Texas Travel Log, July 2012 Page: Travelog
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During early 20th century excavations, workers uncovered the remains of three Native Americans at this popular
rock shelter inside Mother Neff State Park. The park will soon nearly double in size.T RAV EL N EWS
HE TEXAS PARKS and Wildlife
Commission authorized the ac-
quisition of 142 acres of land
that will help the state's first official
park-the 259-acre Mother Neff
State Park-grow to nearly 400
acres, about double its size.
The $1.15 million deal with adjacent
Coryell County landowners involves
land with high-quality natural and cul-
tural resources, as well as an infra-
structure that will support park opera-
tions and future expansion of recre-
ational and educational opportunities.
Money fer the land comes from
partial proceeds of an earlier TPWD
sale of more than 2,000 acres of For-
tress Cliff Ranch that overlook Palo
Duro Canyon State Park. Funds also
were poolec from federal Land and
Water Conservation Funds, which
come with a requirement that
TPWD uses the proceeds for public
access to the outdoors.
With the added land comes a half
mile along Lie Leon River, impres-
sive river bluff views, a significantspring, forest habitat and extensive
prehistoric archeological resources.
The land, originally Tonkawa Indian
territory, also features limestone
hills, prairies and woodlands.
The state park began as six acres
on the Leon River that were donated
in 1916 by Isabella Eleanor (Mother)
Neff. After Isabella's death in 1921,
her son Gov. Pat Neff created Moth-
er Neff Memorial Park, which would
serve as the nucleus of the new Tex-
as State Park System.
For information, call (254) 853-2389
or visit www.texasstateparks.org.
ILL ROGERS Memorial
Center in Fort Worth un-
veiled its $32 million,
105,800-square-foot Equestrian
Multi-Purpose Building on June 6,
putting the city in the running for
some of the biggest horse shows in
the nation. The grand opening was
initiated with a Region 9
Arabian Horse Championship Show.
The project, started in 2009 and
completed on schedule, showcases
740 Priefert premium horse stalls,exercise arenas, underground tunnel
transport systems and other infra-
structure improvements. The Center
also features a series of seven porce-
lain-and-glass murals by artist Mike
Mandel that depict various horse
breeds and equestrian disciplines.
Of special note are two renditions of
historically significant horses: Wimpy,
the 1941 grand champion of the Fort
Worth Fat Stock Show, bred by the
famous King Ranch; and Soapsuds,
humorist-philosopher Will Rogers'
favorite horse and the one on which
he taught his children to ride.
Fort Worth Public Events Director
Kirk Slaughter told the Fort Worth
Business Press, "Fort Worth's com-
mitment to significant enhancement
of the Will Rogers Memorial Center
ensures that our complex remains
competitive for the largest and most
visible equestrian events in the world."
Dan Wall, executive director of
the Oklahoma City-based National
Reining Horse Association, told the
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, "Fort Worth
has repositioned itself as a venue you
have to take seriously. I can tell you4A
JULY 2012
INSIDE:
* TxDOT offers mobile-friendly
Highway Conditions Map
* Battleship Texas experiences
closings as the century-old
ship is plagued with leaks
* Texas State Railroad change
could affect business model
* Spotlights on small-town Texas
gems such as Marfa, Denton
in prior years, unfortunately, we did
not see Fort Worth as a possible host
for some of our major events."
"When our members look for an
ideal show venue, they place a prior-
ity on having an abundance of gen-
eral riding locations and adequate
training areas to prepare their horses
to show; and the recent improve-
ments in Fort Worth definitely meet
those expectations," Wall says. "We
are also thrilled about the additional
stalling capabilities, which make Will
Rogers very well-suited to host large
NRHA events."
The impact is already being felt.
The Appaloosa Horse Club board
approved a five-year contract exten-
sion with Will Rogers for their World
Championship Show and has an-
nounced the move of the ApHC Na-
tional Show/Youth World Champion-
ship Show to Fort Worth for 2013-17.
Fort Worth Convention & Visi-
tors Bureau President and CEO
David DuBois says, "This new facili-
ty allows us to better promote our
city as a destination for equestrian
events and underscores our strong
Western and equestrian heritage."
EVERAL tourism organiza-
tions have been awarded free
exhibit space in Texas Depart-
ment of Transportation's Travel
Information Centers. With this free
exhibit space in the centers' lobbies,
these organizations and communi-
ties are able to promote their attrac-
tions with special displays, including
colorful photographs and other pro-
motional materials. They will have
use of the space from September
through February.
Every six months, use of the dis-
play cases rotates to another set of
tourism organizations.
Here are the newly selected ex-
hibit space pairings:
* Amarillo: Arlington, Grand
Prairie, Mansfield
" Anthony: West Texas Co-op
" Denison: Hico, Clifton, Glen
Rose
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Texas. Travel and Information Division. Texas Travel Log, July 2012, periodical, July 2012; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth640387/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.