Today@Sam Article
Sam Houston Children Featured in New Exhibit
May 6, 2025
SHSU Media Contact: Megan Buro
Beginning May 13, the Sam Houston Memorial Museum and Republic of Texas Presidential Library will present “The Fate of the Eight,” an exhibition about the eight children of Sam and Margaret Houston. The exhibit will introduce you to the Houston children, Sam Jr., Nancy Elizabeth, Margaret Lea, Mary William, Antoinette Power, Andrew Jackson, William Rogers and Temple Lea.
“The piety, and accomplishment, of my children are to me objects dear to my heart,” Houston wrote to his daughter Maggie in 1858, appearing in The Personal Correspondence of Sam Houston by Madge Thornall Roberts. “To see my sons honest, manly and noble, my Daughters gentle, pure, and pious, surpass all earthly objects of desire on earth. My prayers, and hopes are united to heaven that such may be their characters.”
While visitors will get to learn about the lives and legacies of Maggie and her siblings, some highlights of the exhibit will include personal items belonging to the children on display from the museum’s own collection.
“Many of these items have never been displayed before,” said Jude Routh, curator of exhibits. “One item never seen before that I am particularly excited about displaying is the lace over dress that Antionette Power Houston (Nettie) wore on her wedding day to William Bringhurst.”
Some of the other items to be included are Sam Houston Jr.'s only published book, “Random Rustlings” (1892); personal items from the daughters' weddings, such as a fan carried by Antoinette Houston when she married William Bringhurst in the Texas Governor's Mansion in 1877; and Mary William Houston's diaries, which were written in the period after Margaret Houston's death and provide valuable insight into the siblings' lives following the loss of their parents.
“I am excited about this exhibit because we get to shine a spotlight on the Houston children, tell their stories and how each carved their own path,” Routh said.
“The Fate of the Eight” will be on display from May 13 to June 29 in the exhibit gallery at the museum’s Katy & E. Don Walker Sr. Education Center, located at 1402 19th Street, Huntsville, Texas. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4:30 p.m.
The museum will host an opening reception on Tuesday, May 13 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.
The Sam Houston Memorial Museum and Republic of Texas Presidential Library is part of Sam Houston State University and is dedicated to preserving the memory of Sam Houston (1793-1863) and his times in a 15-acre complex located on the site of the property and home of Gen. Sam Houston.
For more information visit the museum's website or call 936.294.1832.
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