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Don't
feel bad if even the question doesn't make any sense to you. Most
people I talk to about Centennial markers think I am talking about
those aluminum historical markers that are everywhere; found in
front of old buildings and churches, on most town squares, even
on highways out in the middle of no where. The markers I'm talking
about are usually slabs of gray granite that stand about 5-1/2 feet
tall and weigh as much as 2,000 pounds. They could easily be mistaken
for a cemetery head stone. There are several distinguishing characteristics
they have that uniquely identify them: Their shape, their text and
the bronze star within a bronze wreath. What do they signify? When
were they placed? Why were they often put in such odd locations?
First, let me back up a little. In 1936 Texans observed their 100th
anniversary of their independence from Mexico. Much planning went
into this effort. The idea of celebrating Texas' centennial was
first presented in a speech given by Governor
James Steven Hogg in 1923. Texas
had a hugely successful, statewide, multi-year celebration. Every
county took part with thousands of speeches, parades, festivals
and extravaganzas.
The 1936 Texas Centennial Celebration was so big that President
Franklin Roosevelt made a speech in the Cotton Bowl to a crowd of
over 52,000. The movie, The Big Show, starring Gene Autry, Champion,
and Smiley Burnett was filmed mostly on the Fair
Park grounds in Dallas.
It included the usual singing, a love story, emotion and suspense.
There was even a run-away stagecoach to fill out the drama.
Most of this part
of Texas history has largely been neglected and forgotten. But
left, as a permanent reminder of it, are the
more than 1,100 buildings, museums, forts, statues, plaques, monuments,
and historical markers placed in nearly every county in the
entire state. Included in these 1,100 plus memorials are approximately
980 granite markers. It is these markers that have suffered most
at the hands of vandals and thieves. Many of their stars, wreaths,
and plaques have been pried off or otherwise damaged. Their granite
has been painted, chiseled, hammered, and shot. For many years there
was little interest in preserving the past.
Perhaps as many as 20 markers have simply disappeared. Some may
have been lost or covered during road construction, at least one
may have been washed away in a flood, and one was actually hoisted
off using a winch truck. That one may still be in someone's backyard.
One of the most interesting things to happen to a marker was when
a Fayette County
marker was removed, reworded and reinstalled in Colorado
County. For the full story of how that came about you'll have
to read about it on TexasEscapes http://texasescapes.com/Centennial/Burnams-Ferry-Texas-Centennial-Marker-Story.htm
After almost 80 years since the celebration, these monuments commemorating
the Centenary of Texas Independence needed to be remembered as there
was no accurate inventory of locations, conditions or even existence
of many of them. A few years ago, one
person took it upon herself, along with a few volunteers, to
locate, inspect and photograph these placements. Most are on public
highways, parks, courthouse lawns, and public cemeteries, but many
more of them are in remote locations or on private property far
from any paved roads. For these, the inventories were sometimes
so inexact that even the county of their placement was mistaken.
That is when I personally became involved in a quest to see and
inspect, photograph and note the condition of every single one of
the more than 1,100 memorials around the state. An exciting quest
it has been. I have made many hundreds of phone calls, sent as many
emails, driven tens of thousands of miles and taken tens of thousands
of pictures.
But more rewarding than that has been the hundreds of individuals
I have met who have helped me, directed me, escorted me and encouraged
me in this endeavor so that, to date, I have been able to see over
99% of all the memorials and monuments that are still known to exist.
A few years ago Sarah
Reveley presented her findings to the Texas Historical Commission
in Austin. The links to
her websites are below as well as pictures of Centennial Markers
in their beautiful and sometimes isolated locations around the state.
http://www.picturetrail.com/neglected_tx_centennial
http://www.texasescapes.com/Centennial/Texas-Centennial.htm
http://texasescapes.com/Centennial/Neglected-1936-Texas-Centennial.htm
The Texas Historical Commission dedicated one of its Medallion magazines
to the Centennial Celebration. The part about our efforts starts
on about page 13: http://www.thc.state.tx.us/public/upload/publications/medallion-july-august-2011.pdf
These markers, in themselves, are a part of Texas history that should
not be forgotten as every single one has a story of its own. If
you are anywhere in the state of Texas, I can safely say that, right
now, you aren't very far from a 1936 Centennial monument. So, the
next time you drive by one, stop and take a look at it. Let it tell
you its story. It will only take a minute, and you won't be sorry
you did.
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