In Pecan Lake: The Unintended Lake in Lake Jackson, Texas, James K. Pierce  tells the fascinating story of Pecan Lake, a beautifully clear, deep lake in the young city of Lake Jackson, Texas. The land on which the lake was formed is connected to characters who loom large in Texas history. The lake was created unexpectedly in the 1950s when its owner, Albert E. Friedrich, began excavating dirt for use in construction projects. Friedrich was an eccentric whom early residents of Lake Jackson knew becayse of his menagerie, the tree that grew through his old road grader, or his use of a gun to scare off young trespassers. An attractive neighborhood was eventually built around the lake's shores, but not before two different developers failed financially. Finall, in 1991 an association of lakefront lot owners formed a nonprofit corporation that continues to maintain the health of the lake, a gem in Lake Jackson. 
 
Other works by James K. Pierce: 
Air Pirates in Lake Jackson: An Unintended Landing in a Small Texas City