Henderson County court accepts $12,300 in donations to mount Travis letter on red granite monument

The Henderson County Commissioners Court unanimously approved accepting $12,300 in donations to fund a red Texas granite monument to display William B. Travis’s famous 1836 letter.

Dan Hunt, who organized the project, unveiled the cast plaque and read the letter to the court, including the lines beginning, “To the people of Texas and all Americans in the world… I shall never surrender or retreat.” Hunt said the plaque was forged in Corpus Christi and that the granite will come from Texas.

Commissioners thanked Hunt and community contributors for advancing the project. The court recorded named donations covering the $12,300 total: Monty Bennett ($5,000); Kevin and Janine Lilly ($2,500); Greg and Carolyn Figueroa ($1,000); Mark Richardson ($1,000); Larry and Pat Baker ($1,000); Philip and Kim Searls ($1,000); and Jeff and Wendy Spivey (labor and $800). The county previously agreed to contribute toward a gray granite base; the additional private donations allow the group to use Texas red granite as planned.

Rex Pope, who advised on monument sizing and foundation work, described plans for a cement foundation and stone cutting angles to ensure the plaque is readable. The court moved to accept the donation package and authorized administrative steps to install the monument; the motion passed unanimously.

The plaque reading and proclamation were presented as part of a broader commemoration timed with the 190th anniversary of Texas Independence. The court invited donors and project leaders to pose for photographs with the plaque and the proclamation following the vote.