lostcreekranch
Super Member
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2012
- Messages
- 8,078
- Location
- Austin County, Texas
- Tractor
- NH TL-100A with Bush Hog 5045 FEL, WR Long 3rd function, LS XR4155HC w/FEL, WR Long 3rd Function.
NATIONAL TEXAS DAY
On February 1, National Texas Day recognizes the Lone Star State!
The 28th state may not be the only state with a record of being a republic, but their dramatic revolution and fight for independence keep Texas history alive.
From the dictatorship of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and the start of the Texas Revolution in 1835 to the Alamo in 1836, names like James Bowie, Davy Crockett, Sam Houston and Juan Seguin echo throughout the state.
Many legends abound where Texas is concerned. According to the story, The Yellow Rose of Texas was a mulatto woman who distracted Santa Anna during the Battle of San Jacinto allowing victory for the republic. Many credit a woman by the name of Emily West, but historians find little to no evidence. A statue by Veryl Goodnight stands in Houston.
During and after the Civil War, news traveled slowly. It took the arrival of Major General Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865, and his announcement with General Orders, Number 3 that the Civil War was over and all slaves were now freedmen, for life to change in Galveston, Texas. Whether it required the military to enforce the new federal law or if news did truly travel slowly, June 19 became a celebration of culture and freedom called Juneteenth.
Texas loves technology. Home to Johnson Space Center and more than one computer company that began as a startup, the Lone Star State wears its boots and labcoat at the same time. They’ve brought us the handheld calculator and 3-D printing as well as many medical advancements. And let’s not forget, Dr Pepper.
Whether traveling to the Gulf Coast, staying close to the panhandle or wandering the Great Plains, there’s plenty of Texas to see. Take in some history or explore the cities. Take a hike along the Palo Duro Canyon on the Red River or in Big Bend National Park.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Discover something new about Texas. Join National Day Calendar as we explore the 28th state’s history, people and culture. Uncover hidden treasures and explore all Texas’ vast landscapes! Use #NationalTexasDay to share on social media.
Here’s a start
Native Texans pride themselves on knowledge of the state.
Grade school children are taught the state flower (bluebonnet), the state bird (mockingbird) and the state motto (friendship).
We grow up fully aware that Texas is the largest state in the contiguous 48 states, and we know the Texas pledge by heart, right alongside the United States pledge of allegiance.
Texans know all about the Alamo, the fight for Texas independence and can name all six flags that flew over our home state. But no one knows everything, and to prove that, here is some fun and interesting Texas trivia.
How many of these 20 Texas facts do you know?
20. The King Ranch is larger than the state of Rhode Island.
19. The term “maverick” comes from Texas lawyer and pioneer, Samuel Maverick, who was also one of the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence.
Wikipedia/Public Domain
Samuel Maverick Wikipedia/Public Domain
18. Texas is the number one producer of wool in the United States, and no, I didn’t just misspell “oil”, although, we’re number one at that too.
17. There is a live oak tree near Rockport, Texas that is over 1,500 years old.
Image via Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
“Big Tree” Image via Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
16. Built in 1870, the Waco bridge was the first suspension bridge ever built in the United States. It is still in use as a pedestrian bridge crossing the Brazos River.
15. The world’s first rodeo was held in Pecos, Texas on the Fourth of July, 1883.
14. Speaking of the rodeo, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo used to be held in the world’s first domed sports stadium, the Astrodome, which was built in 1965. The building has been disused since 2006, and the city of Houston still can’t quite decide whether they want to demolish it or preserve it.
Wikipedia/Eric Enfermero
Wikipedia/Eric Enfermero
13. There are more species of bats in the Lone Star State than any other state in the country.
12. John William Heisman, after whom the Heisman Trophy is named, coached football at Rice University in Houston from 1924 to 1927.
11. Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson, Texas and was first marketed by Marty and Harley Tyson in 1978.
Flickr/Jeffreyw
Flickr/Jeffreyw
10. Because it was its own independent nation, Texas is the only state in the United States to join via treaty instead of annexation.
9. Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas is the largest church in the nation. It is home to famous pastor Joel Osteen and his congregation of over 43,000 people.
Facebook/Lakewood Church
Facebook/Lakewood Church
8. You could fit the entire state of Connecticut inside Texas’s largest county, Brewster County (in the Big Bend region of Texas).
7. Two United States Presidents were born in Texas, and neither one was George W. Bush (he was born in Connecticut). The two Texas-born Presidents were Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson.
6. Chuck Norris, star of the television show “Walker, Texas Ranger” (and countless hilarious Chuck Norris jokes) was made an honorary Texas Ranger in 2010.
Flickr/Stevan Sheets
Flickr/Stevan Sheets
5. Despite popular belief, Texas does not have the constitutional right to secede. The Tyler-Texas Treaty of 1845 maintains that Texas has the right to split into as many as five separate states. This provision somehow spawned the misconception that the Lone Star State could legally secede.
4. The physical area of Houston is large enough to hold Boston, New York City and San Francisco concurrently.
Flickr/Katie Haugland
Flickr/Katie Haugland
3. The most common foreign language spoken in Texas other than Spanish is Vietnamese.
2. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Texas, 120 degrees Fahrenheit, was recorded in Seymour, Texas in August of 1936. The coldest was -23 degrees, recorded in Seminole in February of 1933.
1. The most devastating national disaster in U.S. history is the Galveston hurricane in 1900 which took over 8,000 lives
On February 1, National Texas Day recognizes the Lone Star State!
The 28th state may not be the only state with a record of being a republic, but their dramatic revolution and fight for independence keep Texas history alive.
From the dictatorship of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and the start of the Texas Revolution in 1835 to the Alamo in 1836, names like James Bowie, Davy Crockett, Sam Houston and Juan Seguin echo throughout the state.
Many legends abound where Texas is concerned. According to the story, The Yellow Rose of Texas was a mulatto woman who distracted Santa Anna during the Battle of San Jacinto allowing victory for the republic. Many credit a woman by the name of Emily West, but historians find little to no evidence. A statue by Veryl Goodnight stands in Houston.
During and after the Civil War, news traveled slowly. It took the arrival of Major General Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865, and his announcement with General Orders, Number 3 that the Civil War was over and all slaves were now freedmen, for life to change in Galveston, Texas. Whether it required the military to enforce the new federal law or if news did truly travel slowly, June 19 became a celebration of culture and freedom called Juneteenth.
Texas loves technology. Home to Johnson Space Center and more than one computer company that began as a startup, the Lone Star State wears its boots and labcoat at the same time. They’ve brought us the handheld calculator and 3-D printing as well as many medical advancements. And let’s not forget, Dr Pepper.
Whether traveling to the Gulf Coast, staying close to the panhandle or wandering the Great Plains, there’s plenty of Texas to see. Take in some history or explore the cities. Take a hike along the Palo Duro Canyon on the Red River or in Big Bend National Park.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Discover something new about Texas. Join National Day Calendar as we explore the 28th state’s history, people and culture. Uncover hidden treasures and explore all Texas’ vast landscapes! Use #NationalTexasDay to share on social media.
Here’s a start
Native Texans pride themselves on knowledge of the state.
Grade school children are taught the state flower (bluebonnet), the state bird (mockingbird) and the state motto (friendship).
We grow up fully aware that Texas is the largest state in the contiguous 48 states, and we know the Texas pledge by heart, right alongside the United States pledge of allegiance.
Texans know all about the Alamo, the fight for Texas independence and can name all six flags that flew over our home state. But no one knows everything, and to prove that, here is some fun and interesting Texas trivia.
How many of these 20 Texas facts do you know?
20. The King Ranch is larger than the state of Rhode Island.
19. The term “maverick” comes from Texas lawyer and pioneer, Samuel Maverick, who was also one of the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence.
Wikipedia/Public Domain
Samuel Maverick Wikipedia/Public Domain
18. Texas is the number one producer of wool in the United States, and no, I didn’t just misspell “oil”, although, we’re number one at that too.
17. There is a live oak tree near Rockport, Texas that is over 1,500 years old.
Image via Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
“Big Tree” Image via Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
16. Built in 1870, the Waco bridge was the first suspension bridge ever built in the United States. It is still in use as a pedestrian bridge crossing the Brazos River.
15. The world’s first rodeo was held in Pecos, Texas on the Fourth of July, 1883.
14. Speaking of the rodeo, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo used to be held in the world’s first domed sports stadium, the Astrodome, which was built in 1965. The building has been disused since 2006, and the city of Houston still can’t quite decide whether they want to demolish it or preserve it.
Wikipedia/Eric Enfermero
Wikipedia/Eric Enfermero
13. There are more species of bats in the Lone Star State than any other state in the country.
12. John William Heisman, after whom the Heisman Trophy is named, coached football at Rice University in Houston from 1924 to 1927.
11. Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson, Texas and was first marketed by Marty and Harley Tyson in 1978.
Flickr/Jeffreyw
Flickr/Jeffreyw
10. Because it was its own independent nation, Texas is the only state in the United States to join via treaty instead of annexation.
9. Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas is the largest church in the nation. It is home to famous pastor Joel Osteen and his congregation of over 43,000 people.
Facebook/Lakewood Church
Facebook/Lakewood Church
8. You could fit the entire state of Connecticut inside Texas’s largest county, Brewster County (in the Big Bend region of Texas).
7. Two United States Presidents were born in Texas, and neither one was George W. Bush (he was born in Connecticut). The two Texas-born Presidents were Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson.
6. Chuck Norris, star of the television show “Walker, Texas Ranger” (and countless hilarious Chuck Norris jokes) was made an honorary Texas Ranger in 2010.
Flickr/Stevan Sheets
Flickr/Stevan Sheets
5. Despite popular belief, Texas does not have the constitutional right to secede. The Tyler-Texas Treaty of 1845 maintains that Texas has the right to split into as many as five separate states. This provision somehow spawned the misconception that the Lone Star State could legally secede.
4. The physical area of Houston is large enough to hold Boston, New York City and San Francisco concurrently.
Flickr/Katie Haugland
Flickr/Katie Haugland
3. The most common foreign language spoken in Texas other than Spanish is Vietnamese.
2. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Texas, 120 degrees Fahrenheit, was recorded in Seymour, Texas in August of 1936. The coldest was -23 degrees, recorded in Seminole in February of 1933.
1. The most devastating national disaster in U.S. history is the Galveston hurricane in 1900 which took over 8,000 lives
