Grimes County Historical Commission Issue 9 Volume 2 September 2016 Meetings of the Grimes County Historical Commission are held on the Second Monday of the Month at 7:00 pm in the Courthouse Annex in Anderson, Texas For more information call 936-873-4422 Email: [email protected] Grimes County Historical Commission Executive Board Photo of the Month Chairman Vacant Vice Chairman Joe King Fultz Secretary Vanessa Burzynski Treasurer Joe King Fultz COMMITTEES Historical Markers Denise Upchurch Heritage Preservation Sarah Nash Newsletter & Publicity Vanessa Burzynski GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2016 PAGE 2 The Eagle (Bryan, Texas) 1 Mar 1930 Complete Program for Unveiling of La Salle Monument at Navasota is Issued; Many Abilene Reporter News (Abilene, Texas) 2 Bryanites to Attend Mar 1930 The Texas Society of Daughters of the Mrs. O. E. Baker Principal Speaker at American Revolution, Robert Raines Unveiling of Statue of La Salle Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution and the citizens of Navasota Mrs. O. E. Baker, state historian for the have issued invitations to members of Wm. Daughters of the American Revolution and Scott Chapter D.A.R., the Chamber of professor of Latin in Simmons University Commerce and members of other civic will leave here Wednesday for Navasota groups in Bryan to attend the unveiling and where she will deliver the main address at dedication of a monument placed on the the unveiling of a statue of La Salle, early Esplanade opposite the public school Texas explorer, which is to be dedicated by building at Navasota, through the efforts of that organization, Thursday, March 6. the D.A.R. chapters of Texas and The State D.A.R. cooperating with the civic interested citizens of that city as a clubs of Navasota, and the chamber of memorial to Rene Robert Cavelier Sieur De commerce, is honoring the explorer with a La Salle, the French explorer who died in giant equestrian statue, states Mrs. Baker. the vicinity of Navasota. The statue, according to Mrs. Baker, is Official guests for the day will be being placed at Navasota because, as near entertained at a luncheon at the home of as it can be learned, that town is near the Senator and Mrs. H. L. Lewis, with the spot where La Salle died, as he was Navasota Civic Club acting as hostess assassinated by one of his men. body. “La Salle brought the attention of all At 1:30 pm the public ceremony of Europe to Texas” said Mrs. Baker, “and we dedication will be held on the Explanade, felt that it was time he was honored by this with Mrs. James T. Rountree of Paris, state state and section.” regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution presiding. At 4 o’clock pm there will be a tea at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J. N. Baylor with Robert Raines Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution acting as the hostess camp. Dedication of the La Salle statue on Washington Ave. in Navasota in 1930. GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2016 PAGE 3 The Llano News (Llano, Texas) 6 Mar 1930 La Salle Memorial will be unveiled in Navasota Today Mr. Frank Teich and Mr. and Mrs. Linden Foster left yesterday for Navasota, where they will attend the unveiling of the La Salle memorial today, and where Mr. Teich will be the honored guest of the occasion. This costly memorial, purchased by the Texas Daughters of the American Revolution was designed and carved by Mr. Teich, one of America’s foremost sculptors in his studio at the Teich Monument Works here. Mr. Teich spent much time on this memorial which was seen by many people before it left the Teich plant and was pronounced as one of the outstanding memorials of the State. Some time ago it was shipped from Llano to Navasota where it was erected on the site near the place where this noted The Llano News (Llano, Texas) 12 Jun 1930 French explorer meet his death at the Frank Teich Receives Bronze Medal in hands of one of his own men in 1687. Recognition of Work The memorial fund was financed by the Tuesday, Mr. Frank Teich received a Daughters of the American Revolution and beautiful bronze medal from the La Salle the business men of the town of Navasota. Memorial Committee of Navasota. One It is a figure of some seven feet in height side of the medal carried a likeness of the and is mounted on a Llano granite base of famous memorial of LaSalle, which Mr. some six inches higher than the monument Teich recently carved and erected in that proper. city. On the reverse is the inscription, “To After executing this work in plaster parts, Mr. Frank Teich from the LaSalle Memorial Mr. Teich sent it to New York where the Committee for his skill and interest.” Mr. bronze memorial was cast from the original Teich has carved some of the finest work done here. memorials in America and this is one of his best pieces of work which places him in the Navasota and surrounding towns have very front with the sculptors of our been busy for some time making country. No man has done more in bringing preparations for this occasion, when many Llano before the eyes of the world than has of the most prominent people of the State Mr. Teich, because his work is recognized will be present to take part in the program. all over the land as being superior to most of the artists in his profession. GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2016 PAGE 4 seven others were killed in an uprising of La Salle his own men. Back at Matagorda Bay, the Robert Cavalier, Sieur de La Salle, was remaining colonists also fared poorly; born in Rouen, France in 1643. As a young except for a few children, they were man, La Salle planned to enter the massacred by the Karankawa Indians in priesthood, but found himself unsuited to December 1688. the life. At the age of 24, he followed his brother to Canada, where he entered the fur trade. La Salle was soon captivated by the opportunities available in the largely unexplored lands of North America. In 1669, he launched his first expedition, discovering the Ohio River. Over the next several years, he combined exploration with his business ventures. In 1682, he descended the Mississippi and claimed for France all of the lands that were drained by the river, a vast territory that he named “Louisiana” after the French King Louis XIV. In 1683, Robert La Salle obtained royal support for a venture to travel to the mouth of the Mississippi through the Gulf of Mexico and establish a colony for France. From this base, France would be able to strike at Spanish Mexico, harass Spanish shipping, and block English-American expansion in North America. La Salle’s La Salle’s activities had far-reaching fleet of four ships and 280 men and consequences for the future of Texas. colonists was plagued with problems from Spain increased its own exploration of the the start, culminating with the failure to Texas coast and advanced the timetable find the mouth of the Mississippi, landing for its own occupation in order to stave off instead at Matagorda Bay in present-day French claims. As for France, it continued Texas on February 20, 1685. One of his to claim Texas, a claim that was ships had already been seized by Spanish transferred to the United States after the pirates; by the end of 1686, a second ship Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and remained had been lost, and a third taken back to a sore point until the boundaries were France with some disenchanted colonists. settled by treaty in 1819. In late winter 1686, the last remaining ship, One of La Salle’s men, Nicolas de La Salle the Belle, was wrecked by a squall. (no relation), kept a journal of this In spite of the severe setbacks, La Salle expedition. He recorded a detailed daily accomplished a great deal of exploration. It chronology, as well as priceless is believed that he explored the Rio Grande information about the Indian cultures that as far west as the Pecos River near the the party encountered. He completed this present-day town of Langtry. On March 19, journal in 1685 after returning to France, 1687, while on a march to try to find the but the whereabouts of the original Mississippi and resume the original manuscript are unknown. Only two copies mission of the expedition, La Salle and are known to exist, one at the Newberry GRIMES COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2016 PAGE 5 Library in Chicago and the other recently discovered at the Texas State Library and Archives. The provenance of this document is uncertain, but it is believed to have been acquired by the Archives sometime in the late nineteenth century. For more information and the English translation of this remarkable document, see William C. Foster's La Salle Expedition on the Mississippi River: A Lost Manuscript of Nicolas de La Salle. In addition to literature, public monuments at various places in the United States have registered the shifts in public perception of La Salle. A plaque erected on the site of Fort Niagara by the state of New York in 1934 refers to La Salle as "Author of Great Beginnings" and a "Dreamer of Dreams," two titles which place La Salle firmly in the context of American history. The "Great Beginnings" clearly do not refer to the beginnings of, say, the province of Quebec, Statue of La Salle in Chicago, Illinois but of the United States of America.