Daughters of the Republic of Texas. Stephen F. Austin Chapter.

The Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT) formed by Hally Bryan, Betty Ballinger, Mrs. Andrew Briscoe, and other Texas women in 1891 and was officially chartered by the State of Texas on March 9, 1895. Although begun as a companion to the Texas Veterans Association, the TVA disbanded in 1907 while the DRT continued its operation. The organization joins together women descended from Texas pioneers of the colonial and republican periods in order to perpetuate the memory and spirit of the men and women who achieved and maintained the Independence of Texas. The DRT encourages historical research into the earliest records of Texas, especially those relating to the Revolution of 1835; fosters preservation of documents and relics; and supports the publication of records of the individual services of the soldiers and patriots of the Republic and other source material for the history of Texas. Additionally, the organization promotes the celebration of Texas honor days such as Texas Independence Day and San Jacinto Day and memorializes historic locations by erecting monuments.

In 1905, Clara Driscoll and Adina de Zavala obtained the Alamo in San Antonio for the DRT to maintain for the state, and in 1950, the organization opened its library at the site. In 1929, the DRT began the Children of the Republic of Texas in order to assemble men and women under the age of 21, who also descend from early Texas pioneers. In 1949, the Daughters in Austin received custodianship of the French Legation in Austin.

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