New Book Highlights the History of Seminole

Feb. 6, 2012 - PRLog -- The newest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America series is Seminole by local authors Charles and Linda George. The book boasts more than 200 vintage images, giving readers a unique opportunity to reconnect to the history that shaped their community.

Seminole got its name from former slaves who escaped Southern plantations in the early 1800s and fled to the swamps of Florida. They lived alongside Seminole Indians and later came to be known as Black Seminoles. Renowned for excellent tracking abilities, they eventually served as guides for the Shafter expedition to West Texas in the mid-1870s, which opened the region.

In a shallow draw on the prairie, the Black Seminoles discovered water wells dug by the Comanche. The “Seminole Wells” demonstrated the area’s livability. Settlers arrived a few decades later, and by 1905, Gaines County and its county seat were established. This small town became Seminole.

Ranching was the area’s first industry, but it was eclipsed in the 1920s with the discovery of oil. Today, Seminole is a thriving multicultural farming and oil-producing center with excellent schools, a booming economy, and the friendliest people around.

Join the Authors for a Book Signing!
Saturday, March 3rd, 2012
2 – 5 p.m.
Gaines County Museum

Highlights of Seminole include:
•   Seminole has ranked #1 in Texas for oil, cotton, and peanut production for many years.
•   There are numerous families living in Seminole today whose ancestors were among the town’s founders.
•   Since the 1970s, the Seminole area has been home to a growing number of German-speaking people who have found a place where they can raise their families and thrive.
•   The book’s last chapter features representative families from Seminole—a city of diverse cultures and the nicest people anywhere!

Charles and Linda George met at Seminole High School. They are published authors, with more than 70 books to their credit. In addition, Charles’s grandparents came to Seminole around 1910, which gives Charles and Linda a unique insight into the town’s history. They are grateful to all who donated photographs and provided stories about
Seminole’s past.

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or www.arcadiapublishing.com.

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With more than 7,500 local history titles published to date, Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States. Widely recognized sepia books feature hundreds of vintage historical images.