1.
United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
2.
Texas
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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
3.
Central Texas
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Central Texas is a region in the U. S. state of Texas surrounding Austin and roughly bordered by Brady to Kerrville to La Grange to Waco. Central Texas contains the Texas Hill Country and corresponds to a physiographic section designation within the Edwards Plateau, Central Texas includes the Austin–Round Rock, Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood, Bryan–College Station, and Waco metropolitan areas. The Austin–Round Rock and Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood areas are among the metropolitan areas in the state. Some of the largest cities in the region are Austin, College Station, Killeen, Round Rock, Bridge City, Mansfield, the United States Armys Fort Hood, a large military installation, is located in this region. Fredericksburg, Texas Chamber of Commerce Celebrate Diversity in Central Texas
4.
Geographic coordinate system
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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
5.
Edwards Plateau
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San Angelo, Austin, San Antonio and Del Rio roughly outline the area. The eastern portion of the plateau is known as the Texas Hill Country, the landscape of the plateau is mostly savanna scattered with trees. It mostly lacks deep soil suitable for farming, though the soil is fertile mollisols and some cotton, grain sorghum, for the most part, though, the thin soil and rough terrain areas are primarily grazing regions, with cattle, sheep and Angora goats predominant. The area is drained, rainwater flows into the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone at the south of the plateau to feed rivers to the south. Rainfall varies from 15 to 33 inches per year, on average, from northwest to southeast, and the area has a moderate temperature and a reasonably long growing season. Flora Trees of the include a juniper-oak mix and a mesquite-acacia mix scattered over fairly short grasses. Some pecan trees are found near the springs and rivers, the Balcones Fault is associated with the Edwards Plateau formation. This fault line is a demarcation for the range definition of a number of species. Fauna Caves of the Edwards Plateau are important habitats for a deal of wildlife. The area is home to some of the largest colonies of bats in the world, there are also large numbers of reptiles and birds, including breeding populations of the Texan endemic golden-cheeked warbler. Further alteration to the savanna has incurred though the encroachment of shrubs now that grassland fires are carefully controlled, small areas of intact habitat remain, particularly around Austin, where areas are protected, such as the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge. Another important area for wildlife is Fort Hood military base, earliest human settlement of this area was by Native Americans. First it was used and wandered about by Jumano and Coahuiltecan groups, then the Apacheria extended into the Southern Plains by the forerunners of the Lipan and Mescalero Apaches. After the expulsion of the Apachean groups from the Plains by the Comanche, Texas Hill Country Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge Colorado River Mount Bonnell List of ecoregions in the United States Johnson, E. H. Edwards Plateau. Texas counties map showing the ecoregion
6.
West Texas
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West Texas is a loosely defined part of the U. S. state of Texas, generally encompassing the arid and semiarid lands west of a line drawn between the cities of Fort Worth and Del Rio. There is no consensus on the boundary between eastern and western Texas, West Texas is often subdivided according to distinct physiographic features. The portion of West Texas that lies west of the Pecos River is often referred to as Far West Texas or the Trans-Pecos, the Trans-Pecos lies within the Chihuahuan Desert, the most arid portion of the state. Another part of West Texas is the Llano Estacado, a vast region of high, level plains extending into Eastern New Mexico, to the east of the Llano Estacado lies the “redbed country” of the Rolling Plains and to the south of the Llano Estacado lies the Edwards Plateau. The Rolling Plains and the Edwards Plateau subregions act as transitional zones between eastern and western Texas, the counties included in the West Texas region vary depending on the organization. West Texas has a lower population density than the rest of the state. It was once inhabited by nomadic Native American tribes, such as the Apache, Comanche, and Kiowa. This period was marked with savage war waged between the US Army, frontier Texans, and the Texas Rangers on one side and native peoples on the other. During the later 19th century, the population of Americans. This period was marked by the mapping and geographical intelligence collection of a denied area held by hostile Indian tribes. In turn, the Comanche way of war reached its zenith, having either subjugated or defeated the other Indian clans. In contrast, the support by the US government of Americans settlement. By the end of the 19th century, West Texas had been pacified of hostile Indians, leaving its turbulent history to what remained of outlaw Texans and people such as Judge Roy Bean. With the defeat of the Comanche and their allies and their removal upon demand by Texas from the state, the area was settled by Texans. These decades marked the last great cattle drives, the zenith of American cowboys, small farmers and ranchers battling sheepherders. This continuing socioeconomic trends resulted in the region having a mix of Mexican American and American communities of the modern day. As a result of historical development, many Mexican Americans still have close family ties in Mexico. Of American settlers, during the migration era, the vast majority were either East Texans or other Southerners going west for new opportunities
7.
South Texas
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South Texas is a region of the U. S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of -- and sometimes including -- San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico, the population of this region is about 4.67 million according to the 2013 census estimates. The southern portion of region is often referred to as the Rio Grande Valley. The eastern portion along the Gulf of Mexico is also referred to as the Coastal Bend, many South Texas residents Exclude San Antonio, as San Antonio is southern Central Texas. The Rio Grande serves as the western and southern boundaries and separates Texas from Mexico, the eastern portion of South Texas is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico. This region of Texas consist of 41 counties, South Texas terrain is flat, lying on the coastal plain. South Texas is so vast, there are even subregions, the very southern tip of South Texas, called the Rio Grande Valley, has fertile soils and is known for its citrus production. The eastern portion of South Texas is often referred to as the Coastal Bend, here, coastal marshes, estuaries. The western and central parts are known as the South Texas Plains or the brush country, mesquite trees and crop fields dominate the land. The fastest growing county in South Texas is Guadalupe County, growing by 5. 64% from 2010 to 2012, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas includes the Houston division. However, Houston is most accurately classified as being within Southeast Texas, the area along the Mexican border is generally semi-arid, while the area from the coast inland to just west of San Antonio has a humid subtropical climate. South Texas weather is affected by the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains to the west, the Gulf of Mexico to the east, moisture from the Pacific is cut off by the Mexican Sierra Madre Occidental and Oriental mountain ranges. Temperatures reach freezing only a few times in the winter and snowfall is rare, summers in this zone are hot and humid, with daily averages above 90 °F. Night-time temperatures are around 85 °F in summer. The region of South Texas includes the ranch country and the wetter Rio Grande Valley. Considered to be the southernmost tip of the American Great Plains region, the coastal areas are warm most of the year due to currents of the Gulf of Mexico, but can get cold in winter if a strong front comes in, occasionally causing snow at sea level. Rain in the region is more abundant than in the inland region. Inland, where it is drier, ranches dominate the landscape, characterized by thick, spiny brush, the winters in the inland region are cooler and drier, as Arctic air can make it into the region, but snow is rare due to the lack of humidity. Summers are for the most part hot and dry, but at times can be humid if winds come off the warmer Gulf of Mexico, tornadoes can occur in this region, but less frequently than in other parts of the state
8.
Southwestern United States
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The population of the area is around 11 million people, with over half that in Arizona, the most populous cities are Phoenix, El Paso, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, and Tucson. Most of the area was part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain in the Spanish Empire before becoming part of Mexico and it became part of the United States through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the Gadsden Purchase. The deserts dominate the southern and western reaches of the area, the two major rivers of the region are the Colorado River, running in the northern and western areas, and the Rio Grande, running in the south. Formed approximately 8000 years ago, the Chihuahuan Desert is a dry desert. The Chihuahuan Desert spreads across the portion of the region, covering from southeastern Arizona, across southern New Mexico. While it is the second largest desert in the United States, only a third of the desert is within the United States, El Paso is the major city in this desert, with other smaller cities being Las Cruces and Roswell in New Mexico. The Chihuahuan is a rain shadow desert, formed two mountain ranges which block oceanic precipitation from reaching the area. The most prolific plants in this region are agave, yucca and creosote bushes, when people think of the desert southwest, the landscape of the Sonoran Desert is what mostly comes to mind. Rainfall averages between 4–12 inches per year, and the deserts most widely known inhabitant is the saguaro cactus and it is bounded on the northwest by the Mojave Desert, to the north by the Colorado Plateau and to the east by the Arizona Mountains forests and the Chihuahuan Desert. The portion of the Sonora Desert which lies in the Southwestern United States is the most populated area within the region. Six of the top ten major population centers of the region are found within its borders, Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Chandler, Glendale, also within its borders are Yuma and Prescott Arizona. The most northwest portion of the American Southwest is covered by the Mojave Desert, bordered on the south by the Sonoran Desert and the east by the Colorado Plateau, its range within the region makes up the southeast tip of Nevada, and the northwestern corner of Arizona. In terms of topography, the Mojave is very similar to the Great Basin Desert, the Mojave is the smallest, driest and hottest desert within the United States. The Mojave gets less than six inches of rain annually, the most prolific vegetation is the tall Joshua tree, which grow as tall as 40 feet, and are thought to live almost 1000 years. Other major vegetation includes the Parry saltbush and the Mojave sage, the Colorado Plateau varies from the large stands of forests in the west, including the largest stand of ponderosa pine trees in the world, to the Mesas to the east. Although not called a desert, the Colorado Plateau is mostly made up of high desert, the Plateau is characterized by a series of plateaus and mesas, interspersed with canyons. The most dramatic example is the Grand Canyon, but that is one of many dramatic vistas included within the Plateau, which includes spectacular lava formations, painted deserts, sand dunes, and badlands. One of the most distinctive features of the Plateau is its longevity, the Plateau can be divided into six sections, three of which fall into the Southwest region
9.
Karst
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Karst topography is a landscape formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves and it has also been documented for more weathering-resistant rocks, such as quartzite, given the right conditions. Subterranean drainage may limit surface water, with few to no rivers or lakes, the English word karst was borrowed from German Karst in the late 19th century. The German word came into use before the 19th century, according to the prevalent interpretation, the term is derived from the German name for the Karst region, a limestone plateau above the city of Trieste in the northern Adriatic. Scholars disagree, however, on whether the German word was borrowed from Slovene, the Slovene common noun kras was first attested in the 18th century, and the adjective form kraški in the 16th century. The Slovene words arose through metathesis from the reconstructed form *korsъ, ultimately, the word is of Mediterranean origin, believed to derive from some Romanized Illyrian base. It has been suggested that the word may derive from the Proto-Indo-European root karra- rock, the name may also be connected to the oronym Karsádios oros cited by Ptolemy, and perhaps also to Latin Carusardius. The development of karst occurs whenever acidic water starts to break down the surface of bedrock near its cracks, as the bedrock continues to degrade, its cracks tend to get bigger. As time goes on, these fractures will become wider, if this underground drainage system does form, it will speed up the development of karst formations there because more water will be able to flow through the region, giving it more erosive power. The carbonic acid that causes karstic features is formed as rain passes through the atmosphere picking up carbon dioxide, once the rain reaches the ground, it may pass through soil that can provide much more CO2 to form a weak carbonic acid solution, which dissolves calcium carbonate. The oxidation of sulfides leading to the formation of acid can also be one of the corrosion factors in karst formation. As oxygen -rich surface waters seep into deep anoxic karst systems, they bring oxygen, sulfuric acid then reacts with calcium carbonate, causing increased erosion within the limestone formation. This chain of reactions is, This reaction chain forms gypsum, the karstification of a landscape may result in a variety of large- or small-scale features both on the surface and beneath. On exposed surfaces, small features may include solution flutes, runnels, limestone pavement, medium-sized surface features may include sinkholes or cenotes, vertical shafts, foibe, disappearing streams, and reappearing springs. Large-scale features may include limestone pavements, poljes, and karst valleys, mature karst landscapes, where more bedrock has been removed than remains, may result in karst towers, or haystack/eggbox landscapes. Beneath the surface, complex underground systems and extensive caves. Some of the most dramatic of these formations can be seen in Thailands Phangnga Bay, calcium carbonate dissolved into water may precipitate out where the water discharges some of its dissolved carbon dioxide. Rivers which emerge from springs may produce tufa terraces, consisting of layers of calcite deposited over extended periods of time, in caves, a variety of features collectively called speleothems are formed by deposition of calcium carbonate and other dissolved minerals
10.
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
11.
Granite
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Granite is a common type of felsic intrusive igneous rock that is granular and phaneritic in texture. Granites can be white, pink, or gray in color. The word granite comes from the Latin granum, a grain, in reference to the structure of such a holocrystalline rock. By definition, granite is a rock with at least 20% quartz. The term granitic means granite-like and is applied to granite and a group of igneous rocks with similar textures and slight variations in composition. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a texture is known as a granite porphyry. Granitoid is a general, descriptive field term for lighter-colored, coarse-grained igneous rocks, petrographic examination is required for identification of specific types of granitoids. The extrusive igneous rock equivalent of granite is rhyolite, Granite is nearly always massive, hard and tough, and therefore it has gained widespread use throughout human history, and more recently as a construction stone. The average density of granite is between 2.65 and 2.75 g/cm3, its compressive strength usually lies above 200 MPa, and its viscosity near STP is 3–6 •1019 Pa·s. The melting temperature of dry granite at ambient pressure is 1215–1260 °C, it is reduced in the presence of water. Granite has poor primary permeability, but strong secondary permeability, true granite according to modern petrologic convention contains both plagioclase and alkali feldspars. When a granitoid is devoid or nearly devoid of plagioclase, the rock is referred to as alkali feldspar granite, when a granitoid contains less than 10% orthoclase, it is called tonalite, pyroxene and amphibole are common in tonalite. A granite containing both muscovite and biotite micas is called a binary or two-mica granite, two-mica granites are typically high in potassium and low in plagioclase, and are usually S-type granites or A-type granites. A worldwide average of the composition of granite, by weight percent, based on 2485 analyses. Much of it was intruded during the Precambrian age, it is the most abundant basement rock that underlies the relatively thin veneer of the continents. Outcrops of granite tend to form tors and rounded massifs, granites sometimes occur in circular depressions surrounded by a range of hills, formed by the metamorphic aureole or hornfels. Granite often occurs as small, less than 100 km² stock masses
12.
Packsaddle Mountain (Llano County, Texas)
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In 1873 it was the site of the Packsaddle Mountain Fight, the last major Native American battle in the area. The mountain is now part of a ranch called Packsaddle Ranch. It is thought that the Spanish mined the mountain for gold prior to the Texas Revolution, prospecting on Packsaddle Mountain renewed interest in gold mining in Llano County in the 1920s, but with no lasting result. The mountain was the site of the Packsaddle Mountain Fight with Texas Native Americans on August 4,1873 and was the last major Native american battle in the area. The fight on Packsaddle Mountain was precipitated when a woman from the Moss Ranch came into the house with an arrow sticking out of her side. A party of eight ranchers, including W. B. Moss and they found some twenty-one Native Americans encamped on Packsaddle Mountain. In the ensuing fight at least three Native Americans were killed and three ranchers wounded, the Texas state historical marker reads Two and one half miles east on the Packsaddle Mountain, in a battle fought August 4,1873, Captain J. R. Moss, Stephen B. Moss, Eli Lloyd, Arch Martin, Pink Ayers, E. D. Harrington, the last Native American battle in this region. At an elevation of 1,628 feet, the higher of the two summits rises 650 feet above Highway 71, local topography ranges from flat to rolling to steep, with local escarpments, covered with soils ranging from shallow and stony to deep, fine, sandy loam. Vegetation consists primarily of stands of live oak and Ashe juniper
13.
Kingsland, Texas
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Kingsland is a census-designated place in Llano County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,030 at the 2010 census, Texas Ranch to Market Road 1431 runs through the community. Kingsland is located at 30°40′02″N 98°26′41″W, the town is at the confluence of the Colorado and the Llano rivers, which combine to form Lake Lyndon B. Johnson. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has an area of 9.8 sq mi. As of the census of 2000,4,584 people,2,103 households, the population density was 509.4 people per square mile. There were 2,803 housing units at a density of 311. 5/sq mi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 95. 66% White,0. 13% African American,0. 31% Native American,0. 52% Asian,0. 02% Pacific Islander,2. 31% from other races, and 1. 05% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 5. 89% of the population, about 32. 4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20. 8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the family size was 2.64. In the CDP, the population was distributed as 17. 4% under the age of 18,5. 3% from 18 to 24,19. 6% from 25 to 44,24. 9% from 45 to 64, the median age was 51 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males, for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $29,615, males had a median income of $27,264 versus $19,255 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $18,220, about 6. 8% of families and 12. 2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21. 5% of those under age 18 and 9. 6% of those age 65 or over. The house where The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was filmed is located here and has been restored as a restaurant, also a favorite location is The Slab, where the road traverses the clear Llano River as it crosses over granite slabs and boulders. Both residents and tourists come to the slab to bask in the warm sun, Kingsland is served by the Llano Independent School District, and is the location of Packsaddle Elementary School. High and High-school aged youth are bussed to Llano Jr, High and Llano High School,18 miles away in Llano, TX. Central Texas Electric Cooperative Kingsland from the Handbook of Texas Online Kingsland Current newspaper Kingsland Masonic Lodge #1424 Newsletter Kingsland Chamber of Commerce City-Data. com
14.
Llano Uplift
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The Llano Uplift is a roughly circular geologic dome of Precambrian rock, primarily granite, in Central Texas in the United States. It is located in the region of the Edwards Plateau. The region is characterized by a central exposure of Precambrian granite, surrounded by a ring of gneiss and schist and this area is rimmed by limestone ridges. The Llano Uplift is best known for its large, protruding rock formations, the area includes several major quarries like Granite Mountain that mine the distinctive pink granite. Further, the contains the only known deposits of llanite. However, the exposures of Precambrian rock are located at the lowest surface elevations of the region. The origin of the Town Mountain granite--tightly-dated to late Mesoproterozoic times--is a minor mystery, the ancient faulting that produced the Llano Uplift is believed to be related to that which produced the Marathon Uplift in West Texas. Both may have formed around the time of the Ouachita orogeny. The Llano Uplift is ancient, with parts being over a billion years old. Several gold mines operated in this area, the most famous of which is the Heath mine, some minerals that have come out of the mines include quartz, pyrite, and schorl. Road cuts and creeks provide more samples of found in this area, with Texas renowned blue topaz. Various iron and copper minerals have been found, especially hematite and malachite
15.
Granite dome
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Granite domes are domical hills composed of granite with bare rock exposed over most of the surface. Generally, domical features such as these are known as bornhardts, bornhardts can form in any type of plutonic rock but are typically composed of granite and granitic gneiss. As granitic plutons cool kilometers below the earth’s surface minerals in the rock crystallize under uniform confining pressure, erosion brings the rock closer to earth’s surface and the pressure from above the rock decreases, as a result the rock fractures. These fractures are known as joints, or sheet fractures. These sheets of rock peel off the surface and in certain conditions develop domical structures. Additional theories on the origin of granite domes involve scarp-retreat and tectonic uplift, sheet fractures are arcuate fractures defining slabs of rock that range from 0.5 to 10 meters thick. They normally form in parallel to the Earth’s surface but may form in convex-upward or concave-upward sets. There are several explanations for the formation of sheet fractures. The most popular hypothesis is that they are the result of expansion, there is evidence that supports this hypothesis when looking at granitic landforms that have sheet fractures. Granite forms deep in the Earth’s crust under conditions of ambient or lithostatic pressure. In order for the granite to be exposed at the Earth’s surface a considerable thickness of rock must be eroded and this unloading allows the granite to expand radially and sheet fractures form tangentially to the radial stress. This indicates that the shape of the land surface determines the geometry of the sheet fractures. One hypothesis is that granite domes are uplifted blocks and this is the case with some granite domes but the fracture related exfoliation joints are what controls the steep slopes. Another theory that regards isolated bornhardts is that they remain after long-distance scarp recession, moisture related weathering is what causes scarp recession. In the case of granite in a dissected landscape the dry granite high on a slope remains stable, granite below this is more easily weathered and eroded because it has been exposed to moisture and has weathered
16.
Enchanted Rock
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Enchanted Rock is an enormous pink granite pluton batholith located in the Llano Uplift approximately 17 miles north of Fredericksburg, Texas and 24 miles south of Llano, Texas, United States. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, which includes Enchanted Rock and surrounding land, Enchanted Rock covers approximately 640 acres and rises approximately 425 feet above the surrounding terrain to elevation of 1,825 feet above sea level. It is the largest such pink granite monadnock in the United States, Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, a part of the Texas state park system, includes 1,644 acres. Designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1936, the prominent granite dome is visible for many miles in the surrounding basin of the Llano Uplift. The weathered dome, standing above the plain is known to geologists as a monadnock. Archaeological evidence indicates human visitation at the going back at least 11,000 years. According to the book The Enchanted Rock published in 1999 by Ira Kennedy These hunter-gatherers had flint-tipped spears, fire, with these resources, some twelve thousand years ago, the first Texans became the wellspring of Plains Indian culture. On the basis of evidence, human habitation at Enchanted Rock can be traced back at least 10,000 years. Paleo-Indian projectile points, or arrowheads, 11–12,000 years old have been found in the upstream and downstream from The Rock. The oldest authenticated projectile point found within the present day park is a Plainview point type, the rock has been the subject of numerous geological surveys and paintings. Folklore of local Tonkawa, Apache and Comanche tribes ascribes magical and spiritual powers to the rock, while attempting to hide from Anglo settlers in the area, the natives would hide on the top two tiers of the rock, where they were invisible from the ground below. The first European to visit the area was probably Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca in 1536, the Tonkawa, who inhabited the area in the 16th century, believed that ghost fires flickered at the top of the dome. In particular they heard unexplained creaking and groaning, which attribute to the rocks night-time contraction after being heated by the sun during the day. The name Enchanted Rock derives from Spanish and Anglo-Texan interpretations of such legends and related folklore, a plaque formerly embedded in Enchanted Rock near the top, but now removed to a kiosk below, reads, From its summit in 1841, Captain John C. Hays, while surrounded by Comanche Indians who cut him off from his ranging company repulsed the whole band, vernal pools, ecologically threatened depressions of flora and fauna adapted to harsh environments, contain fragile invertebrate fairy shrimp. Other wildlife includes bats, ringtails, squirrels, and fox, a wide variety of lizards, including the Texas horned lizard also make the Enchanted Rock area their home. Park activities include caving, hiking, primitive camping, rock climbing and picnicking. The Summit Trail is the most popular hiking path, the Granite Gripper is an annual rock climbing competition that acts as a fund raiser for park conservation through the Friends of Enchanted Rock
17.
Rock (geology)
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Rock or stone is a natural substance, a solid aggregate of one or more minerals or mineraloids. For example, granite, a rock, is a combination of the minerals quartz, feldspar. The Earths outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock, rock has been used by mankind throughout history. The minerals and metals found in rocks have been essential to human civilization, three major groups of rocks are defined, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. The scientific study of rocks is called petrology, which is a component of geology. At a granular level, rocks are composed of grains of minerals, the aggregate minerals forming the rock are held together by chemical bonds. The types and abundance of minerals in a rock are determined by the manner in which the rock was formed, many rocks contain silica, a compound of silicon and oxygen that forms 74. 3% of the Earths crust. This material forms crystals with other compounds in the rock, the proportion of silica in rocks and minerals is a major factor in determining their name and properties. Rocks are geologically classified according to such as mineral and chemical composition, permeability, the texture of the constituent particles. These physical properties are the end result of the processes that formed the rocks, over the course of time, rocks can transform from one type into another, as described by the geological model called the rock cycle. These events produce three general classes of rock, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic, the three classes of rocks are subdivided into many groups. However, there are no hard and fast boundaries between allied rocks, hence the definitions adopted in establishing rock nomenclature merely correspond to more or less arbitrary selected points in a continuously graduated series. Igneous rock forms through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava and this magma can be derived from partial melts of pre-existing rocks in either a planets mantle or crust. Typically, the melting of rocks is caused by one or more of three processes, an increase in temperature, a decrease in pressure, or a change in composition, igneous rocks are divided into two main categories, plutonic rock and volcanic. Plutonic or intrusive rocks result when magma cools and crystallizes slowly within the Earths crust, a common example of this type is granite. Volcanic or extrusive rocks result from magma reaching the surface either as lava or fragmental ejecta, the chemical abundance and the rate of cooling of magma typically forms a sequence known as Bowens reaction series. Most major igneous rocks are found along this scale, about 64. 7% of the Earths crust by volume consists of igneous rocks, making it the most plentiful category. Of these, 66% are basalts and gabbros, 16% are granite, only 0. 6% are syenites and 0. 3% peridotites and dunites
18.
Flash flood
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A flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying areas, washes, rivers, dry lakes and basins. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a thunderstorm, hurricane, tropical storm. Flash floods may occur after the collapse of an ice or debris dam, or a human structure such as a man-made dam. Flash floods are distinguished from regular floods by a timescale of less than six hours, the water that is temporarily available is often used by foliage with rapid germination and short growth cycles, and by specially adapted animal life. Flash floods can occur under several types of conditions, Flash flooding occurs when it rains rapidly on saturated soil or dry soil that has poor absorption ability. The runoff collects in gullies and streams and, as they join to form larger volumes, often forms a fast flowing front of water, in areas on or near volcanoes, flash floods have also occurred after eruptions, when glaciers have been melted by the intense heat. Flash floods are known to occur in the highest mountain ranges of the United States and are common in the arid plains of the Southwestern United States. Flash flooding can also be caused by extensive rainfall released by hurricanes and other tropical storms, human activities can also cause flash floods to occur. When dams fail, a quantity of water can be released. Many people tend to underestimate the dangers of flash floods, what makes flash floods most dangerous is their sudden nature and fast-moving water. A vehicle provides little to no protection against being swept away, it may make people overconfident, more than half of the fatalities attributed to flash floods are people swept away in vehicles when trying to cross flooded intersections. As little as 2 feet of water is enough to carry away most SUV-sized vehicles. The U. S. National Weather Service reported in 2005 that, using a national 30-year average, more people die yearly in floods,127 on average, than by lightning, tornadoes, in deserts, flash floods can be particularly deadly for several reasons. First, storms in arid regions are infrequent, but they can deliver an enormous amount of water in a short time. Second, these rains often fall on poorly absorbent and often clay-like soil, in fact, in some areas, desert roads frequently cross dry river and creek beds without bridges. From the drivers perspective, there may be clear weather, when a river unexpectedly forms ahead of or around the vehicle in a matter of seconds. Finally, the lack of rain to clear water channels may cause flash floods in deserts to be headed by large amounts of debris, such as rocks, branches. 1889, Johnstown Flood, Pennsylvania, U. S. more than 2,200 people dead 1903, Heppner Flood of 1903, Oregon, United States,247 dead, 25% of the city 1938, Los Angeles Flood of 1938, California, U. S. S
19.
Yucca
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Yucca is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. Its 40-50 species are notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and they are native to the hot and dry parts of the Americas and the Caribbean. Early reports of the species were confused with the cassava, consequently, Linnaeus mistakenly derived the generic name from the Taíno word for the latter, yuca. It is commonly found growing in rural graveyards and when in bloom the cluster of flowers on a thin stalk appear as floating apparitions, the natural distribution range of the genus Yucca covers a vast area of the Americas. The genus is represented throughout Mexico and extends into Guatemala and it also extends to the north through Baja California in the west, northwards into the southwestern United States, through the drier central states as far north as southern Alberta in Canada. Yucca is also native to the lowlands and dry scrub of the Gulf. Yuccas have adapted to an equally vast range of climatic and ecological conditions, Yucca species are the host plants for the caterpillars of the yucca giant-skipper, ursine giant-skipper, and Streckers giant-skipper. Species of yucca have adapted to a variety of climates in mountains, coastal sand, grasslands and prairies as well as rocky badlands. Most species of yucca have thick, waxy skins to prevent loss of water through evaporation and they frequently store water in thick roots. Some yuccas store water in thick, fleshy leaves, some desert plants have an oily coating on their leaves or pads that traps moisture, thereby reducing water loss. Some species drop their leaves during drought to prevent the loss of water through transpiration, dead leaves of yucca collecting against the trunk of the trees help protect it from the sun. The channeled leaves of a yucca direct dew and rainfall water to their roots, yuccas are said to be fire adapted, that is, they grow and spread vigorously after wildfires. Yuccas are widely grown as ornamental plants in gardens, many species also bear edible parts, including fruits, seeds, flowers, flowering stems, and more rarely roots. References to yucca root as food often arise from confusion with the similarly pronounced, roots of soaptree yucca are high in saponins and are used as a shampoo in Native American rituals. Dried yucca leaves and trunk fibers have a low ignition temperature, in rural Appalachian areas, species such as Yucca filamentosa are referred to as meat hangers. The tough, fibrous leaves with their tips were used to puncture meat. Yuccas are widely grown as architectural plants providing a dramatic accent to landscape design and they tolerate a range of conditions, but are best grown in full sun in subtropical or mild temperate areas. In gardening centres and horticultural catalogues they are grouped with other architectural plants such as cordylines
20.
Opuntia
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Opuntia is a genus in the cactus family, Cactaceae. The most common species is the Indian fig opuntia. Most culinary uses of the prickly pear refer to this species. Prickly pears are also known as tuna, sabra, nopal from the Nahuatl word nōpalli for the pads, or nostle, from the Nahuatl word nōchtli for the fruit, or paddle cactus. The genus is named for the Ancient Greek city of Opus, where, according to Theophrastus, like all true cactus species, prickly pears are native only to the Americas, but they have been introduced to other parts of the globe. Prickly pear species are found in abundance in Mexico, especially in the central and western regions, Prickly pear cactus is also native to coastal beach scrub environments and low open areas of the East Coast from Florida to Connecticut/Long Island. Prickly pears also produce a fruit, commonly eaten in Mexico and in the Mediterranean region, known as tuna, the fruit can be red, wine-red, green, or yellow-orange. The first introduction of prickly pears into Australia is ascribed to Governor Philip, brought from Brazil to Sydney, prickly pear grew in Sydney, New South Wales, where they were rediscovered in a farmers garden in 1839. They appear to have spread from New South Wales and caused great damage in the eastern states. In the Galápagos Islands, six different species are found, O. echios, O. galapageia, O. helleri, O. insularis, O. saxicola and these species are divided into 14 different varieties, most of these are confined to one or a few islands. For this reason, they have described as an excellent example of adaptive radiation. On the whole, islands with tall, trunked varieties have giant tortoises, Prickly pears are a prime source of food for the common giant tortoises in the Galápagos islands so they are important in the food web. Charles Darwin was the first to note that these cacti have thigmotactic anthers and this movement can be seen by gently poking the anthers of an open Opuntia flower. The same trait has evolved convergently in other cacti, chollas, now recognized to belong to the distinct genus Cylindropuntia, are distinguished by having cylindrical, rather than flattened, stem segments with large barbed spines. The barbed spines can remain embedded in the skin, causing discomfort, collectively, opuntias, chollas, and related plants are sometimes called opuntiads. When Carl Linnaeus published Species Plantarum in 1753 – the starting point for botanical nomenclature – he placed all the species of cactus known to him in one genus, Cactus. In 1754, the Scottish botanist Philip Miller divided cacti into several genera and he distinguished the genus largely on the form of its flowers and fruits. Also, not all species listed here may actually belong in this genus, – quipá Opuntia insularis Opuntia invicta syn. O. leptocarpa MacKensen, O. tenuispina Engelm
21.
Dasylirion wheeleri
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Dasylirion wheeleri is a moderate to slow-growing evergreen shrub with a single unbranched trunk up to 40 cm thick growing to 1.5 m tall, though often recumbent on the ground. The leaf blade is slender, 35-100 cm long, gray-green, the leaves radiate from the center of the plants apex in all directions. The flowering stem grows above the foliage, to a height of 5 m tall, the stem is topped by a long plume of straw-colored small flowers about 2.5 cm long with six tepals. The color of the flower determinate the gender of the plant, being mostly white colored for males, the fruit is an oval dry capsule 5-8 mm long, containing a single seed. D. wheeleri is grown as a plant, valued in xeriscaping. As it does not tolerate extended frosts, in regions it is usually grown under glass. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Societys Award of Garden Merit, the alcoholic drink sotol, the northern cousin to tequila and mezcal, is made from the fermented inner cores of the desert spoon. It is the drink of the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Durango. It was also used by the natives of the region for food and its flower stalk can be used as a fire plow. The Tarahumara and Pima Bajo peoples of the Sierra Madre Occidental of Chihuahua weave baskets from the leaves after they strip off the spines from the leaf margins and they also employ the expanded leaf bases in making large artificial flowers as holiday decorations. Flora of North America, Dasylirion wheeleri, Range Map USDA Plant Profile, Dasylirion wheeleri Pictures of Dasylirion wheeleri
22.
Juniperus ashei
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It grows up to 10 metres tall, rarely 15 metres, and provides erosion control and year-round shade for wildlife and livestock. The feathery foliage grows in dense sprays, bright green in color, the leaves are scale-like,2 to 5 millimetres long, and produced on rounded shoots. It is a species, with separate male and female plants. The seed cones are round,3 to 5 millimetres long and they contain 1-2 seeds, which are dispersed when birds eat the cones and pass the seeds in their droppings. The male cones are 3–5 mm long, yellow, turning brown after pollen release in December to February, the pollen causes a severe allergic reaction for some people in the winter, and people who are allergic to Ashe juniper are also often allergic to the related Juniperus virginiana. Consequently, what begins as an allergy in the winter may extend into spring since the pollination of J. virginiana follows that of J. ashei, Ashe juniper is sometimes known in the area as mountain cedar, and locals usually refer to the allergy as cedar fever. Left untreated, symptoms of cedar fever may develop into a severe infection such as pneumonia. The wood is naturally rot resistant and provides raw material for fence posts, posts cut from old-growth Ashe junipers have been known to last in the ground for more than 50 years. Over one hundred years ago, most old-growth Ashe junipers were cut and used not only for fence posts, although Ashe Juniper is native to central Texas, it is considered a weed by many landowners. Some believe that it captures large amounts of water, denying it to plants, thus causing them to die out and allowing the Ashe Juniper to take over. Since with a constant water supply they are fast growing, this causes the land to become more valuable due to its improved nature. Ranchers also consider it to be a pest plant because overgrazing by cattle selectively removes competition when they avoid the bitter-tasting juniper seedlings and this allows for a high rate of juniper establishment and reduces ranch yields. Ashe juniper does not resprout when cut, but its cousin, the junipers that establish in overgrazed lands are young and vigorous, dense and multi-trunked, and shallow rooted. This makes it difficult for remaining grasses to compete for water, especially if they are still being grazed, the presence of these dense, shallow-rooted shrubs also means less water reaches the soil, subsurface flows and deep drainage. However, their dense canopies and thick litter do reduce overland flows compared to grazed grasses, old-growth Ashe junipers are different in that they have true trunks, use less water, are slow growing, less foliated and have very deep roots. Wilcox and Keith Owens are currently studying how these deeper roots may facilitate the drainage of water down trunk stemflows. Dr. Owens reports that for one inch of rain. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, international Union for Conservation of Nature
23.
Quercus fusiformis
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Quercus fusiformis, commonly known as escarpment live oak, plateau live oak, or plateau oak, is an evergreen or nearly evergreen tree. Its native range includes the Quartz Mountains and Wichita Mountains in southwestern Oklahoma, through Texas, to the Mexican states of Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Quercus fusiformis is an evergreen tree in the white oak section of the genus Quercus. It is distinguished from Quercus virginiana most easily by the acorns and it is also a smaller tree, not exceeding 1 meter in trunk diameter, with more erect branching and a less wide crown. Like Q. virginiana, its magnificent, stately form and unparalleled longevity has endeared it to generations of residents where it is native, escarpment live oak is typically found on dry sites, unlike southern live oak, which prefers moister conditions. The tree, especially the Quartz Mountains variety, is accepted to be the hardiest evergreen oak. For this reason the tree has become popular within the industry for its beauty, ability to endure urban conditions. It is prevalently used for purposes in Texas and southern Oklahoma. United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile of Quercus fusiformis Texas Native Plants Database, Texas A&M University, lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas at Austin photo of herbarium specimen collected in Nuevo León in 2003
24.
Balcones Fault
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The Balcones Fault zone is made up of many smaller features, including normal faults, grabens, and horsts. One of the features is the Mount Bonnell Fault. The location of the zone may be related to the Ouachita Mountains. Although long since eroded away in Texas, the roots of ancient mountains still exist. These buried Ouachita Mountains may still be an area of weakness that becomes a site for faulting when stress exists in the Earths crust. The Balcones Fault has remained inactive for nearly 15 million years and this activity was related to subsidence of the Texas Coastal Plain, most likely from the large amount of sediment deposited on it by Texas rivers. The Balcones Fault is in one of the zones for earthquakes in the United States. Subterranean features such as Wonder Cave and numerous other caves are found along the fault zone. Many cities are located along this fault zone
25.
San Antonio
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San Antonio, officially the City of San Antonio, is the seventh-most populated city in the United States and the second-most populous city in the state of Texas, with a population of 1,409,019. It was the fastest growing of the top 10 largest cities in the United States from 2000 to 2010, the city straddles South Texas and Central Texas and is on the southwestern corner of an urban megaregion known as the Texas Triangle. San Antonio serves as the seat of Bexar County, recent annexations have extended the citys boundaries into Medina County and, though for only a very tiny area near the city of Garden Ridge, into Comal County. Due to its placement, the city has characteristics of other urban centers in which there are sparsely populated areas. San Antonio is the center of the San Antonio–New Braunfels Metropolitan Statistical Area, growth along the Interstate 35 and Interstate 10 corridors to the north, west and east make it likely that the metropolitan area will continue to expand. San Antonio was named for Saint Anthony of Padua, whose feast day is on June 13, the city contains five 18th-century Spanish frontier missions, including The Alamo and San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, which were designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2015. Other notable attractions include the River Walk, the Tower of the Americas, the Alamo Bowl, the city is home to the five-time NBA champion San Antonio Spurs and hosts the annual San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, one of the largest such events in the country. The U. S. Kelly Air Force Base operated out of San Antonio until 2001, the remaining portions of the base were developed as Port San Antonio, an industrial/business park and aerospace complex. San Antonio is home to six Fortune 500 companies and the South Texas Medical Center, at the time of European encounter, Payaya Indians lived near the San Antonio River Valley in the San Pedro Springs area, calling the vicinity Yanaguana, meaning refreshing waters. In 1691, a group of Spanish Catholic explorers and missionaries came upon the river and Payaya settlement on June 13 and they named the place and river San Antonio in his honor. It was years before any Spanish settlement took place, father Antonio de Olivares visited the site in 1709, and he was determined to found a mission and civilian settlement there. He directed Martin de Alarcón, the governor of Coahuila and Texas, differences between Alarcón and Olivares resulted in delays, and construction did not start until 1718. The families who clustered around the presidio and mission formed the beginnings of Villa de Béjar, on May 1, the governor transferred ownership of the Mission San Antonio de Valero to Fray Antonio de Olivares. On May 5,1718 he commissioned the Presidio San Antonio de Béxar on the west side of the San Antonio River, one-fourth league from the mission. On February 14,1719, the Marquis of San Miguel de Aguayo proposed to the king of Spain that 400 families be transported from the Canary Islands, Galicia, or Havana to populate the province of Texas. By June 1730,25 families had reached Cuba, and 10 families had sent to Veracruz before orders from Spain came to stop the re-settlement. Under the leadership of Juan Leal Goraz, the group marched overland from Veracruz to the Presidio San Antonio de Béxar, due to marriages along the way, the party now included 15 families, a total of 56 persons. They joined the community established in 1718
26.
Austin, Texas
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Austin is the capital of the U. S. state of Texas and the seat of Travis County. It is the 11th-most populous city in the U. S. and it is the fastest growing large city in the United States and the second most populous capital city after Phoenix, Arizona. As of the U. S. Census Bureaus July 1,2015 estimate and it is the cultural and economic center of the Austin–Round Rock metropolitan area, which had an estimated population of 2,056,405 as of July 1,2016. In the 1830s, pioneers began to settle the area in central Austin along the Colorado River, in 1839, the site was officially chosen to replace Houston as the new capital of the Republic of Texas and was incorporated under the name Waterloo. Shortly thereafter, the name was changed to Austin in honor of Stephen F. Austin, the Father of Texas and the republics first secretary of state. The city subsequently grew throughout the 19th century and became a center for government and education with the construction of the Texas State Capitol and the University of Texas at Austin. After a lull in growth from the Great Depression, Austin resumed its development into a city and, by the 1980s, it emerged as a center for technology. A number of Fortune 500 companies have headquarters or regional offices in Austin, including Amazon. com, cisco, eBay, Google, IBM, Intel, Oracle Corporation, Texas Instruments, 3M, and Whole Foods Market. Dells worldwide headquarters is located in nearby Round Rock, a suburb of Austin, residents of Austin are known as Austinites. They include a mix of government employees, college students, musicians, high-tech workers, blue-collar workers. The city also adopted Silicon Hills as a nickname in the 1990s due to an influx of technology. In the late 1800s, Austin was known as the City of the Violet Crown because of the glow of light across the hills just after sunset. Even today, many Austin businesses use the term Violet Crown in their name, Austin is known as a clean-air city for its stringent no-smoking ordinances that apply to all public places and buildings, including restaurants and bars. The FBI ranked Austin as the second-safest major city in the U. S. for the year 2012, U. S. News & World Report named Austin the best place to live in the U. S. in 2017. Austin, Travis County and Williamson County have been the site of habitation since at least 9200 BC. When settlers arrived from Europe, the Tonkawa tribe inhabited the area, the Comanches and Lipan Apaches were also known to travel through the area. Spanish colonists, including the Espinosa-Olivares-Aguirre expedition, traveled through the area for centuries, in 1730, three missions from East Texas were combined and reestablished as one mission on the south side of the Colorado River, in what is now Zilker Park, in Austin. The mission was in area for only about seven months
27.
Spring (hydrology)
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A spring is any natural situation where water flows from an aquifer to the Earths surface. It is a component of the hydrosphere, a spring may be the result of karst topography where surface water has infiltrated the Earths surface, becoming part of the area groundwater. The groundwater then travels through a network of cracks and fissure—openings ranging from intergranular spaces to large caves, the water eventually emerges from below the surface, in the form of a karst spring. The forcing of the spring to the surface can be the result of an aquifer in which the recharge area of the spring water table rests at a higher elevation than that of the outlet. Spring water forced to the surface by elevated sources are artesian wells and this is possible even if the outlet is in the form of a 300-foot-deep cave. In this case the cave is used like a hose by the higher elevated area of groundwater to exit through the lower elevation opening. Non-artesian springs may simply flow from a higher elevation through the earth to a lower elevation, still other springs are the result of pressure from an underground source in the earth, in the form of volcanic activity. The result can be water at elevated temperature such as a hot spring, the action of the groundwater continually dissolves permeable bedrock such as limestone and dolomite, creating vast cave systems. The term seep refers to springs with small flow rates in which the water has filtered through permeable earth. Fracture springs, discharge from faults, joints, or fissures in the earth, tubular springs, in which the water flows from underground caverns. Spring discharge, or resurgence, is determined by the springs recharge basin, factors that affect the recharge include the size of the area in which groundwater is captured, the amount of precipitation, the size of capture points, and the size of the spring outlet. Water may leak into the system from many sources including permeable earth, sinkholes. In some cases entire creeks seemingly disappear as the water sinks into the ground via the stream bed, grand Gulf State Park in Missouri is an example of an entire creek vanishing into the groundwater system. The water emerges 9 miles away, forming some of the discharge of Mammoth Spring in Arkansas, human activity may also affect a springs discharge--withdrawal of groundwater reduces the water pressure in an aquifer, decreasing the volume of flow. Springs are often classified by the volume of the water they discharge, the largest springs are called first-magnitude, defined as springs that discharge water at a rate of at least 2800 liters or 100 cubic feet of water per second. The scale for spring flow is as follows, Minerals become dissolved in the water as it moves through the underground rocks and this may give the water flavor and even carbon dioxide bubbles, depending on the nature of the geology through which it passes. This is why spring water is bottled and sold as mineral water. Springs that contain significant amounts of minerals are sometimes called mineral springs, Springs that contain large amounts of dissolved sodium salts, mostly sodium carbonate, are called soda springs
28.
Edwards Aquifer
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The Edwards Aquifer is one of the most prolific artesian aquifers in the world. Although between 25 and 55 million acre-feet of water may be present in the Edwards aquifer, only a portion of this water is practically or legally available for use. Storage is the difference between recharge and discharge from the Edwards Aquifer, annual storage can be negative during dry years with high water use and positive during wet years with relatively low water use. A long-term negative imbalance between recharge and discharge in an aquifer may lead to the depletion of the water in the aquifer. The average storage during this period was 37,000 acre-feet per year, Water enters the Edwards Aquifer in two ways, it either falls as precipitation and percolates directly into the aquifer, or it enters as streamflow flowing through the Recharge Zone. The Recharge Zone occurs along the Balcones Fault Zone where the Edwards Plateau drops steeply, here, highly fractured limestones are exposed at the Earths surface, which allow rain and streamflow to infiltrate directly into the aquifer. The Contributing Zone, which occurs on 5,400 mi2 of the Edwards Plateau, collects precipitation, major streams draining the Contributing Zone include Cibolo Creek, Helotes Creek, Barton Creek, and Onion Creek. Water is unable to percolate into the aquifer in the Contributing Zone because much of the geology is impermeable. Average precipitation in the region is around 30 inches per year, only precipitation that falls on the contributing area is available for infiltration. The average annual rate between 1934 and 2013 is estimated to be 699,000 acre-feet, or only 6% of the total inputs to the system. Water from the Edwards Aquifer is discharged in two ways, it is pumped from wells or it leaves as stream outflow. The Edwards Aquifer Authority and the United States Geological Survey have monitored annual well, annual well discharge - the sum of all well discharges in a year - ranged from 219,300 acre-feet to 542,500 acre-feet between 1955 and 2012. The average well discharge for this period was approximately 371,667 acre-feet, annual spring discharge ranged from 69,800 acre-feet to 802,800 acre-feet between 1955 and 2012. The average spring discharge for this period was approximately 392,991 acre-feet, during dry years, more water is discharged from wells while during wet years, more water is discharged from springs. These are used to estimate the levels of groundwater withdrawal throughout the aquifer. Aquifer storage is correlated with water levels recorded in the J-17 Bexar index well which serves as the official monitoring well in the Edwards Aquifer. The J-17 well, is located in the artisanal confined Edwards Aquifer at a location AY-68-37-203 based on the latitude and longitude, Water levels have been recorded in the J-17 well since the 1910s, and is used to generalize the entire aquifer system. Changes in aquifer storage are used to estimate recharge rates, in the Edwards aquifer, groundwater flow models have been developed for the San Antonio and Barton Springs aquifer segments in the San Antonio region of Texas
29.
San Marcos, Texas
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San Marcos is a city in the U. S. state of Texas, within the Austin–Round Rock–San Marcos metropolitan area. The city is on the Interstate 35 corridor between Austin and San Antonio and is the seat of Hays County, the city limits extend into Caldwell and Guadalupe Counties, as well. Its population was 44,894 in 2010, in 2015 the U. S. Census Bureau estimated the population at 60,684 Founded on the banks of the San Marcos River, the area is thought to be among the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the Americas. San Marcos is home to Texas State University and the Meadows Center for Water, in 2010, San Marcos was listed in Business Weeks fourth annual survey of the Best Places to Raise your Kids. In 2013 and 2014, the United States Census Bureau named San Marcos the fastest-growing city in the United States, in December 2013, San Marcos was named #9 on Business Insiders list of the 10 Most Exciting Small Cities In America. San Marcos is in Central Texas and it is 30 miles southwest of Austin and 51 miles northeast of San Antonio. According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2010, the city had an area of 30.3 square miles, of which 30.2 square miles was land and 0.1 square miles. Interstate 35 is the highway through the city, with access from Exits 199 through 208. The city is situated on the Balcones Fault, the boundary between the Hill Country to the west and the Coastal Plains to the east. Along the fault, many springs emerge, such as San Marcos Springs, the eastern part of the city is blackland prairie. The western part consists of forested or grassy rolling hills, often marked with cacti, the San Marcos River and the Blanco River, part of the Guadalupe watershed, flow through the city, along with Cottonwood Creek, Purgatory Creek, Sink Creek, and Willow Springs Creek. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters, annual precipitation is about 34 inches, almost all is rain. According to the Köppen climate classification system, San Marcos has a subtropical climate. For primary and secondary education, San Marcos is served by the San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District, San Marcos High School is the districts sole high school. San Marcos Baptist Academy, a high school, is in the city. Texas State University is a four year university in town, the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State is one of the four extant body farms in the United States and the largest such forensics research facility in the world. Along with its access to air travel, the city has ready access to several freight routes and IH-35 and IH-10. The access points of the area provide a route to major cities in Texas such as Austin, San Antonio, Dallas
30.
New Braunfels, Texas
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New Braunfels is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U. S. state of Texas. It is the seat of Comal County and is a city of the San Antonio–New Braunfels metropolitan statistical area. The citys population was 57,740 at the 2010 census, New Braunfels was established in 1845 by Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, Commissioner General of the Adelsverein, also known as the Noblemens Society. Prince Solms named the settlement in honor of his home of Solms-Braunfels, the Adelsverein organized hundreds of people in Germany to settle in Texas. Immigrants from Germany began arriving at Galveston in July 1844, most then traveled by ship to Indianola in December 1844, and began the overland journey to the Fisher-Miller land grant purchased by Prince Solms. Prince Solms bought two leagues of land from Rafael Garza and Maria Antonio Veramendi Garza for $1,111.00. The land was located northeast of San Antonio on El Camino Real de los Tejas and had the strong freshwater Comal Springs, known as Las Fontanas and it was about halfway between Indianola and the lower portions of the Fisher-Miller land grant. The first settlers forded the Guadalupe River on Good Friday, March 21,1845, as the spring of 1845 progressed, the settlers built the Zinkenburg, a fort named for Adelsverein civil engineer Nicolaus Zink, divided the land, and began building homes and planting crops. Prince Solms would also lay the cornerstone for the Sophienburg, a permanent fort, in 1844, Prince Solms was so disillusioned with the logistics of the colonization that he asked the Vereins to remove him as Commissioner-General and appoint a successor. When John O. Meusebach arrived, the finances were in disarray, due in part to Prince Solms lack of business experience, to a larger degree, the financial situation happened because the Adelsverein was an organization of noblemen with no practical backgrounds at running businesses. They were on the side of the world and did not witness the situation with which both Prince Solms and Meusebach were dealing. Henry Francis Fisher had not supplied transport and supplies for which the Verein advanced money to him, Meusebach found Prince Solms in Galveston trying to return to Germany, detained by authorities for unpaid bills. Meusebach made good on the debts, so Prince Solms could depart, according to Nicolaus Zink, Prince Solms had planned to establish a German feudal state by secretly bringing in immigrants and placing them in military fortresses. Meusebach, who had renounced his own title of nobility, took a different approach, Prince Solms, being an officer of the Imperial Army of Austria, had kept a uniformed military unit at the ready in Indianola. Meusebach converted the unit to a more needed work detail. A finance and business structure for the colony was put in place by Meusebach and he also provided for adequate food and shelter for the colonists. On August 11,1845, Hermann Friedrich Seele became the first teacher for the German-English school in New Braunfels, Meusebach established friendly relations with a local tribe of Waco Indians. Upon seeing his reddish-blonde hair, they called him Ma-be-quo-si-to-mu, Chief with the hair of the head
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Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
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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
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Bandera County, Texas
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Bandera County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U. S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the population is 20,485, the county was formed in 1856 from Bexar and Uvalde counties. The county and its seat are named for Bandera Pass, which in turn uses the Spanish word for flag, Bandera County is part of the San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county is officially recognized as the Cowboy Capital of the World by the Texas Legislature,8000 to 4000 BC Earliest human habitation. In the 17th century Native Americans settled including Lipan Apache and later,1841 or 1843 – Battle of Bandera Pass, John Coffee Hays and a troupe of Texas Rangers defeat a large party of Comanche warriors. 1853 John James and Charles S. DeMontel survey and plan the town of Bandera, a. M. Milstead, Thomas Odem, P. D. Saner, and their families camp along the river and begin making cypress shingles, James, Montel and Company build a horse-powered sawmill and open a store. 1855 Sixteen Polish families arrive in Bandera to work in James, august Klappenbach opens the first store and post office. 1856 The legislature marks off Bandera County from portions of Bexar County,1860 Population 399, including 12 slaves. 1880 Sheep and Angora goats become more profitable for Bandera than farming,1920 Cora and Ed Buck began taking boarders at their ranch, beginning the tourist trade in Bandera. 1933 Frontier Times Museum opens to the public,1979 Lost Maples State Natural Area opens to the public. 1982 Eighty-two percent of the land in the county is in farms,1984 Hill Country State Natural Area opens to the public. 2000 The Nature Conservancy purchases 1,400 acres of Love Creek Ranch from Baxter and Carol Adams, creating the Love Creek Preserve. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 798 square miles. Kerr County Kendall County Bexar County Medina County Uvalde County Real County As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 20,485 people residing in the county. 92. 8% were White,0. 8% Native American,0. 5% Black or African American,0. 3% Asian,3. 8% of some other race and 1. 8% of two or more races. 17. 6% were of German,13. 7% English,10. 2% Irish and 10. 1% American ancestry, as of the census of 2000, there were 17,645 people,7,010 households, and 5,061 families residing in the county. The population density was 22 people per square mile, there were 9,503 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile
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Bell County, Texas
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Bell County is a county located in the U. S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 310,235, the county was founded in 1850 and is named for Peter Hansborough Bell, the third governor of Texas. Bell County is part of the Killeen–Temple, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area, in 2010, the center of population of Texas was located in Bell County, near the town of Holland. 1834–1835 Little River becomes part of Robertsons Colony, settlers from Nashville, robertson, families of Captain Goldsby Childers, Robert Davison, John Fulcher, Moses Griffin, John Needham, Michael Reed and his son William Whitaker Reed, William Taylor, and Judge Orville T. Tyler. 1836 The settlements are deserted during the Runaway Scrape, reoccupied, deserted again after the Elmwood Creek Blood Scrape, Texas Ranger George Erath establishes a fort on Little River. 1845 University of Mary Hardin–Baylor founded by the Republic of Texas as “Baylor Female College”,1850 Bell County is formed and named for Texas Governor Peter Hansborough Bell. Population 600 whites –60 black slaves,1859 Last serious Indian raid of the area. 1860 Re-survey of the line between Bell and Milam County, Bell County assumes its present boundaries. 1861 County votes for secession from the Union, 1862–1865 Union sympathizers and Confederate deserters hole up in Camp Safety. 1867 Belton Women’s Commonwealth, the first women’s movement in Central Texas, is formed by Martha McWhirter, the group provides shelter to women in abusive relationships. 1865–1877 Reconstruction in the county is so troubled that Federal troops are quartered in Belton, corruption, lawlessness, and racial divides are rampant. Bell County has a version of the KKK.1875 Miriam A. Ferguson. 1881 Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway, the first railroad to be built in Bell County, renaissance Revival design is by architect Jasper N. Preston and Sons. 1905 The Belton and Temple Interurban electric railway is constructed, 1920’s Ku Klux Klan revived in Bell County. 1925 Miriam A. Ferguson is inaugurated as governor,1933 Miriam A. Ferguson is inaugurated for her second, but non-consecutive, term as governor. 1942 Fort Hood opens as a training base. 1956 Killeen school board votes to integrate local high school,1965 Central Texas College founded in Killeen. 1980 Killeen becomes the largest city in Bell County,1987 Bell County Expo Center opens 1991, October 16 - Lubys shooting - George Jo Hennard Jr. kills 23 people, wounds 20 others, kills himself
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Blanco County, Texas
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Blanco County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U. S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 10,497 and its county seat is Johnson City. The county is named for the Blanco River which traverses the county, the State of Texas formed Blanco County in 1858 from portions of Burnet, Comal, Gillespie and Hays counties. The city of Blanco served as the county seat from 1858 to 1890,1150 AD Indigenous peoples first inhabitants, possible ancestors of the Lipan Apache. 1721 José de Azlor y Virto de Vera names the Blanco River,1826 Benjamin Milam is given a contract to settle 300 families between the Colorado and Guadalupe rivers. 1836 Comanches claim all land in Blanco County,1847 Meusebach–Comanche Treaty 1850s Samuel Ealy Johnson, Sr. grandfather of President Lyndon B. Johnson, and his brother Jesse Thomas Johnson, set up a business in Johnson City. The town is named after their nephew James Polk Johnson, the Johnson family emigrated from Alabama. 1854-1855 Captain James Hughes Callahan and Eli Clemens Hinds become Blancos first white settlers, joseph Bird establishes Birdtown, now Round Mountain. General John D. Pitts, Judge William S. Jones, Andrew M. Lindsay, James Hughes Callahan,1858, February 12 - Blanco County is formed from parts of Comal, Hays, Burnet and Gillespie, and is named for the Blanco River. County seat is also named Blanco,1860 Population of 1218, includes 98 slaves. Settlers are mostly Anglo-Saxon Protestants hailing from Tennessee and Alabama, agriculture and livestock are central to the economy. 1861 County votes against secession from the Union,1862 Legislature establishes Kendall from part of Blanco southwestern border. Legislature in turn incorporates parts of Hays and Burnet into Blanco,1885 Replacement of courthouse by limestone structure now known as “The Old Courthouse”. 1883 Blanco High School is chartered,1891 Johnson City becomes the new county seat. 1910 Cotton becomes one of the county’s most important crops. 1900-1930 County farmers diversify into peanuts, peaches, pecans, pears, plums, grapes, 1933-1942 Civilian Conservation Corps public work relief program helps improve county parks and infrastructure. 1937 Lyndon Baines Johnson launches his first campaign for Congress from the east porch of the family’s Johnson City home,1938 LBJ becomes a fierce advocate for rural electrification
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Burnet County, Texas
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Burnet County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U. S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 42,750, the county was founded in 1852 and later organized in 1854. It is named for David Gouverneur Burnet, the first president of the Republic of Texas, the name of the county is pronounced with the emphasis or accent on the first syllable, just as its namesake David Burnet. Indigenous peoples inhabit the area as early as 4500 B. C, later known tribes in the area include Tonkawa, Lipan Apache and Comanche. During the 1820s-1830s Stephen F. Austin and Green DeWitt surveying, burnham, R. H. Hall, Adam Rankin Stovepipe Johnson and Captain Christian Dorbandt. In 1851 Twenty Mormon families under the leadership of Lyman Wight establish a colony at Hamilton Creek, in 1852 the Fourth Texas Legislature created Burnet County from Bell, Travis and Williamson. The first post office was established at Hamilton in 1853, in 1860 there were 235 slaves in Burnet County After the war some former slaves left the county, but many stayed. A group of them settled on land in the part of Oatmeal. Some found work on farms and ranches, but by the turn of the century many had moved into the Marble Falls area to work in town, during 1882-1903 railroad tracks connected Burnet, Granite Mountain, Marble Falls and Lampasas. Lake Victor and Bertram became shipping point communities, other communities lost population as the railroad offered employment. During the Great Depression county farmers suffered financially but found work with government sponsored public-works projects, the Lower Colorado River Authority employed hundreds of people for the construction of the Hamilton Dam and Roy B. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 1,021 square miles. The population density was 34 people per square mile, there were 15,933 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 89. 64% White,1. 52% Black or African American,0. 68% Native American,0. 28% Asian,0. 06% Pacific Islander,6. 24% from other races, and 1. 58% from two or more races. 14. 77% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race,22. 50% of all households were made up of individuals and 10. 80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the family size was 2.94. In the county, the population was out with 24. 50% under the age of 18,7. 00% from 18 to 24,26. 00% from 25 to 44,24. 50% from 45 to 64. The median age was 40 years, for every 100 females there were 93.80 males
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Comal County, Texas
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Comal County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U. S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 108,472 and its county seat is New Braunfels. Comal County is part of the San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area, along with Hays and Kendall counties, Comal was listed in 2017 of the nations ten fastest-growing large counties with a population of at least ten thousand. From 2015 to 2016, Comal County, sixth on the list, grew by 5,675 newcomers, Kendall County, the second-fastest-growing county in the nation, grew by 5.16 percent. Hays County, third on the national list, had ten thousand new residents during the year. As a result of growth, the counties have experienced new home construction, traffic congestion. Which includes San Antonio, grew by 1.75 percent during the year, early native American inhabitants include Tonkawa, Waco, Karankawa and Lipan Apache. 1700-1758 The area becomes known as “Comal”, Spanish for “flat dish”, nuestra Senora de Guadalupe Mission at Comal Springs. 1825 Coahuila y Tejas issues land grant for Comal Springs to Juan Martín de Veramendi,1842 Adelsverein organized in Germany to promote emigration to Texas. Fisher-Miller Land Grant sets aside three acres to settle 600 families and single men of German, Dutch, Swiss, Danish, Swedish. Thousands of German immigrants are stranded at port of disembarkation Indianaola on Matagorda Bay, with no food or shelters, living in holes dug into the ground, an estimated 50% die from disease or starvation. The living begin to walk to their destinations hundreds of miles away,200 German colonists who walked from Indianola found the town of New Braunfels at the crossing of the San Antonio-Nacogdches Road on the Guadalupe River. John O. Meusebach arrives in Galveston,1846 March - Texas legislature forms Comal County from the Eighth Precinct of Bexar County. New Braunfels is the county seat,1850 Survey of 130 German farms in Comal reveals no slave laborers. 1852 Neu-Braunfelser Zeitung begins publication, initially only in German, deriving its name 16th Century Germanys prototype of a newspaper titled Zeitung,1858 Final county boundaries determination with the separation of part of western Comal County to Blanco and Kendall counties. New Braunfels votes in a school tax,1861 Comal County votes for secession from the Union. Contributes three all-German volunteer companies-to the Confederate cause,1887 Faust Street Bridge built over the Guadalupe River. 1898 Comal County limestone courthouse erected, 1920s - County establishes itself as a manufacturing and shipping center for textiles, garments, flour, and construction materials
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Coryell County, Texas
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Coryell County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U. S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 75,388, the county is named for James Coryell, a frontiersman and Texas Ranger who was killed by Comanche Indians while protecting settlers. Coryell County is part of the Killeen–Temple, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area, the habitation of Coryell County dates as far back as 4500 BC. The Tonkawa, Lipan Apache, Kiowa and Comanche were among the tribes who migrated through the area at various periods. When the General Colonization Law went into effect in 1824, followed by the 1825 State Colonization Law of Coahuila y Tejas, the grant went through several legal challenges, and later became Robertsons Colony, named for Sterling C. Robertson. The grant encompassed all or parts of thirty present-day Texas counties Settlers began moving into the area after Fort Gates was established at Gatesville, the Texas state legislature created the county in 1854, naming it after James Coryell. Originally Coryell was to be named Pierce County but was changed to Coryell after James Coryells death. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 1,057 square miles. Interstate 14 U. S. Highway 84 U. S. Highway 190 U. S, the population density was 71 people per square mile. There were 21,776 housing units at a density of 21 per square mile. 12. 57% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race,16. 90% of all households were made up of individuals and 5. 50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the family size was 3.27. In the county, the population was out with 26. 20% under the age of 18,17. 90% from 18 to 24,36. 30% from 25 to 44,13. 80% from 45 to 64. The median age was 28 years, for every 100 females there were 105.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.20 males, the median income for a household in the county was $35,999, and the median income for a family was $38,307. Males had an income of $24,236 versus $21,186 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,410, about 7. 80% of families and 9. 50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12. 30% of those under age 18 and 9. 00% of those age 65 or over. The Christina Crain Unit prison, the Hilltop Unit prison, the Dr. Lane Murray Unit prison, in addition the Mountain View Unit, a prison with the State of Texas female death row, is in Gatesville
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Crockett County, Texas
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Crockett County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U. S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,719, the county was founded in 1875 and later organized in 1891. It is named in honor of Davy Crockett, the legendary frontiersman who died at the Battle of the Alamo, prehistoric people live in Gobbler Shelter, located on a small tributary canyon of Live Oak Creek. Earliest known Native American tribes are Tonkawa, Lipan Apache and Comanche,1590 Spanish explorer Gaspar Castaño de Sosa leads a mining expedition of 170 who pass through the western section of Crockett County to reach the Pecos River. 1684, May 22 - Juan Domínguez de Mendoza and his expedition cross the Pecos River,1849 John Coffee Hays expedition charting waterholes for transporting people and freight. 1852 U. S. Army Colonel Joseph K. Mansfield recommends establishing a new post on Live Oak Creek to protect travelers,1855, August 20, Fort Lancaster is established in response to Mansfield’s recommendation. 1866 The Texas legislature provides three battalions of Texas Rangers to protect settlers in the area,1875, January 12 - Crockett County, named for Davy Crockett, is formed from Bexar County. 1880’s Sheep and cattle ranchers establish themselves in the county, kirkpatrick Hotel built to serve stagecoach passengers and cowboys. 1885 W. P. Hoover becomes one of the first settlers, Crockett County becomes a subsidiary of Val Verde County. 1887 Crockett County is further reduced as Sutton and Schleicher counties are formed from it,1889 Emerald becomes first town in Crockett County. The first water well is drilled at the First Baptist Church in Ozona,1900 Stagecoach service begins in Crockett County. 1902 Crockett County Courthouse built, Empire style, architect Oscar Ruffini, the building does multiple duty for courtroom and county offices, as well as a community center and dance hall. 1925 First producing oil well on L. P. Powells ranch in north central Crockett County,1938 Ozona erects a statue of Davy Crockett in the town square. 1939 Ozona opens the Crockett County Museum, in 1958, it was moved to its current location on the town square. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 2,807 square miles. Interstate 10 U. S. Highway 190 State Highway 137 State Highway 163 State Highway 349 Crockett County is among the few counties in the United States to border as many as nine counties. As of the census of 2000, there were 4,099 people,1,524 households, the population density was 1.46 people per square mile. There were 2,049 housing units at a density of 0.73 per square mile
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Edwards County, Texas
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Edwards County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U. S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 2,002, the county was created in 1858 and later organized in 1883. It is named for Haden Edwards, a settler of Nacogdoches. The Edwards Aquifer and Edwards Plateau are named after the county by reason of their locations, early inhabitants are Lipan Apache, Comanche. 1762 Looking for protection from Comanches, Lipan Apache chief El Gran Cabezón persuades Franciscans, the Mission was abandoned in 1771. 1825 Virginia born Haden Harrison Edwards joins forces with Stephen F. Austin, the next year, Edwards declares the Republic of Fredonia near Nacogdoches, Texas, an early attempt to secede from Mexico. Stephen F. Austin joins forces with Mexico against Edwards, Haden Edwards flees in 1827 to Louisiana for his safety, later to return and spend the rest of his life in Nacogdoches. 1858 Edwards County is formed from Bexar County,1871 Clint Smith, age 11, and brother Jeff Smith, age 9, kidnapped by Indians near Rocksprings. 1882 W. J. Greer settles a sheep camp at Rocksprings,1883 Edwards County officially organized and named for Haden Harrison Edwards. 1884 Francis Winan cattle and sheep ranch at Rocksprings, burr sets up farming at Rocksprings. County Courthouse is built by architects Ben Davey and Bruno Schort in the Romanesque Revival Style,1898 Rocksprings Telephone Company starts up. 1913 Edwards loses land in its section to Real County. 1940 Rocksprings calls itself the Top-o-the-World in mohair production, which peaks that year,1946 Oil discovered in the county. 1991 Kickapoo Cavern State Park,6,400 acres in both Edwards and Kinney County, opens to the public,1992 Devils Sinkhole State Natural Area near Rocksprings, home to the largest single-chambered cavern and third-deepest in the state, opens to the public. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 2,120 square miles. The population density was less than 1/km², there were 1,217 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 83. 26% White,0. 79% Black or African American,0. 79% Native American,0. 14% Asian,12. 72% from other races,45. 05% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 24. 70% of all households were made up of individuals and 13. 50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.20
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Gillespie County, Texas
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Gillespie County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U. S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 24,837 and it is located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Gillespie is named for Robert Addison Gillespie, a soldier in the Mexican-American War, on December 15,1847, a petition was submitted to create Gillespie County. In 1848, the legislature formed Gillespie County from Bexar and Travis Counties, while the signers were overwhelmingly German immigrants, names also on the petition were Castillo, Pena, Munos, and a handful of nonGerman Anglo names. Gillespie County comprises the Fredericksburg, TX Micropolitan Statistical Area, early native inhabitants were the Tonkawa, Comanche, Kiowa, and Lipan Apache peoples. In 1842, the Adelsverein organized in Germany to promote emigration to Texas, the Fisher-Miller Land Grant set aside three million acres to settle 600 families and single men of German, Dutch, Swiss, Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian ancestry in Texas. Henry Francis Fisher sold his interest in the grant to the Adelsverein in 1844. Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels secured the title to 1,265 acres of the Veramendi grant the next year, including the Comal Springs and River, thousands of German immigrants were stranded at port of disembarkation, Indianola, on Matagorda Bay. With no food or shelters, living in holes dug into the ground, the living began to walk to their destinations hundreds of miles away. About 200 German colonists, who walked from Indianola, founded the town of New Braunfels at the crossing of the San Antonio-Nacodoches Road on the Guadalupe River, John O. Meusebach arrived in Galveston. The first wagon train of 120 settlers arrived from New Braunfels, surveyor Hermann Wilke laid out the town. Meusebach named it Fredericksburg, in honor of Prince Frederick of Prussia, in 1847, the Meusebach–Comanche Treaty was made. About 150 settlers petitioned the Texas Legislature to establish a new county, the Vereins Kirche became the first public building in Fredericksburg. It served as a church, school, town hall. Locals referred to it as “the Coffee Mill Church” for its shape, wilhelm Victor Keidel was the countys first doctor. Mormon leader Lyman Wight founded the community of Zodiac, the Legislature formed Gillespie County from Bexar and Travis Counties in 1848. They named it after Tennessee transplant Capt. Robert Addison Gillespie, fort Martin Scott was established in 1848 at Barons Creek, a Pedernales tributary. An angry mob of soldiers burned down the store-courthouse in 1850, the melee apparently started when County Clerk John M. Hunter, who also owned the store, refused to sell whiskey to a soldier
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Hays County, Texas
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Hays County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U. S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population had reached 157,107. The county seat is San Marcos, the county is named for John Coffee Hays, a Texas Ranger and Mexican–American War officer. Hays County is part of the Austin-Round Rock, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area, Hays, along with Comal and Kendall counties, was listed in 2017 of the nations ten fastest-growing large counties with a population of at least ten thousand. From 2015 to 2016, Hays County, third on the national list, had ten thousand new residents during the year. Comal County, sixth on the list, grew by 5,675 newcomers, Kendall County, the second-fastest-growing county in the nation, grew by 5.16 percent. As a result of growth, the counties have experienced new home construction, traffic congestion. Which includes San Antonio, grew by 1.75 percent during the year,6000 BC Paleo-Indians were the first inhabitants. Archeological evidence at Timmeron site indicated the Tonkawa tribe was involved in agriculture around 1200 AD, Father Isidro Félix de Espinosa, Father Antonio de San Buenaventura y Olivares, and Pedro de Aguirre were in an expedition in the area in 1709. French-Canadian explorer Louis Juchereau de St. Denis was attacked by Comanches in 1714, in 1755, Mission San Francisco Xavier de los Dolores was established among the Apache tribe. In 1831, Coahuila y Tejas issued a grant to Juan Martín de Veramendi, to Juan Vicente Campos in 1832. The Mexican government issued a grant to the first Anglo-American settler in the county. On March 1,1848, the legislature formed Hays County from Travis County, the county is named for Tennessee transplant Captain John Coffee Hays of the Texas Rangers. San Marcos was named as the county seat, the legislature established Blanco from part of Hays in 1858, but incorporated part of Comal into Hays. Risher and Hall Stage Lines controls 16 of 31 passenger and mail lines in Texas, in 1861, voters in the county favored secession from the Union. The legislature transferred more of Comal County to Hays County in 1862, in 1867, the first cattle drive from Hays County to Kansas occurred. International-Great Northern Railroad was completed from Austin to San Marcos in 1880, camp Ben McCulloch, named after a brigadier general, was organized in 1896 for reunions of United Confederate Veterans. A teacher’s college, Southwest Texas State Normal School, was established in San Marcos in 1899, wonder Cave opened to the public in 1900
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Kendall County, Texas
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Kendall County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U. S. state of Texas. In 2010 census, its population was 33,410, the county is named for George Wilkins Kendall, a journalist and Mexican-American War correspondent. Kendall County is part of the San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area, progressive Farmer rated Kendall County fifth in its list of the Best Places to Live in Rural America in 2006. Kendall, along with Hays and Comal counties, was listed in 2017 of the nations ten fastest-growing large counties with a population of at least ten thousand. From 2015 to 2016, Kendall County, the county in the nation, grew by 5.16 percent. Early Native American inhabitants include Kiowa, Comanche and Lipan Apache, 1700s Lipan Apaches discover Cascade Caverns. 1842 April 20 - Adelsverein organized in Germany to promote emigration to Texas, June 7 - Fisher-Miller Land Grant sets aside 3,000,000 acres to settle 600 families and single men of German, Dutch, Swiss, Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian ancestry in Texas. 1844, June 26 - Henry Francis Fisher sells interest in land grant to Adelsverein,1845 Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels secures title to 1,265 acres of the Veramendi grant, including the Comal Springs and River, for the Adelsverein. February - Thousands of German immigrants are stranded at port of disembarkation Indianaola on Matagorda Bay, with no food or shelters, living in holes dug into the ground, an estimated 50% die from disease or starvation. The living begin to walk to their destinations hundreds of miles away, may - John O. Meusebach arrives in Galveston. December 20 - Henry Francis Fisher and Burchard Miller sell their rights in the grant to Adelsverein. 1849 Freethinkers Bettina colonists from Llano County settle Tusculum, named after Cicero’s home in ancient Rome, the initial community bans any churches from being erected. The town is later re-named Boerne, for German-Jewish political writer Ludwig Börne, 1850s George W. Kendall introduces sheep ranching to the County. Comfort is founded by German immigrant Freethinkers and abolitionists,1860 Boerne Village Band is formed by Karl Dienger. 1861 Unionists from Kerr, Gillespie, and Kendall counties participate in the formation of the Union League,1862 Kendall County is established from Kerr and Blanco counties, named for journalist George Wilkins Kendall. The Union League forms companies to protect the frontier against Indians, conscientious objectors to the military draft are primarily among Tejanos and Germans. May 30 – Confederate authorities impose martial law on Central Texas, august 10 - Nueces massacre in Kinney County. Jacob Kuechler serves as a guide for 61 conscientious objectors attempting to flee to Mexico, the cruelty shocks the people of Gillespie County
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Kerr County, Texas
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Kerr County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U. S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 49,625, the county was named by Joshua D. Brown for his fellow Kentucky native, James Kerr, a congressman of the Republic of Texas. The Kerrville, TX Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Kerr County, around 8000 BC, early Native American inhabitants arrived in the area, with numerous successive cultures following in prehistoric times. Historic tribes encountered by Europeans included the Kiowa, Comanche, in 1842, the Adelsverein Fisher-Miller Land Grant set aside 3,000,000 acres to settle 600 families and single men of German, Dutch, Swiss, Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian ancestry in Texas. Henry Francis Fisher sold his interest in the grant to the Adelsverein in 1844. In 1845, Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels secured the title to 1,265 acres of the Veramendi grant, including the Comal Springs and River, thousands of German immigrants were stranded at port of disembarkation, Indianaola on Matagorda Bay. With no food or shelter, living in holes dug into the ground, Joshua Brown, in 1846, became the first settler. ”, 5) Free schools – including universities - supported by the state, without religious influence, and 6) Total separation of church and state. The next year, United States Army post Camp Verde was established, Kerr County was formed in 1856 from Bexar Land District Number 2. Joshua Brown donated the land that became Kerrville, and had it named for his friend James Kerr, Kerrville was named the county seat. The U. S. Camel Corps, headquartered at Verde, was the brainchild of United States Secretary of War Jefferson Davis, Center Point was established in 1859. In 1860-1861, the county population was 634, including 49 slaves, the Sons of Hermann lodge, for descendents of German heritage, was established in the county. The lodge is named for German chieftain folk hero Hermann the Cherusker, a bitterly divided Kerr County voted 76-57in 1861 for secession from the Union, with most German residents being against it. Unionists from Kerr, Gillespie, and Kendall Counties participated in the formation of the Union League, the Union League formed companies to protect the frontier against Indians and their families against local Confederate forces. Conscientious objectors to the draft were primarily among Tejanos and Germans. Confederate authorities imposed martial law on Central Texas, the Nueces massacre occurred in Kinney County. Jacob Kuechler served as a guide for 61 conscientious objectors attempting to flee to Mexico, scottish-born Confederate irregular James Duff and his Duff’s Partisan Rangers pursued and overtook them at the Nueces River,34 were killed, some executed after being taken prisoner. The cruelty shocked the people of Gillespie County, about 2,000 took to the hills to escape Duffs reign of terror. Spring Creek Cemetery near Harper in Gillespie County has a grave with the names Sebird Henderson, Hiram Nelson, Gus Tegener
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Kimble County, Texas
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Kimble County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U. S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 4,607, the county was created in 1858 and organized in 1876. It is named for George C, Kimble, who died at the Battle of the Alamo. The first Europeans to encounter the area were the Spanish, who led campaigns against the local Indian tribes in the mid-18th century. In 1808, Spanish Captain Francisco Amangual commanded an expedition from San Antonio to Santa Fe and mapped a road. The earliest settlers began arriving in the late 1850s, one of the first was Raleigh Gentry, who settled along Bear Creek around 1857. The Gentry family consisted of Raleigh, his wife, and their adult sons. Another early settler was James Bradbury, Sr. who moved to the area from Williamson County, others settled in the Big and Little Saline valleys. Two of the Gentrys sons would later be killed, one by Indians, Bradbury was also killed by Indians during what would later become known as the Battle of Bradbury Hills. The Texas Legislature enacted legislation on January 22,1858, creating Kimble County from what was part of Bexar County. The new county was named for Lieutenant George C, Kimble, who died during the Battle of the Alamo. From 1858 to 1875, Kimble County was attached to Gillespie County for judicial purposes, meanwhile, several settlements sprang up along the Johnson Fork of the Llano River, near Copperas Creek, and in the valleys of the James River after the Civil War. Throughout the 1870s, the populated settlements of Kimble County faced raids by Comanches as well as Lipans. The county also became a haven for outlaws that used the areas hilly terrain. On September 6,1875, Kimble County was separated from Gillespie County, nearly 18 years after its creation, Kimble County was officially organized on January 3,1876. William Potter was the countys first judge and that spring, the towns of Kimbleville and Denman were founded. Kimbleville was designated the first county seat, during the first district court session, however, the seat was moved to Junction City. Kimbleville soon disappeared largely due to its location in a area of the county
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Lampasas County, Texas
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Lampasas County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U. S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 19,677, the county is named for the Lampasas River. Lampasas County is part of the Killeen–Temple, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area, indigenous peoples were the first inhabitants of the area. Later known tribes in the area included Tonkawa, Lipan Apache and Comanche,1721 The Aguayo expedition is said to have passed through the county. 1853 Moses Hughes and his wife, Hannah, became the first permanent settlers. 1854 John Patterson was the first man to land in the county. 1855 Elizabeth and George W. Scott laid out the town of Burleson, the town was later renamed Lampasas, when it becomes the county seat. 1856 The Sixth Texas Legislature formed Lampasas County, named after the Lampasas River, from parts of Travis, Bell, Burleson, renamed Lampasas, is made the county seat. 1858 The northeastern corner of Lampasas County became part of Hamilton County,1859 The Lampasas Guards were organized to ward off Indian attacks. 1860 Lampasas Countys population was 1,028,1861 Indian raids increased in Lampasas, as able-bodied men were off fighting in the war. 1872 Townsen’s Mill was built by Perry and Jasper Townsen and this steam mill cut rawhide lumber and ground wheat and corn. 1874 Henry A. Chadwick and son Milam built a sawmill, flour mill,1875 The Farmers Alliance was born in Lampasas in reaction against the cattle rustling and illegal land dealings prevalent in the county. 1877 Gunfight at the Lampasas Saloon 1882 The Gulf, Colorado,1885 The Texas Bankers Association, the oldest and largest in the United States, had its beginnings in Lampasas. 1887 Mills County received northern and northwestern sections of Lampasas County,1892, April 20 – First state meeting of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas was held in Lampasas. 1902 Pierian Club of Lampasas, a womens organization, was chartered. 1920’s Texas Power and Light Company arrived in Lampasas County,1934 The Lower Colorado River Authority brought electricity to the county. 1935 Rollins-Brook Hospital opened near Lampasas,1942 Fort Hood opened as a military training base. Hancock Park in Lampasas was temporarily turned over to the troops as a recreational area,1949 Lone Star Gas established services in the county
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Llano County, Texas
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Llano County /ˈlænoʊ/ is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U. S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 19,301 and its county seat is Llano, and the county is named for the Llano River. In 1869, pioneer rancher John Wesley Snyder led a drive from Llano County along the Chisholm Trail to Abilene. In the 1870s, a community known as Baby Head existed in Llano County. According to local legend, a child was killed by Native Americans. Hence Jodie May McKneely originated the Baby Head Cemetery,1844, June 26 - Henry Francis Fisher sells interest in land grant to Adelsverein 1845 December 20 - Henry Francis Fisher and Burchard Miller sell their rights in the land grant to Adelsverein. The community fails within a year due to lack of any governing structure, the Texas State Convention of Germans in 1854. Denton, TX, Texas State Historical Association,1860 Population 1,101 -21 slaveholders,54 slaves 1862 One hundred Llano County volunteers join Major John George Walker Division of the Confederate States Army. 1873, August 4 - Packsaddle Mountain becomes the site of the region’s last battle with the Indians, the county’s farming economy begins to grow after threats of Indian attacks cease. Count Castell of the Adelsverein negotiated with the separate Darmstadt Society of Forty to colonize 200 families on the Fisher-Miller Land Grant in Texas, in return, they were to receive $12,000 in money, livestock, equipment and provisions for a year. After the first year, the colonies were expected to support themselves, the colonies attempted were Castell, Leiningen, Bettina, Schoenburg and Meerholz in Llano County, Darmstädler Farm in Comal County, and Tusculum in Kendall County. The colonies failed after the Adelsverein funding expired, and also due to conflict of structure, some members moved to other Adelsverein settlements in Texas. Others moved elsewhere, or returned to Germany, according to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 966 square miles, of which 934 square miles is land and 32 square miles is water. Enchanted Rock, a state natural area and popular tourist destination, is located in southern Llano county. Two significant rivers, the Llano and the Colorado, flow through Llano County and these rivers contribute to Lake Buchanan, Inks Lake, and Lake Lyndon B. Johnson, which are all located partially within the county, the population density was 18 people per square mile. There were 11,829 housing units at a density of 13 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 96. 27% White,0. 30% Black or African American,0. 42% Native American,0. 38% Asian,0. 03% Pacific Islander,1. 77% from other races, and 0. 84% from two or more races
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Mason County, Texas
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Mason County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U. S. state of Texas. At the 2010 census, its population was 4,012, the county is named for Fort Mason, which was located in the county. Original inhabitants Lipan Apache, Comanches 1847 Meusebach–Comanche Treaty 1851, July 6 – Fort Mason is established,1858, January 22 – Mason County, named for Fort Mason, is established by an act of Texas state legislature. 1860 Population of 630 includes 18 slaves,1861 February – County, spurred in part by anti-slavery sentiments of German residents, overwhelmingly votes against secession from the Union. March – Fort Mason surrendered to the Confederacy, who leave it mostly vacant, may 20 – Voters select town of Mason as County Seat. 1866–1868 Federal troops occupy Fort Mason, only to abandon it. 1869 Courthouse and jail are erected,1870 May 16 – Herman Lehmann and brother Willie are captured by Apaches, but Willie escapes within days. 1870–1898 The county had four women homesteaders, Louisa J. Hendryx, Mahala Hunnicutt, Sarah E. Morris, hoo Doo War over cattle rustling. Most famous participant in the war is Johnny Ringo, who on September 25,1875,1878, May 12 – Herman Lehmann, escorted by soldiers, finally returns to his family. Prospecting begins for gold, silver and coal, 1882–83 Hereford cattle are introduced into the county. Provisions made for county wide road work,1887 The county petitions for state aid for needy residents. 1897, May 27 – John O. Meusebach dies at his farm at Loyal Valley, is buried in the Marschall Meusebach Cemetery at Cherry Spring, 1890s County places a bounty on wolves, wildcats and mountain lions. 1902 Mason installs its first telephone in the county judges office,1913 County hires an agricultural agent. 1918 October 3 – Eighteen months after United States Congress declares war on Germany, the majority of County residents are of German heritage. 1919 First oil and gas lease in the county, construction begins on the Mason County section of the Puget Sound-to-the-Gulf Highway. 1920s Radios come to Mason County,1938 Pedernales Electric Cooperative is formed to provide rural electrification. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 932 square miles. The population density was 4 per square mile, there were 2,372 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile
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McCulloch County, Texas
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McCulloch County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U. S. state of Texas. At the 2010 census, its population was 8,283, the county was created in 1856 and later organized in 1876. It is named for Benjamin McCulloch, a famous Texas Ranger, the geographical center of Texas lies within McCulloch County, near Brady. 5000 BC –1500 AD - Early Native American inhabitants included Tonkawa, Lipan Apache, Comanche, after 80 warriors have been killed, the Indians withdrew. 1852 - Camp San Saba was established to protect settlers from Indians,1856 - The Sixth Legislature forms McCulloch County from Bexar, named for Benjamin McCulloch. 1876 - The Voca Waterwheel Mill was built,1880 - The Brady Sentinel was established by D. F. Later, it was absorbed by the Heart o’ Texas News run by R. B. Boyle, 1886-1912 - County Swedish colonies of East Sweden, West Sweden and Melvin were established. 1897-1910 - The Brady Enterprise or McCulloch County Enterprise was published,1899 McCulloch County sandstone courthouse built. Romanesque Revival style by architects Martin & Moodie,1900 - The Milburn Messenger was edited by T. F. Cotton became a major county crop,1903 - The Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway came to McCulloch. 1904-1907 - W. D. Currie published the Mercury Mascot, 1906-1910 - The McCulloch County Star was published. 1909 - The Brady Standard, edited by F. W. Schwenker, began publication, and absorbed the McCulloch County Star,1909 - The Rochelle Record was started by W. D. Cowan. 1915 - The Melvin Rustler began publication,1917 - J. Marvin Hunter founded the Melvin Enterprise. 1920’s - McCulloch County billed itself as the Turkey Center of the Universe,1923 - Hunter also founded the Frontier Times in Melvin, and later moved it to Bandera. 1923 - Dan Collins Taylor, a performer and promoter was born in Doole in McCulloch County. 1930’s - Tenant farming in the county peaked at 60%,1932 - The Colorado River flooded, cresting at 62.2 feet. 1938 - Brady Creek flooded, cresting at 29.1 feet, the San Saba River flooded, cresting at 39.8 feet. 1941 - Curtis Field, named for Brady Mayor Harry L. Curtis,1943 - A county prisoner of war camp was set up and included Rommels Afrika Corps, as well as members of the S. S. and the Gestapo
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Menard County, Texas
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Menard County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U. S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, its population was 2,242, the county was created in 1858 and later organized in 1871. It is named for Michel Branamour Menard, the founder of Galveston, later Native Americans include Comanche and Lipan Apache. 1757, April - Father Alonso Giraldo de Terreros founds Presidio San Luis de las Amarillas, as a support for Santa Cruz de San Sabá Mission, for the Apache Indians. 1830s, James Bowie and Rezin P. Bowie, scour the San Saba valley seeking a silver mine that the Spanish had believed to be in the area. They are unsuccessful, but the legend of the Lost Bowie Mine, also known as the Lost San Saba Mine or the Los Almagres Mine,1852 Camp San Saba is established to protect settlers from Indian attacks. 1858 State legislature forms Menard County from Bexar County The county was named for Michel Branamour Menard, menardville, later known as Menard becomes the county seat. 372 are black, possibly due to the Buffalo Soldiers at Fort McKavett,1871 Menard County residents elect their own officials. 1880s County immigrant influx from Mexico,1911, February - Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railroad Company arrives. 1919 Oil wildcatters hit a dry hole,1929 Gas deposit is tapped, but plugged for lack of a market. 1931 The local Parent-Teacher Association offers free lunches for needy children,1934 Texas Relief Cannery is in operation. Drought Relief Program buys cattle and sheep from area ranchers,1941 Gas well is re-drilled and produces about seven million cubic feet of gas. 1946 A small oilfield is discovered northeast of Fort McKavett but abandoned the following year, 1960s Oil and gas production with an average annual yield of more than 270,000 barrels. 1980s Of the countys forty oilfields, about twenty are still active producing 132,000 to 185,000 barrels annually. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 902 square miles. U. S. Highway 83 U. S. Highway 190 U. S, the population density was 3 people per square mile. There were 1,607 housing units at a density of 2 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 87. 54% White,0. 51% Black or African American,0. 64% Native American,0. 34% Asian,0. 04% Pacific Islander,9. 79% from other races, and 1. 14% from two or more races
