Junction High School - Golden Eagle Yearbook (Junction, TX)

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Central, the Gulf, the Colorado and Santa Fe, the Fort Worth, the Denver City, the Texas and Pacific, the Southern Pacific and the International and Great Northern. The railroad industry suffered during the Great Depression and World War II. Railways fought a losing battle against automobiles, airplanes and the change to new transportation systems. Texas, however, remains number one in terms of railroad mileage and is served by seven class-one rail carriers. The primary rail tonnage originating in the state includes non-metallic mineral, chemical, farm, petroleum, wood and lumber products. The Texas highway system ranks among the nation’s best. Federal interstates, state highways and rural roads link the regions of West and East Texas to the Panhandle, and all of South Texas to the Rio Grande River. The vastness of Texas demands a reliable network of roads. With a trip from El Paso to Orange being 860 miles, a New Englander could see several states traveling the same distance on the East Coast. As early as 1883, a project was begun to deepen the channel of Galveston's port. But in the annals of artificial ports, no story is more impressive than that of Houston’s. In 1908, Houston citizens inaugurated a movement to secure a deep water channel By 1925, with $10.6 million of federal and local funding, the channel was extended 55 miles from the Houston harbor to the outer harbor and deepened to 35 feet. Houston is now the leading port in Texas and one of the largest in the nation. Dominating developments in transportation during the postwar years were automobiles and airplanes. Motor vehicle registration rose from 2,192,654 in 1946 to 11,297,938 in 1978. Only California has more automobiles on the highway than Texas. Commercial air passenger service in Texas began in 1928. Growth was modest during World War II, but rapidly increased in the postwar years. Between 1965 and 1978, the number of people traveling by air in Texas tripled. first to operate in Texas in 18)2. It was called the General Sherman.”

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From the putt-putt and pedal- propelled vehicles of yesterday to today's streamlined cargo carriers, transportation has taken a leap from the past. Mfmc- , the whistle - B oWVN ? mong the first daring men to map trails through Texas were cattle drivers. The cattle drive era ended with the introduction of railroads, oil wells and fences. In 1866, an estimated 260,000 cattle were started on these trails for Sedalia and other railroad heads in Missouri from which cows would be shipped to profitable Northeastern markets. The best known cattle trail was the Chisholm Trail. It was opened in 1867 by Jesse Chisholm, a Cherokee Indian trader. The trail began in South Texas, ran by Austin and Lampasas, passed between Fort Worth and Weatherford, crossed the Red River and snaked through Indian territory to Caldwell, Kansas. Westward movement by farmers and ranchers forced the cattlemen to seek new trails. By the 1880s, every large division of West Texas had secured a railroad, and from 1870 to 1930 the economic transformation of Texas assumed great proportions — largely because of railroads. By 1904, Texas contained more miles of railroad track than any other state. Although subsistence farming did not disappear, most farmers turned to the cash crop — cotton. Commercial agriculture continued to provide a living for the majority of Texans until the beginning of oil production at Spindletop. By the 1920s, the value of industrial production exceeded that of agricultural production. With the rise of cities and the decline of the agrarian state, industrialization had come to roost in Texas. To Texans of the late 19th century, railroads were the key to progress and prosperity. When a railroad bypassed a community, it was certain to become a ghost town. Many railroads were courted by citizens and sometimes railroads received gifts of free state land in exchange for placing their tracks by certain towns. The greatest beneficiary was the Texas and Pacific Railroad, which was given 5,167,360 acres. Approximately 32,150,000 acres of state land were awarded to railroad companies, an area as large as the entire state of Alabama. Construction of the bulk of the state's major railroads occurred during two decades. By the close of the 1890s, the state had 8,710 miles of railroad track. The Texas and Pacific Railway reached Fort Worth in 1876 and met the eastbound Southern Pacific at Sierra Blanca. Here the famous agreement between C.P. Huntington of the Southern Pacific and Jay Gould of the Texas and Pacific was reached. The two agreed to share rail lines from Sierra Blanca to El Paso. Among the major railroad companies that built in Texas during this era were the Houston and Texas

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Before the first white settlements were established in Texas, Spanish missionaries were converting Indians to Christianity and teaching them Western traditions and ideals. Education didn’t become an issue in Texas government until Stephen F. Austin’s first colony was settled. Each colony in 1836 was required to have a school to teach not just the three R’s,” but a variety of subjects including history, rhetoric, composition, philosophy and foreign languages. eligious organizations became instrumental in the education of Texas' youth, and in the early 19th century, a variety of religious colleges were opened The first, Rutersville Gdlege, opened its doors on Feb. 1, 1840 The founder was a Methodist named Martin Ruter. The Baptists established Baylor University in 1845. Baylor, located in Waco, is the oldest continuously operated institution of higher learning in the state When Texas entered the Union in 1845, its constitution pledged to make changes in the field of education. Later, the state adopted a schedule of funding schools through property taxes. The Morill Act in 1862 prompted the founding of the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University to promote agricultural education. The next major educational development occurred in 1915 when the Compulsory Attendance Law was passed. This law required children between the ages of 8 and 14 to attend school for 60 days-a- year, unless the child had a proper excuse. The law was amended in 1918 to require 80 days of attendance and amended again in 1919 to require 100 days of attendance. In 1949, State Senator A M. Aiken supported a series of bills through the legislature aimed at improving education. The new system immediately showed positive results, and the quality of education in Texas grew to become respected nationwide. The United States involvement in World War II led to a drop in college enrollment, but enrollment soared in 1944 with the introduction of the GI Bill of Rights and the flood of returning veterans wanting to enroll in college. The growth in college enrollment continued through the 1960s and into the 1970s. However, the role of education and its influence on our lifestyles may change in the future if enrollment figures at the high school and university level continue to drop — a recent trend attributed to a decline in the birth rate after 1967. In addition, university budget reductions and a tightening of student loan requirements have forced both schools and students to economize their educational opportunities. A schoolhouse established in 1890 was still standing in 1965. R