Hallettsville in Lavaca County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Andrew Kent
Photographed by Dave W, February 14, 2026
1. Andrew Kent Marker
Andrew Kent was born c. 1791 in Kentucky, to Isaac Kent; his mother's name is unknown. On April 30, 1816, he wed Elizabeth Zumwalt, a Missouri native born in April 1798. Andrew worked as a carpenter, and he and Elizabeth had 10 children. While living in Missouri, they met Green DeWitt. In 1825, DeWitt received a grant to settle new families in Texas, and five related families of Kents, Zumwalts, and Burkets traveled together, reaching Texas in June 1830. Andrew Kent received a league of land on the eastern border of DeWitt's Colony, on the west bank of the Lavaca River about 10 miles south of present Hallettsville. On this site, Andrew farmed, ranched, and did carpenter work, and from here he traveled to Gonzales and to Lavaca Bay to trade and purchase supplies.
On July 17, 1835, settlers of the Lavaca and Navidad River valleys met to discuss their dissent against Mexico's autocratic leader, Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna. In October of that year, Andrew Kent and his son David participated in the Battle of Gonzales. The following February, Andrew and David argued over who would go with others from the area in response to a plea for help from the defenders of the Alamo. Andrew sent his son home and proceeded to San Antonio with "The Immortal 32" and was among those killed at the Alamo. Kent County was later named in his honor.
Kent's widow and children struggled, as did many others, to overcome the hardship of loss and the destruction of their property during the Texas Revolution. David and brother Bosman later served in the Mexican and Civil wars. Their father's life as a Texas patriot, and the stories of their own lives and those of their siblings, friends and neighbors demonstrate the courage and tenacious spirit brought to Texas by its pioneer settlers.
Erected 2006 by Texas Historical Commission.
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Settlements & Settlers • War, Texas Independence. A significant historical year for this entry is 1791.
Location. 29° 18.28′ N, 96° 55.225′ W. Marker is in Hallettsville, Texas, in Lavaca County. It is on County Road 1 east of County Road 455, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10125 Co Rd 1, Hallettsville TX 77964, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American South and on the Gulf Coast. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Ezzell School (approx. 2.1 miles away); William E. Summers (approx. 2.1 miles away); John Himes Livergood (approx. 4.7 miles away); Hope Baptist Church (approx. 7.7 miles
Photographed by Dave W, February 14, 2026
2. Andrew Kent Marker
Looking northwest along Co Rd 1.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 15, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 15, 2026, by Dave W of Co, Colorado. This page has been viewed 62 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 15, 2026, by Dave W of Co, Colorado. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
