Monthly Archives: January 2020

The Plan To Move The Alamo Cenotaph

Just this past November, I wrote a column on the Cenotaph, the exquisite stone tribute to the Alamo martyrs that has stood in the plaza across the street from that sacred shrine for eighty years.  It has since come to my attention that plans are underway to move the iconic sculpture five hundred feet to a new site near the Menger Hotel.

Why? You might ask.  I sure did.  The crazy idea is part of a $450 million redevelopment of the whole area around the Alamo.  They couldn’t figure out how to move the Alamo, so they settled for relocating the Cenotaph!

At the last minute, the Texas Historical Commission called a time-out before giving the project its final approval.  That vote is scheduled for March 24-25.  Let the commissioners know what you think of this state sanctioned act of vandalism.  Save the Cenotaph!

Bartee To Teach Two Classes At Lone Star College

As part of Lone Star College’s Academy for Lifelong Learning, Bartee will teach two different classes at two different campuses this spring.  The first is “Texas Before and After Spindletop” based on his book “Texas Boomtowns: A History of Blood and OIl”at the Tomball campus on February 17 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.  The second is “Wild and Wooly:  A History of Texas Elections” on March 17 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm at the Montgomery campus.  Admission is free.