Texas Facts

Texas State Flag:

Lone Star Flag, adopted on January 24, 1839 as the national flag of the Republic of Texas. It was first proposed in legislation introduced in the Third Congress of the Republic by William Wharton. The designer of the flag is unknown. The Lone Star Flag represents the fourth of the Six National Flags of Texas. The Texas Flag is the only flag in the United States that can legally fly at the same height as the United States Flag.

State Flower:

Bluebonnet, scientifically named Lupinus texensis, the bluebonnet is also called buffalo clover, wolf flower, and (by the Mexicans) el conejo. It was adopted as the official state flower by the Texas Legislature in 1901.

State Bird:

Mockingbird, adopted as the state bird of Texas in 1927. The song of the mockingbird is, in fact, a medley of the calls of many other birds. Each imitation is repeated two or three times, then another song is started, all in rapid succession.

State Song:

Texas Our Texas, adopted by the Legislature in 1929 after being selected in a state-wide competition. It was composed by William J. Marsh of Fort Worth. The lyrics were written by Marsh and Gladys Yoakum Wright.

Texas Tree:

The Pecan Tree became the Texas state tree by act of the Texas Legislature in 1919. Governor James Hogg favored the tree so much that he requested that one be planted at his gravesite.

Texas Insect:

Monarch Butterfly, became the Texas state insect by a 1995 resolution of the state legislature.

Texas State Gemstone:

Blue Topaz, adopted as the state gemstone as the result of legislation approved March 26, 1969. The Texas Lone Star Cut has a star in the center.

Texas State Stone:

Palm wood, the same legislation also named petrified palm wood as the state stone.

World War II Hero

The most decorated service man in WW II was Audie Murphy, a Texan.

Historical Markers

Collin County is second in the number of Texas Historical Markers.

Did You Know That

Beaumont to El Paso: 742 miles

Beaumont to Chicago: 770 miles

World's first rodeo was in Pecos... July 4, 1883.

The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water.

The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the first full time coach for Rice University, Houston.

Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America.

Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America's only remaining flock of Whooping Cranes.
Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978.
The worst natural disaster in U.S. history was in 1900 caused by a hurricane in which over 8000 lives were lost on Galveston Island.

The first word spoken from the moon, July 20, 1969, was "Houston."

El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas.

Tyler Municipal Rose Garden is the world's largest rose garden with over 38,000 bushes with 500 varieties on 22 acres.

The State shell is Lightning Whelk.

King Ranch is larger than Rhode Island.

Tropical Storm Claudette brought a U.S. rainfall record of 43" in 24 hours in and around Alvin in July 1979.

Texas is the only state to enter the U.S. by TREATY, instead of by annexation. (This allows the Texas flag to fly at the same height as the US flag.)

A Live Oak tree near Fulton is estimated to be 1500 years old.

The San Jacinto Monument is taller than the Washington Monument.

Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.

Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period after Dr in Dr Pepper.

Texas has had six capital cities.
1. Washington-on-the-Brazos
2. Harrisburg
3. Galveston
4. Velasco
5. West Columbia
6. Austin

The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the U.S. which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. (by 7 feet).

The name Texas comes from the Hasini Indian word "tejas" meaning friends.

Tejas is not Mexican for Texas.

Texas State Animal

The State animal is the Armadillo.
An interesting bit of trivia about the armadillo is they always have four babies! They have one egg, which splits into four, and they either have four males or four females. Armadillos are not really a concern when it comes to infecting people with disease. The only interesting curiosity of note is that armadillos can actually carry and transmit leprosy to humans. Many wild armadillos have been known to be infected with the bacterium that causes leprosy (Hansen’s disease). This is because armadillos have a lower than average body temperature, at which leprosy thrives. The only way to get it from an armadillo is probably through excessive handling or eating of armadillo meat.
So, don't eat the meat!

The first domed stadium in the U.S. was the Astrodome in Houston.

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