Texas Trivia & Tidbits - Page 22

Looking for Texas trivia? Try our list Texas little know facts, tidbits and trivia.

The “Transco Tower” in Houston’s “Galleria” area is the world’s largest building in a suburban area. The tower, built in 1983, is an art deco structure 64 stories high.

first appeared: 7/29/2001

The world’s largest “killer bee” makes its home in Hidalgo (pop. 6,160). But it won’t sting. This 20-foot long, 10-foot high sculpture was created to commemorate the fact that the first colony of the aggressive bees in the United States was found near the town.

first appeared: 7/22/2001

The town of New Braunfels (pop. 38,281) is named for a German prince who bought the town site for German settlers. In 1845, while Texas was still a republic, Prince Carl of Solms Braunfels paid $1,111 for 1,265 acres of land where 6,000 immigrants would soon settle.

first appeared: 7/22/2001

Seguin (pop. 18,853) claims to be home to the world’s largest pecan. A replica of a pecan that is 5 feet long, 2.5 feet wide, and weighs 1,000 pounds is on display outside of the Guadalupe County Courthouse. A local dentist who wanted to put his plastering skills to civic use came up with the idea and crafted the replica, which is dedicated to Cabeza de Vaca, a Spanish explorer who was held captive on the Guadalupe, “River of Nuts,” for 10 years. He thrived on a diet of local pecans.

first appeared: 7/15/2001

In the 1950s, researchers at a Dallas company created the first integrated circuit using a silicon chip, paving the way for the digital revolution. The resulting high-tech explosion, led by Texas Instruments, prompted a number of high-tech companies to open in Dallas, resulting in its nickname “Silicon Valley of the South.”

first appeared: 7/8/2001

Panna Maria, near San Antonio, is the oldest Polish settlement in the United States—settled in 1854 by residents of Silesia, which would later become Poland.

first appeared: 7/1/2001

America’s first president never roamed as far west as Texas. Laredo still celebrates George Washington’s birthday every February with a big party featuring fireworks, a carnival, a parade, and a formal ball with dancers in period costumes. The celebration began more than 100 years ago, when it was held to mark the end of Spanish and European rule on the continent.

first appeared: 6/24/2001

A man-made pit once designed to store 1 million barrels of crude oil is now the site for community events and concerts at Monahans (pop. 8,101). The "Million Barrel," built in 1928 by Shell Oil, was abandoned in the 1930s after being filled only once. Today the 426-by-522-foot tank holds a 400-seat amphitheater and hosts events such as barbecues, dances, and chili cook-offs.

first appeared: 6/24/2001

The U.S. Army at Camp Verde, near Kerrville (pop. 17,384), tested a unique mode of transportation in 1856. Secretary of War Jefferson Davis thought camels would be ideal for moving supplies from Texas to California. But the camels proved to be slow and difficult to train, and the idea was abandoned.

first appeared: 6/17/2001

The original “Meals on Wheels,” the cowboy chuck wagon, was invented in 1866 by prominent Texas cattleman Charles Goodnight. Goodnight, a veteran of cattle drives, built shelves, drawers, and cubbyholes behind a hinged lid in a wagon that lowered to become a worktable for a cook. The device was first used in 1866 on the inaugural cattle drive on what would become the “Goodnight-Loving Trail” from Texas to New Mexico and Colorado. (Nice wagon, Chuck.)

first appeared: 6/10/2001

An unconventional way to cross the Rio Grande can be found near Sullivan City (pop. 2,371). A ferry that can carry up to two cars and their passengers runs between nearby Los Ebanos and Ciudad Diaz Ordaz, Tampaulipas. The conductor uses a rope to pull the craft across the river and back.

first appeared: 6/10/2001

Baylor University got its start not at its current home in Waco, but in a town named for Texas’ declaration of independence from Mexico. Baylor College, for women, and Baylor University, for men, were both founded in Independence (pop. 140) in 1845—on opposite sides of the town. Baylor University moved to Waco in 1887, and Baylor College moved to Belton (pop. 14,800) the same year.

first appeared: 6/3/2001

Mysterious globes of light that can be seen near Marfa (pop. 2,424) shortly after sundown have captivated the residents and visitors for more than a century. The town has established a viewing area where dozens of cars can be found on good nights as people watch the “Marfa Mystery Lights.” The cause of the lights has yet to be determined, although some theories attribute them to phosphorescent minerals, static electricity, or even reflected car headlights.

first appeared: 5/27/2001

The tallest point in Big Bend National Park, near Marfa (pop. 2,424), is “Solitario,” a dome-topped tower of rock measuring eight miles across. The tower, reaching a height of 5,128 feet, is one of the largest geographic formations of its type in the world.

first appeared: 5/20/2001

Ten Cadillacs are buried nose-first in the ground near Amarillo as a shrine to America’s love of the open road. The “Cadillac Ranch” was created in 1974 by an avant-garde artists’ group.

first appeared: 5/20/2001

Houston boasts a pedestrian tunnel system that allows users to walk between the city’s business, theater, and historic district without suffering the Texas heat. The tunnel network connects more than 50 buildings and contains small eateries and shops.

first appeared: 5/13/2001

The Southfork Ranch in Parker (pop. 1,235), the home of the fictional Ewing clan in the popular television show Dallas, continues to draw thousands of visitors each year. The ranch first appeared on television in 1978.

first appeared: 5/13/2001

Texas was annexed to the United States under a congressional joint resolution signed by the president on Dec. 29, 1845. Thanks to Jesse Enloe of Fort Worth for pointing out the annexation wasn’t by treaty, as we said in the Jan. 28-Feb. 3 issue.

first appeared: 5/6/2001

The William Hobby Airport in Houston briefly was known as the Howard Hughes Airport. Hughes, a Houston native, was responsible for construction of a control tower in 1938 at what was then the Houston Municipal Airport. The city changed the name to the Howard Hughes Airport that July to honor the millionaire. Later that year, the old name was restored when Houston officials learned no federal airport funds could be spent on a facility named after a living person.

first appeared: 5/6/2001

The official state mammal of Texas is the armadillo—an armored, cat-sized animal that eats insects and is related to the anteater.

first appeared: 4/29/2001

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