AMEN AMEN AMEN!! Look up Turtle Creek in the Texas History encyclopedia online to get a GOOD bead on just how the Anglo settlers tried to work within the agreements they made with Mexico and how Santa Ana p*ss*d it all away by decieving the Tejanos and Mexicans who voted him into office. Threw away the hard fought Mexican constitution and said the Mexicans werent ready for a constitutional government, that he was the Big Daddy whether they wanted him or not...went so far as to call himself the Napoleon of the West.
and at the risk of starting an Intraregional War in Texas - what gives Dallas the right to say they represent All Things Texas? Aside from that silly little night-time soap opera back in the 80s? Fort Worth is more deserving of the definition, not that business district named after a business man. Yet everyone from Dallas says *they* are the Southern wing of Texas. HA! They need to come to Richmond, settled by Virginians and talk to some of the old guard here. IF YOU ARENT OLD THREE HUNDRED, YOU'RE JUST ANOTHER COWBOY/FARMER. Trust me...I grew up with this. And there were PLENTY of plantations down here...but youre talking swampland, so preservation is virtually nil. If its not cleaned out on a regular basis, vegetation, mold and wind and rain sweep it clean away. But you just try and tell anyone who knows Lake Jackson they dont have plantations. There was an archaeological dig some 10 yrs back on the Jackson plantation - they found out a lot of information about the slaves that lived there. Very interesting stuff.
As a Houstonian I say THIS area is the where the heart of Southernhood resides...not that little old prairie town that got its name splashed all over Hollywood.
/signing off - defending my part of Texas...
I just got back from the Alamo this evening. I picked my kids up from their grandparents is Mason and we went to San Antonio to the Alamo. My son is six so I figured he would appreciate it. Maybe I will post some pics.