It’s easy to lose oneself for hours in the Texas Historical Commission’s Texas Time Travel website. The site is part of THC’s Texas Heritage Trails Program, an initiative that was created in 1998 to highlight historic places across Texas and to promote education about our state history through travel. While the Texas Time Travel website is not new, program coordinator Teresa Caldwell explains that it was recently relaunched to “better highlight the regions themselves and the sites within them.” After spending some time on the site, we can verify that it certainly accomplishes that goal.
There are 10 heritage trail regions in Texas, and it is fascinating to discover historic sites in your area that you may not have known about previously; however, you can also use the “Discover Your Cultural Heritage” feature. There you will find sites grouped by cultural groups – Hispanic, African American, American Indian, European, German, and Asian, making it easy to dig into your own cultural history or learn more about the heritage of the groups that built and settled our cities and contributed to Texas culture.
This is how we found the page for African American heritage sites in Texas. It is a wonderful resource for educators who may be searching for fresh topics to discuss for February’s African American History month and beyond, and for anyone wanting to learn more about the diverse ways that black Texans have shaped our state’s history.
