Briscoe County

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Briscoe County. Carved right out of the old Bexar Territory, which tells you something about just how far back this land's story reaches.

The county itself was created on August 21, 1876, though it didn't get fully organized until March 15, 1892. Sometimes a place takes a little while to pull itself together. Can't fault it for that.

The county bears the name of Andrew Briscoe, born in 1810, gone by 1849, and in between those two years the man managed to leave a mark on Texas that the state saw fit to honor with a piece of its geography. Briscoe stood as a defender of Texas liberty at the Battle of Concepcion. He was there for the capture of Bexar.

And when it came to the Battle of San Jacinto, that hinge-point fight, Andrew Briscoe was present for that too. Three fights that shaped a republic, and this man showed up for all three. If that weren't enough, he went on to serve as Chief Justice of Harris County.

Soldier, jurist, man of the frontier. The county seat of Briscoe County is Silverton, sitting out there on the South Plains as steady and sure as the name it carries. Andrew Briscoe, 1810 to 1849.

A short span on the calendar, and a long shadow across the Texas map.

What the marker says

Formed from Bexar Territory. Created August 21, 1876. Organized March 15, 1892. Named for Andrew Briscoe 1810-1849. Defender of Texas liberty at the Battle of Concepcion, the capture of Bexar and the Battle of San Jacinto. Chief Justice of Harris County. Silverton is the county seat.