Here are just a few of the resources I’ve drawn upon to piece together the stories on this website. I encourage you to investigate them further, as there is more information and additional context that I have not been able to include here.
The Explorers’ Texas
The Explorers’ Texas by Del Weniger is a classic of Texas eco history and really opened my eyes to what the Texas environment might have looked like pre-colonization. The book relies on first person accounts from explorers to catalog the historic distribution of species in Texas.
Buy on Amazon…
Wildlife and Man in Texas
Robin Daughty gives a detailed and fascinating history of wildlife management in Texas from the early explorers to the 20th century. I had some real “wow” moments reading through this one.
Buy on Amazon…
1905 Biological Survey of Texas
In 1905, respected naturalist Vernon Bailey set out to document the variety of species in Texas for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It still stands as a wonderful historic record and includes many historic wildlife encounters found nowhere else.
Download the PDF…
Newspapers.com
Newspapers.com seems to have been created for genealogists, but it is a great tool for any historian. Archives of major Texas papers go back to 1850, and the full text is searchable! The subscription is a bit pricey at $20 a month, but it’s been worth the money so far.
Learn more…
Texas Game and Fish Magazine
Texas Game and Fish was the precursor to Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine and ran through the 1940s and 50s. There are lots of stories and stunning photos from a time when the state was moving from an exploitation to conservation oriented strategy for wildlife.