Indianola: The Mother of Western Texas

This book is a must for geneoligist serching for ancestors in Texas. Not only does it give account of the once thriving city of matagorda bay. But the transportation availability to include the Trains and shipping lines. This book gives all references to the texas train lines of the times and can give you an idea of what route early ancestors may have traveled. The book itself is a accurate account of the early days of german imigration, Indianola itself and the people who made it all happen. I found the book to very interesting and attention grabbing.

Very few local histories interweave all events in a city's history...both the good and the bad. However, this book does it, and very well. The reader gets to see the city through the inhabitant's eyes, and experience the growth of one of Texas' most influential cities of the 19th century. From the very beginning, you see how this coastal city is a slave to the elements. Several storms are endured, before the town disappears from the landscape. You get to see how it interacted with its arch rival, Galveston, along with its coexistence with many of the smaller towns in its vicinity. And you get to see how this city lived and died by the railroad. If you thought Indianola was always a Texas state park, this book will open your eyes. If you're interested in hurricanes, this book shows how ravaging storms were before current, strict housing codes were inacted, and before seawalls protected all coastal cities. For the Texas historian, this book is a must. It is a complete history of the 43 years of Indianola, and its haunting legacy. For residents of San Antonio and Victoria, it gives them a chance to discover what the city of many of their forefathers was really like.