Living in a rural area, our go-to place for most everything - groceries, doctors, pharmacy, and of course Wal-Mart - is the historic town of Nacogdoches. The oldest town in Texas is full of history and historic architecture and it's also famous for being the azalea capitol of Texas, if not the entire world, and for its beautiful red brick streets in the downtown area. The Friends of Historic Nacogdoches (pronounced nakka-DO-chez for those of you who didn't already know) has done a wonderful job of bringing some marvelous sculptures of famous citizens to the downtown area. This bronze piece honoring Karle Wilson Baker was erected this past year on the grounds of her former home, Tanglewood.
Mrs. Wilson (1878-1960) received more honors for poetry than any other writer in Texas during her lifetime. She was also a celebrated novelist, historian, and educator. She was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for her last collection of poetry, Dreamers on Horseback, in 1931.
She often wrote about the rich history of this oldest town in Texas. Her best selling novel, The Star of the Wilderness, was set in Nacogdoches during the years just before the Texas Revolution (1835-'36), and brought further fame to the city. She is buried in the famous Oak Grove Cemetery less than a mile from Tanglewood.
