The Liberty County Historical Commission has once again been honored by the Texas Historical Commission, earning the Distinguished Service Award for the 13th consecutive year.
Liberty County is one of 60 counties across the state recognized for outstanding preservation efforts in 2024. The award is based on comprehensive annual reports submitted by county historical commissions detailing their work in preserving local history.
During the Liberty County Commissioners Court meeting on Tuesday, July 22, LCHC Chair Linda Jamison and other members were recognized by County Judge Jay Knight.
“Congratulations to those who earned this accomplishment,” Knight said, thanking the commission for its commitment to preserving Texas’ historical and cultural heritage.
Jamison, in turn, expressed gratitude for the county’s continued backing. “Thank you, Judge Knight and commissioners, for supporting us and what we do,” she said.
She also provided an update on current projects, highlighting a major cemetery preservation effort.
“It’s called Anderson Cemetery and it’s right before you get to the country club road,” Jamison said. “We’ve been working on that project for a number of years, but we’re on the ground now with the preservation team. We’re cleaning out, surgically clearing, because there is a slave burial ground in the back.”
Jamison said the team is approaching the work with great care.
“We have to work kind of like you do with archeology. We clear out the old brush, hand clear it, and then we lay down a grid, and we go through and clear each area to see if we can find any stones or any kind of markings for graves — indentations and so forth,” Jamison said.
She added that the work includes documenting everything they uncover.
“It’s very time-consuming and it’s something we are dedicated to doing because we have over 155 known burial sites in Liberty County. Many of them are unmarked and we are trying to remedy that,” Jamison said. “Cemeteries are a big part of what we do. It’s all about preserving the history in Liberty County. It’s very important that we do that going forward.”
She said recognition from both the Texas Historical Commission and county officials helps fuel the group’s ongoing mission.
“It keeps us going,” she said.
Jamison also praised County Clerk Lee Chambers for helping secure funding for a separate preservation initiative.
“It’s a very worthy project and she found a way to fund it. That’s very important to the public,” Jamison said of Chambers.