Porfirio Salinas has been hailed the best painter of the Texas hill country and its bluebonnets. Born on November 6, 1910, Porfirio's teachers recognized and encouraged his drawing ability. When Porfirio found employment after school in a graphics company that also sold art supplies, he met Robert Wood, recognized for his Texas landscapes, and…

Jose de Escandon's colonization work in the present Mexican state of Tamaulipas and the lower Rio Grande valley forms an essential part of the Spanish northern borderlands. Many of the land grants in the area, ranching, and some of the present day agricultural industries originated with the colonization projects initiated by Escandon, who proved…

This book describes the teaching experiences of Stella Gipson Polk, who taught in one-room schools in rural Texas. She was 16 at the time she took her first teaching job in 1918. After high school graduation, she had intended to enter a 4-year college or university. However, World War I left numerous schools without teachers as many were called…

This biography chronicles the life and career of Annie Webb Blanton (1870-1945), who was the first woman state superintendent of public instruction in Texas. She was elected to this post in 1918, 2 years before women were allowed to vote in general elections. Like many other young women during the 19th century, Blanton began her teaching career as…

This book presents the oral histories of one male and seven female retired teachers who began their careers during the 1920s and 1930s in one-room schools in the Texas hill country. These teachers continued to teach until after the desegregation of public schools in the 1960s. The married black couple included began teaching in rural Texas in 1931…