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GTT - Texas Governors Series LbNA #45203

Owner:Boots Tex
Plant date:Jan 7, 2009
Location:
City:Houston
County:Harris
State:Texas
Boxes:1
Found by: Fairy Hunter
Last found:Aug 1, 2020
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
Last edited:Oct 9, 2015
James Wilson Henderson (1817-1880), was the fourth governor of Texas. He was born in Sumner County, Tennessee, on August 15, 1817. At the age of nineteen he was attending college near Georgetown, Kentucky, but his interest in the events which were occurring in Texas proved irresistible. He put together a group of volunteers and, like many others, hung out the sign “GTT”, “Gone to Texas!” He was fully expecting to participate in the struggle for independence. He arrived in Texas shortly after the battle of San Jacinto and was sent back to the United States on recruiting service. When he returned to Texas, Sam Houston offered him a commission in the ranger service, but he declined, having decided to settle in Harris County and become a surveyor. While he was county surveyor of Harris County, Henderson began reading law in his spare time and was admitted to the bar. In 1842 he interrupted his practice to enlist as a private on the Somervell expedition. On September 4, 1843, he defeated Col. James Morgan for a seat in the House of Representatives, to which he was reelected in 1844. After annexation Henderson was elected to the House of the First Texas Legislature. In 1847 he was reelected and chosen speaker, defeating former president Mirabeau B. Lamar. He was defeated for lieutenant governor in 1849 but elected to the position on August 4, 1851. Governor Peter H. Bell resigned his office, effective November 23, 1853, and on that day Henderson was inaugurated governor of Texas; he served only 28 days, serving out Bell’s term. He was reelected to the legislature in 1857. When the Civil War broke out Henderson joined the Confederate Army and was made a captain under Gen. John B. Magruder. He was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1866, a member of the executive committee at the Democratic state convention in 1868, and vice president of the state Democratic convention in 1871. He was afflicted with paralysis in 1877 and died at the home of his sister in Houston on August 30, 1880, and was buried in Glenwood Cemetery.

Directions:
Glenwood Cemetery is located at 2525 Washington Avenue in Houston.

To the box:
Enter the cemetery through the main gate and keep right. Look for the office, which is a Victorian style house. Turn left and drive by the office, keeping it on your left. If you would like a map of the cemetery, go in and they will give one and mark the location of the governor's grave if you like. As you pass the office, Look ahead and you will see a large obelisk, 50 or 60 feet tall, which marks the governor's grave. Park anywhere against the curb and make your way to the marker. Next to it is the Sessums plot, with a stone oak tree and an old cedar tree. Within the hollow of the tree, under bark, is the small brown camoflaged lock & lock box. Be respectful of this place and use caution as there are always workers and vistors around.