If American vernacular music has an archetypal instrument, it’s certainly the guitar, and there’s no doubt Texas has produced some of the most important guitarists in music history — so important that even their guitars are icons. The guitar is an instrument that knows no stylistic boundaries, serving as a symbol of Texas’ colorful musical culture. Whether it be country, blues, Western swing, rock, Tejano or any other type of music produced here, one can often hear the euphonious strumming of the guitar in the background. Blues legend Lightnin’ Hopkins There are varying theories regarding the origin of the guitar. With…
Author: Cassandra Lance-Martinez
In the heart of cowboy country, centrally located between Waco, Abilene and Fort Worth, lies a community small in size but big in musical stature. Stephenville has a population of just under 21,000 and serves as the seat of Erath County. With its recording studios, radio stations, big-name music festivals and a university that emphasizes music and the performing arts, it’s no wonder Stephenville was deemed a Music Friendly Community by the Texas Music Office, in the Office of the Governor. HISTORY Stephenville’s story began in 1854, when John M. Stephen settled on-site and donated land to George B. Erath…
For hundreds of years adobe brick structures have painted the arid desert landscape of the Southwest. The arrival of the Spanish to the region in the mid-16th century brought a tradition of adobe construction that was then combined with the adobe building method of Native Americans that occupied the land long before the arrival of the Spanish. The confluence of the two styles created the iconic mission-style adobe brick architecture synonymous with the area today. TON OF BRICKS: In this photo dated from the 1920s, Native Americans in Texas prepare adobe bricks for the construction of missions. “Adobe brick is…
It’s been called the “King of Song,” can be found just about everywhere in Texas, and has an exceptional ability to mimic just about any noise in its environment — other birds, insects, amphibians, even mechanical noises. And for more than nine decades, the mockingbird has worn the title of Texas’ official state bird. While the northern mockingbird is present across North America, it was designated by the Texas Legislature as the state bird in January 1927 at the request of the Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs. The mockingbird, the Federation noted, is an astonishingly unique and intelligent songbird, confirmed…
Nestled in the grounds of Fair Park in south Dallas is an establishment that holds vital importance to the community. The African American Museum of Dallas (AAMD) brings to light the individuals, events, accomplishments and injustices that occurred to African Americans in the Dallas area during post-slavery and Civil Rights eras. Through artifacts, interactive kiosks and folk art, the African American Museum of Dallas seeks to piece together the puzzle that is Dallas’ disjointed history. Founded in 1974, the African American Museum is devoted to the preservation and education of African American history, culture and art, focused primarily in the…
Nestled in the Hill Country region of central Texas, Fredericksburg’s townscape remains decorated with reminders from the German settlers of the mid-1800s who developed the area. In a state famous for everything being bigger, one may be pleasantly surprised to discover small family homes, aptly called Sunday Houses, that offer a glimpse of what it was like for churchgoing German immigrants of the day. Following the Texas Revolution, land agents from the state traveled to Germany to entice farmers to move with their families to fill the vast acreage, hoping to develop a prosperous economy. Upon arrival, families received 10-acre…
The story of the “Come and Take It” flag begins Oct. 2, 1835, at what is now known as the Battle of Gonzales — the first military engagement of the Texas Revolution. It was the fall of 1835. Mexican President Santa Anna had dissolved the Constitution and made himself dictator. Tensions began to flare between his oppressive government and the liberty minded desires of Texans and Tejanos. To suppress the rumblings of unrest and revolution, the Mexican military leaders began their quest to quietly disarm the Texans. One of the first actions was to retrieve a cannon lent to the…
Churches big and small fill up across the state each Sunday with devout worshipers. Sunday service has been the backbone of many Texas homes for generations, and, if you’re extra lucky, the church you attend might have the music of a pipe organ billowing through the pews. But that wasn’t always so in Texas. The introduction of the pipe organ to churches in the state didn’t come about until after the oil boom at the turn of the twentieth century, which brought masses of wealth and people to the Lone Star State. In 1894, oil was found in Corsicana by…
On any given day, “The Spirit of the American Doughboy,” by Ernest M. Viquesney, is a memorial statue that can be found in multiple locations around the state. So if at first glance the structure may seem familiar, that may be because you’ve seen it elsewhere. The statue was first conceptualized in 1920, two years after the end of World War I, and features a lone U.S. soldier dressed in an Army uniform holding a rifle with a bayonet in his left hand while brandishing a grenade in his right, positioning himself similarly to the iconic pose of the Statue…
Just about any Texan will tell you — there’s nothing quite like the Texas sky, whether during the burnt orange sunset or the twinkling of the Milky Way overhead at night. But at a time when it’s hard to find a summer outdoor activity that involves the whole family without breaking the bank, one tantalizing option remains. A perfect way to enjoy summer nights is to take everyone — from grandma and grandpa to the young ’uns — to a classic drive-in movie. Says Larry Knight, a regular at the Brazos Drive-In Theatre in Granbury, “Nothing beats the drive-in movie…
