West Columbia, Brazoria County
BYRD LOCKHART Byrd Lockhart, Jr. moved to Green DeWitt’s Colony from Missouri around 1826 with several female relatives. He worked as a surveyor for the colony and settled in Gonzales, where he organized defenses against Indian attacks and supervised construction of roads from Gonzales to the coast and San Antonio de Bexar. In 1835-36, Lockhart served in the Texan Army at the Siege of Bexar and as a commissioner to negotiate with Indian tribes. Having helped organize the Gonzales rangers (“the immortal 32”), Lockhart left the Alamo to obtain supplies before the final siege. He later acted as a spy for the Texan army. He died in Columbia (now west Columbia) in Brazoria County in 1839. Lockhart, texas, was named in his honor. (2014)