Monument Hill Tomb
La Grange, Fayette County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Monument Hill Tomb In September 1848, the remains of Texans killed in the 1842 Dawson Massacre and the 1843 "Black Bean Death Lottery" were reburied at this site in a sandstone vault. The Kreische family did its best to care for the grave during their ownership of the property, but it suffered from lack of formal oversight. In 1905, the state authorized acquisition of .36 acres here, and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas raised funds for a new cover for the tomb in 1933. During the 1936 Texas Centennial celebration, the 48-foot shellstone shaft with a stylized, Art Deco-influenced mural was erected to mark the mass grave more prominently. Local citizens purchased 3.54 acres as a donation to the state for parkland in 1957. (2002)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1848 the remains of Texans killed in the 1842 Dawson Massacre and the 1843 "Black Bean Death Lottery" were gathered and reburied in a sandstone vault on this bluff above the Colorado River. Cared for over the years by the Kreische family and later the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, the grave was finally crowned during the 1936 Texas Centennial by a 48-foot shellstone shaft with an Art Deco mural. Local citizens later donated the surrounding acreage to the state as parkland.
Why it matters
The tomb memorializes Texans who died in the bloody border struggles of the Republic era, and its evolving monuments reflect how later generations chose to honor the sacrifices of their founders.
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Related events
- · Dawson Massacre
- · Black Bean Death Lottery
- · Texas Centennial
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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