Texas Independence Day Celebration and Chili Cook-off at Pioneer Memorial Log House Museum - February 28, 2010

Join the San Jacinto Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, the Children of the Republic of Texas, the Sons of the Republic of Texas and the Texian Army for a Texas Independence Day Celebration and Chili Cook-off on February 28, 2010 at the Pioneer Memorial Log House Museum. The celebration and cook-off will be held 2:00 p.m. - 5 p.m.

The Pioneer Memorial Log House Museum is located at 1510 Cambridge Street, Hermann Park (formerly North MacGregor Drive) in Houston, Texas. Admission is $5.00 per person, $2.00 under 12 and includes chili, drink and dessert. All proceeds benefit the Pioneer Memorial Log House Museum.

If you wish to compete in the chili cook-off, be sure to bring a crock pot full of your best chili. In addition to the chili cook-off competition, there will also be a children's coloring contest. Children are asked to bring a picture of the Republic of Texas (cowboys and Indians, horses, log houses, etc.). Coloring pages will also be available at the Celebration and the Log House Museum will be decorated with all of the art the children create.

There will also be a period costume contest. Though it is not necessary, all children and adults are encourged to wear period costumes. There will be a children's period costume contest and ribbons will be awarded to all participants. For more information, contact Eron Brimberry Tynes at sjcdrtpres@gmail.com

Texas Independence Day Celebration to be Held on the Steps of Houston City Hall

On Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at 11:00 a.m., the San Jacinto Chapter of the Sons of the Republic of Texas and the San Jacinto Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas are co-sponsoring a ceremony on the steps of the Houston City Hall (901 Bagby Street, Houston, Texas) with the City of Houston, to commemorate the 174th anniversary of the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence.

The Mayor of Houston, Annise Parker, will welcoming everyone and present a proclamation regarding Texas Independence Day. Officials of the Sons and Daughters of The Republic of Texas will be speaking about the impact, the approval, and signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence had in shaping modern day Texas. First Vice President General Sam Clark will read the famous letter from the Alamo by Col. William Barret Travis calling for reinforcements. We will conclude the ceremony by leading everyone in a toast to all those brave men who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. The toast will be with good old Texas water.

Recognized by state statute as an official state holiday, Texas Independence Day originally began with the signing of the Declaration of Independence by the 56 delegates to the Convention that met at Washington-on-the-Brazos beginning on March 1, 1836. On the first day, Convention President, Richard Ellis, appointed a committee composed of George C. Childress, James Gaines, Edward Conrad, Collin McKinney, and Bailey Hardeman to draft a declaration of independence.

George Childress, the committee chairman, is generally accepted as the author of the Republic of Texas Declaration of Independence, with little help from the other committee members. Since the six-page document was submitted for a vote of the whole convention on the following day, Childress probably already had a draft version of the document with him when he arrived. As the delegates worked, they received regular reports on the ongoing siege on the Alamo by the forces of General Santa Anna's troops.

A free and independent Republic of Texas was officially declared March 2, 1836, when the 56 delegates present—each representing one of the settlements in Texas--- unanimously approving the declaration. The 56 delegated who were present signed the Texas Declaration of Independence on March 3, 1836, and 3 others signed later. After the 59 delegates signed the original declaration, 5 copies were made and dispatched to the designated Texas towns of Bexar, Goliad, Nacogdoches, Brazoria, and San Felipe, and 1,000 copies were ordered printed in handbill form. All but one original copy has been lost over the years.

The Sons of the Republic of Texas and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas are 501(c)(3) organizations whose missions are to perpetuate the memory and spirit of the people who achieved and maintained the independence of Texas and to encourage historical research into the earliest records of Texas, especially those relating to the revolutionary and republic periods. The SRT and DRT encourage the preservation of documents and relics, the publication of historical records and narratives, and the celebration of important days in the state’s history. They also encourage the teaching of Texas history in schools and sponsor numerous scholarships. The public is invited to join us at 11:00a.m. on the front steps (Bagby St. side) of the Houston City Hall to honor those brave men who took that first important step toward making Texas what it is today! For additional details about the celebration, please contact Event Chairman, Tom Green, KSJ at 281-922-1118.

Contact: Sons of The Republic of Texas
Contact Person: Tom Green, KSJ
Telephone Number: (281) 922-1118
Cell Number: (823) 687-3474
Email Address: TBGreen3@prodigy.net
Web Site Address: http://www.srttexas.org

2010 Annual Historic Preservation Conference: Houston April 22-24,

Mark your calender for April 22-24, 2010 when the Texas Historical Commission in association with Preservation Texas presents the 2010 Annual Historic Preservation Conference. The Annual Historic Preservation Conference will be held at the Westin Oaks Houston Hotel in the Galleria in Houston, Texas. For more information on the Westin Oaks Houston, call 713-960-8100.

The Texas Historical Commission invites you to learn something new, share your experience, network with other professionals and sharpen your skills. The brochure and online registration are now available.

For more information, please contact the Texas Historical Commission at 512-463-6255 or visit
http://www.thc.state.tx.us/annualconference/cof2010.shtml

To read the annual conference brochure click here, http://www.thc.state.tx.us/annualconference/cofpdfs/ac_bro_10.pdf

David Crockett in Congress - The Rise and Fall of the Poor Man's Friend

Review of David Crockett in Congress: The Rise and Fall of the Poor Man's Friend by James R. Boylston and Allen J. Wiener
Review by K. K. Searle

An excerpt from the April 9, 1836 edition of the Niles Weekly Register (Baltimore, Maryland) provides the now famous account of Davy Crockett's arrival in Texas:

"A gentleman from Nacogdoches, in Texas, informs us, that, whilst there, he dined in public with col. Crockett, who had just arrived from Tennessee. The old bear-hunter, on being toasted, made a speech to the Texians, replete with his usual dry humor. He began nearly in this style: "I am told, gentlemen, that, when a stranger, like myself, arrives among you, the first inquiry is - what brought you here? To satisfy your curiosity at once to myself, I will tell you all about it. I was, for some years, a member of congress. In my last canvass, I told the people of my district, that, if they saw fit to re-elect me, I would serve them as faithfully as I had done; but, if not, they might go to h__, and I would go to Texas. I was beaten, gentlemen, and here I am." The roar of applause was like a thunder-burst. [Louisville Journal.

David Crockett died at the Alamo on March 6, 1836, a month and three days before this article finally appeared in the Niles Weekly Register. If you are like me and have always wondered why Crockett would have told the people of his Congressional district back in Tennessee that they might go to hell and he would go to Texas, then you need to read David Crockett in Congress: The Rise and Fall of the Poor Man's Friend.

David Crockett in Congress covers David Crockett's entire political career in the House of Representatives of the United States Congress in great detail. The book is a wonderful sampler of Jacksonian politics of the 1820's and 1830's from the perspective of an Andrew Jackson supporter (Crockett) who becomes disillusioned with Jackson and party politics.

The authors of this book did not just sit in a library and rehash secondary sources about David Crockett once again. They drew their conclusions almost exclusively from primary sources. In fact, Boylston and Wiener not only drew their conclusions from primary sources, such as correspondence, speeches and political circulars; but more than half the content of their book is transcriptions of those primary sources. The inclusion of these transcriptions allows readers to look at each of these documents for themselves to verify the accuracy of Boylston and Weiner's conclusions. I wish more historians were as courageous in this regard. Because of the transcriptions of so many key documents regarding the life of Crockett are now contained in one handy volume, this book is destined to be a valuable resource for researchers studying David Crockett for many years to come.

The book also gives a detailed account of David Crockett's meteoric rise to national celebrity status, something Crockett himself did not seem to understand. In the end, Crockett's fame was no help to him in his final campaign for re-election to Congress.

With Texas Independence Day (March 2) approaching rapidly, those wishing to know who David Crockett actually was before he became a hero of the Texas Revolution and later the "King of the Wild Frontier" can't go wrong reading David Crockett: The Rise and Fall of the Poor Man's Friend.

David Crockett: The Rise and Fall of the Poor Man's Friend is published by Bright Sky Press, copyright 2009, and is available from Amazon.com.


Newspaper article is from the April 9, 1836 edition of the Niles Weekly Register, (Baltimore Maryland), page 99. Collection of K. K. Searle.

Registration for 2010 SRT Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting of the Sons of the Republic of Texas will be held April 9-11, 2010 at the Holiday Inn Select in Tyler , Texas. The Holiday Inn Select is located at 5071 South Broadway Ave., Tyler, Texas. The telephone number to make reservations at the hotel is (903) 561-5800.

Sam Clark, Annual and Quarterly Chairman of the Sons of the Republic of Texas, advises that on line registration for the 2010 SRT Annual Meeting is now available at:

www.srttexas.org/annual2010.html

At this link you can find the Annual Meeting registration information, weekend agenda, and reservation form.

The Albert Sidney Johnston Camp #67, Houston, Texas, will be holding their monthly meeting Wednesday, February 17, 2010. Prize winning historian and author, Ed Cotham will make a presentation, " The Failure of Federal Naval Strategy in Texas."

Edward T. Cotham has written a number of excellent books about the history of Texas and the Civil War. His books include: The Seventh Star of the Confederacy, Texas During the Civil War (2009, The University of North Texas Press), Sabine Pass: The Confederacy's Thermopylae (2004, University or Texas Press), and Battle on the Bay: The Civil War Struggle for Galveston (1998, University of Texas Press).

The Albert Sidney Johnston Chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans meets at The Briar Club located at Westheimer and Timmons Lane in Houston, Texas. There will be an Executive Board meeting beginning at 5:30 p.m. (all camp members in good standing are invited to attend the Executive Board meeting). A happy hour-cash bar will follow at 6:30 p.m. The dinner and Camp Meeting will follow at 7:00 p.m. Please R.S.V.P. to Ev Gardner at 281-980-9054 or Dodd Eastham at dodd@bayoudog.org

Image of "The Johnston Journal" masthead courtesy of Albert Sidney Johnston Chapter #67. All rights reserved.

Lone Star Chapter of SRT 2010 Installation and Mier Expedition

The Lone Star Chapter of the Sons of the Republic of Texas will hold their monthly dinner meeting at 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, January 9, 2010 at Alamo Joe's Restaurant located at 4747 Research Forest Drive, The Woodlands, Texas. This will be the annual officer installation dinner and it will be presided over by Randall Collard, the District Representative of the Sons of the Republic of Texas.

In addition to the installation of officers, there will be an historical presentation about the Mier Expedition and Associated Texas-Mexico Border Conflicts 1837-1843. Current Lone Star Chapter President, David Martin has recently returned from the battle site in Mier, Mexico. Many will remember that the Battle of Mier preceded the famous "Black Bean" affair at the Rancho Salado. Captured Texas soldiers were compelled to draw beans. If they drew a white bean, they were not shot. If they drew a black bean, they were shot.

For more information about the Sons of the Republic of Texas or the monthly meetings of the Lone Star Chapter in The Woodlands, Texas, call 281-467-8146 or go to the SRT's website at: http://www.lonestarsrt.org/

Photograph of the site of the Battle of Mier is courtesy of David Martin.

Dick Eastman - All-Day Genealogy Seminar - March 27, 2010

Spend the day with Dick Eastman founder and publisher of "Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter" in an all-day seminar sponsored by Clayton Library Friends: "What's Hot and What's Not - Technology and Techniques in the New Decade!" The seminar will be March 27, 2010 at St. Lukes United Methodist Church, 3471 Westheimer, Houston, Texas. The seminar will begin at 9:30 a.m. on March 27, 2010.

The cost of the seminar until March 17, 2010: Members $30 and Non-members $35. There is also an optional box lunch for $10 which includes Salad or Sandwich with sides and drink. The seminar will cost $35 at the door and no box lunch will be available.

A registration form is now available on the Clayton Library Friends web site and in their February 2010 newsletter.

Sam Houston IV Becomes General of Texas Army

Texas History page contributor, David Martin, advises that Sam Houston IV accepted the appointment to be the next General of the Texas Army yesterday. Sam Houston IV is the great grandson of General Sam Houston who bravely led the Texas army to victory during the Battle San Jacinto on April 21, 1836.

The Texas Army was established to honor its predecessor and to keep the memory alive of those gallant men. In 1969, the Texas Army was officially reactivated by Governor Preston Smith for ceremonial purposes. Each member of the Texas Army is a commissioned "Colonel" by the Governor of Texas. The Texas Army also participates as the special honor guard in the Governor's Inauguration Parade.

Sam Houston IV will be succeeding General Carroll A. "Curly" Lewis, Jr. of the Texas Army who died at 2:45 p.m. on January 7, 2010. The appointment of Sam Houston IV came at a dinner following a special memorial service for General Lewis conducted at the San Jacinto Monument on January 20, 2010 at 2:00 p.m.

Sam Houston IV is a member of the Sam Houston Chapter #38 of the Sons of the Republic of Texas. Houston has dedicated much of his adult life to preserving the history of Texas.

Texas Heritage Society - "Remember Goliad!" Tour of Texas History No. 4

Texas Heritage Society First Vice President, Hewitt Clark, has announced the intinerary for the Tour of Texas History #4. Mark your calenders and keep this date open.

Hotel rooms are available at the Antler's Inn in Goliad, Texas (1013 US Hwy 59 S.). Telephone 361-645-8215. Double rooms are $58. Here is the revised tour schedule.

Saturday Feb 6, 2010:

12:00 noon--Meet at the Hanging Tree Restaurant in Goliad, Texas (144 N. Courthouse Square) for lunch and to discuss plans.

1:00--Walking tour of the historic plaza area with guide Benny Martinez.

2:00--Travel to General Zaragoza's home for lecture about Cinco de Mayo.

3:00--Special lecture by the Director of the Presidio La Bahia about the 1813 McGee-Gutierrez Expediton including the "bloodiest day in Texas history," the bloody arm flag and Capt. Dimmit's Declaration of Independence in 1835, and the massacre of 400 Texas soldiers under the command of Col. Fannin in 1836. This lecture will be followed by a tour of the Presidio.

6:00--Dinner at Hanging Tree Restaurant and a talk about the Cart War and Violence in Goliad from 1850-1870 by Mr Starr, author and historian.

Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010:

8:00--Breakfast, to be announced.

9:00--Tour and lecture at the Mission.

10:00-- Mass at the Mission for those wishing to participate.

11:00--Travel ten miles to the Coleto Creek battle site for a lecture by Benny Martinez and relatives.

For reservations and further information please contact:

Hewitt Clarke
281-367-2709
Rebelwriter@pdq.net

Click here to vist the Texas Heritage Society's web site.

Photograph above of the Presidio La Bahia is courtesy of Joe and Lynn Keith. All rights reserved.

Sabine Crossing - A Story of Early Texas

Review of Sabine Crossing by Jacquelyn Thompson
Review by K. K. Searle

I have to admit I was surprised by this book. I enjoyed it very much! Sabine Crossing is excellent Texas historical fiction. Jacquelyn Thompson obviously knows her Texas history as well as her own family history.

Thompson took real family history and made a book out of it and though this is normally the recipe for REALLY bad fiction, Thompson pulls off a HUGE upset! It is really difficult to believe this is her first novel.

The book follows the Bradley family of Kentucky to Austin's Colony in Texas in the early 1820's. The book is told from the perspective of the family matriarch, Elizabeth Bradley and later from the point of view of her daughter, Letty Bradley.

In the early pages of the book, you will think there are just too many characters to keep track of. But, this, as you will see, is just Jacquelyn Thompson sneaking up on you for the "emotional" kill, or rather kills, later on.

Her characters are extremely well developed and really come to life. A big part of this is due to Thompson's dialogue for each of her characters which is some of the best I have seen in while.

Gentlemen, be warned, Sabine Crossing is to novels what a chick flick is to movies. The book is definitely designed to appeal to a female target audience. Very strong women standing up to the incredible hardships in colonial Texas and beyond. This book really tugs at the heart strings and yes, I will admit it, Jacquelyn Thompson's story did bring a tear to my eye on several different occasions and that has not happened in a long long time. And as a guy, that is as much as I am going to admit.

Too often good books are too short and you wish there was more. That is not the situation here. Sabine Crossing, at 667 pages, pulls you in and just keeps on entertaining for a nice long while. My only disappointment in the book was that Letty did not get to kill Warren. And if you want to know what that is all about, you will just have to read the book!

Sabine Crossing - A Story of Early Texas is available at Amazon.com.

Passing of General Carroll A. "Curly" Lewis of The Texas Army

Col. Jim Peddy, Communications Officer of the Texas Army, informs us that General Carroll A. Lewis, Jr. of the Texas Army died at 2:45 p.m. on January 7, 2010.

The arrangements are being made for the Memorial Service for General Lewis. The services will be held at the San Jacinto Monument on January 20, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. Members of the Texas Army will be forming up well in advance of the service shortly after 1:00 p.m. The Texas Army will be firing salutes with cannon and rifles.

The details of this special and meaningful service for General Lewis are still being worked out. If you have any questions, please contact Col. Jim Peddy at 713-451-5139 or jimpeddy@comcast.net.

Homestead Heritage Days - Humble, Texas February 13, 2010

Mark you calendars for Homestead Heritage Days on Saturday February 13, 2010, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Redbud Hill Homestead at the Jesse H. Jones Park and Nature Center.

There will be plenty of activities for everyone including:

Demonstrations:

Pioneer Construction Skills
Spinning and weaving
Open-fire cooking
Lye soap making
Hands-on crafts
Heritage music
Pioneer lore
Survival skills
Civil war drills
Black powder demos
Native American crafts
Militia re-enactment groups

1830’s Homestead:

Corn crib
Chicken house
Root cellar
Log cabin
Rail fences
Bread oven
Wagon rides
Pioneer garden
Blacksmith shop
Woodworking shop
Native American dwellings

The Jesse H. Jones Park and Nature Center is located at 20634 Kenswick Drive, Humble, Texas. For more information call Harris County Precinct 4, (281) 446-8588 or click here for a pdf file with all the information.

Photo courtesy of Texas Heritage Society Publicity Chair, Pat Spackey. Jennifer and Kary Searle in period attire.

Texas Heritage Society - March 2010 Meeting Historian James P. Bevill and The Paper Republic

The March meeting of the Texas Heritage Society is scheduled for March 18, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at 18 West Shaker Court in The Woodlands. The March meeting will feature Texas historian James P. Bevill. Mr. Bevill is the author of the fabulous new Texas history book The Paper Republic - The Struggle for Money, Credit and Independence in the Republic of Texas which was published in November of 2009 by Bright Sky Press. Texas Heritage Society President, Kameron Searle, has reviewed Bevill's book and writes that "The Paper Republic is destined to become a classic on the history of the Republic of Texas."

In researching the money and the economy of the Republic of Texas, Bevill has added a whole knew dimension to our understanding of the overall history of the Republic of Texas. James Bevill's 352 page book is also one of the most beautiful Texas history books we have ever seen. James Bevill has agreed to bring copies of The Paper Republic to sell and will be glad to sign copies of this amazing new book. James Bevill is a very interesting speaker and has many interesting historical anecdotes about the early history of Texas that he has discovered over his years of research. Come to this meeting and we can assure you that you will learn some things about the Republic of Texas you never knew before.

James P. Bevill graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Houston - Clear Lake. He is a First Vice President - Investments in the River Oaks office of UBS Financial Services in Houston, Texas. Mr. Bevill is also a past President of the Texas Numismatic Association and an authority on the currency issued by the Republic of Texas. Because of his extensive historical research into the history of the Republic of Texas, Mr. Bevill was recently elected an Honorary Member of The Sons of the Republic of Texas.

Click here to see the Texas Heritage Society web site.

East Montgomery County Historical Society - January 2010 Meeting and Goals

The following information was submitted to the Texas History Page by East Montgomery County Historical Society Historian, Barbara Hamilton.

Happy New Year!!!! The East Montgomery County Historical Society is planning another great year. Our first meeting of 2010 will be January 12th at the R B Tullis Library, on the Hwy 59 access road just north of Community Drive. Meet and Greet at 6:30 and the meeting starts at 7 p.m.

Our speaker for the evening will introduce us to his ancestor Jeremiah May. Tracking down an ancestor can be a tedious and difficult job but as you follow all the routine steps you don’t find just a name and dates. You find a person. A person who lived in a particular time period, who participated in certain events of history. Each step of the search reveals new insights into who this person was. Clifford May will introduce us to his ancestor Jeremiah May and tell us how he found Jeremiah’s history.

Short term goals for the Society include continuing the restoration work on the Old Porter Community Building so that we may open an East County Museum to spotlight the local history from the time settlers moved into the area just after the Civil War until about the mid 1950s when the telephone and electricity connected everyone with the rest of the world.

We plan to continue periodically display historical artifacts at the R B Tullis Library. The next display will be on personal care items from shaving gear to hair dryers. Later a display of small kitchen appliances is planned and then one of old hand tools. Most of the items will be of the “before electricity” genre. If you have items that would make an interesting display please contact Barbara Hamilton, Historian, at 281-689-2772 or retired@icansurf.net.

Publishing more books is on the list, specifically books on Fostoria, Grangerland, New Caney and Porter. These will be like the “Splendora” book published in 2009 with an expanded view of the communities featured in “Towns of East Montgomery”. If you have pictures or stories of these communities that the Society may use in these publications please contact, Jerry Gay, President, 281-851-6545; Kay Lynn Meyer, Vice President, 281-446-1200; or Barbara Hamilton.

Several cemeteries in the East County boundaries are being looked at for clean up and refurbishing. Lone Star College students partnered with us to clean up at the Enloe Cemetery and we look forward to working with them again.

We are always on the lookout for monthly speakers to tell us about the history of a local family, community, church or other interesting factors of East County history. If you would, or know of anyone who would, like to speak at one of our monthly meetings, please call Kay Lynn Meyer.

The Society will again be front and center at many of the local community events just as in the past. We have more pictures to look through and we continue to gather identification on those we don’t know about. Be sure and come out and look for the split log buildings and the people in the dress of the days of yore.

Although 2010 looks to be a busy year, long term goals, or dreams as the case may be, still focus on having three to five acres to create a living history museum with several old buildings or reproductions of the types of buildings prevalent in the area to demonstrate how life was lived in this section of Montgomery County referred to as the Wild Woods.

Please join us to learn more of the local history or to participate in saving that history for future enjoyment.

Who is Mother Neff and Why is She a State Park?

Review of Who is Mother Neff and Why is She a State Park? by Allan C. Kimball
Review by K. K. Searle

In this book, Allan C. Kimball will tell you who Mother Neff was and how a Texas state park came to be named after her. I will tell you what this book with the unusual title is all about. It is an excellent guide to all the Texas State Parks. Kimball has researched the history for the source of the name of each of the Texas State Parks and consolidated all of them into this handy 266 page paperback book.

Kimball gives an interesting history of how each of the state parks in Texas got its name as well as many entertaining historical anecdotes. But, the book is so much more than a history. The book is also a very good source of information if you are thinking about visiting a particular state park. All the information is here: 1) locations of the parks - with good instructions on how to get there; 2) hours of operation; 3) amenities available in each of the parks such as: camping, fishing boating, hiking, tours, etc.; and 4) contact information so you can get in touch with each of the parks prior to your visit.

Kimball has divided the state parks of Texas into seven regions: Big Bend and West Texas; Gulf Coast; Hill Country, Panhandle Plains; Pineywoods; Prairies and Lakes; and South Texas Plains. If you travel around Texas like we do, you will want to keep the guide handy. As you are traveling through one of these regions, you can read about the different state parks to help you to decide if you would like to visit. Before you arrive, you will know everything there is to know. It is also an excellent tool for planning your Texas vacation next summer.

As soon as I got through reading this book, it went straight into the glove compartment of our family van. This would make a great gift for the Texas outdoors men and women in your family.

This book is published by Eakin Press and is available from Amazon.com.
Author's book signings and other books: http://www.allankimball.com/

Passing of Joe H. Reynolds and Funeral Arrangements

“If I had more than one life to live, I’d live every one as a lawyer in Houston, Texas.”

Joe Hunter Reynolds, age 88, loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend, died on Saturday, the 19th of December 2009, of natural causes. Joe is survived by his loving wife Sue Stamper Reynolds,whom he married on the 17th of July 1948, and they spent more than 61 wonderful years together.

Joe was born on the 21st of November 1921, in Commerce, Texas, one of six children born to John Gordon Reynolds and Espie Duke Reynolds. Joe grew up in Tyler and graduated from Waco High School. He worked his way through Tyler Junior College, Baylor University, and Baylor Law School.

Following the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Joe enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. In 1945, Lt. Reynolds landed on Iwo Jima, and during fierce fighting Joe was seriously wounded. Joe watched as the American flag was raised atop Mount Suribachi. Most Americans have seen that famous photo. Joe saw it live. Joe received the Purple Heart and numerous other medals
for his military valor.

In 1950, Joe was called back to serve in the KoreanWar. Captain Reynolds landed at Inchon and later fought at the Battle of the Chosin River, called the “Frozen Chosin.” Joe suffered severe frostbite and other injuries, was hospitalized for many months, and for his service Joe was awarded the Commendation Ribbon with Combat V. The Commandant General of the Marine Corps has called the Battles of Iwo Jima and the Chosin Reservoir two of the bloodiest battles in Marines Corps history. Joe was one of the last survivors of both of those historic battles. Joe was a true hero, although he always denied it.

Joe graduated from Baylor Law School and was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1947. Joe first served in the trial division of the Texas Attorney General’s office, representing the Texas Highway Department in antitrust cases, and he opposed Thurgood Marshall in the landmark case ofSweatt v. Painter. Joe was widely regarded as one of the greatest trial lawyers of the last 60 years, and he was recently named a “Texas Legal Legend” by the State Bar of Texas.

Returning to Houston, Joe practiced law the rest of his life, first with the firm of Bracewell, Reynolds & Patterson (now Bracewell & Guiliani). In 1967 Joe formed Reynolds, White, Allen & Cook and successor firms. During his later years he served in an Of Counsel position with Andrews & Kurth and finally with Schwartz Junell Greenberg & Oathout.

In 1972, Gov. Preston Smith appointed Joe as a Regent at Texas A&M University. Joe served as a Regent for 16 years, having been appointed by three different governors. In Joe’s honor, the medical school at Texas A&M is housed in the Joe H. Reynolds Medical Building. Joe organized the Board of Visitors of Texas Southern University School of Law and served on its board for ten years.

A Biblical scholar, one of Joe’s great loves was teaching his Sunday School class at Second Baptist Church, the “Nothing But the Truth” Class. Joe began every lesson with a quote from Romans 1:17: “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God until salvation to all those who believeth, to the Jew first, and then to the Gentile.” Joe’s faithwas limitless and his love for others reflected his deep love of God and Jesus Christ. He expressed his Christian love for others daily by his words and deeds.

Joe is also survived by his sons, Hunt Reynolds and wife Laura of Houston and Dan Reynolds and wife Nancy of Brenham; grandchildren, Jennifer Reynolds McEwan and husband John of Austin, Clay Reynolds and Danielle Reynolds of Brenham, and Lisa and KentWhite of San Antonio. He is survived by great-grandsons, WilliamMcEwan and Charles McEwan of Austin. He was predeceased by his sister, the late Dorace Reynolds and brothers, the late Johnny Reynolds of Dallas, Earl Reynolds of Houston, andWilliam Reynolds of Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Joe is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

Joe was not only a great patriot, but also a teacher, mentor, and loyal friend to both the powerful and the powerless. His generosity was legendary. He had a heart of service, and his love knew no bounds. Few have impacted as many as Joe. All who knew him knew that they were in the presence of a unique combination of goodness and greatness. Joe would tell each of us at this time the words one Marine says to another just before an amphibious landing: “I’ll see you on the beach.”

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from five o’clock in the afternoon until eight o’clock in the evening on Monday, the 21st of December, in the Library of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

The interment service, with military honors, is to be conducted at half-past nine o’clock in the morning on Tuesday, the 22nd of December, at Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery, 12800 Westheimer Road in Houston. A uniformed steward from Geo. H. Lewis & Sons is to be positioned at the cemetery’s entrance so as to guide guests to the interment site.

The memorial service, to celebrate Joe’s life, is to be conducted at eleven o’clock in the morning, also on Tuesday, the 22nd of December, in the Sanctuary of Second Baptist Church, 6400Woodway Drive in Houston. Immediately following the service, the family is to receive friends during a reception in the Deacons’ Parlor.

For those desiring, contributions in memory of Joe Reynolds may be directed to Boys and Girls Country of Houston, 18806 Roberts Rd., Hockley, TX, 77447.

"The Paper Republic" Book Signing in The Woodlands - December 8, 2009

When native Houstonian James P. Bevill began writing the book on the early money of Texas four years ago, it began as an outline of the various forms of paper money and the circumstances which led to their issue during the Republic of Texas era (1836-1846). As he dug deeper into the inner workings of the early Texas Treasury, Bevill unearthed the dramatic economic story of a young government struggling to survive in the throes of a global credit crisis by issuing a plethora of paper obligations in order to survive.

Bevill’s book, The Paper Republic: The Struggle for Money, Credit and Independence in the Republic of Texas, was featured at the 2009 Texas Book Festival in Austin, where it met with rave reviews. According to Dr. Bruce Winders, Curator and Historian at the Alamo , “The Paper Republic is history on both the grand and small scale. Moreover, it presents readers with valuable insight into the Republic of Texas that will forever change their view of the revolution and its aftermath.”

The book evolved into a powerful financial story on the economic roots of Texas, ranging from the earliest days of Spanish colonization, through the war for independence and the massive buildup of debt through the paper money system under Presidents Burnet, Houston, Lamar and Jones – creating a financial house of cards which eventually led to the annexation of Texas by the U.S. in 1845. This fully illustrated tome enhances the reader’s experience by literally following the money through the Republic era to the climactic and shocking chain of events which occurred following Texas’ admission as one of the United States.

Bevill will discuss “Financing the Texas Revolution” and sign copies of the book on Tuesday, Dec 8 at the Lone Star Chapter of the Sons of the Republic of Texas, at Alamo Joe’s Restaurant, 4747 Research Forest Dr, Ste 475 in the Woodlands. Cost is $15. The public is invited. Call 281-467-8146 for information.

The Sons of the Republic of Texas is an organization of direct descendents of
the original residents of the Republic of Texas (1836-1846) and are committed to “promoting, preserving, and protecting Texas history for over a century". The Lone Star Chapter serves the Woodlands, Conroe and Montgomery county areas and hosts meetings on the second Tuesday of each month. The book is a new release by Bright Sky Press, 2009. http://www.brightskypress.com/

Jim Bevill
Author - The Paper Republic

Honorary Member of the Sons of the Republic of Texas
San Jacinto Chapter

713-940-2865 Office
713-825-7886 Cell

Dedication of Texas State Historical Marker for Anson Jones - The Last President of Texas - November 21, 2009

The Texas Heritage Society and the Harris County Historical Commission cordially invite you to the Anson Jones Texas Historical marker dedication ceremony on Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. at Glenwood Cemetery located at 2525 Washington Avenue, Houston, Texas. Below is the marker text of the Anson Jones marker:

ANSON JONES
(JANUARY 20, 1798 - JANUARY 9, 1858)

ANSON JONES WAS BORN IN GREAT BARRINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS. HE EARNED HIS M.D. DEGREE IN PHILADELPHIA IN 1827; BY OCTOBER 1833, JONES HAD MOVED TO TEXAS, ESTABLISHING A SUCCESSFUL MEDICAL PRACTICE IN BRAZORIA. IN 1835, HE HELPED ORGANIZE HOLLAND LODGE NO. 36, THE FIRST MASONIC LODGE IN TEXAS. IN 1836, JONES JOINED IN TEXAS WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE AND SERVED AS JUDGE ADVOCATE AND SURGEON OF THE SECOND REGIMENT. HE FOUGHT AS A PRIVATE IN THE BATTLE OF SAN JACINTO.

AFTER THE WAR, JONES RETURNED TO HIS MEDICAL PRACTICE AND IN 1837 WAS ELECTED TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. THAT YEAR, HE WAS ALSO ELECTED AS THE FIRST GRAND MASTER OF MASONS IN TEXAS AND WAS AMONG THE NOTED CHARTER MEMBERS WHO ORGANIZED THE PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF TEXAS. IN 1838, SAM HOUSTON APPOINTED JONES AS MINISTER PLENIPOTENTIARY OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS. IN THIS POSITION, HE BEGAN TO STIMULATE AMERICAN SUPPORT FOR ANNEXATION BY STRENGTHENING TEXAS’ TIES WITH GREAT BRITAIN AND FRANCE, PLAYING AT U.S. INSECURITIES.

JONES MARRIED MARY SMITH McCRORY IN 1840; SHE WAS LATER ELECTED THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS. IN 1841, PRESIDENT HOUSTON APPOINTED JONES AS SECRETARY OF STATE, WHERE HE FURTHER ENCOURAGED ANNEXATION. IN 1844, JONES WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS; HE BECAME THE COUNTRY’S LAST PRESIDENT WHEN THE U.S. ANNEXED TEXAS ON DECEMBER 29, 1845. AT A FORMAL CEREMONY IN AUSTIN ON FEBRUARY 19, 1846, JONES LOWERED THE LONE STAR FLAG AND DECLARED, “THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS IS NO MORE.” HE RETIRED TO BARRINGTON, HIS PLANTATION NEAR WHAT IS NOW WASHINGTON-ON-THE-BRAZOS, WHERE HE SPENT MUCH OF HIS TIME WRITING. TODAY, ANSON JONES IS REMEMBERED FOR HIS MULTITUDE OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS, INCLUDING THOSE THAT EARNED HIM THE NICKNAME, “THE ARCHITECT OF ANNEXATION.”

(2009)
MARKER IS PROPERTY OF THE STATE OF TEXAS

"Time of the Rangers" by Mike Cox

Review of Time of the Rangers by Mike Cox

Review by K. K. Searle

Like the Alamo, the Texas Rangers are a cherished symbol of the Lone Star State recognized the world over. If you are a fan of the Texas Rangers, like we are, and want to read an excellent history of that world famous law enforcement organization, you can't go wrong with Mike Cox's new book, Time of the Rangers: From 1900 to Present.

In 2008, Mike Cox brought us the first of two books he's written about the Texas Rangers. His first book appropriately titled The Texas Rangers: Wearing the Cinco Peso, 1821 - 1900 presented the well researched and detailed history of the Texas Rangers from the time of its creation in Stephen F. Austin's colony prior to the Republic of Texas until 1900.

The first real in-depth history of the Texas Rangers was written by Dr. Walter Prescott Webb and published in 1935. Webb's classic was titled The Texas Rangers: A Century of Frontier Defense. As Mike Cox points out in his excellent new book, Webb had intended to update his 1935 classic in the 1960's, but died in an automobile accident before he got the chance. Cox's new book, Time of the Rangers: Texas Rangers: From 1900 to Present, does what Walter Prescott Webb never got the chance to do; complete the history of the Texas Rangers into the modern era.

This book is incredibly well researched. Cox is something of an insider having served for fifteen years as a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety. The Texas Rangers are part of the Texas Department of Public Safety. A ton of research went into this book. For the historical purist, Time of the Rangers has almost 100 pages of Notes and Bibliography. This book is destined to become the starting point for all future historians studying this period in Texas Ranger history.

But, if your not that into historical research, don't let this assessment put you off. As famed American historian David C. McCullough once put it, "No harm's done to history by making it something someone would want to read." Mike Cox has made Time of the Rangers something a whole lot of people will enjoy reading. He is a very interesting and entertaining writer. There is also a lot here for those who are looking for the heroic bigger than life Texas Rangers.

You might think that once the Rangers entered the 20th century that that might have been the end of the romance and adventure we have come to perceive about the Texas Rangers, but you would be wrong. The book begins with the Rangers still on horse back in 1900 and takes you to how they became one of the most modern and best trained law enforcement agencies in the world. From the rowdy oil field boom days to the killing of Bonnie and Clyde to the Carrasco prison escape attempt to the apprehension of rail-road killer, Rafael Resendez-Ramirez; the Texas Rangers have protected and are still protecting Texas and Texans from the bad guys. There is a whole lot of wonderful information in this book.

Another interesting aspect of Mike Cox's new book is that while he is relating the actual history of the Texas Rangers, he also reports how the public's perception of the Texas Rangers has been enhanced and romanticized even further by decades of different types of media including newspapers, books, magazines, radio shows, movies and television shows. A few familiar examples include The Lone Ranger; Walker, Texas Ranger and Lonesome Dove.

With his two books, Cox has become, without question, "the authority" with regard to the history of the Texas Rangers from its beginning to the present. Webb's book will always be popular for its heroic account of the early history of the Texas Rangers, but Cox's two books will be studied for their accuracy and balanced portrayal.

Christmas is coming. Get this one for yourself or the Texas history enthusiast in your family. You might also consider getting the first book, The Texas Rangers: Wearing the Cinco Peso, 1821-1900, so you will have the the most complete history of the Texas Rangers currently available.

Time of the Rangers: Texas Rangers: From 1900 to the Present is published by Forge, copyright 2009, and is available from Amazon.com.

Publisher's book page: http://us.macmillan.com/timeoftherangers
Author's blog with virtual tour itinerary: http://www.lonestarbooks.blogspot.com/
Author's website: http://www.mikecoxonline.com/

Review of The General and Monaville, Texas by Joe G. Bax

Review by K. K. Searle

Wow! I really enjoyed this one! If you ever wondered what film writer/director Quentin Tarantino would do with a movie about post Civil War Reconstruction Texas, Joe G. Bax gives us a pretty good idea in his novel The General and Monaville, Texas.

The book is film noir through and through, but you don’t begin to figure that out until near the end of the book. Even the book's dust jacket makes no sense until the end of the book. The book reads like a screen play right down to the last close up shot at the end of the movie, ...uh book.

The book is historical fiction in that it does give the reader a much clearer understanding of the social changes that occurred in the South during the Reconstruction period following the Civil War. It is a picture that the reader may never have gotten in their American History classes. I had never really connected all these dots before myself until reading The General and Monaville, Texas.

Beyond that the book is almost completely fiction. Don’t look for General George Custer in Waller County at Liendo Plantation. He’s not in the book. Don’t look for anything approaching historical fiction about Waller County, Texas. Waller County is not in the book. Bax borrows the name of the town of Monaville, Texas and the Brazos River Bottoms and its all fiction after that right down to the courthouse in Monaville. Or is it?

We will just have to wonder if Joe G. Bax knew anything about Texas founding father, Edwin Waller, or not.

Buy the book! Read the book! Enjoy the book!

Quentin make the movie!

Photograph: Cover of The General and Monaville, Texas; Courtesy of Emerald Book Company, Austin, Texas.

San Jacinto Day Ceremony 2009

The official San Jacinto Day Ceremony commemorating the 173rd anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto will be held at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, April 21, 2009 at the base of the San Jacinto Monument at the San Jacinto Battleground. The principal speaker will be Archie P. McDonald, Regent's Professor, Stephen F. Austin State University.

Ron Stone, Jr. will be the Master of Ceremonies. The musical prelude will be performed by the Deer Park High School Orchestra. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas and the Sons of the Republic of Texas will present their scholarship winners.

USS San Jacinto & USS Texas Sailor Awards will be presented by the Sam Houston Chapter of the Sons of the Republic of Texas and the San Jacinto Chapter of the Sons of the Republic of Texas.

The ceremony will conclude with a reading of Sam Houston's report of the Battle of San Jacinto and a laying of the wreath. The Texas Army will be present to fire a salute.

Come out and honor the memory of those brave men who fought and changed the history of Texas and the United States forever. All are welcome.

George Palmer Macias "Firefly" CD Release Party - April 18, 2009 - Ringtail

The CD release party for George Palmer Macias' CD, Firefly, will be this Saturday, April 18, 2009, at 7:30 p.m. at The Saxon Pub in Austin, Texas. George Palmer Macias is a very talented singer and songwriter in Austin, Texas.

The CD, Firefly, features ten original songs written and performed by Macias. One of these songs is titled, Ringtail. It is about Texas founding father, Martin Parmer. Martin Parmer was born in Virginia. He was an Indian agent for William Clark (of Lewis and Clark fame). Parmer made a name for himself as an Indian fighter in Missouri and was elected as a State Representative to the first Missouri General Assembly. He was later elected a Senator to the third Missouri General Assembly.

In 1825, Martin Parmer came to Texas. In 1826, he was the leader of a group of men that instigated the Fredonian Rebellion of 1826-1827. This was an early attempt to declare Texas independent of Mexico. The Fredonian Rebellion failed and Martin Parmer became a wanted man in Mexican Texas for almost ten years.

In 1835, Martin Parmer was elected a delegate to the Consultation of San Felipe where he placed Henry Smith's name in nomination for Governor of Texas. Smith was elected the first American born Governor of Texas. Parmer was then elected to the General Council of the Provisional Government of Texas.

In 1836, the people of the San Augustine Municipality elected Martin Parmer a delegate to the Convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos. On March 2, 1836, Parmer voted for Texas independence from Mexico. In addition to signing the Declaration of Independence, Parmer was also chairman of the committee that drafted the Constitution of the Republic of Texas.

In 1839, Republic of Texas President, Mirabeau B. Lamar, appointed Martin Parmer Chief Justice of Jasper County, Texas. Parmer died on Texas Independence Day, March 2, 1850.

George Palmer Macias takes credit for all the songs and lyrics on his CD, Firefly, except one. On Ringtail, Macias credits Martin Parmer with writing the chorus. Martin Parmer called himself the Ring Tailed Panther and was known as such in Missouri, Arkansas, Mexico and Texas. About 1820, Martin Parmer who was the quentiscential frontiersman uttered the words that make up the chorus of Ringtail, "I am the Ring-tailed Panther, wild wooly, hard to curry. When I’m mad I fight, and when I fight I whoop!"

Our hats are off to George Palmer Macias for his fine song about Texas founding father, Martin Parmer. George Palmer Macias has a wonderful free Internet jukebox called Texiss Cafe spotlighting Texas singers and songwriters. You can also hear Ringtail there.

2009 Battle of San Jacinto Symposium

The 2009 Battle of San Jacinto Symposium will be held Saturday, April 18, 2009, 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center at the University of Houston. This year's theme is New Light on Old Stories - What Can the Battleground Tell Us Through the Eyes of Archaeologists? Social Historians? Financiers? Anthropologists? Tickets are $50.00 and include lunch and parking.

Since 2003, more than 1000 newly discovered battle artifacts have extended the area of the San Jacinto conflict beyond the current park boundary. A panel of speakers will discuss these findings - as well as items recently found in the Texan camp.

This year's speakers are H. W. Brands, Sam W. Haynes, James P. Bevill and James Crisp. This year's panelists are Roger Moore, Gregg Dimmick, Douglas D. Scott, Douglas Mangum and Manuel Hinojosa.

The Battle of Sam Jacinto Symposium is sponsored by the Friends of the San Jacinto Battleground as a forum for promoting public awareness of the events of the Texas Revolution. For additional information, call 9281) 496-1488 or email sjba@usa.net .

You can also visit http://www.friendsofsanjacinto.org/ .

Photograph: San Jacinto Monument; Courtesy of David Melasky.

Texas Toasts

"Texas, - May her foes turn pale at her name, and may she flourish until time is no more."

"Soldiers of Texas; - May their "breast works" be honor, and fear always a days "march" behind them."

The following article appeared in the May 9, 1837 edition of the Telegraph and Texas Register newspaper published in Houston, Texas. On April 21, 1837, one year after the Battle of San Jacinto, a celebration was held in Liberty, Texas. I just thought I would share these wonderful patriotic Texian toasts. If you are ever looking for a proper toast to Texas, feel free to use one of these. It is also interesting to see how early Texans celebrated Texas Independence Day.

"At a meeting held at the town of Liberty on the 20th ult., to make arrangements to celebrate the 21st of April, in commemoration of the glorious victory at San Jacinto; Messrs. Luke Bryan, John Booth, Hon. E. T. Branch, Doctor Wm. G. Lewis, K. Bryan, and F. Harden, were appointed managers, and waited upon J. B. Woods, Esq. to request him to deliver an oration on the morning of that day; to which he consented and was appointed orator of the day.

At dawn of the 21st, the citizens and soldiers of the place assembled and fired salutes which were heard for many miles in extent. At an early hour the town was full of life and gaiety, and the presence of many ladies greatly added to the scene. The place of celebration was soon crowded and an appropriate address was delivered by the orator, J. B. Woods, Esq. Immediately after the oration the ladies were conducted to a sumptuous dinner, and then retired to the house to prepare to "trip the light fantastic toe." Many of the victors of San Jacinto and other citizens, to the number of two hundred took possession of a second repast, and after the cloth was removed, William Hardin, Esq. was conducted to the chair as president of the day, and Judge Coit as vice, and the following are the regular toasts drank:-

Regular Toasts

1. The president of the republic of Texas. 3 cheers.

2. The vice president of the republic. 3 cheers.

3. The day we celebrate. 6 cheers.

4. Texas, - May her foes turn pale at her name, and may she flourish until time is no more.
Tune "Hail Columbia."

5. The heroes of San Jacinto; - champions in the struggle for liberty, they justly merit the gratitude of their countrymen.
Tune "When wild war's deadly blast was blown."

6. To the memory of Travis, - drank silent.

7. Army of Mexico, - "What a dust we flees kick up."
Tune "Spider and the fly."

8. Texas Navy; - May she unfurl the banners of victory and ride triumphant o'er the ocean.
Tune "Lashed to the helm."

9. Star of Texas; - A beacon light to the port of liberty.
Tune "Yankee Doodle."

10. Soldiers of Texas; - May their "breast works" be honor, and fear always a days "march" behind them.
Tune "Soldiers bride."

11. Mexican Prisoners; - May they on their return home recollect the "first lesson of Cyrus." "To tell the truth."
Tune, "Dear native home."

12. Our host and hostess.

13. The Fair; - The highest incentive to honor.

Texas History - A Specialty Worth Looking Into

If you walk through the streets of any town in Texas, you will no doubt feel the pride of the citizens electrifying the air. Texans are some of the proudest people you will ever meet, especially when it comes to their home state.

There are so many things that make Texas an interesting place, especially from an historical standpoint; more and more history students looking into graduate school and beyond are eyeing Texas history as an area of specialization. Here are a few reasons why the next generation of historians is looking to Texas for more information.

Settlement

The story of the settlement of Texas reads almost like the Pilgrims coming to the US to colonize. Learn more about Stephen F. Austin and his “Old 300,” among other things when you dig deeper into the primary source material.

Wars

Texas has seen its fair share of warfare on a variety of different fronts. The Spanish fought with the Indians to take over Texas and claim it as part of their territory. Later, the Texans fought against the Mexican Army for independence at the Alamo, Goliad, and finally San Jacinto. There is a slew of information out there on these different wars and fronts where the Texans fought—and died—for their independence.

Cultures

Texas is one of the most culturally diverse states in the US. Just take a visit to the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures Museum in San Antonio, and you’ll see just how different and unique the settled areas of Texas were throughout its brief, but rich history. Once a slave state, African Americans were some of the first people brought in from the southern United States.

Of course, indigenous peoples lived in Texas; several Native American tribes still migrated through Texas due to weather throughout the year. Along the southeast coast of Texas, Cajuns, Germans, and Dutch people created settlements. Especially in central Texas, German was still spoken in some public schools into the twentieth century, when US federal funding required that classes be conducted in English.

Of course, there are many people throughout Texas of Hispanic origin, mainly from Spanish and Mexican mestizo descent. These different cultures have all helped make Texas the great state that it is today and are all great avenues of study for prospective Texas historians.

This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of a History PhD. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24@gmail.com

A Truly Honest Biography –

Rare Texana and Americana Indeed!

Review of Unbridled Cowboy

by K.K. Searle

I enjoy an “honest autobiography” more than just about any other type of literature and of course I enjoy real Texana. Joseph B.Fussell gives us just such an autobiography in his memoirs entitled Unbridled Cowboy.

In his forward, Fussell describes most other autobiographies with exceptional accuracy, " In reading memoirs, I find, almost invariably, the writer seems to think he has accomplished something really worthwhile in his life and wants the reading public to know about it." Joseph Fussell does not become the owner of a great ranching syndicate or the president of a railroad company. But, He gives us an incredibly honest history of his life and some amazingly vivid snapshots of Texan and American cultures that existed at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century that no longer exist.

He writes his memoir from the perspective of a young man working as a cowboy on the Texas and Mexico border. Later we find him working undercover for the Texas Rangers (in the era of the mythic Texas Rangers). Still later we find him working as a railroader switching cars and finally as a yardmaster in a railroad career spanning the southwestern and western United States in the heyday of steam. That someone at his level in our society in that day would commit to paper such accurate observations is very unique.

Along the way, he provides detailed descriptions that Mark Twain would have been proud of. In one example he describes a particular honky-tonk this way, "The orchestra was composed of a white man, a white woman, a Mexican, and a Negro. Usually, about two hours after the dancing began, some members of the orchestra would be drunker than a billed owl, but the dance went on even if all four were drunk, for someone was found who played a harmonica."

In another he describes the meals cooked for him by a Mrs. James, "Of all the meals I have ever eaten in any hotel dining room, restaurant, boardinghouse, or private home, I never had anything better than she put before her boarders. I think that lady had an insatiable desire to kill and cook all the chickens in the world. She could think of more ways to cook a chicken than a farmer can to whip a mule."

How honest is honest? A friend of Fussell's is brutally murdered by nine assailants in Mexico and Fussell barely escapes himself. Fussell then gives us the cold, calculated and graphic details of his revenge killings of the nine. Real eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth stuff.

With a Twain like wit, Unbridled Cowboy provides rare glimpses of a Texas and an America that we can now only see through the eyes of Joseph B. Fussell. Whether he thought so or not, Joseph B. Fussell "has accomplished something really worthwhile." Get it. Read it. Enjoy it for all its worth!

E.R. Fussell, Joseph's grandson, deserves some credit here as well. He has shared with us a great memoir that previously was only known to his family. Unbridled Cowboy is published by Truman State University Press, copyright 2008, and is available from Amazon.com.

Ahoy, Texian Navy Day!

Saturday, September 20, 2008, 10:00 AM, Texian Navy Day will be celebrated at the Founders Memorial Cemetery in Houston, Texas. Texian Navy Day will honor the Republic of Texas Navy and Commodore Henry Livingston Thompson who is buried at the Founders Memorial Cemetery. Founders Memorial Cemetery is located at 1217 West Dallas at Valentine Street about a mile from downtown Houston.

This year's Keynote Speaker will be the Honorable Ed Emmett, Harris County Judge.

The event is sponsored by The Sons of the Republic of Texas - Texas Navy Committee. For more information contact Chairman, David Hanover, at dhanover@suddenlink.net or 903-509-2206. Or, contact The Sons of the Republic of Texas at www.srttexas.org

The Pirooters by Mark Mellon - Book Review

The Texas History Page received a copy of Mark Mellon's new book The Pirooters. Everyone here read it and everyone enjoyed it. It is the story of the Pargrew brothers, Heck and Virge, who have just returned from fighting for the Confederacy in the Civil War. They return to Reconstruction era Texas to find they have lost everything.

That's where the adventures begin. It was fun to read a Texas western that focused on that period after the Civil War but before the over cliched period of the 1880-1890's.

Mark Mellon's book is very creative in many other ways as well. He definitely did some research. For instance, much of the dialogue used in the book is authentic to the period. And, its not everyday a writer can work the "Bolson of Mapimi" into the storyline of a book.

If you enjoy Texas and western fiction and have ever thought it might be fun to go looking for Jim Bowie's legendary silver mine, we think you will enjoy The Pirooters. I particularly enjoyed the twist ending. The real treasure is where you find it.

The Pirooters is available from Treble Heart Books as well as Amazon.com.

Passing of Harry G. Daves, Jr.

The Texas History Page has received the following information from the nice folks at The Wallisville Heritage Park in Wallisville, Texas.

Harry G. Daves, Jr. 84 of Old River-Winfree, died on Monday, July 28, 2008 at his home.

He was born on September 17, 1923 in San Bernardino, California, a son of Sallie Robertson (Shannon) and Harry Grady Daves, Sr. He grew up in Baytown, where he attended Robert E Lee High School. Following his graduation, he volunteered for the U.S. Navy during World War II and served in their amphibious division. He made five major beachhead landings during the war, earning a Purple Heart, a Silver Star, a Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal and numerous other medals for his service.

After his return from the Navy, he was married in 1946 to Jeffie Herron of Highlands, and they made their home in Old River-Winfree, where they raised their two daughters, Louise and Bess Ann. He went to work that same year at Exxon's Baytown Refinery working as a machinist in the mechanical division.

After 31 years with the Baytown Refinery, Harry retired in 1977 to work on his farm and ranch. He also became a volunteer to many historic preservation groups in the area. These included the Wallisville Heritage Park, where he served faithfully on the board of directors; the Chambers County Historical Commission, where he most recently served as chair of the historical cemeteries committee; the Liberty County Historical Commission, where he oversaw the ringing of the Liberty Bell on special occasions; and as chaplain of Spaight's Battalion Camp #858, Sons of Confederate Veterans. He was also an ordained Southern Baptist minister.

He was extremely proud of his service as president of the Jacob Shannon Evergreen Cemetery in Dobbin, Texas, a burial ground established by his great-grandfather in 1840. He was the great-great-grandson of American Revolutionary War Veteran Owen Shannon and his wife Margaret Montgomery, pioneer settlers of the old Lake Creek Settlement in Montgomery County.

He was proceeded in death by his parents; his daughter Louise Daves; and his brother Rev. John M. Daves.

Survivors include his wife, Jeffie; his daughter, Bessie Ann; his sisters, Kay Mitchell and Bebe Armstrong; and by his granddaughters, Louise's daughter Heather Frazier and Bess Ann's daughter Candace Cherry.

The family wishes to thank Luis E. Gonzalez-Fraga and his staff, Faith Community Hospice, and caregiver Belinda Blair for their many kind deeds over the course of Harry's illness. Funeral services were held Friday, August 1, 2008 at Navarre Funeral home with Rev. Danny Biddy officiating. Graveside services followed at the Jacob Shannon Evergreen Cemetery in Dobbin.

Isom Palmer - Patriot of Texas Revolution to be Honored

The Brazos County Historical Commission invites you to attend the unveiling of a marker honoring Isom Palmer, Saturday, May 3, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. at the Bryan City Cemetery, Bryan, Texas.

Isom Palmer was the son of Martin Parmer, one of the founding fathers of Texas. Isom Palmer fought with his father during the Fredonian Rebellion in 1826-1827. During the Texas Revolution, Isom Palmer fought in the Siege of Bexar in 1835 when the Texans captured San Antonio which had been under the command of Mexican General Cos, the brother-in-law of Santa Anna. Isom Palmer served as the Sergeant at Arms of the Convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos in March of 1836 where his father signed the Declaration of Independence.

According to William Physick Zuber, Isom Palmer sold Sam Houston a fine gray stallion at the Convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 6, 1836. This was the gray horse that Sam Houston was riding as the Battle of San Jacinto began on April 21, 1836. Sam Houston and the horse presented a wonderful target for the Mexican army shoot at. Houston was shot through the left ankle and the gray stallion was killed.

For more on the Texas State Historical Marker to be dedicated click here:

http://bchc.co.brazos.tx.us/node/66

To read Sam Houston Rode a Gray Horse, click here:

Sam Houston Rode a Gray Horse

Masons to Meet at Washington-on-the-Brazos

Donald W. Lemon, Worshipful Master of Washington Lodge No.18 A.F. & A.M. extends the following invitation to all Texas Masons to celebrate Texas Independence Day at the "Birthplace of Texas," Washington-on-the-Brazos. Washington Lodge No. 18 was originally charted by the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas on January 10, 1844.

"To all our Brethren:

Washington Lodge #18 A.F. & A.M. will be conducting its annual Texas Independence Day meeting at Washington on the Brazos State Park on Monday March 3, 2008. We are a day late this year for two reasons. First, Masons do not open lodge on Sunday; and secondly, though Texas independence was declared on March 2, 1836, the original Texas Declaration of Independence was not signed until March 3, 1836.

Lodge will open in Independence Hall at 11:00 am and will be closed at high twelve. Following the close of lodge we will adjourn to a nearby dining room for a catered lunch. The senior warden has not told us what the lunch will consist of, but I suspect it will be an excellent barbecue plate. The cost has been maintained at $15.00 as in previous years. We anticipate a wonderful day honoring our forefathers and visiting with old friends.

In the bonds of Freemasonry.

Donald W. Lemon, Worshipful Master"

Photograph: Independence Hall; Courtesy of Kameron Searle