86R30658 GM-D
By: Martinez H.R. No. 1507
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Pioneering Texan Elder B. Barton fought bravely for
freedom during the Texas Revolution and contributed to the growth
of Hidalgo County; and
WHEREAS, Born in New York City in 1806, Elder Barton joined
the Texian Army on March 13, 1836, and served in Captain Robert
J. Calder's Brazoria Company at the Battle of San Jacinto on April
21, 1836; on this day, the Texian Army under General Sam Houston
decisively defeated the Mexican troops commanded by General Antonio
López de Santa Anna in an engagement that lasted just 18 minutes;
and
WHEREAS, In October of 1836, Mr. Barton was honorably
discharged, and he moved to Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, where he
married Santitos Balli, with whom he had 16 children; the couple
lived in several towns in the Rio Grande Valley, including
Brownsville, Santa Rosa, and Los Indios, before settling in Nueces
County, where Mr. Barton received 369 acres as compensation for his
military service; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Barton became an important figure in the
economic development of Hidalgo County; he served as postmaster,
worked in the steamboat industry, and utilized his military
experience to help secure the United States border along the Rio
Grande; he died on his ranch on August 4, 1884, and was buried in the
courtyard of the Hidalgo County Courthouse, where his son
Washington Barton served as county commissioner; and
WHEREAS, After the courthouse burned down, Mr. Barton's
remains were reinterred in the Hidalgo City Cemetery, and in 2016,
the Texas Historical Commission placed a state historical marker
there in his honor; and
WHEREAS, Elder Barton fought courageously in the struggle for
Texas independence, and the legacy he left behind will be
remembered for years to come; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life and achievements of
Elder B. Barton and commemorate his contributions to the history
and heritage of Texas.