The State of Texas: How did Dallas get its name?

What Texas is talking about today No Images? [Click here]( [Lone Star Beer]( [Texas Monthly]( February 8, 2018 QUOTE OF THE DAY "It’s problematic that a foreign nation is involved in our election system. Our democracy is only as good as people trust the results." —[Former President George W. Bush](, who said on Thursday that there was "pretty clear evidence that the Russians meddled" in the 2016 U.S. president election . BIG NEWS [A]([Deep Dive Into How Dallas Got Its Name]( JOHN NOVA LOMAX The origins of the names of most large Texas cities are well-known to historians, but there is one huge exception: nobody can say with any certainty how Dallas got its name. Who was the big cheese behind the naming of the Big D? Prepare for a tale of blackface minstrelsy and swashbuckling high seas adventures, a whodunit with the last page maddeningly ripped out. [Read Story]( [Lone Star Beer]( OUR TOP STORIES [A]([Family's Dream Mountain Home in El Paso]( Every room has a spectacular view in this ultramodern house that makes the most of its surroundings. [Read Story]( [T]([he National Podcast of Texas, Episode 5]( Political editor R.G. Ratcliffe examines Governor Greg Abbott’s curious behavior as he approaches his re-election bid and senior editor Abby Johnston and writer-at-large Doyin Oyeniyi introduce a new regular segment called “In Case You Missed It.” [Read Story]( [T]([exas Democrats Face a Choice Between Principles and Practicality in the Governor's Race]( After the Houston GLBT Political Caucus and two major newspapers endorse centrist Andrew White, some question support for Lupe Valdez. [Read Story]( MEANWHILE, IN TEXAS... Harvey Aid On Wednesday, U.S. senators announced a deal to [fund the federal government]( until 2020, including almost $90 billion in disaster aid to states including Texas. It’s not yet clear how much of the funding will go to Texas. The bill did not include protections for DACA recipients, which led House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to deliver a record-breaking eight-hour speech on the chamber floor. Read our [oral history of Hurricane Harvey]( from the Texans who lived through it. The Super Basin Business is booming in the Permian Basin. This week, Irving-based Pioneer Natural Resources announced that it will sell off its other land and infrastructure, [focusing entirely on the Permian Basin](. The U.S. oil industry has increasingly focused on West Texas: the U.S Energy Information Administration projects that the Permian Basin will provide 30 percent of the country’s crude oil production in 2018. [Read about “Permania”]( at the CERAWeek energy conference in 2017. Evangelicals for DACA Evangelical leaders, including Jen Hatmaker and Beth Moore, [urged President Donald Trump]( to act on immigration and refugee policy. The full-page ad in the Washington Post on Wednesday, signed by 1,000 diverse evangelical pastors and leaders, focuses on DACA as well as low admittance numbers for refugees, including Christians facing persecution abroad. Read our [profile of Jen Hatmaker](. THE CULTURE [M]([eg Gardiner's Dark Past]( JEFF SALAMON The Austin thriller writer explains her connections to the Golden State Killer and the Oklahoma City bombing—and how they found their way into her novels. [Read Story]( [Tastemakers: Austin]( [Tastemakers: Austin]( Supported by [Kissing Tree]( For the third installment of our video series,“Tastemakers: A Local’s Guide to Our Favorite Cities,” we go along for a ride in professional BMX rider Aaron Ross's 1985 Porsche 911 Carrera as he spends a fun-and food-filled day in his hometown, from hitting golf balls to enjoying his favorite grilled cheese. [Watch now]( [Lone Star Beer]( MORE FROM TEXAS MONTHLY [T]([alk Like a Texan: How Texans Use "Down," "Out," "Over," and "Up"]( JOHN NOVA LOMAX [A]([Texas Televangelist Says You Don't Need a Flu Shot If You've Got Jesus]( LEIF REIGSTAD [It's Movie Night at the Alamo—No, the Real One]( R.G. RATCLIFFE [T]([he Texanist: Why Don't Breakfast Burritos Get Any Love?]( DAVID COURTNEY [Subscribe to Texas Monthly and Save!]( Get the best of Texas with Texas Monthly. [SUBSCRIBE TODAY]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Website]( Texas Monthly PO Box 1569 Austin, TX 78767 Texas Monthly has sent you this alert because you signed up to receive it either online at texasmonthly.com, at the website of one of our business partners, or when you filled out a reader response card. You may cancel your subscription to this and other Texas Monthly newsletters at any time. Please see our Privacy Policy. [Like]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe](