Book Award Winner
Bridles and Biscuits: Contraband Culture in Spanish East Texas is the 2025 winner of the Presidio La Bahia Book Award by the Sons of the Republic of Texas.
I am extremely honored to have won the 48th annual SRT award for the best book on Spanish Colonial history. When my wife, Mickey, and I spent the night inside the presidio during research for the book, we had the opportunity to imagine a life in the late 18th century. I hope that this book will help you immerse yourself in the last years of the Spanish drama in East Texas.
Books by Gary L. Pinkerton
BRIDLES & BISCUITS: Contraband Culture in Spanish East Texas (2025) | Texas A&M University Press | A history of Spanish contraband trade and the roads and trails used to conceal it. Includes insight into Antonio Gil Ibarvo's life and his power over trade. WINNER OF 2025 PRESIDIO LA BAHIA BOOK AWARD.
TRAMMEL'S TRACE: The First Road to Texas from the North (2016) | Texas A&M University Press | The story of an important road for smuggling and migration into Texas before 1821, and the man for whom the road is named. WINNER OF 2017 AWARD BY TEXAS STATE GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY.
THE PAPER DIVER (2024) | A biography of Harry E. Rieseberg, a man who pretended to be the world's greatest underwater treasure hunter.
TRUE BELIEVERS: The Treasure Legend of Hendricks Lake (2017) | The story of men who believed a treasure legend strongly enough to dredge, dig, dynamite, and dive in search of it.
Speaking Engagements
Since my author journey began around 2008, I have given over 100 presentations on the history of East Texas and how it connects to the broader history of the region, particularly before the Republic. I am happy to speak to your group about topics related to any of my books, or about the importance of Paying History Forward so that stories of the past can become more present.
See the Events tab for a sample. Contact me for more information. Click here for my bio.
Services for Non-Profits
Making a good impression on the web and in print plays an important role in improving accessibility and increasing reader engagement. Making something simple and clear is not an effortless process. As an author and independent researcher working on multiple projects of my own and for others, I have developed a set of skills that may benefit organizations and individuals wanting to tell their stories.
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Contact Information
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