Austin, Texas story
The Messenger of the Alamo
When the Alamo fell in 1836, only a handful of people lived to tell the tale. Among them was Susanna Dickinson, who survived the historic battle and personally carried the harrowi…
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When the Alamo fell in 1836, only a handful of people lived to tell the tale. Among them was Susanna Dickinson, who survived the historic battle and personally carried the harrowing news of its fall to General Sam Houston, earning her the title "Messenger of the Alamo." Decades later, in 1869, Susanna's fifth husband, Joseph Hannig, built a beautiful "rubble-rock" home for her in downtown Austin. This structure, reflecting a style brought to the Texas Hill Country by German immigrants, served as their residence until 1875.
Today, it stands at Four-Eleven East Fifth Street as the only surviving home of this legendary Texas heroine, restored and opened as a free museum on Texas Independence Day in 2010. As you walk, let the strength of Susanna’s survival inspire your steps through the streets of the city she eventually called home.
Updated June 2026