. The city had made no improvements to the structure. The asking price was $75,000, most of which came out of Clara Driscolls bank account, in early 1905, Samuel Ealy Johnson, Jr. drafted the Alamo Purchase Bill which included a provision that The Alamo be overseen by Daughters of the Republic of Texas. On January 26,1905, the Texas State Legislature approved, and Governor S. W. T Lanham signed, a divide between two factions erupted over how the long barracks property was to be used. Driscoll and others believed it was not part of the original structure, Clara offered to raze the building at her own expense. De Zavala was adamant that the barracks was part of the original building
Daughters of the Republic of Texas
–
Birthplace of The Daughters of the Republic of Texas
20.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
–
The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department is a Texas state agency that oversees and protects wildlife and their habitats. In addition, the agency is responsible for managing the states parks, the agency maintains its headquarters at 4200 Smith School Road in Austin. In 1895, the Texas Legislature created the Fish and Oyster Commission to regulate fishing, the legislature added the Game Department to the commission in 1907. The Legislature created the State Parks Board as an entity in 1923. In 1963, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department was formed through merger of the State Parks Board, in 1983, the Texas legislature passed the Wildlife Conservation Act, giving the department the authority for managing fish and wildlife resources in all Texas counties. The department operates 95 state parks and historic sites,51 wildlife management areas, eight fish hatcheries, on January 1,2008, TPWD transferred management of several historic sites to the Texas Historical Commission. The agency employs more than 3,500 permanent employees, and 300 interns every summer, intern programs vary but are typically 12 weeks long and go from May until August. Game wardens and Park Police Officers undergo a 30-week course at TPWDs Texas Game Warden Training Center in rural Hamilton County, legal State Parks - includes Park Police Officers Wildlife TPWD publishes Texas Parks and Wildlife, a monthly magazine available both in print and online editions. The magazine features articles and full-color photos on topics such as birding, boating, camping, fishing, hunting, state parks, travel, wildlife, Texas Parks and Wildlife has been in publication since 1942. Texas Parks & Wildlife is a weekly, half-hour television series aired on Texas PBS stations, viewers can stream episodes on the PBS website and on the TPWD YouTube channel. Originally titled Made in Texas, the series production in 1985 as a magazine style show. For several years, the focused on one topic each week. In 1991, the name of the changed to Texas Parks & Wildlife. Beginning in June 2016 TPWD Game Wardens were featured in a new reality series on Animal Planet. Passport to Texas is a series broadcast on radio stations throughout Texas, as well as available as downloadable podcasts. The series includes 90 second radio spots on topics, including wildlife, state parks, founded in 1991, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation is the nonprofit funding partner of TPWD. List of Texas state parks Texas State Railroad Texas Parks & Wildlife Department website Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation website Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine Passport to Texas website
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
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The headquarters of the department
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
–
Official Texas Parks and Wildlife Department logo
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
–
A sign indicating the direction of the headquarters
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
–
Boats & Licenses Building in Austin
21.
Limestone
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Limestone is a sedimentary rock, composed mainly of skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral, forams and molluscs. Its major materials are the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate, about 10% of sedimentary rocks are limestones. The solubility of limestone in water and weak acid solutions leads to karst landscapes, most cave systems are through limestone bedrock. The first geologist to distinguish limestone from dolomite was Belsazar Hacquet in 1778, like most other sedimentary rocks, most limestone is composed of grains. Most grains in limestone are skeletal fragments of organisms such as coral or foraminifera. Other carbonate grains comprising limestones are ooids, peloids, intraclasts and these organisms secrete shells made of aragonite or calcite, and leave these shells behind when they die. Limestone often contains variable amounts of silica in the form of chert or siliceous skeletal fragment, some limestones do not consist of grains at all, and are formed completely by the chemical precipitation of calcite or aragonite, i. e. travertine. Secondary calcite may be deposited by supersaturated meteoric waters and this produces speleothems, such as stalagmites and stalactites. Another form taken by calcite is oolitic limestone, which can be recognized by its granular appearance, the primary source of the calcite in limestone is most commonly marine organisms. Some of these organisms can construct mounds of rock known as reefs, below about 3,000 meters, water pressure and temperature conditions cause the dissolution of calcite to increase nonlinearly, so limestone typically does not form in deeper waters. Limestones may also form in lacustrine and evaporite depositional environments, calcite can be dissolved or precipitated by groundwater, depending on several factors, including the water temperature, pH, and dissolved ion concentrations. Calcite exhibits a characteristic called retrograde solubility, in which it becomes less soluble in water as the temperature increases. Impurities will cause limestones to exhibit different colors, especially with weathered surfaces, Limestone may be crystalline, clastic, granular, or massive, depending on the method of formation. Crystals of calcite, quartz, dolomite or barite may line small cavities in the rock, when conditions are right for precipitation, calcite forms mineral coatings that cement the existing rock grains together, or it can fill fractures. Travertine is a banded, compact variety of limestone formed along streams, particularly there are waterfalls. Calcium carbonate is deposited where evaporation of the leaves a solution supersaturated with the chemical constituents of calcite. Tufa, a porous or cellular variety of travertine, is found near waterfalls, coquina is a poorly consolidated limestone composed of pieces of coral or shells. During regional metamorphism that occurs during the building process, limestone recrystallizes into marble
Limestone
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Limestone outcrop in the
Torcal de Antequera nature reserve of
Málaga, Spain
Limestone
–
Limestone quarry at
Cedar Creek, Virginia, USA
Limestone
–
Cutting the limestone blocks at a quarry in
Gozo,
Malta
Limestone
–
Limestone as building material
22.
Texas State Capitol
–
The Texas State Capitol, completed in 1888 in Downtown Austin, contains the offices and chambers of the Texas Legislature and the Office of the Governor. Designed in 1881 by architect Elijah E. Myers, it was constructed from 1882 to 1888 under the direction of civil engineer Reuben Lindsay Walker, a $75 million underground extension was completed in 1993. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, the Texas State Capitol is 302.64 feet tall, making it the sixth tallest state capitol and one of several taller than the United States Capitol in Washington, D. C. The current Texas State Capitol is the building to serve that purpose. The value of the land, combined with expenses, added to a total cost of $3.7 million for the original building and it was constructed largely by convicts or migrant workers, as many as a thousand at a time. The building has been renovated several times, with air conditioning installed in 1955. The cornerstone for the building was laid on March 2,1885, Texas Independence Day, the designers originally planned for the building to be clad entirely with hill country limestone quarried in Oatmanville, about 10 miles to the southwest. However, the iron content of the limestone led it to rapidly discolor with rust stains when exposed to the elements. Learning of the problem, the owners of Granite Mountain near Marble Falls offered to donate to the state, free of charge, while the building is mostly built of the Oak Hill limestone, most of this is hidden behind the walls and on the foundations. Red granite was used for many state government buildings in the Austin area. On February 6,1983 a fire began in the apartment of William P. Hobby, a guest of Hobbys was killed, and four firemen and a policeman were injured by the subsequent blaze. The capitol was crowded with accumulated archives, and the fire was intense and it caused severe damage to the east wing and compromised much of the framing, which was largely composed of exposed cast iron posts and beams. Restoration continued until 1993, and the took advantage of the extensive rebuilding to update the mechanical and structural systems to modern standards. Additionally, the sought to address the intensifying shortage of space in the old building, deciding that a new office wing should be added. Instead, an expansion to the capitol was built beneath the north plaza, in 1993, the $75 million, four-story, underground Capitol Extension was completed to the north, doubling the square footage available to Capitol occupants and providing much improved functionality. In 1995, an interior and exterior restoration of the original building was completed at a cost of approximately $98 million. Finally, in 1997, the grounds surrounding the Capitol received an $8 million renovation and restoration. The capitol building and grounds are located in downtown Austin, with the entrance facing onto the Congress Avenue Historic District to the south
Texas State Capitol
–
Texas State Capitol
Texas State Capitol
Texas State Capitol
–
Statue of the
Goddess of Liberty on the capitol grounds prior to installation on top of the rotunda as construction is completed, 1888
Texas State Capitol
–
Skylights for the underground Capitol Extension
23.
Juche Tower
–
The Juche Tower is a monument in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, named after the ideology of Juche introduced by its first leader Kim Il-sung. The Tower is situated on the east bank of the River Taedong and it was built to commemorate Kim Il-sungs 70th birthday. Although his son and successor Kim Jong-il is officially credited as its designer and it is possible to ascend the tower by elevator and there are wide views over Pyongyang from the viewing platform just below the torch. At its base, there are rooms where videos explaining the towers ideological importance are sometimes shown. It is presumed to be modelled on the Washington Monument, which it surpasses in height by less than a meter, the Juche Tower is the second tallest monumental column in the world after the San Jacinto Monument, which is 2.9 metres taller. The three tools form the insignia on the flag of the ruling Workers Party of Korea, there are also six smaller groups of figures, each 10 metres high, that symbolize other aspects of Juche ideology. A wall carrying 82 friendship plaques from supporters and Juche study groups forms part of the Tower. Monas, a similarly designed monument-tower in Jakarta, Indonesia, topped with flame statue, Washington Monument in Washington DC, an obelisk erected to commemorate George Washington. San Jacinto Monument near La Porte, Texas, the worlds tallest masonry column to commemorate the Battle of San Jacinto
Juche Tower
–
Juche Tower at night
Juche Tower
–
Location in Pyongyang
Juche Tower
–
The Juche Tower seen from the roof of the Grand People's Study House, across Kim Il-sung Square and the river Taedong.
Juche Tower
–
The Tower and Workers' Party monument seen up close.
24.
North Korea
–
North Korea, officially the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, is a country in East Asia, constituting the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. Pyongyang is both the capital as well as its largest city. To the north and northwest the country is bordered by China and by Russia along the Amnok, the country is bordered to the south by South Korea, with the heavily fortified Korean Demilitarized Zone separating the two. Negotiations on reunification failed, and in 1948 two separate governments were formed, the communist Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea in the north, an invasion initiated by North Korea led to the Korean War. The Korean Armistice Agreement brought about a ceasefire, and no peace treaty was ever signed. North Korea officially describes itself as a self-reliant socialist state and formally holds elections, critics regard it as a totalitarian dictatorship. Various outlets have called it Stalinist, particularly noting the elaborate cult of personality around Kim Il-sung, International organizations have assessed human rights violations in North Korea as belonging to a category of their own, with no parallel in the contemporary world. Over time, North Korea has gradually distanced itself from the world communist movement, Juche, an ideology of national self-reliance, was introduced into the constitution as a creative application of Marxism–Leninism in 1972. The means of production are owned by the state through state-run enterprises, most services such as healthcare, education, housing and food production are subsidized or state-funded. From 1994 to 1998, North Korea suffered from a famine that resulted in the deaths of between 0.24 and 3.5 million people, and the continues to struggle with food production. North Korea follows Songun, or military-first policy and it is the country with the highest number of military and paramilitary personnel, with a total of 9,495,000 active, reserve, and paramilitary personnel. Its active duty army of 1.21 million is the fourth largest in the world, after China, North Korea is an atheist state with no official religion and where public religion is discouraged. The name Korea derives from the name Goryeo, the name Goryeo itself was first used by the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo in the 5th century as a shortened form of its name. The 10th-century kingdom of Goryeo succeeded Goguryeo, and thus inherited its name, the modern spelling of Korea first appeared in the late 17th century in the travel writings of the Dutch East India Companys Hendrick Hamel. After the division of the country into North and South Korea, the two sides used different terms to refer to Korea, Chosun or Joseon in North Korea, in 1948, North Korea adopted Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea as its new legal name. After the First Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War, Korea was occupied by Japan, Japan tried to suppress Korean traditions and culture and ran the economy primarily for its own benefit. Korean resistance groups known as Dongnipgun operated along the Sino-Korean border, some of them took part in allied action in China and parts of South East Asia. One of the leaders was the communist Kim Il-sung, who later became the leader of North Korea
North Korea
–
Jikji, the first known book printed with movable metal type in 1377. Bibliothèque Nationale de Paris
North Korea
–
Flag
North Korea
–
Gyeongbok Palace is the largest of the
Five Grand Palaces built during the
Joseon Dynasty.
North Korea
–
Three Koreans shot for pulling up rails as a protest against seizure of land without payment by the Japanese
25.
History of Texas
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The recorded History of Texas begins with the arrival of the first Spanish conquistadors in the region now known as Texas in 1519, who found the region populated by numerous Native American tribes. Native Americans ancestors had been there for more than 10,000 years as evidenced by the discovery of the remains of Leanderthal Lady, in 1682, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle established a French colony, Fort Saint Louis, near Matagorda Bay. The colony was killed off by Native Americans after three years, but Spanish authorities felt pressed to establish settlements to keep their claim to the land, several missions were established in East Texas, they were abandoned in 1691. Twenty years later, concerned with the French presence in neighboring Louisiana, over the next 110 years, Spain established numerous villages, presidios, and missions in the province. A small number of Spanish settlers arrived, in addition to missionaries, Spain signed agreements with colonizers from the United States. When Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821, Mexican Texas was part of the new nation. To encourage settlement, Mexican authorities allowed organized immigration from the United States, Santa Annas invasion of the territory after putting down the rebellion in Zacatecas provoked the conflict of 1836. The Texian forces fought and won the Texas Revolution in 1835–36, although not recognized as such by Mexico, Texas declared itself an independent nation, the Republic of Texas. Attracted by the lands for cotton plantations and ranching, tens of thousands of immigrants arrived from the U. S. In 1845, Texas joined the United States, becoming the 28th state, only after the conclusion of the Mexican-American War, with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, did Mexico recognize Texan independence. Texas declared its secession from the United States in 1861 to join the Confederate States of America, only a few battles of the American Civil War were fought in Texas, most Texas regiments served in the east. When the war ended, the enslaved African Americans were freed, Texas was subject to Reconstruction, a process that left a residue of bitterness among whites. Blacks were excluded from the political system until after passage of federal civil rights legislation in the mid-1960s. Cotton, ranching, and farming dominated the economy, with construction after 1870 a major factor in the development of new cities away from rivers. Toward the end of the 19th century, timber became an important industry in Texas as well, in 1901 a petroleum discovery at Spindletop Hill, near Beaumont, was developed as the most productive oil well the world had ever seen. The wave of oil speculation and discovery that followed came to be known as the Oil Boom, agriculture and ranching gave way to a service-oriented society after the boom years of World War II. Segregation ended in the 1960s due to federal legislation, politically, Texas changed from the virtually one-party Democratic state achieved following disenfranchisement, to a highly contested political scene, until 2000 when it was solidly Republican. The economy of Texas has continued to rapidly, becoming the second-largest state in population in 1994
History of Texas
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René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle founded the French colony in Texas.
History of Texas
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The French flag of the
Bourbons
History of Texas
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Texas in 1718,
Guillaume de L'Isle map, approximate state area highlighted, northern boundary was indefinite.
History of Texas
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Spanish missions within the boundaries of what is now the state of Texas.
26.
Six flags of Texas
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This slogan has been incorporated into shopping malls, theme parks, and other enterprises. The six flags are shown on the reverse of the Seal of Texas. In 1997 the Texas Historical Commission adopted standard designs for representing the six flags, the first flag belonged to Spain, which ruled most of Texas from 1519 to 1685 and 1690 to 1821. There were two versions of the Spanish flag used during this period, both designs incorporate the castle and lion emblems of the Crown of Castile. This flag was used by Spain from 1793 to 1931, the second flag was the royal banner of the Kingdom of France from 1684 to 1690. In 1684, French nobleman René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, the colony was unsuccessful, and after La Salles murder, was soon abandoned. During this time, there was no official French flag, so a number of designs are used in displays of the six flags, later on in 1800, Spain ceded Louisiana to France under the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso. French Louisiana included northern sections of Texas and it remained in the hands of France until 1803, when France sold the Louisiana Territory to the United States. However, what would later be northern Texas was sold back to Spain years later, the third flag flown was the flag of Mexico. Mexicos independence was recognized by Spain in 1821, the Mexican flag displayed in the Austin Capitol is the one of the Mexican Republic of 1823 through 1864. This flag was in use in Texas until its independence from Mexico in 1836, the fourth flag belonged to the Republic of Texas from 1836 to 1845. The Republic had two national flags during its history, the first being the so-called Burnet Flag, the Lone Star Flag, the final national flag, became the state flag when Texas joined the United States as a U. S. state in 1845. The fifth and current flag is that of the United States of America, upon secession Texas abandoned this flag for its sixth, until readmission to the Union in 1865. The sixth flag belonged to the Confederate States of America from 1861 to 1865, during this time, the Confederacy had three national flags
Six flags of Texas
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Six coats of arms displayed under the Texas State Capitol Dome
Six flags of Texas
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Display of the Six Flags in
Austin, Texas
27.
Flag of Texas
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The prominent single star on the Texas flag gives the flag itself the commonly-used name Lone Star Flag. The flag, flown at homes and businesses statewide, is popular among Texans and is treated with a great degree of reverence. The flag earned 8.13 out of 10 possible points, when Texas became the 28th state of the Union on December 29,1845, the national flag became the state flag. From 1879 until 1933 there was no state flag, although the Lone Star remained the de facto state flag. The actual designer of the flag is unknown, dr. Charles B. Stewart is credited with drawing the image used by the Third Congress when enacting the legislation adopting the flag, and Sen. William H. Wharton introduced the flag to Congress. The code also states that single star represents ALL of Texas and stands for our unity as one for God, State, the lone star is, in fact, an older symbol predating the flag which was used to symbolize Texans solidarity in declaring independence from Mexico. It is still today as a symbol of Texas independent spirit. Though this rebellion ultimately failed it served as an inspiration to the later Texas Revolution, the pledge of allegiance to the state flag is as follows, The pledge was instituted by the Texas Legislature in 1933, and originally referred to the Texas flag of 1836. In 1965, the error was corrected by deleting the words of 1836, in 2007, the phrase one state under God was added. The addition of under God has been challenged in court, though an injunction was denied. S. Flag at the door, with the exception being if the flags are at half mast or if the POW/MIA flag is being flown with the U. S. flag. State law also requires that the flag be flown at or near any International Port of Entry. When displayed vertically, the blue stripe should be at top and, from the perspective of an observer, the white stripe should be to the left of the red stripe. During revolutionary eras of Texas history, during the Spanish Texas period, Mexican Texas period, and the times of the Texas Revolution, the Lone Star and Stripes/Ensign of the First Texas Navy/War Ensign flag was widely used by both Texan land and naval forces. This flag was simply the United States flag with a Lone star in the canton and this flag echoes an earlier design, carried by the forces of James Long in failed 1819 and 1821 attempts to separate Texas from Spanish control. This earlier flag was exactly the same, save for the canton having a red rather than blue. There is evidence that the Lone Star and Stripes was used at the battles of Goliad, the Alamo, although interim President David Burnet issued a decree making the Lone Star and Stripes the first official flag of the Republic of Texas, it never became the legal national flag. It did remain the naval flag of Texas until annexation, and was noted for being beneficial to our Navy, despite its unofficial status, the flag remained well known inside the region and internationally as the symbol of Texas
Flag of Texas
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The Texas flag flying below the U.S. flag at the
Texas State Capitol
Flag of Texas
28.
San Jacinto Day
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San Jacinto Day is the celebration of the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21,1836. It was the battle of the Texas Revolution where Texas won its independence from Mexico. It is an official partial staffing holiday in the State of Texas, an annual festival, which includes a reenactment, is held on the site of the battle. The Sabine Volunteers, a reenactment group from East Texas, participate in the San Jacinto Reenactment annually and this group is named for an actual militia group during the Texas Revolution. The reenactment group consists of four members and has appeared on the History Channel, a documentary entitled The Re-Enactors of San Jacinto, directed by Emmy-winner Allen Morris, was released in 2010 and shown on HoustonPBS. The documentary details the annual San Jacinto Day celebration and shows the reenactment of the 18 minute battle, San Jacinto Monument Battle of San Jacinto Texas Independence Day Timeline of the Texas Revolution Official Texas State Holidays San Jacinto Day Festival and Battle Re-enactment Web site
San Jacinto Day
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Spectators watch the battle reenactment at the 2006 festival
29.
National Park Service
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It was created on August 25,1916, by Congress through the National Park Service Organic Act and is an agency of the United States Department of the Interior. As of 2014, the NPS employs 21,651 employees who oversee 417 units, the National Park Service celebrated its centennial in 2016. National parks and national monuments in the United States were originally individually managed under the auspices of the Department of the Interior, the movement for an independent agency to oversee these federal lands was spearheaded by business magnate and conservationist Stephen Mather, as well as J. Horace McFarland. With the help of journalist Robert Sterling Yard, Mather ran a publicity campaign for the Department of the Interior and they wrote numerous articles that praised the scenic and historic qualities of the parks and their possibilities for educational, inspirational, and recreational benefits. This campaign resulted in the creation of a National Park Service, Mather became the first director of the newly formed NPS. On March 3,1933, President Herbert Hoover signed the Reorganization Act of 1933, the act would allow the President to reorganize the executive branch of the United States government. It wasnt until later that summer when the new President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, President Roosevelt agreed and issued two Executive orders to make it happen. In 1951, Conrad Wirth became director of the National Park Service, the demand for parks after the end of the World War II had left the parks overburdened with demands that could not be met. In 1952, with the support of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, he began Mission 66, New parks were added to preserve unique resources and existing park facilities were upgraded and expanded. In 1966, as the Park Service turned 50 years old, emphasis began to turn from just saving great and wonderful scenery, Director George Hartzog began the process with the creation of the National Lakeshores and then National Recreation Areas. Since its inception in 1916, the National Park Service has managed each of the United States national parks, Yellowstone National Park was the first national park in the United States. In 1872, there was no government to manage it. Yosemite National Park began as a park, the land for the park was donated by the federal government to the state of California in 1864 for perpetual conservation. Yosemite was later returned to federal ownership, at first, each national park was managed independently, with varying degrees of success. In Yellowstone, the staff was replaced by the U. S. Army in 1886. Due to the irregularities in managing these national treasures, Stephen Mather petitioned the government to improve the situation. In response, Secretary of the Interior Franklin K. Lane challenged him to lobby for creating a new agency, Mather was successful with the ratification of the National Park Service Organic Act in 1916. Later, the agency was given authority over other protected areas, the National Park System includes all properties managed by the National Park Service
National Park Service
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In 1916, a portfolio of nine major parks was published to generate interest. Printed on each brochure was a map showing the parks and principal railroad connections.
National Park Service
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National Park Service Arrowhead
National Park Service
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In 1934, a series of ten postage stamps were issued to commemorate the reorganization and expansion of the National Park Service.
National Park Service
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Grand Canyon National Park, south rim of canyon.
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