Isom Palmer
Bryan, Brazos County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Isom Palmer, whose name has various spellings, was born to Martin and Sarah (Hardwick) Parmer. In 1825, the Palmer (Parmer) family moved to Texas, settling near Nacogdoches the next year, and participated in the 1826 Fredonian Rebellion. Palmer fought under Capt. John M. Bradley during the Siege of Bexar in late 1835. He then served as sergeant-at-arms at the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence at Washington-on-the-Brazos. He later wed Laura E. Dougherty and moved to Brazos County in the early 1870s. Recorded - 2006
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Isom Palmer — a son of the frontier firebrand Martin 'Ringtail Panther' Parmer — came to Texas with his family in 1825 and took part in the 1826 Fredonian Rebellion near Nacogdoches. He fought under Capt. John M. Bradley at the Siege of Bexar in 1835 and served as sergeant-at-arms at the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence, later settling in Brazos County in the early 1870s.
Why it matters
Palmer's life threads through the pivotal events of the Texas Revolution, from early Anglo unrest to the founding act of Texas independence.
Own a business near here? Add it to the map.
Related people
- · Isom Palmer
- · Martin Parmer
- · John M. Bradley
Related events
- · Fredonian Rebellion
- · Siege of Bexar
- · Signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Robert Henry
Bryan, TX
Born in Ireland in 1801, Robert Henry came to America in 1820 and to Robertson's Colony in Texas in 1832. In the 1836 war for independence he served with the 2nd Regiment of Texas Volunteer Infantry and was among the victors at San Jacinto. A staunch Presbyterian who prized his faith and a prominent figure in public life, he held a justice-of-the-peace court in the shade of trees and raised thirteen children whose descendants became noted Texans.
Fort Tenoxtitlan
Caldwell, TX
In July 1830 the Mexican government established Fort Tenoxtitlan near here, naming it for the Aztec capital in a bid to halt the flood of Anglo-American settlers pouring into Texas. The plan failed: troops abandoned the post by 1832, and a town nevertheless sprang up after 1834 that drew many prominent early Texans. Like many frontier settlements, it faded from the map, gone by 1860.
Fort Oldham
Cooks Point, TX
Fort Oldham was raised in 1836–37 by pioneers who sheltered with William Oldham, an infantry major in the Texas War for Independence. In seasons of Native raids dozens lived within its walls, and by 1838 it had a post office and stood on the Independence–Tenoxtitlan Road; Oldham himself later rode with the Somervell and Mier Expeditions, was captured by Mexican forces, and escaped to make his way home.
Fort Tenoxtitlan
Caldwell, TX
Founded by Mexico in 1830 as a bulwark against Anglo-American immigration, Fort Tenoxtitlan took the ancient Aztec name for Mexico City, meaning "prickly pear place," and its commandant even dreamed of it becoming Texas's capital. The plan backfired as Mexican soldiers and Anglo pioneers became friends and the empresario Sterling C. Robertson funneled in settlers. After troops withdrew in 1832 the site passed to the Anglos, and among its residents were five signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence, an Alamo martyr, and seven veterans of San Jacinto before it was abandoned amid Indian raids in 1841.