The Catholic church in Ames owes its establishment to natives of New Iberia, Louisiana. Several prominent families including the Wickliffs, Trahans and Cormiers purchased farmland in the area. Attending the church in Liberty was difficult because of . . . — — Map (db m206571) HM
May 16, 1917
April 16, 1991
Reverse Side
This Monument Was Erected in Dedication to All Women Who Served Their Country in All Wars. May 27, 1991 — — Map (db m206661) WM
Burton B. Tarkington (1790-1861) and his wife Sarah Berry Tarkington migrated with their family from Indiana in the mid-1820s to the Mexican state of Coahuila. They settled west of the Trinity River in present northwest Liberty County, and began . . . — — Map (db m179151) HM
The town of Cleveland traces its beginnings to 1878, when local attorney and politician Charles Lander Cleveland (1824-1892) deeded land to the Houston East and West Texas Railroad stipulating the building of a railway depot and the establishment of . . . — — Map (db m206624) HM
Daniel Donahoe Original Homestead
Granted by Rep. Of Mexico 1835
Bill Daniel, Director General
W.D. Partlow, Chairman
Historical Marker Committee — — Map (db m206590) HM
In 1912, the charter for First National Bank of Cleveland was granted by the U.S. Treasury Department making it the oldest national bank in Liberty County. Property at 127 North San Jacinto Street was purchased in 1913 and the original bank building . . . — — Map (db m206620) HM
In 1919, the Eagle Point Oil Company sold land which became the Louise Hardie Cleveland subdivision, a residential neighborhood north of the main commercial district of Cleveland. Hill and Sara McClanahan moved into this home in 1923. All three . . . — — Map (db m206604) HM
Korean Conflict
June 27, 1950
Jan. 15, 1955
Reverse Side
Korean Conflict
1950-1955
The United States, Under the Peace-Keeping Flag of the United Nations, Went to the Aid of South Korea Which Had Been Invaded by . . . — — Map (db m206658) WM
The formation of this fellowship developed from an 1857 meeting in a log schoolhouse (0.5 miles south). Conducted by two missionaries of the Union Baptist Association, David Fisher and B.L. Wright, it showed a need for the establishment of a church . . . — — Map (db m206572) HM
Center section built about 1875 by D. W. Proctor & Company; later operated by L. L. Wells.
This structure and earlier one on same site each served as general mercantile store. This building was center for visits and exchange of local news at . . . — — Map (db m179154) HM
At least 14 charter members founded this church in the Tarkington's Prairie community about 1870. Land was deeded in 1878 for a combination Baptist church and Masonic Hall structure. That year a two-story building was erected, with the second . . . — — Map (db m179184) HM
In 1939, Long Amusement Company, operators of the Cleveland Theater since 1933, purchased property on Houston Street to build a more modern theater. Theater officials Glen McClain and John G. Long contracted with W. C. Lindley to complete the . . . — — Map (db m206628) HM
Burton B. Tarkington brought his family from Indiana to present Liberty County in the 1820s. The vast prairie he settled came to be known for him, and it accommodated a number of dispersed agricultural communities over the years. Many of the . . . — — Map (db m179188) HM
Completed in 1923, this house was owned by Thomas Coleman Hill (1883-1976) and his wife, Aileene. Tom Hill was a well-respected leader in Cleveland and owned a general store and insurance agency. He also served three terms on the city council, as . . . — — Map (db m206630) HM
Vietnam Veterans They Gave Their All
To Answer the Call
Reverse Side
Dedicated to Honor Vietnam Veterans By City of Cleveland, Texas, March 14, 1987
Mayor Ronnie McWaters
Billy Thomas, Councilman
Richard Boyett, . . . — — Map (db m206667) WM
World War I
May 16, 1917
July 1, 1921
Reverse Side
World War I
1917 - 1921
Americans Fought to Insure the Rights and Liberties of Small Nations, to Bring Peace and Safety to All Nations and to Make the World Safe for . . . — — Map (db m206664) WM
World War II
Dec. 7, 1941
Dec. 31, 1946
Reverse Side
World War II
1941 - 1946
America Is Free Because of the Courage, Sacrifices and Lives of Our Men and Women Who Fought and Died ..... From the Atlantic to the Pacific, . . . — — Map (db m206660) WM
From September 1937 until August 2004, this red brick building housed the city's government, volunteer fire department, police department and public library in various combinations. Prior to 1937, the City conducted its business in rented quarters . . . — — Map (db m206724) HM
By 1883, Liberty County maintained 53 schools, including 19 African American schools. The average school term was three months for ages 8-14 but the only school for children in Dayton was located near the settlements of Stilson and Fouts.
In . . . — — Map (db m206767) HM
In 1915, Dayton farmers' wives were having difficulty marketing left-over eggs after meeting their own needs. Especially in summer, the prices were too low and the quality less than desirable. Believing this to be an important problem, the county . . . — — Map (db m206721) HM
We the citizens of Dayton dedicate this monument to the memory of these servicemen of World War II who gave their lives so that we may enjoy freedom we shall forever remember their ultimate sacrifice for us.
Douglas D. Barrow 1st Lt. . . . — — Map (db m208592) WM
Following the War Between the States, planters in the area stocked their lands with cattle and horses. Ranching was the primary business around Dayton until the turn of the twentieth century when rice farming and lumbering became the big industries . . . — — Map (db m206756) HM
During its settlement, Dayton was called West Liberty and was considered part of the original town of Liberty, founded in 1831 on a four-league Mexican land grant known as Villa de la Santissma Trinidad de la Libertad. By 1837 it was called Liberty. . . . — — Map (db m206761) HM
Isaiah Cates Day, for whom the town of Dayton is named, was born in Shelby Co. Tennessee on June 12, 1812. His family tradition says that he came to Texas in 1830 with Sam Houston, with whom he remained a life-long friend. Day married Alice D. . . . — — Map (db m206762) HM
Dayton began as part of the City of Liberty. The children who lived here were either educated at home, across the river in the main part of Liberty, or not at all. In 1849, a board of trustees formed a committee to establish a school for these . . . — — Map (db m128338) HM
Dayton suffered two devastating fires in the early decades of the 20th century. The first took place in 1913 on Railroad Avenue (Depot Street today). It burned or damaged many businesses that were constructed of lumber. A second fire in 1929 burned . . . — — Map (db m206765) HM
The early history of Dayton's African American Community is a story of struggle but also of endurance and perseverance. In the mid 19th century there were approximately 100 slaves in the Dayton area. After news arrived in Texas of the Emancipation . . . — — Map (db m206727) HM
The First Baptist congregation in Dayton was formed in 1878, when ten worshipers gathered together to begin a church. A one-room schoolhouse located on what is now East Cook Street, was used for worship services until 1895.
The church's first . . . — — Map (db m195885) HM
Methodist worship services were conducted in West Liberty, later known as Dayton, as early as 1855. By 1900 the First Methodist Church had a full-time pastor, the Rev. G. T. Newberry, who conducted services in the Dayton schoolhouse on North Main . . . — — Map (db m128339) HM
According to local tradition, this cemetery derives its name from a group of French settlers who were killed and buried near the site sometime during the 18th century. Although no physical evidence of the French burials has been found, the name has . . . — — Map (db m195689) HM
Soldier in Capt. William Logan's company, 2nd Regiment, Volunteers, Texas War for Independence, 1836.
Born in Highland County, Ohio, came to Texas with his father, Aaron Cherry, 1818. Settled near a Coushatta Indian village. In 1838 by . . . — — Map (db m179185) HM
Built in 1917 by Dayton newspaper owner, editor, publisher and Justice of the Peace Walter S. Neel on a 1.66 acre lot he purchased in 1914, this house is a typical American foursquare style home. Constructed in two months, the four bedroom house . . . — — Map (db m195679) HM
Pleasant Hill Baptist Church was organized in 1871 at Goat Hill, three (3) miles northeast of Dayton under the leadership of Rev. Sip Baldwin. A new site was purchased; however, construction materials bogged down on the property of Isaac Combs who . . . — — Map (db m206770) HM
The Twelve Cypress Trees Are Dedicated as Living Memorials to the 12 Sons of Stash and Mattie Ripkowski Who Showed Valor and Honor by Answering Their Country's Call to Military Service, Most During War Time and Survived, to Return Home . . . — — Map (db m206563) WM
Also known as Ryan's Graveyard, this historic burial ground served the rural community of Tarkington since at least the 1860s. Named for early pioneer settler Burton B. Tarkington, the farming and ranching community also known as Tarkington . . . — — Map (db m179186) HM
In the early morning hours of Thursday, June 15, 1950, the City of Dayton experienced its first (and only as of 2019) fatality of a law enforcement officer. There was not yet a Dayton Police Department - that came in 1956. The law was handled by a . . . — — Map (db m206722) HM
Famous flight of Texians to escape Santa Anna's invading Mexican army. Tales of the Alamo butchery on March 6, 1836, and the continuing retreat of Gen. Sam Houston's army prompted colonists to abandon homes and property and seek refuge in east . . . — — Map (db m128333) HM
As first generation Americans, Stash and Mattie Ripkowski were extremely hard working, religious people who raised their sixteen children to be passionately patriotic and rise to challenges at hand. The family moved to Dayton in 1932 and began . . . — — Map (db m206561) HM
Around 1900, the farming community known as Eastgate began to develop west of Dayton. Czech families moved to the area to farm and make their homes. The Janacek, Vyoral, Kovalcik, Hajovsky, Buchta, Jarma, Kolarik and Fisher families were the first . . . — — Map (db m206560) HM
This congregation traces its history to 1876 when the Reverend J.R.D. Taylor (1851-1882) established a Methodist Church named China Grove. Early worship services were held in a log church building located nearby.
A chapel was constructed in . . . — — Map (db m195821) HM
A Spanish settlement on the Atascosito road was established here in 1757 to prevent French trade with the Indians. Four and one-half miles west of here the road crossed the Trinity. There Alonso de Leon, Spanish explorer, crossed in 1690. The road . . . — — Map (db m116714) HM
Also known as the Bryan-Williams Cemetery or the Kersting Cemetery, this family burial ground is the resting place for some of Liberty County's most prominent citizens. One of the oldest graves is that of Luke Bryan (1807-69), veteran of the Battle . . . — — Map (db m195836) HM
In 1943 Liberty County Agricultural Agent Gordon Hart and a rice farm labor committee consisting of J.M. Rich, Jimmy Trousdale, M. E. Peterson, Pat Boyt and J.F. Clark negotiated an agreement with the U.S. Army to deliver German prisoners of war, . . . — — Map (db m206569) HM
Born in North Carolina
September 17, 1802
Moved to Liberty 1832
Died in Houston, November 22, 1839
Organized and commanded 3rd Co.
2nd Regiment Texas Volunteers
Battle of San Jacinto
First sheriff of Liberty County . . . — — Map (db m117004) HM
Originally one of the five squares platted for public use in 1831 by J. Francisco Madero, General Land Commissioner appointed by the Mexican government to survey and grant long-awaited land titles to Texan colonists of the Atascosito area in . . . — — Map (db m128337) HM
In 1853, twenty-two years after Francisco Madero founded the Villa de la Santissima Trinidad de la Libertad, now the town of Liberty, the Rev. Petrus Marie LaCour came to this area. A native of France, he served as the first pastor of the Immaculate . . . — — Map (db m195840) HM
In 1848, eleven years after Liberty was incorporated, the town's trustees appointed a committee to select a suitable location for a community burial ground. Subsequently, this four-acre tract of land was chosen as the city cemetery. Local leaders . . . — — Map (db m195842) HM
One of the oldest existing structures in Liberty, this home was built about 1860 by Judge Charles L. Cleveland. It was sold to Frederich F. Foscue in 1870, and William Samuel Partlow bought the property in 1886. Noted as an uncommon example of late . . . — — Map (db m195827) HM
Edward Bradford Pickett was a war veteran, lawyer and State Senator who resided in Liberty County. He was born in 1823 or 1824 in Statesville (Wilson Co.), Tennessee. In 1848, he enlisted as a private, serving in the U.S.-Mexico War. By 1851, . . . — — Map (db m117038) HM
The commercial buildings near the courthouse square have played important roles in the economic development of Liberty. German immigrant Henry Steusoff opened a dry goods store in 1866 and a grocery store in 1899 in this block.
In 1896 the new . . . — — Map (db m117036) HM
Born in Franklin County, Georgia
January 25, 1803 Died at Liberty, Texas, April 20 1878 An officer at the Siege of Bexar and at San Jacinto 1837 appointed by Congress Surveyor of Liberty County 1841, Colonel of the 2nd Regiment of the 2nd . . . — — Map (db m195844) HM
Dr. E.J. Gillard (1808-75) brought his family to Texas from Louisiana in 1845. About 1848 he built this home on his plantation east of Liberty. Constructed of native woods, it features Greek Revival styling with Creole influences. Unique features of . . . — — Map (db m195712) HM
Jackson Hawkins Griffin (1818-1864) came to Liberty in 1835. A member of the Liberty Volunteers during the Texas Revolution, he participated in the Siege of Bexar. His home near this site was often used as a boarding house for families new to the . . . — — Map (db m195825) HM
George Orr first came to Texas in 1813 as a member of the Gutierrez-Magee Expedition. He returned in 1821 with his family and established a home at this site on the Old Atascosito Road. The Orr home was an important stopping place for travelers. Orr . . . — — Map (db m117003) HM
James B. Woods, the third representative of the Municipality of Liberty to sign the Texas Declaration of Independence, was born on January 21, 1802 in Kentucky. He arrived in Texas in 1830 and settled in the Atascosito Libertad area of Mexico (now . . . — — Map (db m116825) HM
To
Generals Charles Lallemand,
Antoine Rigaud, the veterans
of the Napoleonic Wars and
other French settlers,
who, after many trials and adventures, came to Texas in the spring of 1818 to found on the banks of the Trinity River the . . . — — Map (db m128335) HM
Atascosito, established Indian Village prior to 1690. Established as District on Atascosito Road by Spanish government in 1857 to prevent French trade with Indians. — — Map (db m117190) HM
A trail across this region traveled and described by Alonso de Leon in 1690 became the "La Bahía" or "Lower Road" in the 18th century. First settlement, Atascocita, established in 1757. The town established May 5, 1831 as the "Villa de la Santísima . . . — — Map (db m121260) HM
The home of the Orcoquisac Indians. An East – West trail across the region traveled by Alonso De Leon in 1690 became the “La Bahia” or “Lower Road” of the 18th century and the Opelousas Road of the 19th. At the point . . . — — Map (db m117041) HM
Late in 1840, the Rev. Hugh Fields, migrating to Texas from Mississippi, preached the first Methodist sermon in Liberty in the log courthouse. Liberty was one of 17 communities in the Republic of Texas to receive a ministerial appointment from the . . . — — Map (db m116826) HM
A Soldier in the Army of Texas, 1835 A Participant in the Battle of San Jacinto Born in Louisiana October 7, 1807 Died October 7, 1869 — — Map (db m195837) HM
Following the decisive Battle of San Jacinto in the Texas War for Independence, most of the Mexicans captured in the battle were taken to Galveston. Problems concerning a lack of provisions and the threat of attack persuaded Texas President David G. . . . — — Map (db m128334) HM
Tennessee native Milton Hardin moved to Texas in 1828 with his parents, settling in present day Liberty County. In 1835 he fought at the Battle of Concepcion and the Siege of Bexar and secured a land grant for his service. He later sold the land . . . — — Map (db m195850) HM
Built to capitalize on oil boom prosperity, the Ott Hotel became a Liberty landmark. The regional economy in the early 20th century focused on trade, timber and agriculture. The discovery of large oil fields, including Batson (15 mi. NE) and South . . . — — Map (db m116824) HM
J. Francisco Madero, appointed by Mexican government to grant land titles, platted Liberty town tract, 1831, with 49 squares in inner city. Five were set aside for public usage — this square has always been site of municipal buildings.
In . . . — — Map (db m116713) HM
Originally mapped 1831, according to laws of "Coahuila and Texas", then the northernmost state of Mexico. Prison sentences were to be worked out here. By 1885, though, this square was in the mercantile section of town, and the plaza to the east . . . — — Map (db m116829) HM
Originally mapped in 1831 as a public plaza by the Mexican government, this was one of five such squares in the town of Liberty. Although this plaza was sold early to private individuals and did not become a public square, it has always been part . . . — — Map (db m116827) HM
This block of the inner town of Liberty was set aside and designated for Catholic use in 1831 by J. Francisco Madero, commissioner for the Mexican state of Coahuila-Texas.
In April 1846, the Methodist Episcopal Church petitioned the town board . . . — — Map (db m116712) HM
Texas statesman Price Daniel (1910-1988) was born in nearby Dayton, the son of M.P. and Nannie Partlow Daniel. His career in state and national politics spanned six decades and included service in all three branches of state government.
After . . . — — Map (db m195710) HM
An Officer in the Army of Texas 1835 - 1836 Born in Louisiana March 11, 1810 Died April 19, 1873 His Wife Mary A. Merriman Bryan Born August 6, 1817 Died January 13, 1861 — — Map (db m206773) HM
Pioneer, lawyer, statesman, and leader of the Texas victory over Mexico at San Jacinto, General Sam Houston began a relationship with Liberty County in 1833 that was based on land ownership which continued until his death in 1863. During those years . . . — — Map (db m117002) HM
A regional historical depository constructed in 1976-1977 by the Texas Library and Historical Commission to serve the ten southeast Texas counties carved from the original Atascosito Liberty District of the Republic of Mexico. These counties are . . . — — Map (db m195704) HM
Benjamin Franklin Hardin (1803-1878) came to this area with other members of his family in 1826. Settling in the Atascosito District of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Texas, Franklin Hardin was named surveyor of the district in 1834. As a member of . . . — — Map (db m116711) HM
In 1859 Bishop John Mary Odin sent a group of Ursulines from Galveston to Liberty to establish a convent and girls' school. Under the leadership of an energetic French nun, Mother Ambroise, the Sisters bought land at this site and erected two frame . . . — — Map (db m116710) HM
For well over one hundred years, the Tarver Abstract Company has provided real property title information to the citizens of Liberty County. Thomas Carey Tarver (1846-1925), a native of Tennessee, moved to Texas as a young boy. He served in the . . . — — Map (db m117062) HM
In 1938 Ruth Canfield, after hearing from her sister Frances Stramblad how warm winters were in Liberty, relocated the Canfield family from North Dakota to these four lots on Grand Avenue. With daughters Florence, Frances and Patricia, Ruth Canfield . . . — — Map (db m195826) HM
The town of Liberty served as the seat of government for the municipality of Liberty, one of 23 territories in Texas established by Mexico in the 1830s. The first courthouse was erected here in 1831 and was made of hewn logs. Municipalities were . . . — — Map (db m116709) HM
As the longest river with its drainage basin entirely within Texas, the Trinity River's watershed covers 18,000 square miles flowing 715 river miles through 37 Texas counties. Native Americans referred to the Trinity as the Arkikosa or . . . — — Map (db m128336) HM
At the turn of the 20th century, Liberty was a thriving and growing city with many commercial buildings, hotels, schools and churches. In April, 1909, a devastating fire destroyed much of downtown. As Liberty began to rebuild, the Business League . . . — — Map (db m206567) HM
Delegate to the Second Convention of Texas, 1833 Alcalde of Liberty Municipality, 1835 First Judge of the Municipality Born in Franklin County, Georgia March 25, 1801 Died in Galveston June 28, 1839 — — Map (db m195713) HM
Henrietta "Yettie" Kersting was born in Giddings, Texas, on October 17th, 1863, daughter of Louisa (Johnson) and Henry Kersting, a German immigrant farmer. Yettie received a public education and early business experience in Lee County. At the turn . . . — — Map (db m206788) HM
The community of Stilson traces its origins to the arrival in the 1890s of the Texas and New Orleans Railroad. Out-of-state developers O.H. Stilson and Rodney Hill bought land in 1896 and immediately began planning a town. They advertised the new . . . — — Map (db m195678) HM
