A few interesting little known Texas facts:

 World's first rodeo was in Pecos, July 4, 1883.

 The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water.

 The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the first full time coach for Rice University, Houston.

 Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America.

 Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America's only remaining flock of whooping cranes.

 Jalapeno Jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978.

 The worst natural disaster in U.S. history was in Galveston in 1900, and caused by a hurricane in which over 8000 lives were lost.

 The first word spoken from the moon, July 20, 1969, was "Houston".

 El Paso is closer to California than Dallas.

 Laredo is the worlds largest inland port.

 Tyler Municipal Rose Garden is the world's largest rose garden with over 38,000 bushes with 500 varieties on 22 acres.

 State Shell - Lightning Whelk

 King Ranch is larger than Rhode Island.

 July 1979 Tropical Storm Claudette brought a U.S. rainfall record of 43" in 24 hours in and around Alvin.

 Texas is the only state to enter the U.S. by TREATY instead of by annexation.

 A Live Oak tree near Fulton is estimated to be 1500 years old.

 Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.

 Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885.

 There is no period after Dr in Dr Pepper.

 Texas had six capital cities....
 1. Washington-on-the-Brazos 
 2. Harrisburg 
 3. Galveston 
 4. Velasco 
 5. West Columbia 
 6. Austin

 The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the  U.S. which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. (by 7 feet)

 The name Texas comes from the Hasini Indian word "tejas" meaning friends.

 The first domed stadium in the U.S. was the Astro Dome in Houston.