Download or read book The Samuel May Williams Home written by Margaret Swett Henson and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2013-01-30 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Built in the winter of 1839-1840, this house, and the Texas pioneer who inhabited it, are the central focus of this thoroughly researched and well-written study of Galveston's merchant elite—Gail Borden, Michel Menard, Thomas McKinney, and others—a generation of leaders who did much to shape their city and Texas itself.
Download or read book Samuel May Williams written by Margaret Swett Henson and published by Reveille Books. This book was released on 1976-03-01 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite his important role in the development of early Texas—he was a close associate of Stephen F. Austin, a successful businessman and land speculator, father of the Texas navy, founder of Texas' first bank, and co-founder of Galveston—Samuel May Williams is unknown to many Texans. Elitist, arrogant, shrewd, sometimes sharp in his business dealings, and politically conservative, Williams made enemies easily, and contemporary prejudice has perhaps led modern scholars to overlook his genuine significance in Texas history. Margaret Swett Henson's biography examines the career of this early entrepreneur, whose interests were closely entwined with those of Texas. Arriving in Texas in 1822 under an assumed name with little but good family connections, some mercantile experience, and fluent Spanish, Williams was hired as secretary in charge of Austin's colonial land office at San Felipe and before long had acquired large holdings of his own. In partnership with Thomas F. McKinney he set up a commission house that did a thriving business and later added a small banking function. The two men helped found the Galveston City Company and in 1848 Williams opened his Commercial and Agricultural Bank in that city. Over three decades Williams participated in the events that determined the course of Texas history and did much to advance the development of Texas and its economy—a less romantic but no less vital role than that of more popular folk-heroes. This study makes extensive use of heretofore largely unexplored manuscript material, notably the Samuel May Williams Papers at the Rosenberg Library in Galveston, Texas.
Download or read book Forsaken Patriot written by Gordon Blocker and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2015-06-02 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW HISTORY BOOK REVEALS UNKNOWN TEXAS HERO He came to the western frontier under a cloud and under an assumed name, a man seriously in debt, fleeing a murder indictment with nothing but the clothes on his back and a beautiful woman some called a "Devil" on his arm. His name was Samuel May Williams. And in time, although he would risk all in the service of Texas, he would become the most controversial, the most hated, and the most misunderstood character to walk the pages of Texas history. Sam was the son and grandson of sea captains, and as a young man, sailed as Supercargo on his family's Baltimore Clipper, venturing to Buenos Aires where he stayed for awhile learning Spanish and the perils and possibilities of doing business in a country torn by revolution - skills that would serve him well later when he would find himself center stage in the conflicts between Texas and Mexico. Still in his early twenties, he settled for a few years in New Orleans where he became fluent in the French language, made and lost a fortune speculating in land recently obtained from France in the Louisiana Purchase. It was in New Orleans that he was rumored to have killed a man in a dispute over a woman, perhaps the woman that historians have identified as either an actress, the wife of a circus owner or a high-born Cuban lady. Together, pursued by the law and debtors, he and this woman escaped to the wilderness of mid-19th century Texas. Because of his adventurous spirit, his business acumen and his gift of languages, Sam Williams became indispensable to Stephen F. Austin, first as his assistant, then later as Austin's partner. Together, they created what has been called the "most successful colonization movement in American history." As time passed, Williams became the major bureaucrat in Anglo-American Texas, a man of considerable substance. During the Texas Revolution, Williams continued his entrepreneurial ways and to many it seemed he was lining his pockets at the Colony's expense. Yet, behind the scenes, he was purchasing warships and recruiting officers and men for the Texas Navy, ships which assured victory over Santa Anna at San Jacinto and without which Texas could never have won and maintained its Independence. Williams purchased the ships and armed them on his own credit, a debt that would not be repaid in his lifetime. His life was interwoven with some of the great men of the time, the gentleman pirate Jean Laffite, Sam Houston, Stephen Austin, José Navarro, Juan Seguín, Antonio López de Santa Anna. After the Mexican general was defeated at San Jacinto, Williams saved him from an angry mob and hid him away, even though Santa Anna had earlier placed a price on Sam's head for seeking to steal away Texas from Mexico. Forsaken Patriot is the story of a remarkable life, a man who was viewed by many as a scoundrel and by others as a patriot. Father of the Texas Navy, he also built a mercantile empire, created the first bank in Texas, and spearheaded development of the port city of Galveston which, in his time, was the richest city per capita in the United States. Yet, while so many of his peers, like Sam Houston, Stephen Austin, even Jean Lafitte, went on to be memorialized, Sam Williams went on to be forgotten. After all he accomplished for Texas, it is ironic that no street, Even the pirate Laffite has an elementary school, several streets and a city named after him. Unlike the other major players in Texas history, Sam Williams passed from our memory into the shadows from which he came.(089)
Download or read book Hanging Sam written by Harold J. Meyer and published by University of North Texas Press. This book was released on 1990 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hanging Sam chronicles the life of Lt. General Samuel T. “Hanging Sam” Williams, who, after being relieved of his duties as Assistant Division Commander of the 90th Infantry Division and demoted from the rank of brigadier general following the 1944 Normany invasion, persevered to recover not only his lost star but two additional ones as well, an accomplishment unmatched in modern U. S. Army history. Following enlistment in the Texas Militia in 1916 to fight Pancho Villa along the U.S.-Mexican border, Williams served in both World Wars, the Korean War (where he commanded the 25th Infantry Dividion), and Vietnam (where from 1955 to 1960 he was Chief of the U. S. Military Assistance and Advisory Group). Wounded twice in battle, Williams was decorated with every medal for valor the Army awards, except the Medal of Honor.
Download or read book Lost Restaurants of Galveston s African American Community written by Galveston Historical Foundation with Greg Samford, Tommie Boudreaux, Alice Gatson and Ella Lewis and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2021 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: People of African descent were some of Galveston's earliest residents, and although they came to the island enslaved, they retained mastery of their culinary traditions. As Galveston's port prospered and became the "Wall Street of the South," better job opportunities were available for African Americans who lived in Galveston and for those who migrated to the island city after emancipation, with owner-operated restaurants being one of the most popular enterprises. Staples like Fease's Jambalaya Café, Rose's Confectionery and the Squeeze Inn anchored the island community and elevated its cuisine. From Gus Allen's business savvy to Eliza Gipson's oxtail artistry, the Galveston Historical Foundation's African American Heritage Committee has gathered together the stories and recipes that preserve this culinary history for the enjoyment and enrichment of generations, and kitchens, to come.
Download or read book Haunted Restaurants Taverns and Inns of Texas written by Robert Wlodarski and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2018-08-01 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Loaded with tangy tales of spirits who inhabit places where you can spend a night or have a bite to eat. Listed by city, each haunted locale provides in-depth history about the spirited occupants, current facts and additional references. This book would be fully revised and would not include detailed travel information, just the stories.
Download or read book Texas Women Writers written by Sylvia Ann Grider and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 1997 with total page 484 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A critical survey of over 150 years of Texas women writers, including fiction and nonfiction authors, poets, and dramatists.
Download or read book Haunted Places written by Dennis William Hauck and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2002 with total page 500 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describes over 2,000 sites of supernatural occurances in the United States, including places visited by ghosts, UFOs, and unusual creatures.
Download or read book Directory of Museums written by Kenneth Hudson and published by Springer. This book was released on 1975-06-18 with total page 864 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book A Marmac Guide to Houston and Galveston written by Kearney, Syd and published by Pelican Publishing. This book was released on 2005 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While Houston has enjoyed unprecedented growth in its development into an increasingly international business center, coastal Galveston retains the history and charm of its past. Business travelers to both cities and new residents of the area will enjoy the sites, restaurants, accommodations, and other features listed in this new edition. Attractions include AstroWorld, the Astrodome, the Museum of Print History and Graphic Art, NASA Space Center, the Port of Houston, Sam Houston Memorial Park, and more. This volume provides self-guided walking tours to the major attractions and detailed information on dozens of activities. Helpful information on historical districts plus a list of attractions, maps, photos, and charts can help make a visit more enjoyable.
Download or read book A History Lover s Guide to Galveston written by Tristan Smith and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2024-03-04 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A guide through the history of the Playground of the Southwest. Established in 1839, Galveston was the largest city in Texas for much of the state's early history. The island city has hosted the likes of Cabeza de Vaca, Jean Lafitte, Sam Houston, Jack Johnson, King Vidor, and Sam Maceo. A strategic target during the Civil War and military stronghold during both World Wars, Galveston endured through countless calamities, including the most damaging hurricane to hit the United States. From historic mansions to long-hidden outposts of the vice district, author Tristan Smith surveys the best places to catch a glimpse of the Oleander City's past, whether that comes in the form of museum treasure or Seawall panorama.
Download or read book Directory of Historic House Museums in the United States written by Patricia Chambers Walker and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2000 with total page 516 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first comprehensive guide to America's historic house museums, this directory moves beyond merely listing institutions to providing information about interpretive themes, historical and architectural significance, collections, and cultural and social importance, along with programming events and facility information. Useful cross-reference guides provide quick and easy ways of locating information on almost 2500 museums. A multi-functional reference for museum professionals, local historians, historic preservationists or anyone interested in America's historic house museums.
Download or read book Galveston Chronicles written by Donald Willett and published by Arcadia Publishing. This book was released on 2013-08-13 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Named for Bernardo de Galvez and established in 1839, Galveston measures just over two hundred square miles. In early Texas history, however, it was actually the largest city in the Lone Star State, as well as a hugely important port that would become a strategic target during the Civil War. The Oleander City survived the depredations of war and flourished, a resilience it would also display in the wake of the devastating hurricane of 1900. From early cannibals and pirates to the woman suffrage movement and Nazi POWs, Galveston's amazing story continues to evolve today. Join thirteen of Texas's most noted scholars and historians as they share this remarkable island history.
Download or read book At the Heart of Texas written by Richard B. McCaslin and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2014-04-01 with total page 560 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "History like that of Texas is rare. . . . Is it not discreditable to the people of Texas, that they should leave the collection of material for the history of the State to the great endowed Northern libraries? . . . Let Texas arouse herself for very shame, and begin at once the discharge of her filial duty." So wrote George Pierce Garrison in the first issue of the Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, published in July 1897, just months after the establishment of the organization on March 2. The state of Texas was just half a century old; the city of Austin, going back to the days of the Republic, was a little older—a few years past its half-century; and the University of Texas, where Garrison was "the history professor," was not yet fourteen. Earlier attempts to organize historical societies in Texas, traced in the opening chapter, illuminate the factors that came ultimately to be decisive in the success of the Association: the wisdom in linking the organization with the University of Texas, the inclusion of lay historians, and the continued insistence on high academic standards. And, from the beginning, the Association has established a tradition for publishing in the Quarterly, in addition to the Anglo story, the stories of the Indians, the Spanish, and the French. According to author Richard B. McCaslin, "It may be that the Association survived where its predecessors had not because Garrison, who was as much a Progressive historian as any of his contemporaries, understood the value of inclusiveness." The text is organized in chronological chapters by the tenures of the seven directors, George Garrison to Ron Tyler, all of whom were professors in the UT history department. Within the larger framework of the directors, the programs, and the publications, McCaslin gives shape to the unique interaction of forces—university, political, and the academic/lay membership—that has accorded the Association a character and suppleness that continues to ensure its long endurance. The book is profusely illustrated, and sidebars culled from past issues of the Quarterly complement the text. Winner of the Award of Merit from the Philosophical Socierty of Texas
Download or read book Galveston written by and published by . This book was released on 1976 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The National Register of Historic Places written by and published by . This book was released on with total page 678 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Big Book of Texas Ghost Stories written by Alan Brown and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2019-07-17 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hauntings lurk and spirits linger in the Lone Star State Reader, beware! Turn these pages and enter the world of the paranormal, where ghosts and ghouls alike creep just out of sight. Author Alan Brown shines a light in the dark corners of Texas and scares those spirits out of hiding in this thrilling collection. From tales of haunted hotels like the Von Minden and The Beckham, to a creek where a woman’s screams can still be heard to this day, and the shadowy figures still stalking the Alamo, these stories of strange occurrences will keep you glued to the edge of your seat. Around the campfire or tucked away on a dark and stormy night, this big book of ghost stories is a hauntingly good read.
