Our Texas Heritage (1963)

[Music] of Texas is compared with that of the United States we realize the tremendous expanse of our second largest state Six Flags of sovereign powers have flown over the Lone Star State those of Spain France Mexico the Republic of Texas the southern Confederacy and the United States it's natur that we are proud of our history which begins in 1519 as the Bold Alonzo panata sails up the Rio Grande and makes the first map of the Texas coast for Spain Paya Indians on the later site of San Antonio call the area Tas meaning Friend by the mid 1700s 92 Expeditions Venture into this region of New Spain dangers and hardships cause many to lose their lives as they wander lost and bewildered along the banks of the Red River Franciscan monks propose a spiritual conquest of Texas and establish 12 missions to be maintained by a few priests and soldiers civilization colored with traditions and patterned by robed monks centers within the thick walls of these presidios or forts life follows a routine Guided by the tolling of bells in the towers San Jose established in 1720 and the largest in this chain of missions is famous for its Rose window acclaimed as one of the finest examples of stone carving in America the purpose of these missions is twofold to christianize the Indian and to extend the frontier of the Spanish Dominion in 1821 Steven F Austin a native of Virginia brings a group known as the first 300 which take a place in Texas history similar to that of their forefathers the Jamestown and the Plymouth Pioneers his Colony grows to 5,000 persons in 10 years these Pioneers possess courage determination and vision and travel for months facing dangers and hardships to reach their [Music] destination as new territory is opened many Germans Scandinavians and French settle in the Hill Country they yearn for Freedom religious liberty and greater self-rule Mexico will not see eye to eye with with her idealistic children and forbids further immigration a battle at Gonzalez for tells of Greater Bloodshed to come and brings realization to both sides that a revolution has started an appeal is made for men to come with a good rifle and come soon Liberty or death the march to San Antonio is on with the new Lone Star flag made by the wife of a volunteer Santa Anna Mexican dictator unleashes 3,000 of his army on the Alamo and Slaughters the 187 Defenders led by Colonel Travis James buy and David Crockett after the fall of the Alamo Colonel Fannon surrenders near golad and all 300 of his men are marched out of camp and [Music] shot in March 1836 the constitution of the Republic of Texas is adopted and David Bernett elected its provisional president one month later a tough 6 and a2f footer named Houston faces General Santa Ana and a force twice the size of his own at a place called San jento Remember the Alamo remember golad is the battlecry When the Smoke Clears a new Republic is born so big no one can tell the limit of its boundaries these monuments symbolize the heroic valent Deeds of Texans to establish a republic and throw off the Yoke of an unyielding dictator German immigrants settled in Fredericksburg North of San Antonio these Sunday houses provided Saturday night accommodations for those who live too far to arrive in time for church on Sunday morning such Hospitality was Common [Music] Place many immigrants from Alabama and Tennessee settled in the Northeast section some communities have changed little from their early days oldtimers still enjoy their favorite game of dominoes [Music] sacred harp singing originated in Elizabethan England its distinction is calling the scale consisting of three notes these notes are repeated twice and a dominant seventh is added to introduce the new position in the printed music notes are recognized by their shape rather than their position on the staff a system devised over 100 years ago a sing can can be an all day affair with only time out for a picnic [Music] lunch Texas became the 28th state of the union in 1845 and blue bonnets were proclaimed the state flower freedom and Limitless opportunity existed in this last frontier man's accomplishments were limited only by his capacities by 1860 Jefferson the Metropolis of East Texas and the steamboat terminal from New Orleans was called the mother of Texas most of the population of 23,000 lived in relative luxury upon the profits from the products of North Texas and those of foreign lands Jay Gul rail Road magnet realizing the potential of Jefferson came to discuss the right of way for one of his railroads he stayed at the exceler hotel and argued that his proposition would make Jefferson even greater the people burned his ideas and talked of the Riverboat traffic and the Overland Supply wagons who would change this for the iron horse with its smoke and noise in leaving Gould angrily signed the hotel register the end of Jefferson and said grass will grow in your streets unless you allow my railroad through your town [Music] he placed his railroad 3 miles away and Jefferson slept on in quiet Oblivion near the town of mission in the lore Rio Grande Valley the oblate fathers planted our first orange groves and established an outpost in 1849 to bring religious culture to this area the original Chapel of Lomita is a memorial to men like Father Enrique who rode horseback to visit his congregation forts along the Butterfield Stage route in West Texas gave Assurance to the settlers Stone and Adobe buildings of Fort Davis now stands like giant seia skeletons Indian Emily and Apache whose love for an officer at Fort Davis induced her to warn of an Indian attack was accidentally shot by a Sentry Texas Rangers helped protect the settlers against Outlaws in this new frontier Stage Coach drivers and passengers braved the dangers of weather hunger and robbery on trips to California a jolting ride that took 30 days [Music] stories told by cabesa deaka of treasure in the Seven Cities of siola far to the Northwest brought ill-fated Expeditions into this region of the new world Prospectors too brought new life to the West the tringa cinear deposit was one of the largest Quicksilver mines in the world It produced over 50 years the name tringa was derived from three Indian tribes speaking three different languages the owner chapito or little man controlled everything in secret all that could be seen were the smelters and the burrow teams hauling flasks over rough Mountain Trails Legend claims that Chapo's ghost still roams these mountains and the overgrown Cemetery for Paths of Glory lead but to the Grave other Prospectors armed with seis Magrath and rotary drill discovered oil the real lifeblood of the state when the Lucas gusher punctured cap rock at Spindletop in 191 it erupted 75,000 barrels of oil per day which changed the future of the world and even the history of the [Music] world the opening of an East Texas oil field proved to be another Bonanza and soon Texas was producing more oil than the world could use the price fell to 5 cents per barrel and the entire industry panicked by the mid 1830s production regulations were enforced and order was restored the early missions were great establishments which later became the nuclei of large ranches by 1770 asperatus Santo near golad claimed 40,000 cattle bleached animal bones are found on the Prairies where herds of buffalos once roamed extensively Buffalo bows provided meat Shaggy hides and bones for fertilizer these first cattle in North America known as the Longhorns were brought in the gallions of Spanish colonists they adapted to the Great Plains and became the nucleus of the cattle Empire Charles Goodnight blazed a trail for his cattle to the staked Plains of the Panhandle the spectacular palur Canyon forms a 120m rift Trail drivers are credited with opening the west and the traditions of many Pioneer Cattlemen ride high on the dust of the Prairie a Cowboy is part Legend leather and Maverick and must know what a cow is thinking be an individualist and loyal to his brand on payday the Lusty open range towns boomed in the 1870s and variety theaters provided entertainment customers and bartenders dodged when bullets [Music] flew about 1880 the crossing of a longhorn with the British Herford began this produced a higher grade of beef but these cattle suffered from drought and insects about the same time barbed wire was introduced and $500 offered to any cow boy who could drive his worst fence Buster through the new wire the idea of fencing ranges spread helping to bring order to the vast graand an important event to the Cattleman was the importation of a Brahma from India in the early 1900s these cattle could survive the most trying range conditions without suffering and were much larger and fatter the crossbreeding of the Brahma and the short horn on the King Ranch produced the only true cattle breed ever originated in America the Santa gudis today ancestry is important to the Cattleman but formerly the only Petree needed was a brand by 1885 Texas needed a new capital building it was purchased with over 3 million Acres of pan handle land as the rolling tumble weeds move steadily forward so has our Texas Heritage developed in growth and maturity [Music] the [Music] we for you [Music] to Glory [Music] to [Music]