OTHER CATEGORIES

The "other" articles in the New Handbook are about a host of subjects, including ranches, religious bodies, organizations, museums, historical events, archeological sites, and numerous smaller categories. Several of the "other" categories are:

1. Educational institutions . All degree-granting institutions of higher education are represented by articles. Extant institutions are entered under their 1995 names, and successive name changes are given in the articles. Most of the discussion of education at the local level is in the relevant town and county articles and in articles on the educational efforts of religious groups. A number of nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century private academies, as well as a number of private religious schools, are the subjects of their own articles.
2. Railroads. Every railroad chartered and constructed in Texas is represented by an article. Railroad articles cover the date of chartering, a list of the initial board of directors, an account of additions and deletions to the line, and a discussion of successive mergers and consolidations.
3. Oilfields. The oilfields covered in the New Handbook of Texas include only the largest and the most historically significant.
4. Businesses. Business coverage in the New Handbook of Texas is drawn from the three categories of largest, earliest, and representative. Many of the largest business enterprises that have been active in the state (wherever they might actually be chartered) are covered, including most airlines and most of the important oil companies. A number of early businesses, including many of the largest and most historically significant plantations and ranches, are included, as are many of the great mercantile establishments. The New Handbook also includes representative articles on insurance companies, supermarket chains, manufacturers, and businesses that extract and process minerals besides oil and gas.
5. Newspapers. Most of the major newspapers in the state, most of the earliest, and many of the longest in continual operation are included. Many county seat and small town newspapers not represented by articles of their own are mentioned in the relevant town and county articles.
6. Government. The state government of Texas is covered by a general article on GOVERNMENT. Additionally, every major state agency is treated in a separate article, as are state and county offices such as ATTORNEY GENERAL and SHERIFF. Many minor state agencies fall under the category of EXAMINING BOARDS.
7. Sites. The New Handbook of Texas includes an article on each of the Texas state parks, state historic sites, and state wildlife-management areas. Every national park, national historic site, national forest, national grassland, and national wildlife refuge is the subject of an article. Many sites, whether under state or federal jurisdiction, are centered on missions, presidios, or forts, all of which are represented by articles. Parks are continually being added to the state system, and the reader should consult the Texas Almanac for a current list.

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