BILL O’NEAL TO GUIDE TRAVELING TEXAS HISTORY COURSE

Long-time Panola College instructor and noted author, Bill O’Neal, will be guiding history students through three evening sessions, at the Carthage campus scheduled for March 6, 7 and 18 and a grand tour of the Lone Star State from March 9 through March 12.  

Panola College’s “Traveling” Texas History 2301course is a unique concept where students have the opportunity to tour highlights of the Lone Star State while earning three semester hours credit in just four adventure-filled days and three evening sessions. Registration for this course will begin Friday March 1, and run through March 6, from 8:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the Records Office (903-693-2038) at the main campus in Carthage.

 On March 9, Bill O’Neal and his students will visit Fort Parker, the Texas Ranger Museum and Historic Suspension Bridge in Waco and travel through Lampasas, Llano and Mason to their final destination of the day is the town of Menard.

 On March 10, students will view the ruins of the San Saba Mission, the site of two Comanche massacres in the 1750s. From there, the class will travel to one of the best-preserved cavalry forts in the West, Fort McKavett. Other highlights of the day will include a visit to “Alamo Village” for a discussion of the famous battle on the life-size set built by John Wayne; a visit to Fort Clark in Bracketville where Robert E. Lee once served; and tour of Fort Inge and other sites of Uvalde. The class is scheduled to sop for the evening in Castroville, an old town rich in French-Alsatian culture.

 The next day, the class will travel to San Antonio to tour the missions Espada, Capistrano, San Jose and Concepción, the Alamo and the Spanish Governor’s Palace. Followed by a drive to “Washington-on-the-Brazos” they will tour the Star of Texas Museum, Independence Hall, and Barrington, a living plantation museum. Their final night on the road will be spent in Huntsville.

 On Tuesday, March 12, Mr. O’Neal and his class will view Sam Houston’s grave and statue. They will tour Houston’s home “Wigwam,” his law office, and the Steamboat House where he died and see the oldest college building in Texas.  After this tour, they will drive home, arriving in Carthage early in the afternoon.

 This course may be used to satisfy half of Panola College’s freshman history requirement, or it can serve as an exciting elective. Continuing Education credit is available for public school teachers and high school students who have completed their junior year may take it for Early Admissions credit. This course is completely transferable to other Texas colleges and universities under the Core Curriculum law.

 The cost of tuition and fees per student for this course will be $155 for Panola County residents ($218 for out-of-county participants). In addition, students should expect to spend at least $150 for food, admissions to sites, and lodging on the tour. For additional information, contact Bill O’Neal at (903) 693-2012.