Time threatens to destroy some of Texas' recorded history

The 54 men who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence at Washington-on-the-Brazos on March 2, 1836, gave official voice to Texans' struggle for independence that ended successfully a few weeks later on April 21 at San Jacinto.

Even after the fighting ended, the struggle continued for the new republic. People fought to settle the frontier, as the men they chose to lead them in their struggle tried to establish a stable government.

While our state's founders could not have envisioned the history that would unfold as Texas made its way from a struggling republic to the great state it is today, they understood the importance of preserving historical documents to such an extent that they fought a "war" over it.

In 1841, when Republic of Texas President Sam Houston tried to move valuable government papers out of Austin, angry residents of the city protested their removal. Led by a woman, the protestors fired eight cannon shots at Houston's men who quickly abandoned their efforts. This "Archive War" provided yet another colorful chapter to state history.

Preserving valuable historic documents helps us understand Texas' past and prepare for its future. As a Texas state senator and a fourth generation Texan, I strongly support the Texas General Land Office's effort to preserve the maps and documents that have been stored there since the Land Office was established soon after Texas won its independence from Mexico.

The effects of age and overuse are threatening the very existence of these priceless documents. To preserve them for future generations, they must be conserved through a process that is both delicate and time-consuming.

The Land Office's Historic Preservation Program can save maps and documents that are records of land distribution in Texas before 1836. This collection of original Spanish and Mexican land titles is a source of information for anyone studying Texas history between 1824 and 1836.

Other documents are a recorded history of Texas' public lands program. Unlike other western states, when Texas was admitted to the union in 1845, it retained control of its public lands and used land to pay off debt, reward veterans, build railroads, finance public schools and even build the state capitol.

To learn more about the General Land Office's Historic Preservation Program, to search its collection of maps, or to discover how you may contribute to preserving and conserving Texas' history, log onto the Internet at www.savetexashistory.org or call toll-free: (800) 998-4456.

Preserving historical maps and documents for future generations is a battle against time. Like Texas, the artifacts have been around for more than 160 years, and like Texas, their future will be brighter if we all help. (I mailed my check last week!)