W. T. G. Weaver TX5543
W. T. G. WEAVER
(April 25, 1832 - October 18, 1876)

William Thomas Green Weaver came to Texas from Illinois in 1840 with his father and three siblings. As a young adult, he taught school for a time, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1856. He came to this city to practice law and in 1860 was elected District Attorney for the 20th Judicial District. After serving in the Confederate Army, he resumed his law practice in north central Texas. As a delegate to the Texas Constitutional Convention of 1875, Weaver advocated giving women the right to vote. Outside the legal field, Weaver was a noted romantic poet who had his verse published and read throughout the state of Texas.

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Washington County TX8399

To the memory of those courageous souls, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention held here March 1-17, 1836 who declared Texas free, organized a Republic, and framed its constitution Jessie B. Badgett; Dr. George Washington Barnett; Thomas Barnett; Stephen William Blount; John White Bower; Asa Brigham; Andrew Briscoe; John Wheeler Bunton; John S.D. Byrom; Mathew Caldwell; Samuel Price Carson; George Campbell Childress; William Clark, Jr.; Robert M. Coleman; James Collingsworth; Edward Conrad; William Carroll Crawford; Richard Ellis; Dr. Stephen Hendrickson Everitt; John Fisher; Samuel Rhoades Fisher; James Gaines; Dr. Thomas Jefferson Gazley; Benjamin Briggs Goodrich; Jesse Grimes; Robert Hamilton; Bailey Hardeman; Augustine Blackburn Hardin; Samuel Houston; William Demetris Lacey; Albert Hamilton Latimer; Edward Oswald Legrand; Samuel Augustus Maverick; Collin McKinney; Michel Branamour Menard; William Menefee; John W. Moore; Dr. Junius William Mottley; Jose Antonio Navarro; Martin Parmer; Sydney Oswald Pennington; Robert Potter; James Power; John S. Roberts; Sterling Clack Robertson; Francisco Ruiz; Thomas Jefferson Rusk; William Bennett Scates; George Washington Smyth; Elijah Stapp; Dr. Charles Bellinger Stewart; James Gibson Swisher; Charles Standfield Taylor; David Thomas; John Turner; Edwin Waller; Claiborne West; James B. Woods; Dr. Lorenzo De Zavala. May these names be engraved on the hearts of all Texans

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Waul's Texas Legion Campsite TX8403

In the spring of 1862 Thomas N. Waul (1813-1903) recruited men from Washington and the surrounding counties to form a legion for Confederate service. Composed of twelve infantry companies, six cavalry companies, and two artillery companies, the legion numbered some two thousand soldiers. The organizational and training encampment of Waul's Texas Legion was located here along New Year's Creek. Waul was commissioned colonel of the legion on May 13, 1862, and the companies remained in camp here until August 18, when they departed for active duty. Part of the legion served in Mississippi in 1862 and 1863. They participated in the defense of Vicksburg and surrendered there following the siege. Other units served in Arkansas and Louisiana. The legion was later reorganized and returned to Texas to serve at Galveston and along the Gulf Coast until the end of the war. Throughout the war, the legion performed notably in numerous battles, sieges and skirmishes. After the Civil War Waul was elected a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1866 (Reconstruction Convention). He later practiced law in Galveston. He died on his farm in Hunt County in 1903.

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Jacob Stroud PA974
Colonel in the militia and Revolutionary patriot. He stockaded his home as Fort Penn. Member, state constitutional convention, 1776, and state legislature, 1781-1783. He founded Stroudsburg in 1799; he and his son Daniel then laid out the town.

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John Dickinson PA1020
Statesman, author. In influential writings, 1765-74, argued against British policies. Later, as a member, Continental Congress, 1774-76, favored conciliation and opposed the Declaration of Independence; nonetheless, served the patriot cause as colonel, 1st Philadelphia Battalion. President, Pa. Supreme Executive Council, 1782-85. Delegate, U.S. Constitutional Convention, 1787; a strong supporter of the Constitution Deeded land to Merion Meeting, 1801-04.

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Timothy Matlack PA1822
Revolutionary patriot, state official, member of Continental Congress, 1780-81. Colonel of a rifle battalion, Philadelphia Associators, 1775-76; served in Battle of Princeton. A founder, Society of Free (or "Fighting") Quakers, 1781. Member, Constitutional Convention of Pennsylvania, 1776; secretary of its Supreme Executive Council, 1772-82; and Master of the Rolls, 1800-09. Died April 14, 1829; he was buried in Philadelphia and reinterred near here in 1905.

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Colonel Edward Cook PA331
Settling here in the 1770s, Cook became a prominent landholder, jurist, and politician. He was a member of the Provincial Congress in Philadelphia in 1776 and served at the State Constitutional Convention. Although a moderate during the Whiskey Rebellion, 1792-94, he joined the tax protesters and was elected chairman of several key rebel meetings.

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A County Older Than the State–Baldwin County AL25
Third oldest county in Alabama. Created in 1809 while still part of Mississippi Territory. Named for Abraham Baldwin (1754-1807), founder of the University of Georgia, delegate to the Constitutional Convention, member of Congress, 1789-1807. This county once lay west of the Tombigbee River; but, after series of boundary changes, it now lies east of the Mobile and Alabama Rivers. County seat at Bay Minette since 1901; earlier seats at McIntosh Bluff, Blakely, and Daphne. It has long been a center of conflicting claims: by Spain, France, and England; by royal governors of Florida, Louisiana, Carolina, Georgia, and West Florida until the Mississippi Territory formed in 1798 and from it, the Alabama Territory in 1817. In struggle for control of the Southeast, many armies have camped in this area: 1528–Narvez, Spanish conquistador 1588–DeLuna, Spanish colonizer 1719–Bienville, French colonizer 1780–Galvez, Spanish conqueror 1813–Red Eagle, Indian revolter 1814–Jackson, American defender 1815–Packenham, British invader 1864–Maury, Confederate defender 1865–Canby, Federal invader.

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Alabama's First Capitols AL84
On March 3, 1817, Congress designated the town of St. Stephens on the Tombigbee River north of Mobile as capital of the newly formed Alabama Territory. There in 1818, the territorial legislature named Huntsville as the temporary seat of government and Cahawba (near present-day Selma) as the first permanent capitol. The constitutional convention and legislature met in Huntsville and on December 14, 1819, Alabama was admitted into the Union. Meanwhile a suitable building was erected at Cahawba. Cahawba was prone to flooding which resulted in another change of locale in 1826-this time to Tuscaloosa. An elegant statehouse erected there served until 1846 when Montgomery became the capital of the state.

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Chambers County AL222
Created December 18, 1832, from Creek Indian cession. Named for Dr. Henry C. Chambers of Madison County, member of Constitutional Convention on 1819, legislature of 1819, elected U.S. Senator 1825 but died en route to Washington. County government organized 1833 by Judge James Thompson of Jefferson County. First officers were: Nathaniel Greer, Sheriff; William House, Clerk Circuit Court; Joseph J. Williams, Clerk County Court; Booker Lawson, John Wood, William Fannin, John A. Hurst, Commissioners Roads and Revenue. Permanent court site selected by Commissioners Thomas C. Russell, James Taylor, and Capt. Baxter Taylor. A log courthouse was built here 1833, replaced by brick structure 1837, and used until present courthouse erected 1899. LaFayette, county seat, was formerly known as Chambersville and Chambers Courthouse.

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