Antoinette Power Houston – The Poet of Texas

Antoinette Power Houston

Fast Facts About Antoinette

  • Date of Birth: January 20, 1852
  • Date of Death: December 5, 1932
  • Place of Birth: Woodland Home, Huntsville, Texas
  • Married William Lorraine Bringhurst in 1877
  • Five children

Antoinette Power Houston, affectionately known as Nettie, lived her life in the shadows and glories of Texas history, the state’s culture and identity intricately woven into her narrative. As a historian, I am captivated by the way Nettie’s life encapsulated so many elements of Texas’s rich and varied history.

Born on January 20, 1852, at the Houston family’s Woodland Home, she was the daughter of the storied Sam Houston, the first president of the Republic of Texas and later a U.S. Senator and Governor. Named after her maternal aunt, Nettie inherited a potent mix of her parents’ talents and the rich heritage of her native Texas.

Nettie’s literary inclinations emerged early in life. Inspired by her mother’s poetry, she published many of her own poems while still a student at Baylor Female College. Perhaps the most renowned of these works is “The Flag of a Single Star,” a paean to the state of Texas that resonated deeply with its citizens and was sung by schoolchildren throughout the state.

One of Nettie’s earliest memories was of the yellow fever epidemic that claimed her mother’s life in 1867. The image of her and her sister, Mary Willie, covering their mother’s grave with a “quilt of evergreens,” forms a poignant tableau of personal loss and resilience.

On February 28, 1877, Nettie married Dr. William Lorraine Bringhurst, a professor at Texas Military Institute in Austin. This marriage brought her into the world of academia, where she would play a significant role. When the Texas Military Institute closed, the Bringhursts moved to the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College, now known as Texas A&M University. Here, Dr. Bringhurst served as the first doctor of philosophy on campus, and Nettie was given the unofficial title of “first lady of the campus,” during her husband’s term as interim president.

The couple later settled in San Antonio, where Nettie continued to contribute to the literary world, often signing her poems “Mignonette”. But her influence extended beyond literature; she was an active member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, serving as state historian from 1906 to 1908. Meanwhile, Dr. Bringhurst was one of the founders of the San Antonio Scientific Society, reinforcing the family’s ties with education and research.

Despite Nettie’s triumphs, her life was marked by personal tragedy. She suffered the loss of four of her children in infancy, a harsh reality of the era, leaving only one, Antoinette Bush, to survive into adulthood.

Perhaps one of the most iconic moments of her life occurred at the Alamo, where she was rebuked by a visitor for leaning on a table that was a relic of General Sam Houston. Her witty retort: “So am I!” perfectly encapsulates her unique position as both a guardian of Texas history and a part of it.

Antoinette Power Houston‘s life came to an unexpected end on December 5, 1932, when she was fatally injured in an automobile accident. Her funeral was held at the Alamo, a fitting location for a woman whose life was so intricately linked with the history of Texas. As her casket, surrounded by the six flags of Texas, was lowered into the ground at Mission Burial Park in San Antonio, the last of the surviving Houston daughters was laid to rest, but her legacy endures.

Nettie’s story is a vivid testament to the importance of personal narratives in the broader sweep of history. Through her life, we see the unfolding of Texas history – its struggles, its triumphs, and its enduring spirit. Antoinette Power Houston, the poetess, the historian, and the daughter of Texas, is an embodiment of the state’s indomitable spirit and an enduring symbol of its rich cultural legacy.