Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Henderson County Commissioners’ Court issues a Feb. 24 proclamation marking the week of March 2 to memorialize Texas Independence Day, when the fledgling republic declared its separation from Mexico in 1836. Joining Precinct 4 Commissioner Mark Richardson (rear, from left), Precinct 3 Commissioner Chuck McHam, County Judge Wade McKinney, Precinct 1 Commissioner Wendy Spivey and Precinct 2 Commissioner Scott Tuley are joined by memorialist Rex Pope (front, from left), Daniel Hunt, Athens Chapter of the Texas Society of the Sons of the American Revolution President Clayton Starr and Texas Society of the Sons of the American Revolution District Vice President Bill Sekel.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Daniel Hunt of Athens unveils the plaque inscribed with the text of the Travis Letter sent during the 1836 Battle of the Alamo while Texian troops were under a 13-day siege. The Alamo’s commander, William B. Travis, penned the world-famous letter that includes the phrase “Victory or Death.” The plaque will be placed on a red granite base monument on the Henderson County Courthouse lawn.

ATHENS–Henderson County Commissioners’ Court adopted a Feb. 24 proclamation that urges celebration of the upcoming 190th anniversary of Texas’ 1836 Declaration of Independence from Mexico, which was followed by its brief foray into sovereignty before joining the United States in 1845.
The declaration was signed at Washington-on-the-Brazos March 2 of 1836 by 56 men, according to Athens Chapter of the Texas Society of the Sons of the American Revolution President Clayton Starr, who read the proclamation that marks the “sacrifices made by our ancestors establishing a republic that 10 years later became a state.”
Starr spoke of events that preceded the famous Battle of the Alamo, including the Battle of Gonzales that birthed the “Come and Take It” flag in relation to the Texians’ cannon, also touching on the Goliad massacre and other battles at La Bahia and Concepcion. The latter was the first major engagement of the Texas Revolution between Mexico’s Army and the Texas army, which originally was under the command of Stephen F. Austin, Starr stated.
Only one Texas soldier was killed, and that successful defense against a larger Mexican force was a “defining moment in the Texas Revolution,” Starr remarked.
The court also approved $12,300 in donations that will make a Travis Letter monument on the courthouse lawn a reality. Daniel Hunt said the Texas Red Granite has symbolic ties to the state, while the plaque itself was made in Corpus Christi. The plaque embossed with the text of the world-famous Travis Letter was unveiled by Hunt during the meeting.
County Judge Wade McKinney said other donations to the Travis Letter monument will be brought forth during March 3’s commissioners’ court meeting, all of which supplemented the county’s contribution equaling the cost of the gray granite option. The donations enabled the Henderson County monument to be upgraded to the preferred Sunset Red granite. The permanent display is “a great effort that’s greatly appreciated,” McKinney commented.
The court also heard the state-mandated racial profiling report of the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Botie Hillhouse reported that of the 2,929 traffic stops conducted by his department, 78% were white, 12% Hispanic and 9% black. There have been no complaints against the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office in the 10 years that Hillhouse has held office, he said.
The court also set two public hearings to receive public comments related to the update of the Henderson County Hazard Mitigation Plan. County Emergency Management Coordinator Shane Renberg said updates to the existing plan started about a year ago, but the cities of Coffee City and Moore Station look to be skipping inclusion this go-around, which Renberg said threatens any funding they could receive from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Alterations can be made during the five-year term of each plan, Renberg reported, meaning those cities can still join all the other Henderson County towns that have opted to be included under the county’s plan instead of formulating their own, he added.
McKinney said the hazard plan is separate from the county’s emergency management plan, and that by identifying the hazards, the county can “reach out” for funding to fix them. The first hearing will be March 10, followed by the second hearing March 17.