AUSTIN – Native Texans and newcomers alike have an opportunity to learn more about our state's history in Austin on Saturday, September 15.
Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson and the Texas General Land Office (GLO) will host the Third Annual Save Texas History Symposium. This year's presentation is "The Civil War in Texas: Death, Disease and Minié Balls."
Recommended Videos
For those of you who, like me, were wondering, a minié ball is a rifle bullet with a conical head used in muzzle-loading firearms.
The symposium brings top scholars and history buffs together for a day of lectures, activities and discussions about Texas history.
The conference is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Thompson Conference Center, 2405 East Campus Drive, Austin. Advance registration is available online: www.savetexashistory.org. Registration before September 10 is $50, or add a box lunch for another $5. After September 10, registration is $60. Phone registration also is available at (512) 463-3289.
Attendance at the symposium grows each year because of the outstanding presenters and their topics. Saturday morning starts with a presentation on "Texans in the Civil War" followed by "Union Plans for Texas" and "The Battle of Galveston."
Speaker Don Frazier, professor of history at McMurry University and author of several books on the Civil War, will discuss the Union's invasion plans--from the Red River Campaign to the crossing of the Sabine to blockading Texas ports.
Two break-out sessions follow lunch, and you'll have a tough time choosing between them. At the first session you may tour the GLO archives and map vault, learn more about genealogy at a workshop led by the president of the Texas State Genealogical Society, or listen to a panel discussion on "Tejanos and the Civil War."
The second session provides another opportunity to tour the GLO vault, enjoy hands-on pioneer surveying of the University of Texas with "Surveying 101," continue the genealogy workshop, opt for the "Texas History Educators Workshop for 4th and 7th Grade Teachers" or tour the Texas State Cemetery.
The Save Texas History™ program works to rally public support and private funding for the preservation and promotion of more than 35 million historic maps and documents.
GLO Commissioner Jerry Patterson explains: "Touched by patriots like Sam Houston, Jim Bowie and William B. Travis, these documents must be conserved and made available to remind future generations what it means to be a Texan."
I could not agree more. Our history and heritage sprang from that pioneering spirit that makes Texans and Texas unique.
Please visit www.SaveTexasHistory.org to learn more about the program, to purchase replicas of historic documents and maps, or to donate to the cause.
This column was written by Texas State Sen. Jeff Wentworth.