Tag Archives: Texas State Historical Association

The Goliad massacre

Posted on March 27, 2018 | 2 comments

Today marks the 182nd anniversary of the mass execution of 342 Texan revolutionary army prisoners at Goliad. On the order of Santa Anna which “damaged [his] international reputation and deepened sympathy for the revolution in the United States,” according to the Texas State Historical Association.

We’ve been to the old fort that was near the site of the massacre many times enroute to a vaca in Port Aransas, It’s walls are still standing–as is the chapel where the prisoners were held, so crowded that they had to stand–and they shelter a nice little museum if you’re ever down that way.

Via Texas State Historical Association

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Posted in History, Texana

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Happy San Jacinto Day!

Posted on April 21, 2011 | Comments Off on Happy San Jacinto Day!

On this, the 175th anniversary of the concluding battle of the Texas Revolution.

“Houston disposed his forces in battle order about 3:30 in the afternoon while all was quiet on the Mexican side during the afternoon siesta. The Texans’ movements were screened by trees and the rising ground, and evidently Santa Anna had no lookouts posted.

“The battle line was formed with Edward Burleson’s regiment in the center, Sherman’s on the left wing, the artillery under George Hockley on Burleson’s right, the infantry under Henry Millard on the right of the artillery, and the cavalry under Mirabeau Lamar on the extreme right.

“The Twin Sisters were wheeled into position, and the whole line, led by Sherman’s men, sprang forward on the run with the cry, ‘Remember the Alamo!’ ‘Remember Goliad!’ The battle lasted but eighteen minutes…”

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Posted in Library, Texana

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The Big Freeze

Posted on February 12, 2010 | Comments Off on The Big Freeze

Not the ongoing snow/sleet/rain/cold event, but the Big Freeze of 1899:

“On this day in 1899, Tulia, Texas [south of Happy, “the town without a frown” in the Panhandle], reported the coldest temperature ever recorded in the state–minus 23 degrees Fahrenheit. This was part of the ‘Big Freeze,’ an infamous norther that killed 40,000 cattle across the state overnight.”

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Posted in Library, Rancho Roly Poly, Texana, Weather/Climate

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New Texas History Movies

Posted on March 19, 2008 | Comments Off on New Texas History Movies

Browsing through Texana author Mike Cox’s very occasional book review blog (as in about one entry a year) I ran across his review of the new, updated Texas History Movies comic book. He liked it, and us being former newspaper colleagues, that was good enough for me. I’ve ordered a copy from Amazon for myself and Mr. B. The original was produced in the 1920s by my great grandfather’s old outfit, the Magnolia Petroleum Co. (he was an original investor) but all these years later it was deemed too racist for reissue. But it’s hard to keep a good book down. So The Texas State Historical Association teamed up with the late author/illustrator Jack Jackson to produce an updated version that, presumably, won’t offend anybody. Mike, who read a reissued edition of the original as a schoolboy in 1959, says the new one, published in 2007, still makes the history of early Texas an exciting kid’s read. I’m looking forward to it.

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Posted in Library, Texana

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Abilene

Posted on October 23, 2007 | Comments Off on Abilene

The wind still blows every day across the pretty flat land around Abilene, Texas. But it didn’t always, at least not around Abilene, which wasn’t established until this day in 1883. More on the city here, and the B-1 bombers of nearby Dyess AFB here.

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Posted in Texana

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Gone but not forgotten

Posted on August 26, 2007 | Comments Off on Gone but not forgotten

Among the few Alamo survivors (yes, there were a few), one claimed to have witnessed the death of Lt. Col. William B. Travis. The witness was Joe, Travis‘ slave and body servant. I mention him because the Texas State Historical Association marks this as the day that Joe escaped from slavery in 1837, one year, five months and twenty days after the fall of the Alamo. He would have been about twenty-four years old. History doesn’t record what happened to him, but Stephen Harrigan’s wonderful novel, The Gates of the Alamo, has him a waiter in a posh restaurant in Mexico City. Texana writer Mike Cox reports on what little is recorded of the details of Joe’s escape, and his burial place.

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Posted in Texana

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On this day in history

Posted on December 29, 2006 | Comments Off on On this day in history

From the Texas State Historical Association:

"On this day in 1845, the United States Congress voted to annex Texas. Statehood was first proposed in 1837, but was rejected by President Martin Van Buren. Constitutional scruples and fear of war with Mexico were the reasons given for the rejection, but antislavery sentiment in the United States undoubtedly influenced Van Buren and continued to be the chief obstacle to annexation. Under President James Polk the United States Congress passed the Annexation Resolution in February 1845. Texas president Anson Jones called the Texas Congress into session on June 16, 1845, and a convention of elected delegates met on the Fourth of July. Both the Texas Congress and the convention voted for annexation, and a constitution was drawn up. The document was ratified by popular vote in October 1845 and accepted by the United States Congress on December 29, 1845. On February 19, 1846, President Jones of the Republic of Texas handed over control of the new state government to Governor James Pinckney Henderson."

More at The Handbook of Texas Online. 

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Posted in Texana

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