Confederate President Jefferson Davis

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll pass it along to you the way Duane does. We're talking about Jefferson Davis (1808 to 1889), and the county you're driving through right now bears his name, which ought to tell you something about how Texas felt about the man. The marker calls him, plain and simple, a friend of Texas.

And the story behind that friendship goes back further than most folks realize. His first visit came in 1847, as a military officer during the Mexican War. Texas left an impression on him, or maybe he left one on Texas; probably both.

Then in 1855, as U.S. Secretary of War, Davis made a decision that changed the shape of this whole region. He built up the frontier forts, opening West Texas to settlers.

That alone would've earned him a place in the story out here. But Davis went further. He imported camels (actual camels) for patrols and hauling across this hard country.

Now if that detail doesn't make you sit up straighter in your seat, I don't know what will. His postmaster-general and his personal aide were both Texans, and Texans filled out a good portion of his general staff as well. When the war came and went, and Davis had been released from prison, he came back to visit the state and the old soldiers he'd once commanded.

And what he'd told those troops during the war still rang in the air: 'Troops from other states have their reputations to gain, but sons of the Alamo have theirs to maintain.' In 1887, this county was named for him. Some legacies get carved in stone. This one got carved into the map.

What the marker says

(1808-1889) Friend of Texas. Visited first as officer Mexican War 1847. As U. S. Secretary of War in 1855, built up frontier forts to open West Texas to settlers. Camels imported for patrols, hauling. His postmaster-general and personal aide were Texans, as were many on general staff. After post-war release from prison, visited state and old soldiers he once had told in wartime: "Troops from other states have their reputations to gain, but sons of the Alamo have theirs to maintain." County named for him in 1887.