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Research and Programs

Official Texas Historical Marker application for the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board

CTPH student Alex Borger conducted historical research in conjunction with the board staff to compile a successful application for a state marker at Temple. He also prepared the inscription, which the Texas Historical Commission approved. Dedicated in the spring of 2015, the marker coincided with the 75th anniversary of the TSSWCB, which began in the New Deal and continues today to address issues related to agricultural conservation.


Historic Resource Survey: Cattle Ranching and Agricultural Practices, and Updated National Register of Historic Places Nomination, Phase I, Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, Texas

In 2012, the Public History Program entered into a partnership with the National Park Service to develop a historic resource study for the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park. The purpose of the study is two-fold: to research and write an in-depth original manuscript on President Johnson and his role as a cattleman, developed within the context of ranching and agricultural practices in the Texas Hill Country; and to update the National Register of Historic Places nomination for the Johnson Ranch. Over the span of six semesters, 29 CTPH students worked in partnership with the Texas Historical Commission and the National Park Service to complete the project in 2014. The final report, entitled Deep Roots in Shallow Soil: The Ranching Heritage of Lyndon B. Johnson, has been accepted by the NPS and may be published in the future.

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National Park Service Developmental History of the U.S. Secret Service Command Post: LBJ National Historical Park

In 2011, the National Park Service commissioned the Center for Texas Public History to provide an in-depth developmental history of the U.S. Secret Service Command Post at the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park in Gillespie County. Students conducted original, site-based historical research that utilized land records, newspapers, oral histories, secondary sources and archival material. Their work resulted in a published report, “Guarding an Impulsive Mover,” that will serve as a guiding resource as NPS employees develop a comprehensive interpretive plan for the command post, which will eventually be opened to the public.

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National Park Service Reassessment of National Historic Landmark Designation for Fort Brown, Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas

Working with National Park Service personnel from the Palo Alto National Historical Park, the Center for Texas Public History conducted research to justify expansion of the boundaries for the Fort Brown National Historic Landmark designation. The work conducted in 2013 and 2014 included field surveys, photography, GPS monitoring, historic map analysis, and archival research, and resulted in a new application based on the updated information. Additionally, Center staff developed curriculum guides related to Fort Brown history that will be utilized by secondary teachers and others interested in the role the fort played in the Mexican-American War, 1846-1848.