DUANE
Duane's take
The way the marker tells it — and this one's straight from Washington County — here's what happened on the first day of March, 1836, and for sixteen days after that. Somewhere in Washington County, a group of men sat down together with the weight of the world — or at least the weight of Texas — pressing on their shoulders. They had come to a Constitutional Convention, and when they walked back out, Texas was a different place entirely.
They declared it free. They organized a Republic. And they framed its constitution.
That's three things most men never do once in a lifetime, and these delegates did all three before the middle of March. Now the marker doesn't just wave its hand at 'some delegates.' It names every single one of them. And if you're drivin' through Washington County with any sense of occasion at all, these names deserve to be spoken out loud.
Jessie B. Badgett. Dr.
George Washington Barnett. Thomas Barnett. Stephen William Blount.
John White Bower. Asa Brigham. Andrew Briscoe.
John Wheeler Bunton. John S.D. Byrom.
Mathew Caldwell. Samuel Price Carson. George Campbell Childress.
William Clark, Jr. Robert M. Coleman.
James Collingsworth. Edward Conrad. William Carroll Crawford.
Richard Ellis. Dr. Stephen Hendrickson Everitt.
John Fisher. Samuel Rhoades Fisher. James Gaines.
Dr. Thomas Jefferson Gazley. Benjamin Briggs Goodrich.
Jesse Grimes. Robert Hamilton. Bailey Hardeman.
Augustine Blackburn Hardin. Samuel Houston. William Demetris Lacey.
Albert Hamilton Latimer. Edward Oswald Legrand. Samuel Augustus Maverick.
Collin McKinney. Michel Branamour Menard. William Menefee.
John W. Moore. Dr.
Junius William Mottley. Jose Antonio Navarro. Martin Parmer.
Sydney Oswald Pennington. Robert Potter. James Power.
John S. Roberts. Sterling Clack Robertson.
Francisco Ruiz. Thomas Jefferson Rusk. William Bennett Scates.
George Washington Smyth. Elijah Stapp. Dr.
Charles Bellinger Stewart. James Gibson Swisher. Charles Standfield Taylor.
David Thomas. John Turner. Edwin Waller.
Claiborne West. James B. Woods.
And Dr. Lorenzo De Zavala. Fifty-nine names.
Fifty-nine people who showed up to Washington County between March the first and March the seventeenth, 1836, and did something that couldn't be undone. The marker closes with a line that isn't history so much as a request — maybe even a quiet demand. It says: may these names be engraved on the hearts of all Texans.
Well. You just heard every one of them. That's a good start.
What the marker says
To the memory of those courageous souls, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention held here March 1-17, 1836 who declared Texas free, organized a Republic, and framed its constitution Jessie B. Badgett; Dr. George Washington Barnett; Thomas Barnett; Stephen William Blount; John White Bower; Asa Brigham; Andrew Briscoe; John Wheeler Bunton; John S.D. Byrom; Mathew Caldwell; Samuel Price Carson; George Campbell Childress; William Clark, Jr.; Robert M. Coleman; James Collingsworth; Edward Conrad; William Carroll Crawford; Richard Ellis; Dr. Stephen Hendrickson Everitt; John Fisher; Samuel Rhoades Fisher; James Gaines; Dr. Thomas Jefferson Gazley; Benjamin Briggs Goodrich; Jesse Grimes; Robert Hamilton; Bailey Hardeman; Augustine Blackburn Hardin; Samuel Houston; William Demetris Lacey; Albert Hamilton Latimer; Edward Oswald Legrand; Samuel Augustus Maverick; Collin McKinney; Michel Branamour Menard; William Menefee; John W. Moore; Dr. Junius William Mottley; Jose Antonio Navarro; Martin Parmer; Sydney Oswald Pennington; Robert Potter; James Power; John S. Roberts; Sterling Clack Robertson; Francisco Ruiz; Thomas Jefferson Rusk; William Bennett Scates; George Washington Smyth; Elijah Stapp; Dr. Charles Bellinger Stewart; James Gibson Swisher; Charles Standfield Taylor; David Thomas; John Turner; Edwin Waller; Claiborne West; James B. Woods; Dr. Lorenzo De Zavala May these names be engraved on the hearts of all Texans