Harris County Department of Education TX5384

The Texas Declaration of Independence specifically noted the lack of a public education system as one compelling reason for establishing a separate republic. Later, as a result, Republic of Texas President Mirabeau B. Lamar led the Congress in setting aside land in each county to support primary schools and colleges. As Texas continued to develop during the 19th century, additional legislation began to define a cohesive educational system. By November 1856, Harris County funded schooling for indigent children; within two years, the county also used public monies for teacher examinations. During the next decades, the state created the office of the State Superintendent of Schools, allowing each county to establish the office of County Superintendent. Early Harris County schools were served by district and community systems. In 1889, the county created its Department of Education, and all schools became part of its jurisdiction. B.L. James became the first County Superintendent, and he oversaw more than 50 Common School Districts. These districts together served approximately 900 students. In the 1920s, once a district's enrollment reached 500, it could attain independent status. As the Texas school district system changed throughout the 20th century, services of the Harris County Department of Education evolved. In 1978, the Legislature abolished state funding for county school trustees, and by 2003 only two such entities fully functioned -- in Harris and Dallas counties -- existing as non-profit support organizations. Today, the Harris County Department of Education supports students, teachers, administrators, school boards and public schools with a wide range of programs.

---

Grimes County Bethel Cemetery TX7590

During the Republic of Texas era, settlers in this area came together to form the Bethel community. In 1843, a visitor died of smallpox and was buried at this site, which became Bethel Cemetery. Among those buried here is Sarah Bradley Dodson, known as the “Betsy Ross of Texas.” Part of an “Old 300” family from Stephen F. Austin’s First Texas Colony, Dodson created a Lone Star flag in 1835 to send with her husband, Archelaus, during the Texas Revolution. The flag was one of two that flew over Washington-on-the-Brazos at the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence on March 2, 1836. In 1852, four years after his wife died of pneumonia, Archelaus Dodson gave this burial ground to trustees of Bethel Presbyterian Church, who built a chapel next to the cemetery circa 1844. In 1904, trustees of the burial ground opened an adjacent section for local African Americans. That section of Bethel is sometimes known as Salem Cemetery. Today, a link to a community long gone, Old Bethel Cemetery is the final resting place for generations of Texas pioneers and area residents.

---

Dimmit County Courthouse TX5777

Named for one of the framers of the Texas Declaration of Independence, Dimmit County was created from four other counties in 1858. The county was formally organized in 1880, and Carrizo Springs was chosen as the county seat. On November 12, 1883, the County Commissioners Court chose noted architect Alfred Giles to design a permanent courthouse for Dimmit County. Later that month, on November 26, the Court reversed its decision and selected J.C. Breeding & Sons of San Antonio to act as both architects and builders. Probably working from Giles' initial plans, they erected a structure which featured a double gallery porch. The building's cubical form and Italianate detailing resemble Giles' designs for other Texas courthouses erected about the same time. By the 1920s, the thriving Dimmit County needed a larger government facility. The Commissioners Court called in Henry T. Phelps to design an expansion. At Phelps' instruction, the San Antonio Construction Company demolished the north second story wall, removing exterior rock from the lower north and south walls and adding new, longer wings on each end. As was his custom, Phelps worked along a Classical Revival plan, requiring a symmetrical façade. He relocated the main entrance to the west side of the building, highlighting it with four massive columns and a recessed porch. The 19th century windows were widened, and Phelps changed the Second Empire roofline to an elaborate cornice. The architectural character of the Dimmit County Courthouse was transformed from a simplified Italianate style of the late 1880s to the restrained Classicism popular in the 1920s.

---

Mount Rushmore - part I SD19

By August of 1926, Gutzom Borglum was ready to start searching for a suitable site for carving. The idea of sculpting in the Needles, the tall rock formations on the main highway, had been abandoned. Too many people were opposed to what they called tampering with the beauty of Nature. A logical compromise was to find a mountain in a remote area that was not in public view. "I knew," Borglum later confessed, "that no matter where we carved, roads would be built and the public would find us. Besides, I flet like a carved needle would look too much like a totem pole."

The South Dakota committee set up a camp, complete with corral and a string of western ponies, a the base of Mount Harney. Borglum loved the outdoors, loved sleeping in tents, eating by an open fire and fly casting in nearby Hanging Squaw Creek. Each morning, after a hearty breakfast, he left camp with his son and a few guides and followed old Indian trails to promising formations.

Borglum knew exactly what he wanted. A sculptor who plans to shape a mountain the way other sculptors shape lumps of clay must know. He was looking for a huge, sheet face of stone as free of faults and minerals as possible. He wanted it to be high enough "so it will not pay future generations to pull down what we put up there." Borglum remembered how British artillery men had practiced gunnery on the Sphinx during the First World War.

One day, the scouting party was approaching a particularly promising mountain. Borglum asked, "What's that called?" "Used to be Slaughterhouse Rock," the guide answered with a grin, "and before that, Cougar Mountain, because they trapped a cat up there once, but when this dude came visiting, they changed the name again." Then the guide told about Charles Rushmore, a young New York lawyer who had come to the Hills in 1905 to inspect a client's tin mines. "What's that called?" Rushmore had asked when he first saw the mountain, just as Borglum did twenty years later. "Slaughterhouse Rock, but we can change it, How does Mount Rushmore sound?"

It sounded fine and the name stuck. If Rushmore had known the mountain was destined for fame, he might have not laughed so loud. When the carving started, Rushmore was so embarrassed by reporters trying to find out what he had done to deserve the honor that he contributed five thousand dollars to the monument.

After climbing the face of Mt. Rushmore, Borglum was certain that he had found his mountain. Now he had to decide what to put there. many people opposed the idea of a national monument that portrayed only Washington and Lincoln. Everyone wanted to include his personal hero. That favoritism continues; someone is always suggesting that another head be added. Susan B. Anthony is mentioned most often, but Woodrow Wilson, Clark Gable, FDR, Joe Palooka, Mickey Mouse, Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King have all had their moments. None will ever make it. The four existing heads already cover every inch of Rushmore stone and they tell the story as Borglum saw it.

Borglum explained his choices this way; Washington was selected because he was the father of our country, and Jefferson because he expressed our beliefs in the Declaration of Independence and expanded our territory with the Louisiana Purchase, Lincoln was chosen for preserving the Union, and Teddy Roosevelt because he fulfilled the expansionist's dream by linking the oceans with the Panama Canal.

The selection of Lincoln was the most controversial. After the bitter failure at Stone Mountain, Southerners were violently against "their" artist honoring a man they thought of as a traitor, but the South had little influence on South Dakota thinking. The choice of Teddy Roosevelt provoked the most ridicule. It was assumed that he was chosen because Borglum had been a leader of Roosevelt's Bull Moose party, and the newspapers made much of the fact that Roosevelt and Borglum looked very much alike. Fortunately, no one took the debates on the selection of subjects seriously. They were a good way to get publicity, but Borglum was the sculptor. He had the right to chose.

[continued on part II]

---

Isom Palmer TX7249

Isom Palmer, whose name has various spellings, was born to Martin and Sarah (Hardwick) Parmer. In 1825, the Palmer (Parmer) family moved to Texas, settling near Nacogdoches the next year, and participated in the 1826 Fredonian Rebellion. Palmer fought under Capt. John M. Bradley during the Siege of Bexar in late 1835. He then served as sergeant-at-arms at the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence at Washington-on-the-Brazos. He later wed Laura E. Dougherty and moved to Brazos County in the early 1870s.

---

Richard Ellis TX12052
Born in Virginia February 14, 1781.  Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, 1820.  Signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence and President of the Constitutional Convention, 1836.  Senator in the Congress of the Republic of Texas, 1836 to 1840.  Died in Bowie County, Texas December 30, 1846.  Mary Danridge Ellis.  Wife of Richard Ellis.  Born in Virginia 1787.  Died in Bowie County, Texas October 21, 1837.  Ellis County, Texas was named for Richard Ellis.

---

Martin Parmer TX12044
Born in Virginia, June 4, 1778.  Died in Jasper County, March 2, 1850.  A delegate to the constitutional convention of Missouri, 1821.  Senator in legislature of Missouri.  Second in command in the Fredonian War in Texas, 1826.  Member of the Consultation 1835.  Signed the Declaration of Independence, 1836.  Parmer County, Texas, named in his honor.

---

Bailey Hardeman TX12037
A signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.  Secretary of the Treasury of the Republic.  Born in Tennessee, 1795.  Died on Caney Creek, Matagorda County October 12, 1836.

---

Six Flags Over Texas TX4944

Flags of six different countries have been raised over Texas. In 1519 the land was claimed for Spain, whose explorers came later in search of silver and gold, but found buffalo, Indians and mirages. They planted the red and gold banner of Spain, with its lions and castles, beside the cross of the missionaries intent on converting the Red Men. The gold and white standard of France arrived in 1685 with the expedition of La Salle, the first resident Governor of Texas. Around a fort built near the Lavaca River, La Salle tried to establish a permanent colony for his King. He failed and in 1687 was killed by his own men. French activity in Texas caused Spain to renew her interest. Finding the fort of La Salle in ruins, the Spaniards in 1689 began to build missions and presidios, and grant land for ranches and colonies. Smoldering rebellion in 1821 brought an end to Spanish rule. Afterward the green, white and red flag of Mexico--with its eagle, serpent and cactus--flew in Texas for 15 years. The settlers joined together in building towns, farming, fighting Indians. Then the policies of dictator Santa Anna provoked revolution. On March 2, 1836, the Texas Declaration of Independence was adopted and signed at Washington-on-the-Brazos. The Republic of Texas was born in the dark era of the fall of the Alamo, Goliad Massacre and "Runaway Scrape" of settlers fleeing before the coming of Santa Anna and his army. The glorious victory of the Texans at San Jacinto on April 2, 1836, established the sovereignty of the Lone Star Flag. As a nation, Texas built towns and mills; developed strong commerce; fought against the Indians and foreign raiders; established patterns of justice, with Homestead Acts and other laws; and won the respect of all the world. However,after nine yeas as a Republic, the people voted in favor of annexation to the United States. On February 16, 1846, the Lone Star banner became a state flag and Texas took her position as the 28th star in the United States Flag.

---

East & West Carroll Parish LA1
On March 14, 1832, the Parish of Carroll was created, the name proposed by Honore Morancy of Millikin Bend to honor Charles Carroll of Carrollton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. On March 26, 1877 the parish was divided into East and West Carroll.

---