Texas is giving history buffs a chance to unwrap the past this holiday season — with a special offer that combines Lone Star pride and preservation.
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham and the Texas General Land Office’s Save Texas History Program have launched a holiday fundraising drive that rewards donors with three exclusive Texas-themed gifts. Anyone contributing $100 or more by December 16, 2025, will receive a package of items celebrating the state’s rich heritage.
A Triple Gift of Texas History
The holiday package includes an Alamo Defenders Heritage Map personally signed by Commissioner Buckingham, the 2025 GLO Christmas Ornament featuring the Yellow Rose Compass, and the 2026 GLO Map Calendar highlighting historical Texas maps and facts. It’s a collection that aims to appeal to both serious collectors and casual admirers of Texas history.
“Today, Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D., and the Texas General Land Office’s Save Texas History Program encourage Texans to ‘give the gift of Texas history’ to any history buff or fan of the Lone Star State this holiday season,” the GLO announced in their promotional materials.
The centerpiece of the offering is the Alamo Defenders Heritage Map, which pays tribute to the origins and sacrifice of those who fought at the iconic Texas battle. “The map pays homage to the distinct heritage of the Alamo defenders by honoring where they came from, commemorating their heroic service, and acknowledging the debt paid to them by Texas for making the ultimate sacrifice for freedom,” according to program materials.
Preserving Texas’s Documentary Heritage
Why maps? The Save Texas History program, established in 2004, focuses specifically on preserving and promoting the historic maps and documents housed in the GLO Archives. These artifacts chronicle everything from early settlement patterns to boundary disputes that shaped modern Texas.
The initiative relies heavily on private donations and public support to fund conservation efforts for these irreplaceable historical documents. Many of the maps in the GLO’s collection date back to the Republic of Texas era and earlier, offering unique windows into the state’s development over centuries.
Commissioner Buckingham brings her own historic significance to the fundraising effort. In 2022, she became Texas’ first female Land Commissioner after winning a statewide election. Her portfolio includes disaster support, energy policy, education, veterans’ affairs, and border security — continuing the GLO’s broad mandate that dates back to the republic’s founding.
The holiday fundraiser represents just one facet of the Save Texas History program’s ongoing work. Beyond conservation, the initiative supports educational outreach and public access to these historical documents, making Texas’s documentary heritage available to students, researchers, and history enthusiasts across the state and beyond.
Interested in giving the gift of Texas history this season? The GLO states that donors must contribute by December 16, 2025, to receive the commemorative package — giving Texans plenty of time to plan their historical holiday giving.
As Texas continues to grow and change at a rapid pace, these preserved maps and documents serve as anchors to the state’s distinctive past — tangible links to the decisions, struggles, and triumphs that shaped the Lone Star State we know today.
