From its beginning as one of the most ambitious construction projects
west of the Mississippi, the imposing red granite Lone Star statehouse
loomed large in Texas lore. The iconic landmark rests on a foundation of
election rigging, an unsolved murder, land swaps and pre-dedication
blackmail. It bore witness to the first meeting between LBJ and Lady
Bird, as well as a bizarre resolution honoring the Boston Strangler.
Mike Cox digs up a quarry's worth of the capitol's untold history,
cataloguing everything from its ghost stories to its public art and
collectible tourist kitsch.