The City in Texas : : A History / / David G. McComb.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter University of Texas Press Complete eBook-Package 2014-2015
• VerfasserIn: McComb, David G.,
• Place / Publishing House: Austin : : University of Texas Press, , [2021]; ©2015
• Year of Publication: 2021
• Language: English
• Series: Bridwell Texas History Series
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (352 p.) :; 61 b&w photos, 15 maps

Texans love the idea of wide-open spaces and, before World War II, the majority of the state’s people did live and work on the land. Between 1940 and 1950, however, the balance shifted from rural to urban, and today 88 percent of Texans live in cities and embrace the amenities of urban culture. The rise of Texas cities is a fascinating story that has not been previously told. Yet it is essential for understanding both the state’s history and its contemporary character. In The City in Texas, acclaimed historian David G. McComb chronicles the evolution of urban Texas from the Spanish Conquest to the present. Writing in lively, sometimes humorous and provocative prose, he describes how commerce and politics were the early engines of city growth, followed by post–Civil War cattle shipping, oil discovery, lumbering, and military needs. McComb emphasizes that the most transformative agent in city development was the railroad. This technology—accompanied by telegraphs that accelerated the spread of information and mechanical clocks that altered concepts of time—revolutionized transportation, enforced corporate organization, dictated town location, organized space and architecture, and influenced thought. McComb also thoroughly explores the post–World War II growth of San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, and Houston as incubators for businesses, educational and cultural institutions, and health care centers.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- CONTENTS -- INTRODUCTION: Theories, Definitions, Historians -- PART ONE: FIRST THINGS -- 1. The Lay of the Land -- 2. The Influence of the Native Americans -- 3. The Towns of the Spanish Empire in Texas -- 4. The Coming of the Americans -- 5. The Towns of the Texas Revolution -- PART TWO: THE DIRT ROAD FRONTIER, 1836–1900 -- 6. Major Events -- 7. The Dirt Road -- 8. Migration: Gone to Texas -- 9. The Evolution of San Antonio -- 10. The German Towns of Texas -- 11. The Coastal Ports -- 12. The River Ports -- 13. The Political Towns -- 14. The Military Towns -- 15. The Railroad Towns -- 16. The Lumber Towns -- 17. The End of the Dirt Road Frontier -- PART THREE: THE AMENITIES OF CITY LIFE, 1900–1950 -- 18. The Rural to Urban Shift -- 19. The Great Galveston Storm -- 20. Spindletop and Beaumont -- 21. The Oil Towns -- 22. The Elite Rule of the Cities -- 23. The World War I Era -- 24. The Enticements of the City -- 25. The Great Depression -- 26. World War II -- 27. The Immediate Postwar Years -- PART FOUR: GREAT TEXAS CITIES, 1950–2012 -- 28. Population and Urban Expansion -- 29. Suburbs and Subdivisions -- 30. Segregation and Integration -- 31. The Hispanic Identity -- 32. John F. Kennedy and Dallas -- 33. The Voting Rights Act and the Cities -- 34. Land Transportation -- 35. Airlines and Airports -- 36. Urban Excellence in Texas -- 37. Houston, a Renaissance City -- 38. The Infrastructure for Excellence -- 39. The City and the State: A Conundrum -- NOTES -- SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING -- INDEX