DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Glasscock County — and friend, there's more to this story than you might expect from a stretch of West Texas flatland. Glasscock County. Created in 1887, organized in 1893, with Garden City as the county seat.
Simple enough on the surface. But the name on this county belongs to a man who lived one of the more remarkable lives in Texas history, and the marker wants you to know it. George W.
Glasscock. Born 1810, died 1868. Now here's where it gets interesting — before he ever set foot in Texas, Glasscock was flatboating the rivers of Illinois.
And his flatboating partner? One Abraham Lincoln. Let that settle for a moment.
The man this county is named for once worked the waterways alongside the man who would become the sixteenth president of the United States. But Glasscock had his own destiny pulling him south. He came to Texas in 1834 — before Texas was Texas — and when the War for Independence from Mexico came around in 1835 and 1836, he fought in it.
After the smoke cleared, he built the first Central Texas flour mill, up in Williamson County. Georgetown was named for him. And he served in the Texas Legislature from 1864 to 1868.
Not a man who sat still, this George Glasscock. Now, the marker doesn't stop there. It steps back and takes in the whole map of Texas — all 254 counties — and it lays out the accounting of how this state got its names, and it is something to hear.
Forty-two counties carry Indian, French, or Spanish names — a reminder of every hand that shaped this land before the Republic. Ten honor colonizers, among them Stephen F. Austin, called the Father of Texas.
Twelve were named for Washington, Clay, and other American patriots from back east. Ninety-six counties — the single largest group — were named for men like Glasscock himself: men who fought in the Texas War for Independence, with fifteen of them dying at the Alamo, men who signed the Declaration of Independence, or who served as statesmen in the Republic of Texas. Ninety-six counties carrying the weight of that particular chapter.
Twenty-three bear the names of frontiersmen and pioneers. Eleven honor American statesmen who worked for the annexation of Texas. Ten recognize leaders in Texas since statehood — jurists, ministers, educators, historians, statesmen.
And thirty-six counties were named for men prominent in the Confederacy during the Civil War. Then there are the names drawn straight from the land and the world around it. Midland and eight others carry geographical names.
San Jacinto and Val Verde were named for battles. Live Oak and Orange were named for trees. And Mason — Mason was named for a fort.
Two hundred and fifty-four counties. Every one of them a story. Every name a choice somebody made about what mattered, who mattered, what this place was and where it came from.
And somewhere in that long roll call, there's Glasscock — a flatboating partner of Lincoln who came to Texas before it was a republic, fought for it when it was one, and ground flour for the people who built it after. West Texas named a whole county for him, and I'd say he earned it.
What the marker says
Created in 1887. Organized 1893, with Garden City county seat. Named for George W. Glasscock (1810-68), flatboating partner of Abraham Lincoln in Illinois. Came to Texas 1834 and fought 1835-36 in the War for Independence from Mexico. Built first Central Texas flour mill, Williamson County. Georgetown was named for him. Was in Texas Legislature, 1864- 68. Of the 254 Texas counties, 42 bear Indian, French or Spanish names. 10 honor such colonizers as Stephen F. Austin, "Father of Texas". 12 were named for Washington, Clay, and other American patriots. 96 were named for men like Glasscock who fought in the Texas War for Independence (15 dying at the Alamo), signed the Declaration of Independence, or served as statesmen in the Republic of Texas. 23 have the names of frontiersmen and pioneers. 11 honor American statesmen who worked for the annexation of Texas; 10, leaders in Texas since statehood, including jurists, ministers, educators, historians, statesmen; and 36, men prominent in the Confederacy during the Civil War. Midland and 8 others have geographical names. San Jacinto and Val Verde were named for battles. Live Oak and Orange for trees, and Mason for a Fort.