Sam Houston and Mirabeau B. Lamar:
Sam Houston always had people who opposed him, whether it concerned his political philosophy, his lifestyle or his military strategy. One such individual was Mirabeau B. Lamar. These two men would serve as the first two Presidents of the young Republic of Texas.
Continue reading Presidents, Republic of Texas, Part 2 (1836-1841) 
The town of Post, Texas is the county seat of Garza County and was founded by Charles William Post, known for his Post cereals and other grain products. Post had been attracted by the relatively undeveloped area nearby and in 1906, he acquired 213,324 acres that now straddle Garza, Hockley and Lynn Counties in Texas. Out of this, he carved out a large tract for his own Double U Ranch and laid out a model town situated in Garza County. Continue reading Post, Texas
Erastus “Deaf” (pronounced “Deef”) Smith was an admirable person in “Texas Rising” and one in which the character of the individual may closely match the one portrayed in the miniseries. His hearing loss was not complete, but was significant after suffering an illness some years prior to the Texas Revolution. In some accounts, it was referred to as “consumption” (most likely, tuberculosis) which may have contributed to his death, though contemporary accounts were not specific as to the actual cause of death. One newspaper account simply read, “His iron frame has sunk under the severe fatigues and exposures to which he has too willingly subjected himself.”
A good friend of mine grew up seeing a revered old cowboy walk the small downtown area of Gainesville, Texas. When he asked about the identity of the man, he was told that he was a retired Texas Ranger who had captured some famous outlaws. My friend eventually learned that the old gentleman was former Texas Ranger Tom Hickman.
Continue reading Tom Hickman, Texas RangerTaylor County is considered to be in West Texas and many feel that it is where West Texas begins. It is located northwest of the geographic center of the State. Its county seat from 1878 to 1883 was Buffalo Gap, but since then has been Abilene.
Texas History Notebook 