Texas Day by Day

On this day in Texas history…

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Today's Entries 3 found

1. Hill Country natural history authority dies in England

March 5th, 1929

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On this day in 1929, Howard George Lacey, rancher and naturalist, died in Bournemouth, England. He was born in Wareham, Dorset, England, on April 15, 1856, to aristocratic parents who sent him to private European schools; he earned a B.A. degree from Caius College, Cambridge. He immigrated to the United States at the age of twenty-six and settled in Kerr County, Texas. In 1882 he purchased land on Turtle Creek, seven miles southwest of Kerrville, where he ranched for almost forty years. He gained wide recognition as a breeder of Angora goats, but his greatest fame came from his interest in natural sciences. His studies, observations, and collections of Hill Country flora and fauna ensured his reputation as an authority on the natural history of the region. Lacey published little, but he corresponded with natural scientists in Europe and throughout the United States and frequently entertained internationally known naturalists and scientists at his ranch. In addition, he worked in close contact with the Smithsonian Institution, the British Museum of Natural History, the Audubon Society of America, the American Ornithological Union, and the National Geographic Society. In recognition of Lacey's contributions to the field of zoology, three small mammals were named for him. In 1919, in ill health, Lacey sold his ranch and returned to England. His collection of specimens was donated to the Witte Museum in San Antonio.

2. Mexican Army captures San Antonio; Republic of Texas totters

March 5th, 1842

//250722-778774-raikfcquaxqncofqfm.stackpathdns.com/images/handbook/entries/The San Antonio Spurs Celebrate Winning the 2014 NBA Championship

On this day in 1842, Mexican general Ráfael Vásquez, with 700 soldiers, occupied San Antonio. Unable to raise an army in time to resist this invasion, the Texans surrendered and evacuated the town without a fight. Vásquez raised the Mexican flag over the town, and declared Mexican laws in effect. On March 9 the Mexican army abandoned San Antonio and began to withdraw to Mexico. The incident was part of a series of raids and counter-raids in 1842 as Mexico sought to recover Texas and the Texans fought to maintain their independence.

3. Richard Henry Boyd born into slavery

March 5th, 1843

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On this day in 1843, Richard Henry Boyd began his remarkable life. He was born in Mississippi and named Dick Gray, a slave of B. A. Gray, and was later taken to his owner’s new plantation near Brenham, Texas. Boyd accompanied Gray and his three sons as a servant in the Confederate army. After Gray and his two older sons died in battle near Chattanooga, Boyd carried the youngest son, who was badly wounded, back to the Texas plantation. Boyd took charge of the plantation and managed cotton production and sales until emancipation. He then worked as a cowboy and in 1867 changed his name from Gray to Richard Henry Boyd. Self-taught, he enrolled in Bishop College at Marshall and was later ordained a Baptist minister. He organized six churches into the first black Baptist association in Texas in 1870 and went on to represent the group at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Boyd rose to prominence in Texas as a religious leader, established more churches, and published literature for black Baptist Sunday schools. In the mid-1890s he moved to Nashville, where his accomplishments included organizing a bank, a publishing company, and a doll company. He also wrote or edited fourteen books.

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1. Hill Country natural history authority dies in England

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2. Mexican Army captures San Antonio; Republic of Texas totters

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3. Richard Henry Boyd born into slavery

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