The Texas Historical Commission held a press conference yesterday at the Bob Bullock Museum here in Austin. The chairman of the commission announced the purchase of Davy Crockett's last known letter before his death at the Alamo. The letter was purchased for over $500,000 (although the sellers reimbursed about $60,000 back to the State).

What is interesting about this fact is the amount of money spent on the acquisition. The State Library and Archives Commission is given no budget for this sort of purchase. And, I was frankly troubled by the fact that no "home" for the document was announced. Clearly, archives belong in the State Library and Archives.

Governor Perry attended at the press conference and lauded the purchase. While I'm very glad of his high level support for Texas history, I wish the role of the State Library and Archives Commission had been brought into this mix. Now the question remains: where will the letter be housed?