Dawson County
Lamesa, Dawson County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Created February 1, 1858. Recreated August 21, 1876 from Bexar Territory. Organized February 13, 1905. Named in honor of Nicholas Mosby Dawson 1808-1842 who fought at the Battle of San Jacinto and fell at Dawson's Massacre. Lamesa, County Seat
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Dawson County honors Nicholas Mosby Dawson, a Texas patriot who fought at the decisive Battle of San Jacinto in 1836 and later fell in the 1842 clash known as Dawson's Massacre during the turbulent years of the Republic of Texas. The county was created in 1858, recreated in 1876 from Bexar Territory, and finally organized in 1905, with Lamesa as its seat. Its name carries the memory of the sacrifices that won and defended Texas independence.
Why it matters
Naming a West Texas county for a fallen soldier of the Texas Revolution wove the young republic's founding struggle into the map of the settled frontier.
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Related people
- · Nicholas Mosby Dawson
Related events
- · Battle of San Jacinto
- · Dawson's Massacre
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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