Texas folks, a question

[thatotherperv]

I should be posting more I Burn today, but while I'm thinking about it, I wanted to pose a question to the Texas people for something that will be more pertinant farther into the story.

for those somewhat familiar with rural east and central Texas (if there are any of those on my flist *hopes*).



so. Liam is from East Texas. you know, rural east texas, and all that implies. at least, in my head he is. except a lot of his backstory was built during my drives between Houston and College Station, and so it actually probably resembles more closely a backstory from that area (whcih I think is technically considered *central* Texas, but not the hillcountry? or is it considered the hillcountry? this state is too goddamn big, it's confusing).

the problem is that I haven't been through rural East Texas in more than 5 years, so I kind of forget how much it varies from central Texas. from what I remember, it's more pine and less the type of open cattle grazing land of central texas. do they ranch cattle there at all? is it more similar to central Texas than I'm remembering, and I'm just delusional? if he's actually from the eastern edge of central texas, is this still considered east texas?

it's just a matter of semantics. I'm not changing his backstory...if anything, I'll change "east" to "central" when he refers to it in his head. but for some stupid reason I'm attached to him being from "east texas." it has all those *connotations*, you know? at least, to Texas people it does. or maybe that's just folks from Houston. it has connotations to me. of insular culture and yes, backwardsness and in some cases poverty. fair or not. though I have some friends from east Texas whose own life history is sort of the basis for Liam's own backstory, so I know I'm not totally full of shit.

and yes, I realize no one from outside our great state is gonna know the goddamn difference. but I'm anal-retentive *g*

Comments

[daedream-fanbot.livejournal.com]

Hey. I grew up in the panhandle of Texas and went to high school in the Dallas suburbs, so I have slight knowledge of the areas you're talking about. Texas is such a big damn place.

You recollection is correct in that East Texas is hilly with lots of trees/forests. But there is still plenty of ranching going on. It's not known for it, and it's mostly horse ranches. But if your boy grew up on the eastern edge of Central Texas, then yes, it's quite possible for cattle ranching to have been involved in his upbringing.

As for whether the eastern edge of Central can still be called East...well, that's a judgment call, and I don't think many people would call you on it.

All IMHO.

[thatotherperv.livejournal.com]

thank you! this is the conclusion I was sort of coming to myself, but it's really good to have it backed up. I think I'll probably go with eastern edge of central and call it east, because central texas just doesn't have the same ring. for people in the know, anyway.

missed you, lady. I hope all is well in your neck of the woods.

[travelerkino.livejournal.com]

I agree that it turns to hills and pine trees the further East you go. The best changover is that you'll often find the horses and cattle in the same fields. Truthfully, one has only to look at the ratio of horse to cow to tell where you are. Or check for gators.

[thatotherperv.livejournal.com]

heee, that's a creative index :) thanks!

[bubble-blunder.livejournal.com]

I called my mother-in-law, who lives in Houston and grew up in East Texas. I read her your post and she replied with this:

"Yes, it's more pine, but they do ranch cattle there, as well as horses. There are pockets that are very dry. The area between College Station and Houston is Central Texas and not East Texas. Being from Central Texas used to have the same connotations as being from East Texas did, back when my mother was growing up [My mother-in-law is in her late 50's, so that was probably 60-80 years ago], but now it is much more affluent. East Texas does still have those same connotations, very similiar to the stereotypes that are prevalent about people from West Virginia [where I am from]. People from that area are often stereotyped as being uneducated, very poor, uncultured, and backward. Today a lot of those small towns in East Texas have become more touristy with lots of antique shops and B&Bs, simply because they couldn't sustain themselves as they used to be. There are still a few that actually function as towns, but not all that many. As you head into Louisiana, the landscape starts to change gradually. Landscape wise, if you have been far enough into central Texas to see the hillcountry, it is very different from East Texas. It has fewer trees than East Texas does, and a feel of germanic influence that you don't get in the east."

Hope that helps somewhat. I've been in the hillcountry, but never farther east than Houston, so I had to call her for help.

~Lisa

[thatotherperv.livejournal.com]

ah, thanks muchly for all the information!

[aubergineautumn.livejournal.com]

I grew up in Austin (first 25 years of my life).

I remember East Texas as:

pines

Nacogdoches= big oil money, like the last edge of the South when the South was at Civil War (because..remember..the last battle of the Civil War was fought in Texas). Strange ass people with lots of money, or strange ass people who used to have money. One of the only places you will find oil & gas attorneys, where that's all they do.

I think there was an oil refinery in Beaumont?

Jasper/Huntsville= backend of nowhere

green

more pine


You know, the reason why no one has much of an impression besides pines is...there isn't a lot happening there.

Texas is so big, the attitudes of people on the East side/central/west/south are totally different from each other.

[thatotherperv.livejournal.com]

thank you!

[brunettepet.livejournal.com]

When we're driving through East Texas, we're usuallly enroute somewhere that is not Texas! Sorry to be of no help, but there doesn't seem to be much happening in that neck of the woods.

[thatotherperv.livejournal.com]

that's true for me also! I see the trees along the side of I-10 ad that's about it :)

[sayitlouder.livejournal.com]

which I think is technically considered *central* Texas, but not the hillcountry?

i have nothing new to add here, except to say that yes, college station isn't the hill country. in fact, i'd say it's more east texas than central texas. but i'm an austinite, born and raised, so to me east texas is essentially anything east of austin - bryan/college station, navasota, huntsivlle, madonsoville, conroe, nacogdoches, etc. east texas is what you see on hwy 183 btwn austin and houston, and I-45 btwn houston and dallas. and yes, muchly with the pines. it's not flat like dallas but i don't know that i'd call it hilly...but, again, i'm from austin and those are some hills.