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Alamo custodians oust two members

The Alamo, photo by Nan Palmero
Photo Credit: Nan Palmero

Yesterday I mentioned the clash that occurred in 1908 between Adina De Zavala and Clara Driscoll, both members of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, the custodians of the Alamo. Zavala barricaded herself in the Long Barrack to ensure its preservation.

Over the years, members of the nonprofit organization have at times disagreed about how best to preserve the historic shrine, and today, Scott Huddleston wrote a story about the latest rift:

The Daughters of the Republic of Texas have taken the dramatic step of expelling two members who formed their own nonprofit organization and criticized the group that cares for the Alamo.

In a news release, the DRT said a “distracting and negative event” has come to an end, allowing the lineage group to refocus on care of the shrine and other sites across the state.

It remains to be seen whether the DRT and the organization formed by the ousted members, Erin Bowman and Dianne MacDiarmid, will coexist peacefully, as each seeks to promote the Alamo’s best interests. Bowman and MacDiarmid both declined to comment Monday.

“We’re trying to decide where we’re going from here,” Bowman said.

You can check out Scott’s original story about the controversy here. “I think the split has been a long time coming,” Bowman said in July.

(Photo credit: Rafael Resendiz)