Texas abounds with legends of buried treasure and lost mines. The Big Bend country, the Red River region, McMullen County, San Jacinto, Nacogdoches, and San Augustine are all treasure troves of tales of fabulous wealth that still lies just beyond man's reach. These legends are as sizable as the state itself, and J. Frank Dobie, perhaps Texas' greatest historian, devoted years of his life to collecting and cataloging them.
The stories in this first volume were originally published in 1924 by the Texas Folklore Society, and represent some of the enduring tales that have embellished the history of the state. Pelican Publishing Company is proud to present this wonderful collection in mass-market paperback form as part of our Pelican Pouch series. Included in this volume are "The Legend of San Saba," "Lost Gold of the Llano Country," "Treasure Chest on the Nueces," and "Lost Mine Near Sabinal," to name only a few.
Dobie believed that worthwhile literature about this region had to be derived from an understanding of its life, lore, and history. The legends in this work, as well as those in volume II of this series, were regarded by Dobie as "the most influential in opening the eyes of people to the richness of their own traditions."
Legends of Texas indirectly led to the founding of the Texas Folklore Society, the nation's second oldest folklore organization. Pelican has had Legends of Texas Vol. I: Lost Mines and Buried Treasure in print since 1975.
