It dawned in a very unusual way for south Texas. It was windy, as usual, but it was also quite cool and raining too. Dave Lucas gave a briefing to participants inside the lobby of the hotel. It was decided that we would forego planned activities for the morning in hopes the rain would clear some in time for lunch at Washington - On - The - Brazos state park.
We drove our modern car to the park for two reasons. Number one, our 1910 touring has terminal rear axle problems. Two, it was cold and wet and windy!
Washington-on-the-Brazos is known as “the birthplace of Texas” because here, on March 1, 1836, Texas delegates met to formally announce Texas’ intention to separate from Mexico and to draft the constitution of the new Republic of Texas. They organized an interim government to serve until a government could be elected.
The delegates declared independence on March 2, 1836. The Alamo fell to Mexican troops on March 6, 1836. The delegates adopted their constitution on March 16. The delegates worked until March 17, when they had to flee with the residents of Washington, to escape the advancing Mexican Army. The townspeople returned after the Mexican Army was defeated at San Jacinto on April 21. Town leaders lobbied for Washington’s designation as the permanent capital of the Republic of Texas, but leaders of the Republic favored Waterloo, which later was renamed Austin.
Today little remains of the town that once stood here. A recreation of the building known as “Independence Hall” has been erected to appear just as it looked in March 1836. It is an unfinished storefront building with no windows or interior sheathing, because it was under construction at the time. Some chairs were borrowed from nearby homes. A long table was made from some lumber found nearby.
A small granite obelisk was erected and paid for by school children from nearby Brenham in 1899 next to the ruined original building to note the significance.
