Texas

Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)

teks'as, the largest state in the American Union. From the fact that it was for a time an independent state and adopted a flag with one star, it is popularly known as the "Lone Star State." It lies on the Gulf of Mexico between the Red and Sabine on the north and east and the Rio Grande on the west. Area, 265,780 square miles. Texas revolted from Mexican rule in 1836, and was admitted to the Union in 1845. The capital is Austin. There are 246 counties, the largest number in any one state. Delaware has but three. TOPOGRAPHY. The surface of the state comprises coast swamps, plains, rich black prairie lands, broken country abounding in chaparral of thorny mesquite, rugged mountains, and semi-arid grazing lands,--enough of each to make a state of ordinary size. The general course of the rivers is south-eastward. They afford few waterways and little waterpower. The climate varies from that of New Mexico to that of southern Louisiana. The rainfall at Galveston is hardly less than sixty inches a year, at Austin thirty-two, and at the northwestern border, five. MINERALS. The mineral wealth of the state has not been developed. There are coal measures in the central portion. Copious petroleum wells have been located in the southeast. There are known veins of silver, copper, lead, tin, cinnabar, and iron. Building stones of various sorts abound in localities. FLORA AND FAUNA. Forests like those of Louisiana may be found in the north-east. The hills of the Pecos region bear pine. The Rio Grande Valley is largely a region of cacti and prickly shrubs. Extensive tracts have been rendered highly fertile by irrigation. Buffalo, that is, bison, were formerly numerous, but are now extinct. Vast colonies of prairie dogs render certain regions half grassless. Other prairie animals are the coyote, jackrabbit, and antelope. The panther, bear, deer, and opossum still find shelter. The jaguar, peccary, armadillo, and other Mexican animals are found near the Rio Grande. The mocking-bird is found near the Gulf. The quail, turkey, and numerous waterfowl are sought by hunters. The centipede, tarantula, scorpion, rattlesnake, and other unwelcome animals are found in certain localities. AGRICULTURE. Texas is preeminently a rich, prosperous, agricultural state. Named in order of acreage, the chief field crops are cotton, corn, wheat, hay, and oats. Orchard fruits, vegetables, sweet potatoes, peas, sorghum, potatoes, sugar-cane, peanuts, and tobacco are raised. Cotton is the great money-producing crop. It brings in about $14 an acre and is worth about $80,000,000 a year. There are large areas of fertile land in the Pecos and Rio Grande valleys awaiting irrigation. Truck farming is attracting attention. PRODUCTS. Texas leads the Union in the number of cattle, but ranks second in the money value of live stock. Sheep and cattle are contending for the ranges. Mules are depended on for farm animals. Texas produces one-fourth of the cotton-seed oil pressed in the United States . Cars, pottery, flour, machinery, liquors, saddlery, and harness are important articles of manufacture. The state is well provided with railways. Galveston is the chief port. Fort Worth, Houston, and Dallas have large commercial and manufacturing interests. The assessed valuation of Texas in 1908 was $2,200,000,000. EDUCATION. A double system of free schools is maintained. For the whites there are over 200 high schools in the various cities. Three normal schools are maintained at Huntsville, San Marcos, and Denton; a state university with between 1,000 and 2,000 students at Austin; an agricultural school at Bryan. A normal school for colored teachers is located at Prairie View. POPULATION. In 1900 the population of the state was returned at 3,048,710. Of this number 620,722 were negroes. San Antonio, the largest city, had a population of 53,321. Ten other cities, Houston, Dallas, Galveston, Fort Worth, Austin, Waco, El Paso, Laredo, Denison, and Sherman had over 10,000 inhabitants. At the time of the census, thirteen per cent of the native whites and seventy-five per cent of the negroes were unable to read or write. The leading religious denominations are the Baptist and Methodist. The Roman Catholic church, the next in point of numbers, claims about five per cent of the population. STATISTICS. The following statistics are the latest to be had from trustworthy sources: Land area, square miles 261,840 Water area 3,940 Population (estimated, 1908) 3,846,000 San Antonio (1910) 96,614 Houston 78,800 Dallas 92,104 Galveston 36,981 Fort Worth 73,312 Austin (1906) 27,005 El Paso 19,248 Waco 24,430 Beaumont 13,105 Members of state senate 35 Representatives 108 Salary of governor $4,000 U. S. representatives 16 Presidential electors 18 Assessed valuation of property $1,139,000,000 Bonded indebtedness $4,000,000 State revenue $3,500,000 Acres of improved land 19,500,000 Agricultural Products-- Corn, bushels 201,000,000 Wheat, bushels 10,164,000 Oats, bushels 21,675,000 Rice, bushels 9,142,000 Potatoes, bushels 3,500,000 Tobacco, pounds 2,400,000 Cotton, pounds 1,102,000,000 Butter, pounds 55,000,000 Wool, pounds 8,873,000 Domestic Animals-- Horses 1,278,000 Mules 637,000 Milk cows 1,072,000 Other cattle 7,825,000 Sheep 1,799,000 Goats 14,000 Swine 3,147,000 Fowls 17,000,000 Exports $161,000,000 Imports $5,700,000 Manufacturing establishments 3,158 Capital invested $116,000,000 Operatives 49,066 Raw material $91,000,000 Output of manufactures $150,000,000 Lumber products $16,000,000 Saddlery output $3,500,000 Petroleum, barrels 12,322,000 Coal mined, tons 1,648,069 Salt, barrels 356,000 Flour output, barrels 3,228,000 Cotton seed oil, gallons 32,000,000 Clay products $2,500,000 Miles of railway 12,575 Teachers in public schools 18,000 Pupils enrolled 800,000 Percentage of male teachers 33.4 Average monthly salary of teachers $53.79 Average annual expenditure per pupil $14.84 See Alamo ; Crockett ; Santa Anna ; Prairie Dog ; Irrigation 2026 Editor's Note: This page uses language about race that was commonplace when the book was published and is offensive by today's standards. The text has been left exactly as it was printed, rather than cut or softened, so that the historical record — including how ordinary such language once was — is preserved. (Ed: BR 2026-07-22) 2026 Editor's Note: The Texas of this entry had just struck its future: Spindletop (1901) began the oil age, and the Galveston hurricane (1900) — still America's deadliest disaster — had just rebuilt the coast's cities behind seawalls. See Spindletop . (Ed: BR 2026-06-07)