General Land Office of the State of Texas
Austin, Travis County, Texas
Marker Inscription
1856-1918. Now dedicated by the state to the uses and purposes of the Daughters of the Republic and the Texas Division of the Daughters of the Confederacy. Here O. Henry worked from January, 1887 to January, 1891. Erected by the State of Texas 1936
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The General Land Office served the State of Texas from 1856 to 1918, administering the vast public domain from which the state granted land to settlers, veterans, and railroads. Among its clerks was young William Sydney Porter—the future short-story writer O. Henry—who worked here from 1887 to 1891. The state later dedicated the building to heritage organizations honoring the Republic and the Confederacy.
Why it matters
The Land Office was the engine of Texas settlement, and its walls also sheltered one of America's most beloved storytellers early in his career.
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Related people
- · O. Henry
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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