Citi Stories Texas
People, Places and Events That Have Shaped The Lone Star State

Stories

Marching Forward to the Future
Texas A&M senior Hunter Anderson has made a mark during his time in College Station: as a student leader, a budding entrepreneur, and as a member of the "Fightin' Texas Aggie Band." His story is one in a series written for the Texas A&M Mays Business School.

Big Brother
Texas A&M junior Evan Weldon has been a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Brazos Valley for more than a year. Now he and his Little, Gabe, will be continuing their relationship long distance.

“The Real MVP”
After serving as captain and leading scorer for the A&M Consolidated boys basketball team in 2021-22, Ziyan Ali is side-stepping college to attend SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio, to hone his game for the future.

1988 Presidential Election
Before the George Bush Presidential Library Center could be built in College Station, the nation’s 41st president had to win the office. Thirty years later, some still wish for his “kinder and gentler” nation.

A Passion for Parks
When Steve Beachy moved the College Station Parks & Recreation Department’s office to a new building at Central Park, he never dreamed the park would eventually be named in his honor.

Pebble Creek
If ever a real-estate developer could be called a “wildcatter,” that individual would have been William D. Fitch, whose reputation as “Mr. College Station” was sealed with the launch of his Pebble Creek golf community.

Wolf Pen Creek Park
Wolf Pen Creek Park is the site of College Station’s popular outdoor amphitheater and one of its most scenic walking trails, The venue showcases the city’s long-standing quest to provide citizenry with a superior quality-of-life experience.

Family Business
Three generations of the French family have carved out business success stories in the College Station area. Randy French, right in photo, sits squarely in the middle of that mix.

Disaster City
Two years after the Oklahoma City Bombing, “Disaster City” sprang forth from a site adjacent to College Station’s Easterwood Airport. Eventually the compound became the National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center and Texas A&M Task Force 1.

Presidents Don’t Fall From The Sky
Texas A&M University is home to the George Bush Presidential Library and Conference Center. The venue’s namesake used the library grounds to make two celebratory parachute jumps in College Station.

Dr. Nancy Dickey
In a real and literal sense, College Station's Nancy Dickey is a pioneer in the healthcare field. The former head of the Texas A&M Health Science Center was the first woman to serve as president of the American Medical Association.

20 Years of TexAgs.com
It’s hard to fathom that the wildly popular website and media empire devoted to all things Texas A&M athletics was once an enterprise barely able to keep its doors opened. Not any more.

Santa's Wonderland
For more than 20 years, College Station has been home to one of the most popular holiday-season attractions in Texas, complete with hayrides, man-made snow, and millions of shining lights.

The Bonfire Tragedy
The collapse of the Aggie Bonfire Stack shook Texas A&M University,the city of College Station and the State of Texas to its core. The event and the young lives which were lost are remembered here.

CC the Cat
Thanks to the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biological Sciences, College Station has been the source of many important scientific discoveries, including producing the world’s first cloned cat.

A “HOLD” on History
The City of College Station's "Project HOLD" took flight in the late 2000s under the direction of one of the local area's most endearing individuals: artist, author and all-knowing historian Anne Boykin.

Proving Thomas Wolfe Wrong
College Station is a popular retirement destination...both for Aggies and non-Aggies alike. The story of Ellis and Pat Mooring proves that love can be lost and then found again at almost any age.

Lincoln Center Freedom Walk
Since 2003, the Lincoln Center's celebration of "Juneteenth," commemorating the abolition of slavery in the U.S., has included a three-mile "Freedom Walk" to the George Bush Library and Conference Center.

Final Salute
Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Howard Graves served the Texas A&M University System as chancellor from 1999 until shortly before his death from cancer in 2003. His story is one of devotion to duty, family and faith.

Northgate Noise
As an Aggie graduate student, Chris Hessler put his Mays Business School experiences to good use. In the early 2000s, he produced and distributed a series of CDs called "Northgate Noise," commemorating the musical scene at College Station's historic Dixie Chicken college bar.

Legendary Lawman
Robert E. “Bob” Wiatt was a larger-than-life FBI agent in Texas. Upon his retirement from the Bureau, he became director of Texas A&M’s police and security operations for 20 years.

Lynn Stuart Pathway
College Station is home to one of the most remarkable tributes to America’s military history found anywhere. The Lynn Stuart Pathway at Veterans Memorial Park showcases the work of sculptor Payne Lara.

"Dudes, Perfect!"
What do you get when you mix five Texas A&M students with a portable basketball goal and an uncommonly competitive nature? A future business empire called "Dude Perfect."

Aggie Field of Honor
Former Students, faculty, family and friends of Texas A&M University can be laid to rest for all eternity close to their beloved campus at the Aggie Field of Honor.

Chef Tai
A Class of ’02 graduate has taken College Station’s culinary scene by storm and it would appear betting against his possible quest for world food domination would not be a good idea.

Fire Station No. 6
Despite a 35-year age difference, College Station's longest- and shortest-tenured firefighters share a very similar path to their place among the ranks of public-service heroes–and heroines–working to protect the community.

Cougars and Timberwolves
For decades, College Station has been home to but a single high school: A&M Consolidated. Now the district boasts two new high schools where students are known as Cougars and Timberwolves.

Created4Change
After years of struggling as a single mother herself, Raquel Maceo forms the Center4Change Advocacy & Empowerment Center to help societally disadvantaged women and victims of domestic violence.

The House That Johnny Built
Some called it "The House That Johnny Built,” but Kyle Field's nearly half-billion-dollar redevelopment from 2013-2015 was more the doing of Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp than the Aggie’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel.

Rebuilding Together
College Station is a caring and giving community where help comes from a variety of sources. Local resident Steve Godby has found that sometimes a hammer and paint brush are all that’s needed to restore hope to others.

Managing Growth
College Station is home to one of the largest universities in the country. Former City Manager Kelly Templin was instrumental in managing the municipal growth which took place alongside that of the institution of higher learning from which the city took its name.

Local Boy Making Good
William Wright’s family moved to College Station when he was just six months old. In the ensuing three decades, he’s never left. Wright has seen the city come a long way in the last 30 years, and he intends to be an active part of the process of taking it even further.

A Man of the People
On December 6, 2018, former President George Bush was laid to rest on the grounds of his Texas A&M University library following a historic train ride witnessed by thousands of College Station residents.

Regarding Henry
Henry Dethloff was a prolific and admired local author as well as a former head of the Texas A&M University History Department. Many Tuesday mornings he convened for coffee with a select group of fellow writers and history buffs. Here, those men pay tribute to their friend and colleague.

A Look Ahead
Plans are in the works–and the roadway is now in place–to provide College Station with the central business district it's never had. That won't be a "downtown," but rather, a "Midtown."

Dreaming with Eyes Open
College Station resident Mark Briles has no plans to quit his “day job,” but he’s developing a loyal following in his part-time work as a local musician.

The Young Elders
Young missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints regularly rotate through the College Station area spreading the faith, frequently on foot or by bicycle. The good they do is equaled only by the love in their hearts.

Every Picture Tells A Story
A nearly lifelong resident of College Station, Mary Dubuisson’s interest in photography was triggered by her new husband, Daniel, whom she married in 1988. Thirty years later, Mary’s work with a camera is accomplished and well-regarded. Here’s her story and a selection of stories she tells through her pictures.