In Washington on the Brazos: Cradle of the Texas Republic (TSHA Press), Richard B. McCaslin recounts the history of the community where the Republic of Texas began in 1836 with the signing of the declaration of independence and constitution.

The community, nestled on the Brazos near the town of Washington near College Station, went on to become a river port in the 1850s, but declined in population. The area is now a state park. The president of the Texas State Historical Association asked McCaslin to take on the project.

"I was hooked by the beauty and history of the place," says McCaslin, Texas State Historical Association endowed professor of Texas history.