The Great Book of Texas Quotes

“Water Wonderland in Odessa, Texas, used to be a lively water park. It was shut down in 1980 after a series of civil lawsuits were filed over injuries at the park. Today, it’s filled with graffiti, squatters, and rattlesnakes. Due to the sense of abandonment you’ll get from seeing the old water park, it has been listed as one of the creepiest places in Texas.”
― Bill O'Neill, The Great Book of Texas: The Crazy History of Texas with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia

“Whataburger is a burger chain that can be found in Southern states, ranging from Florida to Arizona. The first Whataburger was opened in Corpus Christi in 1950 by Harmon Dobson. It has been said that Dobson’s goal was to make a burger so good that you would say, “What a burger!” The first Whataburger to be opened with its iconic orange-and-white striped, A-frame building was in Odessa, TX. Today, there are over 800 locations.”
― Bill O'Neill, The Great Book of Texas: The Crazy History of Texas with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia

“Texas has its own Eiffel Tower. The 65-foot tower was built in Paris, Texas, in 1995. It has been boasted as the “second-largest Eiffel Tower in the second-largest Paris.”
― Bill O'Neill, The Great Book of Texas: The Crazy History of Texas with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia

“There are more than 145 languages spoken in Texas. Aside from English, you’ll hear everything from German and Vietnamese to Hindu and Tagalog spoken in this state!”
― Bill O'Neill, The Great Book of Texas: The Crazy History of Texas with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia

“The Lone Star State has sued the United States more than 40 times in the past 100 years over everything from women’s health to the environment. Most of those lawsuits occurred during the Obama Administration.”
― Bill O'Neill, The Great Book of Texas: The Crazy History of Texas with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia

“Encompassing 268,820 square miles, the state of Texas is two times the size of Germany!”
― Bill O'Neill, The Great Book of Texas: The Crazy History of Texas with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia

“These cities include Houston (population of 2.3 million), San Antonio (of 1.49 million),”
― Bill O'Neill, The Great Book of Texas: The Crazy History of Texas with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia

“What some may not know is that Lee Harvey Oswald wasn’t originally arrested for killing the president. He was first arrested for shooting and killing Dallas police officer J. D. Tippit. Oswald’s arrest came about on November 22, 1963, when a shoe store manager named John Brewer noticed him loitering suspiciously outside his store. Brewer noted that Oswald fit the description of the suspect in the shooting of Officer Tippit. When Oswald continued up the street and slipped inside the Texas Theater without paying for a ticket, Brewer called a theater worker, who alerted authorities. Fifteen Dallas police officers arrived at the scene. When they turned on the movie house lights, they found Lee Harvey Oswald sitting towards the back of the theater. The movie that had been airing at the time was War is Hell. When Lee Harvey Oswald was questioned by authorities about Tippit’s homicide, Captain J. W. Fritz recognized his name as one of the workers from the book depository who had been reported missing and was already being considered a suspect in JFK’s assassination. The day after he was formally arraigned for murdering Officer Tippit, he was also charged with assassinating John F. Kennedy. Today, the Texas Theater is a historical landmark that is commonly visited by tourists. It still airs movies and hosts special events. There’s also a bar and lounge.    The Texas Theater was the first theater in Texas to have air conditioning. It was briefly owned by famous aviator and film producer, Howard Hughes. Texas’s Capitol”
― Bill O'Neill, The Great Book of Texas: The Crazy History of Texas with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia

“It also has the largest Ferris wheel in the entire Western Hemisphere!”
― Bill O'Neill, The Great Book of Texas: The Crazy History of Texas with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia

“the Sam Houston statue is the largest statue in America that’s modeled after a real person.”
― Bill O'Neill, The Great Book of Texas: The Crazy History of Texas with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia

“The Spanish founded San Antonio in 1718.”
― Bill O'Neill, The Great Book of Texas: The Crazy History of Texas with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia

“You can get a Frito pie, which is a bag of Fritos with a scoop of chili and cheese, at the Texas State Fair!”
― Bill O'Neill, The Great Book of Texas: The Crazy History of Texas with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia

“Hamilton Pool, which is located near Austin, is one of the most remarkable sights of nature to be observed in Texas. It’s a natural spring that’s situated in limestone bedrock. Its water comes from an underground river. There’s a deep overhang in one of the walls of the cavern that’s of much interest to visitors. Over 100 years ago, the Hamilton Pool was completely covered by a dome that later collapsed. The Hamilton Pool is one of Texas’s many tourist attractions.”
― Bill O'Neill, The Great Book of Texas: The Crazy History of Texas with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia

“The Fort Worth Zoo, which was opened in 1909, has been rated as one of the top zoos in the entire country. At the time of its opening, the zoo only had a lion, a coyote, a peacock, two bear cubs, an alligator, and some rabbits. There are 7,000 species that can be found at the zoo today.”
― Bill O'Neill, The Great Book of Texas: The Crazy History of Texas with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia

“To make matters even worse, Texas is also the leading producer of cattle in the country. As a result, greenhouse gas emissions, or carbon dioxide, released during the agriculture process is higher in Texas than any other state. Research has also found that the methane released from cow belches is another factor that’s contributing to global warming.”
― Bill O'Neill, The Great Book of Texas: The Crazy History of Texas with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia

“Texas is Hurting the Environment Have you ever thought about what impact Texas has on the environment? Texas is the United States’ leading oil refinery state. As of 2012, it was estimated that the state’s oil production accounted for nearly a third of all oil production in the United States. In fact, if it were its own country, it would be the 6th leading nation in oil production. The state has 10 billion barrels of oil reserves and is home to 27 oil refineries, including Exxon and AT&T, Inc. As of 2015, Texas was producing 3.6 million barrels a day. That’s a lot of oil!”
― Bill O'Neill, The Great Book of Texas: The Crazy History of Texas with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia

“The Largest Ranch in the Country is Located in Texas Texas is known for its ranches, so it may come as no surprise that the largest ranch in the United States can be found in the Lone Star State. However, it might surprise you to learn just how big it is. King Ranch is set on more than 800,000 acres, making it larger than the state of Rhode Island.”
― Bill O'Neill, The Great Book of Texas: The Crazy History of Texas with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia

“It’s Room 525 that has been said to be most haunted. Two brides who were on their honeymoon both killed themselves in the bathtub of Room 525. These incidents allegedly took place twenty years apart. The “suicide brides” are said to haunt the room, causing flickering lights, random noises, knocking, and other disturbances that have seriously creeped out guests. Some have even claimed to see apparitions. Are you still wondering if it’s haunted? The best way to find out is to stay there for yourself.”
― Bill O'Neill, The Great Book of Texas: The Crazy History of Texas with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia

“Texas Has One of America’s Most Haunted Hotels Do you want to have a sleepover with some spirits? If so, then you might want to take a trip to Austin. The Driskill Hotel in Austin is believed to be one of the most haunted hotels in the entire United States! In fact, the hotel is so well-known for being haunted that the hit song “Ghost of a Texas Ladies Man”, by Concrete Blonde, was written about it.”
― Bill O'Neill, The Great Book of Texas: The Crazy History of Texas with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia

“The Whole Foods store located in Austin remains the largest store in the entire chain. It encompasses 80,000 square feet of space, a rooftop ice skating rink, and a full bar that you can drink at, once you’ve finished grocery shopping. You can go grocery shopping, ice skating, and enjoy an alcoholic beverage all in one place on the same day.”
― Bill O'Neill, The Great Book of Texas: The Crazy History of Texas with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia

“Sandra Bullock, who lives in Texas, owns Walton’s Fancy and Staple in Austin. It’s an upscale restaurant, bakery, floral shop, and event planning business.”
― Bill O'Neill, The Great Book of Texas: The Crazy History of Texas with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia

“Like most states, there are still a number of odd laws perpetuated in Texas. It’s illegal to sell your eye, milk another person’s cow, take more than three sips of beer while standing, or shoot a buffalo from the second story of a hotel.”
― Bill O'Neill, The Great Book of Texas: The Crazy History of Texas with Amazing Random Facts & Trivia