Posted in Texas March 08, 2016 by

Here Are 16 Things They Don’t Teach You About Texas In School

Texas is about to get a whole lot more interesting, y’all. You may think you know everything there is to know about our state, but I’m here to challenge that notion. Here are some lesser-known (but just as interesting) facts about Texas that you probably didn’t know before.

We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/
1. The ferris wheel at the Texas State Fair in Dallas is the largest in the entire Western hemisphere of the world.
Flickr/verndogs
2. Texas boasts the nation's largest population of whitetail deer.
Flickr/debiwatson
3. King Ranch, located outside of Corpus Christi, is larger than the state of Rhode Island.
Flickr/mccormacka
4. The 1900 Galveston hurricane is the deadliest disaster in recorded U.S. history.
Wikimedia Commons
5. El Paso is closer to the city of Needles, California (516 miles) than Dallas, Texas (571 miles.)
Flickr/paul_garland
6. Texas experiences more tornadoes per year than any other state in the country with a yearly average of 139.
Flickr/indigente
7. We own all of our public land. The federal government has to ask permission before cutting down trees or creating a park.
Flickr/biggreymare
8. Our capitol building is the largest in the nation. (Yep, even bigger than the nation's Capitol in D.C.!)
Flickr/faungg
9. Six Flags, the amusement park, gets its name from the fact that six nations (Spain, France, the Confederate States of America, the USA, the Republic of Texas, and Mexico) have flown their flag over Texas at some point.
Flickr/mario
10. The Flagship Hotel was the only hotel in the USA built entirely over water.
Flickr/Texas.713
11. The last battle of the Civil War was fought in Texas.
Wikimedia Commons
Everyone considers the surrender at Appomattox Courthouse the end of the war, but Northern and Southern forces fought a month later in the Battle of Palmito Ranch on a coastal prairie east of Brownsville. The Confederates killed or wounded approximately 30 opponents, captured over 100, and forced the rest back to a base near the mouth of the Rio Grande before surrendering their arms shortly afterwards.
12. Texas is so big, it uses its own power grid as opposed to tapping into one of the other two that power the east and west sides of the country.
Flickr/chap_d
13. In 1968, a time capsule containing a passbook to a bank account containing $10 was buried in Amarillo. It is expected to reach $1 quadrillion in value by 2968.
Flickr/kkanouse
14. Palo Duro Canyon is the nation's second largest canyon.
Flickr/sarowen
15. It is illegal to let a camel loose on the beach in Galveston.
Flickr/ricklibrarian
Keep your friends close and your camels closer, ya hear?
16. We're home to the fastest speed limit in the USA. (Hmm, I wonder why they don't teach that in schools...?)
Flickr/artjonak

So…how’d you do? Did you know them all? What are some other neat, obscure facts about Texas?