The Cast Iron Forest: A Natural and Cultural History of the North American Cross Timbers

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Summary: Everything You Wanted To Know...
Review: I am not a native Texan, but I love the place and so eagerly read anything to do with the state. While reading, I have often encountered references to the Cross Timbers region and the difficulties of traversing it in the 19th century and before.
In the past 20 years, I have had the good fortune to travel almost everywhere in the state and have seen the Cross Timbers close up, hiking in state parks or just passing through on back roads. I saw close up the thick gnarled forests interspersed with glades and prairie, but still wondered why the Cross Timbers were anticipated with a greater sense of dread than were other large forests in the country.
Enter "The Cast Iron Forest". In this informative tome, Richard Francaviglia will tell you everything you wanted to know about the Cross Timbers and more. In a very readable way, Francaviglia lays out just what the Cross Timbers are and proceeds through the history of the area right up to the present. The book not only gives the reader a great overview of the area, but also imparts understanding of patterns of settlement and the waxing and waning of both man and nature in this dynamic area.
I also learned that the Cross Timbers extend far beyond the borders of Texas into Oklahoma and Kansas. The author concentrates on the Texas portion, but gives some insight into the development and decay of Cross Timbers settlement in Oklahoma. However, very little is said about the small portion of Kansas that is a natural continuation of Cross Timbers geological and biological features.
I would have been happier had the book contained more detailed maps and charts, but overall I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the land and people of Texas.

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Summary: A Unique Eco-Adventure Through Texas and Indian Territory
Review: I was intrigued to learn recently that the general area of Texas in which I reside had (and still has to some degree) an eco-history all its own, which impacted both Native American tribes and the White settlers who were determined to "tame" the wilderness of the Lone Star State. This was not easy to accomplish, because of the two formidable belts of cross timber forest, which Washington Irving referred to in his writings as the "cast iron forest." These thick belts ran from a small corner of Kansas down through Indian Territory (now called Oklahoma), and continues to approximately where Waco, TX is located today.

Author Richard V. Francaviglia brings the reader on a journey through the cross timber regions, with a brilliant blend of natural history and Old West adventure-telling. The book features many old maps, which in their own fascinating way, also tell the history of the cross timbers visually. The author takes the reader on a journey from the opening of the West to the cross timbers - or what's left of it - in modern times.

One need not be scientifically inclined to read and enjoy this book, as Francaviglia explains all in a way which is easy to understand. Anyone with an interest in Texas history and/or ecology will find this a fascinating read!