just a FYI...Texans and others interested

[bravowhiskey]

Hey all,

While doing some research over the last couple weeks I stumbled on to an unknown (at least by me) boat load of good information. It has lots of different stories, historical facts, good info on early man in Texas, plus some old maps like the battle of San Jacinto.
Check out TSHA online (just google) and then click on SW Historical quarterly. That is Texas State Historical Assn.
Lots of good info on early inhabitants...for instance the Brazos River was basically the dividing line that had the agricultural indian types east of the river and their more nomadic hunters on the west. Had Caddo tribes such as Bidias, Keechies, Nacogdoches, Ionies, Tawakonos and Tejas, to name a few, east of the Brazos River. While tribes to the west, more engaged in the chase, included...Karankaras, Lipans, Tonkawas, Kiowas, Apaches, and Comanches.
Karankawas were said to be of a gigantic stature, and the Comanche to be "the finest light calvery existant.
Very interesting reading and I have just begun...

BW

 

[rginn]

That is a good site. Texas seems to go to a little more effort than some states on historical research. Commanches weren't much on foot, but on horseback, they were some of the best horsemen around. They probably had earlier contact with the Spanish and got the horses quicker than most tribes. They played hell with the Spanish too, raiding far down into Mexico at times. Some Kiowas once went so far down into Latin America they saw monkeys in the trees.

 

[Jonnyreb]

That is a good site. Texas seems to go to a little more effort than some states on historical research. Commanches weren't much on foot, but on horseback, they were some of the best horsemen around. They probably had earlier contact with the Spanish and got the horses quicker than most tribes. They played hell with the Spanish too, raiding far down into Mexico at times. Some Kiowas once went so far down into Latin America they saw monkeys in the trees.

Thats right, the Kiowa were far ranging folk for raids. The Comanche first came on the historic scene as "beggars" at Santa Fe begging for horses which the Spaniards refused to trade them, so they stole a heard and bashed their way into the historic arena. The "Kronks" Karankawa were on the coast below Galveston to Corpus Christi, men were average of 7 ft. tall, women six to six and a half foot tall, and were very cannabilistic. Jean Lafite had lots of trouble with them ambushing and eating his men while he was on Galveston.
And them Kitsai...well, now they were something else...(I had to say it, my mom's dad was a Kitsai)