Texas has never been pro-gun. Texans just like puffing up their image that way, because people assume it's true.
From 1875 until January 1, 1996, it was illegal to have a handgun "on or about your person" in Texas. Period. Open, concealed, in a case or bag, whatever. There were some exceptions, like being en route to a "sporting activity" that "normally requires use of a handgun". There was the infamous "on a journey" exception, which had no statutory or statewide case law definition.
Enforcement was all over the place, because the vagueness was intentional. "Those people" got busted when "the right people" wouldn't. It took equal enforcement of the law (or the perceived risk of equal enforcement) for Texas to finally legalize any carry at all.