Texas Statehood Day

The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that Dec. 29, 1845, was the date Texas was admitted [to the United States]. It was on this date that the newly written State Constitution was accepted by Congress of the United States. However, it was not until Feb. 16, 1846, that the first State Legislature convened at the call of President Anson Jones who yielded to Governor J. Pinckney Henderson. Three days later, on Feb. 19, the formalities of transition from nationhood to statehood were observed with the lowering of the Lone Star Flag of the Republic of Texas and the raising of the Stars and Stripes. This day, Feb. 19, was declared to be Texas Statehood Day by resolution of the Forty-Seventh Legislature in 1941.

The resolution adopted by the Forty-Seventh Legislature designated Centennial of Statehood years to be 1945 and 1946 and proclaimed that the historical events of that period should be appropriately commemorated with all sections of Texas participating. The momentous developments within the economic and social structure of the state during the last few years will leave Texas and Texans facing a situation with good and bad potentialities, as the war closes. The year, 1946, might easily be the opening of a new century in more than the passing of the century milepost.

The development of plans for Statehood observances will, of course, depend largely upon the progress of Allied military and naval effort during 1943-1945. Co-operation in the war and postwar effort has been and will be a major activity of the Statehood Commission.

From the 1943-1944 Texas Almanac published by the Dallas Morning News.