INTERESTING TEXAS FACTS

Beaumont to El Paso: 742 miles
Beaumont to Chicago: 770 miles
El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas.

World's first rodeo was in Pecos, Texas on July 4, 1883. (I know the Spanish had them informally)

The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water.

The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the first full time coach for Rice University in Houston.

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

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

Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson, Texas.

The worst natural disaster in U. S. history was in 1900 caused by a hurricane in which 8,000 lives were lost on Galveston Island.

The first word spoken from the moon on July 20, 1969 was "Houston."

King Ranch is larger than Rhode Island.

Tropical storm Claudette brought a U. S. rainfall record of 43" in 24 hours in and around Alvin, Texas in July 1979.

Texas is the ONLY state to enter the U. S. by TREATY, instead of by annexation. This allows the Texas flag to fly at the same height as the U. S. flag.

A live oak tree near Fulton, Texas is estimated to be 1500 years old.

Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.

Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period after Dr in Dr Pepper.

Texas has had six capitals: Washington, Harrisburg, Galveston, Velasco, West Columbia and Austin.

The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the U. S. which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. (7' taller).

The name Texas comes from the Hasini Indian word "tejas" meaning friends. Tejas is not Spanish for Texas.

The State animal is the armadillo. Armadillos always have four babies; they have one egg which splits into four and they either have four males or four females.

The first domed stadium in the U. S. was the Astrodome in Houston.

Cowboy Ten Commandments posted on the wall at Cross Trails Church in
Fairlie, Texas (cowboy style) :
1. Just One God.
2. Honor yer Ma & Pa
3. No telling tales or gossipin'
4. Git yourself to Sunday meetin'
5. Put nothin' before God
6. No foolin' around with another fella's gal.
7. No killin'
8. Watch yer mouth
9. Don't take what ain't yers
10. Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff.

(I guess the last ten things just aren't nuanced enough for our Liberal friends to understand, and comply with)