Did You Know??

Did You Know??

Mind-numbing Texas trivia! Impress your friends!

That Texas State Capitol Building in Austin is the largest & Tallest state capitol building in the country?

The San Jacinto Monument near Houston is among the tallest columns in the world; at 570 feet, its about twenty feet higher than the Washington Monument in the District of Columbia.

Texas has more counties (254) than any other state. Forty-one counties in Texas are each larger than the state of Rhode Island.

Of the nation's ten largest cities, three are in Texas (Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.)

El Paso, Texas is closer to Los Angeles on the Pacific Coast than it is to Port Arthur on Gulf Coast of Texas. Port Arthur, on the other hand, is closer to Jacksonville, Florida on the Atlantic Coast than it is to El Paso.

Today, approximately 18 million people live in Texas, only slightly outnumbering its 15 million cattle. Texas today is also home for about 2.5 million deer and 200,000 alligators.

The land area of Texas is larger than all of New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois combined. It extends 801 miles from north to south and 773 miles from east to west.

Texas is the nation's leading producer of oil, natural gas, beef, sheep, goats, wool, cotton, rice...and, oh yes, watermelons.
That the Constitution of 1845, which was the resolution that allowed Texas into the Union, stated that Texas had the right to divide into 4 states in addition to the original Texas. That legal right still remains true.

That there have been 6 flags to fly over Texas? The Spanish, French, Mexican, Confederacy, United States, and Republic of Texas. The Spanish controlled Texas from 1519-1685 and 1690-1821. The French was from 1685-1690. The Mexican from 1821-1836. The Republic of Texas from 1836-1845. The United States from 1845-1861 and 1865-present. The Confederacy was from 1861-1865.

The Texas flag is the ONLY State flag that can be flown at the same height as the American flag.

That State Forests - make up 23 million acres of Texas' Landscape?

That the longest State River is the Rio Grande at 1270 miles?

That the longest State River is the Rio Grande at 1270 miles?

That Texas was the #1 oil producer since 1928.

That State Highways we have 76,764 miles of state highway?

The only place in the world where they make Dr. Pepper according to the original formula is in Dublin, Texas. Did you know Dr. Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885? The Dublin Dr Pepper, 85 miles west of Waco, still uses pure imperial cane sugar in its product. There is no period after the Dr in Dr Pepper.

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, one person is killed annually painting stripes on the state's highways and roads.

The caves of Sonora, Texas are the third best in the United States.

According to Texas law, in some places, running a bakery is considered to be an "agricultural business."

In the mid 1980s, the employee cafeteria at Motorola in Austin had to stop serving food that contained poppy seeds because people showed false positives for opium when they were drug tested. Since then, the company reintroduced poppy seeds, and added Valium and several anti-depressants to a list of things not to bother testing for.

Early Spanish missionaries in Texas hoped to encourage the spread of European values by offering flannel underwear to Native Americans.

People who moved to Lockhart, Texas in the 1950s are still considered by natives of the town to be newcomers.

Despite the fact that his middle name is "Farmer," Charles F. Trompler lost in his attempt to be selected as the Republican candidate for state agriculture commissioner in the 1986 Texas primary.

In Texas, it's illegal to put graffiti on someone else's cow.

The Guadalupe River Bass is the state fish of Texas.

According to one geographer, digging straight down from Austin will not get you to China but to Iraq. (who the HELL wants to do THAT?)

Stephen F. Austin and Santa Ana belonged to the same free masonry lodge in Mexico City.

There are stalactites and stalagmites in the breezeway at the University of Texas Law School.

For $150 you can become a licensed dead animal hauler in Texas.

According to one music critic, the person who modeled for the Indian Head Penny is a direct ancestor of Kim Longacre, who sang for the Austin band, The Reivers.

In Waco, Texas, out of the five magazines with the top market share, Modern Maturity (the publication of the American Association of Retired Persons), is number one. The remaining four are men's magazines.

In Texas it's legal for a chicken to have sex with you, but it's illegal to reciprocate.

Will Rogers' father and uncle were boyhood friends of Sam Houston. Their half sister, Will Rogers' aunt, was also Sam Houston's Indian wife.

In Texas, you could have been jailed for giving out or discussing information on birth control 50 years ago.

The world's largest oatmeal cake was baked and built in Bertram, Texas during Labor Day weekend 1991. The 33-layer cake stood more than 3 feet tall, weighed 333 pounds, and served 3,333 people.

Dallas' corner of Elm and Houston streets has a sordid history. The building completed there in November 1898 was struck by lightning and burned to the ground in May 1901. By the fall of 1901 it was rebuilt. In that same building 62 years later, Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly shot President Kennedy from the sixth floor.

There are jackrabbits living at Austin's Robert Mueller Airport.

One of the lenses at the University of Texas' McDonald Observatory has a nick in it because a worker there got mad at something and shot at it.

The Wendish community of Giddings, Texas used to verbally inform all domestic animals of a death in the family.

In Odessa, Texas, the star of David and the peace symbol are forbidden by the city's dress code because they are considered to be Satanic symbols.

Former Governor Ann Richards received a vote for "Best Rap Artist" in The Austin Chronicle's 1991 Austin Music Poll.

Austinites might miss the glory that was the Treaty Oak, but Texas has 64 national champion trees, meaning they are the largest specimens of their species in the country. They include cedar elm, persimmon, eastern red cedar, and yaupon holly.

Boston, Texas is completely surrounded by New Boston, Texas.

There's still a Texas law that forbids people from carrying around a fence cutter or a pair of pliers that could cut a fence.

In 1937, when the idea of parking meters was first raised in Austin, The Austin American designated one of its staff members "Parking Meter Editor" to tally a poll of its readers.

Fort Creek, Texas was hotter than hell in 1855.

Lubbock is the largest city in the United States that it dry.

There's a ghost on the fifth floor of Austin's Driskill Hotel.

They have a petrified buffalo hairball at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame in Waco.

In Texas, it is illegal to curse in front of or indecently expose a corpse.

"The Eyes of Texas" was originally written for a minstrel show as a satire on Dr. Lambdin Prather, then University of Texas at Austin president.

In Texas, if a burglary occurred in conjunction with a rape, some prosecutors charge rapists with the burglary because it carries the same sentence as aggravated sexual assault (5 to 99 years) and is an easier crime to prove. By the way, regular sexual assault only carries a sentence of 2 to 20 years.

Four fire ant species are found in Texas, three of which are native to the state. The tropical Solenopsis geminata Fabricus and southern Solenopsis xyloni McCook are the most common.

According to one report, more popcorn is sold in Dallas, Texas than anywhere in the U.S. (The average American eats 42 quarts of popcorn a year.)

The first film made in Texas to have won an Academy Award was Wings in 1927. The film starred Clara Bow and was directed by William Wellman.

Forty percent of the farm-grown catfish in the United States is consumed by Texans.
The milk for Blue Bell Ice Cream comes from Corsicana, not Brenham.

Until recently, Bastrop's "home coming" celebrations had nothing to do with high school football; they were held to honor returning World War II veterans.

To be elected in the state of Texas, one must believe in a supreme being.

To combat the deadly killer bee, the Harris County Fire Department has 11 trucks equipped with soapy water sprayers that do nothing but respond to killer bee calls. Currently, the Austin Fire Department will only deal with emergency situations involving killer bee attacks in progress.

Lubbock doesn't have any storm drains.

The written test for University of Texas at Austin campus police in the 1960s asked applicants the shape of their excrement to test their ability to be observant.

Side oats grama is the official state grass of Texas.

In Texas, pharmacists can't be registered members of the Communist Party.

You can buy chicken fried steak at one Chinese restaurant in Fort Stockton, Texas.

The smallest Catholic church in the world still in operation claims to be in Warrenton, Texas. Measuring 12 feet by 15 feet, the church seats 15 and is only open once a year.

The name of Buda, Texas comes from the Spanish word "viuda" or widow because the town's first mayor died in office, and from that point on, anyone who wanted to conduct business in town had to deal with his widow.

Out of what material was the Texas state capital building in Austin constructed? Texas pink granite.

What distinction does the Texas state capital building hold over all other states? It is the largest, containing some 8.5 acres of floor space and nearly 500 rooms.

For approximately how many straight-line miles does the State of Texas extend, North to South? 800 miles; 801 to be exact.

Which is the largest county in Texas? Hint, hint: It encompasses 6,233 square miles, an area larger than the State of Connecticut. The largest county is Brewster county in West Texas.

What four states border Texas? Louisiana on the East, Arkansas on the Northeast, Oklahoma on the North, and New Mexico on the West.

What waterway forms the longest segment of the State's boundary? The Rio Grande forms the longest segment of the boundary.

What is the largest city in Texas by population? Houston

The Rio Grande is the longest river in the State. What river is the second longest? The Red River

Of all the states in the United States, Texas ranks second in volume of inland water. Which state ranks first? Alaska

What is the highest dam in Texas? Mansfield Dam on Lake Travis is the highest at 266 feet.

Texas farms and ranches cover about what percent of the State's land area? Farms and ranches cover about 132 million acres, nearly 80 percent of the State's land area.

In the 1860's, what outnumbered people in Texas 9 to 1? Longhorn cattle.

How many Indian reservations can be found in Texas? Two. The Alabama-Coushatta Indian reservation between Livingston and Woodville in East Texas, and the Tigua Indian reservation in El Paso. The Kickapoo Indians occupy a 125-acre site near Eagle Pass that has not been designated as a reservation.

The Alamo is located in San Antonio. It is where Texas defenders fell to Mexican General Santa Anna and the phrase Remember the Alamo originated. The Alamo is considered the cradle of Texas liberty and the state's most popular historic site.
Texas is popularly known as The Lone Star State.
The lightning whelk is the official state shell.
Texas is the only state to have the flags of 6 different nations fly over it. They are: Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Confederate States, and the United States. Although six flags have flown over Texas, there have been eight changes of government: Spanish 1519-1685, French 1685-1690, Spanish 1690-1821, Mexican 1821-1836, Republic of Texas 1836-1845, United States 1845-1861, Confederate States 1861-1865, United States 1865-present.
The King Ranch in Texas is bigger than the state of Rhode Island.
During the period of July 24-26, 1979, the Tropical Storm Claudette brought 45 inches of rain to an area near Alvin, Texas, contributing to more than $600 million in damages. Claudette produced the United States 24 hour rainfall record of 43 inches.
More wool comes from the state of Texas than any other state in the United States.
Edwards Plateau in west central Texas is the top sheep growing area in the country.
Texas is the only state to enter the United States by treaty instead of territorial annexation.
The state was an independent nation from 1836 to 1845.
Texas boasts the nation's largest herd of whitetail deer.
A coastal live oak located near Fulton is the oldest tree in the state. The tree has an estimated age of more than 1,500 years.
Sam Houston, arguably the most famous Texan, was actually born in Virginia. Houston served as governor of Tennessee before coming to Texas.
Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.
When Texas was annexed in 1845 it retained the right to fly its flag at the same height as the national flag.
The first offensive action of the Texas Revolution occurred in Goliad on October 9, 1835 when local colonists captured the fort and town.
On December 20, 1835 the first Declaration of Texas Independence was signed in Goliad and the first flag of Texas Independence was hoisted.
The Hertzberg Circus Museum in San Antonio contains one of the largest assortments of circusana in the world.
The capital city of Austin is located on the Colorado River in south-central Texas. The capitol building is made from Texas pink granite. It served as the capital of the Republic of Texas in 1840-1842.
Austin is considered the live music capital of the world.
Texas is home to Dell and Compaq computers and central Texas is often referred to as the Silicon Valley of the south.
The first suspension bridge in the United States was the Waco Bridge. Built in 1870 and still in use today as a pedestrian crossing of the Brazos River.
In 1836 five sites served as temporary capitals of Texas: Washington-on-the-Brazos: Harrisburg: Galveston: Velasco: and Columbia. Sam Houston moved the capital to Houston in 1837. In 1839 the capital was moved to the new town of Austin.
The capitol in Austin opened May 16, 1888. The dome of the building stands seven feet higher than that of the nation's Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Texas comes from the Hasinai Indian word tejas meaning friends or allies.
The armadillo is the official state mammal.
Texas has the first domed stadium in the country. The structure was built in Houston and opened in April 1965.
The worst natural disaster in United States history was caused by a hurricane that hit Galveston in 1900. Over 8000 deaths were recorded.
The first word spoken from the moon on July 20, 1969 was Houston.
Texas' largest county is Brewster with 6,208 square miles.
Texas possesses three of the top ten most populous cities in the United States. These towns are Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.
El Paso is closer to Needles, California than it is to Dallas.
Texas includes 267,339 square miles, or 7.4% of the nation's total area.
The state's cattle population is estimated to be near 16 million.
More land is farmed in Texas than in any other state.
More species of bats live in Texas than in any other part of the United States.
Laredo is the world's largest inland port.
Port Lavaca has the world's longest fishing pier. Originally part of the causeway connecting the two sides of Lavaca Bay, the center span of was destroyed by Hurricane Carla in 1961.
The Tyler Municipal Rose Garden is the world's largest rose garden. It contains 38,000 rose bushes representing 500 varieties of roses set in a 22-acre garden.
Amarillo has the world's largest helium well.
The world's first rodeo was held in Pecos on July 4, 1883.
The Flagship Hotel on Seawall Boulevard in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built entirely over the water.
The Heisman trophy is named for John William Heisman the first full-time coach and athletic director at Rice University in Houston.
Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other comparable area in North America.
The Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America's only remaining flock of whooping cranes.
Jalapeno pepper jelly originated in Lake Jackson and was first marketed in 1978.