Cover art by Carl Hantman
MAY 1974
The first issue of Texas Highways available to the public was devoted to “the Texas Indian, with a look at his past, his present and his future,” the cover credit on Page 1 explained. A painting by Carl Hantman, an illustrator of Western books, was chosen as the cover image. The 34-page issue was ad-free and featured a full-page photo on the back cover of Garrett Battise of the Alabama-Coushatta tribe performing a war dance at the Fifth Annual Pow-wow in East Texas.
Welcome to the 50th year of Texas Highways! As a staff, we’re honored to shepherd the magazine through this milestone year, one that would not be possible without loyal readers like you. When I joined the team seven years ago, I was quickly struck by our readers’ high level of engagement and passion for the magazine and exploring Texas. I have loved reading your letters, many of them handwritten, detailing stories that connected with you, memories of past Texas trips, and even corrections when we got it wrong—y’all don’t miss a thing.
Thanks to each of you who responded to my October letter with suggestions on what you’d like to see during our 50th year and beyond. You will see many of your ideas incorporated into issues this year. This month we’re debuting a regular Stay section featuring notable lodgings across the state, while our cover package details where to stay in 2024. Please continue to send us your ideas, as well as your travel memories, to [email protected].
Throughout the year in this space, I’ll share covers and quotes from our archives. The May issue will mark our official 50th anniversary with a list of 50 True Texas Adventures. We hope you’ll celebrate with us all year long by getting on the road and discovering more reasons to be inspired by our great state.
Emily Roberts Stone
Editor in Chief
For more on our anniversary, visit texashighways.com/50
