1. Art plays a vital role in the story of Texas,
and will enhance your experience along the
Texas Forts Trail.

2. Some of the most interesting
pieces of Texas history, as
well as the state’s valued
homegrown handiwork can
be viewed through the
unique artwork found along
the trail.
Let’s take a trip down the trail!

3. Eastland's Outdoor Art
Exhibit consists of 41
pieces of art placed near
or on businesses
throughout Eastland.
Each piece of art

4. Eastland, Texas, made national news in 1928 when the
current Art Deco style courthouse replaced the town’s
1897 courthouse.
The old structure’s cornerstone was opened
and, according to witnesses, inside lay a Texas horned
toad, supposedly still alive after a 31-year slumber.
Dubbed Old Rip, the toad died after a nationwide tour
and was enshrined in a glass-top casket, still on view
at the courthouse.
It is rumored that Old Rip was the inspiration for Michigan J.
Frog, an animated cartoon character that debuted in the Looney
Tunes cartoon One Froggy Evening (December 31, 1955).

5. Tallulah Bankhead of the
famous Bankhead family
for which the Bankhead
Highway was named.
She became the inspiration
for one of the most famous
Disney characters of all
time; Cruella de Ville of 101
Dalmatians.

6. Palo Pinto’s name originated from
a Native American phrase for
“Painted Poles.”
Indians would used painted poles
as markers for towns and miles.
Poles became the earliest signs for
the settlers and Indians.
The Poles are colorful reminders of
early travel around the Texas Forts
Trail.

7. Mineral Wells is home to a
welcome sign that created then
inspired a more famous one,
the Hollywood sign.
After years of weathering and no care, the sign was moved to Bald
Mountain where 50 volunteers restored the sign.

8. Graham’s Old Post Office
Museum & Art Center is filled
with permanent exhibits of
Young County history.
It includes a mural by Texas
regionalist Alexandre Hogue,
courtesy of the New Deal, depicting
elements of the city’s history.

9. Situated in a restored 1878 jail, The Old Jail
Art Center is a widely-acclaimed art museum
dedicated to the visual arts and to preserving
the local history of the Shackelford County
area. It has a permanent collection that rivals
its big city counterparts.

10. Walt Disney’s film, Old
Yeller, premiered at the
Odeon Theatre, because
native son Fred Gipson
wrote the story in Mason.
A bronze statue of Old
Yeller and the annual
Old Yeller Day honor
Gipson’s tale, inspired
by his grandfather.

11. San Angelo has incorporated art
throughout the city. Whether it be
visiting the Fine Arts Museum or
stopping by the visitors center, many
diverse pieces can be found.