Abernethy presents the history and folklore of the Big Thicket and its people, including a collection of Alabama-Coushatta tales, a search for hidden Jayhawkers during the Civil War, a nineteenth-century travel account, and a family history of the legendary Hooks.

Francis Edward Abernethy is Regents Professor Emeritus of English at Stephen F. Austin State University, the former executive secretary and editor of the Texas Folklore Society, the curator of exhibits for the East Texas Historical Association, and a member of the Texas Institute of Letters. In addition to having edited numerous Texas Folklore Society publications, he has written Singin’ Texas, Legends of Texas’ Heroic Age, and all three volumes of the Texas Folklore Society history, published by the University of North Texas Press.

• CONTENTS 
• Preface to North Texas Edition
• The Big Thicket: An Introduction
• Abernethy, Francis E.
• A Sketch of the Geology and Soils of the Big Thicket
• Aronow, Saul
• Folklore in the Big Thicket
• Fullingim, Archer
• Tales of the Alabama-Coushatta Indians
• Martin, Howard N.
• Settling the Old Poplar-Tree Place
• Collins, Vinson Allen
• Grandma Harrison: A Day at Drews Landing
• Hill, Ethel Osborn
• The Battle at Bad Luck Creek
• Tevis, Dean
• Buckshot and Blue Whistler: An Interview with Frank Herrington
• Norvell, Frances Pitts
• Camp Big Thicket: Life in the Piney Woods, 1887
• Caplen, John A.
• We Trailed Them through the Marshes
• Wright, Solomon Alexander
• Texas Bear Hunt, 1906
• Kiene, L. L.
• Boom-Town Tales
• Cashen, Alice
• Tales from Uncle Owen
• Parker, Lois Williams
• Sour Lake: Spa of the Big Thicket
• Scurlock, Ruth Garrison
• A Family Full of Legends
• Rienstra, Ellen Walker
• Big Thicket Balladry
• Owens, William A.
• From Moss Hill
• Hewett, Margaret L.
• The Saratoga Light
• Abernethy, Francis E.
• Index