On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina--the costliest hurricane ever to hit the United States--monopolized headlines, thoughts, and hearts across the country as lives were forever changed, some erased. This book not only chronicles the devastation of that storm but also immortalizes through words and photographs some of the tales of personal tragedy associated with it, while celebrating the resilience of the human spirit, as communities come together and begin to rebuild. The Editors of This Book were all members of Dr. Paul Ruffin's Editing and Publishing class at Sam Houston State University during the fall of 2006. They wrote the text of the book and provided most of the pictures.

This is the story of the Gustavas A. Wynne family and the home Mr. Wynne built for his bride in Huntsville, Texas, in 1883. During their lifetime and through the generations since, the Wynne family has occupied a prominent place in the economic, religious and social life of the community and created an evolution of the original honeymoon cottage into the classical home of today. It is also the story of the magnanimous gift of the home to the city in 1998 and the reconstruction and adaptive reuse of the structure as a community arts center. Photographs both old and new document the history and open the doors to a home and to a lifestyle of generous contribution to the city and the region.