"According to stories about the place, there is no telling what a man might come across, in the shape of man or beast, if he wanders deep enough into the woods."—from the Introduction
The secretive beauty and mystery of the Big Thicket of East Texas would inevitably inspire tales—and the pioneers who came to terms with this land were an individualistic and legend-creating lot. In Tales from the Big Thicket, Francis E. Abernethy presents a collection of stories about the Big Thicket and its people. He begins with a brief survey history of the region and then presents anecdotes and tales that introduce us to the people of the Big Thicket and to the land. The reader will find herein the history and folklore of the area, including a collection of Alabama-Coushatta tales, a Civil War episode involving a search for hidden Jayhawkers, a travel account from the nineteenth century, and a history of one of the region's legendary families, the Hooks.
"An enjoyable escape to the wood-culture of the past, to the thrill of the bear hunt of yesterday, to the quiet, natural retreat in the middle of an increasingly urban world."—Southwestern Historical Quarterly