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Category Archives: Texas Historical Site

FOCUS ON THE BACKROADS: BIG BEND TEXAS

In far southwest Texas a vast area known as Big Bend.  This area is named for the vast curve of the Rio Grande River.  Throughout the years people have passed trough this area, including Indian tribes, Spanish conquistadores, U.S. Soldiers, miners, ranchers, farmers, and many legendary outlaws and bandits.  In the 1500’s several Indian tribes inhabited Big […]

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FOCUS ON THE BACK ROADS: TERLINGUA, TEXAS: Best Little Ghost Town in Texas

Terlingua is located southwest Texas near Big Bend National Park.  It is the most visited ghost town in Texas.  The name Terlingua comes from two Spanish word, tres and lenguas meaning “three tongues”.  This was either because of the three languages that were spoken in the area at that time – English, Spanish, and Native American. […]

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FOCUS ON THE BACKROADS: THE SMALLEST CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE WORLD – ST. MARTIN WARRENTON, TEXAS

By 1886 a large number of Catholic families were living in and around Warrenton, Texas.    The priest from near by Fayetteville organized a congregation and visited saying mass in private homes.  In 1888,  Frederick and Helen Spies sold one acre of land to the Catholic bishop on which a church and cemetery were to […]

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FOCUS ON THE BACKROADS: TEXAS STATE CEMETERY – AUSTIN

Just east of downtown Austin, the Texas State Cemetery is located on 22 acres of land.  The cemetery is divided into to two section, one that contains 900 graves of deceased prominent Texans and another that has over 2,200 graves of Confederate soldiers and widows. In 1851 General Edward Burleson, who fought in the Battle of San […]

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FOCUS ON THE BACKROADS: HISTORIC TEXAS CEMETERIES

Throughout the backroads of Texas are scattered one of our most valuable and ignored historic resources: HISTORIC TEXAS CEMETERIES.  Some are located in our major cities, some in small towns, some off major highways, and some are at the end of long dirt roads.  Many of these cemeteries are the only thing remaining of once very […]

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