Site of the home of Elisha Roberts
San Augustine, San Augustine County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(1785-1844) Early influential citizen * Important figure in the Fredonian Rebellion * Alcalde of San Augustine in 1831 * A haven of hospitality to travelers Erected by the State of Texas 1936
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Elisha Roberts (1785β1844) was an early and influential citizen of San Augustine, serving as alcalde in 1831 and playing an important role in the Fredonian Rebellion, an early revolt against Mexican authority in Texas. His home was known as a haven of hospitality to travelers passing along the eastern gateway into Texas. The State of Texas marked the site of his home in 1936, the centennial of Texas independence.
Why it matters
Roberts represents the Anglo settlers of East Texas whose early friction with Mexican rule foreshadowed the Texas Revolution.
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Related people
- Β· Elisha Roberts
Related events
- Β· Fredonian Rebellion
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Site of the Battle of Fredonia
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In 1826, colonizer Hayden Edwards defied Mexican expulsion orders, declared the Republic of Fredonia, and raised a flag of "Independence, Liberty and Justice." When settlers along the Ayish Bayou refused to join him, he ordered them banished β and on January 21, 1827, a small force of Anglo settlers and sixty Native American allies seized the Fredonian fort here without firing a shot, capturing 200 men. News of the rout sent Edwards fleeing to the United States, collapsing the rebellion.
Chapel Hill Cemetery
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The Thompson Family
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Dr. Samuel Thompson and his wife Precious, with their grown sons, were among the earliest Anglo settlers of the San Augustine area, and Samuel served as alcalde before helping organize local churches and schools. Their sons stood at the center of Texas's founding drama: eldest son Burrell came with Stephen F. Austin's colonists in 1821 and joined the Fredonian Rebellion; others fought in the Texas Revolution, sat in the Convention of 1833, and served in the Republic of Texas Congress. One brother was murdered by horse thieves, another rode with a Ranger company, in the rough world of the frontier borderlands.
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