Save Texas History

On this day in 1865, German immigrant August Siemering, who opened the first public school in Fredericksburg, launched the German-language newspaper "Freie Press für Texas" in San Antonio.

With it, he established a strong Republican and abolitionist voice during Reconstruction.

Soon after, he created the English-language San Antonio Express, still in publication today. The Freie Presse continued publishing until 1945.

Read more:
https://www.tshaonline.org/texas-day-by-day/entry/1098

Bringing Texas history to life, the GLO’s StoryMapping project transforms archival maps and documents into interactive, captivating experiences.

Using GIS technology, these digital stories reveal deeper layers of Texas’ past, from early memoirs and historic borders to railroads, epidemics, and oil booms.

Click below to learn more:
https://medium.com/save-texas-history/bringing-historic-documents-to-life-through-glo-storymapping-0c19a9d54fab

Meet Dr. Andrew J. Torget at the 2026 Save Texas History Symposium!

Dr. Torget is a leading nineteenth‑century North American historian at the University of North Texas and a University Distinguished Teaching Professor.

He’s spoken at major institutions including Harvard, Stanford, Duke, Johns Hopkins, Rice, and the Library of Congress.

Torget will chart the improbable rise of Galveston from an abandoned sandbar in 1836 to its emergence as the most important port city in the American Southwest (and the second wealthiest city in the United States) by 1900.

Exploring the transformations of Galveston as a window into forces remaking all of North America, Dr. Torget will explain how Galveston had become the jewel of the American Southwest by the eve of the devasting Storm of 1900.

Learn more about our speakers and register for the Symposium here:
https://sthsymposium.vfairs.com/

George W. Colton and William S. Bernard’s 1855 map covers the United States, Central America, the Caribbean, and part of South America.

The detailed border of the print illustrates America’s natural abundance with images of grapevines, farming, fishing, and ranching.

Other decorative features include Mexico City’s Cathedral and the U.S. Capitol.

The map captures the essence of westward expansion and showcases changing geopolitical borders and newly acquired territories.

Learn more:
https://medium.com/save-texas-history/map-of-the-united-states-of-america-the-british-provinces-mexico-the-west-indies-and-central-e9615be9841f #.rx4fdma9p

This week in 1837, Cozumel briefly became a part of Texas.

Secretary of the Texas Navy Samuel R. Fisher wanted to punish Mexico for blockades in the Gulf, so he sent the schooners Invincible and Brutus to attack the Mexican coast.

When the ships landed in Cozumel, Commander H. L. Thompson claimed the island under Texas and continued on, illegally ransacking Mexican villages.

A furious President Sam Houston suspended both Fisher and Thompson for their actions.

Watch the video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMZGLVMaP3w