Free Republic

Carter, a DRT member, ran the shrine's $5.2-million budget and 86 employees. The daughters aren't behaving very sisterly. Custodian of the Alamo for 99 years, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas is a group of women whose politics can be as contentious as the 1836 battle that led to the fall of the Shrine of Texas Liberty. Last week, it unceremoniously fired one of its most active and visible volunteers. Kathleen Carter, the DRT's face at the Alamo since May 2001, was relieved of her position as chairwoman of the Alamo Committee on Friday after a meeting of the...

A southern Texas sheriff is warning the public that unidentified armed men dressed in military fatigues have been spotted on numerous occasions in his county near the border with Mexico. For the "country's safety," Sheriff Erasmo Alarcon Jr., of Jim Hogg County, published a letter in a local newspaper to alert citizens of reports he has received for some years from ranchers who have spotted the unknown troops, equipped with "professional backpacks" and walking together in a military cadence. The latest sightings were just a few weeks ago, and the letter has prompted further reports since it was published last...

Michael Stravato for The New York Times In 1857, Mexican-American freight haulers were hanged on an oak tree at the courthouse in Goliad, Tex. GOLIAD, Tex., July 16 — In history books, the killing of more than 300 Texan rebels by Mexican troops here has long been known as the Goliad Massacre. But to many residents of Goliad, with its 18th-century Spanish fort and towering monument to the dead, that brutal episode in its history is still open to interpretation. At the heart of the dispute, largely between Anglos and Mexican-Americans, is the porous definition of who is a Texan...

Blackout postmortems have noted that America's electricity system consists of just three regions—the Eastern Interconnection, the Western Interconnection, and the Texas Interconnection. Why does the Lone Star State have its own power grid? Partly because of a historical desire for self-sufficiency and partly because of that famous "Don't Mess With Texas!" attitude. The majority of the state's residents live within the region regulated by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, an "island" that generates and supplies all its own electricity—unlike, say, New York City or Detroit, whose residents found out the hard way that lots of their power comes from...

SHANKLEVILLE -- While tracing their ancestry back hundreds of years, Larutha M. Odom Clay and her daughter, Lareatha H. Clay, discovered that their family's roots extended deep into Texas history. The mother and daughter have made some history of their own, recently becoming the first blacks to be inducted into a 112-year-old organization known as the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. "It's nice to be the first, but we don't want to be the only ones," said Lareatha, 45, a management consultant, adding that she wants "other blacks to start researching their history." To become a member of this...

Daughters of Republic of Texas accept first black member By The Associated Press (6/02/03 - AUSTIN) — After more than a century of existence, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas has admitted its first black member. Lareatha Clay, a Dallas businesswoman, was recently accepted by the lineage-based society, which operates the Alamo and several other historic sites in the state. Clay, who is also a commissioner of the Texas Historical Commission, has asked that her mother also be accepted by the DRT. According to the historical commission, Clay and another commissioner learned during a visit to the Alamo...

A priceless relic of Victoria's history, the Plains rifle once carried by Juan Linn, the city's last Mexican-rule alcalde and first Republic of Texas-era mayor, has been found, restored and will soon be put on public display. Gary Dunnam, Victoria County's heritage director, gave those attending Monday morning's meeting of county commissioners court the first public peek at the restored muzzleloader. "This is Juan Linn's rifle," Dunnam said as he pulled the long, iron-barreled antique from a modern-day camo-print case and handed it to the commissioners for their inspection. "It is a significant artifact which reminds us of one of...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... . U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. . . Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family...