Milam County Museum To Celebrate Texas Independence Day

With Kyle Schiller Barrett, Milam County Historical Museum Director 

The Milam County Historical Museum will be welcoming everyone to a 188th Birthday Party for Texas! On Saturday March 2, the staff and volunteers of our county museum will be honoring Texas Independence Day from 10:00AM to 3:00PM with museum tours and refreshments. Highlighting this event throughout the day will be a living historian presentation. Jon Moerbe will be dressed as a member of the Texian Army that fought in the Texas Revolution for Independence in 1835-36. He will also have equipment and weaponry from the Revolutionary Era on display. 

Moerbe, a resident of Thorndale, is a professional reenactor who portrays historical figures in period clothing from the bygone day of the Texas Revolution and the American Civil War. He has traveled extensively over much of the state and nation as a living historian. He has even been in reenactments at The Alamo in San Antonio. At the famous Cradle of Texas Liberty, Moerbe transforms himself into one of the Texian defenders who so bravely die at the fall of the Alamo, March 6, 1836. This patriotic display and living history event is a must see at the Milam County Museum’s 188 birthday celebration for Texas Independence Day.  

All Milam County citizens and students are encouraged to attend this celebration of Texas History. This can truly be a learning experience for all, as we will focus on the historic day Texas declared itself a free Republic. Remembering that it was on a cold day, March 2, 1836, that fifty-nine delegates met at Washington-on-the-Brazos to sign the Texas Declaration of Independence. Unhappy with the treatment they had received under the rule of the dictator General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, the leaders of the Mexican province known as Tejas revolted. Battles were being fought and Texians were fleeing their land, when the men at the Convention of 1836 decided to declare Texas an Independent Republic.

Representing the people of Milam County at Washington-on-the-Brazos were Sterling C. Robertson and George C. Childress. Other notable Texans attending the convention were Sam Houston, Richard Ellis, Jose Francisco Ruiz, Jose Antonio Navarro, Thomas J. Rusk, Jesse Grimes, Samuel A. Maverick, and Lorenzo de Zavala, just to name a few.

Painting of Ben Milam, on display at the Milam County Historical Museum

Of course, noticeably absent from this list is our own rebellious Texas Hero, Ben Milam. Our county’s namesake had already valiantly given his life in pursuit Texan Independence at the Siege of Bexar or the Battle of San Antonio in December of 1835.

At The Alamo, Goliad, and San Jacinto, many other brave Texas Revolutionary Heroes also gave their lives to free Texas from tyrannical rule; therefore, this is why we plan to recognize Texas Independence Day this Saturday, March 2, at the Milam County Historical Museum.  

Every week, Thursday through Saturday, the Milam County Historical Museum is open to the public. It houses many historical artifacts, displays historical documents, and photographs that preserve the rich history of one of Texas’ oldest counties. In one location you can view arrowheads from the Native American Tribes that once lived in Central Texas alongside pottery fragments left behind by Spanish Missionaries.

You can see letters written by Civil War soldiers or those penned by Republic of Texas President Sam Houston. There is the opportunity to study the quilts made by the many Czech families of Milam County and view the photographs from Cameron’s O. J. Thomas School which are currently on display for Black History Month. Several of the county’s towns and communities such as Cameron, Rockdale, Thorndale, Milano, and Buckholts are featured in displays in the museum. There are photographs and artifacts from each of these locations and many others that give the museum visitor a condensed version of Milam County’s historic past. 

Recently the museum has been featuring the works of local artists. Displays of bronze western art sculptures, landscape and portrait paintings, hand-made pottery, and needlecrafts can all be seen free of charge at the Milam County Museum. Also, within the main museum, visitors will find a gift shop full of Milam County and Texas treasures. Volunteers will be happy to help you select one of the many historic books or unique souvenirs available for purchase in the museum’s gift shop. 

Join us in downtown Cameron this Saturday at one of our three local museums. The Milam County Historical Museum located at 112 W. First Street, the Milam County Railroad Museum and Old Town Cameron at 110 W. First Street, and the 1895 Milam County Jail Museum at 201 E. Main Street across Fannin Street from the historic 1892 Milam County Courthouse. The old jail museum also features the Milam County Transportation Exhibit Building and the Sneed Family’s pioneer log cabin from the early days of Texas. There is no better way to spend Texas Independence Day than exploring the history of the Great State of Texas and matchless Milam County.