Texas Historical Commission

The Texas State Historical Survey Committee was created on a temporary basis in 1953 (Senate Concurrent Resolution 44, 53rd Legislature, Regular Session) to administer a comprehensive state program for historical preservation; it was given more permanent status in 1957 (Senate Bill 426, 55th Legislature, Regular Session). The committee was composed of eighteen members appointed for six-year terms by the governor. It had the power to erect historical markers, to check the historical accuracy of inscriptions prepared for markers by any individual or group, and to certify the historical worthiness of any historical property the state determined to purchase. In 1962 the Official Texas Historical Marker Program was formed to record Texas historic sites in all counties. Staff evaluated applications and made recommendations to the State Marker Review Board and then prepared marker inscriptions. State law authorized county judges to appoint county historical survey committees. These committees allowed the Texas State Historical Survey Committee to coordinate and cooperate in activities throughout the state. By 1966 each county had formed a historical survey committee. State law also allowed commissioners courts to appropriate money from the general fund to finance the activities of county historical survey committees, and to erect historical markers and acquire objects of historical significance. In addition, cities and counties were authorized to spend funds to operate historical museums.

The Committee created a program called RAMPS in 1964. It called for the recording, appreciation, marking, preservation, and surveying of Texas history. One of the basic objectives was to erect 5,000 official Texas historical markers in five years. The 5000th marker was approved on October 27, 1969. The committee created and/or approved several types of markers, including building markers, small subject and large subject markers, grave markers, medallions, private state approved markers, 1936 centennial markers, and large Civil War centennial markers. The historical markers were erected to mark structures, archeological finds, mountain passes, old trails, Indian camp and burial grounds, sites of battles and skirmishes, sites related to important events in cattle, agricultural, and petroleum industries, unique weather sites, early railroads, famous gunfights, early business and educational institutions, birthplaces or homes of outstanding Texans. The markers gave information on the date of founding, origin of name, and history of many towns and counties, as well as towns that no longer existed. The Committee became the Texas Historical Commission in 1973 (House Bill 1512, 63rd Legislature, Regular Session).

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