Not all monuments at the Ellis County Historic Courthouse are a century old. Currently, the Alamo Letter Society – a non-profit organization that educates Texans about the armed struggle of their forefathers at the Battle of the Alamo – is helping to fund the installation of plaques featuring Colonel William B. Travis’ legendary “Letter from the Alamo” at all 254 county courthouses in Texas. Thanks to the initiative of Ellis County Judge Todd Little, Alamo Letter Society Founder Lee William “Bill” McNutt – owner of the famous Collin Street Bakery in Dallas – Co-Founder Rosser Newton, and Sergeant Major John Vick – Army Veteran and District Director for State Senator Bob Hall – Ellis County became the first in Texas to install one of these plaques in February of 2024. The plaque was funded in part by the Ellis County Historical Commission, whose members designed the base such that a person of average height would be viewing the plaque at 90 degrees from the sidewalk. This design has since been adopted as the standard for all other Alamo Letter plaques in Texas. The plaque itself was constructed by the Southwell Company, the same manufacturer of the Alamo Letter plaque that was installed on-location at the Alamo in the 1960’s.