The holiday season is upon us, and what better way to celebrate than by shopping for unique and meaningful gifts at Texas Historical Commission state historic sites? Texas is rich in history and culture and select state historic sites offer a treasure trove of products that help celebrate that heritage and make great gifts. This year's collection has been organized into special categories to help you find the ideal gift for everyone on your list.   Taste of Texas  Perfect for the culinary enthusiasts on your list, explore our "Taste of Texas" section. The Sam Rayburn Cookboo ..read more

Categories:  The Medallion   By Andy Rhodes, Managing Editor The Medallion It wasn’t long ago that most people had a ready answer for the notorious question, “Where were you on November 22, 1963?”   Now, 60 years later, there’s only a portion of the population with a definitive response. In 1970s Dallas, however, the question was still on everyone’s mind. And it certainly was a provocative query for the Dallas County Historical Foundation.   The county cautiously approached the imposing prospect of acquiring the former Texas School Book Depository Building at De ..read more

Photo Gallery Click on any image to view the photo gallery. Share Vacolite By Margo McCutcheon, Educator/Interpreter, Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site  Sam “Mr. Sam” Rayburn, the longest serving Speaker of the House in American history, was not known for having a full head of hair throughout most of his life. Yet, we have several brushes and combs in our artifact collection at the Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site. Why?   Well, Mr. Sam had several family members living with him from the time the family built the house in 1916. Mr. Sam lived with his parent ..read more

With over 38 Texas Historical Commission state historic sites , it’s hard to decide which popular destinations are the best to visit during the winter holidays. We’ve made it easier by narrowing the list down based on geographic location and, of course, any remarkable amenities and notable holiday events happening during your stay. If you love history as much as we do, read on to discover more about the Texas Historical Commission’s seven best historic winter weekend getaway destinations.   Port Isabel Lighthouse State Historic Site Texas Gulf Coast getaway tourists will find their beaco ..read more

Categories:  THC's Historic Sites Levi Jordan Plantation State Historic Site By Nicholas Bourgeois, M.A., R.P.A., Archeologist, Levi Jordan Plantation State Historic Site In 2005, researcher Antony Cherian interviewed Thomas C. Hendricks, whose ancestors were enslaved workers at Levi Jordan Plantation, as part of an oral history program documenting the plantation and its relationship to the community. At the time of the interview, Hendricks had lived in Sweeny, Texas, for about 53 years with his wife Sadie Hendricks. It was in Sweeny where they raised their family of two daughters a ..read more

Categories:  THC's Historic Sites Photo Gallery Click on any image to view the photo gallery. Share Bricks and marks at Levi Jordan Plantation By Nicholas Bourgeois, M.A., R.P.A., Archeologist, Levi Jordan Plantation  Bricks are the most common type of artifact found at the Levi Jordan Plantation State Historic Site. They were handmade by the enslaved laborers from local clay and fired on-site in kilns.   The bricks were used to construct the main house’s chimneys, water cisterns, sugar mill, and sections of many other buildings. These buildings include an exterior kit ..read more

Categories:  THC's Historic Sites Levi Jordan Plantation State Historic Site Photo Gallery Click on any image to view the photo gallery. Share Image of bricks and marks By Nicholas Bourgeois, M.A., R.P.A., Archeologist, Levi Jordan Plantation  Bricks are the most common type of artifact found at the Levi Jordan Plantation State Historic Site. They were handmade by the enslaved laborers from local clay and fired on-site in kilns.   The bricks were used to construct the main house’s chimneys, water cisterns, sugar mill, and sections of many other buildings. These buildin ..read more

Categories:  THC's Historic Sites Starr Family Home State Historic Site Photo Gallery Click on any image to view the photo gallery. Share Plumbing Plans 1884 First Page, Panel 1 In March 1888, two articles appeared in the Marshall Messenger about a new waterworks (citywide water system) under construction in the city. The article appearing on March 1, 1888 lists locations of the new waterlines including “another branch at Grove running south to J. F. Starr’s residence” and the March 8 article declares “the waterworks will be completed about May 1” as pipes and other infrastructur ..read more

Photo Gallery Click on any image to view the photo gallery. Share Sam Rayburn and Whistle Stop By Andrew Fitzgerald, Education Intern, Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle. —Winston Churchill Few items are more important for a cowboy than his saddle. A quality saddle immediately assures greater comfort for both horse and rider on long journeys; it has also been proven that a properly crafted and fitted saddle is healthier for a horse in the long term. A cowboy who truly loves his steed will only buy the best saddle for them. Former ..read more

Categories:  Archeology By Hunter Whitehead, Marine Archeologist, AerAqua Project (501c) and Amy Borgens, State Marine Archeologist, Texas Historical Commission Often when thinking of underwater archeology, one conjures images of mysterious and fascinating shipwrecks, sometimes those that are famous and significant to state, national, or international history. A rapidly expanding sub-discipline of underwater archeology is the field of submerged aviation—this specialization seeks to chronicle, record, preserve, and present those historic aircraft that have crashed and sunk into water ..read more