Texas State Facts - Texas History Firsts

Catch up on your state trivia with these Texas history firsts and interesting fun facts about the state.

Official Name Texas
Capital Austin
Location
Region
30.30588 N, 097.75052 W
Texas
Constitution Ratified 1876
Statehood December 29, 1845
28th state
Number of Counties 254 Counties in Texas
Largest County
(by population)
Harris County
3,400,578
1,729 sq. mi.

Texas History Firsts & State Facts



More Texas History Firsts & State Facts

  • Texas is popularly known as The Lone Star State.
  • The Alamo is located in San Antonio. It is where Texas defenders fell to Mexican General Santa Anna and the phrase Remember the Alamo originated. The Alamo is considered the cradle of Texas liberty and the state's most popular historic site.
  • Texas is the only state to have the flags of 6 different nations fly over it. They are: Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Confederate States, and the United States.
  • Although six flags have flown over Texas, there have been eight changes of government: Spanish 1519-1685, French 1685-1690, Spanish 1690-1821, Mexican 1821-1836, Republic of Texas 1836-1845, United States 1845-1861, Confederate States 1861-1865, United States 1865-present.
  • The King Ranch in Texas is bigger than the state of Rhode Island.
  • All Texas rivers empty into the Gulf of Mexico.
  • More wool comes from the state of Texas than any other state in the United States.
  • Edwards Plateau in west central Texas is the top sheep growing area in the country.
  • Texas is the only state to enter the United States by treaty instead of territorial annexation.
  • Texas boasts the nation's largest herd of whitetail deer.
  • A coastal live oak located near Fulton is the oldest tree in the state. The tree has an estimated age of more than 1,500 years.
  • Sam Houston, arguably the most famous Texan, was actually born in Virginia. Houston served as governor of Tennessee before coming to Texas.
  • Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.
  • The Hertzberg Circus Museum in San Antonio contains one of the largest assortments of circusana in the world.
  • Austin is considered the live music capital of the world.
  • Texas is home to Dell and Compaq computers and central Texas is often referred to as the Silicon Valley of the south.
  • Professional sports teams include the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, Houston Astros, Houston Comets, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, and Texas Rangers.
  • Texas comes from the Hasinai Indian word tejas meaning friends or allies
  • Texas' largest county is Brewster with 6,208 square miles.
  • Texas possesses three of the top ten most populous cities in the United States. These towns are Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.
  • El Paso is closer to Needles, California than it is to Dallas.
  • Texas includes 267,339 square miles, or 7.4% of the nation's total area.
  • The state's cattle population is estimated to be near 16 million.
  • More land is farmed in Texas than in any other state.
  • More species of bats live in Texas than in any other part of the United States.
  • Laredo is the world's largest inland port.
  • The Tyler Municipal Rose Garden is the world's largest rose garden. It contains 38,000 rose bushes representing 500 varieties of roses set in a 22-acre garden.
  • Amarillo has the world's largest helium well.
  • Texas is the country's biggest producer of oil, cattle, sheep, minerals and cotton.
  • Texas is second in size only to Alaska.
  • More wool comes from the state of Texas than any other state in the United States.
  • Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.
  • Texas is home to Dell and Compaq computers and central Texas is often referred to as the Silicon Valley of the south.
  • Texas possesses three of the top ten most populous cities in the United States. These towns are Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.
  • The Flagship Hotel on Seawall Boulevard in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built entirely over the water.
  • The Heisman trophy is named for John William Heisman the first full-time coach and athletic director at Rice University in Houston.
  • Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other comparable area in North America.
  • The Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America's only remaining flock of whooping cranes.
County Information and County History

AndersonAndrewsAngelinaAransasArcherArmstrongAtascosaAustinBaileyBanderaBastropBaylorBeeBellBexarBlancoBordenBosqueBowieBrazoriaBrazosBrewsterBriscoeBrooksBrownBurlesonBurnetCaldwellCalhounCallahanCameronCampCarsonCassCastroChambersCherokeeChildressClayCochranCokeColemanCollinCollingsworthColoradoComalComancheConchoCookeCoryellCottleCraneCrockettCrosbyCulbersonDallamDallasDawsonDeaf SmithDeltaDentonDeWittDickensDimmitDonleyDuvalEastlandEctorEdwardsEl PasoEllisErathFallsFanninFayetteFisherFloydFoardFort BendFranklinFreestoneFrioGainesGalvestonGarzaGillespieGlasscockGoliadGonzalesGrayGraysonGreggGrimesGuadalupeHaleHallHamiltonHansfordHardemanHardinHarrisHarrisonHartleyHaskellHaysHemphillHendersonHidalgoHillHockleyHoodHopkinsHoustonHowardHudspethHuntHutchinsonIrionJackJacksonJasperJeff DavisJeffersonJim HoggJim WellsJohnsonJonesKarnesKaufmanKendallKenedyKentKerrKimbleKingKinneyKlebergKnoxLa SalleLamarLambLampasasLavacaLeeLeonLibertyLimestoneLipscombLive OakLlanoLovingLubbockLynnMadisonMarionMartinMasonMatagordaMaverickMcCullochMcLennanMcMullenMedinaMenardMidlandMilamMillsMitchellMontagueMontgomeryMooreMorrisMotleyNacogdochesNavarroNewtonNolanNuecesOchiltreeOldhamOrangePalo PintoPanolaParkerParmerPecosPolkPotterPresidioRainsRandallReaganRealRed RiverReevesRefugioRobertsRobertsonRockwallRunnelsRuskSabineSan AugustineSan JacintoSan PatricioSan SabaSchleicherScurryShackelfordShelbyShermanSmithSomervellStarrStephensSterlingStonewallSuttonSwisherTarrantTaylorTerrellTerryThrockmortonTitusTom GreenTravisTrinityTylerUpshurUptonUvaldeVal VerdeVan ZandtVictoriaWalkerWallerWardWashingtonWebbWhartonWheelerWichitaWilbargerWillacyWilliamsonWilsonWinklerWiseWoodYoakumYoungZapataZavala

State Facts & History Firsts
State Fun Facts - History Firsts