Historical Marker #4163, Westphalia, TX, 2022
The History of Texas in Historical Markers
(Ongoing)
Historical markers are used to mark history. Although that sounds redundant, that is their functional purpose. It should be emphasized that the historical markers exclusively mark history. The markers cannot speak but, the land can, and if we are paying attention we can receive its messages. We can imagine the land before man took over and if we are engaged enough we can discern how nature will take its revenge. When reading a historical marker one must be aware of the past, present, and possible future. One must create the story and fill in the blanks for themselves.
Often rural areas, like the locations within the series, have many historical markers that go unseen and therefore unread. They are often overlooked by the community due to familiarity and by passersby because of the assumption that none exist in "such a small town". Exasperating the issue, signage for the locations of the historical markers is often vague in terms of direction or is nonexistent. In the latter case, the markers serve as their own signage.
The history of what our lands have endured and recovered from often goes unknown unless the land is affected by more contemporary issues. The knowledge of what has been scarred and scabbed over dwindles, even more, when said lands are not seen as valuable or viable in the eyes of the public at large. This project shows the banality of viewing historical markers and the desertion of the stories of our lands.