DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Now, some lives are wide enough that you can't quite see from one end to the other — and Robert Starke Armistead was that kind of man. Born November 5, 1800, in North Carolina, he was barely into his teens when his family picked up and moved to Alabama in 1818.
That was just the first move. It wouldn't be the last. In 1826 he married Ann Sylvesta Carney, and not long after, the two of them set their sights on a place that wasn't even a state yet.
They came to Texas in 1835 — which, if you know your history, means they arrived right on the edge of everything about to happen. Sure enough, Armistead served in the Republic of Texas army in 1836. And if you thought that was the end of his soldiering, think again.
In 1842 he was back in the field, serving with the forces defending San Antonio during the Vasquez invasion. The man kept showing up when Texas needed someone to show up. Then in 1845 — and this one's worth pausing on — he became a charter trustee of Baylor University.
Charter trustee. That means he was there at the very founding of the thing, one of the hands that helped set it on its feet. He and Ann eventually settled in Washington County, where they built and ran a large agricultural enterprise.
In 1863, they adopted a daughter named Sallie. Robert Starke Armistead died June 14, 1866. He and Ann are buried nearby, in a family cemetery, on land that was once part of their own farm.
The man came to Texas before it was Texas — and he's still here.
What the marker says
(November 5, 1800 - June 14, 1866) A native of North Carolina, Robert Starke Armistead moved with his family to Alabama in 1818. He married Ann Sylvesta Carney in 1826 and they came to Texas in 1835. Armistead served in the Republic of Texas army in 1836 and with forces defending San Antonio during the Vasquez invasion in 1842. He was a charter trustee of Baylor University in 1845. Settling in Washington County, the Armisteads operated a large agricultural enterprise and in 1863 adopted a daughter, Sallie. Robert and Ann are buried nearby in a family cemetery on land once a part of their farm. (1990)