Cotton was king during Bryans early history. Many prominent planters and farmers lived on the high ground between the Brazos and Navasota Rivers in the market town of Bryan; and the cotton crop thrived in the fertile Brazos River Bottom. The railroads arrival after the Civil War provided a link to textile mills in other parts of the world via the nearby ports of Houston and Galveston. Land availability and economic opportunity attracted settlers not only from the southeastern United States; but also from Italy and Eastern Europe. When cottons economic dominance began to wane; other agricultural crops; livestock; a strong commitment to education; and oil and gas production diversified the local economy. As the seat of county government; and with its close proximity to Texas AM University; Bryan today is a vibrant community strategically located in the heart of the Texas Urban Triangle.
#1995132 in eBooks 2009-09-07 2009-09-07File Name: B0093OGK8A
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A Very Interesting Look at Beech Mountains PastBy HeatherMy husband and I have a vacation condo (Beech Mountain Bliss) on Beech Mountain. NC. that we rent out; and so it was a given that we would be buying a copy of this book for our guests to enjoy while staying at our place. However. we really enjoyed reading through it ourselves. In addition to a very large and interesting collection of photographs. it had more written information in it than a lot of these types of books Ive seen. In particular. I really enjoyed the section about the Wizard of Oz theme park that used to be up on the mountain. I have been told I visited it when I was a small child. and I enjoyed reading up on the descriptions of the park and getting a glimpse of how it used to be. Every Fall. one weekend in October. the remaining structures are opened up to visitors whod like to enjoy re-visiting a childhood memory. Anyway. it was quite amazing to read about the fame and extravagance that were part of the Beech Mountain and its Ski Resorts (formerly Ski Beech. now Beech Mountain Resort) first decades of business. One small example: elephants marched up the side of the mountain and stayed for three days along with their circus one Summer back then. World-famous athletes and celebrities made appearances on a regular basis. With all the improvements and encouraging winter weather weve been enjoying lately. perhaps such heady times are in the process of returning to the Mountain again!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Four StarsBy M. HubbardLots of good pictures and interesting information about Beech Mountain.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Nice book...was a requested Wish List gift by our sonBy Audrey SA requested wish list Christmas gift well received.
