First State Meeting of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker records, right here in Lampasas County. Now settle in, because this story starts with thirteen women and a courthouse, and it ends with something that's still very much alive today. On April 20, 1892, thirteen members of the Daughters of the Lone Star Republic rode into Lampasas with a purpose.

They were there to meet in joint session with the Texas Veterans Association, and the gathering took place right inside the Lampasas County Courthouse. Guy M. Bryan, vice president of the Texas Veterans Association, presided over that 1892 annual convention.

Now these women hadn't just shown up unprepared. They'd been organized the previous November, back in Houston, and in the months between, they'd been quietly, steadily at work, drafting a constitution and by-laws. That's the kind of focused determination that tends to move mountains, or at least rename organizations.

Mrs. Willie Ashe of Houston stood before the gathering that day, representing her grandmother, Mrs. Anson Jones, who held the title of President of the Daughters.

Mrs. Ashe addressed the assembly and, by the marker's own account, eloquently stated the goals and objectives of this new organization. Then came April 21.

The Texas Veterans' meeting adjourned, and the Daughters of the Lone Star Republic reconvened, this time just two blocks east, at the Lampasas Methodist Church. Mrs. Anson Jones herself presided.

And right there, in that church, the members made a decision that would echo forward: they changed the name of the association to the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, and they adopted a constitution. Thirteen women. Two days.

Two buildings in Lampasas. And what came out of it was the first state meeting of the DRT, a gathering that solidified the members' desire to organize and inaugurated, as the marker puts it, a Texas institution dedicated to the preservation of the heritage of the Republic era. Some things, once started, just don't stop.

What the marker says

On April 20, 1892, thirteen members of the Daughters of the Lone Star Republic met in joint session with the Texas Veterans Association in Lampasas. Having been organized the previous November in Houston, the Daughters had been at work in the interim preparing a constitution and by-laws. Guy M. Bryan, vice president of the Texas Veterans Association, presided at the 1892 annual convention in the Lampasas County Courthouse. Mrs. Willie Ashe of Houston, representing her grandmother, Mrs. Anson Jones, President of the Daughters, addressed the gathering and eloquently stated the goals and objectives of the new organization. Following the adjournment of the Texas Veterans' meeting on April 21, the Daughters of the Lone Star Republic reconvened at the Lampasas Methodist Church (2 blocks east). With Mrs. Anson Jones presiding, the members changed the name of the association to the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and adopted a constitution. The first state meeting of the DRT solidified the members' desire to organize and inaugurated a Texas institution dedicated to the preservation of the heritage of the Republic era.