Salado, Texas: Frontier College Town (review)

454Southwestern Historical QuarterlyApril past.James E. Crisp argues that historians should not attempt to erase embarrassing depictions ofdie past from the historical record—that there is much to learn from those very depictions about the society that initially accepted them. Don Graham makes a case for artistic license in historical movies, arguing that the obsession with historical accuracy in the 2004 film The Alamo robbed it of its impact. The selections in LoneStarPastsare diverse, and its contents will appeal to various audiences. It is an important contribution to the study ofcollective memory in general, and for those interested in die topic, the editors and other contributors, including Randolph B. Campbell who writes the conclusion to die book, do an excellentjob offamiliarizing the reader with the literature on the subject and placing Texas within the context of that literature. For historians and others charged with preserving and shaping memories ofthe past, the collection is also instructive. Finally, Lone Star Pasts will appeal to readers interested in Texas history who want to think about the Texas past in a fresh way. Texas State University-San MarcosAngela F. Murphy Salado, Texas: Frontier College Town. By Charles Turnbo. (Salado: Yardley Publishing, 2007. Pp. 316. Illustrations, maps, appendices, notes, bibliography, index. ISBN 978-0-97174-391-5. $30.00, cloth.) The town of Salado, Texas, located midway between Austin and Waco, is currently one ofthe most popular tourist destinations in Central Texas. It is also one of the most historic towns in the region. With a population of5,000, diis Bell County community is located in a peaceful and picturesque setting along a spring-fed creek. Salado boasts upscale boutiques, gourmet restaurants, and bed and breakfasts situated in stately nineteenth-century homes. The town's history dates back to 1848, when the first permanentsetdementwas established at Salado Springs. Local author Charles Turnbo ably chronicles the story from 1848-1924 ofwhat was once called "The Athens of Texas." Turnbo, a former federal prison warden enchanted with his chosen place of retirement, decided to write a book chronicling die community's formative period. After four years ofresearch on the project, he realized that any authoritative study of the community would have to prominendy feature Salado College, as the story of both are closely intertwined. Indeed, some of the town's current cachet may be rooted in the cultured and refined citizenry who were drawn to Salado because of its private college. Salado College was one of the first in the state "to recognize 'the right of women to a higher education and to an intellectual companionship and equality with a man'" (p. xiv) . Never a financial success, die college folded and later became a high school. Over the years, the campus's main building burned on three occasions. Although arson was suspected in all three cases, no one was ever arrested. Visitors can still see die ruins ofSalado College, where the crumbling walls and natural scenery make for an atmospheric setting. Turnbo wisely frames his story of Salado within the broader context of the Lone Star State, avoiding the common pitfall ofwriting a narrowly focused history 2??8Book Reviews 455 with limited appeal. Texas's empresario period, along with the founding of Salado and its college by E. S. C. Robertson, son ?? Empresario Sterling Clack Robertson, is featured in a chapter on Robertson's Colony. In crafting this section of Salado, Texas, Turnbo relied upon the Robertson Colony Archives at UT-Arlington as well as input from longtime Robertson Colony historian Malcolm McLean . Texas politics and political figures are well represented in Salado's history. James "Pa" Ferguson was born in Salado in 1871, and later earned notoriety as one ofTexas's most controversial governors. Ferguson's wife, Miriam or "Ma," was also born in Bell County and attended Salado College. Ma Ferguson succeeded her husband as governor after he was impeached for financial improprieties. She later won re-election to two additional terms. Reverend George Washington Baines, Lyndon BainesJohnson's great-grandfather, moved to Salado in 1867 so that his daughter could attend college there. In addition, the first chapter of the Texas Grange, or farmers' political party, was organized in Salado in 1873. The Salado...