Descendants Activities: 180th Texas Independence Day Celebration

NOTE: You do not have to be on the Washington on the Brazos Descendants Registry to participate in these events, you just need to be a descendant of a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence.

In addition to all the activities planned for the public at Washington on the Brazos State Historic Site (Visitor Center, Independence Hall, Star of the Republic Museum and Barrington Living History Farm), there will be plenty of additional activities and events for the Descendants of the Signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence (The Descendants) who attend this year’s Texas Independence Day Celebration (TIDC).

Friday, March 4, 2016

6:30 p.m.: a reception at the Star of the Republic Museum for the opening of the new museum exhibit “A Legacy of Leadership: The Signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence.” Elected as delegates to the Convention of 1836, our ancestors determined the future of Texas. The exhibit focuses on their roles as leaders and includes personal artifacts such as Sam Maverick’s buckskins, a cameo of Michel Menard, oil portraits of Stephen Blount and his wife, the original diary of William Fairfax Gray and many others.

Saturday, March 5, 2016

8 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Conference Center at Washington on the Brazos will be the site of the 2016 Descendants Reunion. The Descendants will register and receive nametags indicating their ancestor’s name so they can locate cousins throughout the park during the weekend celebration. There will also be signs with names of each of the Signers of the Declaration posted throughout the Conference Center to make it even easier for descendants to meet with each other. The Conference Center will be open throughout the day for The Descendants to meet with cousins and socialize with the descendants of the other signers.

• Shelby Rowan, the genealogist for the Star of the Republic Museum, will be in the Conference Center to assist The Descendants with applying for membership in the Museum’s Descendants Registry program. The Descendants Registry is the official register of the documented lineal descendants of the Signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Once your lineage has been documented, that information will be maintained by the Star of the Republic Museum in perpetuity. Your descendants will only have to prove their relationship to you to have their names listed. If you have not already joined the Descendant’s Registry, this would be a great opportunity to do so.Also, for a fee, Ms. Rowan will prepare a printed genealogical chart of your family back to your signer ancestor. If Ms. Rowan does not have your line, you will have the opportunity to provide that information to her so the Descendants Registry can be made more complete. Please bring your genealogical data if you think it would be helpful.
• As all of the Descendants of the Signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence are eligible for membership in the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and the Sons of the Republic of Texas, representatives of these fine organizations will be on hand in the Conference Center with application forms and plenty of information on how you can join these wonderful lineage societies. If you have ever wondered how to join the DRT or the SRT, this is your chance.
• In the Conference Center, you will also have the opportunity to purchase Descendants merchandise (shirts, flags, mugs, paperweights, key chains, tote bags, etc.).

6:30 – 10 p.m.: First Annual Descendants Dance: Navasota VFW Hall, Post #4006, 1575 W. Washington Ave. (Hwy 105), Navasota, Texas. Admission is free and there will be a concession stand selling drinks, chips and candy. Bring the whole family. We’ll have the party our ancestors did not get the chance to have when they were there in 1836.

Sunday, March 6, 2016

10 a.m. – 2 p.m.: the Conference Center will be open for all The Descendants to gather, socialize, and take advantage of the resources available (Registration, Descendants Genealogist, Descendants Registry information, Descendants merchandise, SRT membership information, DRT membership information, Park Association membership information, etc.) before exploring and enjoying all the activities and events at the Star of the Republic Museum, Independence Hall and Barrington Living History Farm.

2 p.m.: the Conference Center will close and the Descendants will gather at the Park amphitheater for the “Roll Call” of the names of the Signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence. The keynote speaker will be Texas State Senator Brandon Creighton, who is also a Descendant. Be there with your family to answer “HERE” for your ancestor when his name is called. A messenger will also re-enact the delivery of the Travis letter from the Alamo by horseback. The Travis letter will actually be ridden across Texas to be delivered to Washington on the Brazos as it originally was, 180 years before on March 6, 1836.

Washington on the Brazos Park Association

All of The Descendants are strongly encouraged to join the Washington on the Brazos State Park Association this year at the historic 180th Texas Independence Day Celebration. This is a great way for each of you to honor what your ancestor did at Washington on the Brazos. The Park Association raises and spends thousands of dollars each year to facilitate programs, celebrations, and education at Washington on the Brazos State Historic Site, Independence Hall, Barrington Living History Farm, the Star of the Republic Museum and Fanthorp Inn. For example, since the 175th Texas Independence Day Celebration in 2011, the Park Association has supported a number of The Descendants’ events and activities at the Park. The Park Association has shown their strong support for The Descendants; now it’s time for The Descendants to show their strong support for the Park Association and all of the great work they do in telling the story of our ancestor’s accomplishments at the site Where Texas Became Texas. This is a wonderful way to support the only organization dedicated to perpetuating the memory of what your ancestor did at Old Washington.

Pioneer Family Membership

The Pioneer Family membership level is $50 per year and includes the following benefits:

• Free general admission for the family to the Star of the Republic Museum, Independence Hall and Barrington Living History Farm. (Two adults plus 5 children)
• Subscriptions to informative newsletters: Notes and The Mustang.
• Invitation to The Sundown Social, the annual Washington on the Brazos State Park Association Benefit. This year’s Sundown Social will feature recording artist Michael Martin Murphey.
• Invitation to the July 4th “Fireworks on the Brazos” private reception and viewing party on the roof of the Star of the Republic Museum, plus VIP parking

Pioneer Family Membership

As a special added bonus for coming to this year’s 180th Texas Independence Day Celebration, The Descendants who are present at the Washington-on-the-Brazos State Park on March 5 or March 6 and who purchase a membership at the Pioneer Family level or higher in the Washington on the Brazos State Park Association, will receive a free copy of the beautiful book, “For the Love of Texas,” which is an $80 value. “For the Love of Texas” is a gorgeous coffee table book featuring photographs of Texas landscapes by Timothy Wolcott. This offer will not be available to the general public. As Descendants, each of our families qualifies for this one-time special bonus when you join the Park Association during TIDC at the park.