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| Dallas Historical Society
August Special Events |
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Greetings!
The Dallas Historical Society is pleased to bring you a list of special events for August 2010. For more information please contact us at 214-421-4500 or visit www.dallashistory.org.
Thank You,
Dallas Historical Society
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MAYOR WILLIAM L. CABELL C.S.A.
One of the many fascinating artifacts we have in our collection is the battered old Confederate frock coat of General William Lewis Cabell. Mr. Cabell served three terms as Dallas' mayor back in the 1870s and 1880s. Like many prominent Texans of his day, Mr. Cabell was not born in Texas, but had the good sense to move here as soon as he could.
He was born on January 1, 1827 in Danville, Virginia. In 1846 he was appointed to West Point Military Academy by President James K. Polk, a good friend of his father's. Upon graduation in 1850, he was assigned to the Seventh Infantry, which was stationed in Indian Territory (Oklahoma). While there he became Regimental Quartermaster; I am sure this is where he picked up his considerable organizational abilities. His ability to manage many situations at once seemed to be the over arching theme in his life. Soon after arriving in Indian Territory, he was promoted to captain and helped organized the supply trains for the campaign against the Mormons in 1858.
Like a lot of Southern Officers when the Civil War began, he joined the Confederate Army, and in 1861 was promoted to major and was appointed Chief Quartermaster and Commissary officer for Virginia. He later became the Chief Quartermaster of the Potomac under General Beauregard and received special recognition for his service at Manassas. He even helped Generals Beauregard and Johnson design what would become the Confederate battle flag.
And here is a bit of trivia: The Confederate battle flag was originally designed in the shape of an Latin cross but, not wanting to offend the many Jews and Protestant Christians in the Confederate Army, it was changed to the big blue X that we are familiar with today.
 In 1862 he was reassigned Chief Quartermaster of the Trans-Mississippi Department under General Earl Van Dorn. Van Dorn quickly moved him to a line officer position and after the fight at Jacksonport, Arkansas he was promoted to brigadier general. He was a very good commander, notably during the battle at Corinth, Mississippi, but soon after he was injured when his horse fell on him. He was returned to his duties as quartermaster in Little Rock, Arkansas, returning to the rank of Major.
While in Little Rock, he did such an excellent job of reorganizing the Trans-Mississippi Quartermaster Department that he was returned to the line as a brigadier general. In 1863 he commanded troops at Fayetteville, Fort Gibson, and Fort Smith. At this point I could go on in great detail about General Cabell's many other military exploits, but suffice to say he took part in the very arduous Red River Campaign and, during the Confederate invasion of Missouri, he was taken prisoner and sent to three different Union POW camps.
After the war, he returned to Little Rock, Arkansas he worked as a civil engineer and studied law. In 1872 he and his wife Harriet, and their children moved to Dallas. Two years later he was elected mayor for the first time. In 1875 he headed up a group of citizens to bring Jefferson Davis to town for a grand parade and celebration. As mayor, he expanded the rail system in Dallas, started a program to pave the streets, had sewer lines installed and brought electric street lights to Dallas. In 1885, after a petition from both of Texas' U.S. senators, he was appointed US Marshall by President Grover Cleveland.
 He retired from public life in 1889 and dedicated the rest of his life to working for Confederate veterans' causes. In 1890 he was elected Commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department of the UCV (United Confederate Veterans) and pushed for pension, veterans' homes, and proper cemeteries. Although 71 years old in 1898, he offered his services to the War Department during the Spanish American War.
Mayor Cabell was from a time when you needed to be more than just a politician to get elected to high public office. Folks expected you to have some kind of resume. Whether you liked Mr. Cabell's politics or not, you could not deny his many accomplishments.
Mayor Cabell died in his sleep on February 21, 1911. His funeral procession was over two miles long. The Governor of Texas joined more than 25,000 mourners at the cemetery and over 50,000 people lined the streets of Dallas to watch the possession.
If you would like to get a closer look at his frock coat it is currently on display at the Old Red Courthouse Museum.
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Sponsored by  Brown Bag Lecture
DNA and GENEALOGY DNA is not only the "master molecule" for all living things (genetics and cell functions); it is also the repository for large amounts of information about individual organisms. Applications of this information to forensics, genetics, medicine, genealogy, history, and evolution make DNA a valuable tool in today's world.
August 11th, Noon-1:oo Presented by: Melinda Ludwig, professor and science educator. Clampitt Paper's headquarters, 9207 Ambassador Row, Dallas, TX 75247
Admission is free |
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The Dallas Historical Society
presents
its own very special exhibit soon to be announced
and
The Super Bowl Committee
Presents
Century in the Making
At the Hall of State during the State Fair of Texas® 2010
We would love to have you volunteer with the Dallas Historical Society this year at the State Fair of Texas® 2010. Because of these unique and very special exhibits, we will need lots of volunteer help! Please tell your family and friends too! Here are the dates and shifts we need volunteers to sign up for:
Volunteer Orientation scheduled for Saturday September 18th, from 10am-12noon in the Board Room of the Hall of State at Fair Park.
Starting Friday September 24 thru Sunday October 17:
Mon. - Sun: 10:00am-1:00pm; 1:00pm-4:00pm; 4:00pm-7pm.
We particularly need help in the afternoon and evenings, so I ask you to please consider volunteering for an afternoon or evening shift.
I have included a sign-up sheet that you may send back to me with your requested shifts.
A new addition is the required VeriFYI form which all volunteers must complete. A letter explaining more about this new requirement and the VeriFYI form is included. Please fax or mail your completed VeriFYI form to me along with your shift sign-up sheet.
Please take the time to fill out a short volunteer application so we have your contact info and you understand our policies. If you have filled out a volunteer application within the last two years, there is no need to submit a new one unless your contact information has changed. Please fax (214-239-8146 or 214-421-7500) or mail (P.O. Box 150038, Dallas, TX 75315) it back to my attention.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me (214-239-8141). We look forward to seeing you this year and to having a great time!
Sincerely,
Susan Richards
Researcher / Volunteer Coordinator
Dallas Historical Society
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