Built in 1850's by Edw. Burleson, Jr.
San Marcos, Hays County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Built in 1850's by Edw. Burleson, Jr., frontier fighter. Birthplace of A. S. Burleson, member of Woodrow Wilson cabinet. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1965
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Raised in the 1850s by Edward Burleson, Jr., a noted frontier fighter, this San Marcos home later gained fame as the birthplace of Albert Sidney Burleson, who served in President Woodrow Wilson's cabinet as Postmaster General. The house thus bridges two eras—the rough frontier of early statehood and the national politics of the Progressive age. It was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1965.
Why it matters
One dwelling connects the frontier defense of early Texas to a Texan's rise into the highest circles of federal power in the twentieth century.
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Related people
- · Edward Burleson, Jr.
- · Albert Sidney Burleson
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Burleson Home
San Marcos, TX
This restored log house honors Gen. Edward Burleson (1793–1851), an officer in the Texas War for Independence, a leader in frontier defense, vice president of the Republic of Texas, and a state legislator. The original dwelling, built in 1848 of hewn elm and oak with a rock chimney, had fallen into ruin by 1917 before being rebuilt in 1964 using the old chimney stones and period logs. It stands for the generation that fought to establish and defend the young Republic.
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In December 1838 the Republic of Texas Congress ordered a chain of military roads and forts from the Red River to the Nueces, and a road from Austin joining the old Camino Real near St. Mark's Springs was meant to speed communication between San Antonio and the capital. Adjutant General Hugh McLeod laid out Post San Marcos to guard the route, and Captain Joseph Wiehl's company completed both road and fort in 1840. When the Republic disbanded its army in 1841 for lack of funds, the post closed.
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