The Arcane Texas Fact of the Day: Yall may have heard of Edwin Waller, the man who laid out Austins streets after it was selected to be the state capital (and for whom Waller Creek is named). Well, back in those days, Waller was allied with Sam Houstons mortal enemy, Mirabeau B. Lamar. In 1839 Waller came face to face with trouble when Lamar nominated him to be postmaster general of the new Republic of Texas. Predictably, Houston took exception to the Waller nomination and tried to block it. In a move designed to tarnish Wallers reputation, Albert C. Horton, Houstons faithful supporter, publicly questioned items in the bill that Waller presented to the Republic of Texas for surveying the new capital. Personally offended, Waller, who was by now Mayor of Austin, attacked Horton on the grounds of the Capitol building. Inside, members of Congress recessed to watch the two distinguished gentlemen slug it out while a mob of citizens gathered to view the spectacle. Waller and Horton had to be separated after onlookers jumped into the fray in defense of their mayor. Nobody knows who won the fight, but Waller was victorious in the larger battle. He gained the post of postmaster general, thanks to a tie-breaking vote by Anson Jones, president of the Senate. But Waller served a short time (some sources say just one day) as postmaster general. He resigned to fight at the Battle of Plum Creek in 1840 and then returned to the quiet life of a farmer in Austin County, where he was also a judge. Later, in 1861, he participated in the Secession Convention. He was the only signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence to sign the ordinance of secession. He passed away in 1881 and was buried in Waller County. His remains, and those of his wife, were brought to their final resting place at the Texas State Cemetery in 1928. Two politicians slugging it out on the state capitol grounds --- you gotta love Texas history!
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 13:16:00 +0000
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