Texas Historical Commission

UPDATE: In an email statement Nov. 6, a Llano County Sheriff's Office investigator attributed the damage of the monument to a vehicle traveling eastbound on Texas 71 which left the roadway and crashed into marker and through the adjacent fence.

By Connie Swinney
Staff Writer

The Texas Historic Commission (THC) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will team up to repair a damaged historic monument which commemorates a pivotal battle in the region's settlement by western pioneers, officials announced Nov. 1.

Connie Swinney/The Highlander

Vandals have knocked down the Packsaddle Mountain Fight historical monument, seen here on Friday, Oct. 18, just off Texas 71 adjacent to CR 309 in Llano County. The 1936 Texas Centennial marker commemorates the last battle between area settlers and Indians in the region on Packsaddle Mountain in 1873. Over the years, criminals have removed the bronze center star wreath in 2015 and spray-painted a racist message on the marker in 2017 which had to be restored by a contractor for the Texas Historical Commission.

By Lew K. Cohn
Managing Editor

The Highlander

A proposal by Enterprise Fleet Management Inc. to manage Burnet County's fleet of patrol vehicles and light-duty trucks presents “an intriguing concept to reduce costs and update our fleet,” Burnet County Judge James Oakley said.

Kirby Watson, a senior fleet consultant with Enterprise Fleet Management, made the presentation to the Burnet County Commissioners Court at the regular meeting Tuesday, July 25. Watson said Enterprise, the largest vehicle operator in the world with nearly 1.9 million vehicles in use, can help the county achieve savings through leasing vehicles on a shorter term.

Burnet's First State Bank will be recognized with a Texas Treasure Business Award from the Texas Historical Commission (THC) during the July 25 regular Burnet County Commissioners Court meeting.

The Texas Treasure Business Award program pays tribute to businesses that have provided employment opportunities and support to the state's economy for 50 years or more.

Created in 2005 through legislation authored by Sen. Leticia Van de Putte (D-San Antonio) and sponsored by Rep. Charles “Doc” Anderson (R-Waco), the program recognizes well-established Texas businesses and their exceptional historical contributions to the state's economic growth and prosperity.

The Texas Historical Commission's (THC) Certified Local Government (CLG) Program will conduct a free training in Burnet Thursday, Aug. 3, from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
It will take place at the The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Building, 607 North Vandeever Street, Burnet, and will be hosted by THC staff and members of the Burnet County Historical Commission.
The training will focus on the benefits of the CLG Program, including grant opportunities, historic resources surveys, the benefits of designating properties to the National Register of Historic Places, including federal and state tax credits, and how CLGs can improve communication with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) on projects that impact historic resources.
Admission is free, but registration is required. Lunch and refreshments are provided by Burnet County Historical Commission. The training is open to current and potential CLGs, county historical commissions, and Main Street Communities.