History will come to life at the Durst-Taylor Historic House and Gardens this Saturday, August 4, 2012. This year marks the start of the bicentennial of the War of 1812. Many Texans don’t know it also marks the start of a bicentennial for us.
In 1812, Anglo and Tejano forces, fighting under a Federalist banner, marched on Spanish Royalist garrisons in Texas and began their attempt to rest Texas away from Spanish rule. During that time, José Bernardo Gutiérrez de Lara and Lieutenant Augustus W. Magee led troops into Nacogdoches as a part of the ill fated Gutierrez-Magee Expedition. Their solid green flag is now one of the nine flags of Nacogdoches.
To kick off the bicentennial, living historians from across the state of Texas will gather in Nacogdoches to recreate the forces under Gutierrez and Magee as they marched into town and began their ill fated expedition. Participants will be dressed in clothing of the period and armed with weapons and accoutrements just as the men they are portraying would have been two hundred years ago.
The Living History Day will start a nine year schedule of events all over the state of Texas commemorating the Gutierrez-Magee Expedition, the Lafitte Brothers Intrigue, the Mina Expedition and the Long Expedition! Nacogdoches will be the stepping off point for this commemorative cycle, as it was for the original event in 1812. It is important to remember this forgotten chapter of our history, and we welcome you to join us as we bring it to life! Visit the Durst-Taylor Historic House and Gardens, located at 304 North Street, this Saturday, August 4, 2012 from 9am to 5pm to take part in the event.
For more information about the Living History Day, contact the Historic Sites Department at 936-560-4441 or by email at historicsites@ci.nacogdoches.tx.us .
