Question 1:
Great Texas Explorers. The first known explorers of Texas were actually the Clovis people of the Paleo-Indian Stage. They were
followed many years later by the early European explorers, including five listed below. One of these explorers was shipwrecked
on Galveston Island in 1528. He traveled inland and encountered three of his lost shipmates near what is thought to be the
Guadalupe River. They traveled onward through present-day Mexico to the Pacific. His Relación was composed shortly after the
journey ended in 1536, nearly 500 years ago, and effectively became the first literature of Texas. The surname of this prominent
explorer literally means "the head of a cow." Which explorer is it? Alonso Álvarez de Pineda Question 2:
Great Texas Missions. The Spanish explorations led to the founding of a series of missions which were an important part of the
early settlement of Texas. Texas has focused recently on restoring many of the great missions, including the Alamo, otherwise
known as the San Antonio de Valero mission. The following missions have also been restored. Which of these are located in
the San Antonio area? San José y San Miguel de Aguayo Question 3: Great Texas Empresarios. Stephen F. Austin is certainly the best-known of the Texas empresarios, but he was by no means the only
one. The word "empresario" in Spanish means "agent" or "entrepreneur." Under the Mexican Colonization Law of 1823, the empresarios
generally received a set amount of acreage in return for settling an agreed number of families. Their role in Texas history
is measured not just by the number of families that they attracted to the state, but also by the quality of leadership they
provided. The following five empresarios
were active in the settlement of Texas. One of the five served initially as a translator and clerk to Stephen F. Austin. For
the next thirteen years he was Austin's lieutenant, writing deeds, keeping records, and directing colonial activities during
Austin’s absences. For his various services he received eleven leagues (49,000 acres) of land, including lands on Oyster
Creek and Buffalo Bayou. He was active in raising significant capital for the Texas revolution in 1835 and 1836. Which empresario
is it? Green DeWitt Question 4:
Great Texas Counties. The origin of the Texas county is found in the municipality, the unit of local government under Spanish
and Mexican rule. Municipalities were rather large districts embracing one or more settlements and the surrounding rural territory.
There were twenty-three of them by 1836, when Texas won her independence from Mexico. Texas has had 254 counties since the
organization of Loving County in 1931. The largest county in square miles is located in the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas,
and is also the site of Big Bend National Park. Which county is it? Pecos County Question 5:
Great Texas Lakes.
The largest lakes in Texas do not rival Lake Michigan or the other Great Lakes of the north, which were generally formed as
an aftermath of the last Ice Age. This did not deter some Texans, however, who for a combination of economic, flood control,
and water supply reasons set out to build new lakes and reservoirs. In fact, the largest lake or reservoir in Texas is man-made.
Construction began in 1964 and was completed in 1969. It is located on the Sabine River and covers about 180,000 acres. Which
body of water is it? Lake Travis Question 6:
Great Texas Forests.
Texas is blessed with approximately 22 million acres of forest. In addition to oil and gas, the forests have been one of the
state’s greatest natural resources, providing lumber for its growth and a thriving timber industry. By classification,
there are five principal forest and woodland regions in the state, which are listed below. There are four national forests
and five state forests in Texas. All of these are located in one of the regions below. Which region is it? Pine-hardwood Question 7:
Great Texas Railroads. Railroads played a major role in the history of Texas, particularly influencing its economic and industrial
development, as well as the geography of its growing population. As late as 1850, the settled area of the state was largely
confined to the river bottoms of East and South Texas, tied to the portions of those rivers that were navigable. Roads were
poor and difficult, especially in wet weather. The railroads changed all of that, beginning in 1853. By 1879, Texas had 2,440
miles of completed track, and that increased by another 6,000 miles during the 1880s. By 1911, Texas became the state with
the most railroad mileage, a position it still maintains. The first successful railroad in Texas was organized by Gen. Sidney Sherman, one of the heroes of the
battle of San Jacinto, with financial support from William Marsh Rice and other investors. It opened on September 7, 1853,
running from Harrisburg (now a part of Houston) west to Stafford's Point. Which railroad is it? Galveston and Red River Railroad Question 8:
Great Texas Parks and Preserves. In addition to the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, Texas has two national parks and
several other sites administered by the National Park Service, including those listed below. One of these, the first national
park or preserve in Texas, includes more than 1,250 square miles of land and is thus slightly larger than Rhode Island. The
Rio Grande flows for 107 miles along its southern boundary. It opened to the public in 1944. Which park or preserve is it?
Guadalupe Mountains National Park Question 9:
Great Texas Olympians. Texas has been well represented in the Olympic games, with Texans winning gold medals in virtually every
summer Olympic sport. Listed below are five gold medal winners from Texas, all of whom are women. One of them, a native of
Port Arthur, captured two gold medals and one silver at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1932 while setting a world record in the
hurdles. She is certainly one of the best all-around female athletes in history, excelling in eight track and field events,
baseball, basketball, and billiards. She tried golf for the first time in 1933 and soon qualified for the Los Angeles Open,
a men’s PGA event. She went on to win 17 consecutive women’s tournaments and helped found the Ladies Professional
Golf Association. She was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1953, but came back to win five tournaments in 1954. She died in
1956, at the age of 45, but not before financing a tumor clinic for the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Which
great Texas Olympian is it? Louise Ritter Question 10:
Great Texas Sculptors. Texas has been blessed with great artists of all types, including great sculptors. A search of the online
Handbook using the word "sculptor" provides 110 entries. The following are five of the best known. One of the first professional
sculptors in Texas was born in 1833 and trained in Europe. She moved to Texas with her husband in 1872, where they bought
Liendo Plantation. She also built a studio in Austin. Among her many revered works, she sculpted statues of Stephen F. Austin
and Sam Houston, now in the state Capitol. Copies of the two statues are also in the United States Capitol. Which sculptor
is it? Allie Victoria Tennant |
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