Washington County Historical Commission, Texas

06/11/2026

Another great history event that you dont want to miss so mark your calendars!!!! Texas 10 Historical Explorers Texas Historical Commission Washington County Genealogical Society of Texas

06/04/2026

Note: The WCHC meeting place is moved to another location; 1115 Old Independence Road in Brenham. We hope to see you there!

06/03/2026

05/06/2026

The Washington County Historical Commission is proud to present a program entitled, “Survivors of the Alamo” on May 17 at 3 PM in the Barnhill Center, 111 W. Main St, Brenham and May 26th at 6 PM in the Chappell Hill Historical Society Museum, 9220 Poplar St, Chappell Hill. In this program, actors in period costume portray four survivors of the 1836 Alamo battle in San Antonio and tell in their own words what they experienced during that battle. The survivors were Susanna Dickinson, wife of one of the Alamo defenders; Joe, William B. Travis’s servant; Enrique Esparza, son of one of the Alamo defenders; and Jose de la Pena, a Mexican Army officer who was part of Santa Anna’s attacking force. We look forward to seeing you there!

05/01/2026

Mother Nature does not always cooperate and adjustments are made when needed. Scheduled cemetery celebrations slated for May 2nd will be postponed to May 16th for the newest Washington County Historic Texas Cemeteries, Fisher Cemetery and Good Hope Cemetery. Please join the Washington County Genealogical Society on the rescheduled date, May 16, 2026 at the times originally scheduled; Good Hope Cemetery at 11:00am and Fisher Cemetery at 1:00pm.

04/27/2026

A second Historic Texas Cemetery designation will be celebrated on Saturday, May 2nd, recognizing another site that reflects the heritage and families of Washington County. The ceremony for Fisher Cemetery, located at 1525 FM 390 E near Gay Hill, will begin at 1:00 PM. The Washington County Genealogical Society invites the community to join in to honor the families and history preserved at this site.

04/27/2026

The Washington County Genealogical Society is hosting two Historic Texas Cemetery celebrations on Saturday, May 2nd, and everyone who loves our local history is invited to join in. These designations honor the families, communities, and stories that shaped our county. The first celebration will be held at Good Hope Cemetery, 14555 William Penn Road, Washington, at 11:00 AM.

04/27/2026

An update on this important event!

The rescheduled date for the Matthew Gaines Marker Dedication is coming up next weekend!!!! Please share with everyone so that we can have an amazing turnout for this event! It is a huge accomplishment for our local history and its preservation! Texas 10 Historical Explorers Burton Heritage Society located in historical Burton Railroad Depot Washington County Historical Commission, Texas History Speaks in Brenham & Washington County Washington County Juneteenth Association Burton Chamber of Commerce Buffalo Soldiers Program- Texas Parks and Wildlife

04/19/2026

Posted by Michael Quinn Sullivan on the Texas Scorecard (https://texasscorecard.com/podcasts/achieving-our-independence/), 16 April 2026:

"It was 18 minutes that changed the Western Hemisphere. It was 18 minutes that, in ways unimaginable in 1836, redirected world history. On April 21, 1836, the independence so hastily declared eight weeks earlier was decisively achieved at the Battle of San Jacinto.

It might not have been. The cause of Texas’ independence was, at best, shaky.

There were those who wanted to continue fleeing the massive Mexican army in search of a better battlefield. Others hoped to decamp ignobly into Louisiana and leave Texas behind. Some even wanted to sue for peace with the hope that the butcher of the Alamo and Goliad would show mercy.

They feared what they saw: a sorely outnumbered, rag-tag band of Texians going head-to-head against the better-gunned and professionally trained Mexican Army under the command of the self-styled “Napoleon of the West,” Antonio López de Santa Anna, Mexico’s president.

Yet on the fields of San Jacinto, the Texas militia demonstrated a bold, courageous commitment to their cause by exhibiting a shrewd willingness to exploit Santa Anna’s arrogance.

It was a high-stakes gambit, with only two possible outcomes. Independence would be secured through victory, or Texas would be lost in a disastrous defeat. There would be no draw.

So in broad daylight, with Sam Houston himself leading the infantry, the Texians charged on the napping Mexican army. Before firing their first shots and charging on the Mexican position, the afternoon silence was broken by men shouting “Remember the Alamo!” and “Remember Goliad!”

To simply note that the battle lasted 18 minutes doesn’t do justice to the scale of the victory. Nearly 700 Mexican soldiers were killed and another 200 were wounded. When it was over, some 700 were taken prisoner—including Santa Anna himself. In contrast, the Texians lost just nine men and saw only 30 wounded.

What was true in 1836 is true today: freedom doesn’t come in timid nibbles, but through bold actions. Never in history has liberty been expanded through a gradual series of small steps; no, that’s how tyrannies take hold.

Liberty is born from boldness. When people decide they are willing to lose everything rather than live as serfs, that is when tyrants quiver and fall.

Sam Houston and the militia at San Jacinto knew their odds and took bold action. For the Lone Star State to shine even brighter in the years ahead, we must continually re-commit to doing likewise."

04/19/2026

The Dr. Wilfred Dietrich Speaker Series continues Thursday, April 30th with another program hosted by the Brenham Heritage Museum. Make your plans to attend today...