Republic of Texas Museum

About

Founded in 1891, The Daughters of The Republic of Texas is the oldest patriotic women’s organization in Texas and one of the oldest in the nation.

Story

During the summer of 1891, in her father’s law library, a site in Galveston, Texas, that is now known as the “Cradle,” Miss Betty Ballinger and her cousin, Miss Hally Bryan, conceived the idea of perpetuating forever the memory of the Texas pioneer families and soldiers of the Republic of Texas by forming an association of their descendants.

The two cousins then traveled to Houston, where they shared their thoughts with fourteen other ladies at the home of Mrs. Andrew Briscoe on the afternoon of November 6, 1891. At that meeting, they formed the organization that is known today as The Daughters of the Republic of Texas.

The Charter of The Daughters of the Republic of Texas was filed in the Department of State on March 9, 1895.

The Daughters of the Republic of Texas is a genealogical organization with one hundred and six chapters divided into ten districts. Each chapter is a part of the larger organization and must operate within the framework of Bylaws established by the Association.

Mission

Our mission is to:

1. Perpetuate the memory and spirit of those who achieved and maintained the independence of Texas.

2. Provide educational programs of the highest caliber in coordination with Texas school districts and the Texas Education Agency, as well as programs for the public.

3. Encourage research into early Texas records, preserve historic documents and encourage the publication of historic records.
Secure and memorialize historic sites.