Lone Star Travelers Blog

Texas and the nation celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Day on September 27th, 2008.  Congress has set aside the 4th Saturday of September every year as National Hunting and Fishing Day, a public reminder that good conservation depends on hunters, anglers and shooters.  Texans will have a chance to participate in the Texas Parks & Wildlife Expo at their headquarters in Austin Texas on October 4th and 5th. Amongst the many outdoors events taking place will be a youth fishing derby, casting clinics, adult and youth shooting, demonstrations and seminars.  Outdoorsmen are encouraged to share the values and fun of the outdoors with young and old alike.  Hunting and fishing play an important ecological role by managing wildlife populations and creating a healthy environment.

Old Fort Parker is the sight of the Comanche Indian raid in May 1836 during which 9 year old Cynthia Ann Parker was captured.  At first beaten and abused she came to accept Indian ways and was adopted by a Comanche couple.  She married Chief Peta Nocona and bore three children, two sons and a daughter.  Her eldest son, born in 1850 was the last great warrior Comanche chief, Quanah Parker.  The fort was constructed by the CCC in 1936 as a centennial project and restored in 1967 and 2002.  It is a replica of the stockade fort that the Elder John Parker and other settlers from Illinois constructed to protect their families and livestock from the Indians.  On May 19th 1836 Indians attacked the fort,  5 settlers were killed, 5 were taken captive and 21 survived.  All of the captives were eventually ransomed back except Cynthia Ann who reportedly refused to leave.  In the winter of 1860 she was recaptured by Texas Rangers along with her young daughter at the Battle of the Pease River.  She had lived among the Indians for 24 years.  Cynthia Ann could not adjust to living in white society and repeatedly attempted to run away to the only family she knew, the Comanches.  She was now captive by her Anglo relatives who did not understand why she could not re-adapt to their ways.  In 1863 her young daughter died and she received word that her young son Pecos had perished of smallpox.  She began refusing food and water and starved herself to death a few years later.  Her son the great warrior Comanche chief Quanah fought against the white man until 1875.  Quanah never lost a battle to the white man and was never captured.  He came to see that the Indians could not win and led his people to the reservation becoming leader of the entire Comanche Nation.  He encouraged his people to adapt to their new Anglo lifestyle.  He became a statesman and took his mother’s name Parker. The fort is open Wednesday - Sunday 9A.m.-5P.M.  Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children 6-11 years of age.  oldfortparker.org 

Visit our Fort Parker State Park Photo Gallery 

Fort Parker State Park is named for Fort Parker, a nearby historic settlement established in 1833 and site of the well known Comanche Indian raid of May 1836 during which Cynthia Ann Parker was captured.  One of the largest remaining tall grass prairies in Limestone County mingles into dense woodlands providing a pleasant, shady respite from Dallas 80 miles to the north or Waco 47 miles to the west.   In 1939 the CCC built a 729 ft dam across the Navasota River creating the 7oo acre Fort Parker Lake.  Canoe rentals are available seasonally at $25 for 8 hours or $15 for a 3 hour minimum.  Swimming is unsupervised from a small beach or you may fish from the banks of the lake, the dam or from one of the two fishing piers.  Common catches include crappie, bass, catfish or trout in season.  The Springfield 1.5 mile multi-use loop trail is for hiking or biking.  The .5 mile one way Bur Oak nature trail through the woods rewards the bird watcher as many different species swoop through the trees.  We observed bluebirds, cardinals, an indigo bunting and a red-tailed hawk.  The 1.5 mile each way Bainscreek Trail brings you up close to the herons and other shorebirds and wading birds frequenting the park.  The trailer camping loop (sites #1-25 water & electric) is well situated along the lake shore however most of the sites are close together and smaller suited for small trailers or pop-ups.  If your trailer is 25 ft or longer call ahead to see if one of the few larger spaces is vacant.  10 inviting shelters are set into a hillside overlooking the lake.  Primitive car camping sites #40-49 are a short drive down River Rd.  A vault toilet is in the area.  Tip:  You may paddle 3 miles on the Navasota River to the Confederate Reunion Grounds.  Allow 3-4 hours.  Call the park 254-562-5751 to inquire about the availability of shuttles.

Texas Parks & Wildlife biologists have completed a study showing a considerable drop in the population of the Pronghorn Antelope in portions of Jeff Davis and Presidio Counties in West Texas.  The region west of the Pecos River known as the  Trans-Pecos has experienced 7 months of drought and a rare late hard freeze at higher elevations.  These conditions may have resulted in poor physical condition of he animals  contributing to a possible loss of up to 50% of adults as they became more vulnerable to predators.  No signs of disease has been detected.  The Pronghorn Antelope is named for it’s backward curving horns that split to form forward-pointing prongs.  They are generally recognized as the second fastest land mammal in the world, (after the cheetah) able to run long distances at sustained speeds of 40 mph with bursts of up to 60 mph.   They have exceptional eyesight due to the large eyes set on the sides of their heads allowing almost a 360 degree field of vision.  

 NPS/Ron Sprouse

August 27th, 2008 marks the 100th birthday of the 36th President of the United States, Lyndon Baines Johnson.  Since his death on January 22nd, 1973 an annual wreath laying ceremony has taken place at his grave site on the LBJ Ranch.  It will take place at 10:30 A.M. kicking off a day’s worth of activities highlighted by the first ever opening of LBJ’s Texas White House Office now restored to the 1963-1968 time period.  The Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park will distribute free tickets at the airplane hangar on the ranch for the 20 minute guided tours of the newly opened office including the grounds of the ranch.  Also for the first time ever private vehicles will be permitted to drive on to the ranch.  Obtain a free driving permit at the Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site Visitor Center across the Pedernales River.  You will receive a map and audio CD for your own self-guided tour.  This is a test program until September 30, 2008 at which time National Park Service bus tours will resume.  LBJ died at the age of 64 after a 3rd heart attack. In his will he left his ranch to the public with the provision that it remain a working ranch.  August 27th is a legal Texas State Holiday.