Liberty County, Texas Historical Markers
Liberty County, Texas Historical Markers
Abshier Cemetery
| Marker Number: | 9635 |
| Marker Title: | Abshier Cemetery |
| Index Entry: | Abshier Cemetery |
| Address: | |
| City: | Hankamer |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 343269 |
| UTM Northing: | 3310682 |
| Subject Codes: | GY |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1990 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | 4 mi. N of Hankamer on SH 61, then 1 mi. W on CR 112 |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | Fair; needs cleaning |
| Marker Text: | The families of Benjamin and Hannah (Weed) Abshier and Benjamin and Sarah (Hanks) Weed came to this area of Texas from Louisiana in 1843. The extended families purchased land and established farms in this vicinity. In June 1852 the Abshiers' 27-year-old daughter, Lucinda Abshier Higginbotham, died, leaving a husband and six children. She was laid to rest on the Abshier family farm, in a plot of land which would become a family graveyard. Since that time, members of many generations of Abshier, Weed, and related families have been interred in the cemetery. Among those buried here are veterans of the War of 1812, the Texas Revolution, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, and Korea. A number of unusual and elaborate grave markers can be seen, including tree-trunk-shaped monuments of the Woodmen of the World Lodge, a 19th-century fraternal organization. There are also a number of unmarked burials. Established in 1896, a cemetery association maintains the historic graveyard. The original two-acre plot was enlarged to three acres in 1938. The cemetery continues to serve as a reminder of early Liberty County pioneers. |
Anderson, A. J. and Carolina, House
| Marker Number: | 12591 |
| Marker Title: | A. J. and Carolina Anderson House |
| Index Entry: | Anderson, A. J. and Carolina, House |
| Address: | 602 E. Liberty Ave. |
| City: | Round Rock |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 14 |
| UTM Easting: | 627304 |
| UTM Northing: | 3375950 |
| Subject Codes: | BH, SW, VC |
| Year Marker Erected: | 2001 |
| Designations: | Recorded Texas Historic Landmark |
| Marker Location: | |
| Marker Size: | Medallion & Plate |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | This house was built in 1908-09 for the family of Swedish immigrant Anders Johan Anderson (1858-1929) just after the death of his first wife, Edla Maria (1859-1906). After its completion, Anderson and his two daughters moved into the house from their farm two miles south of round rock. In 1912, Anderson married Carolina Lindquist, and the house remained in the Anderson family until 1963. The folk Victorian structure, with details including fishscale shingles and classical columns, reflects Round Rock's prosperity and status as a mercantile center for Swedes in the early 20th century. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2001 |
Atascosito
| Marker Number: | 9636 |
| Marker Title: | Atascosito |
| Index Entry: | Atascosito |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 330461 |
| UTM Northing: | 3330148 |
| Subject Codes: | |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1956 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | SH 146 at intersection w/FM 1011 |
| Marker Size: | Other |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | 1756-Liberty Bicentennial, observance 1956 Atascosito, established Indian Village prior to 1690. Established as District on Atascosito Road by Spanish government in 1857 to prevent French trade with Indians. Bill Daniel, Director General, W. D. Partlow, Chairman, Historical Marker Committee. |
Branch, Edward Thomas
| Marker Number: | 9637 |
| Marker Title: | Edward Thomas Branch |
| Index Entry: | Branch, Edward Thomas |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | |
| UTM Easting: | |
| UTM Northing: | |
| Subject Codes: | JU; ML; OS; TI |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1991 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | 1700 block of Cypress St., near Branch Family Cemetery, Liberty |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | -- |
| Marker Text: | (December 6, 1811 - September 22, 1861) Virginia native Edward Thomas Branch came to Texas in 1835 and settled in Liberty. As a first sergeant in the Texas Volunteers, he participated in the Battle of San Jacinto, and remained in the army as a second lieutenant until October 1836. He later served as a lieutenant colonel in the Texas militia. Branch was elected to represent Liberty County in the House of Representatives of the first and second congresses of the Republic of Texas (1836-1838). He moved to Nacogdoches in 1838 after he was elected judge of the Fifth Judicial District, comprised of Red River, Houston, Nacogdoches, Shelby, and Fannin counties. Resigning from the bench in 1840, he returned to Liberty, where he was postmaster from 1842 to 1843. In 1846 he was elected to represent Liberty County in the first Legislature of the State of Texas and served as speaker of the House of Representatives for a brief period. Branch married Anne Cleveland Wharton, daughter of texas pioneer statesman William H. Wharton, on August 15, 1838. When not occupied by public business he was involved in farming, community activities, and the practice of law. Branch was a charter member of the Liberty Masonic Lodge, organized in 1848. |
Brown, John S. and Jane Susanna Lee, Homestead of
| Marker Number: | 9638 |
| Marker Title: | Homestead of John S. and Jane Susanna Lee Brown, 1856 |
| Index Entry: | Brown, John S. and Jane Susanna Lee, Homestead of |
| Address: | |
| City: | Devers |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | |
| UTM Easting: | |
| UTM Northing: | |
| Subject Codes: | PI |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1965 |
| Designations: | Recorded Texas Historic Landmark |
| Marker Location: | 4 mi. S of Devers, Anahuac Highway 1/2 mi. of road |
| Marker Size: | Medallion & Plate |
| Repairs Completed: | not surveyed |
| Marker Text: | On Spanish land grant. Building materials came by sea from Mobile, Ala., to Anahuac, thence by ox-cart to present site. Lumber was hand-planed; pegs and square nails were used. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1965 |
Bryan, Luke
| Marker Number: | 9639 |
| Marker Title: | Luke Bryan |
| Index Entry: | Bryan, Luke |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 326172 |
| UTM Northing: | 3328068 |
| Subject Codes: | ML; TI |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1936 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | Bryan-Neyland Cemetery, Edgewood at Bowie St. |
| Marker Size: | Grave Marker |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | A soldier in the Army of Texas, 1825. A participant in the Battle of San Jacinto. Born in Louisiana October 7, 1807; died October 7, 1869. |
Bryan, Pryor
| Marker Number: | 9641 |
| Marker Title: | Bryan, Pryor |
| Index Entry: | Bryan, Pryor |
| Address: | |
| City: | |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 326172 |
| UTM Northing: | 3328068 |
| Subject Codes: | ML; TI |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1936 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | Bryan-Neyland Cemetery, Edgewood at Bowie St. |
| Marker Size: | Grave Marker |
| Repairs Completed: | Fair |
| Marker Text: | An officer in the Army of Texas 1835-1836. Born in Louisiana March 11, 1810; died April 19, 1873. His wife Mary A. Merriman Bryan born August 6, 1817; died January 13, 1861. |
Bryan-Neyland Cemetery
| Marker Number: | 9640 |
| Marker Title: | Bryan-Neyland Cemetery |
| Index Entry: | Bryan-Neyland Cemetery |
| Address: | 1300 Edgewood at Bowie St. |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 326172 |
| UTM Northing: | 3328068 |
| Subject Codes: | GY |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1981 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | Poor; Refinish |
| Marker Text: | Also known as the Bryan-Williams Cemetery or the Kersting Cemetery, this family burial ground is the resting place for some of Liberty County's most prominent citizens. One of the oldest graves is that of Luke Bryan (1807-69), veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto and later Liberty County sheriff. His brother Pryor Bryan (1810-73), who fought in the Texas Revolution and Civil War, married Mary A. Merriman (1817-61). Both are buried here along with daughter Laura (1847-1927) and her husband Capt. Watson D. Williams (1838-81) of the Confederate Army, later a successful publisher and Liberty businessman. Two Williams children are buried here: Jessie (1871-82) who died at age 11; and Wilda (1873-1928), a musician, who married Liberty County Judge William Neyland (1869-99) in 1895. Their son Watson (1898-1963) became a world-renowned painter. Others buried here include Eugenia Mouton (1841-1915), authoress, publisher, and half-sister of W. D. Williams; Isaiah C. Day (1812-79), the businessman and rancher for whom the town of Dayton (formerly West Liberty) is named; "Miss Yettie" Kersting (1863-1941), beloved Liberty businesswoman and benefactress; and Elizabeth Watkins whose 1853 grave is the oldest in the cemetery. Although few in number, the graves are given full care by the Liberty Cemetery Association. |
Casa Consistatorial
| Marker Number: | 9642 |
| Marker Title: | Casa Consistatorial (Courthouse Square) |
| Index Entry: | Casa Consistatorial |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 326749 |
| UTM Northing: | 3326673 |
| Subject Codes: | CT |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1968 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | Travis and Main St. |
| Marker Size: | 18" x 28" |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | Originally one of five squares platted for public use in 1831 by J. Francisco Madero, general land commissioner of Texas (under Mexican government), in accordance with the provisions of 1825 Law of Colonization -- Article 34. Madero changed name of site from Atascosito, meaning boggy, to Liberty to reflect his hopes for the future of Texas. The first courthouse was built on this square, 1831; a second in 1857; a third in 1877; a fourth in 1895-96; and the present one in 1930-31. Many Texas statesmen including Sam Houston and David G. Burnet practiced law here. |
Catholic Cemetery
| Marker Number: | 9643 |
| Marker Title: | Catholic Cemetery |
| Index Entry: | Catholic Cemetery |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 326400 |
| UTM Northing: | 3327098 |
| Subject Codes: | GY; RC |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1982 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | 1500 block of Grand at Bowie St. |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | In 1853, twenty-two years after Francisco Madero founded the Villa de la Santissima Trinidad de la Libertad, now the town of Liberty, the Rev. Petrus Marie LaCour came to this area. A native of France, he served as the first pastor of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Acting on behalf of the Galveston Diocese, he purchased this site in 1853 from Pickney L. and Therese A. Palmer as a burial ground for Catholic settlers of the county. A few gravesites were located here when the land was designated a Catholic cemetery. Many of the early graves are those of pioneer French Creole settlers, members of related families that migrated to the region from Louisiana in the mid-nineteenth century. Early residents interred here include LaCours, Gillards, Baillios, DeBlancs, Desrayouxs, Dugats, Fortiers, Benoits, Cannons, Joffrions and Rachals. Their influence as early business, civic and professional leaders had a dramatic impact on Liberty and on the area's social and religious customs. Descendants of the pioneers still serve as active members of the community. The oldest Catholic cemetery in Liberty County, this site now serves as a historic reminder of the region's rich heritage. |
CHAMBERS, Thomas Jefferson, OCTAGON HOUSE
| Marker Number: | 9644 |
| Marker Title: | Thomas Jefferson Chambers Home |
| Index Entry: | Chambers, Thomas Jefferson, Home |
| Address: | 624 Milam at Webster |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 326703 |
| UTM Northing: | 3326975 |
| Subject Codes: | BH |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1978 |
| Designations: | Recorded Texas Historic Landmark |
| Marker Location: | |
| Marker Size: | Medallion & Plate |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | This residence was built during the 1860s for newspaper editor Thomas Jefferson Chambers (1840-1929), the nephew and namesake of Texas colonial leader T. J. Chambers (1802-1865). The younger Chambers was a native Virginian and Confederate veteran. He served as state representative, justice of the peace, city councilman, and mayor. The shape of the "octagon house", with its central chimney, has been altered by remodeling. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1978 |
Cherry, John
| Marker Number: | 9645 |
| Marker Title: | John Cherry |
| Index Entry: | Cherry, John |
| Address: | |
| City: | Cleveland |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 310714 |
| UTM Northing: | 3346090 |
| Subject Codes: | ML; TI |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1972 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | Ryan Cemetery, on SH 321, 13 mi. southeast of Cleveland |
| Marker Size: | 14" x 24" |
| Repairs Completed: | Fair |
| Marker Text: | (November 23, 1808 - April 12, 1891) Soldier in Capt. William Logan's company, 2nd Regiment, Volunteers, Texas War for Independence, 1836. Born in Highland County, Ohio, came to Texas with his father, Aaron Cherry, 1818. Settled near a Coushatta Indian village. In 1838 by commission of President Sam Houston, he was interpreter for Indians in a treaty parley. He received 2 Texas land grants. Married (1) Matilda Bridges; (2) Roxy Line White; (3) Frances Holt Smith. Had 14 sons, 7 daughters. |
City Cemetery
| Marker Number: | 9646 |
| Marker Title: | City Cemetery |
| Index Entry: | City Cemetery |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 326284 |
| UTM Northing: | 3327185 |
| Subject Codes: | GY |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1983 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | 800 block of bowie St. just N of intersection with Grand |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | In 1848, eleven years after Liberty was incorporated, the town's trustees appointed a committee to select a suitable location for a community burial ground. Subsequently, this four-acre tract of land was chosen as the City Cemetery. Local leaders made no provisions for selling burial plots, so families were allowed to select the sites of their choice, often marking them with cypress or iron pickets. Although the graveyard contains numerous unmarked graves, the earliest known burial, that of four-year-old Caroline A. Lund, took place in August 1850. Many pioneer citizens of Liberty are buried here, as are a number of war veterans, including Franklin Hardin (1803-1878) and Cornelius de Vore (1819-1883), who participated in the battle of San Jacinto. Others buried in City Cemetery include E. B. Pickett (1823-1882), an early Texas statesman who served as president of the Texas Constitutional Convention of 1875. By 1946, crowded conditions in this graveyard necessitated the opening of a new cemetery southeast of town. Although still in use, burials at this site now are limited to the families of persons already interred here. The gravesites are maintained by the Liberty Cemetery Association. |
Cleveland, City of
| Marker Number: | 9647 |
| Marker Title: | City of Cleveland |
| Index Entry: | Cleveland, City of |
| Address: | |
| City: | Cleveland |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 298844 |
| UTM Northing: | 3358223 |
| Subject Codes: | CY; RR |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1986 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | corner of Houston and San Jacinto St. in city park (median) |
| Marker Size: | 18" x 28" |
| Repairs Completed: | Poor; Refinish |
| Marker Text: | The town of Cleveland traces its beginnings to 1878, when local attorney and politician Charles Lander Cleveland (1824-1892) deeded land to the Houston East and West Texas Railroad, stipulating the building of a railway depot and the establishment of a town to be named Cleveland. By 1879 the settlement boasted a sawmill, two boarding houses, railroad interests, and a number of homes. Churches and schools were established and the town continued to grow, with an economy based on timber and railroad industries. The city was officially incorporated in 1935. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986 |
Daniel, Price
| Marker Number: | 12816 |
| Marker Title: | Price Daniel |
| Index Entry: | Daniel, Price |
| Address: | FM 1011, at Sam Houston Regional Library |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | |
| UTM Easting: | |
| UTM Northing: | |
| Subject Codes: | GV, JR, ON |
| Year Marker Erected: | 2002 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | FM 1011, at Sam Houston Regional Library |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | Price Daniel Texas statesman Price Daniel (1910-1988) was born in nearby Dayton, the son of M.P. and Nannie Partlow Daniel. His career in state and national politics spanned six decades and included service in all three branches of state government. After graduating from Baylor Law School, Price Daniel established his law practice in Liberty before taking his first public office in the Texas House of Representatives in 1939. His strong record led to his election as Speaker of the Texas House in 1943. Returning to public life after service in World War II, Daniel was Attorney General of Texas from 1947 until 1953. The young attorney general vigorously defended Texas' ownership of its tidelands against federal encroachment, an issue he took with him to the United States Senate upon his election to that body in 1952. Successful in sponsoring legislation to confirm Texas ownership of the tidelands, Daniel was elected Governor of Texas in 1956 and was re-elected in 1958 and 1960. Among his many accomplishments as Governor, he championed the preservation of historic state documents and construction of the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library building in Austin. During the next three decades, Price Daniel served as head of the Office of Emergency Preparedness under President Johnson, as an associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court and as a member of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. At the time of his death on August 25, 1988, Daniel had held more offices of public trust than any other individual in Texas history. (2002) |
De Vore, Cornelius
| Marker Number: | 9650 |
| Marker Title: | Cornelius De Vore |
| Index Entry: | De Vore, Cornelius |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 326284 |
| UTM Northing: | 3327185 |
| Subject Codes: | ML; TI |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1936 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | Liberty City Cemetery, 800 block of Bowie St. |
| Marker Size: | 36' Centennial - Grave Marker (gray) |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | A San Jacinto veteran. Born in New Orleans September 11, 1819; died July 29, 1883. |
First Baptist Church of Dayton
| Marker Number: | 9651 |
| Marker Title: | First Baptist Church of Dayton |
| Index Entry: | First Baptist Church of Dayton |
| Address: | 115 S. Church St. |
| City: | Dayton |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 318119 |
| UTM Northing: | 3325224 |
| Subject Codes: | BP; CH |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1988 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | The first Baptist congregation in Dayton was formed in 1878, when ten worshipers gathered together to begin a church. A one-room schoolhouse, located on what is now East Cook Street, was used for worship services until 1895. The church's first pastor was the Rev. E. M. Forman, a circuit riding minister. Other traveling clergymen also pastored the small church in its early years, including D. W. Jackson, J. McArthur Black, J. A. Lee, J. F. McLeod, and J. M. Day. In 1895 the Baptist congregation began conducting services in a Union Church on the southeast corner of Waring and North Main streets. In 1901, following damage to the Union Church in the hurricane of 1900, construction began on a baptist sanctuary near this site on South Church Street. Throughout its history the First Baptist congregation has sought to serve its community. A Ladies Aid Society was organized in 1911, and the first of many local missions was established in 1912. A youth ministry also began in 1912. The church congregation has maintained an active involvement in both home and foreign missionary projects. |
First Methodist Church of Dayton
| Marker Number: | 9652 |
| Marker Title: | First Methodist Church of Dayton |
| Index Entry: | First Methodist Church of Dayton |
| Address: | 106 S. Cleveland St. |
| City: | Dayton |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 318289 |
| UTM Northing: | 3325940 |
| Subject Codes: | CH; ME |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1991 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | Methodist worship services were conducted in West Liberty, later known as Dayton, as early as 1855. By 1900 the First Methodist Church had a full-time pastor, the Rev. G. T. Newberry, who conducted services in the Dayton schoolhouse on North Main Street. In 1906 the congregation built its first sanctuary. A one-story wooden structure with a bell tower, which continued to serve the members until 1928. A church school also was organized in 1906, and Charles Wilson was elected to serve as the first superintendent. A series of worship and education facilities were constructed to accommodate the growing congregation through the years, including a large two-story brick building with a basement on the northwest corner of Houston Avenue and Cleveland Street in 1928. Due to continued growth, the 1928 structure was razed in 1980, and the congregation built a new sanctuary in 1981. After a denominational merger in 1968, the church's name was changed to first United Methodist Church. throughout the years the congregation has served the community with a variety of worship, educational, social, and missionary programs. |
French Cemetery
| Marker Number: | 9653 |
| Marker Title: | French Cemetery |
| Index Entry: | French Cemetery |
| Address: | |
| City: | Dayton |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 320208 |
| UTM Northing: | 3329273 |
| Subject Codes: | GY; FC |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1986 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | 2.5 mi. NE of Dayton on W side of FM 1008 |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | According to local tradition, this cemetery derives its name from a group of French settlers who were killed and buried near the site sometime during the 18th century. Although no physical evidence of the French burials has been found, the name has been in common use for more than 100 years. Referred to in the mid-1800s as the Pruett Family Cemetery, the graveyard is located on land acquired by Beasley Pruett from the Mexican government in 1824. Upon his death in 1835, Pruett was buried on his land grant in a now-unmarked grave. The earliest marked grave here, dated 1860, is that of Martha Day, a daughter-in-law of Beasley Pruett. Other early Liberty County settlers and Pruett family descendants buried here include Reason Green (1800-1868), who held several 19th-century public offices; surnames of other prominent citizens buried here include Brashear and Linney. Veterans of four wars and the Korean Conflict are interred here. In 1946, landowners W. T. Jamison, Sr. (1878-1962) and J. N. Coleman (1882-1948) formally set aside these two acres of the French Cemetery as part of the sale of the surrounding land. The graveyard remains an important reflection of Liberty County history. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986 |
Garvey, Noble, House
| Marker Number: | 9654 |
| Marker Title: | The Noble Garvey House |
| Index Entry: | Garvey, Noble, House |
| Address: | 106 Taft St. |
| City: | Cleveland |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | |
| UTM Easting: | |
| UTM Northing: | |
| Subject Codes: | BH |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1978 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | |
| Marker Size: | 18" x 28" |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | After settling here in the 1890s, Noble Garvey (1875-1941) became a leading merchant, landowner, and bank president. Interested in civic improvement, he served on the city council and county planning board and was president of the Chamber of Commerce. He and his wife Lillian Henderson Garvey erected this spacious residence before 1915. Garvey selected the longleaf pine and other lumber from local mills. The Garvey home was the center of social life in early Cleveland. Originally located at College and Crockett Street, it was moved to this site in 1964. |
Gillard - Duncan House
| Marker Number: | 9655 |
| Marker Title: | Gillard - Duncan House |
| Index Entry: | Gillard - Duncan House |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 330189 |
| UTM Northing: | 3330968 |
| Subject Codes: | BH; GK |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1981 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | grounds of San Houston Regional Library and Research Center, FM 1101 |
| Marker Size: | 18" x 28" |
| Repairs Completed: | Fair |
| Marker Text: | Dr. E. J. Gillard (1808-75) brought his family to Texas from Louisiana in 1845. About 1848 he built this home on his plantation east of Liberty. Constructed of native woods, it features Greek revival styling with Creole influences. Unique features of the home include a traveler's room and an upstairs schoolroom. The residence remained in the family through the descendants of Capt. William B. Duncan, who was married to the Gillard's daughter Eliza until her death in 1856 and then to her cousin Celima. William and Celima's daughter, Julia Welder, later cared for the house, which was moved here in 1980. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1981 |
Grand Cane, Site of the Town of
| Marker Number: | 9656 |
| Marker Title: | Site of the Town of Grand Cane |
| Index Entry: | Grand Cane, Site of the Town of |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 331371 |
| UTM Northing: | 3358782 |
| Subject Codes: | GT |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1936 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | on SH 146, about 23 mi. N of Liberty on E side of road |
| Marker Size: | Centennial |
| Repairs Completed: | Fair - missing star and wreath |
| Marker Text: | Here General Sam Houston built a home in 1843 and in it resided until 1845. A post office was established May 22, 1846 with Vernon B. Lea as postmaster. It was discontinued October 24, 1868 and reestablished April 26, 1869. The name of the town was changed to Ironwood August 26, 1869. The post office was discontinued March 15, 1900. |
Griffin-Methodist Cemetery
| Marker Number: | 9657 |
| Marker Title: | Griffin-Methodist Cemetery |
| Index Entry: | Griffin-Methodist Cemetery |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 328695 |
| UTM Northing: | 3328213 |
| Subject Codes: | GY; ME |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1986 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | Lakeland Dr. about .25 mi. N of it's intersection with Jefferson Rd. (now Cooke Memorial Cemetery) |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | Poor |
| Marker Text: | Jackson Hawkins Griffin (1818-1864) came to Liberty in 1835. A member of the Liberty Volunteers during the Texas Revolution, he participated in the Siege of Bexar. His home near this site was often used as a boarding house for families new to the area. Jesse Daniel Lum (1775-1846) and his son, Jesse Daniel Lum, Jr. (1822-1900), rented rooms in Griffin's home soon after they arrived here from Louisiana in 1843. When the elder Lum died in 1846, Griffin provided space on his land for use as a burial site. From that time, the plot of land was known locally as Griffin Cemetery. Jackson Griffin enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1862 and was killed in the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee, in 1864. His heirs sold his land to Dr. James P. Cooke (1836-1892), who in turn donated the cemetery property to the Liberty Methodist Church in 1881. Dr. Cooke was interred here in 1892, and the burial ground is also known as Cooke Memorial Cemetery. The Methodist church maintained the graveyard as a private burial ground until 1981, when a restoration program was undertaken which reopened the cemetery to public use. this historic cemetery serves as a reminder of Liberty's past. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986 |
Hardin Methodist Church
| Marker Number: | 9661 |
| Marker Title: | Hardin Methodist Church |
| Index Entry: | Hardin Methodist Church |
| Address: | |
| City: | Hardin |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 330950 |
| UTM Northing: | 3337455 |
| Subject Codes: | CH; ME |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1997 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | on FM 834, W side of Hardin |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | This congregation traces its history to 1876 when the Reverend J. R. D. Taylor (1851-1882) established a Methodist church named China Grove. Early worship services were held in a log church building located nearby. A chapel was constructed in 1886 on land donated by Liberty businessman William F. "Bee" Hardin. The edifice was named Smith's Chapel Methodist Church in honor of the Reverend John A. Smith, pastor from 1884-86. The church again changed its name and in 1910 became known as Hardin Chapel Methodist Church. Renovations were made to the church building in 1910. The congregation began holding regular services in 1916 and also established a Sunday School. A new sanctuary was erected in 1939, but was destroyed by fire in 1958. Services were held in the Hardin schoolhouse until a new structure was completed in November 1958. Property was deeded in 1960 for a parsonage and a brick building was soon completed. Additional land adjoining the church property was donated in 1994. An integral part of the community, the church remains active as it has for more than 120 years. (1997) |
Hardin, Augustine B.
| Marker Number: | 9658 |
| Marker Title: | Augustine B. Hardin |
| Index Entry: | Hardin, Augustine B. |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 329568 |
| UTM Northing: | 3331783 |
| Subject Codes: | ML; TI |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1936 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | Hardin Family Cemetery, 5 mi. N of Liberty on FM 1101 |
| Marker Size: | Grave Marker |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | A signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Born in Georgia in 1798; died July 27, 1871. |
Hardin, Benjamin W.
| Marker Number: | 9659 |
| Marker Title: | Benjamin W. Hardin |
| Index Entry: | Hardin, Benjamin W. |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 329568 |
| UTM Northing: | 3331783 |
| Subject Codes: | OS; SF |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1936 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | Hardin Family Cemetery, 5 mi. N of Liberty on FM 1101 |
| Marker Size: | Grave Marker |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | Benjamin Watson Hardin - member of Ninth Congress-Republic of Texas; sheriff of Liberty County. Born in Georgia on March 25, 1796. Died on January 2, 1850. |
Hardin, Franklin
| Marker Number: | 9660 |
| Marker Title: | Franklin Hardin |
| Index Entry: | Hardin, Franklin |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 326284 |
| UTM Northing: | 3327185 |
| Subject Codes: | ML; TI |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1936 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | Liberty City Cemetery, 800 block of Bowie St. |
| Marker Size: | Grave Marker |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | -- |
Hardin, Milton Ashley
| Marker Number: | 9662 |
| Marker Title: | Milton Ashley Hardin |
| Index Entry: | Hardin, Milton Ashley |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 326284 |
| UTM Northing: | 3327185 |
| Subject Codes: | ML; TI |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1997 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | Liberty City Cemetery, 800 block of Bowie St. |
| Marker Size: | 14" x 24" |
| Repairs Completed: | Good |
| Marker Text: | (November 4, 1813 - September 18, 1894) Tennessee native Milton Hardin moved to Texas in 1826 with his parents, settling in present day Liberty County. In 1835 he fought at the Battle of Concepcion and the Siege of Bexar and secured a land grant for his service. He later sold the land that became the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation. Milton Hardin married Mary Isbell; they became the parents of three children. He moved to Hood County and later Johnson County, where he died. (1997) |
Hardin, William
| Marker Number: | 9663 |
| Marker Title: | William Hardin |
| Index Entry: | Hardin, William |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 329568 |
| UTM Northing: | 3331783 |
| Subject Codes: | OS; OM; JU |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1936 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | Hardin Family Cemetery, 9 mi. N on FM 1011 |
| Marker Size: | Grave Marker |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | Delegate to the Second Convention of Texas, 1833. Alcalde of Liberty municipality.First judge of Liberty municipality. Born in Franklin County, Georgia March 25, 1801; died in Galveston June 28, 1839. |
Houston's, Sam, Law Office
| Marker Number: | 9665 |
| Marker Title: | Sam Houston's Law Office |
| Index Entry: | Houston's, Sam, Law Office |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 326906 |
| UTM Northing: | 3326635 |
| Subject Codes: | |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1967 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | SW corner of Main and Sam Houston St. |
| Marker Size: | Bronze Plaque |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | Memorial to General Sam Houston, Texas hero and former Liberty County resident and practicing attorney, whose law office was located on this site in the 1840s. |
Houston, Sam, in Liberty County
| Marker Number: | 9664 |
| Marker Title: | Sam Houston in Liberty County |
| Index Entry: | Houston, Sam, in Liberty County |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 326906 |
| UTM Northing: | 3326635 |
| Subject Codes: | GV; ON: OS |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1985 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | SW corner of Main and Sam Houston St. |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | Pioneer, lawyer, statesman, and leader of the Texas victory over Mexico at San Jacinto, General Sam Houston began a relationship with Liberty County in 1833 that was based on land ownership which continued until his death in 1863. During those years he concluded nine land transactions involving nearly 20,000 acres. He established family homes at Cedar Point (now part of Chambers County) in 1840 and at Grand Cane (22 mi. N) in 1842. From 1838 to 1855, Sam Houston practiced law in Liberty, maintaining an office on this site across from the Courthouse Square. Houston's other activities in Liberty County included his attendance at worship services of the Concord Baptist Church (Grand Cane), of which his wife, Margaret Lea Houston, was one of the founders in 1845. Sam Houston's activities in Liberty County took place while he was serving in various leadership roles for Texas, including President of the Republic of Texas (1836-1838, 1841-1844) and as the first United States Senator for the newly-annexed state of Texas (1846-1859). He has been honored in Liberty County by the naming of Sam Houston Avenue and the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center. |
Isaacks, Andrew Jackson
| Marker Number: | 9666 |
| Marker Title: | Andrew Jackson Isaacks |
| Index Entry: | Isaacks, Andrew Jackson |
| Address: | |
| City: | Cleveland |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 307831 |
| UTM Northing: | 3361082 |
| Subject Codes: | ML; SF; TI |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1970 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | Oak Shade Cemetery, 6 mi. E of Cleveland off FM 787 |
| Marker Size: | 14" x 24" |
| Repairs Completed: | Poor |
| Marker Text: | (December 3, 1817 - January 18, 1864) Born in Jackson, Mississippi. Fought in the Texas Revolution in 1835. Served as sheriff of Jasper County, 1841-1842. Married Miss Sicily Beatty in 1842. they had eight children. A farmer and rancher, Isaacks was the first postmaster at Tarkington Prairie, 1853-1854, at that time in Liberty County. He belonged to Baptist church. Upon his death he was buried at Tarkington Prairie. Remains were reinterred here in 1970. |
Johnston, Hugh B.
| Marker Number: | 9667 |
| Marker Title: | Hugh B. Johnston |
| Index Entry: | Johnston, Hugh B. |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | |
| UTM Easting: | |
| UTM Northing: | |
| Subject Codes: | OM; OS |
| Year Marker Erected: | |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | Johnston Family Cemetery, 12 mi. N off SH 160 |
| Marker Size: | |
| Repairs Completed: | not surveyed |
| Marker Text: | First alcalde of Liberty municipality, 1831. Delegate to the Consultation, 1835; member of Congress, 1838-1839. Born in Tennessee; died in 1850. |
Kalita, Chief of the Coushatta Indians
| Marker Number: | 9668 |
| Marker Title: | Kalita, Chief of the Coushatta Indians |
| Index Entry: | Kalita, Chief of the Coushatta Indians |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 332354 |
| UTM Northing: | 3347697 |
| Subject Codes: | NA |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1967 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | in Moss Hill, roadside park on W side of SH 146 just N of intersection with SH 105, about 15 mi. N of Liberty |
| Marker Size: | Other |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | Friend of the pioneers. |
Lallemand, Riguad, and Other French Settlers
| Marker Number: | 9671 |
| Marker Title: | Lallemand, Riguad and Other French Settlers |
| Index Entry: | Lallemand, Riguad, and Other French Settlers |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | |
| UTM Easting: | |
| UTM Northing: | |
| Subject Codes: | FC; PI |
| Year Marker Erected: | |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | E on Old Trinity River Bridge |
| Marker Size: | |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | To Generals Charles Lallemand, Antoine Rigaud, the veterans of the Napoleonic Wars and other French settlers, who, after many trials and adventures, came to Texas in the spring of 1818 to found on the banks of the Trinity River the Champ D'Asile: a last refuge for peace and liberty "Nous voulons vivre libres, laborieux et paisables" (We want to live as free men through our labor, and in peace.). |
Liberty County Courthouse (1831)
| Building Name: | Liberty County Courthouse |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| State: | TX |
| Architect: | |
| Architectural Firm: | |
| General Contractor: | |
| Building Completion Date: | 1831 |
| Present Status of Building: | |
| Notes/Description of Building: | vernacular, log cabin, 22' x 22', |
| Building Use Type: | government |
| Bibliography: | |
| Country: | USA |
| Historic Construction Documents: | |
| Historic Interior Images: | |
| Present Owner: | |
| Architectural Style: | vernacular |
| Architect's First Name: | |
| Architect's Middle Name: | |
| Architect's Last Name: |
Liberty County Courthouse (1843)
| Building Name: | Liberty County Courthouse |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| State: | TX |
| Architect: | |
| Architectural Firm: | |
| General Contractor: | |
| Building Completion Date: | 1843 |
| Present Status of Building: | gone |
| Notes/Description of Building: | wood frame, 28' x 24', "pealed" pine studs and split cypress weatherboards |
| Building Use Type: | government |
| Bibliography: | |
| Country: | USA |
| Historic Construction Documents: | |
| Historic Interior Images: | |
| Present Owner: | na |
| Architectural Style: | |
| Architect's First Name: | |
| Architect's Middle Name: | |
| Architect's Last Name: |
Liberty County Courthouse (1850)
| Building Name: | Liberty County Courthouse |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| State: | TX |
| Architect: | |
| Architectural Firm: | |
| General Contractor: | John Booth |
| Building Completion Date: | 1850 |
| Present Status of Building: | |
| Notes/Description of Building: | frame, 2-story, 40' x 32', courtroom on first floor with 14' ceiling, four rooms on upper floor with 10' ceilings, construction began in 1843 and ended seven years later in 1850 |
| Building Use Type: | government |
| Bibliography: | |
| Country: | USA |
| Historic Construction Documents: | plans (conjectural) The People's Architecture pg. 26 (1983 ABT) |
| Historic Interior Images: | |
| Present Owner: | |
| Architectural Style: | Neoclassical? |
| Architect's First Name: | |
| Architect's Middle Name: | |
| Architect's Last Name: |
Liberty County Courthouse (1857)
| Building Name: | Liberty County Courthouse |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| State: | TX |
| Architect: | |
| Architectural Firm: | |
| General Contractor: | |
| Building Completion Date: | 1857 |
| Present Status of Building: | gone/burned 12/27/1872 |
| Notes/Description of Building: | brick, 2-story, 45' x 25' x 31', $6,000, 8 fireplaces |
| Building Use Type: | government |
| Bibliography: | |
| Country: | USA |
| Historic Construction Documents: | |
| Historic Interior Images: | |
| Present Owner: | na |
| Architectural Style: | |
| Architect's First Name: | |
| Architect's Middle Name: | |
| Architect's Last Name: |
Liberty County Courthouse (1877)
| Building Name: | Liberty County Courthouse |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| State: | TX |
| Architect: | |
| Architectural Firm: | |
| General Contractor: | Thomas & Werney |
| Building Completion Date: | 1877 |
| Present Status of Building: | gone/demolished |
| Notes/Description of Building: | brick, 2-story, |
| Building Use Type: | government |
| Bibliography: | |
| Country: | USA |
| Historic Construction Documents: | |
| Historic Interior Images: | |
| Present Owner: | na |
| Architectural Style: | |
| Architect's First Name: | |
| Architect's Middle Name: | |
| Architect's Last Name: |
Liberty County Courthouse (1896) PHOTO
| Building Name: | Liberty County Courthouse |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| State: | TX |
| Architect: | |
| Architectural Firm: | Martin, Byrne, Johnson & Applegate (of Victoria) |
| General Contractor: | Martin, Byrne, Johnson & Applegate (of Victoria) |
| Building Completion Date: | 1896 |
| Present Status of Building: | |
| Notes/Description of Building: | three story, brick, tower, 30 rooms, $35,757, 1275 pound Texas granite cornerstone donated by contractor William Martin |
| Building Use Type: | government |
| Bibliography: | THCPP-files |
| Country: | USA |
| Historic Construction Documents: | lithographed letterhead illustration 1895 ABT |
| Historic Interior Images: | |
| Present Owner: | |
| Architectural Style: | Second Empire |
| Architect's First Name: | William |
| Architect's Middle Name: | |
| Architect's Last Name: | Martin |
Liberty County
| Marker Number: | 9669 |
| Marker Title: | Liberty County |
| Index Entry: | Liberty County |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 330345 |
| UTM Northing: | 3326332 |
| Subject Codes: | CO |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1936 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | on the N shoulder of US 90 about 2 mi. E of Liberty |
| Marker Size: | 36' Centennial - Highway Marker (pink) |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | A trail across this region traveled and described by Alonso de Leon in 1690 became the "La Bahia" or "Lower Road" in the 18th century. First settlement, Atascocita, established in 1757. The town established May 5, 1831 as the "Villa de la Santisima Trinity de la Libertad" (City of the Blessed Trinity of Liberty) became the county seat and gave the county its name when created and organized in 1836. |
Liberty County
| Marker Number: | 9670 |
| Marker Title: | Liberty County |
| Index Entry: | Liberty County |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 326906 |
| UTM Northing: | 3326635 |
| Subject Codes: | CO |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1936 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | Courthouse lawn, Main and Sam Houston St. |
| Marker Size: | 36' Centennial - Monuments and Statues |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | -- |
LIBERTY COUNTY COURTHOUSE PHOTO
| ID: | 314 |
| County: | Liberty |
| City: | Liberty |
| Current Use: | Active Courthouse |
| Owner: | County |
| Service Dates: | |
| Construction Date: | 1931 |
| Architect: | Corneil G. Curtis and A.E. Thomas |
| Contractor: | M.H. Ryland, Uvalde |
| Style: | Moderne |
| Square Footage: | |
| RTHL Date: | no |
| SAL Date: | no |
| National Reg. District: | no |
| Nat. Register Listing: | no |
| Description: | Three story courthouse of Texas limestone. |
| Substantial Modifications: | Annex addition and building renovation in 1957. More renovations in 1985. |
| Deed Covenant Expiration: | n/a |
| ISTEA: | |
| Federal Grant Project: | |
| Federal Grant Amount: | |
| Federal Grant Year: | |
| State Grant Project: | |
| State Grant Amount: | 0 |
| State Grant Year: | |
| Historic Structure Report Date: | |
| Historic Structure Report Author: | |
| Master Plan Date: | |
| Master Plan Author: | |
| Historic Amer. Buildings Survey: | no |
| County Population (1995): |
| Building Name: | Liberty County Courthouse |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| State: | TX |
| Architect: | Corneil G. Curtis |
| Architectural Firm: | Curtis & Thomas |
| General Contractor: | M. H. Ryland |
| Building Completion Date: | 1931 |
| Present Status of Building: | existing |
| Notes/Description of Building: | concrete,Texas limestone, brick, $210,000 |
| Building Use Type: | government |
| Bibliography: | Early Modernistic County Courthouses of the State of Texas, A Reflection on the Style of Art Deco, by Ronald Mark Clements, thesis, UT, 1994 |
| Country: | USA |
| Historic Construction Documents: | architect's rendering (THCPP MP - copy), building and furnishing specifications dated 1924 (THCPP-files - copy - these specifications may or may not be for the building as constructed in 1931) |
| Historic Interior Images: | |
| Present Owner: | county |
| Architectural Style: | Moderne Style |
| Architect's First Name: | Corneil |
| Architect's Middle Name: | G. |
| Architect's Last Name: | Curtis |
Liberty County, Seven Courthouses of
| Marker Number: | 9686 |
| Marker Title: | Seven Courthouses of Liberty County |
| Index Entry: | Seven Courthouses of Liberty County |
| Address: | 1923 Sam Houston Ave. |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 326906 |
| UTM Northing: | 3326635 |
| Subject Codes: | CT |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1996 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | Courthouse lawn |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | Good |
| Marker Text: | The town of Liberty served as the seat of government for the municipality of Liberty, one of 23 territories in Texas established by Mexico in the 1830s. The first courthouse was erected here in 1831 and was made of hewn logs. Municipalities were converted into counties in 1836 when Texas won independence from Mexico; Liberty became the county seat of Liberty County. Constructed in 1840, the second courthouse was a one-story frame house, with split cypress boards. A third courthouse, a two-story frame structure, was built on this Square in the mid-1840s and measured 32 feet by 40 feet. The first floor served as the courtroom. Liberty County's fourth courthouse, completed by 1857, was fabricated of brick and financed primarily from the sale of land owned by the town of Liberty. Fire destroyed that courthouse in 1872. the fifth courthouse, also constructed of brick, was completed in 1877 but deteriorated rapidly and after only 18 years was condemned and removed from the Square. Members of Liberty's Masonic Lodge laid the cornerstone for the sixth courthouse in 1895. The three-story structure was a popular local gathering place. The seventh courthouse, built of Texas Cordova cream limestone was completed in 1931 and enlarged in 1957. |
Liberty Masonic Lodge No. 48, A. F. & A. M.
| Marker Number: | 9672 |
| Marker Title: | Liberty Masonic Lodge No. 48, A. F. & A. M. |
| Index Entry: | Liberty Masonic Lodge No. 48, A. F. & A. M. |
| Address: | 500 Fannin at Trinity |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 327085 |
| UTM Northing: | 3326806 |
| Subject Codes: | FO |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1986 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | Poor; Refinish |
| Marker Text: | Organized in 1848 and chartered the following year, the Liberty Masonic Lodge had an initial membership of eleven. Charter members included William J. Mills, W. C. Abbott, E. T. Branch, B. W. Hardin, William Beazley, Jesse Devore, Reason Green, William H. Mills, and C. J. O'Connor. The Lodge met in a room of the county courthouse until 1851, when a lodge hall was built, the exact location of which is unknown. The building was destroyed by fire in 1858, and records do not indicate where the group met until a new facility was built in 1867 on the corner of Main and Trinity streets. Once again, the Lodge Hall was destroyed by fire, in 1909. A new two-story brick structure replaced the former one at the same location, and was home for the Lodge until 1979, when a new Lodge Hall was erected at this site. The Liberty Masonic Lodge has taken an active role in the community, with its members involved in local government, public education, and community affairs. Liberty Masons have included Texas Revolutionary War veterans, representatives to Republic of Texas conventions and congresses, state legislators and supreme court justices, city and county officers, school board trustees, and one governor of Texas. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986 |
Liberty Methodist Church
| Marker Number: | 9673 |
| Marker Title: | Liberty Methodist Church |
| Index Entry: | Liberty Methodist Church |
| Address: | 539 Main St. |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 327049 |
| UTM Northing: | 3326866 |
| Subject Codes: | CH; ME |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1977 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | Poor |
| Marker Text: | Late in 1840, the Rev. Hugh Fields, migrating to Texas from Mississippi, preached the first Methodist sermon in Liberty in the log courthouse. Liberty was one of 17 communities in the Republic of Texas to receive a ministerial appointment from the newly organized Texas Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church meeting in Dec. 1840. The Rev. John C. Woolam was named in the spring of 1841 to serve this congregation, the oldest church organization in Liberty County. Members worshiped at the Courthouse, in home or brush arbors until 1846, when they built a log church. After it was destroyed by a storm, the congregation moved to its present location and built a one-room frame structure in 1854. The church acquired a bell in 1873 from the steamboat "Black Cloud", which sank in the Trinity River. This bell is still in use. In 1904 a new two-room frame edifice was constructed. It was replaced in 1930 by a two-story brick structure, which became an education building after a new sanctuary was erected in 1953. This congregation participates in many community events, including the "Brotherhood Banquet", sponsored by the men's Bible class since 1927 and supported by persons of all faiths. |
Linney Cemetery
| Marker Number: | 9674 |
| Marker Title: | Linney Cemetery |
| Index Entry: | Linney Cemetery |
| Address: | |
| City: | Dayton |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 318004 |
| UTM Northing: | 3326776 |
| Subject Codes: | GY |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1988 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | corner of E. Linney and N. Colbert |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | Fair |
| Marker Text: | Founded in the 1850s, this graveyard was established to serve the citizens of West Liberty (now Dayton). Although there was no early organization of the cemetery, sections of the burial ground were known by the names of families interred there, such as Smith and Alford. A section reserved for blacks in the early years is now known as Acie Cemetery. Several land acquisitions and donations over the years have combined to bring the cemetery's total size to thirteen acres. There are many unmarked burials in this cemetery. The earliest documented interment is that of Joseph Monroe Linney, who died at the age of six days in 1880. Other early burials include those of Jane Francis Hunt, who died in 1881, and Marie Louise Schneider Gossie, who died in 1885. Those buried in the Linney Cemetery include pioneer settlers, city and county elected officials, community leaders, members of fraternal organizations, and veterans from the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. The Linney Cemetery Association, established in 1903, still cares for the historic graveyard. It serves as a reflection of the area's early heritage, and as a reminder of pioneer life in Liberty County. |
Logan, Captain William M.
| Marker Number: | 9675 |
| Marker Title: | Captain William M. Logan |
| Index Entry: | Logan, Captain William M. |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 326906 |
| UTM Northing: | 3326635 |
| Subject Codes: | ML; SF; TI |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1936 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | SE corner of Courthouse Square, Main and Sam Houston St. |
| Marker Size: | Grave Marker |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | Born in North Carolina September 17, 1802. Moved to Liberty 1832. Died in Houston, Nov. 22, 1839. Organized and commanded 3rd Co., 2nd Regiment Texas Volunteers, Battle of San Jacinto. First sheriff of Liberty County. Erected by the State of Texas 1943 |
Meat-Packing Plant, Near Site of Early
| Marker Number: | 9676 |
| Marker Title: | Near Site of Early Meat-Packing Plant |
| Index Entry: | Meat-Packing Plant, Near Site of Early |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | |
| UTM Easting: | |
| UTM Northing: | |
| Subject Codes: | BU |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1969 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | US 90, on Trinity River |
| Marker Size: | 18" x 28" |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | Probably first commercial meat-packing plant in Texas. In early 1840's, English firm of Jones & Co. established a beef-preserving plant at Liberty Landing. British gold bought beef on hoof at four cents a pound. In processing, barrels of meat were put in iron cylinders and air was expelled, causing a vacuum. Brine was then added. When beef was removed, it was packed in salt and shipped to Galveston by steamer and on to West Indies in English sailing vessels. Firm also made candles, tallow, Neat's-Foot Oil, and glue. A flood destroyed factory, 1844. |
Mexican Hill
| Marker Number: | 9677 |
| Marker Title: | Mexican Hill |
| Index Entry: | Mexican Hill |
| Address: | 2315 US Hwy. 90 East |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 327238 |
| UTM Northing: | 3326473 |
| Subject Codes: | ML; TI |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1985 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | Poor; Refinish |
| Marker Text: | Following the decisive Battle of San Jacinto in the Texas War for Independence, most of the Mexicans captured in the battle were taken to Galveston. Problems concerning a lack of provisions and the threat of attack persuaded Texas President David G. Burnet to transfer some of the prisoners to Liberty. In August 1836, some sixty Mexicans were transported by schooner to Anahuac, where they were met by William Hardin, who took them on to Liberty. Georgia native William Hardin (1801-1839) had come to Liberty from Tennessee in 1825. During the years before the Texas Revolution, he served as commissioner of police and alcalde of Liberty. Hardin was elected a delegate to the convention of 1833 at San Felipe and later served as an election judge in Nacogdoches and as a primary judge in Liberty. The Mexican prisoners stayed on Hardin's property near this site, which has come to be called Mexican Hill. Among the men were General Martin Perfecto de Cos and Ten. Coronel Pedro Delgado, who wrote an account of his time in Liberty. According to Delgado, the Mexicans were treated well and given the best care available during their stay, which lasted until the government of Texas released them on April 25, 1837. |
Oak Shade Baptist Church
| Marker Number: | 9678 |
| Marker Title: | Oak Shade Baptist Church |
| Index Entry: | Oak Shade Baptist Church |
| Address: | |
| City: | Cleveland |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 307831 |
| UTM Northing: | 3361082 |
| Subject Codes: | PB; CH |
| Year Marker Erected: | |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | 6 mi. E of Cleveland off FM 787 |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | Poor |
| Marker Text: | The formation of this fellowship developed from an 1857 meeting in a log schoolhouse (0.5 miles south). Conducted by two missionaries of the Union Baptist Association, David Fisher and B. L. Wright, it showed a need for the establishment of a church in the area. Following a canvas of the surrounding community, the Oak Shade congregation was organized on July 4, 1857. The Rev. Austin Ellis (b. 1791), a native of Virginia, served as the first pastor. Prior to 1860 the church was moved to this site, part of the Daniel Donahoe survey. The membership began to decline in 1870 when the nearby Rural Shade Baptist Church (3 miles south) was started. In 1881 the Oak Shade congregation was reorganized and members built a one-room sanctuary here. A separate building was later constructed on the property to serve as a schoolhouse for the community. Worship services were held here in other structures until 1951 when a brick sanctuary was completed. Graves in the Oak Shade Cemetery include those of Andrew Jackson Isaacks (1817-1864), a veteran of the Texas Revolution who served as the first postmaster for Tarkington Prairie (5 miles southeast), and several victims of a 1918 influenza epidemic. |
Orr, George, Homesite of
| Marker Number: | 9679 |
| Marker Title: | Homesite of George Orr |
| Index Entry: | Orr, George, Homesite of |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 330461 |
| UTM Northing: | 3330148 |
| Subject Codes: | PI |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1990 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | FM 1011 at intersection w/SH 146, Liberty |
| Marker Size: | 18" x 28" |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | George Orr first came to Texas in 1813 as a member of the Gutierrez-Magee Expedition. He returned in 1821 with his family and established a home at this site on the Old Atascosito Road. The Orr home was an important stopping place for travelers. Orr served several terms as alcalde of the Atascosito District and participated in the dedication of Fort Anahuac in 1831. He died in 1835, prior to Texas Independence, but his contributions to the settlement of this area helped pave the way for future colonization. The Orr home was razed about 1882. |
Ott Hotel
| Marker Number: | 13537 |
| Marker Title: | Ott Hotel |
| Index Entry: | Ott Hotel |
| Address: | 305 Travis |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 326749 |
| UTM Northing: | 3326555 |
| Subject Codes: | IN, RR |
| Year Marker Erected: | 2005 |
| Designations: | Recorded Texas Historic Landmark |
| Marker Location: | 305 Travis |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | Marker and Atlas entry are in process |
Partlow - Cleveland House
| Marker Number: | 9649 |
| Marker Title: | Cleveland - Partlow House |
| Index Entry: | Cleveland - Partlow House |
| Address: | 2131 Grand at San Jacinto |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 327142 |
| UTM Northing: | 3327163 |
| Subject Codes: | BH; GK; IT |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1962 |
| Designations: | Recorded Texas Historic Landmark |
| Marker Location: | |
| Marker Size: | 18" x 28" |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | One of the oldest existing structures in Liberty, this home was built about 1860 by Judge Charles L. Cleveland. It was sold to Frederich F. Foscue in 1870, and William Samuel Partlow bought the property in 1886. Noted as an uncommon example of late Greek revival architecture in Texas, the house also exhibits some elements of the Italianate style. Also significant for its association with three prominent Liberty families, the house remained in the Partlow family until 1981, when it was given to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1962 |
Plaza Constitucional
| Marker Number: | 9680 |
| Marker Title: | Plaza Constitucional (Municipal Square) |
| Index Entry: | Plaza Constitucional |
| Address: | Courthouse Square |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 326749 |
| UTM Northing: | 3326673 |
| Subject Codes: | CY; PK |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1968 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | Trinity and Main St. |
| Marker Size: | 18" x 28" |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | J. Francisco Madero, appointed by Mexican government to grant land titles, platted Liberty town tract, 1831, with 49 squares in inner city. Five were set aside for public usage-- this square has always been site of municipal buildings. In May 1831, an ayuntamiento (city council) was elected; also the first alcalde (mayor), Hugh B. Johnston. This city government was dissolved that same year by Juan D. Bradburn, the garrison commander of Anahuac. The north portion of present city hall was constructed, 1939; the south part, 1959. |
Plaza de Carcel, y Casas de Correccion
| Marker Number: | 9648 |
| Marker Title: | Plaza de Carcel, y Casas de Correccion |
| Index Entry: | Plaza de Carcel, y Casas de Correccion |
| Address: | 418 Main St. |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 326906 |
| UTM Northing: | 3326635 |
| Subject Codes: | JA; PK |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1968 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | |
| Marker Size: | 20" x 20" |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | (Square of the Jail and Houses of Correction) Originally mapped 1831, according to laws of "Coahuila and Texas", then the northernmost state of Mexico. Prison sentences were to be worked out here. By 1885, though, this square was in the mercantile section of town, and the plaza to the east became "Jail Square." |
Plaza de Mercado (Market Place)
| Marker Number: | 9682 |
| Marker Title: | Plaza de Mercado |
| Index Entry: | Plaza de Mercado (Market Place) |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 326906 |
| UTM Northing: | 3326635 |
| Subject Codes: | MK; PK |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1968 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | 340 Main St. at Sam Houston St., Liberty |
| Marker Size: | 20" x 20" |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | Originally mapped in 1831 as a public plaza by the Mexican government, this was one of five such squares in the town of Liberty. Although this plaza was sold early to private individuals and did not become a public square, it has always been part of a mercantile section of town. |
Plaza Iglesia Parroquial
| Marker Number: | 9681 |
| Marker Title: | Plaza Iglesia Parroquial (Parish Church Square) |
| Index Entry: | Plaza Iglesia Parroquial |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 326623 |
| UTM Northing: | 3326753 |
| Subject Codes: | CH; PK |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1968 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | Sam Houston and Milam St. (NW corner), Liberty |
| Marker Size: | 18" x 28" |
| Repairs Completed: | Fair |
| Marker Text: | This block of the inner town of Liberty was set aside and designated for Catholic use in 1831 by J. Francisco Madero, commissioner for the Mexican state of Coahuila-Texas. In April 1846, the Methodist Episcopal Church petitioned the town board of trustees for a church site, and a log church was built on the northeast corner of the square. the Methodists relocated to Main Street, 1853. The southeast corner of the square was granted to the Catholic Church in 1853, and the first of four Catholic churches was built here. |
Runaway Scrape, The
| Marker Number: | 9683 |
| Marker Title: | The Runaway Scrape |
| Index Entry: | Runaway Scrape, The |
| Address: | US 90 |
| City: | Dayton |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | |
| UTM Easting: | |
| UTM Northing: | |
| Subject Codes: | ML; TI |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1975 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | missing - due to road construction |
| Marker Text: | Famous flight of Texians to escape Santa Anna's invading Mexican army. Tales of the Alamo butchery on March 6, 1836, and the continuing retreat of Gen. Sam Houston's army prompted colonists to abandon homes and property and seek refuge in east Texas. Families left beds unmade, breakfast uneaten, and ran for their lives, traveling in wagons, carts, sleds, on foot, or by horseback, dropping gear as they went. Many Liberty Countians remained at home until mid-April, helping refugees struggle toward the Sabine in order to cross to safety in the United States. Terrible hardships plagued the runaways trying to ferry the swollen Trinity River. In rain-soaked camps many children died of measles and other ills. Wading through flooded bottomlands, the wayfarers came with relief to the prairie and the Samaritans in Liberty. After resting a few days, tending the sick, and burying the dead, most of the wanderers moved on toward Louisiana. East of Liberty, stragglers heard the cannonading at the Battle San Jacinto on April 21, 1836. Fearing that Santa Anna's legions had whipped the ragged Texian forces, they hurried on, but shortly heard joyful news: "Turn back, turn back". Freedom had been won for them by Sam Houston's army. |
Rural Shade Baptist Church
| Marker Number: | 9684 |
| Marker Title: | Rural Shade Baptist Church |
| Index Entry: | Rural Shade Baptist Church |
| Address: | |
| City: | Cleveland |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 309718 |
| UTM Northing: | 3352918 |
| Subject Codes: | BP; CH |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1996 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | 7 mi. SE of Cleveland on SH 321, then left on CR 2274, .10 mi. to church |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | At least 14 charter members founded this church in the Tarkington's Prairie community about 1870. Land was deeded in 1878 for a combination Baptist church and Masonic Hall structure. That year a two-story building was erected, with the second floor housing the Masonic Lodge and the church on the first floor. Many early church members were also active in the Lodge. D. D. Forman was a master Mason and the first church pastor from 1874 to 1876 and again in 1882. In the early years pastors were elected from the congregation members. Worship services were held once or twice a month, usually on Saturdays. "Meeting of Days," later called revivals, were held at the church building. In 1908 the Ryan Cemetery was deeded to the Rural Shade Baptist Church by Washington Berry. Located five miles south, the church held ownership to the land until 1989, when it was transferred to the Ryan Cemetery Association. Since its founding, the congregation has continuously supported a variety of Christian programs for its members, as well as outreach mission work in domestic and foreign fields. |
Seven Pines
| Marker Number: | 9687 |
| Marker Title: | Seven Pines |
| Index Entry: | Seven Pines |
| Address: | 1710 Sam Houston Ave. |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 326623 |
| UTM Northing: | 3326753 |
| Subject Codes: | FM; PI |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1988 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | Fair |
| Marker Text: | Benjamin Franklin Hardin (1803-1878) came to this area with other members of his family in 1826. Settling in the Atascosito District of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Texas, Franklin Hardin was named surveyor of the district in 1834. As a member of the Liberty Volunteers, he participated in the Battle of Concepcion and the Siege of Bexar in 1835 and the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836. Hardin and his wife Cynthia O'Brien built a home on this site in 1839. the homesite, later known as Seven Pines, remained in the Hardin family for four generations. The family moved to a farm north of Liberty about 1845, but moved back and built a new house here in 1856. While Franklin Hardin was serving in the seventh Texas Legislature, Hardin County was created in 1858 and named in honor of his family. Following the deaths of Franklin and Cynthia Hardin, ownership of the homesite passed to their descendants. Geraldine Davis Humphreys inherited the property in 1914. One year later the 1856 home was destroyed by fire. Geraldine Humphreys (d. 1961) bequeathed Seven Pines to the Humphreys Foundation, which donated it to the city of Liberty in 1969. The Geraldine D. Humphreys Cultural Center was built in 1969-70. |
ST. STEPHENS EPISCOPAL CHURCH
| Marker Number: | 9685 |
| Marker Title: | St. Stephen's Episcopal Church |
| Index Entry: | St. Stephen's Episcopal Church |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 330189 |
| UTM Northing: | 3330968 |
| Subject Codes: | CH; EP |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1977 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | grounds of Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center, FM 1101 |
| Marker Size: | Medallion & Plate |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | Served as early as the 1850s by visiting clergy, local Episcopalians worshiped in temporary quarters before erecting this structure in 1898. the oldest church building in Liberty, it stands on property donated by George W. Davis and Judge William F. Hardin. This parish was known by several names before it became St. Stephen's in 1952. Stained glass windows were installed in the frame church in the 1960s. |
Stilson
| Marker Number: | 9688 |
| Marker Title: | Stilson |
| Index Entry: | Stilson |
| Address: | |
| City: | Dayton |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 314418 |
| UTM Northing: | 3322600 |
| Subject Codes: | CY; RR; SW |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1986 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | 2.5 mi. W of Dayton on US 90 ROW |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | Poor; Refinish |
| Marker Text: | The community of Stilson traces its origins to the arrival in the 1890s of the Texas and New Orleans Railroad. Out-of-state developers O. H. Stilson and Rodney Hill bought land in 1896 and immediately began planning a town. They advertised the new community to farmers in Iowa, and a number of families came here to begin new lives. Among those who came to build homes and establish farms were many Swedish immigrants, including C. F. Seaberg and C. D. Nelson. By the late 1890s the town boasted a fourteen-room hotel, a general store, a gin, a blacksmith shop, a rice mill, a warehouse, a barber shop, a post office, a railroad depot, and a school. The one-room Stilson school served students in all grades, taught by one teacher. the school was closed in 1918 when area children began attending classes in Dayton. The Stilson Post Office was established in 1898 and was located in the general store operated by C. S. Brown. The post office was discontinued in 1925, and rural mail delivery from Dayton began in 1926. Stilson began to decline when the population gradually shifted to nearby Dayton. Descendants of many early settlers still reside in the area. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986 |
Tarkington Prairie, The Schools of
| Marker Number: | 12910 |
| Marker Title: | The Schools of Tarkington Prairie |
| Index Entry: | Tarkington Prairie, The Schools of |
| Address: | FM 163 |
| City: | Cleveland |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 311565 |
| UTM Northing: | 3354825 |
| Subject Codes: | ED |
| Year Marker Erected: | 2003 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | 9 mi. E on FM 163, via SH 321 |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | The Schools of Tarkington Prairie Burton B. Tarkington brought his family from Indiana to present Liberty County in the 1820s. The vast prairie he settled came to be known for him, and it accommodated a number of dispersed agricultural communities over the years. Many of the communities established their own schools, and records indicate there were 15 separate schools at Tarkington Prairie in the century from 1857 to 1957. Talk of consolidation first came in the 1920s as a result of state mandates, and by 1931, the voters of the area made the change a reality. Controversy arose over the central location of new facilities, resulting in sectional splits and court litigation. While the matter seemed resolved with the construction of a new high school, it may have resurfaced a few years later when a fire of suspicious origin destroyed the building. District officials quickly constructed a new building, completed in 1938, and nearby teacher housing provided measures of stability and security. Passage of Gilmer-Aikin legislation in 1949 threatened the area's traditional independence with regard to education, and talk of consolidation with nearby Cleveland spurred voters to create an independent school district. Because Tarkington had no high school facilities for African American students, however, those students were bussed to Cleveland until the implementation of integration. Today, Tarkington I.S.D. remains as a central focus for the surrounding rural settlements; there is still no town within the large district. With continued expansion of facilities, collections and programs, the residents of Tarkington Prairie aim to ensure the success of their most valued resource, their children. (2003) |
Tarkington, Burton B.
| Marker Number: | 9689 |
| Marker Title: | Burton B. Tarkington |
| Index Entry: | Tarkington, Burton B. |
| Address: | |
| City: | Cleveland |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 308633 |
| UTM Northing: | 3355013 |
| Subject Codes: | OC; PI |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1996 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | 5.5 mi. SE on SH 321 from Cleveland |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | Burton B. Tarkington (1790-1861) and his wife Sarah Berry Tarkington migrated with their family from Indiana in the mid-1820s to the Mexican state of Coahuila. They settled west of the Trinity River in present northwest Liberty County, and began ranching and raising crops. The area around their farm became known as Tarkington's Prairie, and a creek in the area is called Tarkington Bayou. According to family legend, the Tarkingtons and other early settlers had to vacate their property in 1836 when Santa Anna's forces advanced prior to the Battle of San Jacinto. Apparently Tarkington did not have a land grant from the Mexican government for the land he claimed, but when Texas gained independence from Mexico in 1836 he received a headright land grant of one league and one labor (4,605 acres). The grant was patented in 1847 by the new state of Texas and became known as the Tarkington Survey. Tarkington became a leader in the community. He served in the Texas Militia in 1842, and was elected Liberty County commissioner for three terms beginning in 1854. He received recognition for his service from Governor H. R. Runnels. Tarkington died Feb. 2, 1861, and is buried in the McGinnis Cemetery (.25 mi. W). |
Trinity River
| Marker Number: | 9690 |
| Marker Title: | The Trinity River |
| Index Entry: | Trinity River |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | |
| UTM Easting: | |
| UTM Northing: | |
| Subject Codes: | WA |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1970 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | |
| Marker Size: | 27" x 42" |
| Repairs Completed: | |
| Marker Text: | Longest river lying entirely within Texas. The watershed of the Trinity covers 17,969 square miles, an area larger than any one of the nine smallest states of the Union. More than 20 per cent of the people in Texas reside in this area-- more people than in any one of the 24 least populous states. The first recorded exclusive navigation rights to the Trinity were given by Mexico in 1833 to District Commissioner J. Francisco Madero, but before he could exercise his rights, the Texas revolution intervened. As early as 1838, during the Republic of Texas, steamboat navigation had begun on the Trinity. The famous steamer "Ellen Frankland" plied it regularly. In 1852 a survey authorized by the U. S. Congress reported that "the Trinity River is the deepest and least obstructed river in Texas". The river played a vital role in the Civil War, when a company of Alabama-Coushatta Indians transported key military supplies and boats from Anderson County to waiting Confederate officials in Liberty. Until 1874 steamers chugged from Galveston to as far north as Porter's Bluff in Ellis County. Under the River and Harbor Act of 1955, Congress authorized the comprehensive development of the Trinity Basin's water resources. |
Ursuline Convent
| Marker Number: | 9691 |
| Marker Title: | Site of Liberty's Ursuline Convent |
| Index Entry: | Ursuline Convent |
| Address: | 1616 Sam Houston St. at Austin St. |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 326510 |
| UTM Northing: | 3326618 |
| Subject Codes: | ED; RC |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1978 |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | |
| Marker Size: | 18" x 28" |
| Repairs Completed: | Poor; Refinish |
| Marker Text: | In 1859 Bishop John Mary Odin sent a group of Ursulines from Galveston to Liberty to establish a convent and girls' school. Under the leadership of an energetic French nun, Mother Ambroise, the Sisters bought land at this site and erected two frame buildings. Many prominent Liberty families enrolled their daughters in the convent school, as boarders or day students. The turmoil of the Civil War (1861-1865) caused attendance to decline, and the institution closed in 1866. Occupied by two other academies in the late 1860s, the Ursuline buildings were dismantled in the 1880s. |
WELLS GENERAL MERCHANDISE COMPANY
| Marker Number: | 9692 |
| Marker Title: | Old Wells' Store |
| Index Entry: | Wells' Store, Old |
| Address: | |
| City: | Cleveland |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | 15 |
| UTM Easting: | 309776 |
| UTM Northing: | 3352761 |
| Subject Codes: | MK |
| Year Marker Erected: | 1968 |
| Designations: | Recorded Texas Historic Landmark |
| Marker Location: | from Cleveland take SH 321 about 7 mi. SE |
| Marker Size: | Medallion & Plate |
| Repairs Completed: | Fair |
| Marker Text: | Center section built about 1875 by D. W. Proctor & Company; later operated by L. L. Wells. This structure and earlier one on same site each served as general mercantile store. this building was center for visits and exchange of local news at "Tarkington's Prairie" community. Building has been used as post office, wagon stop, credit house, and voting place. Was located on Old Nacogdoches-Lynchburg Trail, a 19th century thoroughfare. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1968 |
Woods, James B.
| Marker Number: | 9693 |
| Marker Title: | James B. Woods |
| Index Entry: | Woods, James B. |
| Address: | |
| City: | Liberty |
| County: | Liberty |
| UTM Zone: | |
| UTM Easting: | |
| UTM Northing: | |
| Subject Codes: | ML; TI |
| Year Marker Erected: | |
| Designations: | na |
| Marker Location: | Waelder Ranch Cemetery, 3 mi. E on FM 160 |
| Marker Size: | |
| Repairs Completed: | not surveyed |
| Marker Text: | A signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Born in Kentucky, January 21, 1802; died, 1851. |