Texas Almanac 2016-2017

Book excerpt: THE TEXAS ALMANAC 2016–2017 includes these new feature articles: • A history of Texas’ various food regions—from Tex-Mex to barbecue—written by Dotty Griffith, longtime food writer for The Dallas Morning News and author of The Texas Holiday Cookbook, Celebrating Barbecue, and Wild About Chili. • A look at the big business of Texas wine, including a history of grape growing and winemaking, written by Melinda Esco, author of Texas Wineries. • The story of Assault, the feisty chestnut colt from King Ranch who injured his right forefoot as a foal but loved to run and went on to win the 1946 Triple Crown. This article spotlights the 70th anniversary of Assault’s historic feat, which earned him the nickname “The Club-Footed Comet.” • A overview of professional and college sports in Texas written by Norm Hitzges, a popular sports-talk radio host in the DFW area for 40 years; the author of several sports books, including Greatest Team Ever: The Dallas Cowboys Dynasty of The 1990s; and the television play-by-play voice for the Dallas Sidekicks. MAJOR SECTIONS UPDATED FOR EACH EDITION An illustrated History of The Lone Star State. The Environment, including geology, plant life, wildlife, rivers, lakes. Weather highlights of the previous two years, plus a list of destructive weather dating from 1766. Agriculture, including data on production of crops, fruits, vegetables, livestock, and dairy. A Pronunciation Guide to Texas town and county names. Business and Transportation, with an expanded section on Oil and Gas. A two-year Astronomical Calendar, including moon phases, sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset, eclipses, and meteor showers. Recreation, with details on state and national parks, landmarks, and wildlife refuges. Sports, including lists of high school and college sports champions, the records of professional sports teams, as well as lists of Texas Olympians and Texas Sports Hall of Fame inductees. Counties, a large section featuring detailed county maps and profiles for Texas’ 254 counties. Population figures, including the latest estimates from the State Data Center. A comprehensive list of Texas cities and towns. Politics, Elections, and information on Federal, State, and Local governments. Culture and the Arts, including a list of civic and religious holidays. Health and Science, with charts of vital statistics. Education, including a complete list of colleges and universities, and University Interscholastic League results. Obituaries of notable Texans.