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The Archive War historical marker Texas Austin display Historical Site marker sign attraction education information landmark Place of Interest Tourist Destination Travel Destination capital historic marker historic site National Archives Sam Houston signage Travis County Washington-on-the-Brazos attractive destination educating info tourist attraction United States history no people text appealing tourism travel United States of America historic nobody word attract daytime displays historical markers markers signs South color image historical landmarks outdoor vertical appeal capitals day educate historic markers historic sites colour image destinations Jason O. Watson / historical-markers.org outside tourist attractions day time TX day-time US words color images daylight outdoors USA verticals colour images natural light outsides U.S. U.S.A. sign with text |
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THE ARCHIVE WAR
In 1839 Austin became the Capital of the Republic of Texas. The National Archives Ð state papers and land titles Ð were housed on Congress Avenue. In 1842, after Mexican armies seized San Antonio and seemed likely to capture Austin, many residents fled in what was called ÒThe BreakupÓ. From his home in Galveston, President Sam Houston ordered removal of the government papers. A local ÒArchive CommitteeÓ responded by burying them. The President then tried unsuccessfully to have Congress create a new Capital near the coast. Later his men came secretly to haul the papers to the interim Capital, Washington-on-the-Brazos. Loading them before dawn on Dec. 30, 1842.
Mrs. Angelina Eberly, a noted innkeeper and one of the few women in Austin during The Breakup, found the men loading the archives in darkness. Running to the city cannon on Congress Avenue at Pecan (6th) Street, she fired at the wagons. The 26 men departed with the records. About 68 citizens rode after them, hauling along the city cannon. Some 20 miles from Austin they retrieved the archives without bloodshed.
Because the archives remained here, the President and the Congress returned in 1845, preserving Austin as the Capital of the Republic and (later) the state. |