Booted from the Alamo, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas kept treasured library

[TexasTowelie]

by Alex Arriaga, Texas Tribune

SAN ANTONIO — When the state fired the Daughters of the Republic of Texas as caretakers of the Alamo in 2015, the women's group fought — and won — the right to keep a piece of the shrine that they considered sacred: an archive collection of 38,000 photographs, artworks, maps and manuscripts prized by Texas historians.

Now, after keeping the archives in storage for a year, the Daughters have settled their library into a new home just as San Antonio prepares to highlight the city's history for its 300th anniversary in 2018. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library — which now lives at the Presidio Gallery in the Bexar County Archives Building downtown — includes everything from a map of the Austin colony hand-drawn by Stephen F. Austin to family documents and architectural blueprints about San Antonio's people and buildings.

“It brings San Antonio back to what it used to be, what it used to look like, how it used to feel, almost what it used to smell like, there’s so much personality,” Barbara Stevens, the organization's president, said. “When you look at the archives, it tells the story of early Texas, which is our mission and goal in life as the Daughters of the Republic of Texas."

To become a member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, women must prove they had ancestors in Texas prior to its annexation by the United States in 1845. Since the founding of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas in 1891, it has grown to include 7,000 members and 106 chapters in Texas and across the country.

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2018/01/01/san-antonio-celebrates-its-300th-anniversary-long-history-told-through/

[pamdb]

1. Daughters

Well I just realized that, since I had an ancestor who moved to Texas in 1824 I supposed I could qualify, but since you couldn't PAY me to live in that state, I guess I'll pass.

[TexasTowelie]

2. No residency requirement,

but I'm sure that they will be happy to review your application after you pay the appropriate application fee.