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Poe and staff break for lunch at Daniel Mansion
  
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By MIKE GEORGE
After a personal look at the Daisetta “sinkhole,” US Congressman Ted Poe and members of his staff gathered in the Jean and Price Daniel Mansion located on the grounds of the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center for a bit of lunch and to hear from some local organizations and what they’re about.
The congressman and his staff were greeted by Sandy Pickett, chairman of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and Robert Schaadt, curator of the library and director of the center. Also present was Laurie Lomas who is the wildlife biologist for the Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge (TRNWR) with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. She was standing in for Stuart Marcus, manager of the organization who had a previous engagement.
“This home you’re in is the Price and Jean Daniel Home,” said Sandy Pickett who played hostess to the event much like Jean Daniel herself would have in another time. “It was built by Governor Price Daniel who served three times as the Governor of Texas and his wife, Jean. Jean was the great-great-grand-daughter of Sam Houston which is one reason this center is named as it is.”
According to Pickett, the home was built by the Daniels and officially opened in 1984 patterned after the Governor’s Mansion in Austin. That home was built by Abner Cook between 1854 and 1856 and recently was almost totally destroyed by fire. Interestingly, the Daniel Mansion includes wings on each side of the home that were not, due to insufficient finances in the 1850’s.
Full ownership of the home was passed to the State of Texas in October of 1998. The home preserves and displays the library, archives, furniture and mementos that documented the Daniels’ lives and years of public service.
Schaadt spoke to the relevance of the complex to the area and also provided a bit of interesting and very relevant history, especially to this group. He indicated a picture on the dining room wall of Price Daniel and then President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
“Price Daniel was a conservative Democrat, but he also made it okay for Texans to vote for Republicans and he was good friends with President Eisenhower at the time of that issue. So, it was Price who kind of started Republican recognition in Texas. I don’t think that was his intent, but it’s an interesting historical record.”
Lomas gave the congressman and his staff a closer look at the TRNWR with a large map showing the thousands of acres that make up the refuge and an alternate map showing how great the land area is reduced due to flooding. She spoke of a small but very hard working staff who, with a few volunteers, are making great strides, but with more help from the federal government could do even more.
We have a lot going on here in the refuge,” said Lomas. “We just have a small staff and would like to be able to bigger things, but that’s going to take more federal money to do and the hands of the locals (volunteers) to help.”
After the presentation, Poe and his entourage were given a tour of the mansion as well as other sights on the property, including the library and research center.
The congressman and his staff were greeted by Sandy Pickett, chairman of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and Robert Schaadt, curator of the library and director of the center. Also present was Laurie Lomas who is the wildlife biologist for the Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge (TRNWR) with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. She was standing in for Stuart Marcus, manager of the organization who had a previous engagement.
“This home you’re in is the Price and Jean Daniel Home,” said Sandy Pickett who played hostess to the event much like Jean Daniel herself would have in another time. “It was built by Governor Price Daniel who served three times as the Governor of Texas and his wife, Jean. Jean was the great-great-grand-daughter of Sam Houston which is one reason this center is named as it is.”
According to Pickett, the home was built by the Daniels and officially opened in 1984 patterned after the Governor’s Mansion in Austin. That home was built by Abner Cook between 1854 and 1856 and recently was almost totally destroyed by fire. Interestingly, the Daniel Mansion includes wings on each side of the home that were not, due to insufficient finances in the 1850’s.
Full ownership of the home was passed to the State of Texas in October of 1998. The home preserves and displays the library, archives, furniture and mementos that documented the Daniels’ lives and years of public service.
Schaadt spoke to the relevance of the complex to the area and also provided a bit of interesting and very relevant history, especially to this group. He indicated a picture on the dining room wall of Price Daniel and then President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
“Price Daniel was a conservative Democrat, but he also made it okay for Texans to vote for Republicans and he was good friends with President Eisenhower at the time of that issue. So, it was Price who kind of started Republican recognition in Texas. I don’t think that was his intent, but it’s an interesting historical record.”
Lomas gave the congressman and his staff a closer look at the TRNWR with a large map showing the thousands of acres that make up the refuge and an alternate map showing how great the land area is reduced due to flooding. She spoke of a small but very hard working staff who, with a few volunteers, are making great strides, but with more help from the federal government could do even more.
We have a lot going on here in the refuge,” said Lomas. “We just have a small staff and would like to be able to bigger things, but that’s going to take more federal money to do and the hands of the locals (volunteers) to help.”
After the presentation, Poe and his entourage were given a tour of the mansion as well as other sights on the property, including the library and research center.
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