Historical Note:

One mean Santa . . .

In 1836 General Santa Ana and a force of 3,000 Mexican soldiers attacked the Alamo, an old Spanish mission where 187 rebellious Americans, including the famous James Bowie and Davy Crockett sought protection. When Santa Ana demanded surrender, the Texans answered with a cannonball. For 13 days Santa Ana's men clobbered the mission until its walls crumbled. All 187 Texans inside the mission were killed, their bodies collected and piled up like wood in a fireplace, then set on fire. Two weeks later Santa Ana captured and executed 300 more Texas soldiers, before General Sam Houston and the entire Texas army caught up with him. Houston launched a surprise attack and captured Santa Ana, without resistance, while he was being entertained by his mistress.

Name Origin: Indian. ("Friend")

Capital: Austin

Population: 18,378,000

Area: 266,807 square miles

Statehood: December 29, 1845 (28th state)

Nickname: The Lone Star State

Motto: "Friendship"

Famous For: The Alamo, San Antonio Missions National Historic Park, Enchanted Rock, Big Bend National Park, Padre Island National Seashore, Marfa Lights, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Armadillo, Oil, Cattle, Cotton

Curiosity: The only Hummel museum in America is located in New Braunfels, Texas. The figurines and drawings on display are the work of Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel, a nun from Massing, Germany who did this work during World War II. Her father had a department store in town with the following inscription above the door:

"Gott gebe jedem der mich kennt, zehnmal so viel als er mir gonnt,"
which means . . . "God reward my patrons tenfold."