DALLAS, April 14 /PRNewswire/ -- An exhibit of rare artifacts related to six heroes of Texas independence will open April 21, San Jacinto Day, at Sterling Bank, 4849 Greenville Ave. Sterling and the Dallas Historical Society will expand the exhibit May 27 through Aug. 31 at the Hall of State in Fair Park to explore the lives of these heroic figures and other Texans from historic and modern times in a new exhibition, "Courage, Honor, and Dignity: Defining Texas Heroes."
The Hall of State opened in 1936 as the centerpiece to the state's Centennial Exposition. Six larger-than-life bronze statues there honor early heroes of the Texas Republic -- Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston, William B. Travis, James Fannin, Thomas Rusk and Mirabeau B. Lamar.
Visitors to Sterling Bank's office at Greenville and University Boulevard can preview the "Texas Heroes" exhibit and see documents and personal items connected to these six historical figures. One of the rarest artifacts in the exhibit, which runs through May 19, is Mexican Gen. Santa Anna's headquarters flag captured at the Battle of San Jacinto, the final event in the war for independence from Mexico, which established the Texas Republic.
The flag was in poor condition until it was restored recently with funds provided by The Oaks Bank & Trust Co., which merged with Sterling Bank last year.
The annual San Jacinto Day Exhibit is a project of the bank's "Lex Johnston Republic of Texas Collection," which includes documents, flags, maps, art and other items relating to the decade before Texas statehood and named in honor of Oaks Bank's co-founder. Max Wells, who established the bank with Johnston, was recognized by the Texas Bankers Association with its 2005 "Cornerstone Award" for the bank's efforts to preserve and promote Texas history.
"The 'Texas Heroes' exhibition will provide a modern perspective on men whose names are well known, but whose lives and accomplishments are perhaps less so. Sterling is proud to continue the bank's collaboration with the Dallas Historical Society and offer the public a rare glimpse at some of the most important artifacts of our state's history," said Clinton Dunn, regional CEO of Sterling Bank.
Other items in the bank's exhibit are the only signed copy of Gen. Sam Houston's San Jacinto Battle Report and a letter from future Texas revolutionaries Robert McAlpin Williamson and William Barrett Travis. The letter addresses the Austin colony council and the Mexican Congress after Stephen F. Austin was imprisoned while delivering the Convention of 1833 entreaty to the Mexican government. The entreaty called for Texas statehood and several other petitions.
In addition to the "Texas Heroes" exhibit, Sterling Bank's Uptown office at 2525 McKinnon St. (at Cedar Springs across from the Crescent) will have the Humanities Texas exhibit "Alamo Images" during the same dates.
The exhibition was created by the DeGolyer Library at Southern Methodist University to celebrate the Texas Sesquicentennial. Through photographic images and words, it explores what the Alamo means to Texans, the role of Mexican-Texans in the Revolution, and reasons why the Alamo story continues to fascinate people of all ages. Featuring more than 150 photographs, the exhibit traces the history of the Alamo as mission, fort, and shrine; the drama of its siege and fall in March 1836; and the recreation of this drama in poems, plays, novels, games, toys, comics, television programs, films, documents, paintings, and monuments.
Both exhibits are free and open to the public during the bank's business hours Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information or to arrange group or class tours, please call 214-678-8602. Support for these exhibits has been provided by the Friends of the San Jacinto Battleground and the law firm Munsch, Hardt, Kopf and Harr.
Sterling Bank's permanent Republic of Texas collection can be seen year- round with items on display at each of the bank's seven North Texas locations in Dallas, Duncanville and Richardson.
About Sterling Bank
Sterling Bank is a leader in banking for business owners in Texas with 40 offices serving the metropolitan areas of Houston, San Antonio and Dallas. Sterling Bank has earned FORTUNE Magazine's Best Places to Work recognition three times. In 2005, Sterling received its second "Best" Award from the American Society of Training and Development. Sterling has grown to $3.7 billion in assets since going public in 1992 with assets of $265 million. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sterling Bancshares, Inc. , which trades its common stock through the Nasdaq National Market System under the symbol SBIB. For more information, please visit http://www.banksterling.com/ .
Contact:
Craig McDaniel, APR
214-914-4261
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