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Early Republic

Wiley George

Port Lavaca, Calhoun County, Texas

Marker Inscription

(1797-1862) Born in North Carolina, Wiley George enlisted in the Georgia militia at the age of 17, fighting in the War of 1812, He lived in Georgia and Alabama and was married to Nancy Jones (d. 1834) before coming to Texas in 1840. Settling in San Antonio, he engaged in business for some time, eventually marrying Anna McConnell in Victoria in 1845. They moved to Port Lavaca in 1848 to reside in a fine new home while George speculated in horses. He and Anna had one son, W. B. George, born in 1849. When Wiley George died in 1862, his estate was valued at $4,613.50. George is buried in the Port Lavaca Cemetery in an unmarked grave. (1998)

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

Born in North Carolina in 1797, Wiley George enlisted in the Georgia militia at seventeen and fought in the War of 1812. After years in Georgia and Alabama he came to Texas in 1840, settling first in San Antonio and then moving to Port Lavaca in 1848, where he speculated in horses and built a fine home. He died in 1862 and lies in an unmarked grave in the Port Lavaca Cemetery.

Why it matters

George's life traces the westward migration of a War of 1812 veteran into the Gulf Coast settlements of early Texas, a common path for the men who peopled the young state.

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