FEATURES OF THE TEXAS ALMANAC 2014–2015 • Sketches of eight historic ranches of Texas by Texana writer Mike Cox. • Article on the Texas art and artists by Houston businessman and art collector J.P. Bryan, who has amassed the world’s largest Texana collection. • Coverage of the 2012 elections, redistricting, and the 2012 Texas Olympic medalists. • An update on Major League Baseball in Texas. • Lists of sports champions — high school, college, and professional. MAJOR SECTIONS UPDATED FOR EACH EDITION • The Environment, including geology, plant life, wildlife, rivers, and lakes. • Weather highlights of the previous two years, plus a list of destructive weather dating from 1766. • Two-year Astronomical Calendar that shows moon phases, times of sunrise and sunset, moonrise and moonset, eclipses, and meteor showers. • Recreation, with details on state and national parks and forests, landmarks, and fairs and festivals. • Sports, including lists of high school football and basketball champions, professional sports teams, Texas Olympians, and Texas Sports Hall of Fame inductees. • Counties section, with detailed county maps and profiles for Texas’s 254 counties. • Population figures from the 2010 US Census and State Data Center estimates as of 2012. • 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. • Religion census of 2010 by denomination and adherents; breakdown on metro areas and counties. • Health and Science, with charts of vital statistics. • Education, including a complete list of colleges and universities, and UIL results. • Business and Transportation, with an expanded section on Oil and Gas. • Agriculture, including data on production of crops, fruits, vegetables, livestock, and dairy. • Obituaries of notable Texans. • Pronunciation Guide to Texas town and county names.

Indianola and Matagorda Island served a major role in the history and development of Texas. Matagorda Island served as a key point of entry for German immigrants as early as 1844.Incorporated in 1853, Indianola is now a ghost town. Once the county seat of Calhoun County, Indianola once had a population of more than 5,000 before a major hurricane destroyed the town in 1875, The town was rebuilt and again destroyed by a second hurricane in 1886. Linda Wolff goes into great detail in bringing the rich history of Indianola and Matagorda Island to life in this book. Designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1963. In addition to the history also provides a guide to the wildflowers, the birds, the wildlife and brings the reader to current time and the Matagorda Island State Park.

An illustrated history of Guadalupe County, Texas, paired with histories of the local companies.

Acclaim for True Women "Janice Woods Windle has performed a family miracle. Her book, True Women, is actually two books; a depiction of her distinguished Texas family, and an engrossing novel built upon her real ancestors. She recalls vivid scenes from her family's past, but also weaves them into a well-constructed novel. I know of no other book like it. Exciting storytelling." -James A. Michener "Janice Woods Windle has looked into her own heritage and pulled out a great windstorm of a novel. True Women presents, a stable of women they breed best in Texas: strong, pound, vivid, unforgettable. This is an American original, deftly told." -Anne Rivers Siddon "True Women represents a part of our country's history ignored and long overdue for recognition. At last, we can read about the pioneers and their husbands for a change!" -Fannie Flagg "I grew up listening to great stories. Janice Windle's novel, True Women is an engaging story of three generations of Texas women whose lived capture your imagination and your heart. Her characters are as sturdy as Texas live oaks, and her novel is a timeless tribute to remarkable women in extraordinary times." -Ann Richards Governor of Texas "As a writer deeply rooted in Texas history, I find Janice Woods Windle' s historical novel, True Women, beautifully written and brilliantly researched. It is a landmark book and validates its title." -Liz Carpenter Executive Assistant to Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson and Press Secretary to First Lady Lady Bird Johnson