14 MAY 1937
TEXAS NAVY, 1836—1845
GALVESTON, TEXAS
The earliest remaining marker placed by the Texas Society was dedicated on May 14, 1937, along the seawall in Menard Park in Galveston, honoring the Texas Navy of 1836-1845, composed of four small vessels whose purpose was to keep open Texas ports which were threatened by Mexico. The monument, a Texas granite boulder bearing a bronze tablet dated April 21, 1937, commemorated the heroic part played in the struggle for Texas’ independence by the only state navy in the nation. Beneath the inscription were reliefs of a full-rigged sailing vessel and the DAC emblem. The program, presided over by the immediate past State Regent, Mrs. Alvin Valentine Lane, featured music by the 69th Coast Artillery Band and flag observances by the United States Navy and Coast Artillery Units. The May 14 dedication date was the anniversary of the signing of the Velasco Treaty by representatives of Mexico and Texas. The ceremony was the first public activity of Mrs. Henry Houston Hawley, Sr.’s, administration as State Regent.
