Rogan - Public Information Officer
“Ellis County Courthouse to be First to Install Plaque from Alamo Letter Society”
Ellis County, TX – The Alamo Letter Society, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, has selected Judge Todd Little as its County Chair to oversee the installation of a commemorative plaque on the grounds of the Ellis County Historic Courthouse. The new plaque features the letter written by William B. Travis at the Alamo – a legendary, founding document known to Texas history as simply “the Alamo Letter” – and will be unveiled at a special public ceremony on February 23rd.
“We are absolutely honored to receive this plaque,” said Judge Little. “The Alamo Letter represents everything we hold dear as Texans and Americans: the courage to stand up for our rights, and the willingness to pay the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of freedom and independence. I hope all generations continue to revere the story of our fellow Texans at the Alamo.”
The mission of the Alamo Letter Society is “to educate current and future Texans about their forefathers’ armed struggle for freedom and liberty…” To accomplish this, the society is installing a plaque of the Alamo Letter at all 254 county courthouses in Texas – an undertaking originally inspired when the 13-year-old daughter of the society’s founder, William McNutt, visited the Alamo and asked why Travis’ courageous call to arms was not being displayed all across Texas. When the society began reaching out to local elected officials with its plaque idea, Texas State Senator Bob Hall and Ellis County Judge Todd Little successfully arranged for the Ellis County Historic Courthouse to be the first in Texas to receive the honor.
The plaque-unveiling ceremony will be held on the lawn outside the Ellis County Historic Courthouse (101 W Main St, Waxahachie) at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, February 23rd. Several notable speakers are anticipated, including Senator Bob Hall, Alamo Society founder William McNutt, and Brigadier General John Diggs of the Texas State Guard. The general public is invited to attend the ceremony.
“Travis’ Alamo Letter shows us today the essential qualities of being Texan: duty, honor, and self-sacrifice,” said Alamo Letter Society founding board-member Rosser Newton.” Travis’ sacrifice at the Alamo is the bedrock of Texas values.”
“The spirit of the Alamo Letter has been carried by all subsequent generations of Texas fighting men to every battlefield from Gettysburg to Omaha Beach, and from the Battle of the Somme to Iwo Jima,” said U.S. Army SGM John Vick (retired), co-founder of the Alamo Letter Society and District Director for Senator Hall. “The Texas soldier always finds a way forward.”
Following Ellis County’s unveiling ceremony, the following counties will also host a ceremony of their own: Rockwall (Saturday, February 24th – the day the Alamo Letter was written), Van Zandt (Wednesday, March 6th – Texas Independence Day), Nueces (last week of March), and Hood (April 20-21 – San Jacinto Day Weekend).
The Alamo Letter Society is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and donations are tax-deductible. To learn more, please visit www.alamoletter.com. ###