Remembering the Alamo

Photo courtesy of  Brian Porter

My traveling companion to Austin last week was Brian Porter from the Star Group newspapers.  In advance of our trip he asked if I would mind going to the Texas State Library to view the "Travis letter" from the Alamo.  Honestly, it was the first I'd ever heard of it, but is sounded cool so I agreed.  Brian is a lifelong Texas history enthusiast so he was excited and contacted the library's communications officer, Derick Hackett in advance of our arrival.  A tour of the library was scheduled and it turned out to be a fantastic experience.

Upon arrival Mr. Hackett informed us that we'd meet John Anderson, the library's preservation officer, for our tour which would take about 15 minutes.  An hour and a half later we finally finished what turned out to be a real highlight of the trip.  Mr. Hackett's and Mr. Anderson's passion for what they do was evident and certainly contributed to the enjoyment of the tour.

William Travis' letter from the Alamo affected me much more than I expected.  It was literally hair raising to take in.  Anyone with basic Texas history knowledge knows the battle of the Alamo, the tragic end and the rallying cry that came afterward.  It wasn't until I saw in a man's own handwriting the request for assistance just days before the end of his life at the hand of Santa Anna's army that I really was able to grasp the enormity of the situation and the bravery of those in his midst.

In the course of our tour we were privileged to view areas the public never gets to see from the conservation room to the stacks of archives in their climate and light controlled environment.  As a member of the Joshua library board of directors I specifically enjoyed discussing the programs the state library has to assist us and efforts we should take to preserve our local history especially through archiving our local Joshua Star newspaper.

It was a great finish to a morning at the Capitol participating in the government that came at the price of blood and treasure provided by the likes of William Travis and those who believed in Texas and the freedom we enjoy today.

A.J.