Betty Smith Meischen Livres

"The rugged character and indomitable spirit of the early pioneers of Stephen F. Austin?s Texas colony had their roots in a turbulent, distant past. From the early 1600?s, their courageous ancestors had pushed westward, leaving the European shores to carve out a new nation from the wilderness. They fled religious and political oppression in search of a better life in which freedom was of supreme importance. Many came with tales of their former struggles in Londonderry, Ireland during the great siege, of terrible massacres and clan rivalries in the times of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland. They vividly remembered the tribulations of Martin Luther and the deadly religious split with the Catholic Church. More recently, memories of their parent?s participation in the American Revolution, of dramatic, true life scenes such as depicted in the movie ?The Patriot? filled their minds, their fathers having ridden along side of the wily Swamp Fox, Francis Marion. These pioneers associated themselves with men like Travis, Crockett, Houston and Andrew Jackson. Many of these early trailblazers were Scots-Irish and German immigrants. They were on a westward trek to grasp a special prize, to seal America?s Manifest Destiny. And that prize they sought was Texas. From Jamestown to Texas is the story of these intrepid pioneers and their ancestors who cleared and farmed the land, who fought the Indians, battled the elements, and carved out this wonderful country that we have today.--Amazon.com

It's the summer of 1964 on the Southwest side of Detroit, Michigan. Adam Knight gets a brand new 1964 Pontiac Royal Bobcat GTO as a graduation gift. The youngster puts John DeLorean's creation to the test at the local drag strips of Detroit Dragway and Motor City Dragway against likes of arch-rival Ralph "Bull" Conner and other competitors.He's even confronted by a trio of racist bigots in a street race and puts them in their place. While he's racing his Goat, his best friend Randy Sullivan pursues Jennifer O'Brien, a seductive resemblence of Yvette Mimieux, in a Ford Mustang convertible.With his friends, girlfriend Rachel Chaste, and the sounds of rock-and-roll music, Knight brings DeLorean's creation to full circle not only at the drag strip, but also at movie and burger drive-ins.

An old man on his deathbed tells his true life story to his children and grandchildren who have gathered around him. The dying man was James Bell Stephenson. He was born in the wilds of Florida in 1820 and made the long journey to Texas in 1826 to become a member of Stephen F. Austin's Colony. At sixteen, he joined the Texas army, becoming one of its earliest Texas Rangers. He witnessed Santa Anna's capture at San Jacinto. At age18 Stephenson was pinned down in a ravine with a handful of Texas Rangers who were surrounded by a horde of angry Comanche Indians. As Captain of the 20th Texas Infantry during the Civil War, he defended the port of Galveston and help provide supplies to the Confederate army. Stephenson was a founding father of Waller County, Texas and one of its first commissioners. The life he led was truly inspirational and definitely worthy of a place in Texas history.