March 23, 2015 3:18 PM

Daughters sue to maintain ownership of Alamo archives

Long-time caretakers of the Alamo refuse to go down without a fight

The Daughters of the Republic of Texas has filed the first of at least two legal motions against the General Land Office to reclaim its artifacts collection.

This battle may not be as simple as it appears. While the General Land Office, under Commissioner Jerry Patterson, claimed ownership of the Alamo property in San Antonio, it was the Daughters of the Republican of Texas who paid for the library.

Many of the 38,000 items were given directly to the Daughters.

The petition was filed at high noon in the 407^th District Court. It describes a slow removal of the Daughters from their role as caretakers of the Alamo’s artifacts; first limiting special appointments and weekend hours, following by special patrols intended to prevent the Daughters from removing artifacts. A padlock on the front door of the library has been threatened, according to the petition.

By Kimberly Reeves