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The Deaf Smith County Museum is named after Erastus "Deaf" Smith--scout, spy, soldier, and hero of the Texas Revolution. Smith suffered hearing impairment as a young boy due to a childhood illness, and this impediment became the nickname by which he was thereafter known. Smith played a key role in the Texian defeat of the Mexican Army at San Jacinto in 1836, and was a trusted--if not the most trusted--soldier in Sam Houston's army. Smith settled near San Antonio in 1821, married a Mexican, and had three daughters. Neutral in the early struggles between Texians and Mexico, Smith finally sided with the Anglos when denied entrance to San Antonio to visit his family. A more effective and deadly enemy would have been hard to find--among his many exploits, Smith destroyed a key bridge prior to the Battle of San Jacinto with an axe, cutting off the Mexican Army's main retreat. Deaf Smith County, formed out of the Bexar District forty years after Smith's exploits in the Revolution, was named in his honor. Click here to read a complete biography of Smith. The museum was formed to preserve the history of Deaf Smith County, and to educate residents about their heritage. The Deaf Smith County Museum has regular events, classroom visitation, and visiting exhibits designed to increase awareness and appreciation of regional and American history.
Deaf Smith County Museum |