In this Book

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On History’s Trail: Speeches and Essays of the Texas State Historian, 2009–2012 contains twenty-nine speeches and essays from Light Townsend Cummins’s time as the State Historian of Texas, when he spoke to dozens of groups across the Lone Star State and beyond.

The subjects include the settlement of Canary Islanders in Texas and Louisiana, the Red River War, Dallas sculptress Allie V. Tennant, the “hometown” of Audie Murphy, and much more. While wide-ranging in time and place, this collection emphasizes the importance of biography and the individual in Texas history, never losing the warmth and humanity that is Cummins’s hallmark.

The most important point of On History’s Trail, though, is the most valuable lesson Cummins learned while State Historian: The history of Texas is alive and well today. There are more people reading and researching the history of the state than ever before. The range of topics in this volume shows the viability, breadth, and range of the state’s remarkable history.

Table of Contents

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  1. Title Page, Copyright
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  1. Contents
  2. pp. v-vi
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  1. Foreword
  2. Larry McNeill
  3. pp. vii-viii
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  1. Preface
  2. pp. ix-xiv
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  1. Introduction
  2. pp. 1-14
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  1. Part One. Essays about Historical Personalities and Places, Famous and Obscure
  1. Spence Hardie, Austin College Cowboy: September 2010
  2. pp. 17-20
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  1. Mystic Chords of Memory and Civil War Veterans: Summer 2009
  2. pp. 21-23
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  1. Edna Trigg and the Tomato Club Girls: Spring 2010
  2. pp. 24-25
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  1. Audie Murphy’s Hometown: Fall 2010
  2. pp. 26-28
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  1. Is Bigfoot a Texan? Fall 2009
  2. pp. 29-30
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  1. Herring Coe in Bronze and Stone: Spring 2010
  2. pp. 31-32
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  1. Jesus Wears Cowboy Boots: Summer 2010
  2. pp. 33-34
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  1. Going to the Ivy Leagues in Texas: Fall 2010
  2. pp. 35-36
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  1. My Place Is at a Table: Summer 2012
  2. pp. 37-39
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  1. The Voice in the Big Bend: Summer 2012
  2. pp. 40-42
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  1. Lee Simmons Meets Bonnie and Clyde: June 2010
  2. pp. 43-48
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  1. Part Two. Speeches about Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century Texas
  1. The Canary Islanders of San Antonio: August 4, 2009
  2. pp. 51-63
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  1. Background to the Empresario Era in Texas: November 6, 2010
  2. pp. 64-77
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  1. Emily Austin of Peach Point Plantation: May 27, 2010
  2. pp. 78-83
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  1. Celebrating San Jacinto: April 15, 2010
  2. pp. 84-89
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  1. The First Law School in Texas, 1855: October 26, 2010
  2. pp. 90-94
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  1. The Red River War in Historical Perspective: November 7, 2009
  2. pp. 95-108
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  1. Part Three. The Texas Centennial of 1936
  1. Allie Victoria Tennant, Texas Sculptor: April 9, 2010
  2. pp. 110-125
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  1. Sculpting Texas History in Bronze: September 24, 2010
  2. pp. 126-134
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  1. Part Four. Far Afield for the Texas State Historian
  1. To Record or Not to Record? Living Forever in Digitized Form: November 2009
  2. pp. 137-143
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  1. Remembering Hugh F. Rankin: February 27, 2010
  2. pp. 144-153
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  1. The Stephen F. Austin Family on the Waterways of Louisiana: March 2, 2012
  2. pp. 154-164
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  1. Part Five. Talks on Texas Politics and Public Service
  1. Sam Rayburn, Robert S. Weddle, and a Living Legacy of Service: October 1, 2009
  2. pp. 167-174
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  1. Roscoe DeWitt: Sam Rayburn’s Architect: May 5, 2010
  2. pp. 175-177
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  1. Remembering John Nance Garner and Dolph Briscoe: April 23, 2010
  2. pp. 178-184
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  1. Part Six. The Nature of Texas History
  1. Myth and Texas History: November 3, 2009
  2. pp. 186-200
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  1. Historical Interpretation and Texas History: May 23, 2010
  2. pp. 201-210
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  1. Acknowledgements
  2. pp. 211-212
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  1. Index
  2. pp. 213-226
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