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A Handy Guide To The Most Texas-Loving Pages On Facebook

Back when Facebook was new on the net, in order to spur participation on the platform, Facebook made a page for every state and issued a challenge: “Let’s see which state can get to a million likes first.”

Texas won and won handily. It wasn’t even close.

Given Texas’s galactic reputation for state pride, the only surprise would have been had Texas not come in first. California and New York were much more tech savvy and digitally connected at the time and should have at least come in second and third, but they didn’t.

Colorado took second place, probably because the state was proud that it was once part of Texas. I say that with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Since that time, Texas pride pages have proliferated on Facebook. Most have sister sites on Twitter, but I’m choosing to focus exclusively on Facebook for today.

So here are ten pages, of the hundreds in existence, that you might enjoy “liking” and seeing their posts in your news feed – I certainly do. I’m leaning away from the strictly business, news, political or government pages in favor of those that are mostly about celebrating Texas as a beautiful land and culture. The order is random and the choices are mine.

Traces of Texas shares fascinating photos from Texas history, recent and distant. Most are high quality black and white photos. Traces of Texas followers send in never-before-seen-by-the-public photos from old family albums and library collections. Traces of Texas is an online museum of Texas history – created by Texans, for Texans.

Texas Humor has a huge following because – I figure – most people like a good laugh as often as they can get one. They don’t publish jokes in the traditional sense. Their humor is largely visual, comprised of Texcentric memes that are all the more funny if you’re Texan. For instance, you will see a picture of wind turbines with the caption: Texas is so hot we’ve installed fans outside.

I Love Texas is perfectly named. It focuses on celebrating Texans’ love for their state, in breathtaking photos of Texas landscapes, cityscapes, and historical stories in short form. They have a sister page called I Love Texas Photographs which is certainly worth following. I Love Texas greets you every morning with a stunning photo that says, “Good Morning from the Great State of Texas” and signs off every night with a prayer for those in the military serving overseas.

Texas Hill Country is likely the granddaddy of this genre, with nearly a million followers. It has been around since before Facebook, as a site devoted mostly to exquisitely beautiful photos of the Texas Hill Country. Now it still has the photos, but has added nostalgia, music, historical stories, humor, etc. THC also has a companion page named simply Texas.

Texas Highways is a publication of the Texas Department of Transportation. It is one of the few older publications that has successfully migrated onto the net and gotten better. I enjoyed Texas Highways as a kid for their photographs and enjoy it even more today on Facebook for the same reason. But is more than photographs. It is, in their words, “the official travel magazine of Texas and the ultimate guide to the Lone Star State.”

Texas Back Roads is, like the title suggests, a backroads travel page. They say that, “From Abbott to Zunkerville and Antiques to Ziplines, we are letting you know what there is to see and do in Texas.” TBR also provides a good deal of historical stories.

Texas Storm Chasers is the premiere Texas weather page on Facebook. It further proves that the weather in Texas – and in general – is an everlasting subject for discussion. Started by two high schoolers in 2009, their aim is “to provide weather information in the evolving digital age and to share our professional storm chasing content.” Here you will find unsurpassed video and photographs of extreme weather.

Texas Country Reporter is the Facebook companion to the TV show where you’ll get links to the stories and additional Texas-centric posts that they think you’ll enjoy.

Texas Monthly is another of the classic Texas publications that has adapted to the digital age quite well, where they remain the “indisputable authority on the Texas scene,” from arts to food to travel.

Now, I said I wouldn’t mention any business pages in the list but I must include the largest following in that category by far. With 65 million “likes,” it is – drum roll please – Texas Hold’em Poker. Yep. 65 million people learning when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em.

The Honorable Mentions, which you can find by searching Facebook:

Best of the West (West Texas)

Texas Farm Bureau (Splendid Photos)

I AM A Texan

Texas Pride

Images from Texas

Texas Pride

Texas Mountain Trail Region (West Texas)

Vintage San Antonio

Flashback Dallas

The Texas Observer

100% Houston

El Paso Historical Society

Landscapes of the Texas Hill Country (Superb photos by master photographers)

The King Ranch

Schumacher Cattle (Texas Longhorns)

Cowboys of the Waggoner Ranch

Stories from Texas

My Favorite Texas Landscape Photographers:

Wyman Meinzer (State Photographer)

Carol M. Highsmith

Tim McKenna

Jeff Lynch

Larry White

David Pine

Rob Greebon

Travis Yust

George McLemore

Matt Sklar

John Martell

Srini Sundarrajan

Texas Standard: January 10, 2018

A freewheeling white house meeting on immigration and a court order from California, so where exactly do we stand on DACA? We’ll explore. Also, during yesterday’s remarkable televised conference between the president and bipartisan congressional leaders, an especially odd moment as the president called for a return of earmarks. There were lots of nervous chuckles, but the president may be on to something, we’ll hear why. And the Dallas Fed with an economic forecast for 2018: mostly sunny, with a chance of showers, we’ll have details. And how many registered voters in Texas can’t get the proper id? Researchers may have an answer. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: October 19, 2017

Are republican politicians in Texas paying a price for the scandals surrounding their party leader? We’ll measure the Trump effect. Plus, almost one year away from midterms, a new poll on political attitudes in Texas and the impact of the oval office occupant. And a Mexican governor arrested south of the border, and why the US wants him in the states. Also medical professionals in the military say post traumatic stress is hard to treat. But that may be about to change, we’ll have the latest. And the election is one thing: but is Moscow messin with Texas secession? It appears the answer is da, ya’ll. All those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: August 29, 2017

Across sodden southeast Texas, as the rain keeps fall, rescues continue and shelters begin to overfill. We’ll have comprehensive coverage. Also, as evacuees flow into shelters in Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, second-guessing grows over Houston’s decision not to issue evacuation orders. And in northwest Houston, a reverend providing shelter for others finds himself in deep water. As reservoir banks rise, now what? Also, gas shortages begin to take hold further inland, some, from the area where Harvey first made landfall, are returning home. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: June 6, 2017

Are Facebook and Twitter innocent channels for communication, or participants who profit from terrorist propaganda and planning? We’ll explore. Plus, after last weekend’s attacks in London, the UK turns up the heat on social media platforms. We’ll look at the implications with a leading Texas scholar. Plus, how much of the legislature can you miss and still call your self a Texas legislator? What appears to be a test of that question, and the Texas Democrat at the center of the storm. It seems to be a no-brainer: a museum of Texas Music History. Yet plans for such a place fell flat at the capitol. Why? We’ll find out. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: April 27, 2017

After a long night at the capitol, looks like a statewide ban on so-called sanctuary cities is all but a done deal. What happens next? That’s today on the Texas Standard.

There’s more than a government shutdown to worry about: a prominent Texas lawmaker says what really on the line in the budget impasse: military readiness.

Are people who cross illegally into the US really criminals? In Del Rio, at least, the answer is an overwhelming yes. We’ll hear why the Attorney General wants to make it a model for the rest of the country, and meet the judge at the center of it all.

After streaming a live murder and several acts of criminal violence…can Facebook save face?

Plus, a finding that upends decades of science about how we wound up in North America.

Texas Standard: October 12, 2016

If a federal agent shoots across the US border killing a 15 year old, can he be sued for a civil rights violation? The Supreme Court is on the case, we’ll explore. Also shame on you: could those three little words turn things around when it comes to low voter turnout in Texas? A new study suggests the answer is yes. Plus, we’ll check in with our still undecided voters to see what if anything might have moved the needle as we fast approach e-day. Also, many more Texans, a whole lot more noise. Now hear this: new technology aims to to silence the mass of complaints. Can you hear us now? Turn it up, cause it’s Texas Standard time: