1936 Centennial marker types

There are six major marker types for the 1936 Centennial series:

1. Museums
2. Bronze Plaques
3. Monuments
4. Pink Granite Highway markers
5. Grey Granite Historical markers
6. Grey Granite Grave markers that look just like the Subject markers.

The Texas Historical Commission has a brief document demonstrating these.

Unfortunately their Atlas database which is their authoritative source on-line does not keep it so simple. The field containing the marker type has a large amount of variation and the data could be incomplete or even missing all together.

Here is a list of all the marker types per the Atlas database.

Marker Type	Number Of
Missing Information	61
14" x 24"	2
18" x 12"	3
18" x 24"	2
18" x 28"	9
1936 Centennial	3
1936 Centennial (bronze plate)	1
1936 Centennial - Grave Marker	7
1936 Centennial - Grave Marker (gray granite)	51
1936 Centennial - Highway Marker	38
1936 Centennial - Highway Marker (pink granite)	116
1936 Centennial - Highway Marker (pink granite, bronze plaque)	1
1936 Centennial - Monuments and Statues	13
1936 Centennial - Subject Marker (gray granite)	149
1936 Centennial County Highway Marker	1
1936 Centennial Grave Marker	1
1936 Centennial Marker	115
1936 Centennial Marker (gray granite)	177
1936 Centennial Marker (pink granite Highway marker)	1
1936 Centennial Marker (pink granite)	10
1936 centennial marker; approximately 60" high 36" wide 12" deep	1
1936 Highway Marker	1
1936 Texas Centennial -- pink granite monument with bronze plaque	1
2' diameter disk -independent marker adopted as state marker	1
20" x 24" Aluminum Plaque	1
24 x 18 Plaque, pink granite highway marker	1
27" x 42"	10
62" x 34" x 10.5"	1
Brass Plate	1
Bronze	1
C	153
Centennial marker	2
Centennial marker - brass plaque on small red granite	1
centennial marker-large	1
Centennial monument	5
Centennial-courthouse grounds	1
central highway	1
Civil War Memorials (pink granite)	1
Civil War Memorials - (pink granite)	1
Granite Centennial marker	1
Grave Marker	72
Grave Marker-1936 Centennial	4
Gray Centennial Historical marker	2
Gray Granite	5
gray granite centennial	1
Highway	1
Highway Marker	11
Historical Marker	6
Hwy. Marker-1936 centennial	1
Large granite	3
Large Granite Centennial	1
Large granite Centennial Marker	1
Medallion Plate	1
Memorial	1
Monument	5
N/A	5
other	2
Other - explain	5
other, 24" x 18"	1
Pink centennial highway marker	1
Pink Gramte Hwy. marker	1
Pink Granite	1
Pink granite 1936	1
Pink granite highway	1
Pink granite highway marker	11
Pink Granite Hwy. Marker	2
Pink highway centennial marker	1
Pink Hwy Marker	2
Pink Hwy. Marker	5
Small centennial marker	1
State Approved	1
State-approved marker	1
statue	5
statue monument	1
Statue/Monument	1
Texas Centennial Commission Monument	1
Texas Centennial grave marker	1
Texas Centennial monument, pink granite and bronze, 11 feet tall	1

Hunt for the 1936 Centennial Markers

I have a new goal.  Hunt down all of the State of Texas 1936 Centennial Markers.

Before there was a historical survey or commission.  1936 became a very big year for historical markers.  Before this, the State of Texas might partner with other groups to memorialize events and places.  So this was the first large scale state sponsored effort.  1936 was huge, it was the 100th anniversary of Texas Independence.  And to commemorate this,  the state legislator chose to create a series of permanent makers in granite that would point out the people, places and events that were important to Texas independence and spread them all across this huge state.

There are 1,100 official markers in 250 of the Texas' 254 counties.

Think of it as a scavenger hunt as big as Texas.

San Patricio de Hibernia

Not sure if this is considered a Bronze Plaque or a Monument officially. Seems stuck in between to me.  This is one of the 1936 Centennial markers commemorating Texas independence. Even when the light is good, it is hard to take readable photos of these.  The light was particularly bad at this time of the day  because it was coming from behind.  Causing interesting lens flare issues.  The pink granite maker number is 4550.  This location on Main St.(FM 666) in San Patricio is a great place for marker hunters since there are six markers here. 

Marker Text: Founded in 1830 by John McMullen and James McGloin as the seat of their irish colony under an empressario contract dated August 17, 1828 which was fulfilled by the empresarios 1830-1835.  Named in honor of Saint Patrick the Patron Saint of Ireland.  As the frontier outpost of Texas when the revolution began San Patricio 1835-1845 suffered all the miseries of that conflict with no compensating returns.  At and near San Patricio, on February 27, 1836 general Jose Urrea's division of Santa Anna's Army surprised and overwhelmed Johnson's texan party of 35 men, 9 or 10 texans were killed, 6 or 7 escaped and 20 were sent to Matamoros as prisoners.  After San Jacinto the town was destroyed and its inhabitants driven away.  In Memory of Rev. Henry Doyle, Rev. T.J. Molloy, Wm. O'Docharty, Geo. O'Docharty, Walter Henry, Patrick Henry, John Hart, Michael Haley, Mark Killalea, Wm. Hefferman, Oceola Archer, Lewis Ayers, Catherine Hoye, Owen Gaffney, John Ross, Wm. Pugh early settlers of San Patricio.  John McMullen delegate to the consultation, 1835.  John Turner, John White Bower, signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence.  John McGloin, John Fadden, Dennis McGowan, Andrew M. O'Boyle, Geo. Pettuck, Matthew Byrne, Patrick Nevin, Edward Garner, Edward Ryan, Dennis Mahoney, Miles Andross, W.M. Quinn Soldiers in Texas Revolution.  San Patricio has contributed the following distinguished citizens.  Patrick O'Docharty, Susanna O'Docharty, Thomas O'Callaghan, Patrick McGloin, Chris Sullivan, Rose K. Mahoney, John Ryan, Geo. McCowan, Catherine Ryan, James McKeown, Patrick McMurray, Thomas Magowan, Wm. P. Allen, Mary Ann Collins, Hubert Timon, David Odem, John Timon, Andrew Jackson Brown, John Donahue, Mary E. McCloin, Margaret Hart McFall, Patrick Brennan, Margaret Baldeschwiler, John Corrigan, Margaret Q. James, Andrew Gerhardt, Matthew Kivlin, James Grover, Robert Weir, Eliza A. Sullivan, J. Chrys Dougherty, Steve J. Lewis, Joe E. Sullivan, Hugh Touhy, John Dee.

 **Location**
N 27 57'06.045"
W 097 46'22.452"

Main St. (FM 666)
San Patricio
San Patricio
 

Erected 1936

Marker Number 4550

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Saint Patrick's Catholic Church

A very nice church in San Patricio.  I have to admit, most of what I remember is the sticker weeds that were a pain removing from my shoes and pants.  Marker 4476 was erected in 1992 and the church and marker can be found at the corner of Main St. and Magnolia.

Marker Text: Empresarios John McMullen and James McGloin brought irish catholic immigrant families to Texas about 1829 to form a new colony, San Patricio de Hibernia.  Under the direction of the Rev. Henry Doyle, the colonists established Saint Patrick's Catholic Church about 1830.  A fire in 1858 destroyed the original frame church building and all church records.  The Rt. Rev. Jean Marie Odin, first Bishop of Texas, dedicated a replacement church building about 1859.  Local citizens built a two and one half story building for a convent and school on the grounds of Saint Patrick's Church.  After an 1875 hurricane destroyed facilities at Indianola, nuns from the order of Sisters of Mercy relocated in San Patricio and operated Saint Joseph's convent and school from 1876 until 1884.  After a 1919 hurricane completely demolished the church facilities, the congregation rebuilt in 1922.  A need for a larger facility led the congregation to build a fourth structure in 1961.  Through the years Saint Patrick's Catholic Church has served the community with sunday mass and the sacraments and missions given by visiting priests

**Location**
N 27 57'17.409"
W 097 46'18.607
Main St. and Magnoia, San Patricio, San Patricio County
 
Marker Number 4476
 Erected 1992

Education in San Patricio

Not all markers are sponsored by government entities or historical associations.  Sponsored by a chapter of The Order of Alhambra, a Catholic charitable organization, this marker tells about early education and church activities in the area.   Erected in 1976 and located on Magnolia in San Patricio, to the left of the marker is Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church and to the right, a cemetery.

Text of the marker:  Education in San Patricio began in 1830 on this site in the picket cabin of Catherine Hoy.  In 1876 Saint Joseph's Convent was erected here.  The Sisters of Mercy, having left Indianola after the Hurricane of 1875, came to run the Mother House and school in San Patricio.  It closed in 1884.  The three story building was razed in 1897 and the lumber was used to build the first Catholic Church in Sinton.  The nuns were Mother Camillus Lucas, Sister Joseph Dunn, Sister Stanislaus Brodrick and six postulants.  Erected July 1976 by Order of The Alhambra Baza Caravan No. 78, Corpus Christi, Texas

Location
N 27 57' 15.645"
W 097 46'13.169"

San Patricio, San Patricio County, Texas

Erected 1976

Old Dougherty House

Old Doughtery House, this marker feels like it is in the middle of nowhere.  However there are 9 other markers near by so this area is rich in Marker Hunting possibilities.  It is a few miles west of Mathis, outside of San Patrcio.  The marker is on a corner near a store with no remnants of the old building to be seen.  Marker number 6342 was erected in 1970. 

Text on Marker:

     Location of noted St. Paul's Academy for Boys.  Home of school owner Robert Dougherty (1827-1881), a refugee from 1840s Irish famine.  Educated at St. Mary's College, Kentucky, Dougherty worked as a journalist and merchant before settling in Texas, here marrying Rachel Sullivan.  In 1867-1874, he was principal, Hidalgo Seminary, Corpus Christi.  Built his school here on Round Lake, near wife's family, 1876.  He taught geography, history, mathematics, Latin, Greek, classical literature and Gaelic--subjects rare in that era.  His seven children all began their careers as teachers.  (1970)

**Location**
N 27 57'20.410"
W 097 46'20.035

**Marker Number**
6342

**Location**   
W. Main and Nopal St., San Patricio, San Patricio County

John Howland Wood and Nancy Clark Wood House

Found this on my phone and nearly forgot that I took it. Very random, completely off the beaten track but well worth the effort to find. John Howland Wood and Nancy Clark Wood House is located on the shores of Copano Bay. If you were to turn 180 degrees from where I took this photo you would have an unimpeded view looking over the beautiful waters of the bay. An incredible sight. And this Bayside house was For Sale this summer! That is if you have a couple extra million laying around. Marker Number 12168

Marker Text : John Howland Wood (1816-1904) was born in Dutchess County, New York. Trained in the mercantile trade and apprenticed to a painter, Wood enlisted in the New York Battalion to aid the Texas revolution. He arrived in Texas in 1836 in time to participate in the Battle of San Jacinto and several other major events at the close of the war. Wood settled at Victoria as quartermaster of the Texas Army, marrying Nancy Anna Clark in 1842. They became civic and political leaders and the parents of twelve children. The woods moved to St. Mary's, later called Bayside, where they opened a mercantile business and began to acquire vast land holdings throughout the state while John established himself as a cattleman. In 1849 they purchased this property, establishing a ranch which Nancy Wood dubbed "Bonnie View." Lightning damage to the original house led to the construction of this magnificent edifice on its foundations in 1875. Erected by contractors Viggo Kohler and Hugo Heldenfels, the structure combines a typical Greek revival plan with exuberant high Victorian Italianate detailing. The two-tiered, full-height projecting portico supported by Italianate columns establishes the house's imposing character. The house also features pedimented window surrounds, bracketed eaves and a "widow's walk" or "captain's walk," reflecting the architecture of John Wood's native New York. The house's presence on the rural Texas Coast, where few mansions were built, surely impressed visitors and area residents alike during the post-Civil War era. An outstanding example of the Italianate style, it remains one of the area's most substantial and least-altered country mansions of the period. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1998

Site of Old Saint Mary's

At 202 N. St. Mary's Street in San Antonio you can find this piece of history. This has been the  site of St. Mary’s since the early years as a state when they started holding services in 1857. The current church was built in 1924 to replace the older church which had been destroyed in a flood in 1921.  The THC marker number is 15600. 



Marker Text:
After the Texas War for Independence, numerous immigrants, notably from Ireland, Germany, and the Eastern United States, arrived in San Antonio. The need to minister to these non-Hispanic Catholics prompted the Rt. Rev. John M. Odin, first Bishop of Galveston, to establish a separate church for them.   In 1852 land at this site was purchased from the heirs of Ambrocio Rodriguez, a veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto. In 1855 Bishop Odin authorized a building project, undertaken by the Rev. J.M. DuBuis, who became first pastor of St. Mary's Parish and later second Bishop of Galveston. A stately Gothic church building was constructed and opened for worship in mid-1857, serving both English and German-speaking congregations. (In 1869 St. Joseph's Church assumed the ministry for the German Catholics.) On July 1, 1884, the oblates of Mary Immaculate accepted responsibility for St. Mary's, with the Rev. Richard J. Maloney as first oblate pastor.   The old church building was also the site of a seminary, an early free parochial school, the publication of a major Catholic newspaper, and the founding of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.   In 1921 flood irreparably damaged the church building. This Neo-Romanesque structure was dedicated in 1924. (1985) 

Location:
202 N. St. Mary's Street, San Antonio, Tx. 78205