Texas has always been a cultural crossroads.
From the Chihuahua Trail to Route 66, Texas's thoroughfares have connected the diverse groups
that have made the Lone Star State their home.
Indigenous tribes like the Caddo and Karankawa, Spaniards and Mexicans from the south, European
immigrants through the port of Galveston, African Americans brought west from Southern
states, each of these groups made Texas what it is today.
This rich cultural heritage is represented throughout Texas Parks and Wildlife's state
parks and historic sites.
Hueco Tanks and Seminole Canyon State Parks and Historic Sites, both renowned for their
exceptional rock art, allow a glimpse into Native American lives and belief systems as
visitors imagine what the pictographs of humans, animals, and deities meant to those who painted
and viewed them thousands of years ago.
Hispanic history comes alive at Goliad State Park and Historic Site, an 18th-century mission
established by Spanish priests, who were among the first European settlers in Texas.
Just down the road is the reconstructed home of General Ignacio Zaragoza, hero of the 1862
Battle of Puebla, which Mexico and now Texas celebrate on Cinco de Mayo.
Sitting on the border between Mexico and Texas, Fort Leaton was a way-station and trading
post frequented by U.S. cavalry, Native Americans, and Mexicans during the 19th century.
The European immigrant experience is recreated at a number of historic sites.
A visit to Fanthorp Inn State Historic Site, built in 1834 by English immigrant Henry Fanthorp,
transports visitors back to 1850, when the home was a personal residence and popular
stagecoach stop.
Kriesche Brewery State Historic Site shares the story of German immigrant Heinrich Kreische,
his wife Josepha, and their six children.
The family settled outside of LaGrange, where Kreische, a trained stonemason, built their
three-story stone house and established one of the state's earliest breweries.
African American history and the reality of racial segregation extend from 19th-century
sites to some of our Civilian Conservation Corps parks.
African American CCC companies built Daingerfield, Fort Parker, Goose Island, Palo Duro, Abilene,
Huntsville, and Palmetto State Parks during the Great Depression's difficult years.
At these and other historic sites and state parks, visitors learn about the experiences
of many of Texas's cultural groups!
Not all are easy stories to tell - the lives of many Texans were difficult - but all need
to be recalled.
Park buildings and landscapes can encourage conversations about foodways, agriculture,
ranching, the environment, building traditions, race relations, social classes, military conflicts,
and religions.
To help keep these varied stories alive, the Historic Sites and Structures program provides
historical context derived from thorough research and ensures historic sites and parks are kept
in good condition.
A few historical and architectural projects recently completed or underway illustrate
this commitment to stewardship.
The digital documentation of Seminole Canyon's Panther Cave recorded its pictographs for
posterity and provided a 3D model that gives visitors a realistic look at these treasures.
A video about the documentation process and the model was also created for the park.
A request from Abilene State Park about the history of its water tower, the park's signature
feature, trigged research project that discovered the tower was constructed by Company 1832(CV),
a CCC troop composed of African American veterans who had been turned away by another municipality.
Constructed by German immigrants to San Antonio, the Zizelmann House at Government Canyon State
Natural Area is one of precious few 19th-century rural vernacular structures still standing
just outside of the city.
After suffering damage, the stone building became a focus for park and regional staff,
leading to an architectural assessment and stabilization plan that may stimulate outside
funding.
Finally, thanks to $1.5 million in enhancement funding from TXDoT, state parks will share
with visitors the story of El Camino Real de los Tejas, the historic route used for
centuries by Native Americans, Spaniards, and early Texas settlers.
Mission Tejas, Bastrop, McKinney Falls, Goliad and Rosario sites are receiving structural
and interpretive improvements connecting them with the legendary road.
Like El Camino Real, the story of Texas is one of many cultures and voices.
We all believe that a variety of narratives enriches our sites.
As State Parks enters a new year, our unique collection of historic resources provides
Texas Parks and Wildlife with a way to reach out and connect with the many cultural groups
that created Texas and whose descendants continue to shape Texas today.