The extremely varied geography of Texas, ranging from lush piney woods to arid, mountainous deserts, has played a major role in the settlement and development of the state. To gain full perspective on the influence of the land on the people of Texas, you really have to take to the air—and the authors of Historic Texas from the Air have done just that. In this beautiful book, dramatic aerial photography provides a complete panorama of seventy-three historic sites from around the state, showing them in extensive geographic context and revealing details unavailable to a ground-based observer.

Each site in Historic Texas from the Air appears in a full-page color photograph, accompanied by a concise description of the site's history and importance. Contemporary and historical photographs, vintage postcard images, and maps offer further visual information about the sites. The book opens with images of significant natural landforms, such as the Chisos Mountains and the Big Thicket, then shows the development of Texas history through Indian spiritual sites (including Caddo Mounds and Enchanted Rock), relics from the French and Spanish occupation (such as the wreck of the Belle and the Alamo), Anglo forts and methods of communication (including Fort Davis and Salado's Stagecoach Inn), nineteenth-century settlements and industries (such as Granbury's courthouse square and Kreische Brewery in La Grange), and significant twentieth-century locales, (including Spindletop, the LBJ Ranch, and the Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport).

For anyone seeking a visual, vital overview of Texas history, Historic Texas from the Air is the perfect place to begin.

Now retired, David Buisseret directed the Smith Center for the History of Cartography at the Newberry Library in Chicago and was also Garrett Professor of History at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Richard Francaviglia has taught at numerous colleges and universities, including the University of Minnesota, Antioch College, Wittenberg University, the University of Arizona, and the University of Texas at Arlington, where he directed the Center for Greater Southwestern Studies and the History of Cartography.

Gerald Saxon is Dean of the Library at the University of Texas at Arlington and also Associate Professor of History.

Jack W. Graves, Jr. is a businessman with a passion for flying, photography, and history. His articles and photographs have been published in various professional and leisure publications.

• Authors' Preface
• Photographer's Preface
• 1. The Land
  • 1.I. Introduction
  • 1.1. Geology: Chisos Mountains, Big Bend National Park
  • 1.2. Geology: Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend National Park
  • 1.3. Hydrography: Brazos River, Palo Pinto County.
  • 1.4. Climate: Images of Drought and Hurricane
  • 1.5. Vegetation: Sabal Palms, Brownsville
  • 1.6. Vegetation: The Big Thicket, near Kountze
• 2. The Indian Presence
  • 2.I. Introduction
  • 2.1. Alibates Flint Quarries, vicinity of Amarillo
  • 2.2. Enchanted Rock, Fredericksburg
  • 2.3. Caddo Mounds, Alto
  • 2.4. Comanche Peak, Granbury
  • 2.5. Medicine Mounds, Hardeman County
  • 2.6. Hueco Tanks, El Paso
  • 2.7. Palo Duro Canyon, vicinity of Amarillo
• 3. French and Spaniards
  • 3.I. Introduction
  • 3.1. The Wreck of the Belle, Matagorda Bay
  • 3.2. Mission Isleta, El Paso
  • 3.3. Mission Socorro, El Paso
  • 3.4. San Elizario, El Paso
  • 3.5. Mission San José, San Antonio
  • 3.6. The Alamo, San Antonio
  • 3.7. Mission and Presidio, Goliad
  • 3.8. La Lomita Chapel, Mission
  • 3.9. Lost Pines and Camino Real Crossing, Bastrop
  • 3.10. Town Center and Camino Real, Nacogdoches
  • 3.11. Town Center and Camino Real, San Augustine
  • 3.12. Landmark Inn, Castroville
  • 3.13. San Jacinto Monument, Harris County
• 4. Nineteenth-Century Anglos: Forts and Communications
  • 4.I. Introduction
  • 4.1. Palo Alto Battlefield, Brownsville
  • 4.2. Fort Ringgold, Rio Grande City
  • 4.3. Fort Phantom Hill, Abilene
  • 4.4. Fort Davis, Fort Davis
  • 4.5. Fort McKavett, Menard
  • 4.6. Sabine Pass, Jefferson County
  • 4.7. Fort Richardson, Jacksboro
  • 4.8. Fort Concho, San Angelo
  • 4.9. Fanthorp Inn, Anderson
  • 4.10. Stagecoach Inn, Salado
  • 4.11. Winedale, Round Top
  • 4.12. Washington-on-the-Brazos, Chappell Hill
  • 4.13. Site of Former Port, Indianola
  • 4.14. Union Depot, El Paso
  • 4.15. Suspension Bridge, Waco
• 5. Nineteenth-century Anglos: Settlements and Industries
  • 5.I. Introduction
  • 5.1. Kreische Brewery, La Grange
  • 5.2. Main Square, San Marcos
  • 5.3. Fulton Mansion, Rockport
  • 5.4. A Former Confederate City, Jefferson
  • 5.5. Town Center, Abilene
  • 5.6. Baylor University, Waco
  • 5.7. Capitol Building and University of Texas, Austin
  • 5.8. Site of the Salt War, El Paso
  • 5.9. Industrial Ghost Town, Thurber
  • 5.10. Mercury Mining Town, Terlingua
  • 5.11. Silver Mining Town, Shafter
  • 5.12. The Elissa, Galveston
  • 5.13. Saint Peter's Church, Boerne
  • 5.14. Courthouse Square, Granbury
  • 5.15. Courthouse Square, Weatherford
• 6. Texas in the Twentieth Century
  • 6.I. Introduction
  • 6.1. University of Texas at El Paso
  • 6.2. Southern Methodist University, Dallas
  • 6.3. Chautauqua Building, Waxahachie
  • 6.4. Spindletop, Beaumont
  • 6.5. Ship Channel, Houston
  • 6.6. Seawall, Galveston
  • 6.7. Fair Park, Dallas
  • 6.8. Dealey Plaza, Dallas
  • 6.9. Stockyards, Fort Worth
  • 6.10. The Mixmaster, Fort Worth
  • 6.11. Cultural District, Fort Worth
  • 6.12. Baker Hotel, Mineral Wells
  • 6.13. Johnson Ranch, Stonewall
  • 6.14. USS Lexington, Corpus Christi
  • 6.15. Six Flags over Texas, Arlington
  • 6.16. Astrodome, Houston
  • 6.17. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
• Conclusion