[liberalh8ter]

I'm all for history (the unrevised version) however, on a trip to see my fIl a few years ago I wanted him to stop at the historical markers (so I could read them) between his home and the nearest town.I'll never forget his response; “Darlin’, If we're gonna stop at all the markers, we should’ve packed a picnic lunch. In the great State of Texas all it takes to get one of those is a phone call, a story and a donation.”

[TXnMA]

"In the great State of Texas all it takes to get one of those is a phone call, a story and a donation.”

~~~~~~~~~~

With all due respect to your F-I-L, as Chairman and Historical Marker Chair of our County Historical Commission (official county offices, FWIW) I flatly state that his remark is nothing but that which remains on your boots after a trip across the cow lot!

This recently dedicated marker at the site of the only place in Texas where Trammel/s Trace is clearly visible from a State highway

cost me and several other colleagues five years of research, over a year of editing to get nothing but "bulletproof facts" "boiled down" to fit in that limited space -- and $1300 of local citizens money to have it cast and fabricated.

The History Programs Division of THC consists of only three (3) people -- and they handle over 250 (almost one per Texas county) such applications per year.

If a private organization were managing Texas markers, your FIL would probably be right. But, THC's History Programs Division's professional historians work hard (and makes the applicants work even harder) to ensure that nothing but solid, documented Texas history is "cast in metal"and installed on the side of the road!

BTW & FWIW, over ninety (90) proud Texans showed up "over 25 miles from the nearest Wal*Mart" (as one joker put it) on a stormy Sunday afternoon for the dedication of the above marker.