DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'm not addin' a word that isn't there. John Jack Coker. Born May 10, 1789, died January 4, 1861 — and in between those two dates, he packed in enough to fill a monument, which is exactly what he got.
Coker came out of South Carolina and made his way to Texas in 1834. Two years later, the whole territory was at war, and Jack Coker was in the middle of it. He served in the Battle of San Jacinto during the Texas War for Independence in 1836.
That alone would earn a man his place in the story. But Coker didn't stop there. He was part of a party riding with a fellow known as Deaf Smith — and together they destroyed Vince's Bridge, out near Pasadena.
Now, the marker is careful with its words here, and so will I be: this deed, it says, may have kept Santa Anna's army from retreat or reinforcement, thus ensuring Texan victory. May have. Two small words carrying the weight of a nation.
The Legislature of Texas apparently thought the odds were good enough to act on, because in recognition of what Coker did, they awarded him 1,920 acres. Nineteen hundred and twenty acres of Texas ground. And Coker put it to use — he and his brother Joseph founded the Coker community right there on that land.
A man came from South Carolina, crossed into a territory on the edge of a fight, helped take out a bridge at just the right moment, and ended up with a community bearing his name. Not a bad run for a life that started in 1789.
What the marker says
(May 10, 1789-Jan. 4, 1861) Came from South Carolina to Texas in 1834. Served in Battle of San Jacinto in Texas War for Independence, 1836. Was one of a party with "Deaf" Smith that destroyed Vince's Bridge near Pasadena. This deed may have kept Santa Anna's army from retreat or reinforcement, thus insuring Texan victory. In recognition, the Legislature of Texas awarded to Coker 1,920 acres, where he and his brother Joseph founded Coker community. Recorded - 1968