Born William Sidney Porter, this master of short stories is much better known under his pen name “O. Henry.” He was born September 11, 1862 in North Carolina, where he spent his childhood. His only formal education was received at the school of his Aunt Lina, where he developed a lifelong love of books. In … Read more
James K. Polk never set foot in Texas. His impact on Texas and the American West, however, cannot be overestimated. Not only was he instrumental in the annexation of Texas, but the United States achieved its greatest territorial expansion under his presidency. Born 2 November 1795 in North Carolina, Polk spent much of his youth … Read more
A pioneer in the development of art in Texas, Elisabet Ney was born in Munster, Westphalia, Germany on January 26, 1833. She became the first woman sculpture student accepted in the Munich Art Academy. Her talents were soon recognized, and she received commissions to model a number of famous men, including Bismark, Garibaldi, Schopenhauer, and … Read more
Jose Antonio Navarro was among the truest of all Texans. He was born February 27, 1795 in San Antonio of a prominent Spanish heritage. He would become a leading Mexican participant on the side of Texas in the Texas Revolution, as well as in the subsequent development of the Republic and then the State of … Read more
Ben Milam was killed when the Texas Revolution was just getting underway. But his leadership prior to his death helped inspire his fellow Texans to retake San Antonio in 1835 at the Siege of Baxer, and ultimately to win Texas independence. Milam was born October 20, 1788 in Frankfort, Kentucky, where he lived until joining … Read more
One of Texas’ most noted heroes, Ben McCulloch was born in Tennessee and died in Arkansas. He spent most of his life in service to Texas, however, and is buried in the Texas State cemetery in Austin. McCulloch was born November 11, 1811 in Rutherford County, Tennessee into a family that would grow to twelve … Read more
Francis Lubbock was born in South Carolina on October 15, 1815. Lacking a formal education, he engaged in an unsuccessful mercantile trade while still in his youth. He moved to New Orleans, then to Texas soon after the revolution was won. In 1837, he entered into public service as a clerk of the House of … Read more
Orphaned at the age of fourteen and widowed at twenty-four, Jane Wilkinson Long led a long and hard life. But her independent and determined character earned for her the title “Mother of Texas.” Long was born Jane Wilkinson on July 23, 1798 in Charles County, Maryland. Her father died when she was less that one … Read more
Already well known as an explorer and fur trader in Canada, Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de LaSalle wound his way in 1682 down the Mississippi, claiming the entire Mississippi watershed in the name of France. Two years later, French king Louis XIV supplied LaSalle with ships and colonists to return to the mouth of the … Read more
Born in Georgia in 1798, Mirabeau B. Lamar excelled in his youth as a horseman, writer of verse, and painter in oils. He came to Texas in 1835. After a quick trip back to Georgia to settle his affairs, he returned to Texas in the midst of the revolution and enlisted as a private in … Read more