The Wittliff Collections’ online exhibition: National Tour of Texas

The Wittliff Collections’ online exhibition: National Tour of Texas

Summers are known for long road trips and exploration. Dick J. Reavis set out for the ultimate road trip in 1987 and through The Wittliff Collections’ online exhibition called “National Tour of Texas,” we can have a taste of it.

The Texas native and Texas Monthly reporter set out to drive every highway mile in Texas. He divided Texas into 48 regions and traveled over 100,000 miles, discovering roads that never made it onto the official highway maps.

The Dick J. Reavis Papers at The Wittliff Collections contain hundreds of his photographs, collected postcards, notes on his travels, and even a logbook chronicling every drive.

Through Reavis’s eyes, read his note excerpts with then and now images of the places he visited. Visitors can see the transformation of murals, parks, churches, and much more. There’s also several video interviews where he recounts his travels from how his journey began, life on the road, and his favorite and least favorite parts of Texas.

Personally, my favorite region is Austin. As a Texas State student, it’s amazing to see what San Marcos used to look like. Through the postcards I found out that San Marcos used to be home to Aquarena Springs Theme Park, which featured a submarine theatre, swimming pigs, and mermaids.

Jump into a time machine and see what your hometown was like in 1987 over on the National Tour of Texas Wittliff Online Exhibition.

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