Star of the Republic Museum

09/03/2026

In the North Dallas area this weekend? We will be at Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site on September 4th and 5th for their Ike’s History Fest. Come say hello to our educator and see if you can pack to survive the Runaway Scrape with our Pack Your Wagon activity!

09/01/2026

How long do you think the toddler who wore these kept them on before trying to get them off?

These 1830s shoes were made for a child just learning to walk. Leather uppers, but no intricate lacing like an adult's shoe. Instead, a practical two-hole arrangement to simplify threading and tying. Before Velcro, this was the best option for getting a shoe onto a wiggling toddler.

Look at the toes. Both are scuffed pale where the leather wore through. Somebody very small was hard on these

Any tips on keeping shoes on a two-year-old? The problem is as old as mankind...

08/29/2026

I spy at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum... a plow from the Star of the Republic Museum!

Several of our objects have been lent to the Bob Bullock Museum, including a law book owned by Anson Jones, a mid-19th-century moldboard plow, and a planting chain.

We don't have enough exhibit space to display all of our close to 11,000 objects (also, that would be terrible for the objects). Instead, objects that aren't currently on display here can be lent to other museums, used as study objects, conserved, or just given a rest from the light.

Are you planning a visit to the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum to see if you can find our objects?

08/26/2026

We're excited to visit north Dallas for Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site's Ike's History Fest on September 4th and 5th! See you there!

Ike's History Festival is right around the corner and we have some great partners bring their Texas history focus to Denison! We're happy to welcome back Star of the Republic Museum with a little history and hands-on activity about the Runaway Scrape.

Join us September 4th and 5th for lots of fun! Then event runs from 10am-3:30pm and is $3 per person. Children 5 and under are free.

08/25/2026

Sam Houston saw him as a pirate; others saw him as a hero.

In 1843, Commodore Edwin Moore was ordered to disband the fleet in Galveston. Instead, he sailed to blockade the Mexican coast in support of the Yucatan Republic. Houston called it mutiny.

Moore was arrested for piracy on his return and court-martialed at Washington-on-the-Brazos, where he was ultimately convicted of only minor charges.

This week's Object of the Week ties directly to that story: Moore's handwritten orders to the sloop of war Austin, dated August 16, 1842.

Would you have followed Houston's order, or backed Moore's gamble? Tell us below.

08/22/2026

Is it cool enough not to melt yet?

08/20/2026

The reviews are in, and they agree with Don Martin on Google!

Star of the Republic Museum is a great family experience, full of hands-on learning for all ages. Little ones can explore our immersive Family Gallery, a play space designed just for kids ages 3-10, while the whole family can step into our Independence Hall reconstruction, putting you right in the center of the action where Texas declared its independence. Don't miss the oldest known Lone Star flag, on display right here in our galleries.

What was your favorite hands-on activity during your visit?

08/18/2026

On August 18th, 1813, 1,300 men died fighting for Mexican Independence during the Battle of Medina. To this day, it remains the bloodiest battle on Texas soil.

The battle, and the wider Gutiérrez-Magee Expedition, was an important prologue to the Texas Revolution. It shaped the lives of many of its key figures — Tejano, Mexican, and American alike.

This includes Captain Andrew Robinson and one of the soldiers under his command, John W. Hall. Both marched into Texas in 1812, crossing the Brazos River on their way to Goliad. Both fought at the Battle of Medina and fled across Texas when the filibuster forces were defeated.

In 1821, Andrew Robinson returned to the La Bahia crossing and established a ferry crossing and rest stop. Robinson later became Hall's father-in-law. In 1831, Hall established Washington on the Brazos State Historic Site

Our object of the week is a portrait of another important participant in the Battle of Medina. Who is he, and what role did he play in the battle? Click the link below to listen to Recollections of the Revolution, Episode 2: "War, What Is It Good For?" to find out.

Have you listened to our podcast series yet?

08/15/2026

In the 1840s, John D. Clap picked up a letter from the Galveston post office. He opened the letter from his mother, determined to fill him in on every piece of gossip in Dedham, Massachusetts (It didn’t matter how long the letter was; she wasn’t paying for the post). These are their stories (silhouettes are of anonymous individuals from the Victoria and Albert to protect any dignity left to them).