When I first moved to San Marcos, I saw the move as nothing more than a move of necessity for school. At the time, I had no idea that I would become fascinated by the local history of the place when I discovered that my own cousins moved here all the way from Canada in the 1880s. As Dr. Jeffrey Mauck of the history department at Texas State University says, the information which can be found on San Marcos’s early history is spotty. Nevertheless, that which can be found is a unique history that no other town in Texas has.
Take the quiz below and see how much you know!
True or false: San Marcos has been home to two vice-presidents
True, though a bit of a trick question. First, remember that Lyndon Banes Johnson was vice-president before becoming president upon the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The other vice-president is Edward Burleson, vice-president of the Republic of Texas under Sam Houston.
LBJ Dr. was originally known as
In what year was the university now known as Texas State University founded
Although founded in 1899, classes did not start until 1903.
Where did the cabin of Dr. Eli T. Merriman originally stand?
Built in 1846, the cabin survived over 100 years with no recognition of its historical significance, having had its original log walls panelled over to make the house more modern. After being used as a rent house for decades, real estate developers bought the property where the Goodyear store now stands in the 1950s and, after removing the modern panelling, discovered that it was the cabin of Dr. Merriman. The house was then moved down and across the street to its present location.
Why did Dr. Eli T. Merriman come to San Marcos from Connecticut?
The earliest known newspaper in San Marcos was/is the
The San Marcos Free Press began publication in 1877 and lasted until 1892. The San Marcos Daily Record, the current newspaper, began in 1912.
What was once on the site of the Texas State University basketball stadium?
Later on, this site and the rest of the area that is now Sewell Park became the site of several mills.
__________________ was a popular department store located on The Square in the 1890s.
Which of these is a former San Marcos resident and Texas State alumnus?
How many times has the institution now known as Texas State University changed its name?
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