Membership Levels and annual dues
Contributions to the Driftwood Historical Conservation Society, a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, are tax-deductible as allowed by law for computing income and estate taxes.
The Cicero Rufus Perry Rangers -- $25
"Old Rufe" Perry carried dispatches for Sam Houston during the Texas Revolution when he was only 13. He later fought Indians as a Texas Ranger under the command of John Coffee Hays. He and his wife Margaret lived on the banks of Onion Creek near what is now Camp Ben McCulloch and had four children. He died in Johnson City in 1898 where he had practiced law.
The Ben Milam Colonists -- $50
Benjamin Milam, hero of the Texas Revolution, obtained five Mexican land grants in 1826. The grants required him to establish a colony of 300 industrious families in the area that included Driftwood. There were less than 100 colonists when Milam died in the Siege of Bexar, but the Driftwood colonists received their grants in 1835.
The Thomas Martin Postmasters -- $100
Thomas Martin was a cotton farmer who came to the Driftwood area in 1881 and built a two-story home near Onion Creek. He built the first cotton gin and grist mill. He later opened a general store and applied for a post office where he became the first postmaster of Driftwood, Texas in 1886. He died in 1901 and is buried in the Driftwood cemetery.
The William J. Cannon Boosters -- $250
William Cannon obtained half of the Widow Freelove Woody's grant from Milam in exchange for paying to have her land surveyed. He named the area he settled north of Driftwood - Cannonville. He was a booster for the area and led a successful effort to have it declared as the county seat of Hays County. The Civil War intervened and the county seat stayed in San Marcos.
The Widow Freelove Woody Grantees -- $500
The Widow Freelove Woody received one of the original land grants from Ben Milam in 1835. Her land includes much of the present day Driftwood, including the Post Office, Community Center, Church and Cemetery. She never lived on the land which was still in the territory of Natiive Americans and not suitable for a widow with children. She sold a portion of the land for $3,000.
The Col. William B. Travis Heroes -- $1,000
William Barrett Travis died commanding the Texas forces at the Alamo on March 6, 1836. He was one of the Milam colonists who received title to a league of land in the Driftwood area from the Mexican government in 1835. His children sold the land in 1854 with his son Charles taking payment in cypress shingles harvested from the land and delivered to Austin.
Donate or pay dues via PayPal. Please note on the payment page whether your payment is for dues or a donation.
