1927 June 3 Jefferson Davis stone marker is dedicated

Front page image from Brownsville Herald 3 June 1927 and textual information accessed through Newspaper Archive Academic Library Edition at Brownsville - Public Library

The Jefferson Davis Highway was supposed to extend from Canada through the United States reaching deep south Texas.  Why it was never completed may be learned later and will be included here at another time.  The memorial stone was placed at the intersection of Elizabeth St and Palm Boulevard by the United Daughters of the Confederacy.   Frank Tiech, who erected Confederate memorials all over Texas and other southern states delivered the stone.

With a United States Flag on one side and Confederate flag on the other, a tablet embedded in the stone bears the following inscription:

"Commemorating the services to the United States of America of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America. 
Graduated from West Point in 1828. 
Served on the Indian frontier from 1828 to 1835. 
United States Congress 1845 and 1846
U.S.A. Colonel commanding Mississippi troops.
Landed at Point Isabel, Texas, 1846
Hero at Buena Vista and Monterrey
Declined post of Brigadier General,
U.S.A. Secretary of War, 1853-1857
United States senator from Mississippi 1849, '51, '57, '61 (resigned)
Soldier, statesman, martyr
Erected by United Daughters of the Confederaccy, 1926"

[Any one have any idea why they threw in the word "Martyr"?]

The original plan was to erect stone at Port Isabel where Jefferson Davis landed during the invasion of Mexico also known as the War with Mexico.  Brownsville was probably chosen as the terminus for the proposed highway which never reached Brownsville.

The stone was dedicated on June 3rd, 1927 to mark the 119th birthday of Davis.  The ceremonial fanfare included speeches and placing of flowers on the memorial.  Miss Kate Daffan of the Daughters of the Confederacy expressed the purpose of the stone marker:

"History speaks today in an object lesson.  The little children march to the memorial in honor of Davis, carrying a Confederate flag in one hand, and a Union flag in the other, showing the love that all parts of the nation now have for each other."

Speaking for governor Dan Moody was Thomas Ball of Austin who added to the above sentiment by praising the spirit between citizens of Brownsville and Matamoros to "shake hands across the border"  and commending the human spirit which makes it possible for there to be love and friendship between the North and South again.

************************** UPDATE 30 June 2016  *******************************

1971 photo by Kevin Odabashian borrowed from his self-published pictorial guide to "Landmarks of Early Brownsville." Some of the photos he took are a testament to what once was as some buildings he photographed have since then disappeared. Even so, thanks to work preservationists did many years ago we managed to save much of our history for future generations.

Since people who pledged to preserve tablet on stone here aren't here anymore it's up to the present generation to protect all historical markers and landmarks in historic Brownsville, Texas.