The Evolution of a Great State: History of a Monument

The Evolution of a Great State, by Hugo Villa, erected 1938.

Sometimes markers and or monuments get old enough to become historic themselves. Such is the case with The Evolution of a Great State monument, erected in 1938, just west of the State Capitol on West 12th Street in the median.

The narrative plaque on the bottom reads (remember 1936 was Texas' Centennial so state pride was high; Native Americans might rightfully argue Texas was hardly a "wilderness" in 1836):

To our forefathers, those stalwart pioneers who blazed a trail through a wilderness in ox carts and covered wagons, to till the soil, develop our great cattle industry and our oil and mineral resources; To the builders of our great cities, and to those who contributed to the advancement of the arts, sciences and culture of Texas this monument is dedicated.

Of the artwork on the top, citing A Comprehensive Guide to Outdoor Sculpture in Texas; my annotation in []:

"This freestanding bas-relief scene represents stages in the development of Texas, from frontier days to the present. The only record at the Austin History Center or the Barker Texas History Center of a publication titled Texas Historical and Biographical Record [cited on the monument as being erected by] is a privately published book by Austinite Ernest Emory Bailey. The undated copy is believed to have been published in the late 1930s or early 1940s. It is a genealogical study of historic Texas families. Proceeds from the sale of this book may have funded Villa's bas-relief monument to the builders of Texas." (Little, p.83)

The monument was designed by sculptor Hugo Villa (July 26, 1886 - November 4, 1948) an American sculptor, born in Turin, Italy, who also worked on Mount Rushmore. An article in 1938 describes the monument and the dedication ceremony.

Austin American-Statesman (Austin, Texas) · 27 Oct 1938, Thu · Page 3. Miller is of course Tom Miller, former mayor of Austin, the namesake of Tom Miller Dam. Click to enlarge

While the bas-relief scene of Texas "in development" is interesting, the back is no less so providing a 1938-perspective "who's who" list of names.

Looking east at back of monument with Capitol in view.

List of names inscribed on back. Reading this is a real eye-strain. With the help of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, we've provided a searchable list of these names below in the appendix.

 

References, More Reading

Historic Marker Database listing, https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=181853

 

Hugo Villa, Wikipedia article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Villa

 

Carol Morris Little, A Comprehensive Guide to Outdoor Sculpture in Texas, 1996, UT Press

Appendix: List of Names

This list of names was pulled from the marker using Google Lens' OCR technology. The order of names is not always in line with the columns of the plaque; some OCR glitches may be present.

ROBERT LYNN BATTS,   Dr. JOHN BUIE ,   SHANGHAI PIERCE ,   W. H. LEWIS,   LEE M. KOKERNOT,   ALEXANDER JOSKE,   JUDGE B. F. MITCHELL,   SAMUEL BURK BURNETT,   E.D. M. PATTERSON,   JONAS SHEARN RICE,   DR. THOS. D. WOOTEN,   WILL H. BONNELL,   MIFFLIN KENEDY ,   CORYDON G. MEAD,   HIRAM M. GARWOOD,   JIM HOWERTON,   JAMES A. MCFADDIN,   REUBEN HORNSBY,   W. A. PUTMAN,   GEORGE L. DEW,   WALTER TIPS ,   L. J. THOMPSON,   SIDNEY P. BROOKS,   W. D. REYNOLDS,   J. J. SUMMERS ,   EDMUND KEY,   GAIL BORDEN,   WILLIAM J. DUNNAM,   COL. C. T. HERRING,   REV. J. F. AMOS,   WALTER B. SHARP,   J. M. NIX,   CHARLES LEINWEBER,   JAMES STEPHEN HOGG,   J. D. STARKS ,   W. B. WORSHAM,   J. A. GILMORE SR.,   CAPT. RICHARD KING,   E.M. KAHN,   P. C. O'LOUGHLIN,   J.H. P. DAVIS,   DR. WM. Y. MACKENZIE,   JAMES A. HARRISON,   GEORGE LITTLEFIELD,   DR. SPENCER P. MCNAIRN ,   HENRY GILCHRIST,   A. C. GOETH,   L. W. ALEXANDER,   AL. MCFADDIN,   GEO. T. REYNOLDS,   LOUIS KUNKEL,   JAMES H. NAIL,   JARED GROCE,   CAPT. W. H. GETZENDANER ,   PIERCY R. YELL,   DR. W. B. WEEKS,   J. M. DOBIE,   PATRICK LAMBERT,   ARCH HERRIN,   SAMUEL CAYLE DEATHFRAGE ,   DR. ASHBEL SMITH,   JUDGE JAMES JACKSON,   HENRY A. SWINK,   CLAUDE ANDREW KEERAN ,   JOSIAH TRAYLOR,   WILLARD GEORGE LOVELL ,   IRA G. YATES,   BEN J. TILLAR,   C. L. TERRELL,   DR.HILDRETH ,   H. SMITH LLD. ,   HENRY EDDS,   JOHN R. RALLS,   CHARLES GOODNIGHT,   D. A. SULLIVAN,   FRANK M. WEAVER,   JOHN A. GLEN,   C. H. HUVELLE,   BENJAMIN RUSH NORVELL,   L.H. WEBB,   JAMES E COX,   MAJOR K. M. VAN ZANDT,   D. C. STROMAN,   DR. M. J. MOORE,   0- C. HUGO,   JOSEPH A. KEMP,   M. T. PATRICK,   WM. BENJAMIN MUNSON,   JOT GUNTER,   WILLIAM ELLSWORTH LEE,   E. B. SPILLER,   WILLIAM WHITAKER ,   BAINS JOE COTULLA,   ERNEST P. HOEFLE,   GEORGE W. SAUNDERS,   CHARLES HENRY STROECK ,   THOMAS C. CROSSON,   AVERY TURNER,   CHARLES CULBERSON,   DR. W. P. SIMS,   ANNA ALLEN WRIGHT,   DR. FREDERICK J. COMBE ,   C. J. PENN,   WILL G. THOMAS,   W. A. PANCAKE,   B. H. WISDOM,   ED.C. LASATER,   CHARLES A. RASBURY,   WILLIAM FREED,   SETH BROWN,   HENRY F MACGREGOR,   GEO. W. WILLIAMS,   OLIVER H. LOVING,   E. B. FLOWERS,   HERMAN HEIMER,   DR. G. A. KILBOURN,   ERHARD R. GUENTHER,   IRA A. HANKAMER,   GEORGE W. WEST,   DR. GEORGE L. BABER,   GEORGE BRACKENRIDGE ,   ED. CUNNINGHAM,   W. R. NICHOLSON,   W. E. CONNELL,   JUDGE FRANKLIN ,   D. LOVE ,   JUDGE HOWARD TEMPLETON ,   W. LOUIS PRICE ,   ALBERT S. BURLESON,   S. P. SKINNER,   COL. EDWARD M. HOUSE,   A. C. FELTNER,   SAM ISAACS,   HARRY Y. BENEDICT,   NATHANIEL MATTHEWSON ,   JUDGE JOHN C TOWNES ,   PETER JOHN LUDERUS,   DR. MARQUIS E. DANIEL,   MARCUS TAYLOR,   C. M. JOINER,   JUDGE ALFRED TOEPPERWEIN ,   CHARLES WILLIAM WALLACE ,   J. B. COLE,   J. M. SHAW,   DR. E. W. BROWN,   GEO. M. ANDERSON,   ARTHUR E. GETHING,   H. D. TALLEY,   JOE B. BINGHAM,   J. T. TREZEVANT,   MOSE WESLEY HAYS,   ALEXANDER SANGER,   W. W. MC KINLEY,   LUTCHER STARK,   CHARLIE B. GARDNER,   JOHN E. PIERCE,   CHARLES BIRK,   DR. JAMES M. COBLE,   E. C. BLESI,   C. W. LAWRENCE,   D. OPPENHEIMER,   DAVID WILLIAM O'BRIEN ,   GUS SEVERTSON,   LOUIS KOLLE,   W. C. ISAACS,   J. E. EDENS,   CHARLES SAVILLE,   HENRY RUGELEY,   W. C. SEWALL,   MILTON WHISENANT,   A. E. GRAHAM,   CAPT. JAMES F. WIGGINS ,   B. F. WEST,   JOHN J. SIMMONS,   TUCKER ROYALL,   DIETRICH H. KNIBBE,   EUGENE BUCK,   J. M. DOAK,   DR. H. CULBERSON AMOS,   WALTER W. POLLEY,   JUDGE W. S. FLY.,   MACK S. ROBINSON,   EDWARD HALL,   DR. J. B.YOUNG,   CAPT. CHARLES P. SMITH,   FORREST CLARK,   JOSEPH F. GREEN,   ROYAL A. FERRIS,   RALPH H. MC CAMPBELL,   RODERICK T. AMBERSON,   LEE B. MILLER,   AUGUST FALTIN,   PHILLIP J. SHAVER M.D,   ADA HAMMER VAUGHAN ,   ELGIN O. KOTHMANN,   FRANK ANDREWS,   CHAS. H. GEE,   J.A. DOAK,   JOE F. SPETTEL,   JOHN ALBERT MILLER ,   E. W. LACY,   JOHN S. CADDIL,   JAMES GUY LOWE,   M. KRUECER,   WILLIAM HUBBERD,   W. O. DAVIS,   GEO H. MOHLE,   MARTHA PRESSWOOD O'CONNOR ,   OTIS CHALK,   G. W. HAMBLEN,   JOE D. JACKSON,   GEORGE BIGFORD,   EARL JONES,   C. P. HAYNES,   W. A. PRIEST,   JUDGE LEIGH CLARK,   TOM J. COFFEE,   PERCY W. APPLETON,   HOBART KEY,   CHARLES A. MANGOLD,   CHARLES GRAFF,   HENRY ANTONIO MOOS,   J. S. CULLINAN,   GEORGE J. SWICKHEIMER,   COL. IKE T. PRYOR,   R. W. KINDEL,   FRANK MITCHELL,   J.E. MILLHOLLON,   LEWIS MERIWETHER DABNEY ,   LOUIS OESCH,   BENJAMIN HARVEY FREEMAN, M.D. ,   J. W PHILLIPS,   JUDGE K. H. FAULKNER,   A. B. ECHOLS,   PHAU RIVERS OUTLAW M.D. ,   WILLIS H. FLAMM, M. D.,   HENRY C. BARROW,   WILLIAM R. BROWN,   E. M. BRAY,   E B CASKEY,   DR. HARRY EASTERLING,   B. B. FOX,   JUDGE C. L. GLENN,   HARVEY B. HERD,   HAL C. RANDOLPH,   MACO STEWART, SR.,   JOHN N. SPARKS,   JOHN T. SIMS,   RALPH E. SQUIRES,   C. B. TEAM,   W TURNEY,   DR. JOHN HALFY,   COL.C.C.SLAUGHTER,   JESSE D. PADGITT,   HARRY W. KUTEMAN,   JOSEPH D.SAYERS,   A. MILES,   JAMES F. WELDER,   DR. E. P. WILMOT,   JOHN MUENNINK,   J. I. MORGAN,   ORVILLE F. MARCHMAN,   W. P. H. MCFADDIN,   JOHN J. LITTLE,   SAMUEL P. COCHRAN,   OTTO H. WEHRING,   L. F. ALLDAY,   G. EDWARD FLUTH,   IDA H. BRACKETT,   A. V. H. RYALS,   SIDNEY J. WINSTON,   WILLIAM R. NASH,   JUDGE JAMES R.HAMILTON,   FRANK B. ROOKE,   J.A. UNDERWOOD,   JOEL HUDGINS,   MARK HUSELBY,   GEORGE B. REED,   CAPT. CHARLES SCHREINER,   CHRISTIAN KNEUPPERY,   H. W. GALBRAITH,   J. T. SNEED,   R. P. WILKINSON,   MARTIN SHULTS,   J. K. SACHSE,   WILBUR C. WINDSOR,   DR. FERDINAND HERFF,   H. O. BOATWRIGHT,   A. J. LONG,   THOMAS WATT GREGORY,   PATRICK HENRY WILSON,   CAPT. JACK W. HIGMAN,   W. A. LUTHER,   C. S. PAGE,   W. G. TURNER,   ROBERT DRISCOLL,   W. J.J. HEARD,   ELLIS M. HAMILL,   J. P. ANDERSON,   JOSE CASSIANO,   JUDGE JAMES O. LUBY,   EUGENE A. MCCOY,   D. C. BRAZELL,   JUDGE S. 1. ROBISON,   ANDRES CANALES,   JOHN JAMES,   WILLIAM SCHUWIRTH,   G.R. SCOTT,   J.M. GLASS,   DR. C. H. WEDEMEYER,   EDWIN WALLER,   SAM HOUSTON,   MOSES AUSTIN,   W. J. LOTT,   DR. W. J. HILDEBRAND,   MILUS P. WRIGHT SR.,   THOMAS T. VANDER HOEVEN,   J. L. LOVEJOY,   J. M. PUCKETT,   S. BUNNELS PETERS,   EDWIN MONAMEE PHELPS,   SAMUEL MAVERICK,   LANSING S. THORNE,   JOSEPH PINCKNEY THOMAS,   D. S. WRIGHT,   DR. J. W. BRADFIELD,   JOSEPH FAUST,   ALVIN VALENTINE LANE,   BALLARD M. BURGHER,   W. M. WATERMAN,   DR. JOHNSTON FRANK,   HORACE LOVING WILSON,   EDGAR KERR,   CULLEN F. THOMAS