Texas students learn about the Alamo in history lessons and thousands visit the iconic site each year. For those who missed out, and won’t be traveling to San Antonio anytime soon, you may be in luck.
The Texas General Land Office is taking artifacts from the Alamo on the road. Slices of history will criss-cross the state for the Alamo Treasure Roadshow.
“This tour is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to take the Alamo on the road, to Texans in nine different cities, and find out what Texans want to see at the Alamo,” GLO director of communications Bryan Preston said.
The tour is part of the General Land Office’s Alamo Master Plan, spearheaded by Land Commissioner George P. Bush. The plan includes restoration of original structures, reclaiming the battlefield, and building a new visitor center and museum. Bush was unavailable to accommodate our interview request, but Preston said Bush will join a team of historians, including the Alamo’s curator, to pitch the plan, share artifacts and hear from the public.
“We want to hear from Texans about what you want to see on the battlefield, what you want to see at the museum and what stories you want to see told at the Alamo,” Preston explained.
No conversation about the Alamo these days is complete without a discussion about restoring the historic site. That process has come with some objections on the methods and the final results. Bush, a Republican, faced primary opponents from his own party, namely former Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson. Bush secured the GOP nomination with more than 58 percent of the vote.
Miguel Suazo, the Democratic nominee for Land Commissioner, said he supports restoration, but explained Bush’s goals are unrealistic.
“We all agree that we need to restore the structure, that we want to make sure that there isn’t traffic, that some of the original footprint is restored, but if you look at the schematic, that is actually impossible,” Suazo said. “You can never fully restore the battlefield as it was in 1836 because there is structures in place already, and you were not going to tear those structures down.”
“My plan is to make sure that it is a place of veneration and respect and solemness and I think that that is a thing that, overwhelmingly, Texans desire,” Suazo said.
Meanwhile, Preston said the GLO is specifically looking for Texans with a connection to the Alamo to share their stories and heirlooms.
“Maybe great-granddad fought at the Alamo, and you still have something that belonged to him,” Preston stated. “We want to hear about that because at some point, we’re going to have a museum at the Alamo that’s worthy of the Alamo, and it’s possible that your family heirloom could be a part of that.”
The tour runs from April 9-30 in nine different cities: El Paso, Midland, Lubbock, Abilene, Tyler, Rockwall, College Station, Waco, and Edinburg. To read more details about each location visit, click here.
