Texas

Header image from Texas State Parks Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas.

Texas joined the United States on December 29,1845 as the 28th state.

Texas is the only state to enter the United States by treaty instead of territorial annexation. The state was an independent nation from 1836 to 1845. It became the 28th state.

Bird: Mockingbird
The mockingbird can imitate many sounds, including the chirps of some 35 different bird species. And the chatty flier can learn over 200 different songs in its lifetime. Northern mockingbirds are very smart animals. They are able to identify humans, especially those that tried to destroy their nests. Northern mockingbirds mate for a lifetime. Male and female build nest together and produce 2 to 4 broods per season. State bird of Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas

Flower:Bluebonnet

The shape of the petals on the flower resembles the bonnet worn by pioneer women to shield them from the sun. As an extension of Lady Bird Johnson’s efforts at highway beautification in the United States (see Highway Beautification Act), she encouraged the planting of native plants along Texas highways after she left the White House. Bluebonnet blooms are now a common sight along these highways in the springtime. They serve as a popular backdrop for family photographs, and the Department of Public Safety issues safety recommendations with regard to drivers pulling off highways to take such pictures. While people flock to fields of wildflowers for photo shoots, there are dangers hiding behind those pretty petals. If ingested, bluebonnets are poisonous, so be careful to keep them out of the reach of kids. And while everyone in Texas “knows” that it is against the law to pick the flowers, there’s actually no law on the books making it illegal.

Tree: Pecan

The pecan is a species of hickory native to northern Mexico and the southern United States in the region of the Mississippi River. The seed is an edible nut used as a snack and in various recipes, such as praline candy and pecan pie. Pecan is the state nut of Alabama, Arkansas, California, and Texas. Pecan wood is used in making furniture and wood flooring,[28] as well as a flavoring fuel for smoking meats, giving grilled foods a sweet and nutty flavor stronger than many fruit woods. Thomas Jefferson planted pecan trees, C. illinoinensis (Illinois nuts), in his nut orchard at his home, Monticello, in Virginia. George Washington reported in his journal that Thomas Jefferson gave him “Illinois nuts”, pecans, which Washington then grew at Mount Vernon, his Virginia home.

State Quarter
From: theus50.com

The quarter’s reverse design incorporates an outline of the State with a star superimposed on the outline and the inscription, “The Lone Star State.” The lariat encircling the design is symbolic of the cattle and cowboy history of Texas, as well as the frontier spirit that tamed the land.

Texas comes from the Indian word “tejas,” meaning friends or allies, and appropriately the motto is “Friendship.” Probably the two most recognized symbols are its unique shape and the lone star that is represented on the State flag. The flag design was approved in 1839 to symbolize the Republic of Texas and was adopted as the State flag in 1845. The simple design of a lone star and three bold stripes of red, white and blue represent bravery, purity and loyalty, respectively. Texas is the only state to have had six different flags fly over its land; Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Confederate States of America and the United States of America.

Capital: Austin

Nickname: Lone Star State
Motto: Friendship

Texas Facts and Trivia

Spanish missionaries were the first European settlers in Texas, founding San Antonio with the building of the Mission San Antonio de Valero. The mission would later be known as the Alamo.

Hostile natives and isolation from other Spanish colonies kept the area sparsely populated until following the Revolutionary War and the War of Mexican Independence, when the newly established Mexican government began to allow settlers from the U.S. to claim land there. This led to a population explosion, but dramatically reduced the percentage of the population with Mexican heritage, causing friction with the government in Mexico City. After several smaller insurrections, the Texas Revolution broke out, and the state became an independent nation in 1835. However, the newly formed Republic was unable to defend itself from further incursions by Mexican troops, and eventually negotiated with the U.S. to join the union in 1845.

Texas is the only state to have the flags of 6 different nations fly over it. They are: Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Confederate States, and the United States.

Although six flags have flown over Texas, there have been eight changes of government: Spanish 1519-1685, French 1685-1690, Spanish 1690-1821, Mexican 1821-1836, Republic of Texas 1836-1845, United States 1845-1861, Confederate States 1861-1865, United States 1865-present.

The first offensive action of the Texas Revolution occurred in Goliad on October 9, 1835 when local colonists captured the fort and town. On December 20, 1835 the first Declaration of Texas Independence was signed in Goliad and the first flag of Texas Independence was hoisted.

The Alamo is located in San Antonio. It is where defenders fell to Mexican General Santa Anna and the phrase Remember the Alamo originated. The Alamo is considered the cradle of liberty and the state’s most popular historic site. Among those who died at the Alamo were David Crockett, William B Travis, and James Bowie.

In 1836, newspapers published the now-famous quotation attributed to Crockett upon his return to his home state:

“I told the people of my district that I would serve them as faithfully as I had done; but if not, they might go to hell, and I would go to Texas.”

He left for Texas Nov 1, 1835, arriving at the Alamo on Feb 8, 1836. The Battle of the Alamo ended on March 6, 1836.

How big is Texas?
The King Ranch is bigger than the state of Rhode Island.
Texas is bigger than any of the western countries of Europe.
El Paso is closer to Needles, California than it is to Dallas.
Texas includes 267,339 square miles, or 7.4% of the nation’s total area.
The state’s cattle population is estimated to be near 16 million.
More land is farmed in Texas than in any other state.
Texas has more airports than any other state in the country.

More species of bats live in Texas than in any other part of the United States.

Edwards Plateau is the top sheep growing area in the country. More wool comes from the state than any other state in the United States.

Texas boasts the nation’s largest herd of whitetail deer.

Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other comparable area in North America.

A coastal live oak located near Fulton is the oldest tree in the state. The tree has an estimated age of more than 1,500 years.

The Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America’s only remaining flock of whooping cranes.

In 1836 five sites served as temporary capitals of Texas: Washington-on-the-Brazos: Harrisburg: Galveston: Velasco: and Columbia. Sam Houston moved the capital to Houston in 1837. In 1839 the capital was moved to the new town of Austin.

The capitol in Austin opened May 16, 1888. The capitol building is made from Texas pink granite and the dome of the building stands seven feet higher than that of the nation’s Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Austin is considered the live music capital of the world.

Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. The Dublin Dr Pepper, 85 miles west of Waco, still uses pure imperial cane sugar in its product. There is no period after the Dr in Dr Pepper.

The state possesses three of the top ten most populous cities in the United States. These are Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.

The world’s first rodeo was held in Pecos on July 4, 1883.

The Tyler Municipal Rose Garden is the world’s largest rose garden. It contains 38,000 rose bushes representing 500 varieties of roses set in a 22-acre garden.

Amarillo has the world’s largest helium well. Approximately 90% of the world’s recoverable helium is located in the ground under Amarillo.[

The Heisman trophy is named for John William Heisman the first full-time coach and athletic director at Rice University in Houston.

After the popularity of the song “Luckenbach” so many road signs were stolen that the government stopped making them.

The Texas Rangers are the oldest law enforcement agency in North America with statewide jurisdiction. John Wayne and Chuck Norris are honorary Rangers.

From 1980 to the present, at least 70 tropical or subtropical cyclones affected the U.S. state of Texas. According to David Roth of the Weather Prediction Center, a tropical cyclone makes landfall along the coastline about three times every four years, and on any 50 mi (80 km) segment of the coastline a hurricane makes landfall about once every six years.

Georgia has the second most counties in the United States with 159. Texas has the most with 254.

Strange laws of Texas:

It is illegal to milk another person’s cow.
It is still a hanging offense in Texas to steal cattle or to put graffiti on someone else’s cow.
It is illegal to sell one’s eye.
When two trains meet each other at a railroad crossing, each shall come to a full stop, and neither shall proceed until the other has gone.
It is illegal for one to shoot a buffalo from the second story of a hotel.
It is also illegal to indecently expose or swear in front of a corpse in Texas
In Corpus Christi, it is illegal to raise alligators in your home.
In Galveston, it is illegal to have a camel run loose in the street or on the beach.
In Houston, it is illegal to sell Limburger cheese on Sunday.
In Kingsville, it is against the law for pigs to have sex on airport property.
In LeFors, it is illegal to take more than three swallows of beer while standing.
In Mesquite, it is illegal for children to have unusual haircuts.

Music:

Texas, Our Texas (state song)

Deep In The Heart Of Texas by Perry Como
Luckenbach, Texas by Waylon Jennings
The Yellow Rose of Texas by Elvis Presley
God Blessed Texas by Little Texas
Galveston by Glen Campbell
Beautiful Texas by Willie Nelson
El Paso by Marty Robbins
San Antonio Rose by Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
Deep Elem Blues by The Shelton Brothers
Miles and Miles of Texas by Asleep at the Wheel
I Like Texas by Pat Green
Texas (When I Die) by Tanya Tucker
Texas Pride by Miranda Lambert
All My Exes Live In Texas by George Strait!
Texas in My Rear View Mirror Mac Davis

People who were born, raised or have lived for a significant period of time in the U.S. state of Texas.

• Red Adair, fireman oil well fires
• Mary Kay Ash, cosmetics entrepreneur
• Steven Fuller Austin, founding father of Texas, born in Austinville, VA
• Gene Autry, singer, actor
• Clyde Barrow, outlaw
• Carol Burnett, comedienne
• George W Bush, governor, President, born in Connecticut grew up in Texas
• Laura Bush, first lady, wife of George W. Bush, 43rd President
• Cyd Charisse, actress, dancer
• Denton A. Cooley, heart surgeon
• Joan Crawford, actress
• Ted Cruz, senator
• Mac Davis, singer
• Dwight David Eisenhower, U.S. president, general, born in Texas, grew up in Kansas
• Farrah Fawcett, actress
• A. J. Foyt, auto racer
• Larry Hagman, actor
• Jennifer Love Hewitt, actress
• Ben Hogan, golfer
• Buddy Holly, musician
• Sam Houston, (1793-1863) first president and first governor of Texas. The Cherokee, with whom he lived in Tennessee, called him “the Raven.” Though one of the most famous Texans, he was actually born in Virginia and served as governor of Tennessee. A statue of Sam Houston called a “Tribute to Courage” is the world’s largest freestanding statue of an American.
• Howard Hughes, industrialist, film producer
• Lady Bird Johnson, first lady, wife of Lyndon B. Johnson
• Lyndon B. Johnson, U.S. president
• George Jones, singer
• Janis Joplin, blues singer
• Tommy Lee Jones, actor
• Clayton Kershaw, pitcher
• Trini Lope,z singer
• Mary Martin, singer, actress
• Johnny Mathis, singer
• Ann Miller, actress, dancer
• Roger Miller, singer, songwriter
• Audie Murphy, actor, war hero
• Willie Nelson, singer
• Sandra Day O’Connor, jurist
• Roy Orbison, singer
• Buck Owens, singer
• Bonnie Parker, outlaw
• H. Ross Perot, philanthropist
• Rick Perry, politician, governor
• Wiley Post, aviator
• Dan Rather, TV newscaster
• Debbie Reynolds, actress
• Tex Ritter, singer
• Eugene Wesley “Gene” Roddenberry screenwriter
• Kenny Rogers, singer
• Nolan Ryan, baseball Hall of FamerPatrick Swayze, actor
• Rip Torn, actor, director
• Ernest Tubb, country music
• Woody Harrelson, actor

Credits:

See 50 states.com
See Only In your state This website has lots of information about things to do and places to go in Texas…great if you are planning a trip!
See Ducksters.com
See Strangest laws.com
See Fact Retriever – facts about Texas
See History.com