Downtown Austin in Travis County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Governor Elisha Marshall Pease
Photographed By Keith Peterson, September 3, 2007
1. Governor Elisha Marshall Pease Marker
In 1835 E.M. Pease migrated to Texas from his native Connecticut. He joined the Texian forces at the Battle of Gonzales, Oct. 2, 1835, which initiated the Texas War for Independence. In the early days of the Republic, he worked as a government clerk and later served in the Legislature and Senate. He was a prominent lawyer in Brazoria when elected Governor in 1853.
During Gov. Pease’s first two terms in office, 1853-57, a permanent school fund was established and Texas' first free public schools built. Other achievements included increased railroad construction and reduction of taxes and the state debt. Gov. Pease ordered Texas Rangers to the frontier to combat recurring Indian raids. The Pease family became the first to occupy the newly constructed Governor’s Mansion in 1856.
A staunch Unionist, Pease restricted his political activities during the Civil War (1861-65). In 1866 he again ran for Governor but lost to J.W. Throckmorton. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, Federal military commander of Texas, removed Throckmorton in 1867 and appointed Pease provisional Governor to enforce Reconstruction policies. Pease resigned in protest in 1869. At the time of his death, he was an Austin banker.
Married to Lucadia Niles (1813-1905), he had three daughters.
Erected 1977 by
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Settlements & Settlers • War, Texas Independence • War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1835.
Location. 30° 16.343′ N, 97° 44.513′ W. Marker is in Austin, Texas, in Travis County. It is in Downtown Austin. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Congress Avenue and West 11th Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Austin TX 78701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Henry Smith (a few steps from this marker); Governor Edmund Jackson Davis (within shouting distance of this marker); First Classes of the University of Texas Law School (within shouting distance of this marker); Site of Temporary Texas State Capitol of 1880’s (within shouting distance of this marker); Old Bakery (within shouting distance of this marker); African Americans in the Texas Revolution (within shouting distance of this marker); The Woman Suffrage Movement in Texas (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Governor Andrew Jackson Hamilton (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Austin.
Photographed By Michael Heinich, August 24, 2014
2. Governor Elisha Marshall Pease Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 4, 2010, by Keith Peterson of Cedar Park, Texas. This page has been viewed 1,245 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on January 4, 2010, by Keith Peterson of Cedar Park, Texas. 2. submitted on August 24, 2014, by Michael Heinich of Austin, Texas. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
