Slaton Harvey House receives new State Historical Marker

By Melissa McCaghren

Slatonite Editor

It was a moment four years in the making.

But for the members of the Slaton Harvey House Board and other dignitaries at the Texas Historical Marker re-dedication Wednesday morning (July 23), it was a moment well worth the wait.

The original marker was heavily damaged and vandalized in 2021 in a spate of vandalism around the County. 

The marker costs about $2,200-$2,400 to replace. 

Sandy Fortenberry, Lubbock Historical Commissions Chair, welcomed everyone to the event, and highlighted the importance of the new marker, especially with the Harvey House becoming the 40th Texas Historical Commission Historic Site. 

“We’re here for a significant event today, but while you’re here at historic Slaton, you should take time to look at some of the other historic markers in town,” she said. “We have recognized Slaton, the town itself, City Hall, Square, the Slaton Bakery – another good stop before you leave town – the Volunteer Fire Department, Mercy Hospital, and the Englewood Cemetery.

“We’re here to unveil this marker. And while it is a new marker, it is a replacement marker. Several years ago we had a spate of vandalism happen in the County, people taking pot shots, we thought, with the bazooka in our marker” Fortenberry added. “And this marker was damaged – didn’t have a hole in it, and Peter Laverty and our commission (have) done a very good job of repairing as best he could those markers. But for this event and the transition of the Harvey House, we wanteda unblemished marker standing in front.”

For more information, including more photos of the re-dedication, please read the Thursday edition of The Slatonite.