The Bandwagon: Native Texan

Native Texan

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I suppose my birthday COULD have been worse. Well, I know it could have, but it certainly wasn't good. Misbehaving kids, crummy food and service at a restaurant we've enjoyed before, Borders out of almost all the books I went looking for...let's just hope it's not indicative of the year. I did get pretty roses from the dh, and my grade level bought me lunch and the blouse Cindi bought me matches my Fiesta skirt perfectly.

Last week when we went to see my cousin's baby, we saw my uncle. My uncle is Native Texan, capitalized. He was born here, both his parents were born here, and their parents before and he's proud of it. He knows Texas geography and Texas history. He loves anything symbolizing Texas, like bluebonnets and lone stars (though maybe he's a bit iffy on mesquites and mockingbirds.) He loves the movie The Alamo (with John Wayne, but I'm thinking it's because of it being filmed by Del Rio, where his grandmother lived.) I'm finding myself following in his footsteps. I love teaching Texas history in 4th grade, and I'm itching to go visit some of the places I've been teaching the kids about. I love the new Alamo movie, and love visiting The Alamo and the Institute of Texan Cultures and even the Steves Homestead.

Recently we discovered my great-great-grandmother's line goes back to one of the original 300 families brought to Texas by Stephen F. Austin. Stephen's father, Moses Austin, signed the contract with the Mexican government to bring over 300 families, but died before he could carry it out, so Stephen took over. One of the people who came with him was Count de la Baum, who we can trace to our family. The cool thing is that his will is signed by Erasmo Seguin, the father of Juan Seguin, who was at the Alamo, and Stephen F. Austin himself.

It's getting harder and harder to find Native Texans these days. We have a lot of transplants. In my critique group, I'm the only one, and in SARA, there are just a handful. There are more in my school, but still quite a number of transplants.

What about you? Any interesting history tying you to where you live? Are you native or a transplant?

6 comments:

Marianne Arkins said...: So sorry about your birthday! Look at the bright side, there's no where to go but UP :-)

I'm a transplant to NH. I was born and raised in CA. My dad and mom were born in CA. My mom's dad was from Scotland, and my dad's parents came over from Portugal... so I don't have any interesting American history to be linked to.

Now... British history? Yep...; 7:20 AM
Gina Black said...: I'm a native Californian. My parents were both transplants, although my mom came to CA when she was 13 months old, so that's close.; 9:01 AM
L M Gonzalez said...: Ooooh! I love history, Mary. I think it's so great that you can trace your ancestors to the founders of Austin. I do family history and genealogy, but so far I haven't found that we're connected to anyone famous.

I was born in Texas, my parents were born in Texas and my maternal grandparents were born in Texas. My paternal grandfather was born in Mexico and my grandmother was born in Spain. Both sets of great grandparents came in through Ojinaga, Mexico and Presidio, Texas. They inched on over to Shafter, Texas and worked in the silver mines there, both inside and outside. They eventually left the silver mines and moved to Ft. Stockton, McCamey, Odessa, etc. Some of them moved to New Mexico and California.

I found censuses (?) online, the census of 1890, 1910, 1920 and my ancestors were on the list. I felt chills when I saw that. Before 1890, I'd have to go into Mexican genealogy and so far I haven't found a good way to do that.

Great topic, Mary! I could talk your ear off about this. LOL

Lupe; 5:45 PM
Unknown said...: I'm sorry I'm so late saying Happy Birthday! I wish it had been better. :(

My grandfather claims we can trace our ancestry to the Mullens on the Mayflower, but I never checked it out. Which I guess makes me native Massachusetts-ian (no idea what we are...-ites? -ers?), or at least half, 'cause my mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother were all born in MA. My dad was born in CT, though, and I have no idea about his family. Native New Englander, though, for sure.

Except now I live in Pennsylvania! Half an hour from Gettysburg, at the high water mark of the Confederate Army, but unlike you, I'm heartily sick of hearing about it. LOL; 10:50 PM
Paula said...: I'm an Alabama native, born, bred and never lived anywhere else. My family on both sides goes back several generations in the state, although somewhere in the distant past on my father's side, we came to Alabama from North Carolina.; 12:47 PM
MJFredrick said...: Marianne, no wonder you're so cold! My dad's a CA native transplanted to MN. It's got to be a shock to the system! Cool on the British history ties!

Gina, yep, close enough. Did you always live near LA? My dad's from the Central Coast (Paso Robles).

Lupe, that is SO COOL! Silver mines, huh? And your grandmother from Spain! I didn't know this was an interest for you - how neat!

Thanks, Natalie! The Mayflower, huh? Yeah, I could listen and talk about the Alamo for a long time. The Alamo even has two artifacts donated by my family, a headless statue and what looked like a corn grinder. My poor kids, when we get to that chapter in Social Studies... My son is taking San Antonio history next year with his current English teacher, and my brother is taking it at college. We're big nerds, I guess ;)

PAULA!!! Good to see you!!!! I bet Alabama has great history, too. I'd never been till we went to Atlanta in 2006. What a gorgeous place.; 8:30 AM