Authentic Texas Spring/Summer 2021

HISTORY & HERITAGE SITES ACROSS TEXAS

T RA I L D RI VES

TEX A S O R IGIN AL

ANCIENT SITES BATTLEGROUNDS HISTORIC HOMES & FORTS

MONTI GOODIN AND THE GOODNIGHT RANCH HOUSE

+ T E X A S I C ON

+ YO ND ER S

THE SQUARE DANCE

VISIT ACTON GOLIAD ROCKPORT & SEALY

State Historic Sites Exemplify Texan Resilience

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espite challenges and a brief printing interruption, Authentic Texas is back in print and stronger than ever online. Texan resilience seems evident everywhere you look. This issue’s theme, State Historic Sites, is perfect in highlighting the same tenacity and leadership exemplified across the state historic sites. Speaking of leadership, recognition of Texas Historical Commission Chairman John Nau III as our Authentic Person is especially timely as well.

State historic sites host events and reenactments that bring thousands onto the battlefields and through missions and forts that led to Texas Independence, as well as honor courage, hard work, dedication and ingenuity. Historic sites reveal the roots of many cultures that have blended for centuries into the heart of Texans. Start planning your next trip along our driving trails that will take you to forts, house museums and battlegrounds to discover connections that exist between all of us, rooted in people, places and events that have united Texans.

Don’t forget to plan your meals along the way. Where else can you learn about fine Mexican food from Leal’s in Muleshoe? Regardless of your taste and destination, look up the great Eats and Drinks throughout past issues of Authentic Texas on our website and make plans to visit one.

Several stories outside the theme appeal to me personally.

Growing up, my Grandpa Happy (his actual name by the way) called square dancing in the huge parlor of our home. As an amateur photographer, the vintage photography by Cody Mobley fascinates me.

We can’t imagine holding a smile longer than a few seconds, try holding one for minutes!

“Living History” is a common theme heard across state historic sites. Hundreds of docents and volunteers share their knowledge, connections and experiences with visitors and students. Although we concentrated upon state owned and operated historic sites by the Texas Historical Commission, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department or the General Land Office, living history is shared throughout heritage sites across Texas, big and small. People, places, structures and artifacts can bring history to life for visitors without anyone uttering a word. Preserving the past educates people about sacrifice, ingenuity and dedication beyond history books or classrooms.

Historic sites bring honor, inspiration and appreciation for benefits or even tragedies that are rooted in the past. I hope you enjoy reading this issue and are inspired to visit these authentic places!

Mike Carlisle Manager, Texas Tropical Trail Region SPRING/SUMMER 2021

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Texas Heritage Trail Regions The Texas Heritage Trails program is based on 10 scenic driving trails created in 1968 by Gov. John Connally and the Texas Highway Department (now the Texas Department of Transportation) as a tool for visitors to explore the Lone Star State. The trails were established in conjunction with HemisFair, an international expo that commemorated the 250th anniversary of the founding of San Antonio.

In 1997, the State Legislature charged the Texas Historical Commission with creating a statewide heritage tourism program. The THC responded with a program based on local, regional and state partnerships, centered on the 10 driving trails. Today, each trail region is a nonprofit organization governed by a regional board of directors that supports educational and preservation efforts and facilitates community development through heritage tourism.

PLAINS TRAIL TexasPlainsTrail.com

PECOS TRAIL TexasPecosTrail.com

LAKES TRAIL TexasLakesTrail.com

MOUNTAIN TRAIL TexasMountainTrail.com

FORTS TRAIL TexasFortsTrail.com

FOREST TRAIL TexasForestTrail.com

HILL COUNTRY TRAIL TxHillCountryTrail.com

TROPICAL TRAIL TexasTropicalTrail.com

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BRAZOS TRAIL TexasBrazosTrail.com

INDEPENDENCE TRAIL TexasIndependenceTrail.com

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FEATURES

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Au t h e n t i c P e rso n

au t h e n t i c t h i n g

a u t h e n t i c p l ac e

Texas Historical Commission Chairman John Nau is a persuasive advocate for history.

The San Jacinto Monument is a Texas-sized tribute.

The Alamo is the Lone Star State’s example to the world of Texian duty, honor, and sacrifice.

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Founded by the Texas Heritage Trails LLC PUBLISHER Margaret Hoogstra Director@AuthenticTexas.com ADVERTISING Jim Stone Sales@AuthenticTexas.com MANAGING EDITOR Editor@AuthenticTexas.com DESIGN DIRECTOR Troy Myatt SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Steven Lyons CONTRIBUTORS Robert F. Bluthardt, Tim Chandler, Susan Floyd, Donald S. Frazier, Rob Hodges, Alan C. Huffines, Bob McCullough, Eric Miller, Bill O’Neal, Catherine Sak EDITORIAL BOARD Texas Brazos Trail Region Pamela Anderson, LLC Manager Andrea Barefield, Executive Director Texas Forts Trail Region Jeff Salmon, LLC Manager Tammie Virden, Executive Director Texas Lakes Trail Region Billy Huckaby, LLC Manager Jill Campbell Jordan, Executive Director Texas Mountain Trail Region Randall Kinzie, LLC Manager Wendy Little, Executive Director Texas Pecos Trail Region Bill Simon, LLC Manager Melissa Hagins, Executive Director Texas Plains Trail Region Dolores Mosser, LLC Manager Allison Kendrick, Executive Director Texas Tropical Trail Region Mike Carlisle, LLC Manager Nancy Deviney, Executive Director

Texas Heritage Trails LLC P.O. Box 208 Abilene, TX 79604 AuthenticTexas.com (325) 660-6774 Texas Heritage Trails LLC is owned and operated by seven nonprofit heritage trails organizations.

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spring/ summer 2021

DEPARTMENTS LOCAL

LIFE

10

Trail Drives

State Historic Sites of Texas

What makes State Historic Sites special

Texas icon

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The State’s Official Folk Dance

42

Minding the Fort

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Battlegrounds

LEGACY

As civilization expanded these five forts guarded the frontier

These sites offer explanation and rememberance of conflicts

Square dance across Texas

texas originaLS yonder

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Acton and Granbury

Monti Goodin

Shepherding a private home to becoming a State Historic Site

Texas’ smallest State Historic Site

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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY & ARCHIVES

Goliad

A variety of historic sites all within a few miles

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Rockport

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Ancient Texas

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Sealy

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Historic Homes

Built in the 1870s, the Fulton Mansion is a marvel and a survivor

Stephen F. Austin chose a site on the Brazos River as the starting point for what was to become the Lone Star State

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Documenting the development of historic sites

Examine how indigenous peoples lived before the arrival of Europeans

Compare and contrast the lifestyles of successful and famous Texans

TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION

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Get Out and Get Into Texas History

Heritage tourism and outdoor recreation aren’t mutually exclusive

Eats & Drinks

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State Historic Sites of Texas

Tortillas and Tradition

Satisy your longing for authentic Mexican food

70 city lights

Deep in the art

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San Antonio

Casa Navarro provides a Tejano perspective of Texas independence

Ambrotype Photography

Using bygone technology to record the present

Celebrating Local History

Ideas for bringing attention to what’s special about your community

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Texamination & State Historic Site Listing

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In the eastern United States, signs stating “George Washington slept here” have been used for many years to attract visitors to a variety of sites, including inns, taverns, a mansion and an army camp area. The phrase became so commonplace that it is now known as a punch line for questionable historic claims.

S O, WHAT MAKES A SITE RISE TO THE LEVEL OF AN “OFFICIAL” HISTORIC SITE?

by Margaret Hoogstra

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y definition, historic sites are places where pieces of political, military, cultural or social history have been preserved because of their cultural heritage value. A historic site may be a building, landscape, site or structure that is recognized as having local, regional or national significance. Typically, historic sites are protected by ordinances, statutes or laws designed to preserve the integrity of the site.

There are many reasons to visit a historic site. These specially designated places connect us to the past and often leave the visitor feeling a part of something bigger. Touring a battleground can give perspective to the physical challenges of geography and environment and to the tactics used. Visiting a historic home allows the visitor to compare and contrast living conditions, the preparation of meals, and other aspects of daily life. Historic sites can connect the visitor to different cultures or perspectives and help develop a deeper understanding of others.

Within the Lone Star State, there are forty-one state historic sites. The Texas Historical Commission (THC) operates thirty-two properties, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) manages eight and the Alamo is under custodial care of the Texas General Land Office (TGLO). See the comprehensive listing of all 41 Texas State Historic Sites with their website addresses on page 72.

Joseph Bell, who serves as the Historic Sites Division Director at the THC, was agreeable to answering several questions regarding Texas historic sites.

W H Y A R E D E S I G N AT E D H I ST O R I C S I T E S I M P O RTA N T ?

The designation provides a level of importance to the properties. It highlights the site’s important role in the history of Texas and provides a connection to a larger historical narrative. Designation as an “official state historic site” helps draw focus to the stories, architecture, archeology, and cultural landscapes of each site.

In general, what changes have been made in the past twenty years in the presentation of and interpretation at state historic sites?

Efforts have been made to make the stories and history of a site relevant to today’s public. At the THC, we are actively connecting the historic site’s stories and history to current educational standards for schools and creating programs based on public interest in topics like astronomy, cooking, gardening, animal husbandry, historic trades, and other subjects.

Our initiatives over the last several years have been creating events that support local economic initiatives in heritage tourism and supporting a sense of place and an understanding of our complex past.

The other major change is broadening the interpretive storylines to create a more wholistic understanding of our history by telling the untold or under told stories of the workers, enslaved or marginalized groups that play

important roles the large stories of Texas history. There has been a great appreciation for the broader and rich composition of the state’s demographics. A large part of the focus is working to give visitors immersive and evocative experiences with the past that they can apply to their personal lives.

The funding support for State Historic Sites is strong in Texas. The importance of Texas history and its role in defining Texas identity is recognized. The Official State Historic Sites tie many aspects of our shared history together into a narrative that shows the breadth of the Texas experience.

When people visit Texas state historic sites, what do you hope they take from the experience?

For Texans, a pride and appreciation for being a Texan and the state’s cultural heritage. For out of state visitors, we hope they leave with a better understanding of Texas, its cultural diversity, and its people. We want all visitors to our State Historic Sites to leave having had an enjoyable, educational, and personal experience that provides a clearer understanding of Texas history, and inspires them to seek more engagement with the real places and real stories of our past.

See the comprehensive listing of all 41 Texas State Historic Sites with their website addresses on page 72.

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LOCAL

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t e xas i co n

yo n d e r

city l ights

F e at u r e s

The state’s official folk dance has had Texans on their toes for over 200 years.

In Acton, the smallest state historic site honors the widow of a famed Alamo hero.

Make plans to pay homage to a Texas patriot at Casa Navarro in downtown San Antonio.

John L. Nau III, the San Jacinto Monument and the Alamo

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Square Dance Across Texas Gym Class Leads to a Lifelong Passion

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hink back to elementary school. The prospect of gym class may have had you thinking of dodgeball, basketball, or climbing that rope all the way to the ceiling. The last thing on your mind was dancing – especially square dancing. But there was your PE teacher saying you were going to try something new. You were skeptical as you were placed in a square, standing right next to a girl – a GIRL! Once in a while you even held hands or touched.

The guys squirmed and the girls giggled as the teacher tried to explain do-si-do, allemande right, promenade, and swing your partner. It had you and all your classmates worried about the classic boy/girl contagion of the ages, COOTIES! We survived cooties, though, and found that holding hands was kind of nice.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, you could find a square dance club getting together on any night of the week, except Sunday, all across the state. In Amarillo, for example, the Danc’n Center close to downtown hosts clubs Monday through Saturday. A caller leads the couples through a

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by Eric Miller

PROMENADE Eileen and Jerry Holbrook are ready to dance the night away. | Courtesy of Holbrooks

Square dance enthusiasts from across the state at a State Federation meeting in San Antonio | Courtesy Holbrooks Children square dancing in the middle of a gym floor in 1948 Austin | Courtesy Dewey G. Mears Austin History Center, Austin Public Library Saturday night Square dancing at Farm Security Administration (FSA) camp in 1942 Weslaco, Texas | Courtesy Arthur Rothstein, Library of Congress

variety of distinct patterns.

Square dancing’s close relative, line dancing – think CottonEyed Joe – involves memorized kicks and steps. But with over 70 different calls in the mainstream level of square dancing, you never know where a caller will lead you.

That gives square dance a mental aspect, too. “Something that keeps you sharp,” says longtime caller Jimmy Gouge.

Making a mistake, though, is never a big deal as Charles and Ellen Spoon of Lubbock, dancers since the 1960s, discovered.

“When folks make a mistake, we don’t laugh at them, we laugh with them,” Ellen says.

Richard Doyle, current president of the Texas Federation of Square and Round Dancers, says there are about 5,000 square dancers. That doesn’t include Dallas-Fort Worth-area clubs that

DON’T MISS Texas State Federation of Square and Round Dancers squaredancetx.com North Texas Square and Round Dance Federation nortex.info To learn more about square dance history, go to Square Dance History Project squaredancehistory.org Interested in more do’s and don’ts for square dancing? Check out floridasquaredance. com/central/dos.html

years ago split off to form their own federation, the North Texas Square and Round Dancers.

“You can square dance from Orange to El Paso, Brownsville to Amarillo,” Doyle says. “In fact, you can square dance around the world and the caller will always speak English.”

Square dancing traces its history to the 1600s as a popular style of dancing in Europe. It came across the Atlantic and as settlers moved west, made it to Texas. Doyle figures the first square dance in the Lone Star State probably was performed in Stephen F. Austin’s original colony to celebrate a barn raising or a wedding or just surviving another year in their new home. Dancing was one thing people could bring with them that didn’t take up any valuable space on a boat or in a wagon. It gave them a sense of

belonging in a strange new wilderness. Square dancing has been here ever since, almost 200 years.

The late Governor Ann Richards in May 1991 signed a proclamation designating square dancing as Texas’ “official” folk dance.

Whenever the twirling resumes and they have a green light to promenade left or right, you can bet that square dancers will be enthusiastic, friendly, and eager for the next dance. The next Texas State Federation Square and Round Dance Festival will be in Tyler from June 10-13, 2021. The 70th National Square Dance Convention is in Jackson, MS, June 23-26, 2021.

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Small Site with a Big Story Acton and Granbury

by Jill Campbell Jordan

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f the state’s 32 historic sites operated by the Texas Historical Commission, one has the distinction of being the smallest – the Acton State Historic Site. It consists of just .1 acre of land located in the Acton Cemetery where Elizabeth Crockett, the second wife of Alamo defender Davy Crockett, is buried.

Elizabeth and David Crockett married in 1815. Both had lost their previous spouses and they had five children between them. Elizabeth and David saw the benefit of joining their families. David said they were “in the same situation, it might be that we could do something for each other.” They had three children of their own, which left Elizabeth with eight children to care for along with her farm.

David spent very little time at home, but Elizabeth was a strong, intelligent, and religious woman who made her own way during her husband’s absence. She died in 1860 at the age of 72.

Elizabeth had worn a widow’s black dress since she heard of her husband’s death at the battle of

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ACTON

LAKES TRAIL REGION

FINAL RESTING PLACE Within the Acton Cemetery, a state monument honors Elizabeth Crockett. (opposite page, far left, bottom right) | Courtesy THC The community of Acton is near Granbury, a town rich in history. (top right) | Courtesy Shad Ramsey

It is a matter of just pride to every citizen of Texas that the widow of Davy Crockett found a home in her old age, and after her three score years and ten were fulfilled, a grave on the soil consecrated by his blood — the gift of the country of his adoption. The grave of his widow and the home of his children will make Johnson [now Hood] County a place of pilgrimage to many.

Charles R. Pryor, Dallas Herald, (Dallas, TX), Vol. 8, №35, Ed. 1, Wednesday, February 29, 1860

DON’T MISS the Alamo in 1836. She was laid to rest at the cemetery in that dress.

In 1911 the state placed the monument at her grave site, a statue of Elizabeth looking off into the distance as if she is expecting her husband to return.

Elizabeth ended up in Acton in the mid-1850s after she moved her family from Tennessee to claim a land grant in Acton for the heirs of the Alamo defenders.

She stayed there with her two sons until she died.

While in Acton, the Acton Nature Center is a must-see for nature lovers. The trail leads visitors around the center to view the natural pond filled with croaking toads. Plenty of shade can be found in the ravine thanks to the

old large oak trees. Spring brings a large array of wildflowers.

Events held year-round at the Acton Nature Center include First Saturday Bird Walks, Monarch Tagging, Star Parties, and S’mores with Santa.

Since Acton is in a picturesque rural setting, a local farmers market is a natural fit. The market offers farm-fresh produce, fresh baked and canned goods, and hand-crafted items made locally.

Acton Local Market is held the second and fourth Saturdays, May through October, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Only five miles away is Granbury, which is worth a visit to the historic courthouse square.

The Hood County Courthouse, built in 1890-1891 and designed

by noted Texas courthouse architect W.C. Dodson, has been restored to its former glory thanks to the help of volunteers and the Texas Historical Commission’s Historic Courthouse Preservation Program. It is the first courthouse square to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Historical buildings that house boutiques, eateries, wineries, and theaters line the square.

Nearby are quaint bed-and-breakfasts, parks and the Granbury City Beach Park located on Lake Granbury.

A trip to Acton and Granbury is a relaxing and stimulating way to spend the weekend, getting back to nature and exploring history.

Acton State Historic Site

Acton Cemetery FM 167, Acton, TX 76049 Hours: Daily, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Acton Nature Center

6900 Smokey Hill Court Granbury, TX 76409 (817) 326-6005 Hours: from dawn to dusk

actonnaturecenter.org Acton Local Market Acton Tabernacle 5671 Acton Hwy. Acton, TX 76409

Visit Granbury

201 E. Pearl St. Granbury, TX 76048 (817) 573-5548

visitgranbury.com

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Remember Goliad!

Fannin Battleground State Historic Site

by Mike Carlisle

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oday, the Texas Historical Commission has 32 State Historic Sites, but few share close proximity with so many other historic sites as the Fannin Battleground near Goliad. The Goliad State Park and Historic Site integrates four deeply intertwined State Historic Sites steeped in historic diversity and cultures. Another historic site, the Presidio La Bahía, is across the San Antonio River from the park.

The Fannin Battleground commemorates the Battle of Coleto Creek March 19-20, 1836. Col. James W. Fannin and over 350 Texian volunteers were retreating from the presidio, which they had renamed Fort Defiance, when they were overtaken and attacked by Gen. José Urrea and his men.

After surrendering, the Texians were held briefly at the presidio. Gen. Santa Anna ordered Fannin and his men executed on Palm Sunday. The brutal Goliad Massacre ignited the battle cry “Remember Goliad,” later united with “Remember the Alamo” at the Battle of San Jacinto. The Fannin Memorial Monument marks the common burial site of Col. Fannin and his men behind

GOLIAD

INDEPENDENCE TRAIL REGION

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Towering over the Goliad State Park stands the whitewashed walls of the reconstructed Mission Espíritu Santo State Historic Site. (opposite page) In 1894, Solomon Parks Sr. marked the battle site with a massive iron screw from a cotton gin. (top left) Goliad History Sign (top right) Presidio La Bahía is owned by the Catholic Diocese of Victoria, teaching history through programs like the Goliad Massacre-Fort Defiance Living History Program. (bottom) | Photos Courtesy Mike Carlisle

DON’T MISS Visit Goliad visitgoliad.com Fannin Battleground State Historic Site

734 FM 2506 Fannin, TX 77960 (512) 463-7948 Open daily 8 a.m. -5 p.m

Goliad State Park and Historic Site 108 Park Road 6 Goliad, TX 77963-3206 (361) 645-3405 Open daily, except for Christmas, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

Presidio La Bahía

the Presidio La Bahía.

William L. Hunter survived the massacre and marked the battleground with a pile of rocks. In 1894, Solomon Parks Sr. replaced the rocks with a massive iron screw from a cotton gin. In 1913, the state of Texas accepted 13 acres around the marker and erected a 28-foot granite monument in honor of Fannin and his men in 1916. The Fannin site was the third historic site acquired by the state behind the Alamo and San Jacinto Battleground.

Towering over the Goliad State Park are the whitewashed walls of the reconstructed Mission Espíritu Santo State Historic Site, once home to a large ranching operation. In

1722, Spanish missionaries established the Nuestra Señora Del Espíritu Santo de Zuñiga accompanied by Presidio La Bahía near Matagorda Bay, moving them to the San Antonio River in 1749. Civilian Conservation Corps crews restored the mission and presidio from 1935 until 1941.

Presidio La Bahía is owned by the Catholic Diocese of Victoria and provides programs like the Goliad Massacre-Fort Defiance Living History Program.

About four miles from the park are the ruins of the Mission Rosario State Historic Site. Missionaries established Rosario in 1754 but were less successful than their neighbor,

217 Loop 71 Goliad, Tx 77963 (361) 645-3752 Open Daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. last admission at 4:30 p.m.

presidiolabahia.org

Zaragoza Birthplace State Historical Site Carabajal Rd. Goliad, TX 77963

The El Camino Real de los Tejas Visitors Center 183 S & S. Burke St. Goliad, TX 77963 Open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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yon d e r Each year on April 16th, at approximately 7 p.m., illumination from the Sun Window illuminates the Cruxifix in the mission. The date is an important date of the Franciscan order. | Courtesy Mike Carlisle

closing in 1792.

Less than a mile away, the El Camino Real de los Tejas Visitors Center educates people about the influence of the El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail in South Texas. The center tells the story of the King’s Highway from Mexico City north to Texas and Louisiana.

The newly remodeled Zaragoza Birthplace State Historic Site is west of the Presidio La Bahía. Gen. Ignacio Sequin Zaragoza assumed command of the outnumbered, outgunned farmers and molded them into

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the formidable Mexican Army which defeated the French on May 5, 1862, at the Battle of Puebla. Their victory led to Mexico’s independence from France, now celebrated each year on May 5th, translated as Cinco de Mayo.

More than 300 years of Texas history comes alive through artifacts, living structures, and reenactments. Typically, between 3,000 and 4,000 people attend the yearly reenactment events. Goliad has treasures of Texas history found in few places, especially within miles of each other.

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Elegance on the Bay Rockport’s Fulton Mansion has withstood hurricanes and the ravages of time to remain a coastal icon.

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itting prominently along Aransas Bay in Rockport, the Fulton Mansion has stood tall and majestic since 1877. George W. Fulton, who created a ranching and meatpacking empire while shipping cattle tallow and hides to New Orleans during the 1870s, built the grand home. Starting in 1874, Fulton spent three years designing and constructing the mansion he called Oakhurst, named after the windswept oaks surrounding the property. The area around the Fulton Mansion State Historic Site has changed significantly over the past 150 years, but not the unique, French-inspired

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mansion with the slate-patterned mansard roof.

Extremely impressive on the outside, the mansion continues its luxurious feel on the inside, from the amenities to the furnishings.

Crystal chandeliers, imported from New York to London, light the home with timeless style.

The gas lighting, indoor plumbing, and central air and heating systems were all unknown amenities to South Texas when the home was built. Artwork throughout the mansion reflects Fulton’s love of nature, and even the hardware is extensively engraved, right down to the door hinges. Plaster medallions adorn the ceiling

by Mike Carlisle

ROCKPORT

TROPICAL TRAIL REGION

DON’T MISS Visit Rockport rockport-fulton.org Fulton Mansion State Historic Site 317 S. Fulton Beach Rd. Rockport, TX 78382 (361) 729-0386

Advance reservations are required to tour inside.

Please call in advance to purchase tickets.

Tours offered Thu-Sun. Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

ON THE BAY Surrounded by oaks, Fulton Mansion inhabitants enjoyed a full view of the Aransas Bay. (opposite page) | Courtesy THC/Fulton Mansion Signage welcomes visitors to Fulton Mansion. (upper left) | Courtesy Mike Carlisle Detailed design and construction diagrams of the main systems are displayed in the exhibit room. (upper right) | Courtesy Fulton Mansion

above the chandeliers and gas lighting fixtures.

Tours begin with interactive exhibits and audio presentations at the Fulton Mansion Education and History Center, which also hosts live music and lectures. D.J. Chilcoat, a volunteer docent extraordinaire, remembers multiple guided tours running concurrently to accommodate visitors.

Today, self-guided tours cover the garden, basement, and first and second floors of the mansion.

“The basement showcases the inner workings of the mansion,” said Chilcoat. “Sometimes, it can be hard to coax people out of the basement for the rest of the tour.”

When you step through the huge wooden pocket doors into the parlor, the wall-to-wall carpet and massive wooden mirror on the mantle grab your attention.

Formal parties, social gatherings

After dining, gentlemen gathered in the next-door library, which doubled as George’s office.

Another huge mantle mirror sits above one of the nine fireplaces, none of which were wood burning, but delivered heat from the basement furnace. George’s original chess table stands out among the many treasures. “The chess table and pieces actually belonged to George, like other items donated back to the mansion,” Chilcoat said.

All of the bedrooms are upstairs. The horsehair chairs and lack of ceiling medallions were acceptable for family bedrooms, but certainly not fancy enough for the guests. In fact, Harriet spent more money on the guest bedroom than on her own master bedroom. In the master, Harriet tended to household business and regularly wrote love letters to

and special family events like Christmas were held here. You can also put a face to Harriet and George Fulton through their photographs on the parlor walls.

Across the hall, the family gathered and luxurious dinner parties were held in the dining room, which includes adjacent bay window seating. The dumbwaiter in the butler’s pantry brought up delicious creations from the basement kitchen.

Plenty of family members came to visit, with 16 grandchildren born between the four Fulton children.

George, who died in their large canopy bed on October 30, 1893, at age 83.

The mansion has two-and-ahalf bathrooms with hot and cold running water, three flush toilets and a septic tank. Rainwater filled huge basement cisterns for drinking water, and a thousand gallons were pumped back up into the tower cistern. Gravity fed the toilets, sinks and copper-lined tubs.

Other interesting exhibits are the toilet roll holder and onionskin toilet paper.

The exhibit room was pur-

posely left unrestored to highlight the condition of the mansion before restoration and other hidden attributes of the structure, such as horizontally stacked pine boards that created five-inchthick wooden walls and floors.

Construction tools and diagrams of the mansion’s innovations are also displayed.

Over the years, the Fulton Mansion has served as a private residence, a restaurant and even a backdrop for a trailer park. The RV Park remained in operation under different owners, until Texas Parks and Wildlife paid $150,000 to rescue the dilapidated mansion with cigarette tax funding in 1976. Between 1979 and 1983, the mansion was restored, and furnishings and fixtures from the 1870s were added.

Today, the Fulton Mansion State Historic Site is managed by the Texas Historical Commission (THC) and supported by the Friends of Fulton Mansion. The 6,200-square-foot mansion takes funding to stay well preserved as a Recorded Texas Historical Landmark. The mansion underwent a second, intensive $3.1 million restoration from 2013 to 2015. Hurricane Harvey hit the mansion in August of 2017, leading to another restoration that was finished in 2019. George originally built the mansion in 1877 for $100,000—equivalent to $2.2 million today.

“We couldn’t have reopened without the support from this community and many individual donors,” said Mark Wolfe, executive director of the historical commission, in a THC news release.

“The Fulton Mansion is ready to educate and entertain visitors and continue its positive impact on Aransas County and the Coastal Bend.”

After withstanding multiple hurricanes, termites, constant basement flooding and other issues, the Fulton Mansion stands triumphantly nearly 150 years after it was built, poised to educate generations to come.

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HANDS-ON Multimedia interactive displays, customs murals and replicas bring the story of San Felipe de Austin to life and intrigue visitors of all ages. | All Photos Courtesy THC

A Site To Behold

The provisional capital of the Austin Colony

by Bob McCullough

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f all the places to put down roots, the “Father of Texas” Stephen F. Austin chose a site on the Brazos River as the starting point for what was to become the Lone Star State.

Today, almost 200 years later, the San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site – just a couple of miles north of IH 10 near Sealy, west of Houston – marks the unofficial capital of Austin’s colony. A 10,000-squarefoot visitor center and museum that opened 24

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in 2018 vividly tell the story of Texas before it became a nation and ultimately the 28th state of the United States of America.

San Felipe de Austin served as the economic, social and political center of American immigration to Texas before independence, according to Bryan McAuley, manager of the site. However, it didn’t survive because residents torched the town as they fled the Mexican army in the Runaway Scrape of 1836. Yet San Felipe’s significance lives on thanks to the Texas

SEALY

INDEPENDENCE TRAIL REGION

DON’T MISS Visit Sealy visitsealy.com

San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site 220 2nd St. San Felipe, TX 77473 (979) 885-2181 Hours Wed-Sun from 10a.m. to 4p.m.

Historical Commission, which maintains 32 historically important sites statewide.

McAuley, who joined the Commission in 2008 and also manages the Fannin Battleground State Historic Site between Goliad and Victoria, says Austin had multiple reasons for settling on a defendable bluff overlooking the Brazos. “Along with its access to water and its beauty, the site was conveniently located among several existing crossroads,” he said. “Specifically, San Felipe was on the Atascosito Trail from Goliad and also the National Road from San Antonio.”

As San Felipe grew in significance, it hosted important meetings that focused on strained relations with Mexico.

“Texans tend to process the Texas Revolution story from the perspective of the exciting – and sometimes tragic – battles that occurred between the fall of 1835 and spring of 1836,” McAuley said. “San Felipe de Austin’s story adds depth to those battles by showing the conflict that prompted them. Immigrants to Mexican Texas called political delegations together four times to discuss concerns. The first three occurred at San Felipe, and the final one was at Washington-on-the-Brazos when independence was declared.”

It’s also interesting that practically every historical figure related to the independence story – Sam Houston, William Travis, Jim Bowie, Juan Seguin, Santa Anna – have connections to the town.

The San Felipe de Austin State Historic Site visitor center displays hundreds of artifacts, including Austin’s field desk and printing equipment similar to that used in 1835-36 by the Baker and Borden printers.

McAuley calls it “the most famous print shop in Texas history, managed by the man who would invent condensed milk 20 years later.”

For visitors to thoroughly immerse

themselves in the San Felipe de Austin saga, McAuley recommends setting aside up to 90 minutes. In addition to its permanent gallery, the site offers a temporary gallery for rotating exhibits. A significant outdoor exhibit of representative structures, designed to help visitors understand the architecture of San Felipe, is scheduled to open later in 2021. It will include a walking trail to some of the known building sites on the grounds.

McAuley appreciates those who thought it important to preserve San Felipe de

Austin and its significance in the Texas saga.

“The exciting thing about history right now is that we’re entering an inclusive phase where stories that were omitted, edited out or forgotten can be discovered, re-evaluated and used to improve our overall understanding of what came before,” he said. “The Texas independence story is a resonant one that’s important to the histories of the United States and the Republic of Mexico.”

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LOCAL

c i ty l i g h ts

A Tejano Treasure

by Bob McCullough

I

t’s a somewhat-hard-to-find oasis in the shadow of downtown San Antonio, but those who do locate the Casa Navarro State Historic Site enrich themselves with knowledge of an important chapter of the Texas story.

The site celebrates the life and legacy of José Antonio Navarro, a rancher, merchant and one of two native-born Texans to sign the Texas Declaration of Independence. “It’s off the beaten path for most tourists,” said Georgia Ruiz Davis, site manager since 2013. “So, most people either look us up ahead of time and find us on purpose or happen upon us by accident.”

Three bright, white adobe and limestone buildings totaling some 3,500 square feet – the main house, a separate kitchen building and a two-story mercantile – comprise the quarter-acre complex at Nueva and Laredo streets. What really stands out is a colorful ceramic tile mural by noted San Antonio artist Jesse Treviño on the exterior of 26

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SAN ANTONIO

INDEPENDENCE TRAIL REGION

HISTORIC JEWEL From a modern-day ceramic tile mural to the 1850s adobe and limestone structures and a historic portrait, Casa Navarro celebrates the life and accomplishments of José Antonio Navarro. | Photos Courtesy THC

the south wall.

“Most of our visitors are tourists from somewhere other than San Antonio,” Davis said. “In the winter months, we get visitors from outside Texas. I love it when it’s cold and blustery, and visitors from Wisconsin, Minnesota and the Dakotas breeze in like it’s just a crisp fall day.”

The Casa also welcomes school groups, thanks to help from the Friends of Casa Navarro support organization. They provide a bus-fee reimbursement program for local school districts so 4th and 7th graders can tour the site. Drop-in visitors take self-guided tours averaging 45 minutes and including videos in the exhibit areas.

“Of our three structures, the kitchen building is a visitor favorite,” Davis said. “Kids love it because we have a lot of fake food they can play with, and there’s a long table with benches where they can sit and pretend. Just outside the back porch is a garden in which we grow vegetables for use in our educational programs.”

The well-maintained buildings provide peeks into what Navarro’s life may have been like. He’s credited not only with helping Texas gain its independence from Mexico, but also with directly benefitting the lives of other Tejanos, or Texans of Hispanic descent. His former residence offers a further glimpse of the neighborhood that used to exist there – Laredito, or Little Laredo – up through the 1950s.

The transition from residential property to state historic site began in the 1960s when the San Antonio Conservation Society acquired it from a private owner.

After much-needed restoration, the Casa opened to the public in 1964. In the mid-1970s, the State of Texas purchased the site and ultimately transferred it to the Texas Historical Commission on Jan. 1, 2008. Casa Navarro earned a Texas State Historic Landmark designation in 1962, a spot on the National Register of historic Places in 1972 and recognition as a National Historic Landmark in 2016.

Casa Navarro, like all public spaces, has faced challenges wrought by the COVID-19 health emergency. It was forced to close not only because of the pandemic, but also due to nearby construction. This includes demolition of the old Bexar County jail to make way for a new federal courthouse and a major restoration project along San Pedro Creek. In the meantime, Casa staffers are creating online webinars and Facebook tutorials for interested “visitors.”

When construction concludes, Casa Navarro might very well see a boost in visitation because it complements other San Antonio historical locales like the five Spanish missions that comprise a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so designated in 2015.

“Casa Navarro is truly an important site, not just because of the contributions made by Navarro,” Davis said. “There are so few structures dedicated to the Tejano experience that Casa Navarro is increasingly important in the experience we offer visitors and the stories we tell.”

DON’T MISS Visit San Antonio

visitsanantonio.com Casa Navarro 228 S. Laredo St. San Antonio, TX 78207 (210) 226-4801 UNESCO World HeritageSite

worldheritagesa.com Missions National Historical Park

nps.gov/saan

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A U T H E N T I C

P E R S O N

JOHN L. NAU III C H A M P I O N

By Margaret Hoogstra

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O F

T E X A S

H I S T O R Y

ADVOCATE PHILANTHROPIST

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WORDS used to describe John L. Nau III include successful business executive, inspiring leader, citizen advocate, collector, philanthropist, conservationist, and tireless champion for historic preservation and the study of history.

Like many transplanted Texans, it took John Nau a few years to get to the Lone Star state. He grew up in the “Land of Lincoln” and has lived in various states including Georgia, Michigan and Missouri; however, in January of 1987 he seized an opportunity and moved from Florida to Houston, Texas. Nau has participated in civic, community, and philanthropic organizations in Houston, Texas and throughout the United States.

Mark Wolfe, executive director of the Texas Historical Commission, states, “Chairman Nau is passionate about history, particularly military history, but he has a true fascination with the story of Texas. You can tell that it inspires him. And it isn’t enough for him to be inspired, he has a sincere desire to share that inspiration with others, particularly with young Texans who can benefit from the stories our historic sites have to tell.”

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Opener: Photos courtesy of Troy Myatt, Steven Lyons, Cody Mobley Below: Photos of Caddo Indian Mounds and Texas Historic Marker courtesy of Troy Myatt Right: Photo of John Nau interview courtesy of Steven Lyons

Growing up in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, John Nau’s father was a salesman who traveled all over the middle part of the country – and sometimes, Nau was able to accompany his dad.

While Nau credits those trips with sparking an interest in American history, he says it was a family trip with a tour of the Perryville Civil War Battlefield in Kentucky that really started his quest to understand American history and especially the Civil War era.

Like many teenagers, a family trip helped determine his choice of college. Nau is a 1968 graduate of the University of Virginia where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in history.

Following service in the U.S. Marine Corps, Nau was hired by the Coca Cola Company; thus began the corporate journey with moves from one state to another. Over time, he became known for being able to turn a company around.

In 1983, Nau’s professional career had an abrupt change. As he says, “It was a bad experience with a good outcome.” As a result, he went to work for Anheuser-Busch. Within a few years, Nau had the opportunity to purchase a distributorship in Houston. Nau asserts, “It wasn’t just a business decision; it was an opportunity. It was the right thing to do. In January of ’87, I moved from Florida to Texas.”

It took time to become personally steeped in Texas culture and heritage. He states, “The first two to three years, I was immersed in turning the company around. By ’90, I took a deep breath and began to visit places I had read about. Two of them have stuck with me, the Alamo and the San Jacinto battlefield. I got to experience other places and I would say the mix of the culture, the spirit of the individual and the mythology of Texas captivated me.”

IF YOU LOOK BACKWARD, YOU’RE GOING TO RUN INTO SOMETHING. YOU’VE GOT TO KEEP LOOKING FORWARD TO THE OPPORTUNITY – WHAT’S THE OPPORTUNITY? – JOHN L. NAU III

Nau also began seeking ways to make a difference. He shares, “The company was doing really well; I had a good team and good people had joined us. Now it was about how am I going to give back to the Houston region and the state of Texas.”

Nau says he became aware of “the Puritan Ethic” while at the University of Virginia. “While I don’t believe I could follow the strictness or the lifestyle, the concept of good living and giving back stuck with me. Whether it’s helping people in trouble through the food bank or having the ability to help on the study of elderly brain functions, or in the case of here [serving on the Texas Historical Commission] –giving back was a way of saying thanks and extending appreciation; the Christian ethic is that you give help to those that need help.”

Since that time, John Nau has been giving back to the citizens of Texas in a variety of ways but especially with regard to Texas history, historic preservation and heritage tourism. Now serving in his 22nd year, Nau was appointed to the Texas Historical Commission (THC) in 1993; from 1995 to 2009, he served as the Commission’s chairman. In 2015, Governor Greg Abbott re-appointed him to his current role as THC Chairman.

Describing the impact of Nau’s leadership with the THC, Wolfe says, “Some of our agency’s most impressive, award-winning programs were adopted under John Nau’s leadership. The Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program and the Texas Heritage Trails Program are probably at the top of that list. Also, we were the first state to create an entire program to erect markers to tell the stories of underrepresented people whose achievements had, for centuries, been swept under the carpet. Chairman Nau made that program [Undertold Markers] a reality. He worked closely with legislative leadership and with our partners at Texas Parks and Wildlife to transfer state historic sites from TPWD to the THC, allowing TPWD to focus attention on natural and recreational parks and allowing THC to take historic places SPRING/SUMMER 2021

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determine if it is appropriate for a particular place to be designated as a state historic site. First, does a site rise to importance at the state level? Then, is there any other place within the state inventory that is telling that story? Even though the state is geographically huge, you can’t eat up all your resources telling just a couple of stories. For example, the Charles and Mary Ann Goodnight House in the Panhandle near Claude is the newest state historic site – it’s a classic prairie house and tells the story of cattleman Charles Goodnight and his wife. Look at the house that was built in the middle of nowhere; the two of them must have been a couple!”

to a new level of quality interpretation.

Programs throughout the agency have benefited from John’s wisdom and experience.”

Nau concurs that the Historic Courthouse Preservation Program, the Texas Heritage Trails Program and oversight of the State Historic Sites have become the agency’s signature programs.

He maintains, “They’re not the only programs that have evolved and grown.

Whether you are a university, state agency, a federal agency, or even a big private company, you have to have signature something . . . whether brands, trademarks . . . but in this case programs.”

According to the THC website: Texas has more historic courthouses than any other state—242 are still in active government use. With decades or even centuries of use, most of these structures have significantly deteriorated due to inadequate maintenance, insensitive modifications, or weather-related damage.

This nationally recognized and awardwinning program provides partial matching grants, and has turned around the trend of disrepair and begun restoring these treasured historic landmarks. To date, the program has funded 70 Texas courthouse restorations, another 29 courthouses have undertaken emergency or planning work with grant funds, and 25 grants were awarded to update approved 32

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preservation Master Plans.

Nau comments: “I became a big fan of courthouses as a kid. Courthouses and state capitols are seats of government.

Courthouses are where you register birth, register marriage, and register death.

Many people will never leave their county; and in Texas, there are county ties that go back for generations. The individual that put life into this was not me but then-Governor George Bush; that became one of his legacy programs to the state. To the credit of the staff, the integrity of this program is 100%.”

According to the THC website: The THC’s Historic Sites Division oversees 32 historic properties located throughout the state. Staff members provide expertise in archeology, architecture, curation, interpretation, and marketing. The sites range from Native American ceremonial mounds to grand Victorian mansions to sprawling frontier forts.

Nau comments: “At the state level, Texas has an incredible myriad of historic threads. Credit is due especially to the site managers. They are dedicated. They know the history of the site, and they know the local people. There’s a focus on historical accuracy and storytelling. But they need resources and the ability to promote their site as part of a larger narrative. Many times there is a friends group and that support needs to be embraced.

There are several factors that

Since 1968 blue and white highway signs have directed the traveler along scenic routes to charming communities and noted historic sites. Established as an economic development initiative, the program encourages local preservation efforts, utilizes partnerships and engages in marketing projects to increase visitation and generate more dollars for Texas communities. This Heritage Trails Program has received national recognition.

Nau shares: “With a possible close second in Massachusetts or Virginia, there’s no other state that has the breadth of history of Texas. It is worth not just protecting, but also helping to communicate. I think if there was one thing over the past 20-some years that has changed, it is that the Commission has

The Texas Historical Commission is composed of 15 members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate. Members serve overlapping six-year terms; they must be citizens of Texas, and together represent all geographical areas of Texas. The Commission meets quarterly.

Left: Throckmorton County Courthouse, photo courtesy of Authentic Texas Below: Quanah Parker Trail Marker, photo courtesy of Troy Myatt Right: Photo of John Nau at Real Places Heritage Travel Conference 2021

gone from having a mindset of just protecting to promoting – to reaching out and embracing the idea that we want people here.

Come to the historic sites. Look at the pamphlets. The discussion on creating the Heritage Trails Program really showed me the breadth of knowledge and the real love of state among all the other commissioners at that time. That was our first organized approach in heritage tourism beyond the Alamo. There is a bigger and more noticeable economic impact from heritage tourism in middle- and small-sized towns than in the big cities – the big guys. So that also started us on the combination of preservation and promoting.”

JOHN NAU HAS SERVED IN CIVIC, COMMUNITY, AND PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATIONS TO INCLUDE: • National Park Foundation Board of Directors • American Battlefield Trust Board of Directors • Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation Board of Directors • Baylor College of Medicine Board of Trustees

Nau shares, “There’s an old adage that ‘all politics are local’; I would marry that to ‘all history starts locally.’”

He continues, “Advocacy is converting someone’s personal interest and passion into a governmental platform – whether that is your mayor, your county commissioner, state representative or your state senator. Be factbased. Try to deal with dollars and cents; what is the economic impact? How many people came to visit and how many spent the night in hotels or ate in local restaurants?

Talk about the educational impact; what’s the number of school kids visiting? Especially kids in the grades where TX history is taught. And this cannot be just a person. There has to be a group. For example, the “friends of the courthouse.”

• Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Board of Trustees • University of Houston Board of Visitors • Honorary Trustee of Texas Heart Institute • Honorary State Trustee of San Antonio Parks Foundation • Director of the Greater Houston Partnership • Advisory Council member to the Center for Big Bend Studies • Board Member for San Antonio Zoo, Center for Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park, Houston Police Foundation, and The Admiral Nimitz Foundation.

• Honorary Chairman, Steering Committee for the proposed Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area • Founder and President of The Nau Foundation

With regard to visiting THC operated historic sites, Nau recommends, “When you visit a state historic site, if you see areas for improvement – maybe you’ve seen something done differently somewhere else or you wish we had done something differently – make a suggestion. Where there is value and it was worth your time, let us know that as well.”

• Chairman of the National Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, 2001-2010 • Board member of University of Virginia Board of Visitors, 2011 - 2015

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A U T H E N T I C

T H I N G

SAN JACIN TO THE BATTLE AND THE MONUMENT

by Bill O’Neal

T

All Photos Courtesy THC

he San Jacinto Monument is a towering tribute to a spectacular military triumph. The Battle of San Jacinto was a landmark in Texas history, an unexpected victory by a revolutionary army of citizensoldiers in retreat who abruptly turned on their pursuers. Regular soldiers commanded by a president-general who styled himself the “Napoleon of the West” were routed by a ragtag militia led by General Sam Houston. With Texas independence thus seized on the field of San Jacinto, it was almost inevitable that a suitably awe-inspiring commemoration would be erected on that same field.

The spring of 1836 was a desperate time for Texas settlers. Since October 1835 there had been armed clashed between “Texians” and the forces of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, the dictatorial presidente of Mexico.

A Declaration of Independence was signed on March 2, 1836, and Sam Houston affixed his bold signature – by a historical coincidence – on his 43rd birthday. Houston was a former U.S. congressman and governor of Tennessee. He had been a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army for five years, was thrice wounded at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, and served as major general of the Tennessee State Militia.

With his background and formidable presence, Houston was appointed major general of the Texas Army.

But on March 6 the Alamo fell to Santa Anna, and every man in the garrison was slain. Three weeks later at Goliad, nearly 400 Texian prisoners were executed on the orders of Santa Anna. He launched his army eastward toward the population of Anglo settlers, who fled toward Louisiana. The “Runaway Scrape” was made worse by incessant rains that flooded every stream.

The volunteers collected by Houston represented the only hope for revolutionary Texas. He found 374 men camped in Gonzales, hoping that someone would lead them to the relief of the Alamo. But the very day of Houston’s arrival, word came of the disaster at the Alamo and that Santa Anna was on the march. Houston had no intention of fighting a large army of regulars with his untrained volunteers. He ordered a night march to the east, the beginning of a strategic retreat that would last for six weeks. Desertions occurred at the beginning and throughout his evasive march. But Houston issued a call for volunteers, with the promise of land grants from the new government, and Texian men responded by the hundreds.

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Twice Houston was able to halt his column: for eight days at Beason’s Ford on the Colorado River and for a fortnight at the plantation of Jared Groce on the Brazos River. On both occasions Houston took the opportunity to drill his men, not for parade ground performance, but to make battlefield soldiers of them.

Houston knew it was essential for his raw volunteers to be able to advance in lines and fire by volley and execute other battlefield maneuvers. Houston also formed a company of about 40 mounted “spies,” as scouts were called. This band of hard-riding backwoodsmen provided a steady stream of information flowing into headquarters throughout the campaign.

But Santa Anna became contemptuous of his retreating adversary. He split his advancing army into five divisions, hoping that at least one column would make contact with Houston’s army. Of course, this gave Houston the chance to do battle against a single division of an army of thousands.

In mid-April Santa Anna learned that members of the interim Texas government, who were fleeing the Mexican forces, had paused at Harrisburg. The Napoleon of the West hastened forward with 750 men, only to learn that the officials he hoped to capture already had moved on. Notified by his scouts, Houston pounced. He executed a forced march with 1,000 men and the “Twin Sisters,” two 6-pounders that were a gift from the people of Cincinnati and that recently had reached his little army. Almost 200 men fell out during the final night of the push, but by April 20 Houston was in position to intercept Santa Anna’s column.

Houston addressed his army. “Victory is certain, “ he boomed out in closing. “Trust in God and fear not.

And remember the Alamo! Remember the Alamo!”

The general positioned his men in timber that lined the east bank of Buffalo Bayou. The Twin Sisters were unlimbered and placed at the edge of the oak grove.

Early in the afternoon the Mexican column appeared, impressive with uniformed infantry, mounted lancers, and marching music from drums and bugles.

Mexican scouts reported that the Texas Army was in the line of march. Santa Anna positioned his lone artillery piece, a brass 12-pounder, and began to pepper the oak grove with grapeshot. Houston answered with the Twin Sisters, while Col. Sidney Sherman led the “cavalry” – about 60 mounted riflemen – in a probe toward the 12-pounder. But Santa Anna’s lancers charged, and the mounted Texans raced back to cover.

Santa Anna established camp several hundred yards east of the Texian position. Behind his camp was timber and Peggy Lake, surrounded by marsh. To the north was more timber and marsh and the San Jacinto River – all severe impediments to retreat. Santa Anna’s spacious marquee stood in the midst of rows of tents.

Fearing that the Texians might launch a dawn attack on April 21, Santa Anna ordered his men to erect a barricade in front of the camp. The soldados spent most of the night arranging supply crates, saddles, and brush into a ramshackle fortification about 5 feet high.

But Houston had stayed up deep into the night discussing the unfamiliar terrain with his scouts, and he 36

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slept late. At mid-morning General Martín to the south. surveyed and purchased, and the San Perfecto de Cos marched his division of Eight Texians died and about two dozen Jacinto Battleground became a new state 550 men into Santa Anna’s camp. Now the were wounded, including Houston, whose park in 1897. Although the Texas Veterans Mexican soldados outnumbered the ankle was shattered by a copper ball.

Association disbanded in 1907, the DRT Texians.

Houston reported 630 Mexican dead and exerted unrelenting pressure to erect a At noon on April 21 Houston’s senior 730 captives, including 208 wounded. suitable monument. officers stated their desire to fight on the About 1,100 Mexican weapons, hundreds Jesse H. Jones was a successful builder defensive from the cover of the trees. But of horses and mules, and nearly $12,000 in who was responsible for a majority of the Houston knew that his men were spoiling silver were seized. Houston ordered the big buildings in downtown Houston. He for a fight and that company after compamoney distributed among his men, the only agreed to serve as chairman of the 1936 ny had voted to attack. He ordered an payment the soldiers would receive aside Texas Centennial Celebrations, and a San assault for mid-afternoon. By that time of from land grants.

Jacinto Monument became a major part day Santa Anna was convinced there would Santa Anna was captured the next day. of his vision. The design was created by be no Texian attack until the next morning.

To avoid lynching he signed a disastrous architect Alfred C. Finn, along with engiSanta Anna’s men had worked through the treaty, acknowledging the independence of neer Robert J. Cummins, who had to solve night on the barricade, while problems posed by a base with the soldados of Cos had a high-water table. Deservedly, marched all night. The the monument was designated Mexican camp settled down for a Historic Civil Engineering a siesta.

Landmark in 1992. W.S. Houston, astride a white Bellows Construction erected stallion named Saracen, the monument. marched his men in columns Fittingly, construction comup the grassy rise toward the menced on the centennial date enemy camp. Halfway to the of the battle, April 21, 1936, camp the columns deployed and the cornerstone was laid into a line of battle 900 yards exactly one year later. On April wide and two ranks deep. The JESSE JONES AND 21, 1939, Jesse Jones and drilling during the strategic Andrew Jackson Houston, sole ANDREW JACKSON HOUSTON, retreat now paid off. surviving son of “Old Sam Mexican sentries at last SOLE SURVIVING SON OF Jacinto,” dedicated the monuopened fire, and some of the ment. Funding for the $1.5 “ O L D S A M J A C I N T O ,” Texians shot back. Houston million project was provided by shouted for a volley, and the D E D I C AT E D the Texas State Legislature and attackers fired in unison at the U.S. Congress. A nonprofit T H E M O N U M E N T. close range. Brigadier General organization, the San Jacinto Manuel Fernández Castrìllon Museum of History Association, was killed. Also killed or has operated the monument wounded were nine Mexican and museum since the colonels, five lieutenant colobeginning. nels, two majors, 12 captains, The San Jacinto Monument and 13 lieutenants. Leaderless stands just over 567 feet tall, soldados became a disorgaalmost 13 feet higher than the nized rabble.

Washington Monument. Listed The Texians charged with a as a National Historical furious battle cry: “Remember the Alamo!” the Republic of Texas, granting enormous Landmark, it is the tallest masonry column With no time to reload, the Texians territorial concessions, and ordering all in the world. The base of the column is 48 clubbed their rifles and wielded Bowie Mexican troops to march back into Mexico. feet square, narrowing to 30 feet square at knives. The Twin Sisters blasted apart the Houston, often called “Old Sam Jacinto,” the observation deck. The octagonal colflimsy barricade. “The conflict in the was elected president of the fledgling umn is topped by a 220-ton, 34-foot high breastwork lasted but a few moments,” Republic of Texas. He later served as U.S. star, emblematic of the Texas Lone Star. In reported Houston, “. . . our riflemen used senator and governor of the Lone Star 1990 the base of the monument was renotheir pieces as war-clubs, breaking many of State. vated to accommodate the San Jacinto them off at the breach.”

Such a triumphant feat of arms Museum of History and the 160-seat Jesse The Mexican encampment was seized demanded commemoration. In 1856, 20 H. Jones Theatre for Texas Studies. On the in less than 20 minutes, but slaughter went years after the famous battle, lobbying west side a reflecting pool, 200 feet wide by on for an hour. Houston and several of his efforts at the state legislature were unsuc1,750 feet long, mirrors the entire column. officers tried to halt the killing, but the cessful. During the 1890s the Texas The San Jacinto Monument is a Texasmen were filled with pent-up blood lust.

Veterans Association and the newly orgasized tribute to a monumental victory by Santa Anna, viewing the collapse of his nized Daughters of the Republic of Texas Texas patriots. army, mounted his horse and galloped off (DRT) lobbied further. The battle area was

On April 21, 1939,

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Photo by porqueno / Adobe Stock 307781705

REMEMBER THE

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A L A MO?

by Alan C. Huffines

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“THE ALAMO”, map, Date Unknown; University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History; credit Star of the Republic Museum.

t’s an odd-looking set of buildings. A single story convento and a broken church (it was never a chapel) with a Moorish Taco-Bell façade that is recognizable globally. So much so that the humps have been copyrighted by the current management of the place. But in its plainness, there is beauty and some form of magnetism.

A tragedy occurred here, a sound defeat of the Texian and Tejano defenders courtesy of the soldados of President-General Antonio López de Santa Anna’s Division of the North.

Shakespeare couldn’t have imagined it—the descendants of Germano-Celtic Protestants fighting the descendants of Iberio-Celtic Catholics. In a church, on a Sunday and before Mass.

The Alamo is not only history, it is Creation Myth, it is a religion. There are sacred texts, patriarchs, a Trinity, a Madonna and a Christ child. All overcoming a Lesser Satan in the almost anagram: Santa Anna. It also becomes a search for a Holy Land nestled within a David and Goliath framework with Texians and Tejanos garrisoned in their adobe and rock Tabernacle whilst other tribesmen drafted the new God-given Decalogue in Washington Town.

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The Alamo is the Last Stand narrative.

There are other Last Stands in history: the Hot Gates, Camarón, Wake Island, Masada, Khyber Pass and Saragarhi come to mind and each nation and people are justly proud of their particular sacrifice on the battlefield. But there’s a difference; with few exceptions these Last Stands were fought by professional soldiers who had the unity of esprit, training and duty to bind them. Not so with our Sad Stones of the Alamo where the defenders spake different languages, practiced different religions and had cultures and accents spreading from Rhode Island to the Río Guadalupe at least.

Colonists of a decade or less mixed with native-born Tejanos who had no living family memory or experience outside of Texas, and Mexico was further away, in many ways, than the Thirteen Colonies were from Great Britain. The defenders had no commonalty of professionalism, certainly no martial discipline or esprit.

The defenders’ connectivity was a reliance upon self, family and non-conformity to tyranny; in their minds, that was Duty and that was enough. Honor was a debt they owed their friends and family—their word.

Sacrifice was the very cornerstone of the religion they’d been raised with and it was vital to their sense of self that, if ever cornered, not to back down.

And it is precisely that Duty and resistance to tyranny that Texans celebrate to this day and hopefully into tomorrow.

Two years out of twelve of public education are devoted to Texas history, every school child daily Pledges Allegiance to Texas and we name our children Travis (and Austin); we debate endlessly The Line or Crockett’s Last Stand and accuse each other of not being true Texans (horrors!) if one disagrees with the other over such covenants and canon.

Now the Alamo is grudgingly marching into the 21st century and Texans cannot agree on whether to defend it as it is, or significantly recreate the 1836 footprint complete with restoration of buildings, cannon in battery, a gate and a world-class museum. Due to the unfortunate iconoclasm of our time where every statue and historical marker seems at risk, it’s no wonder so many Texans are rightly concerned with all this business to include the proposed movement of the Alamo Cenotaph approximately 500 feet south.

Why do Texans revere the Alamo and how does it relate to the identification of Texas and Texans? Gonzáles was not the hotbed of Anahuac or San Felipe; it was an

example of moderation. Green DeWitt had even named the village, in 1825, for the then-governor of Coahuila y Texas. The colonists were determined to be good citizens of their new home. Even when their Sheriff Jesse McCoy was beaten by soldados there were no demands placed on Mexican authorities, other than asking for an apology.

Completing their organization and victualling for the journey, at about 2:00 pm on February 27, the Gonzáles Ranging Company of Mounted Volunteers of La Colonia de DeWitt de Coahuila y Texas de Republica Federal de México departed their homes, stock farms and cotton fields for the last time to answer Travis’ call. They had, in essence, “thrown themselves to the bears.”

When a call arrives, circumstances seemingly always provide reasons to excuse oneself—the crop is due, it’s hog killing time, my wife is expecting, Comanches, banditry, thievery and so on. (Banditry and thievery were indeed a most pressing concern. Just the previous November, Courier Smithers had been badly beaten in Gonzales by recent volunteers from “the old states” while defending Susannah Dickenson and her infant daughter.) They had not received a new clarification message from Travis, yet the colonists

adopted no “wait and see” attitude. How did they weigh the fear, the risk against the measure of Duty and Honor? They heard the call, saddled up and rode to the sound of the guns.

The example of Gonzales takes away all excuses – an expectant wife, a mother who is blind, teenage boys arguing with their fathers about who should stay and who should go. Those that were soon to become widows or childless encouraged their men to march to the Alamo. The oldest was 44 and the company included four teenagers.

Thirty-two filthy men on filthy horses had answered the call for reinforcements, the only known colony to do so. No generals or great captains rode with them and those in charge had merely been chosen as a first among equals. These men were freemen and not government hirelings set to a task.

They tried for hours in the dark and cold to locate the Alamo, but they were lost in the light mist and cloudy dark and could not determine one set of structures from another. It wasn’t rainy but the high humidity and near freezing temperature produced a dreadful discomfort—feet were unfeeling and thick inside the stirrups and those without gloves, and even those with, could barely control their reins and they were cloaked or coated against the terrible SPRING/SUMMER 2021

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DEFENDERS OF THE ALAMO Photograph of a side view of the Cenotaph.

It includes sculptures of a group of people standing together with several manning a cannon on the left; the space below is etched with the Alamo Defender’s names. | Courtesy of Portal to Texas History

North Wind. Added to the physical misery of beasts and men was the frustration of being so near their destination, yet it was hidden to them and the thoughts of warming fires and blankets and the fear of Mexican Cavalry must’ve added to their emotions.

Soon, and strangely enough, an English (or Englishman) speaking man hailed them from beside the road and offered to escort them into the Alamo. They followed but only for a few moments when they detected perfidy and the escort galloped away into the night. They continued riding west and closer to the town when they hit the San Antonio River; a quick turn north and they discovered the Alamo.

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of childbirth of that era. Andrew Kent argued with his son, David, about who was going to Bexar. The elder overruled the younger. But 16-year old William King won the argument with his pa, John King, and when he rode into the Alamo that morning, he had only five days to live.

Most of what people know about the Alamo is false and they rely on oral tradition more so than what is read. They remember the first things heard or movies they’ve seen and that becomes fact as surely as the Burning Bush. It’s frustrating but that is the power of oral history—it’s more important what Gospel one hears around a campfire than what one reads at night next to an oil lamp, But what is consistent with both traditions are the virtues of Duty, Honor and Sacrifice.

DON’T MISS Visit San Antonio visitsanantonio.com The Alamo Misión San Antonio de Valero

300 Alamo Plaza San Antonio, TX 78205 (210) 225-1391

thealamo.org

Hours/Admission The Alamo Church, gift shop, and grounds are open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. To visit the inside of the Alamo Church, visitors will need to claim a free timed ticket.

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Forts an d b at t l e f i e l d s

Texans th e n a n d n ow

E at s & D r i n ks

Art

Places where soldiers defended the frontier and men fought for freedom

Ponder the art, dwellings and lives of Texans who have gone before us

Start your own Panhandle tradition of stopping at Leal’s

Cody Mobley documents present-day events with 1850s-era photography

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Minding the Fort These five Texas forts helped shape the Texas frontier.

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hen the Republic of Texas became the 28th state in 1846, the responsibility for defending the vast frontier shifted from the undermanned and poorly resourced independent nation to the United States and its professional military. Indeed, one of the attractions for statehood was the security and federal protection the U. S. could provide. The previous three centuries of exploration and settlement had created dozens of French, Mexican, Spanish and Texas Republic

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forts and presidios, but by the late 1840s the Texas frontier was shifting, and the War Department quickly sent troops to establish and secure a new frontier line.

Between 1846 and the late 1870s, the United States Army built or rebuilt dozens of forts across central and West Texas, starting with Fort Martin Scott near Fredericksburg in 1848 and ending with Fort Elliot between Pampa and Mobeetie in 1875.

Many of these frontier forts survive — some as impressive historic sites and museums

by Robert F. Bluthardt

THE MIST OF TIME Beneath the blue sky stretching across the horizon, Fort McKavett’s ruins and white-washed buildings dot the top of a hill. | Courtesy THC

FORTIFIED Re-enactors pass time playing period board games. (upper left) A chimney sentinel stands guard and Fort Lancaster (right) Cold winter winds easily blew through the enlisted men’s quarters at Fort Griffin. | All Photos Courtesy THC

DON’T MISS Fort Leaton State Historic Site FM170 E. Presidio, TX 79845 (432) 229-3613

Visit Presidio presidiotx.us Fort Lancaster State Historic Site — and five are managed by two state agencies: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the Texas Historical Commission (THC). These five state-managed sites are Fort Leaton near Presidio, Fort Lancaster near Sheffield, Fort McKavett near Menard, Fort Griffin near Albany and Fort Richardson in Jacksboro. Established as state historic sites in 1968 (though some have previous histories as public sites) all five were managed by TPWD. In 2008, the State Legislature re-assigned Forts Lancaster, McKavett and Griffin, along with many other state historic sites, to the Texas Historical Commission, where they remain today.

Five miles southeast of Presidio, Fort Leaton represents a hybrid site with a rich civilian as well as military history. Located on a bluff overlooking the Rio Grande, the current facility represents the home, store and pri-

vate fort of Chihuahua Trail freighter Ben Leaton, erected on some old ruins of a Spanish fort.

The site makes an immediate impression, greeting guests who have driven many challenging miles on Texas Route 170 that hugs the river. While never an official U. S. Army post, Fort Leaton appears on military maps of the pre-Civil War era. Today’s restored fort features many period interiors, nature trails and a visitor center within a stout, adobe-built facility.

Moving 225 miles northeast, one approaches Fort Lancaster, 30 miles west of Ozona in Crockett County. Established by the 1st U. S Infantry in 1855, Lancaster protected the “lower” San Antonio-El Paso Road. Take the US 290 cutoff from Interstate 10 from the Ozona side and you can appreciate the challenges any stagecoach driver or mule skinner had as you drop down very quickly into the lower basin. The U.S.

Army’s “camel corps” experiment passed through here in 1857.

Abandoned by the Army in 1861 to the Confederacy, the site was re-garrisoned after the Civil War. The Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th Cavalry fought a major skirmish here against the Kickapoo and Comanchero raiders in 1867.

Today’s site features many ghostly ruins, a new visitor center and a silence peaceful to today’s visitors but probably unsettling to those stationed there.

Maintain a steady eastward tack for 100 miles and you will find Fort McKavett at the headwaters of the San Saba about 20 miles west of Menard. Established by the 8th U. S. Infantry in 1852, McKavett represents both a preand post-Civil War fort, since this region needed a military presence until the post’s closure in 1883.

General Sherman, who never had many compliments about the Lone Star State, tagged it as “the prettiest post in Texas.” Most

Ft Lancaster Rd. Sheffield, TX 79781 (432) 836-4391

Visit Menard menardchamber.com Fort McKavett State Historic Site

066 FM 864 Fort McKavett, TX 76841 (325) 396-2358

Visit Albany albanytexas chamberofcommerce. wordpress.com Fort Griffin State Historic Site

1701 N. U.S. Hwy. 283 Albany, TX 76430 (325) 762-3592

Visit Jacksboro jacksborochamber.com Fort Richardson State Historic Site 228 Park Road 61 Jacksboro, TX 76458 (940) 567-3506

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guests will probably agree as the nearby San Saba, elevated location, refreshing breezes and lush (for West Texas) setting all create a pleasant visit. Many accurately restored and furnished buildings with a redesigned visitor center tell the site’s story.

Shifting north for 175 miles brings one to Fort Griffin, 20 miles north of Albany. Home to the state’s official longhorn herd, Griffin represents a post-Civil War post. The enlisted men’s quarters, now reconstructed, failed to shelter the men effectively from the cold winter northers that blasted across the open parade ground. Several stone buildings have been stabilized and rebuilt with excellent interpretative signs. An impressive new visitor center offers guest amenities, a gift store and educational exhibits.

March northeast for 75 miles and we end our journey at Fort Richardson, where famed commander Ranald MacKenzie spent some quality time in Texas. Like some other Texas forts (Concho and Stockton come to mind), Richardson supported a community in Jacksboro that survived and now thrives just north of the post. Fort Richardson’s post hospital has excellent period rooms that make you grateful for today’s medical care. A restored officers’ quarters and barracks were probably no more weathertight than Griffin’s. You’ll also find hiking trails and a convenient visitor center that covers the fort’s history. Both this site and Griffin have camping facilities nearby, so in the spirit of the frontier army you can establish base command here and go exploring.

All of these forts provide regular programs, but the pandemic has put most events on pause, so check schedules and hours before you visit. And be thankful you don’t have to travel on foot, horse or wagon as the troops did 140 years ago!

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MINDING THE FORT Living history events bring the post to life at Fort McKavett. (top) A visit to Fort Richardson’s post hospital educates young and old on how far medicine has advanced since frontier days. | Courtesy THC

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T rai l d r i v e DON’T MISS Visit Corpus Christi visitcorpuschristitx.org Lipantitlan State Historic Site Mathis, TX 78368 (361) 547-2635

Visit Fredericksburg visitfredericksburgtx.com National Museum of the Pacific War

311 E Austin St. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 (830) 997-8600

Visit Port Arthur visitportarthur.com Sabine Pass Battleground State Historic Site 6100 Dowling Rd. Port Arthur, TX 77641 (512) 463-7948

TAKING A STAND With attention to detail and authenticity re-enactors portray historic events in Goliad. | Courtesy THC

From the Texas Revolution to World War II Battlegrounds tell the story of the state’s history and its people’s contributions

by Donald S. Frazier

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exas has been squabbled about, claimed and counter-claimed, and even fought over for most of its existence. This means that there are quite a few spots where the action happened. Today, museums, the Texas General Land Office, Texas Historical Commission and Texas Parks and Wildlife all lend a hand in keeping these historical places remembered. Here are a few worth visiting, and why the trip will be worth it.

Starting in South Texas, the important crossing of the Nueces River at Lipantitlan is managed by the Texas Historical Commission and marks the site of a 50

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simple earthen fort that at one time housed 100 men and four cannons. Mexican troops built the works in 1831, and Texian revolutionaries took it in 1835. The post served as a convenient camping site for armies crossing the region and was the scene of a second battle, this time in 1842 between Republic of Texas forces and Mexican invaders.

Heading north, stop to see the various attractions at Goliad. Texas Parks and Wildlife operates Mission Espíritu Santo State Historic Site, a restored Spanish mission that was critical to the settlement of South Texas. Read more about Goliad on page 18.

Nearby is the Presidio de La Bahía, critical to the story

PLACES TO REMEMBER A national WWII museum grew out of the Nimitz Museum which was housed in the Nimitz Hotel in Fredericksburg. (top) A new generation of Texans remembers Goliad. (bottom) | Photos Courtesy THC

of Texas. It served as one of the key Spanish outposts in the region and figured in the Mexican War of Independence in 1813-14, and the Texas Revolution in 1835-36. It was here that Col. James Fannin and his 350-man army met their doom in what became known as The Goliad Massacre. Just outside the walls of La Bahía is the birthplace of Ignacio Zaragoza, the hero of the Mexican Battle of Puebla in 1862 — the reason Cinco de Mayo is celebrated.

On March 19, 1836, Mexican forces caught Fannin and his men out in the open as they were retreating from the Presidio La Bahía. In the ensuing Battle of Coleto Creek, Mexican gunners pummeled the Texians with artillery and Mexican lancers cut off all chance of escape. The Texians gave up in exchange for safe passage back to the United States. Instead, a week later, Mexican troops executed the prisoners and burned their bodies. The Texas Historical Commission operates this important battlefield as well as the nearby memorial to the slain.

Leaving South Texas behind, head up to the Hill Country and the National Museum of the Pacific

War in Fredericksburg. Why put the nation’s most important museum on the subject in Fredericksburg?

Because it was the birthplace of Admiral Chester Nimitz, the architect of Allied victory in the Pacific — even though he grew up and graduated high school in nearby Kerrville before leaving for the navy.

The family hotel originally housed the Nimitz Museum but the story of Chester Nimitz and his victory over the Japanese Empire needed a lot more room. It grew into the world-class National Museum of the Pacific War, complete with the vehicles, aircraft and parts of warships that, in their own way, constituted World War II battlefields as well. The first American victory over Japan, although small, involved the capture of a “midget” submarine that had taken part in the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. That vessel now occupies an important gallery in the museum, complete with sound and light show that tells the story of the opening battle of America’s involvement in WWII. There is a lot to see — plan to spend some time here. There is also a patrol torpedo boat (PT boat) on

exhibit and an outdoor amphitheater where battle recreations of the “Island Hopping Campaign” conducted by American forces are played out on scheduled weekends during the year.

Another Texas battlefield can be seen at Sabine Pass Battleground State Historic Site, operated by the Texas Historical Commission.

This park is south of Port Arthur and sits beside the busy channel that serves as the outlet of Sabine Lake and the Neches and Sabine rivers as they flow into the Gulf of Mexico.

Across the waterway is Louisiana.

During the Civil War, this was strategic ground. Union forces drove Confederates away from a fort built there in the fall of 1862. The Southerners came back in January 1863 and built a better earthwork.

That September, a sizable Union landing force of 5,000 troops in a dozenand-a-half transports, escorted by four gunboats, met a very unlikely defeat at the hands of a few dozen Texans from Houston under the command of Lt. Richard Dowling, an Irish-immigrant and saloon owner. This action prevented a Union occupation of Texas.

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BACK BEFORE TIME In 2016, volunteers at Caddo Mound helped build a replica of a large beehive-shaped grass house used by early Texans.

Destroyed by a tornado in 2019, volunteers hope to contstruct another hut soon. | Courtesy Troy Myatt

DON’T MISS

Historic Treasures of Ancient Texas

by Dolores Mosser

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exas has an impressive collection of historic properties and sites that offer a glimpse into how ancient Texans lived. The brightest “jewels” in this preservation treasure chest–Hueco Tanks, Seminole Canyon, Caddo Mounds, and Mission Dolores–go far back in time.

An estimated 18 million indigenous peoples lived throughout North America before the arrival of Europeans. In Central Texas, human timelines date back at least 15,000 years.

Their lifeways were determined by the environment, food resources, trade, and warfare. Ancient people were resourceful, spiritual, and artistic.

Hueco (pronounced Wa-co) Tanks State Park and Historic Site is located 32 miles east of El Paso in El Paso County. Hueco, or hollows in Spanish, are geological rock depressions capable of collecting rainwater. Overtime, the “tanks” attracted sojourners from Folsom man to military troops of the 1860s.

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Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site 6900 Hueco Tanks Road No. 1, El Paso, TX 79938 (915) 857-1135

Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site P.O. Box 820 Comstock, TX 78837 (Nine miles west of Comstock on U.S. 90) (432) 292-4464

Caddo Mounds State Historic Site 1649 State Highway 21 West, Alto, TX 75925 (936) 858-3218

Mission Dolores State Historic Site

701 S. Broadway St. San Augustine, TX 75972 (936) 275-3815 Call to reserve a campsite.

Interpretive displays and exhibits shed light on Mission Delores. | Courtesy THC

Today, visitors come to see the legendary pictographs, or rock paintings.

Hundreds of abstract drawings, created between 6,000 B.C and 450 A.D, represent man, plants, animals, and geometric shapes. A date, “1849,” was the first evidence of “graffiti.” Visitors can enjoy camping, hiking, birdwatching, and the new sport of “bouldering” – rock climbing without ropes.

Ancient art is the main attraction at Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site. This park, located near Comstock, the Pecos River Bridge and Lake Amistad in Val Verde County, is overseen by the Seminole Canyon Archeological District. This organization protects the habitat and hundreds of ancient pictographs and artifacts.

Ten thousand years ago, Pecos River natives hunted mammoths. Subsequent hunters drove bison off the cliffs at kill sites. Artwork, some 8,000 years old, is referred to as “Pecos River Style.”

Visitors can tour Fate Bell Shelter, a rock overhang, and Panther Cave, featuring large black cats painted on the cave walls. Mountain biking and backpacking are available in addition to other traditional park activities.

Caddo Mounds State Historic Site only requires traveling back 1,200 years in time. This heritage site, located near Alto in Cherokee County, was heavily damaged during a tornado in 2019.

It recently returned to showcase the legacy of the Mound Builders of East Texas.

The mysterious mounds were constructed by the Hasinai, Caddo-speaking people who migrated to the Neches River from Oklahoma’s Red River. Tall

pine forests that surrounded the site provided plentiful food resources for the villagers who lived in huts of woven grass. Soon, three majestic mounds rose above the prairies. Mounds “A” and “B” were social and ceremonial structures.

Mound “C” served as a burial site.

Trading was an active pursuit of the Hasinai as evidenced by Caddo Mounds materials found at archaeological sites across American. The Hasinai were also the first farmers and plant managers of East Texas but abandoned the mounds in the 1400s as families moved to outlying areas. The site offers nature walks and plant identification programs to visitors. A new project will reconstruct the grass huts of the Caddo villagers.

“Caddo Mounds” appeared in records of Spanish officials traveling along El Camino Real de los Tejas in the 1700s. Mexico’s legendary “Royal Road,” a National Historic Trail, was used for reconnaissance and to control migration and trade into Texas.

El Camino Real brought travelers to Mission Dolores, our last historic “gem” located near San Augustine in San Augustine County. Mission Dolores, built 20 miles from the Sabine River by the Spanish in 1721, is significant as the place where Native Americans of Texas first interacted with Europeans.

Although no physical structure remains, research has defined the mission’s layout.

Interpretive displays at the adjoining museum help visitors experience 18th-century East Texas. The site currently is under renovation, but the RV campground and picnic areas are available to guests.

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Bringing History Home Step into the past by exploring historic Texas homes.

by Jill Campbell Jordan with assistance from the THC’s Historic Sites Division Staff

DON’T MISS Visit Paris paristexas.com Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site 812 South Church St. Paris, TX 75460 (903) 785-5716

Visit Bonham visitbonham.com Sam Rayburn House 890 W. State Hwy. 56 Bonham, TX 75418 (903) 583-5558

West Columbia westcolumbiatx.org

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ometimes it is hard to relate to individuals who lived in the past when all we have are words to describe their lives. One way to gain a deeper understanding is by visiting a historic home, which can provide a tangible link to days gone by. Home is an intimate place filled with both adornments and practical items, and contemporary homes share some common characteristics with historic ones.

This familiarity can spark a connection with people from the past. Historic homes also have an authenticity of place that compels visitors to seek meaning in the lives that inhabited them.

In Texas, we are lucky to have the Texas Historical Commission and local historical organizations that are dedicated to preserving historic homes. This is not an easy job, and it takes thousands of volunteer hours and dedicated staff to keep these sites ready for visitors.

Here are five of the more compelling historic homes that are open to the public.

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Varner-Hogg Plantation State Historic Site The Sam Bell Maxey House was built in Paris in 1868 and features both Italianate and Greek Revival architecture. Maxey was a veteran of the Mexican War, a major general in the Confederate Army and a U.S. Senator. If you have visited this house before, you should consider making another trip, since the interior was recently restored. Now, the home reflects the original, richly appointed Victorian design as well as the update overseen by the family’s next generation in the early 20th century. The library, one of the more distinctive features of the house, was restored based on an early 20th century photograph and memorializes Maxey’s military career. However, Maxey was prouder of his two terms as U.S. Senator than his time spent in the military. According to the Texas Historical Commission, the home is “one of only a few historic house museums in the country that focuses on the Restoration Era and its legacy.”

A member of the U.S. Congress for 48 years, Sam Rayburn was the longest-serving

1702 N. 13th St. West Columbia, TX 77486 (979) 345-4656

Visit El Paso visitelpaso.com Magoffin Home State Historic Site 1120 Magoffin Ave. (Visitors Center is at 1117 Magoffin Ave.) El Paso, Texas 79901 (915) 533-5147

Visit Anderson, Grimes County navasotagrimes chamber.com Fanthorp Inn State Historic Site 579 S. Main St. Anderson, TX 77830 (936) 873-2633

WELCOME HOME Historic homes across the state display a variety of architecture, ambience and lifestyle.

Sam Bell Maxey house, Paris (opposite); Varner-Hogg Plantation, West Columbia (left); Sam Rayburn house, Bonham (right) | Courtesy THC

Speaker of the House in history at 17 years.

His 1916 house in Bonham “tells the story of a dedicated public servant who helped shape some of the most critical policies and events of the 20th century, but never forgot where he came from.” One of the highlights of the Sam Rayburn House is a collection of historic 20th century vehicles. There you will find Mr. Sam’s 1947 Cadillac, purchased by his friends in Congress so he wouldn’t have to walk to work when he was Speaker. His farm truck, a 1951 Dodge Express, still holds all the dings and dents put there by Sam himself. Most of the belongings in the house are just where he left them, from his shoes in the closet to his flip directory listing President Johnson’s home phone number. Imagine listening in on those calls!

With a 134-year history, the Varner-Hogg Plantation in West represents generations of Texas history and commerce. Many families have lived at this site, both free and enslaved, and over the years the plantation has supported sugar cane production, cattle ranching and oil drilling. One of the early owners, Columbus Patton, used slave labor to construct the home of stucco-covered bricks made of Brazos River clay. His enslaved mistress, Rachel, lived with him and their children in the house. Rachel’s story and many others live on at this historic plantation.

The Magoffin Home is one of the last

Most of the historic houses operated by the Texas Historical Commission (THC) were transferred by the Texas Legislature to the agency from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 2006. The THC mission of historic preservation and education was deemed well suited to continue the stewardship of these sites.

Before that, the agency operated only one historic house — the Sam Rayburn House in Bonham — which was accepted by the agency in the 1970s. Since 2006, several other historic homes have transferred to the agency, including the French Legation State Historic Site in Austin and the Charles and Mary Ann Goodnight Ranch State Historic Site near Amarillo.

All the historic sites and homes in the THC system tell a chapter of the Texas story. The agency is always looking to broaden the stories it tells to include more eras, people and perspectives that add depth and texture to the tale of Texas.

traditional adobe structures remaining in El Paso. Once inside, visitors are often surprised to find trimming and interiors reflecting many styles and cultural traditions. The home was built by Joseph Magoffin, son of an Irish immigrant and Mexican mother of Spanish descent.

He was well known in El Paso as a town father, banker, judge and mayor. Many generations have lived in this home, reflecting the rich diversity of the community. Even Magoffin’s domestic staff was diverse, with individuals from Ireland, China and Mexico. The structure remains an enduring chapter to the borderlands story.

Located in Anderson at the crossroads of several transportation routes, Fanthorp Inn was a meeting place for community, communication, commerce and politics. Notable guests of the Inn included Sam Houston, Zachary Taylor, Kenneth Anderson and Generals Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, Stonewall Jackson and Jefferson Davis. Here, you could catch a stagecoach, get the mail or sit down for a hearty meal. The interiors are restored in an antebellum style.

Visiting historic homes can be a wonderful getaway, whether you are spending time with your family or exploring on your own. At each home, you’ll find staff members who are very knowledgeable about the site’s history, helping you gain a better understanding of early Texans.

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Eats & D r i n ks

Tortillas and Tradition Leal’s Mexican Food Restaurant

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f you were to poll a group of Texans about what they are most passionate about, answers would probably include: the size of our state, the Lone Star flag, bluebonnets, backroads, high school football, barbecue and, last but certainly not least, Mexican food. In fact, Texans coined the term “Tex-Mex” to describe the delicious food we are so passionate about.

We have learned how to incorporate this cuisine for every meal of the day, and everyone has his or her opinion of which dish is best.

And, of course, people have their favorite Mexican food eating spots that no other restaurant can top.

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Drive bustling U.S. Highway 84 up to the Texas Panhandle, and you will discover a West Texas tradition known far and wide – Leal’s Mexican Food Restaurant.

Irma Leal learned the art of making fresh tortillas working in her father’s factory and soon mastered recreating her mother’s authentic Mexican recipes. Irma and her husband Jesse began dreaming of opening their own place, and in 1957, they made the dream a reality by debuting their first tortilla factory on the outskirts of Muleshoe. After much success, two years later they moved locations and began to envision a full-service restaurant.

In 1968, El Nuevo Leal’s Restaurant was

by Allison Kendrick

AMARILLO MULESHOE

PLAINVIEW

PLAINS TRAIL REGION

DON’T MISS Muleshoe Chamber of Commerce 115 E. American Blvd.

Muleshoe, TX 79347 (806) 272-4248

RECIPES FOR SUCCESS Following family recipes passed from one generation to another, the Leal family serves sizzling premium beef fajitas (opposite) and a memorable enchilada platter (below).

muleshoechamber.com National Mule Memorial Old Pete Mule Statue and Historical Marker 198 E. American Blvd.

Muleshoe, TX 79347

Muleshoe Heritage Center 2000 W. Ash Ave. Muleshoe, TX 79347 (806) 272-5873

city-of-muleshoe.com/ MuleshoeHeritageCenter Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge

1531 County Road 1248 Muleshoe, TX 79347 (806) 946-3341 (806) 674-6369

fws.gov/refuge/ muleshoe

Leal’s Mexican Restaurant

1010 W American Blvd.

Muleshoe, TX 79347 (806) 272-3294 1619 South Kentucky St. Amarillo, TX 79109 (806) 359-5959

myleals.com

3311 Olton Rd. Plainview, TX 79072 (806) 293-5355

eatatleals.com

2115 N Prince St. Clovis, NM 88101 (575) 763-9069

lealsmexicanfoods.com 3100 Mabry Dr. Clovis NM 88101 (505) 763-4075

launched, serving up traditional Mexican cuisine inspired

by Irma’s mother’s recipes, and still the freshest tortillas in the area. Decades later, the tradition carries on. The Leals’ children were raised working in the restaurant and continue to be involved in the family business through operating other Leal’s locations in the region. Son Victor Leal runs the original Muleshoe location. Every menu has a photo of Irma Leal with the caption, “Still serving guests like Mom taught us” – and serve they do!

Upon entering the restaurant, you are greeted by a friendly staff member, seated at a table, and immediately served fresh, homemade tortilla chips and salsa. The next part is the most difficult – choosing which delicious entrée to enjoy. The menu boasts almost every dish you can imagine from the traditional enchilada, rice and beans plate to the sizzling beef fajitas. Leal’s also serves unique options you cannot find in other restaurants such as roasted tomatillo chicken enchiladas, or the stuffed hongos which are two portabella mushrooms filled with chicken fajita meat and topped with fresh Monterrey Jack cheese. The restaurants also offer “Leal’s Favorites” options, like the Bryant Special, featuring a stew meat and bean burrito covered with chili con carne and cheese.

Along with quality Mexican food, the same passion Texans have for our state can be found at Leal’s. The family states, “We believe that our grandparents and parents bestowed a family legacy to us that is even greater than ourselves. Our plan is to leave this a family business for future Leal generations to come.”

The next time you are in the Panhandle or planning a road trip to a tasty destination, head to Leal’s. Your taste buds and the Leal family will thank you.

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d e e p i n t h e art

Putting Words to Photographs Ambrotype Photography and Fort McKavett

by Tammie Virden

DON’T MISS Visit Menard menardchamber.com Fort McKavett State Historic Site

066 FM 864 Fort McKavett, TX 76841 (325) 396-2358

Cody Mobley, Collodion Artist facebook.com/ RubyAmbrotypes

Photos Courtesy Steven Lyons

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hen you step onto the grounds of Fort McKavett, you are met with a sense of nostalgia. You can almost imagine soldiers marching, horses’ hooves thundering and the bustle of an 1850s Infantry fort.

State Historic Site Manager Cody Mobley is doing his best to preserve that same nostalgia. Mobley began researching period type photography and seeking someone to document the fort using the process that would have been prevalent back in the 1850s. He ended up teaching himself the process of ambrotype wet plate photography.

Documenting history has been a passion throughout his life. As a young boy growing up in Olfen, a small town in Runnels County, Mobley had one of the best influencers of all things historic. His Mamaw, Norma Jones Lee, along with his great Aunt Clara both assisted with the creation of the Wichita-Brazos Museum and Cultural Center in Benjamin.

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FORTS TRAIL REGION

Mobley grew up hearing stories and listing findings as they researched the lineage of their earliest Texas ancestors who arrived in 1824 from Louisiana, which included the famous early Texas Burleson family. In 1995 Mobley went on a research trip with Lee as she traveled east to archive Civil War battlefields and locations of where their family originated in Tennessee and Arkansas.

While attending Angelo State University, Mobley worked in the West Texas Collection cataloging the family collections of the region. That job led to an internship at Fort Chadbourne under the direction of Garland and Lana Richards, cataloging their extensive collection of artifacts.

After graduating from college Mobley did day work on ranches in Coleman County and some carpentry work around San Angelo, then applied for the maintenance position at Fort McKavett State Historic Site. He climbed the ladder that led to the curator/educator position and eventually became the site manager in January 2015.

As Fort McKavett’s site manager, Mobley began researching period type photography. After purchasing a lens from eBay, he read some original manuals and taught himself the process of ambrotype wet plate photography.

Unless you are a photography historian, you are probably wondering what ambrotype is and how the finished product is created. Ambrotype photography was invented in the 1850s replacing daguerreotype. Ambrotype is a photograph on glass made by a variant of wet plate and a chemical called collodion and viewed by a reflected light.

Mobley has mastered the exacting art of ambrotype and enjoys showcasing this long-forgotten type of photography. Look for Cody Mobley and his ambrotype photography at living history events in the near future.

THE PROCESS OF AMBROTYPE PHOTOGRAPHY Using silver and sunlight, this wet plate photography process uses a chemical called collodion. Collodion is nitro cellulose dissolved in ether and alcohol with photo sensitive salts.

This mixture is poured on the glass for the ether to evaporate. It becomes a sticky solution and the photographer will press a thumb on the corner to see if it leaves a thumb print but does not lift. If this is the case, it is ready to go into a silver vat. It is left in the silver for three minutes and becomes photo sensitive. From that moment on, everything must be done in the dark until the image is developed.

While this process is in the works, the photographer will make sure everything is in focus and retrieves a plate holder, which is a square piece with a door on it, and a slide. Next the photographer will open it inside a dark box where the chemicals are held and the developing is done. The photographer will be under a cloth and take the glass plate out of the silver and put it in the plate holder, close the door, take it

to the camera, and take the slide out. To take the image, the photographer removes the lens cap and the lens cap acts as the shutter.

When removing the lens cap, the light goes in, the light refracts the lens, and bakes the silver hard wherever there is a light color.

The photographic process is blue-light sensitive; reds show up black, some blues show up white, and some yellows show up black. The colors depend on the position on the color wheel in comparison with blue.

It bakes the color hard and wherever there are shadows, the silver is not hardened. A weak acid mixture of sugar, vinegar, acidic acid, and water is used to develop it. The mixture eats away all the soft silver and only leaves the hardened silver, leaving the image.

Rinse the developer off since it is no longer light sensitive. Once this is done, the glass can be removed. The photo will need to be fixed to turn a negative into a positive and see the image. The total process takes less than 10 minutes even on a rainy day.

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LEGACY

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T e xas originals

T e x a s S tat e L i b r a ry & Archives

T e xas H i s to r i ca l Co m i s s i o n

T e xas d ow n tow n a s s o c i at i o n

Exploring documents, images and records of state historic sites.

Visit sites that combine heritage with outdoor recreation.

Celebrating history and a sense of place in your local community.

Preserver of Panhandle Heritage Monti Goodin.

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Monti Goodin: Preserver of Panhandle Heritage

by Tim Chandler

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onti Goodin sits in the kitchen of her home located just down the road from Charles Goodnight’s historic ranch house where the Goodnight Under the Stars event takes place each August. “This house was built in 1922 by Colonel Goodnight’s men,” she says. “If you look out the rear windows you can see Palo Duro where he found his buffalo.”

Surrounded by numerous awards, Goodin talks about her work in historic preservation. Largely due to her efforts as chairperson of the Armstrong County Museum, Goodnight’s house was restored in 2012 and the J. Evetts Haley Visitor and Education Center was built in 2013.

“My father was born in Goodnight’s house where his mother was a housekeeper,” Goodin says. “In fact, I was also born in that same house

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GOODNIGHT

PLAINS TRAIL REGION

PANHANDLE WELCOME The Goodnight House has welcomed visitors since 1922 (opposite).

Monti Goodin still welcomes visitors (top left). Monti and her late husband, Emery dedicated themselves to preservation of the Goodnight House (top right). Items reflect the interest of Charles and Mary Anne Goodnight (bottom left). Visitors can see where Charles Goodnight wrote letters, paid bills, and tended to business (bottom right). | Courtesy Tim Chandler

but that was after Colonel Goodnight was gone.”

Goodin and her late husband, Emery, have lived on this land – originally given to her father, Cleo Hubbard, who was the last foreman of Goodnight’s ranch – for most of their lives.

The Y Bar Ranch is on land originally used as the west pasture for Goodnight’s buffalo where he raised genetically pure remnants of the great Southern bison herd that once roamed here.

Because of her connection to this land and to the Goodnights, people still contact Goodin about the legacy of Charles and Mary Ann “Molly” Goodnight. “Recently I had a man show up here at the house who wanted to visit about his time at the Goodnight ranch when he was a child,” she recalled. “His father had been the foreman before my father got the job and he remembered riding in the Model T the colonel bought.”

According to Goodin, the man said when

Goodnight was learning to drive the car, he would let the kids at the ranch pile in and even stand on the running boards as he drove up and down the lane. Stories like this are the subject of a book Goodin is writing about her experiences living at the Goodnight Ranch as a young girl.

Goodin already has finished a children’s book about Old Blue, the legendary longhorn that led Goodnight’s longhorn herds up the cattle trails with a bell around its neck. Earlier she was able to realize a lifelong dream by writing a musical about the life of Charles and Molly Goodnight that premiered at the Van Ellis Theater on the campus of HardinSimmons University in Abilene.

Seeing the transfer of the Goodnight Ranch House and property into the care of the Texas Historical Commission (THC) was the culmination of another dream. The Armstrong County Museum had wanted to find a caretaker for the property, which was in a state of deterioration when it was given to the museum

DON’T MISS Charles and Mary Ann Goodnight Ranch State Historic Site 4989 CR 25 Goodnight, TX 79226 (806) 944-5591

Armstrong County Museum

120 North Trice Claude, TX 79019 (806) 226-2187 Hours Tue-Sat Noon-4 p.m.

armstrongcounty museum.net

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CELEBRATIONS PAST AND PRESENT Local and state historic dignitaries attend a modernday gathering at the Goodnight House (top left). As in the past, the table is set and ready (top right). Chairs are ready for guests to sit a spell and visit (bottom). | Courtesy Tim Chandler

in 2005. Since that time the museum raised over $3 million to restore the house, build the visitor center and operate the site.

At the most recent Goodnight Under the Stars event, THC Commissioner Pete Peterson spoke to the audience about ongoing work at the house, including the renovation of the chimneys, the placement of signage and a request to the Texas Legislature for five full-time employees to run the site.

All this began with Goodin’s labor of love to restore the house she remembered as a young girl. In a 2012 interview with Texas Heritage magazine, Goodin was asked why preserving historic sites such as the Goodnight House mattered. Her response is both personal and universal: “We share a strong belief that a person needs to know about their roots. When the physical evidence of history is demolished, what the buildings represent is gone forever. By visiting historic sites people are connected to their past, offering each generation a sense of belonging to that place and those particular people.”

The next year Goodin received the Clara Driscoll Award for her work from Preservation Texas. The Goodnight House was featured on the websites of both Preservation Texas and The Texas Historical Foundation, which also honored Goodin for her work.

Goodin says she is proud of all the awards, but perhaps proudest that her daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth and David Magar, have returned to live in a house next door and carry on the work she loves.

David is the current chairman of the Armstrong County Museum board. In that sense, the story of Charles Goodnight’s house and its restoration has come full circle.

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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY & ARCHIVES

State Historic Sites of Texas Exploring Texas Historical Sites Through the Digital Collections of the State Archives

by Susan Floyd

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Birdseye view of Goliad State Park. Phinney, Temple. Blue line on tancolored paper, 1938 (top). The Master Plan, Goliad State Park, Texas, United States, Department of the Interior, 1938 (bottom). | Courtesy Texas State Library and Archives Commission

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he Texas State Library and Archives Commission has among its archival holdings collections that document the development of many of the state’s important historical sites, including those managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas Historical Commission.

The Parks and Wildlife Department Battleship Texas records, spanning 1947 to the 1990s, include prints, ships plans, and a poster reproduction of a painting of the USS Texas from both the U.S. Navy and the TPWD; recordings of Battleship Texas Commission meetings, the campaign to save the Battleship Texas, and the decommissioning ceremony; and meeting minutes of the Battleship Texas Advisory Board. The majority of the materials serve as documentation for the restoration and creation of a historic monument by the TPWD at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site. A portion of these materials have been digitized and are part of the Texas Digital Archive (www.tsl.texas.gov/texasdigitalarchive).

The history of the battleship is also documented elsewhere in the State Archives, including an 1898 stereograph card; the caption on this card reads, “The proud ‘Texas’ – Captain ‘Jack’ Philip coming home from Santiago.” The USS Battleship Texas participated in the July 3, 1898, battle off Santiago that destroyed Spain’s naval forces in the Western hemisphere. Captain John W. “Jack” Philip was commanding officer. Philip is remembered for saying, “Don’t cheer, men; the poor devils are dying.” The captain presented the state of Texas with a piece of the battleship armor that was pierced by a shot from the enemy in the battle, now part of the TSLAC Artifacts Collection.

The United States Congress created the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933 at the request of President Franklin Roosevelt as an emergency program devoted to the care of natural resources. The program provided jobs and income to young men and served as an instrument for preserving natural resources and developing state park lands. TSLAC has digi-

tized more than 3,000 of these drawings that were created in the process of improving state parks. These beautiful images include plans and renderings of state parks across Texas, such as those of TPWD’s Goliad State Park and Historic Site, where the CCC reconstructed the ruined mission complex of Mission Nuestra Señora del Espíritu Santo de Zuñiga. The CCC developed 56 parks in Texas, in addition to making significant physical improvements to forest and farmland across the state. Most are still public parks, including 29 still within the state park system.

Many of the sites owned and managed by the Texas Historical Commission can also be researched further through the supplementary historical documentation preserved in the State Archives. The Sam Bell Maxey House State Historic Site in Paris received its state historical marker in 1962. Historical markers commemorate diverse topics in Texas history, including: the history and architecture of houses, commercial and public buildings, religious congregations, and military sites; events that changed the course of local and state history; and individuals who have made lasting contributions to the state, community organizations, and businesses. Historical markers can be found in all 254 Texas counties and by 2017 there were more than 16,000 state historical markers. The process includes submitting a sponsorship application form which provides basic information to be used by THC in the evaluation process.

TSLAC holds the Samuel Bell Maxey Collection and Samuel Bell Maxey Photograph Collection. The former consists of the personal papers of the attorney, general in the Confederate Army and, from 1875-1887, United States Senator from Texas, along with his family, from 1847 through 1948. The photograph collection includes approximately 1,200 photographic images, dating 1870-1960, bulk 1870-1920. Many of these photographs document the history of not only the Maxey family but also of the Samuel Bell Maxey House State Historic Site in Paris, Texas, owned and managed by THC. The images, which consist primarily of albumen and silver

gelatin prints, include views of the house (interiors and exteriors), grounds, and the environs. The Maxey family and friends are represented by commercial portraiture done in various places. Family activities and travels are documented both by commercial views and by amateur snapshots. These late 19th and early 20th century travels ranged from the western United States to New York, to the Yukon and Alaska, and to Europe and Egypt. These materials have been digitized and are part of the Texas Digital Archive, viewable and downloadable by the public.

Explore TSLAC’s digital collections and online exhibits to travel through Texas history from anywhere in the world—or from the comfort of your own home: www.tsl. texas.gov/arc.

Battleship Texas, coming home from Santiago, 1898 (left).

Maxey House (oldest existing view, undated - center).

Samuel Bell Maxey, Marilda Denton Maxey, and Dora Maxey, circa 18701875 (left) | Courtesy Texas State Library and Archives Commission

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Get Out and Get Into Texas History Combine Outdoor Recreation and Heritage Tourism at State Historic Sites

by Rob Hodges

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anna get away? Of course you do—at this point in the pandemic, we’re all a bit stir crazy! The question is how to travel safely.

Many Texas Historical Commission (THC) state historic sites have expansive grounds that offer both heritage tourism and outdoor recreation opportunities.

If a night sleeping under the stars sounds perfect, two THC sites have campgrounds. Set amongst the Pineywoods of East Texas, Mission Dolores in San Augustine has 32 campsites with full hook-ups, as well as restrooms with shower facilities and two picnic pavilions. The campground 68

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at Fort Griffin in Albany features seven sites with full hook-ups, 19 with water and electric hook-ups, and seven tent sites with water only.

Outdoor activities at the approximately 500-acre Fort Griffin include fishing the stock pond or Clear Fork of the Brazos River, hiking Mill Creek, Mountain, and Wohaw nature trails, observing the Official State of Texas Longhorn Herd, and walking through the ruins of the frontier fort.

The campground also includes restrooms with shower facilities, a playground, sand volleyball court, horseshoe pit, basketball court, and river access for boating. Two flat-bottom jon boats are available for rent.

Enjoy a quiet moment in the Japanese Garden of Peace at the National Museum of the Pacific War in downtown Fredericksburg (opposite).

Be transported back to a time of simplicity at the Barrington Plantation (left). Create your own memories of time spent overnight at a historic site like Mission Dolores (right). | Courtesy TSLAC DIgital Collection

On the Navasota River, a relaxing and scenic paddling opportunity awaits at the 5.3-mile Limestone Bluffs Paddling Trail, which begins at Confederate Reunion Grounds in Mexia. Kayaks, canoes, and shuttles are available at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Fort Parker State Park, where the flat-water trail ends. Other recreational activities at the 76-acre Confederate Reunion Grounds include fishing, picnicking, birding trails, and group camping.

In La Grange and Washington, you can stretch your legs and experience multiple historic sites in a single location.

Kreische Brewery and Monument Hill are adjacent sites encompassing about 40 acres. Four trails combine for more than 1.5 miles of hiking through woods and some steep hills. The trails lead to scenic overlooks, the historic brewery ruins, and the namesake monument that marks the tomb of the men who died during the Dawson Massacre and Mier expedition of 1842. Take a picnic basket or backpack as there are ample spots to stop, spread out a blanket, and enjoy a meal or snack.

The Washington-on-the-Brazos complex in Washington includes three historic sites on about 304 acres:

Washington-on-the-Brazos, Star of the Republic Museum, and Barrington Plantation. The namesake site is the location of the convention of the provisional government of 1836, where the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed. Visitors can explore a replica of Independence Hall on the old Washington townsite, Republic of Texas history at the museum, and the small cotton plantation that was the home of Anson Jones, last president of the Republic of Texas. Three hike-and-bike trails offer more than 3.25 miles to explore, and picnicking and birdwatching can also be enjoyed on the grounds.

Many more outdoor pursuits are available at other THC state historic sites. A few more include fishing at Sabine Pass Battleground near Port Arthur, stargazing at Fort McKavett near Menard, gardening and foraging programs at Caddo Mounds, and enjoying the tranquility of the Japanese Garden of Peace at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg.

Discover more about your state historic sites at storiedsitesoftexas.com. Before visiting a site, please check its website or call ahead for hours of operation and Covid-19 safety protocols.

DON’T MISS THESE HISTORIC TEXAS HERITAGE SITES Barrington Plantation

Fort Griffin

Mission Dolores

Star of the Republic Museum

Caddo Mounds

Fort McKavett

National Museum of the Pacific War

Washington-on-the-Brazos

23400 Park Rd. 12 Washington, TX 77880 (936) 878-2214

1649 State Hwy. 21 West Alto, TX 75925 (936) 858-3218

Confederate Reunion Grounds 1738 FM 2705 Mexia, TX 76667 (254) 472-0959

1701 N. U.S. Hwy. 283 Albany, TX 76430 (325) 762-3592

7066 FM 864 Fort McKavett, TX 76841 (325) 396-2358

Kreische Brewery and Monument Hill

414 State Loop 92 La Grange, TX 78945-5733 (979) 968-5658

701 South Broadway St. San Augustine, TX 75972 (936) 275-3815

311 E Austin St. Fredericksburg, TX 78624 (830) 997-8600

23200 Park Rd. 12 Washington, TX 77880 (936) 878-2214

23400 Park Rd 12 Washington, TX 77880 (936) 878-2214

Sabine Pass Battleground 6100 Dowling Rd. Port Arthur, TX 77641 (512) 463-7948

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Celebrating Local History

by Catherine Sak

Local firefighter teaches students how fire fighters protected the community back in the day. | Courtesy City of Brenham

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by Walter Prescott Webb, not only to engage Texas students in history but also to develop future historians. Today, there are 45 chapters located in middle schools and high schools across the state.

GET KIDS INVOLVED AND ENGAGED According to the Texas State Historical Association website, the Junior Historians of Texas program was started in 1939

CREATE YOUR OWN HISTORY STATION In 2015, the Anice Read Fund awarded a grant to the City of San Augustine for the purchase and setup of a downtown oral history kiosk. They wanted to give residents the opportunity to record their stories and family histories, and also

here are a limited number of “official” Texas state historic sites, but every downtown has a unique history and stories that contribute to a sense of place—and a sense of pride. Here are several ways for your community to capitalize on what’s special about your town.

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Brenham historic actor shares her story with school children (top left). | Courtesy City of Brenham An Apparition Expedition guide awaits her visitors (bottom left). Apparition Expedition tour guides include local historians and professional actors who know how to set the perfect, eerie mood (bottom right). | Courtesy Jennifer Schertzer/Plano Magazine

allow them to scan historic pictures and documents that could be included in archives managed by the Stephen F. Austin State University Center for Regional Heritage Research.

CELEBRATE YOUR HISTORY Back in 2008, the city of Bastrop celebrated its 175th birthday.

This special occasion featured a local heritage event tailored specifically for residents and was scheduled to coincide with the city’s annual Juneteenth celebrations. Over a week, different activities were offered each day to celebrate the community and the diverse cultures that contributed to Bastrop’s growth. Events included historical exhibits, a fair and dance on Main Street, tours of historic churches and the unveiling of a documentary of Bastrop’s history. Activities during each day of the rest of the

week included a photography exhibit, a 1950s costume party, a Mexican Fiesta and Juneteenth celebrations. All events were free and open to the public.

Brenham’s Local History Day, started in 2013, makes history come alive by sharing stories of the city’s past with local schoolchildren. The event features costumed actors portraying local heroes who embrace their characters and excite students about history. Organizers are driven by their goal to impart a sense of pride in the community and encourage students to carry the banner of history.

In 2017, a variety of groups and organizations in Plano came together to create a downtown history walk with an intriguing name: Apparition Expedition.

During this guided, spooky tour through Historic Downtown Plano, guests are welcomed into

historic homes and businesses by costume-clad tour guides. The stories are spooky in nature but draw on actual events of the city’s rich history, which dates to the late 1800s. The event runs for two nights in October and sells out weeks in advance.

BE INCLUSIVE Your community’s history likely includes diverse people and cultures. Your events, historical markers and commemorations should represent that diversity.

Think about featuring local legends in your events, and invite representatives from different cultures to participate in activities that teach children about your local history. When you celebrate the diversity of your community, everyone will be richer for your efforts.

DON’T MISS C. Barker Texas History Collection University of Texas

cah.utexas.edu/collections/texas_history.php Texas Story Project

The Bullock Texas State History Museum

thestoryoftexas.com/ discover/texas-story-project Portal to History

University of North Texas

texashistory.unt.edu

The Inclusive Historian’s Handbook

American Association for State and Local History & the National Council on Public History

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With thanks to information from the Handbook of Texas, by the Texas State Historical Association.

1.

The state’s smallest historic site is here:

2.

3.

4.

The Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico was written and signed here:

A. Varner-Hogg Plantation

B. The Alamo

C. San Felipe de Austin D. Washington-on-the-Brazos

5.

The battle at this state historic site turned back one of several Union army attempts to invade and occupy part of Texas during the Civil War:

A. Acton B. Lipantitlan C. Monument Hill D. Eisenhower Birthplace

This the only fort owned and operated by the State of Texas that once hosted military camels (expeditions of 1857, 1859 and 1860):

A. Fort McKavett

B. Fort Richardson

C. Fort Lancaster

D. Fort Leaton Which of these state historic sites was once a private home, a restaurant, and a trailer park?

A. Casa Navarro

B. Fanthorp Inn

C. Fulton Mansion

D. Fort Leaton

6.

A. B. C. D.

Sabine Pass Battleground Fannin Battleground Monument Hill San Jacinto Battleground

Some of the most extensive and outstanding rock paintings (known as pictographs) not only in Texas, but in the world, are at this site:

A. B. C. D.

Seminole Canyon Caddo Mounds Hueco Tanks Mission Dolores

ANSWERS 1-A; 2-C; 3-C; 4-D; 5-A; 6-A

TEXAS STATE HISTORIC SITE WEBSITES Acton thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ acton-state-historic-site The Alamo thealamo.org

Confederate Reunion Grounds thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ confederatereunion-grounds-statehistoric-site

Barrington Plantation thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ barrington-plantation-statehistoric-site

Eisenhower Birthplace thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ eisenhower-birthplace-statehistoric-site

Battleship Texas tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/ battleship-texas

Fannin Battleground thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ fannin-battleground-statehistoric-site

Caddo Mounds thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ caddo-mounds-statehistoric-site Casa Navarro thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ casa-navarro-statehistoric-site Charles and Mary Ann Goodnight Ranch thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ charles-and-mary-anngoodnight-ranch-statehistoric-site

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Fanthorp Inn thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ fanthorp-inn-statehistoric-site Fort Griffin thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ fort-griffin-statehistoric-site Fort Lancaster thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ fort-lancaster-statehistoric-site

Fort Leaton tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/ fort-leaton Fort McKavett thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ fort-mckavett-statehistoric-site Fort Richardson State Park and Historic Site tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/ fort-richardson French Legation thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ french-legation-statehistoric-site Fulton Mansion thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ fulton-mansion-statehistoric-site Goliad State Park/ Mission Espiritu Santo de Zuñiga tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/ goliad/goliad-areahistoric-sites Hueco Tanks tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/ hueco-tanks

Kreische Brewery thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ kreische-brewery-statehistoric-site

Monument Hill thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ monument-hill-statehistoric-site

San Jacinto Battleground thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ san-jacinto-battlegroundstate-historic-site

Landmark Inn thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ landmark-inn-statehistoric-site

National Museum of the Pacific War pacificwarmuseum.org

Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/ seminole-canyon

LBJ State Park and Historic Site; Sauer Beckmann Living History Farm tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/ lyndon-b-johnson Levi Jordan Plantation thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ levi-jordan-plantation-statehistoric-site Lipantitlan thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ lipantitlan-state-historic-site Magoffin Home thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ magoffin-home-statehistoric-site Mission Dolores thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ mission-dolores-statehistoric-site

Port Isabel Lighthouse thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ port-isabel-lighthouse-statehistoric-site Sabine Pass Battleground thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ sabine-pass-battlegroundstate-historic-site Sam Bell Maxey House thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ sam-bell-maxey-house-statehistoric-site Sam Rayburn House thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ sam-rayburn-house-statehistoric-site San Felipe de Austin thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ san-felipe-de-austin-statehistoric-site

Star of the Republic Museum (Washington-0n-Brazos thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ star-republic-museum Starr Family Home thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ starr-family-home-statehistoric-site Varner-Hogg Plantation thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ varner-hogg-plantation-statehistoric-site Washington-on-the-Brazos thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/ washington-brazos-statehistoric-site Zaragoza Birthplace tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/ goliad/goliad-areahistoric-sites

CALL FIRST, MAKE A PLAN & VISIT A MUSEUM! ARANSAS COUNTY FULTON MANSION STATE HISTORIC SITE 317 S. Fulton Beach Road, Rockport 361-729-0386 Fulton Schoolhouse Museum 205 7th St., Fulton 361-729-5533 History Center for Aransas County 801 E. Cedar St., Rockport 361-727-9214 Texas Maritime Museum 1202 Navigation Circle, Rockport 361-729-1271 BROOKS COUNTY Heritage Museum of Falfurrias 415 N. St. Marys St., Falfurrias 361-325-2907 CAMERON COUNTY Brownsville Heritage Museum/Stillman House 1325 E. Washington, Brownsville 956-541-5560 Historic Alonso Building 510 E. St. Charles St., Brownsville 956-541-5560 Historic Brownsville Museum 641 E. Madison St., Brownsville 956-548-1313 Historic Laureles Ranch House Museum 1501 E. 7th St., Brownsville 956-372-1515 Market Square Event Hall/Research Center 1150 Market Square St., Brownsville 956-546-4242 Old City Cemetery & Old City Cemetery Center 1325 E. Washington St., Brownsville 956-541-5560 Brownsville Museum of Fine Art 660 E. Ringgold, Brownsville 956-542-0941 Callandret Black History Museum 305 Doherty St., San Benito 956-245-3998 Children’s Museum of Brownsville 956-548-9300 501 E. Ringgold #5, Dean Porter Park, Brownsville Costumes of the Americas Museum 956-547-6890 POBox 3790, 501 E. Ringgold St., Brownsville Freddy Fender Museum 210 E. Heywood St., San Benito 956-361-3800 Harlingen Arts & Heritage Museum 2425 Boxwood St., Harlingen 956-216-4901 Historical Museum of South Padre Island 615 Padre Blvd., South Padre Island Iwo Jima Museum 320 Iwo Jima Blvd., Harlingen 956-421-9234 Little Graceland 701 W. Ocean Blvd., Los Fresnos 956-233-5482 Port Isabel Historic Museum 317 E. Railroad Ave., Port Isabel 956-943-7602 PORT ISABEL LIGHTHOUSE STATE HISTORIC SITE 421 E. Queen Isabella Blvd., Port Isabel 956-943-2262

RGV Wing – Commemorative Air Force Museum Port Isabel-Cameron County Airport, Buena Vista Blvd., Los Fresnos 956-579-2611 Rio Hondo Historical Museum 121 N. Arroyo Blvd., Rio Hondo 956-367-5305 San Benito Cultural Heritage Museum 956-245-1666 250 E. Heywood St., POBox 774, San Benito San Benito History Museum 210 E. Heywood St., San Benito 956-399-9991 Texas Conjunto Hall of Fame & Museum 210 E. Heywood St., San Benito 956-245-1666 Treasures of the Gulf Museum 317 E. Railroad Ave., Port Isabel 956-943 7602 DIMMIT COUNTY Dimmit County Visitor Center & Jailhouse Museum 103 N. 6th St., Carrizo Springs 830-876-5205 Wade House Memorial Museum 200 N. 9th St., Carrizo Springs 830-876-5788 DUVAL COUNTY Duval County Museum 208 E. St. Joseph St., San Diego 361-279-2597 HIDALGOCOUNTY Alamo (City of) Museum 130 S. 8th St., Alamo 956-961-4398 Bryan (The) House 1113 E. 2 Mile Line, Mission 956-330-7497 Donna Hooks Fletcher Historical Museum 129 S. 8th St., Donna 956-464-9989 Edinburg Volunteer Fire Department Museum 211 W. McIntyre St., Edinburg 956-292-2101 Hub City Conjunto & Tejano Museum 207 W. Newcombe Ave., Pharr 956-249-9365 International Museum of Art & Science 1900 W. Nolana Ave., McAllen 956-681-2800 McAllen Heritage Center 301 S. Main St., McAllen 956-687-1904 Mission Historical Museum 900 Doherty Ave., Mission 956-580-8646 Museum of South Texas History 200 N. Closner Blvd., Edinburg 956-383-6911 Old Hidalgo Pumphouse 902 S. 2nd St., Hidalgo 956-843-8686 Weslaco Museum of Local History & Cultural Arts 500 S. Texas Blvd., Weslaco 956-968-9142 JIM HOGG COUNTY Hebbronville Museum 105 E. Santa Clara, Hebbronville JIM WELLS COUNTY Orange Grove Area Museum

119 S. Eugenia St., Orange Grove 361-384-1300 South Texas Museum 66 Wright St., Alice 361-668-8891 KENEDY COUNTY Kenedy Ranch Museum of South Texas 200 E. La Parra Ave., Sarita 361-294-5751 KLEBERG COUNTY Conner (John E.) Museum MSC 700 University Blvd., Kingsville 361-593-2810 King Ranch Museum 405 N. 6th St., Kingsville 361-595-1881 1904 Train Depot Museum 102 E. Kleberg Ave., Kingsville 361-592-8516 Riviera Historical Museum 202 E. North Blvd., Riviera 361-488-8719 LA SALLE COUNTY Brush Country Museum 201 S. Stewart, Cotulla 830-879-2429 LIVE OAK COUNTY Grace Armantrout Museum S. Highway 281, George West 361-449-3325 McMULLEN COUNTY McMullen County Historical Museum 501 River St., Tilden 78072 361-274-3900 NUECES COUNTY Art Museum of South Texas 1902 N. Shoreline Blvd., Corpus Christi 361-825-3500 Centennial House 411 N. Upper Broadway, Corpus Christi 361-882-8691 Corpus Christi Museum of Science & History 1900 N. Chaparral, Corpus Christi 361-826-4667 Corpus Christi Police History Museum 321 John Sartain St., Corpus Christi 361-215-4237 Heritage Park 1581 N. Chaparral, Corpus Christi 361-826-3410 Instituto de Cultura Hispanica de Corpus Christi 1617 N. Chaparral, Corpus Christi 361-879-0336 Port Aransas Museum N. Alister St., Port Aransas 361-749-3800 Robstown Area Historical Museum 203 E. Main, Robstown 361-752-3052 Selena Museum 5410 Leopard St., Corpus Christi 361-289-9013 Tejano Civil Rights Museum 1517 N. Chaparral, Corpus Christi 361-452-3650 Texas State Museum of Asian Cultures & Education Center 1809 N. Chaparral, Corpus Christi 361-881-8827

Texas Surf Museum 309A N. Water St., Corpus Christi 361-882-2364 USS Lexington Museum on the Bay 2914 N. Shoreline Blvd., Corpus Christi 361-888-4873 x305 War & Peace, Ltd. 361-993-1111 5858 South Padre Island Blvd., Suite 34, Corpus Christi REFUGIOCOUNTY Refugio County Museum 102 W. West St., Refugio 361-526-5555 SAN PATRICIOCOUNTY Museum of Military History – Third Coast Squadron 3201 FM 3512, Hangar H11, Aransas Pass 361-356-4918 San Patricio Historical Museum FM 666, San Patricio 361-537-9516 Sinton Historical Museum 116 W. Sinton St., Sinton 361-537-9516 Taft Blackland Museum 301 Green Ave., Taft 361-528-2206 STARR COUNTY Kelsey Bass Museum 956-487-0672 x2277 101 S. Washington St., Rio Grande City WEBB COUNTY Republic of Rio Grande Museum 1005 Zaragoza St., Laredo 956-727-3480 Villa Antigua Border Heritage Museum 810 Zaragoza St., Laredo 956-718-2727 Washington’s Birthday Celebration Museum 920 Zaragoza St., Laredo 956-722-0589 Laredo Water Museum 2702 Anna Ave., Laredo 956-795-2620 WILLACY COUNTY Willacy County Historical Museum 427 S. 7th St., Raymondville 956-689-6604 ZAPATA COUNTY Mertens Frontier Ranch Store & Museum 1302 Jackson St., Zapata 956-849-5200 Zapata County Museum of History 805 N. US Highway 83, Zapata 956-765-8983