Gary’s Bio

Since he first learned that a rut across his family land was the route of a historic road to early Texas, Gary’s passion for research and writing about the history of East Texas has resulted in the publication of two works of history, with two more to come in 2024.

Gary has a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from the University of Houston and a bachelor’s degree in social work and psychology from Texas A&M University-Commerce. As an independent researcher he contributes to diverse projects, and is a web designer focusing on non-profit organizations. He is a member of the Board of Directors and a Fellow of the East Texas Historical Association. His work also appears in the online Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture, the online Handbook of Texas, The Texas Historic Sites Atlas of the Texas Historical Commission, and The Portal to Texas History. He has published book reviews for both the East Texas Historical Journal, and the Southwest Historical Quarterly.

Gary has two works of history scheduled for publication in 2024. PAPER DIVER: How the World’s Greatest Treasure Hunter Never Got Wet. is a biography of a man named Harry E. Rieseberg. This book, to be published by McFarland Publishing in July 2024, tells the life story of a man who made a living out of being a skilled liar, writing about underwater exploits that never happened. Texas A&M University Press will also publish BRIDLES & BISCUITS: The Contraband Culture of Spanish East Texas, a focus on a period between 1770 and 1813 that has been called “the last Spanish episode of the Texas drama.”

TRAMMEL’S TRACE - The First Road to Texas from the North is the history of a 200-year-old road and its role in early smuggling and migration into Texas beginning in the early 1800s. This work was published in 2016 by Texas A&M University Press. Praise for Trammel’s Trace has been broad. The President of the Texas Historical Foundation said, “through research, countless presentations to local historical organizations, and one-on-one education of landowners, he has reconnected Trammel’s Trace and brought the historic pathway back into current consciousness.” As a result of his research and his efforts to educate others about the old road, the Stone Fort Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas erected a five-foot granite marker for Trammel’s Trace in Nacogdoches in 2018. Gary’s story about his connection to Trammel’s Trace was featured in Texas Country Reporter in February 2023.

His second book, TRUE BELIEVERS – Treasure Hunters at Hendricks Lake, is the story of people who believed a Texas treasure legend enough to search for it. Houston oilmen, a Carthage TV repairman, some tough Texas lawmen, and an MIT-educated electrical engineer are just some of the men who believed the treasure legend of Hendricks Lake in east Texas enough to search for silver there. W.C. Jameson, the author of The Lost Canyon of Gold, says, “This book is a compelling history artfully wrought by an excellent writer with an intimate connection to the land and the people.” Pinkerton and the legend are featured in the premiere episode of “Beyond Oak Island,” a new series on The History Channel.

More about Gary’s books and services can be found at www.garylpinkerton.com.