Daughters of the Republic of Texas facts for kids
Birthplace of The Daughters of the Republic of Texas
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| Abbreviation | DRT |
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| Formation | November 6, 1891 |
| Headquarters | Austin, Texas, US |
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Membership
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7,000 |
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President General
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Carol Mayo Steakley |
| Website | Daughters of the Republic of Texas |
The Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT) is a group dedicated to remembering the families and soldiers who helped create the Republic of Texas. This was a time when Texas was its own country.
The DRT is most famous for taking care of The Alamo for many years. In 2015, the Texas General Land Office took over managing the Alamo. The DRT also looked after the historic French Legation Museum until 2017. Today, they run a museum in Austin about the history of Texas.
To join the DRT, you must be a descendant of someone who "served Texas loyally" before February 19, 1846. This was the date Texas joined the United States.
Contents
How the DRT Started
The Daughters of the Republic of Texas began in 1891. It was founded by two cousins, Betty Eve Ballinger and Hally Ballinger Bryan Perry. The group was first called the Daughters of the Lone Star Republic. Later, it changed to its current name.
The first president of the DRT in 1891 was Mary Smith Jones. She was the widow of Anson Jones, the last president of the Republic of Texas. The first local group, called a chapter, was the Sidney Sherman Chapter. It was started in Galveston on November 6, 1891.
Founders' Family History
Hally's father, Guy Morrison Bryan, moved to Texas in 1831. In 1836, he carried important letters from William Barret Travis at the Alamo. He also served in the Texas army and later in the Texas government. Bryan was a veteran of the American Civil War. He helped start the Texas Veterans Association and the Texas State Historical Association.
Betty's grandfather, William Houston Jack, moved to Texas in 1830. He helped write the Turtle Bayou Resolutions. Jack also fought in the capture of Goliad. He joined Sam Houston's army and fought in the Battle of San Jacinto. He served in the Texas government too.
Saving The Alamo
By the late 1880s, the old San Antonio missions were falling apart. People were also damaging them. Two dedicated women from the DRT stepped up to save and protect the Alamo. They wanted to make sure it would be there for future generations.
A protest must be recorded here against the wanton mutilation of the sculpture of the Missions by thoughtless relic hunters. The shameful chipping of the beautiful carving has been going on for years.
The main entrance, the Alamo's mission chapel, was already owned by the State of Texas. The state bought it from the Roman Catholic Church in 1883. They gave it to the City of San Antonio. However, the city did not improve the chapel. Also, this ownership did not include the long barracks building.
In 1903, Adina Emilia De Zavala asked a wealthy woman named Clara Driscoll to help. Clara joined the DRT and led a fundraising group. Their goal was to buy the long barracks building. This building was owned by two grocers, Charles Hugo and Gustav Schmeltzer. The price was $75,000, and Clara Driscoll donated most of this money.
In 1905, a bill was created to buy the Alamo. It said that The Alamo would be looked after by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. On January 26, 1905, the Texas State Legislature approved the bill. Governor S. W. T. Lanham signed it into law. The state paid Clara Driscoll back. On October 4, 1905, the governor officially gave the Alamo property to the DRT. This included both the long barracks and the mission church.
Disagreement Over the Alamo
A disagreement started about how to use the long barracks. Clara Driscoll and others thought it was not part of the original Alamo structure. They wanted to turn it into a park. Clara even offered to tear down the building herself.
Adina De Zavala strongly believed the long barracks was original. She said it was where a major part of the battle happened. In 1908, De Zavala had a stand-off inside the building to protect it. By 1911, Governor Oscar Branch Colquitt ordered the long barracks to be restored. He wanted it to look like it did during the mission days. During the restoration in 1912, workers found old foundations. This proved that De Zavala was right; the building was indeed an original part of the Alamo.
Clara Driscoll continued to help the Alamo. In 1931, she gave another $70,000. This helped the state buy more land around the shrine. In 1933, she stopped city engineers from buying part of the Alamo property. They wanted to widen Houston Street. In 1935, Driscoll convinced the San Antonio Fire Department not to build a new fire station next to the Alamo. As president of the DRT in 1936, she oversaw the 100-year celebration of the shrine.
When Clara died in 1945, her body was placed in the Alamo chapel. Adina died in 1955. Her casket, covered with the Texas flag, was carried past the Alamo one last time.
Recent Years
The DRT did not want the 1969 comedy Viva Max! to be filmed at the Alamo. They asked the San Antonio city council to stop the filming.
In 2009, some disagreements arose within the DRT. These were about how the Alamo was being managed and preserved. This led to some members being removed from the group. In 2011, Texas State Senator Leticia R. Van de Putte proposed a law. This law would increase oversight of the DRT at the Alamo.
After a long process, the new law, HB3726, was passed. Governor Rick Perry signed it. This law ended the DRT's 106-year role as the main caretakers of the Alamo. The new law placed the Alamo under the care of the Texas General Land Office (GLO). The DRT then worked with the GLO for 18 months. Their contract with the state ended in June 2013.
How to Join the DRT
Membership in the DRT is only for women. They must meet these requirements:
- Be at least sixteen years old.
- Be acceptable to the group.
- Prove they are a direct descendant of someone who loyally served Texas before 1846. This was when Texas became part of the United States.
Loyal service can be shown in one of these ways:
- Being part of the "Old Three Hundred" settlers with Stephen Fuller Austin. Or settling with permission from the Spanish, Mexican, or Texas Republic governments.
- Serving in the military for the Spanish, Mexican, or Texas Republic governments during that time.
- Being a loyal citizen of the Republic of Texas before it joined the U.S.
- Receiving land grants from the Provisional Government of the Republic of Texas.
Famous Members
- Lynn Forney Young
See Also
- Sons of the Republic of Texas
