Category Archive

Established 1972 | Somervell County | 1,524 acresEstablished 1972 | Somervell County | 1,524 acresDinosaur Valley State Park | Texas – “The Beginnings” (1970s)In 1909, nine-year-old George Adams discovered theropod tracks in the limestone riverbed of the Paluxy River. Eighteen years later, R.T. Bird of the American Museum of Natural History explored the site and found additional tracks, including a … Read More

Established 1954 | Grayson County | 463 acresEstablished 1954 | Grayson County | 463 acresEisenhower State Park | Exploring the Texas State Park System (1970s)Dwight Eisenhower may have grown up in Abilene, Kansas, but he was born in Denison, Texas. The Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site, managed by the Texas Historical Commission, preserves the home where the late president and … Read More

Established 1978 | Llano County | 1,640.5 acresEstablished 1978 | Llano County | 1,640.5 acresHiking Enchanted Rock | The Steve Gomez Collection (1990s)The pink granite dome that gives Enchanted Rock Natural Area its name has inspired countless myths and legends. The Tonkawa people that once occupied the region told stories of ghost fires and hauntings, while Spanish explorers spread tall … Read More

Established 1941 | Limestone County | 1,458 acresEstablished 1941 | Limestone County | 1,458 acresFort Parker | Texas in Review (1958)Texas in Review was a news magazine television program produced by the Dallas-based Jamieson Film Company for the Humble Oil & Refining Company. This segment, originally broadcast on January 20, 1958, tours Old Fort Parker. Civilian Conservation Corps Company 3807, … Read More

Established 1987 | El Paso County | 24,247 acresEstablished 1987 | El Paso County | 24,247 acresWyler Aerial Tramway | The Sandoval Family Films (1970s)Encompassing more than 26,600 acres within El Paso city limits, Franklin Mountains State Park is the largest urban park in the United States. This 1970s home movie captures one of the park’s most unique former attractions: … Read More

Established 1975 | Galveston County | 2,013 acresEstablished 1975 | Galveston County | 2,013 acresGalveston Island State Park | Exploring the Texas State Park System (1970s)Galveston Island State Park is one of the earliest known sites of occupation on the west side of the island, serving as both a campsite for the Karankawa people and the location of a settlement … Read More

Established 1941 | Uvalde County | 1,420 acresEstablished 1941 | Uvalde County | 1,420 acresGarner State Park | The Peggy Shiman Collection (1940s)Garner State Park was named for John Nance Garner, a Uvalde native who served in the US House of Representatives from 1903 to 1933 and as vice president under President Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 to 1941. Under … Read More

Established 1936 | Goliad County | 188 acresEstablished 1936 | Goliad County | 188 acresGoliad State Park and Historic Site | The Baylor Family Collection (1979)Nuestra Señora del Espíritu Santo de Zúñiga, or Mission La Bahía, was one of several missions established in Texas during the Spanish colonial period to convert local Indigenous people to Roman Catholicism. Its accompanying military … Read More

Established 1935 | Aransas County | 321 acresEstablished 1935 | Aransas County | 321 acresGoose Island State Park | Exploring the Texas State Park System (1970s)This 1970s government film highlights the natural beauty of Goose Island State Park, from its sandy beaches to its centuries-old live oaks. (With a crown spread of almost 90 feet, the Big Tree is one … Read More

Established 1983 | Comal and Kendall Counties | 1,938 acresEstablished 1983 | Comal and Kendall Counties | 1,938 acresWhitewater | The Roy Faires Collection (1981)Humans have occupied the Guadalupe River valley for thousands of years, including such Native American tribes as the Tonkawa, Waco, Lipan Apache, and Karankawa. Modern park visitors come to fish in the river’s clear, spring-fed waters … Read More