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The River That Made Texas : A Forgotten History of the Trinity - Scot McFarlane

The River That Made Texas

A Forgotten History of the Trinity

By: Scot McFarlane

Paperback | 29 September 2026

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Available: 29th September 2026

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Today, half of Texasâs expanding population, including the cities of Dallasâ"Fort Worth and Houston, depends on the Trinity River, a river that has shaped the stateâs politics, economy, and environment for centuries. From the prairies of North Texas to the Gulf of Mexico, the Trinity established Native nations, foiled Spanish and French imperialism, stood at the center of the Texas plantation system, and fueled the growth of the stateâs largest cities. In the first history of this vital river, historian Scot McFarlane illuminates how the Trinity has defined Texas history. Its floods enriched the soil and destroyed crops, its channel served as both a route and barrier to freedom, and its once-polluted waters now sustain a significant portion of the state. McFarlaneâs captivating narrative brims with stories of the people who called the Trinity home over the centuries: the Comanche, steamboat pilots, enslaved and freed people, sharecroppers, inmates, and millions of urban residents. The result is a fresh perspective on economic development, slavery, and the environmentâ"revealing the Trinity not as a backdrop to Texas history but as a force that shaped it.
Industry Reviews
"This is one hell of a book. An evocative, at times lyrical, placed-based history of a landscape haunted by its violent, sometimes horrific, past."-Benjamin Johnson, author of Texas: An American History "A lively, brilliantly realized, and richly researched account of the stories and memories the Trinity carries."-Char Miller, author of West Side Rising: How San Antonio's 1921 Flood Devastated a City and Sparked a Latino Environmental Justice Movement

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