Scot McFarlane Author Talk and Book Signing

The River That Made Texas
A Forgotten History of the Trinity
by Scot McFarlane
240 pp., 27 halftones, 5 maps, 1 table, notes, bibl., index
ISBN 978-1-4696-9835-9 $99.00 cloth; ISBN 978-1-4696-9836-6 $27.95 paper
Publication date: September 29, 2026
For more information: https://www.uncpress.org/book/9781469698366/the-river-that-made-texas/

——

Join author and historian Scot McFarlane as he presents The River That Made Texas: A Forgotten History of the Trinity, the first comprehensive history of the Trinity River, at an author talk and reception.

Drawing on extensive research conducted at SMU’s DeGolyer Library, McFarlane’s book explores the history of the Trinity River and its profound influence on the Dallas-Fort Worth region and Texas. The book highlights archival documents and historical images from the DeGolyer collections, including a portrait of Sarah Horton Cockrell, who built Dallas’ first iron bridge, and an aerial image of Dallas following the Trinity River’s channel relocation. The talk will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the research process and the unique resources available through SMU Libraries.

Books will be available for purchase at the event.

This event is co-sponsored by Friends of SMU Libraries, DeGolyer Library and the Clements Center for Southwest Studies.