25 Oct 1961           Zimmersmidt-Leyendecker Home, near Columbus Texas.

The first historical marker placed by a Texas DAC chapter was the project of the La Salle Chapter of Houston. On October 25, 1961, a marker was dedicated at the historic Brune home on Farm Road 109, near Columbus. Built in 1843, the house was originally the home of John Frederick Leyendecker and had been occupied by six later generations of his family.

1964                                          L. P. Hodge Home, Chatfield, Texas.

In 1964 the Louis Guion Chapter of Corsicana placed a marker on the home of Mr. and Mrs. L. P. Hodge in Chatfield, Texas. The home, “Hodge Oaks,” was built by slave labor in 1860 by Captain Robert Hodge, grandfather of L. P. Hodge. The  lumber used in building the house was hauled by ox cart from Jefferson, and the  hardware and nails came by ox cart from Galveston. An old oak tree   under which Captain Hodge emancipated his one hundred slaves in 1865 is still standing. Mrs. Will M. Miller, Chapter Regent, and Mrs. Chaillos Cross, State Chairman of the Historic Landmarks and Memorials Committee, planned the ceremonies.

24 Feb 1964           R. W. George, Jr., Home, near Corsicana, Texas.

On February 24, 1964, a bronze marker was placed on the home of Mr. and Mrs. R. W. George, Jr., by Louis Guion Chapter under the direction of Mrs. Will M. Miller, Chapter Regent, and Mrs. Chaillos Cross, State Chairman of the Historic Landmarks and Memorials Committee. The house, built in 1848 by Samuel Hamilton, is constructed of lumber and square nails said to have been hauled by ox cart from Beaumont. The style, called “Mississippi Planter”, consisted of two large rooms and a dogtrot. Although some structural  changes have been made, the home, restored in 1947 by Mr. and Mrs. George and now called “Hamilton Hill,” still has a unique charm all its own. It is  located eight miles west of Corsicana, near the community of Retreat, on a farm road. Following the dedication, a coffee and tour were held for the attending guests.

26 Oct 1966           Home of Governor Thomas Mitchell Campbell, Palestine, TEXAS.

On October 26, 1966, Louis Guion Chapter placed a plaque at the home of former Texas Governor Thomas Mitchell Campbell on Sycamore Street in Palestine. Mrs. Chaillos Cross, Chapter Regent, and Mrs. Newton D. Crutchfield, State Chairman of the Historic Landmarks and Memorials Committee, planned and officiated at the ceremonies. Campbell served the state as governor from 1907 until 1911. The house is now occupied by the family of the former governor’s grandson, Drew S. Womack, Jr.

22 Feb 1967           Old Depot Hotel, 504 East Fifth Street, Austin, Texas.

On February 22, 1967, the Treaty Oak Chapter placed a plaque at the restored Old Depot Hotel in Austin. Built in 1871-1872 by Carl Schaeffer on land owned in 1861-1862 by Abner Cook, the famous early architect and master builder of Austin, the Old Depot Hotel is a rambling stone structure located on East Fifth Street, earlier called Pine Street, between Red River and Neches. The area was part of the original city, dating from a land patent granted to A. Baldinger on October 12, 1840, by the Republic of Texas.

Purchased in 1964 by Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Moore Tooke, Jr., the property had changed hands very few times, and only one of its owners had used it as a residence. The structure consists of a large two-story building with an adjoining one-story, two-room wing. On three sides the building surrounds a courtyard, from which an original curved stairway leads to a second-floor balcony.

During the 1870’s, the building served a real need. It was variously called the “Railroad House,” “Depot Hotel,” “Schaeffer’s Boarding House,” and later “St. Louis House.” The passenger depot of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad was located a block away between Trinity and San Jacinto Streets.

Since completion of the restoration, the historic building has housed a fine Mexican restaurant “Mi Casa es Su Casa,” operated by the Tookes and noted for the unique buffet it features.

Mrs. John Frank Springfield served as chairman of the marking project, which was completed during the term of Mrs. Julius Frederick Kramer as  regent of Treaty Oak Chapter.

29 Jan 1968           Our Lady of Visitation Church, Santa Maria, Texas.

On January 29, 1968, the Valley-area chapter, Quinton Stockwell, sponsored a marker for Our Lady of Visitation Church located at Santa Maria, Texas, on the Old Military Highway. Named in honor of the Virgin Mary, the church is located on property donated to the Catholic Church by L. J. Hynes of Santa Maria from his holdings in the original La Feria land grant of 1776. Construction of the Gothic-style church was begun late in 1880 and completed in 1882 by the “Monks on Horseback,” the Oblate Fathers of Mary Immaculate, a missionary order of the Catholic Church. A shift in population away from the small church resulted in its almost complete abandonment by 1907, and the passage of years and severe weather have taken their toll. Time and again the beautiful chapel of Santa Maria has been restored, though failure to replace the tall steeple blown away during a 1933 hurricane has greatly altered the facade of the church.

According to local legend, at one time a tunnel ran underground from the Church southward and under the Military Highway to the well-fortified Rancho de Santa Maria, affording to churchgoers safety from Indian or bandit attacks. Other tales say that the church was used to store hay, to hide Mexican aliens who were being smuggled across the border, and for many other profane uses.

Under the leadership of Mrs. Harold S. Hensley, Chapter Regent and State Chairman of the Historic Landmarks. and Memorials Committee, Quinton Stockwell Chapter sponsored the historical marker for the church which bears the date October 28, 1967. At the unveiling on January 29, 1968, the guest speaker and recipient of the marker was the Most Reverend Dr. Homberto S. Maderas, Bishop of Brownsville. Other church officials and representatives of various Valley historical and patriotic organizations were present for the DAC dedication ceremony, during which Mrs. Hensley removed the brass plaque’s cover which featured the DAC colors, emblem, and acorn branches.

02 Jun 1968           Flower Mound Presbyterian Church, near Lewisville, Texas.

A Texas Historical Marker sponsored by Honorable Philip Livingston Chapter of Fort Worth was dedicated at Denton County’s historic Flower Mound Presbyterian Church about five miles southwest of Lewisville on June 2, 1968. The church was established in 1854 by the Rev. Matthew B. Donald, who is buried in the church cemetery. Located in the community known in early days as Long’s Prairie, the church was named for the profusion of flowers which appeared in the area each spring and fall. The large tablet placed beside the front steps of the church notes that Flower Mound was the first Presbyterian Church in Denton County, and it is thought to be the county’s oldest church of any denomination holding services continuously from its organization to the present day.

The existing frame structure was built in 1901 and is the third building occupied by the church. The first chapel was of logs and was built in 1857-1858. Prior to its construction, worship services had been held in members’ homes. Sometime later a frame building replaced the original log church.

The dedication service was held in connection with the annual homecoming observance of the church, then completing 114 years of service. Mrs. Martin D. Wolfe, Mrs. W. I. Fleetwood, and Mrs. Richard N. Grammer took part in the ceremony, and the pastor of Flower Mound Presbyterian Church accepted the marker for his congregation. Miss Marion Day Mullins, assisted by Mrs. Alva B. Harmonson, had been instrumental in securing approval to mark the historic site. The marker was placed during the term of Mrs. Charles R. Perkins of Longview as State Regent and reads:

First Presbyterian Church IN COUNTY. ORGANIZED 1854 BY THE REV. MATTHEW B. DONALD, WHO IS BURIED IN CHURCH CEMETERY.

WORSHIP WAS IN HOMES BEFORE A LOG CHURCH AWAS BUILT, 1857—1858. A FRAME BUILDING ERECTED LATER; PRESENT ONE BUILT 1901.                                                                                                                                                           (1967)

Photos provided by Valerie Laskowski

1970                                          Sabine River Cross big, Longview, Texas.

In the spring of 1970 the Sabine River Chapter of Longview placed a granite marker at the historic crossing of the river for which the chapter was named. The marker was erected at the Sabine River Bridge on Highway 21, which has been known as El Camino Real, the King’s Highway, and the Old San Antonio Road. The river crossing, called Gaines Crossing and Pendleton Crossing  earlier in its history, had been in use for more than four hundred years.

28 Feb 1977           Balcones Fault, State Highway 360, near Austin, Texas.

As a Bicentennial gift to the state and nation, the Treaty Oak Chapter sponsored a Texas Historical Marker for the Balcones Escarpment which aided significantly, through the abundance of natural resources with the geologic formation, in the colonization of Texas. Beneath the title “Balcones Fault Aids Colonization of Texas,” the following wording appears on the marker:

Curving through the center of Texas from Hill Country south and west to Uvalde County is the rugged escarpment-fault called Balcones. The abundance of natural resources associated with this geologic formation affected the pattern of colonization in Texas. The numerous springs and wooded hills of the escarpment and adjacent fertile prairies attracted Indian tribes and Spanish colonists before the area was permanently settled by Anglo-American pioneers. Spanish explorer Bernardo de Miranda in 1756 named the formation “Los Balcones,” meaning “Balconies.” Part of El Camino Real, the “King’s Highway,” skirted the fault line. Spanish missions and presidios were located at springs near San Antonio, Austin and elsewhere, but many Spanish settlements disappeared before 1800.

Anglo-Americans led by Stephen F. Austin began to settle near the Balcones Escarpment before 1830. Through their courage and determination, early pioneer settlements grew into the towns and cities that today dot the fault line. The town of Austin, with its combination of beauty and natural resources, was chosen capital of the independent Republic of Texas, which became the twenty-eighth state of the United States.

The marker, erected in December, 1976, by the Texas State Department of Highways and Transportation near Austin at Bull Creek Bridge on State Highway 360 about one mile from its intersection with U. S. Highway 183 North, was dedicated in a ceremony held at the marker site on February 28, 1977.

Funds for the marker were donated by members of The Treaty Oak  Chapter. The four-year project was begun during the term of Mrs. Ervin Joseph Prouse as Chapter Regent and was completed during the administration of Mrs. John Coleman Horton. Mrs. James Lewis Smith, II, served as chairman for the project.

22 Feb 1978           El Rancho de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Texas.

As its major Bicentennial project, Quinton Stockwell Chapter elected to place a marker at the historic El Rancho de Santa Maria at Santa Maria, Texas, now known as the “Old Rabb Ranch” in deference to a later owner of the property, which lies in the 1776 La Feria land grant from the King of Spain. The large, two-story brick home was built on the 700-acre ranch in 1870 by L. J. Hynes, who surrounded his home with ten other brick buildings which included an armory, stables floored with adobe brick, and the area’s first telegraph station. Mr. Hynes was postmaster of Santa Maria’s first post office and also operated a wayhouse and stagecoach stop.

A large porch on the upper floor of the main house overlooks the Rio Grande and Mexico beyond. Though a Gulf storm in 1933 destroyed much of the ranch, a great deal of work has been completed in recent years to repair, rebuild, and redecorate this historic property to preserve and restore its original condition.

Funds were secured in 1976 for the bronze plaque which was dedicated on February 22, 1978, when a change of ownership and possession of the ranch had been completed. Arrangements for the ceremony were under the direction of Mrs. Earl J. Twiss, Chapter Regent; Mrs. Harold S. Hensley, State Chairman of the Historic Landmarks and Memorials Committee; and Mrs. John O. Butcher, chapter chairman of that committee. Mrs. James E. Crews. State Regent, represented the Texas Society at the dedication ceremony and reception which followed.

22 Feb 1978           BOURLAND CEMETERY, Keller, Tarrant, Texas

A Texas Historical Marker sponsored by Honorable Philip Livingston Chapter of Fort Worth was dedicated at Bourland Cemetery in Keller, Tarrant County, Texas on September 12, 1981.

The dedication was conducted by Mrs. Robert R. Truitt, TSDAC State Chairman, and Master of Ceremonies. The invocation was led by Mr. A. H. Kennemer, Pastor, Church of Christ, Keller. Mr. Bill Blevins, President of the Bourland Cemetery Board introduced the Bourland Cemetery Board and did the Recognition of Pioneer Descendents. The history of the cemetery was given by Mr. Michael R. Knox. Mr. Duane Gage, Chairman of Tarrant County Historical Commission gave the Dedication of the Marker. Miss Frances Edwards, TSDAC State Regent, and Mrs. Pinkney J. Brown, Hon. Philip Livingston Chapter Regent, did the unveiling of the marker. The benediction was given by Mr. Glen Jones, Pastor, First Methodist Church, Keller. Marker number 470 read:

“Aurelius Delphus Bourland (1840-1904), a North Carolina native and a veteran of the Civil War, bought land here in 1873. A farmer and Primitive Baptist preacher, he first used this site as a family cemetery. The earliest marked grave is that of his grandson A. Delphus White, who died in 1886. In 1899 Bourland sold 2.5 acres, including the grave sites, to the residents of Keller (1.5 mi SW) for use as a public burial ground. Additional land was given by the families of Bourland in 1947 and A.B. Harmonson (1891-1967) in 1977. The gateway was built by the Works Progress Administration in 1935. (1981)”

13 May 2003         Old LA BAHIA ROAD, near VICTORIA, Texas.

The Daniel Braman Chapter DAC salutes our former chapter Regent, Betty Bireley, 2001-2003. On a very windy, hot day in South Texas, with threatening showers, Betty led the chapter in placing a marker on an old Indian path and a major Spanish colonial trail now known as the "Old La Bahia Road." This path comes up the bank from a crossing on the Guadalupe River, climbing to the top of the bluff in Riverside Park, Victoria, TX. The path is located directly in front of the beautiful Rose Garden. This historical event was observed with a program done by Daniel Braman Chapter Regent Betty Bireley . Chapter members, local historians, City officials, and members of Victoria Preservation, Inc. attended the unveiling. Betty and the chapter worked hard to secure the historical marker to commemorate this colonial trail, part of the National Project of the NSDAC National Regent Mary Ann Hepler, who had chosen the marking of Indian paths in America as her project.  The marker reads:

“This Louisiana trade route, a branch of Camino Real, connected New Spain, San Antonio, and Louisiana and was a major Spanish Colonial Trail after 1757, before Anglo-American settlement in the 1820’s. By 1749, the Spanish mission north of Victoria was moved to Goliad, Texas, and the traffic shifted south to a ford located one mile west of this marker. A Spanish outpost and Indian burial ground were found on the marker site. The ford was a boundary after 1824 when Don Martin de Leon established the colony of Guadalupe Victoria.”

Photos provided by Billye D. Jackson