DUANE
Duane's take
The official marker tells it this way, and I'm just doing my best to honor it. Now, if you're going to start a legacy, you might as well start it on a Tuesday in spring. On April 10, 1893, under the guidance of a man with a name worth savoring — Francis Marion Otis Fenn — a local lodge was organized in Richmond, Texas, for the benefit of male descendants of Texas Revolution veterans.
That was the seed. But Richmond, it turned out, was just the warm-up act. A few days later, that Richmond group traveled to Houston, and on April 20, 1893, something bigger took shape: a statewide organization called the Sons of the Republic of Texas, formed with 56 members.
Fifty-six men who could trace their blood back to the people who built this state from nothing but grit and nerve. W. A.
Craddock of Brenham stepped forward as first president. Now here's where the story gets a little bittersweet. Various reunions were held over the years, the organization kept its flame flickering — but by the time World War I rolled through, that flame went out.
The Sons of the Republic fell inactive. You might have thought the whole thing was done. Think again.
In 1922, the Sons of the Republic reorganized in Houston. And when they gathered to choose a president, they elected a man whose name alone carried the weight of Texas history — Andrew Jackson Houston, son of General Sam Houston himself. That is not a small thing.
Thirty-five charter members signed on to rebuild what had been let go, and twelve of those thirty-five had actually belonged to the original 1893 organization. Twelve men who had been there at the founding and refused to let it die for good. Membership wasn't handed out loosely.
To qualify, a man had to be a descendant of someone who had performed either civil or military service for Texas — and that service had to fall between 1820 and January 1, 1846. That window covers the whole sweep of the Revolution and the Republic, and the organization meant to honor every inch of it. Since that 1922 reorganization, the Sons of the Republic of Texas have worked to cultivate state patriotism — encouraging the observance of Texas Independence Day on March 2, San Jacinto Day on April 21, preserving historical data tied to the Revolution and the Republic.
Members have established museums. They've erected monuments. They've pushed for the study of Texas history in a state that sometimes forgets how hard its story was earned.
This marker itself was placed in the Texas Sesquicentennial year of 1986 — one hundred and fifty years after the republic those 56 charter members swore to remember. Some things, it turns out, are worth reorganizing for.
What the marker says
On April 10, 1893, under the guidance of Francis Marion Otis Fenn, a local lodge was organized in Richmond for the benefit of male descendants of Texas Revolution veterans. The Richmond group traveled to Houston a few days later, and on April 20, 1893, a statewide organization called the Sons of the Republic of Texas was formed with 56 members. W. A. Craddock of Brenham served as first president. Although various reunions were held over the years, the organization fell inactive by World War I. In 1922, the Sons of the Republic reorganized in Houston and elected Andrew Jackson Houston, son of Gen. Sam Houston, as their president. Twelve of the 35 charter members had belonged to the 1893 organization. Male descendants of persons who had performed either civil or military service for Texas between 1820 and Jan. 1, 1846, were eligible for membership. Since the 1922 organization, the Sons of the Republic have sought to cultivate state patriotism by encouraging the observance of holidays such as Texas Independence Day (March 2) and San Jacinto Day (April 21), and by preserving historical data associated with the Revolution and Republic. Members have established museums, erected monuments, and encouraged the study of Texas history. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 -1986.