Has the meaning of "West Texas" changed over time? (Houston: how much, school)

[doctorjef]

Until recently when it became Texas State University, the school at San Marcos was called Southwest Texas State University. By anyone's definition, I think, San Marcos is in Central Texas. The Episcopal Diocese of West Texas begins just below Austin (it includes Buda), has its diocesan offices in San Antonio and includes Corpus Christi among other places -- the diocese actually covers what almost everyone would identify as South Texas with a little bit of Central Texas thrown in. Years ago when I was moving - briefly - to Mineral Wells (45 miles west of Fort Worth) my dad referred to it as "a typical West Texas town". To me, Mineral Wells isn't quite far enough west to be in West Texas. It's within the overall area of North Texas. My dad grew up during the Great Depression, to put some context to his characterisation of MW as West Texas. So -- what's up with these inapt designations? Now maybe some people consider anything west of Fort Worth to be West Texas, but obviously San Marcos isn't in the southwestern part of the state and San Antonio and points on down are typically thought of as South Texas and certainly not as West Texas. Has something changed over the years about geographical perceptions of Texas regions?

[HtownLove]

I even wonder at San Antonio being called South Texas, Too me it is right smack in the center of Texas. San Marcos is definitely not SW.

They sometimes refer to Houston as SE Texas but I don't think there is any SE Texas. That part is occupied by the gulf

[doctorjef]

I think of Beaumont-Orange-Port Arthur and the surrounding little towns (Port Neches, Vidor, Silsby, Lumberton, Nederland, etc) as Southeast Texas. I think San Antonio gets the South Texas designation because it is the "Gateway to South Texas", more culturally than geographically. Certainly south of San Antonio is South Texas. But to re-focus: did folks at one time consider West Texas to encompass more of the state than is presently the case? I understand that Mirabeau Lamar wanted his capital with its eyes on the West and hence got the capital moved from Houston to what had been the hunting camp and trading post of Waterloo, renamed Austin. He was an expansionist who envisioned a great westward spreading Texas. So maybe in 1840 Austin was considered West Texas (even though the Republic had a western boundary that extended half-way across New Mexico and up into Colorado).

[HtownLove]

I thought the 1840 boundaries were up in the air, that no one quite agreed where it was and that the bulk of settlements were east of San Antonio (i.e San Antonio was the most westerly settlement).

Also I think teh capital issue had something to do with a little rivalry between Sam and Mirabeau

[doctorjef]

Tangent alert: well, yes, there was that rivalry (remember the Archives War?), but I don't think Lamar's choice of Waterloo was arbitrary, at least from what I've read. The pre-annexation borders of Texas were no doubt not recognised by Mexico, but the USA recognised them in some sense, because Texas ceded the territory outside its present boundaries in exchange for the US absorbing the Republic of Texas' national debt at the time of its annexation.

[tstone]

Originally Posted by HtownLove

I even wonder at San Antonio being called South Texas, Too me it is right smack in the center of Texas.

The geographic center of Texas is about 130 miles northwest of Austin. Same latitide as Lufkin. But yeah, I usually see SA as south central TX.

The only way I can see San Marcos being "southwest" Texas is that it's in the southwest part of the Texas Triangle. Texas Triangle, being 'Central Texas' as far as population goes.

[doctorjef]

I believe Brady is the closest town to the geographical heart of Texas. Yet, I would consider Brady to be West Texas and I think most people do. This, I suppose, demonstrates an illogical or nongeographical aspect to this issue. Brady seems to be culturally a part of West Texas and perhaps topographically so, as well. An analogy that occurs to me is that the geographical centre of Europe is in Lithuania, which most people would think of as Eastern Europe (forgetting probably how much of Russia is geographically within Europe); that also demonstrates how much of Europe lies north of Lithuania, which most people would think of as being quite far north.

But why would people have decided to name a university in San Marcos "Southwest Texas State University" and an Episcopal Church diocese headquartered in San Antonio "Diocese of West Texas"??? Why would my dad have referred to Mineral Wells as being in West Texas, as though it were San Angelo or Odessa?

[HtownLove]

Yeah if you go by the triangle, then Houston would be in the SE part. and DFW would be in north texas like it is often called.

I didn't realize the center was that far north. Then again 130 mile sis nothing in Texas terms.

[HtownLove]

Originally Posted by doctorjef

But why would people have decided to name a university in San Marcos "Southwest Texas State University" and an Episcopal Church diocese headquartered in San Antonio "Diocese of West Texas"??? Why would my dad have referred to Mineral Wells as being in West Texas, as though it were San Angelo or Odessa?

Houston has Texas Southern University (but the southern may be in reference to southern US)

there is also South Texas School of Law in Houston. really weird

[tstone]

Same for dozens among dozens of businesses titled "South Texas" in Houston. Not so much ''East Texas'', more ''Eastex'' limited to those along 59N (Eastex fwy). You can see all the bullets on a fine-tuned Google Map search.

That is starting to delve into a whole field of study that attempts to identify parts of the state or country based on business names. The name escape me at this time.