Old Spinning Wheel

This painting was done from a photo taken on a wild flower trip of my granddaughter and me a few years back. We stopped at Barrington Farms, a living history farm. The Washington area was the site of the final home of the last president of the Republic of Texas. Anson Jones had arrived in Texas in 1833. Settling in Brazoria, he practiced medicine and his business thrived. Like other prosperous men he was drawn into the political conflicts of his era. Actively serving the Republic of Texas, he was Congressman, Minister to the United States, Senator, and Secretary of State. In 1844, at the height of his political career, Jones was elected president of the Republic. It was a bittersweet legacy of Jones's short tenure as president for during that time the Republic of Texas ceased to exist. Instead, Texas became the 28th State of the United States. It was left to Jones to declare, "The final act in this great drama is now performed. The Republic of Texas is no more." -- Anson Jones, President, Republic of Texas February 19, 1846 With these words Jones ended his public life and political career, retiring with his family to Barrington, the home he had built near the town of Washington. Anson Jones's star rose briefly with the Republic's "Lone Star" and faded quickly with annexation. Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site