John P. Coles' Description of the Boundary of Early Washington County in the Republic of Texas Including the Lake Creek Settlement

On one or two of my web sites about my research into the history of the Lake Creek Settlement I have included a transcription of Washington County Chief Justice John P. Coles' boundary description of Washington County, Texas from early 1837. I located my transcription in Annotated Civil Statutes of the State of Texas by John Sayles, 1894, Abilene, Texas, St. Louis Missouri, The Gilbert Book Company, Pp. 930-931. I had always wondered if I would see an actual primary source for Coles' description dating from the period. And now I have.

Jim Tiller, Ph.D., Professor of Geography, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas did me a huge favor by sending me a copy of the document which he had located while conducting research for his forthcoming book. Dr. Tiller advises the citation is: Texas. Department of State. Executive Record Books. Letters Received, November 26, 1836-March 24, 1841, Pp. 27-28. The document is also an important primary source regarding the attempt to create a new county from the territory of Washington County. Washington County Chief Justice Coles is letting the Congress of the Republic of Texas know that he is opposed to the creation of a new county on the grounds that there is not enough population to justify it.

In a Joint Resolution passed by the Congress of the Republic of Texas and signed into law by President Sam Houston on December 17, 1836, the Chief Justice of each county in the Republic of Texas was required to provide a description of his county's boundaries to the Secretary of State by the first day of May 1837.

The description provided by Chief Justice Cole reads as follows:

"Jno. P. Coles
relative to
the boundar
ies of
Washington County


To the Hon. J. P. Henderson Secy of State

Sir

In compliance with a resolution of the Congress passed at their late session I have the honor to report to you such information as is in my possession respecting the boundary lines of the County of Washington. I know not whether the act of the Legislature of Coahuila & Texas organizing this County was ever published, but this Court has exercised undisputed jurisdiction over the territory included with the following boundaries. viz.

Beginning at the mouth of Caney Creek on the west bank of the Brazos River thence following said Creek to its source, thence west on the dividing ridge between the waters of New Years Creek & the principal or western fork of Mill Creek until it strikes the eastern line of the County of Mina and thence north on said eastern line of the County of Mina to the San Antonio Road, from thence following said road eastward crossing the Brazos River to the west bank of  Trinity River, from thence following down said west bank to the County of Liberty (which is undefined) from thence  following said northern line of Liberty to the north east corner of the County of Harrisburg, from thence following the north line of the County of Harrisburg to the north east corner of the the County of Austin, so as to include Lake Creek Settlement, from said north east corner of the County of Austin following the north line of Austin to the mouth of Ponn Creek on the east bank of the Brazos River, & thence up said east bank to a point opposite the mouth of Caney Creek & thence across the Brazos River to the place of beginning.

A Petition was before the last session of Congress & will be probably renewed at the next for a division of this County, from an examination of the foregoing limits upon the Map it will be seen to include a large Territory, but our population is small and ill able at present to bear the Taxes necessary for the erection of proper public buildings & the payment of other County expenses, under these circumstances it would I think be bad policy to divide the County until our population becomes more dense.  I would therefore recommend the passage of an Act of Congress defining the boundaries of the County as set forth above or with such alteration as may be thought necessary.

I have the honor to be
very Respectfully
Your obt. Servt.
Jno. P. Coles
Chief Justice"

Trammel's Trace: The First Road to Texas from the North by Gary L. Pinkerton

As I have not received a review copy of Gary Pinkerton's new book, Trammel's Trace, the information presented here is from the back cover of the book.

"Trammel’s Trace tells the story of a borderland smuggler and an important passageway into early Texas. Trammel’s Trace, named for Nicholas Trammell, was the first route from the United States into the northern boundaries of Spanish Texas. From the Great Bend of the Red River it intersected with El Camino Real de los Tejas in Nacogdoches. By the early nineteenth century, Trammel’s Trace was largely a smuggler’s trail that delivered horses and contraband into the region. It was a microcosm of the migration, lawlessness, and conflict that defined the period. By the 1820s, as Mexico gained independence from Spain, smuggling declined as Anglo immigration became the primary use of the trail. Familiar names such as Sam Houston, David Crockett, and James Bowie joined throngs of immigrants making passage along Trammel’s Trace. 

Indeed, Nicholas Trammell opened trading posts on the Red River and near Nacogdoches, hoping to claim a piece of Austin’s new colony. Austin denied Trammell’s entry, however, fearing his poor reputation would usher in a new wave of smuggling and lawlessness. By 1826, Trammell was pushed out of Texas altogether and retreated back to Arkansas. Even so, as author Gary L. Pinkerton concludes, Trammell was “more opportunist than outlaw and made the most of disorder.” GARY L. PINKERTON, the author of numerous articles on East Texas history, resides in Houston. Red River Valley Books, sponsored by Texas A&M University - Texarkana $35.00 cloth. 320 pp. 11 b&w photos. 10 maps. Bib. Index. Also available in ebook edition. Trammel's Trace is now available on Amazon."

Book Review - The Perfect Pass: American Genius and the Reinvention of Football by S C. Gwynne

I usually review books about Texas history or biographies about Texans who have done something significant or unusually interesting.  When I was asked to read and possibly review S. C. Gwynne’s latest work The Perfect Pass: American Genius and the Reinvention of Football, I almost begged off, as it appeared at first blush to be neither a Texas history nor a biography of a Texan of note. I certainly had never heard of Hal Mumme.

When the review copy of The Perfect Pass arrived, I deigned to read the introduction since I had thoroughly enjoyed Gwynn’s excellent history, Empire of the Summer Moon. The introduction was very intriguing, so I went ahead and read the first chapter, and after that I voraciously devoured the rest of the book.

The Perfect Pass is the story of how Hal Mumme, a Texas high school coach, tried to figure out a way for his less athletic and less talented football teams to defeat much bigger and better teams. Taking a lesson from the story of David and Goliath, Mumme decided that the only way to defeat giants was by going to the air. Using an entirely new offensive system with an obsessive emphasis on the passing game and by honing techniques that he begged, borrowed or stole from others, Mumme then perfected what would later become known as the “Air Raid.”

His teams began to defeat teams that were much better on paper by lopsided scores on the playing field.  If this were not enough, he began to seek out even bigger and tougher giants to crush with the Air Raid.  As Mumme’s teams racked up unbelievable passing yardage and huge scores, football coaches across the country were forced to take notice of Mumme and his almost mysterious offensive strategy.

I would recommend The Perfect Pass to just about anyone. Though it is very entertaining story for football fans, there is so much more to The Perfect Pass.  It is important to take note of the words “American Genius” found in the full title of the book.  If you are a coach, a manager, an entrepreneur, an executive, an MBA student, etc. looking for a real life example of thinking way outside the box and changing your industry or field completely, then The Perfect Pass is the book for you.  Read it, digest it, and then apply it to your life’s work.



A soon to be inspirational self help classic, The Perfect Pass: American Genius and the Reinvention of Football has a scheduled publication date of September 20, 2016, and will be available from Scribner. The book should make for a very inspirational movie. We at the Texas History Page can't wait.

Book Review - Texas Ranger, The Epic Life of Frank Hamer, The Man Who Killed Bonnie and Clyde

Texas Ranger, The Epic Life of Frank Hamer, The Man Who Killed Bonnie and Clyde is the best biography of a single Texas Ranger I have ever read.  As my readers know, I am a big fan of historians who rely on primary sources and John Boessenecker has done an incredible amount of research into previously unexplored archival sources.  Usually books on the Texas Rangers are collections of the same well worn stories repeated over and over again. In some of these you might find a couple of paragraphs relating the same old stories about Frank Hamer, but that is about it. From a Texas Ranger on horseback in the Texas Hill Country, to fighting bandits on the Texas border, to the killing of Bonnie and Clyde on the backroads of Louisiana, to Hamer's later years, Boessenecker brings us an incredibly detailed picture of the man who became a Texas and an American legend. Texas Ranger, The Epic Life of Frank Hamer, The Man Who Killed Bonnie and Clyde is the most complete biography of a Texas Ranger ever produced. Boessenecker’s detailed description of the killing of Bonnie and Clyde is also the most detailed description of this event I have ever read and is worth the price of the book all by itself. But there is so much more, lots more! Many hours of fascinating reading about at least two distinct periods in Texas history that are now gone forever.

Published by Thomas Dunne Books and available at Amazon and fine book stores everywhere. Review by Kameron K. Searle

Texas Heritage Society - September 8, 2016 Quarterly Meeting - Featuring Dr. Caroline Crimm

Quarterly Meeting

Thursday, September 8, 2016
6:30 PM

How Bernardo de Galvez helped win the American Revolution

by Dr. Caroline Castillo Crimm is a Professor of History at Sam Houston State University

The Texas Heritage Society will be holding their next quarterly meeting at the Woodlands Community Center located at 2235 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands, Texas on Thursday, September 8, 2016. The meeting is open to the public and will feature Dr. Caroline Crimm, Professor of History at Sam Houston State University, who will speak to us about the fascinating story of how Bernardo de Galvez the namesake of Galveston, Texas helped win the American Revolution.  Dr. Crimm has provided the following teaser about her much anticipated talk,

"Everyone has heard of Galveston, but did you know that the man for whom it was named helped George Washington win the American Revolution? Bernardo de Galvez spent 2 years (1777-1779) outwitting the British by sending supplies up the Mississippi in secret to General Washington, then spent the next three years (1779-1781) beating the British soundly on the Mississippi and in the Gulf of Mexico, leading to Washington's victory at Yorktown. It is a fascinating and little known story of a Spanish Patriot who helped create the United States."

Everyone is welcome. The motto of the Texas Heritage Society is "Discover, Understand and Preserve." The Texas Heritage Society, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of Texas' rich and unique history.  It is based in The Woodlands, Texas.

Woodlands Community Center

Room 109

2235 Lake Robbins Drive

The Woodlands, Texas 77380

(281-363-9410)

Lake Creek Settlement High School - Montgomery Independent School District

Recently, the Montgomery Independent School District Board of Trustees began seeking input from the general public with regard to nominations for school names for the 2^nd High School, 2^nd Junior High School, 5^th Elementary School, and the renaming of Montgomery Intermediate School. The MISD Board policy for the naming schools provides that “High Schools shall be named after geographical areas.” The first high school is of course named Montgomery. Local historians, community leaders and students are hopeful that the new high school will be named for the geographical area in which the Town of Montgomery was originally founded in 1837 – the Lake Creek Settlement.

Over the last decade, new historical research has uncovered many significant and previously forgotten facts regarding the town and the county’s earliest history. Most notable among these was the rediscovery of the Lake Creek Settlement. The Lake Creek Settlement was a settlement of Anglo-American settlers in Austin’s Colony located between the west fork of the San Jacinto River (now dammed to form Lake Conroe) and the stream known as Lake Creek. These settlers from the United States received land from Empresario Stephen F. Austin in 1831 as an incentive to leave the United States and settle in his colony which was then located in the Mexican State of Coahuila y Tejas.  Heads of households in Austin’s Colony at this time each received a League of land (4,428.4 acres). By 1833, the area these colonists had settled had become known as the Lake Creek Settlement.

In 1835, W. W. Shepperd established a store in center of the Lake Creek settlement near the intersection of three important roads or traces.  During the Texas Revolution, a number of the men from the Lake Creek Settlement volunteered to fight for Texas’ independence from Mexico (1835-1836). One of these men, John Marshall Wade, manned the famous Twin Sisters canons during the Battle of San Jacinto when Texas won her independence on April 21, 1836. Wade would later publish the first newspaper in Montgomery appropriately named the Montgomery Patriot.

In the year following Texas independence, W. W. Shepperd founded the town of Montgomery at the site of his store in the center of the Lake Creek Settlement.  Five months later, Republic of Texas President Sam Houston signed the act creating Montgomery County on December 14, 1837. On March 1, 1838, the county government was organized in the town of Montgomery and the town of Montgomery was selected to be the first county seat of Montgomery County.

It is important to note that the Lake Creek Settlement comprised almost exactly the same geographic area as the Montgomery Independent School District does today.

Historians and many others believe naming the new high school after the Lake Creek Settlement would be a wonderful way to remember the area’s history and honor the memory of the those brave colonists and settlers who left the comfort and security of their homes in the United States to seek an uncertain but potentially better future in Austin’s Colony in Mexico and later the Republic of Texas.  Their efforts, struggles, and battles laid the very foundation upon which Texas is built today.  Billy Ray Duncan, President of the Montgomery Historical Society supports the idea to name the new high school after the Lake Creek Settlement, “Before there was a school district, before there was a county, before there was a town; there was the Lake Creek Settlement - a truly unique naming opportunity for MISD.” The school’s mascot would be easy enough – “Patriots.”

On January 29, 2016, the Texas Historical Commission approved a Texas Historical marker for the Lake Creek Settlement which will be dedicated in late 2016 or early 2017. 

For more information about the Lake Creek Settlement, see lakecreeksettlement.info or visit the Lake Creek Settlement page on Wikipedia. Also see The Early History of Montgomery, Texas.  Or click here to read the Historical Narrative in support of the Texas Historical Commission marker for the Lake Creek Settlement which was approved on January 29, 2016.

Confederate Memorial & Ben Thompson Book - Saturday, April 16, 2016

On April 16, 2016, at 10:00 am at Oakwood Cemetery, in Austin, Texas, SCV Camp Littlefield #59, will unveil a Memorial for all Confederates buried at Oakwood Cemetery. Following the cemetery light refreshments will be served at the Austin History Center. At the Austin History Center, there will also be a book launch for Austin’s Confederate, gambler, gunfighter, and City Marshal Ben Thompson - Life and Adventures of Ben Thompson: The Famous Texan. There will be a book panel with author Major Buck Walton’s great-granddaughter and Ben Thompson’s great-granddaughter and authors Chuck Parsons and Lisa Lach.

Files for all the Confederate Veterans including Civil War Records are being donated to the Austin History Center.

Hope everyone can make it.

See www.benthompsonfoundation.org for more information.

http://www.amazon.com/Life-Adventures-Ben-Thompson-Famous/dp/1530581281/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1459554652&sr=8-1

2016 Confederate Memorial Day Ceremony - Montgomery, Texas

Frank Johnson has forwarded an invitation to the 2016 Confederate Memorial Day  ceremony being conducted by the Capt. Thomas J. Peel Camp #2268, Sons of Confederate Veterans, being held in conjunction with Maj. General Patrick Cleburne's 7th Texas Infantry Camp #2182, Sons of Confederate Veterans; Montgomery Rose 47, Texas Society Order of Confederate Rose; and The Woodlands Rose 53, Texas Society Order of Confederate Rose.

All members of the public interested in Texas and Confederate history are welcomed to attend the 2016 Confederate Veterans Memorial Day Ceremony to be held at the Old Baptist Church Building (currently the Church of Christ), at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, April 16th, 2016, located at 301 Pond Street, Montgomery, Texas (corner of Caroline and Pond Streets).  The ceremony will be followed by the chartering ceremony for the new Capt. Thomas J. Peel Camp #2268, Sons of Confederate Veterans.

For Want of a Texas Education

When I was a kid growing up in Texas in the 1960’s and 70’s, every Texas school student was taken on one or two “field trips” to historical sites around Texas.  Throughout the school year, buses loaded with children from all over Texas headed for these sites sacred to the history of Texas. We went to the Alamo, we went to the San Jacinto Battlefield, and we went to Washington-on-the-Brazos.  Schools don’t seem to do that anymore.  I guess it’s not on the STAAR test, so it must not be deemed important enough to teach. Not one of my four children was ever taken to visit any of these historic sites by their schools in order to learn those aspects of their history and their culture which are so distinctly Texan.

As my children’s education was found lacking, I made sure that they visited all of these sites and knew who James Bowie, William Barret Travis, David Crockett, Sam Houston, and the 59 signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence were and how they laid down the foundation upon which the Texas of today was built.

Texas Independence Day, March 2, used to be a holiday in Texas and every school child in Texas was given the day off to visit these sites revered in Texas history. Texas Independence Day marks the anniversary of the day that Texas declared its independence, ceased to be part of Mexico and became an independent nation – The Republic of Texas.  Alas, Texas Independence Day has not been celebrated as a school holiday for many decades.

If you are a brand new Texan or a 7^th generation Texan and would like to further your education of what it means to be a Texan, then you, your children, and your grandchildren should go out to Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site on Saturday and Sunday, March 5 and 6, 2016, for the Texas Independence Day Celebration.  Learn your history at The Star of the Republic Museum, the only museum in Texas dedicated exclusively to the study of the Texas Revolutionary and Republic of Texas periods (1830’s-1840’s).  Visit Barrington Living History Farm and walk through the original plantation home of Anson Jones, the last president of the Republic of Texas and the man most responsible for the annexation of Texas by the United States of America. Then, go to Independence Hall and stand on the exact spot where the founding fathers of Texas bravely and unanimously adopted the Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico on March 2, 1836 while the battle of the Alamo was still raging. 

Independence Hall, the Star of the Republic Museum and Barrington Living History Farm are all free on March 5 and 6, 2016 during the Texas Independence Day Celebration.  There will be plenty of music, food, historical re-enactors, artisans, vendors, etc. Located between Brenham and Navasota, it’s a short day trip. Don’t wait for a bus. Go and stand on the exact spot where Texas became Texas and be proud that you are a Texan!

Kameron K. Searle

Second Annual Frontier Families of Texas Symposium

The Republic of Texas Museum presents Second Annual Frontier Families of Texas Symposium on February 25, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. at the Austin Club 110 E. 9th Street Austin, Texas. Buffet Luncheon is $75.00. Presenters will be Dr. Carolina Crimm speaking about “DeLeon, A Tejano Family History;”  Mary M. McAllen  speaking about  “I Would Rather Sleep in Texas - McAllen Family;” and James Haley  speaking on the “Texas Hill Country.” Reservations can be made by PayPal on www.drtinfo.org or send a $75 check to: Republic of Texas Museum, 510 East Anderson Lane, Austin, Texas 78752.

Clearing on the Halves - The Discovery of a Forgotten Real Estate Practice in Austin's Colony Pertaining to Mexican Land Grants

For several years I have been researching the early history of Montgomery County, Texas. The earliest Anglo-American settlement in what is today Montgomery County, Texas was the Lake Creek Settlement. The Lake Creek Settlement was located in Austin's Second Colony. While doing my research, I discovered a long forgotten real estate practice in Austin' Colony that was quite common in colonial Texas known as "clearing on the halves" or "clearing land."

First, it is important to know that Mexican land grants were not actually free.  There were a number of costs and fees associated with "clearing land" out of Stephen F. Austin's office in the town of San Felipe de Austin. To demonstrate this, we will use Owen Shannon's League which is located today in western Montgomery County.  Using Owen Shannon's League as an example, the costs and fees of obtaining a league of land in Austin's Second Colony in 1831 have been detailed by Galen Greaser, Translator with the Spanish Collection in the Archives and Records Division of the Texas General Land Office:

"In 1829, preparatory to the arrival of Commissioner General Juan Antonio Padilla in the colony, Austin put out a "Notice" advising settlers of the process for obtaining a land grant.  The first step was to obtain a certificate of admission showing that the settler had Austin's consent to locate in the colony.  The cost of the certificate was two dollars (pesos and dollars were on par at this time). As the Empresario, Austin also collected a fee of $50.00 for his services, $10 upon receipt of the title and the balance due one year later.  The Secretary (Samuel M. Williams) was due $10.00, $5.00 on presenting the petition to the commissioner and $5.00 one year later. The title was written on stamped or revenue paper of the third stamp, for which the interested party paid two reales (two bits). Two pages were required , making the total for paper 50 cents.  These are what we might label "office fees." They totaled $62.50.

The settler also had to pay a surveyor for surveying his land. Decree No. 128 of the Congress of Coahuila y Texas, dated April 1, 1830, set the fee at $8.00 for surveying a league of land.  You can find this decree in Gammel's, The Laws of Texas, Vol. 1. Previously, on May 15, 1828, the same Congress passed a decree, No. 62, setting the commissioner's fee at $15.00 for a league of grazing land and $2.00 for each labor of temporal land.  Finally, Article 22 of the 1825 Colonization Law fixed the government dues required from each settler.  The land was classified when it was surveyed. The two main classifications were grazing or pastureland and arable or temporal land. Each league of land contains 25 labors.

As an example, in Owen Shannon's title, 20 labors were classified as grazing land and 5 labors were deemed arable.  The fee for grazing land was $1.20 per labor, making $24.00, and arable land brought $2.50 per labor, or $12.50 in this case.  The total government dues were, thus, $36.50. Settlers were given six years in which to pay the government, the first payment being due in the fourth year.  If the commissioner charged $15 and the surveyor collected $8.00, added to the $36.50, the total would be $59.50 for this part, which added to the "office fees" make a total of $122.00. There may have been a few other incidentals, such as the cost of preparing the certified copy of the title that was given to the grantee, but I would be comfortable with stating that the cost of obtaining a title for one league of land in Austin's Colony in 1831 was in the neighborhood of $125 dollars."

$125 was a lot of money in 1831. Often, early settlers did not have enough money to pay these costs and fees to clear their land out of Stephen F. Austin's office at San Felipe.

"Clearing on the halves" or "clearing land" had nothing whatsoever to do with clearing trees or brush from land, as the name would initially suggest.  Many settlers that came to Texas had waited for years to get their land grants in Austin's Colony.  By the time the Empresario (Austin) had the deed papers ready, the settlers were often out of cash money when it came time to pay the costs and fees described above. Enterprising businessmen with ready cash would offer to pay these closing costs on behalf of the settlers in return for a portion of the league of land the settler was to receive. Typically the person "clearing land on the halves" got, as the name suggests, half of the settler's league of land.

The practice was a win-win-win situation.  The Empresario and the Mexican government won because they got all their costs and fees paid.  The settler won because he received clear title to his league of land without paying any money out of his own pocket.  And the business man "clearing on the halves" immediately got half of the league of land the settler received (about 2,214 acres) for an investment of about $125.00 (or just over 5 and a half cents per acre).

For instance, in the example in the section above, Thomas Taylor paid Owen Shannon's costs and fees on his behalf.  In return for paying these expenses on behalf of Owen Shannon, Owen Shannon deeded half of his league to Thomas Taylor.  This practice was known as "clearing on the halves."

Montgomery County History Road Rally. Historic Willis and Danville, Texas, January 23, 2016

The Montgomery County Historical Commission will be holding its 3rd annual History Road Rally on Saturday, January 23, 2016.  Each year the Montgomery County Historical Commission picks a different part of historic Montgomery County, Texas to make the focus of the History Road Rally. Two years ago, the History Road Rally focused on Montgomery, Texas and the historic sites around Montgomery.  Last year, the History Road Rally focused on Conroe, Texas and the historic sites around Conroe.  This years History Road Rally will focus on historic sites in and around Willis, Texas and Danville, Texas.

There will be trophies and prizes for the winning teams.  Teams of 2-5 participants per vehicle will be given clues to historic sites such as cemeteries, historic homes and churches, 1936 Centennial markers, Texas State Historical markers, etc. Those wishing to participate in the History Road Rally will meet at the North Montgomery County Community Center located at 600 Gerald at Lincoln Ridge in Willis, Texas beginning at noon.  The Rally will be held rain or shine.  Check-in is from Noon-1:00 p.m.  Road rally will start at 1:30 p.m. Each team will follow the clues given at the beginning of the rally.  Historical sites will be located by the teams and photographs of team members will be taken in front of the historic sites, markers etc.  So be sure and bring your cell phones and make sure your batteries are charged.  Each team will have two hours to complete the History Road Rally.  There will be free meals and team recognition beginning at 4:00 p.m. including trophies and prizes.

There is a pre-registration fee of $30 per vehicle and the registration fee will be $40 on the day of the event. This event is sponsored by Gullo Ford of Conroe, Gullo Mazda of Conroe and Gullo Toyota of Conroe. For more information or to register, call 936-525-7311 or 936-537-9070.

Descendants of the Signers Sought by Genealogical Consultant, Shelby Rowan, for Texas 180th Celebration

Are you a descendant of a Signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence (one of the 59 delegates or the secretary of the Convention)? The Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico was signed beginning on March 2, 1836. The Star of the Republic Museum located at Washington on the Brazos State Park maintains a Registry of the Descendants of the Signers who have proven their descent genealogically.  Have you wanted to be a member listed on the Registry of Descendants of the Signers?  Do you need a little help with your application?  Then read on.

In 2011, the Star of the Republic Museum celebrated the 175th anniversary of the  signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence and over 1500 descendants were in attendance.  That number was largely due to the research done by many volunteer genealogists who compiled family trees of the 60 signers and located a significant number of living descendants who were subsequently invited to the 2011 celebration.  2016 will mark the 180th anniversary and there is currently an effort being made to locate the many additional living descendants.  New research has shown that there are hundreds, perhaps as many as a thousand, living descendants of the Signers still unidentified.

To learn more about the Star of the Republic Museum and the Signers Project, you can go to the Museum's website (www.starmuseum.org), visit the museum at Washington-on-the-Brazos State Park just outside Navasota, Texas, or call the Star of the Republic Museum (936-878-2461), and talk to Dr. Shawn Carlson, Curator, (ext. 214), or Dr. Houston McGaugh, Director, (ext.238). On the Star of the Republic Museum website, you will find family trees of all the signers (the 59 delegates and the secretary, Henry Kimble), and information about the project and about the Descendants Registry project.

For help with your application for the Descendants Registry, Shelby Rowan, Genealogical Consultant for the Museum, can also help.  It is her objective to review all current family trees and then see where descendants of the signers, dead or living are missing.  If you are a descendant of one of the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence, and you have not previously been identified, Shelby Rowan is looking for you. There is still a lot of work to do. Although most of the family trees of each of the signers have most of their children in the second generation identified and listed, Shelby Rowan has discovered several instances where any number of grandchildren or great-grandchildren are missing and thus long lines of living descendants are yet to be located.  You are encouraged to contact Shelby Rowan and forward this to your cousins because Miss Rowan needs your help in finding those missing living descendants.  You need to know that NO INFORMATION ABOUT LIVING PEOPLE is put on the website and the Museum does not share any of the information about living people with anyone!! Occasionally people will contact Miss Rowan  looking for cousins and she will only share contact information if she is given permission. The best plan is be at the 180th celebration  in 2016 and meet those cousins who descend from your signer ancestor personally!

March 5th and 6th have been selected as the dates for the 2016 Texas Independence celebration at Washington-on-the-Brazos as well as the Descendants of the Signers activities.  Information will be online and sent to the Descendants of the Signers beginning sometime in the fall of 2015. There will be a variety of activities on both Saturday and Sunday followed by a roll call of all the families on Sunday, the 6th.  Feel free to contact Shelby Rowan by phone, email or snail mail with any questions OR with additional names for her to add to her files. Remember, if the Star of the Republic Museum does not have your information (correct address and correct email) you will not receive formal invitations to the activities.  Whether they have your contact information or not, be sure and come up to Washington-on-the-Brazos March 5-6, 2016 for all the fun and to celebrate what your ancestor did "Where Texas Became Texas."

Contact:

Shelby Rowan, Genealogical Consultant for the Star of the Republic Museum
2300 Avon Street, Bryan, Texas 77802
979-822-2769

 For more information about the Descendants of the Signers activities for the 180th celebration, visit: wheretexasbecametexas.org or call 936-878-2214.

Photograph of Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick speaking at 2015 Texas Independence Day celebrations at Washington-on-the-Brazos with the Descendants of the Signers flag in the background is courtesy of Jennifer Searle.

Fifth Annual Houston History Conference - “On the Cusp of War: Houston in the 1860s”

The Houston History Alliance is hosting its fifth annual Houston History Conference on Saturday, September 12, 2015 at the M.D. Anderson Library at the University of Houston, from 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m.

Titled “On the Cusp of War: Houston in the 1860s,” the conference will address not only the social, institutional and economic changes in the Houston area as a result of the Civil War, but also address historical movements since the 1860 through presentations and discussions with Houston leadership, scholars, academics and the public. The format includes keynote speakers, breakout sessions with the choice of two or more panel presentations per session, and exhibits/interactive displays from local history and neighborhood organizations.

At the conference, former Mayor Bill White will present two special awards to living history legends J.P. Bryan (Houston History Hero Award) and John Britt (Betty Trapp Chapman Houston History Award), in appreciation of their tireless work in the field of history.

Presentations scheduled for the program include:

·         Juneteenth – former Texas legislator Albert "Al" Edwards—author and sponsor of House bill making June 19th a paid holiday in Texas; Alvia Wardlaw, Ph.D., Texas Southern University; Merline Pitre, Ph.D., Texas Southern University; Naomi Carrier, Independent Scholar; Portia Baker Hopkins, Lee College

·         Worrying Women, Working Women: Houston Area Women during Civil War and Reconstruction - Angela Boswell, Henderson State University

·         The Slaves of Houston from Steamboat Arrival to Emancipation - Kelly M. Ray, Chicago, Museum Curator and Independent Scholar

·         Civil War on the Upper Gulf Coast - Ken Grubb, Battle of Galveston, Wharton County College; Brady Hutchinson, Sabine Pass, San Jacinto College

·         Reconstruction in Houston – Ronald Goodwin, Ph.D., Prairie View A&M University

·         Antebellum Wilderness: The Natural History of the Houston Area - Jaime Gonzalez, Independent Scholar

·         The Changing Images of Houston, 1860-1900 - Ann Becker, Harris County Historical Commission.

·         Houston Activism - Houston History magazine staff:

o       Yates High School Principal William Holland the Third Ward Community - Debbie Z. Harwell, managing editor

o       Animal Rights Activism in Houston - Lindsay Scovil, associate editor

o       Chicana Activist Maria Jimenez - Denise Gomez, oral history intern

o       Houston’s Graffiti Art: Visual Activism - Nimra Haroon, magazine intern

o       Can Catholicism Win America? Kennedy, Anti-Catholicism, and the Election of 1960 - John S. Huntington, University of Houston

o       Our Endurance is Exhausted! The Black Campus Movement in Houston, Texas, 1960-1969 - Stephanie Weiss, University of Houston

o       A Troubled Relationship: Gay Houstonians and the Police, 1975-1995 - Chris Haight, University of Houston

o       The Texas Federal Writers Project’s Houston City Guide: Travel For Change - Michael Mitchell, College Library Director, Houston Community College Southeast

o       Oveta Culp Hobby: How a Small-town Texas Girl became a National Treasure - Debra Winegarten, independent scholar and author of “Oveta Culp Hobby: Colonel, Cabinet Member, Philanthropist”

o       The War on Poverty and the Struggle for Democracy in Houston during the 1960s - Wesley G. Phelps, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of History, Sam Houston State University

o       Houston in 1860 - Eddie Weller, Ph.D. San Jacinto College

o       Race and Faith in the Bayou City: African American, Latina/o, and Anglo Baptists in Houston’s Civil Rights Movements - David Cameron, Texas A&M University

o       Hidden Heritage: The History & Legacy of African American Planning in Houston-Area Freedom Colonies - Andrea Roberts, University of Texas (Paper and Workshop)

Sponsorships are welcome; all sponsors will be invited to attend a private cocktail reception and tour of the Nau Civil War Collection on Friday, September 11, 2015 Hosted by Bobbie and John Nau and Silver Eagle Distributors, the event will be held at Silver Eagle Distributors, home of the collection at 7777 Washington Ave.

Sponsors of this year’s conference include Ralph and Miki Lusk Norton, Jan and Jack Cato, Bill Barnett, Betty Trapp Chapman, The Strake Foundation, Humanities Texas, University of Houston-Center for Public History, Summerlee Foundation, Texas Historical Foundation, University of Houston Libraries, University of Houston Honors College and Texas State Historical Association.

“It has been an extremely successful year for Houston History Alliance as it becomes a model for preserving and disseminating local history for the rest of the state,” says Cecelia Ottenweller, Co-President, HHA. “Besides this incredible annual history conference which is also the launching place for articles and scholarly papers about Houston’s history, HHA is dissipating history through a monthly local history radio program, a bimonthly newsletter and—soon—its Handbook of Houston History project that will be available online. HHA also recently finalized partnerships with TSHA for the funding of an editor position to direct the Handbook project, and an affiliation with the Center for Public History at the University of Houston to provide us office space.”

The cost of the conference is $50 per person before September 11; $40 for seniors, for those presenting in the breakout sessions, and for representatives of exhibiting organizations; and $25 for teachers not covered by scholarships from their respected school systems. If space allows, on-site registration will be available for $60 per person. All tickets include lunch and admission for a full day of activities.

For more information on the conference, to register or inquire about exhibition opportunities, visit www.houstonhistoryalliance.org, email info@houstonhistoryalliance.org or call 713-828-3030. 

Sad Day For Texas - Editorial by Margo I. Green - Removal of Daughters of the Republic of Texas as Alamo Custodians

 

Friday, July 10, 2015 was a “Sad Day for Texas” with the removal of the Daughters of  the Republic of Texas” as custodians of the “Alamo”. My husband, Tom Green, member of the Sons of the Republic of Texas; Knight of San Jacinto; Texas Army; Texas Navy Admiral and past State President of the Sons of the American Revolution, and I participated in the final hour of the Daughters of the Republic (DRT) custodianship of the Alamo.

The Catholic Church sold the “Alamo” chapel (only) to the State of Texas in 1883. In 1892, a portion of the land surrounding the “Alamo” chapel was saved from becoming a hotel when DRT members Adina de Zavala and Clara Driscoll raised the money to purchase what was left of the “Alamo” battle field from Charles Hugo and Gustav Schmeltzer, merchants. In September, 1905 the State of Texas drafted a bill, sponsored by Adina De Zavala,  reimbursing Clara Driscoll for the purchase of the Alamo grounds. Ownership of the surrounding “Alamo” grounds was transferred to the state at that time.

In 1905 the state of Texas awarded The DRT with the custodianship of the  “Alamo” chapel and remaining grounds  The DRT would lovingly  hold the custodianship of the Shrine of Texas Liberty and honored their commitment  for 110 years with little or no state financial support. The DRT has supported the “Alamo” with thousands of uncompensated volunteer hours and monies earned from the gift shop and donations .

Now, The Congress of the state of Texas voted to remove the DRT as custodians of the “Alamo”. The “Alamo” is now placed under authority of the Texas Land Commissioner, George P. Bush. It is indeed a “SAD DAY FOR TEXAS” when the Daughters of the Republic of Texas have been basically kicked out of the “Alamo”. Saving the “Alamo” was a masterful fete in the first place and continued care by mostly their own expense has now disrespectfully been discounted by the state.

Many reasons can be cited on both sides, (political, personal vendetta's, private business investments, and differences of opinions on how the “Alamo” should be run)  for the termination of the involvement of the DRT. However, I do believe that a compromise could have been reach between the state of Texas and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas to allow the DRT to have an honorary role in daily operations of  “The Shrine of Texas Liberty” after the DRT’S  110 years of dedicated care and service.  

Tears fell, by the hundreds of DRT members and supporters present, as they watch the DRT’S flag being lowered at 5PM Friday, July, 2015 as the bagpipes played the “Yellow Rose of Texas” followed by a salute by the Texas Army to the Daughter followed by the singing of “Texas Our Texas”.  A “Sad Day for Texas”, indeed!

Editorial submitted by Margo I. Green.   Member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Pearland, Texas.

Texian Heritage Festival - Montgomery Texas - October 17, 2015

Save the date this fall, October 17, 2015 for the 2015 Texian Heritage Festival in historic Montgomery, Texas from 10:00 a.m. until 5 p.m. Put on your cowboy hat and have fun capturing a glimpse of the living history of Texas and supporting several excellent charities while you do it.

There will be fun for everyone!: Pioneer Activities, Frontier Children Activities, Civil War Era Fashions, Chikawa Aztec Dancers, Gunslingers and Shoot-outs, Vendors with Texas Cultural Products, Dutch Oven Cooking, Texian Heritage Army (1835-1836) Tent Encampment, Texas Independence Battle Reenactments, Cannon Barrages, Music of the 1800's, AND a whole lot more! The Texian Heritage Festival will be held at Fernalnd Historical Park, 708 Clepper, Montgomery, Texas.  Adult Donation are $5.00. Children are Free!  Parking is Free!  For more information about the 2015 Texian Heritage Festival, go to the website at: TexianHeritage.org

The Board of Directors of this year's Texian Heritage Festival are: Margie Taylor, President; Bea Rouse, Vice President; Annmari Cooper, Billy Ray Duncan, Bella Dall Flynn, Jack Flynn, Barbara Frazier and Jeredith Jones.  If you would like to be a preferred sponsor of this great event, contact the Texian Heritage Festival Board or President Margie Taylor at 936-828-6881 or email: margie@taylorizedpr.com

The Save Texas History Symposium - November 14, 2015 - In the Shadow of the Dome: Austin by Day & by Night

On November 14, 2015, the 6th Annual Save Texas History Symposium will be held at the William B. Travis Building, 1701 N. Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  This year's speakers will include Lt. Doug Dukes (APD, Ret.), Dr. David Gracy, James L. Haley, Ali James, Jeff Kerr, Dr. Andres Tijerina, Juanita Tijerina and Richard Zelade. There will be book signings, archive tours, vendors and exhibitors. The Save Texas History Symposium is a project of the Texas General Land Office. If you have been before, you will want to go again.  If you have never been, save the date.

Returning to Austin for its sixth year, the symposium will look at the capital of Texas, Austin.  The symposium will feature eight speakers, including, James L. Haley, who will recount tales from the Texas Supreme Court; Ali James has details on the destruction and and construction of the State Capitol; Jeff Kerr will discuss the Pig War; Richard Zelade , will discuss his book, Guy Town by Gaslight; Retired Lieutenant from the Austin Police Force, Doug Dukes, brings his expertise to the story of the Servant Girl Annihilator; Dr. David Gracy will discuss cattle baron and Driskill Hotel founder George W. Littlefield; and Dr. Andres Tijerina, and his wife Juanita Tijerina, will talk about the Slave Narratives of Austin, Texas..

Space is limited. Register Today! For more information see savetexashistory.org or call 512-463-3289.

Texas Rising Trailer - Travis Letter "Victory or Death"

The mini-series Texas Rising starring Bill Paxton as General Sam Houston is about to premier on the History Channel on Memorial Day, May 25, 2015. If you have not seen the trailer yet, please click on the image below for one of the most artistically unique readings of the famous William Barret Travis "Victory or Death" letter you will ever see.

The William B. Travis letter is read by various actors of the series line by line with Sam Houston reading the final line - "Victory or Death." Texas Rising is fictionalized version of the history of the fight for Texas Independence from Mexico and the rise of the Texas Rangers. Here is a complete transcription of the famous Travis letter:

Commandancy of the The Alamo

Bejar, Feby. 24th. 1836

To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World—

Fellow Citizens & compatriots—

I am besieged, by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna — I have sustained a continual Bombardment & cannonade for 24 hours & have not lost a man — The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion, otherwise, the garrison are to be put to the sword, if the fort is taken — I have answered the demand with a cannon shot, & our flag still waves proudly from the walls — I shall never surrender or retreat. Then, I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism & everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid, with all dispatch — The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily & will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country — Victory or Death.

William Barrett Travis.

Lt. Col. comdt.

P. S. The Lord is on our side — When the enemy appeared in sight we had not three bushels of corn — We have since found in deserted houses 80 or 90 bushels and got into the walls 20 or 30 head of Beeves. Travis

The cast of Texas Rising includes the following list of actors:

Bill Paxton as Sam Houston
Olivier Martinez as Santa Anna
Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Emily West
Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Deaf Smith
Christopher McDonald as Henry Karnes
Brendan Fraser as Billy Anderson
Trevor Donovan as Kit Acklin
Stephen Monroe Taylor as Gator Davis
Gerardo Taracena as Manuel Flores
Joe Egender as Bean Wilkins
Rhys Coiro as Vern Elwood
Jeremy Davies as Ephraim Knowles
Ray Liotta as Lorca
Antonio De La Vega as Almonte
Harold Torres as Portilla
Geoffrey Blake as George Hockley
Raúl Méndez as Juan Seguin
Jeff Fahey as Thomas Rusk
Johnathon Schaech as Colonel Sherman
Chad Michael Murray as Mirabeau Lamar
Crispin Glover as Mosely Baker
Max Thieriot as Jack Hays
Robert Baker as Bigfoot Wallace
Darrel Fetty as Doc Ewing
Vico Escorcia as Sarah Ewing
Molly McMichael as Rebecca Pit
Adam Hicks as Truett Fincham
Dillon Lane as Yancey Burns
Jacob Lofland as Colby Pitt
Sarah Jones as Pauline Wykoff
Mayra Sérbulo as Guadalupe
Amen Igbinosun as Nate
Robert Knepper as Empresario Buckley
Nigal Haaswijk as Clarance
Miguel Angel Fuentes as Romolo
Horacio García Rojas as Buffalo Hump
John Elvis as Yellow Knife
Courtney Gains as Cole Hornfischer
Rob Morrow as Colonel Fannin
Jake Busey as Samuel Wallace
Thomas Jane as James Wykoff
Kris Kristofferson as Andrew Jackson

Image courtesy of the History Channel. All rights reserved.

2015 Sons of the Republic of Texas Annual State Convention - Fort Worth, Texas

The Annual State Convention of the Sons of the Repubic of Texas is Friday afernoon through Saturday evening, April 10-11, 2015 at the Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel, 1701 Commerce Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102 (817-335-7000). For hotel information contact: Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel. The Conference is Friday afternoon, 4:30 - 6:00 PM and on Saturday, 8:30 AM - 9:00 PM. Registration to attend should be received by the SRT State Office by March 18, which is not far off. For more information contact: The Sons of the Republic of Texas at http://www.srttexas.org. Click here for additonal registration fees and details.

James Bevill at Heritage Society Tea Room March 19, 2015



 Jerry & Marvy Finger Lecture Series presents How to Spend Your Way Out of a Debt Crisis: Lessons from the Republic of Texas by James P. Bevill Thursday, March 19, 2015 The Heritage Society Tea Room 12–1 p.m. Free for members, $5 for non-members Award-winning author James P. Bevill pulls no punches in this enlightening presentation about the role that money and finances played in the founding of and the ultimate loss of sovereignty by the Republic of Texas. The story covers handwritten promises, treasury warrants, audited paper, stock, debt instruments and all issues of Republic of Texas paper money. An overview of how these fit together will tell an uncensored history of Texas which describes a government on the brink of both military and financial extinction. The surprising and sometimes shocking revelations about the Republic of Texas' finances and the consequences for Texas' brief independence will forever change the listener's view of the revolution and its aftermath. Jim Bevill has spent his career in the financial services industry since graduating Magna Cum Laude from the University of Houston-Clear Lake in 1983. He is a Senior Vice President – Wealth Management in the River Oaks office of UBS Financial Services. He is the author of The Paper Republic: The Struggle for Money, Credit and Independence in the Republic of Texas, a non-fiction work on the social and economic history of Texas from the colonial period through the annexation by the United States in 1845. If you would like to reserve a box lunch for this lecture, please contact Elizabeth Martin at emartin@heritagesociety.org or 713|655|1912, ext. 101 by 11 a.m. on Wednesday, March 18, 2015. The Jerry & Marvy Finger Lecture Series is made possible by the generosity of the Jerry and Nanette Finger Foundation & the Marvy Finger Family Foundation. The Heritage Society is funded in part by a grant from the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance.