Andrew Kent

Andrew Kent was born c. 1791 in Kentucky, to Isaac Kent; his mother's name is unknown. On April 30, 1816, he wed Elizabeth Zumwalt, a Missouri native born in April 1798. Andrew worked as a carpenter, and he and Elizabeth had 10 children. While living in Missouri, they met Green DeWitt. In 1825, DeWitt received a grant to settle new families in Texas, and five related families of Kents, Zumwalts, and Burkets traveled together, reaching Texas in June 1830. Andrew Kent received a league of land on the eastern border of DeWitt's Colony, on the west bank of the Lavaca River about 10 miles south of present Hallettsville. On this site, Andrew farmed, ranched, and did carpenter work, and from here he traveled to Gonzales and to Lavaca Bay to trade and purchase supplies. On July 17, 1835, settlers of the Lavaca and Navidad River valleys met to discuss their dissent against Mexico's autocratic leader, Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna. In October of that year, Andrew Kent and his son David participated in the Battle of Gonzales. The following February, Andrew and David argued over who would go with others from the area in response to a plea for help from the defenders of the Alamo. Andrew sent his son home and proceeded to San Antonio with "The Immortal 32" and was among those killed at the Alamo. Kent County was later named in his honor. Kent's widow and children struggled, as did many others, to overcome the hardship of loss and the destruction of their property during the Texas Revolution. David and brother Bosman later served in the Mexican and Civil wars. Their father's life as a Texas patriot, and the stories of their own lives and those of their siblings, friends and neighbors demonstrate the courage and tenacious spirit brought to Texas by its pioneer settlers. (2006)

Andrew Kent is a historical marker in Hallettsville, Lavaca County, dedicated in 2005. It is one of 96 historical markers documented in Lavaca County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 174 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.3053, -96.9211 near Hallettsville. The nearest cataloged historic site is Ponton, Joel (historical marker), about 0.7 miles away. Others within a short drive include unknown (Salem Ch), Ezzell School, and Providence Cemetery.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507013421. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.