This Thursday, March 2, 2023, Texas State Parks celebrates it’s 100th anniversary. The park system started with the Texas State Parks Board, initiated by newly elected Governor Pat Neff. While he was campaigning for Governor, Neff drove around the state in an automobile, and to save expenses, camped along the way. He wanted to create more opportunities for people to do the same, and one of his first actions as Governor was to create the State Parks Board. The first park was Mother Neff State Park, 6 acres along the Leon River donated to the state by Neff in honor of his mother. By 1926 fifty sites for parks had been donated. The legislature was never interested in funding state parks, so they languished for years. If you are interested in the history of Texas State Parks, we will soon be carrying a new book in the store from TCU Press, “Texas State Parks, the First 100 Years, 1923-2023.” We already have “Art of Texas State Parks, A Centennial Celebration 1923-2023”. Both will be priced at $40, which includes sales tax. These are beautifully done “coffee table books.”

Also on Thursday, we will be cutting a birthday cake for the 45th Birthday of Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. The deed to ERSNA came to the state on that day after a great deal of effort by a handful of passionate and dedicated people, not the least of whom were the owners, Charles and Ruth Moss. The cake will be cut at 10:00 AM, with guided hikes and interpretative events to follow. See the park website for details.