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Anson Jones, one of the first doctors in Brazoria and in Texas, was the last
president of the Republic of Texas. Buried at Glenwood Cemetery in Houston,
Jones served as Surgeon of the Second Regiment at the Battle of San Jacinto,
and he fought in that historic battle that won Texas
’ independence from Mexico.
Prior to assuming the presidency, Jones served as Secretary of State of the
Republic of Texas and Minister Plenipotentiary from the Republic of Texas to
the United States of America. He was a member of the Congress of the Republic
of Texas, the first Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Texas and a founding
member of the Philosophical Society of Texas. Later, he was the architect of
Texas
’ annexation by the United States.
On Feb. 19, 1846, as president of the Republic, he presided
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over the official ceremony in Austin to bring Texas into the United States.
Jones delivered a speech that he concluded by declaring,
“The final act in this great drama is now performed. The Republic of Texas is no
more.
” In his final official act as president, Jones lowered the Texas flag from its
pole; Sam Houston, tears in his eyes, stepped from the crowd to gather the flag
in his arms. Upon Texas
’ statehood, Jones retired to Brazoria. He died on Jan. 9, 1858, in Houston. He
is the only president of any country buried in Houston or Harris County,
Even with all his accomplishments, Jones’ burial site had never received an official state historical marker. The Texas
Heritage Society and the Harris County Historical Commission decided to rectify
that omission, and on Nov. 21, 2009, the two groups sponsored an official Texas
Historical Commission marker dedication ceremony at the gravesite.
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“The final act in this great drama is now performed. The Republic of Texas is no
more.
”
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