Annette McMullen as Jane Long

Jane Long was orphaned at fourteen and widowed at twenty-four, Jane Wilkinson Long led a long and hard life. But her independent and determined character easily earned for her the title "Mother of Texas."

Long was born on July 23, 1798 in Charles County, Maryland. Her father died when she was less than one year old.  Jane and her mother moved to the Mississippi Territory in 1811. Jane went to live with her older sister near Natchez when her mother died in 1812.   This is where she later met the man she was to marry.

It was early in 1816 when Jane met James Long, who was a physician.  James came to Natchez after serving as a surgeon at the Battle of New Orleans. Their courtship was brief and the two were married in May, 1816 and in November, 1817 Jane gave birth to their first child.  Jane and James Long did not have long to enjoy married life.  It was shortly after they were married that James long left for an expedition to Texas.

Jane had joined her husband James in 1820, at Bolivar Point, a peninsula outpost near Galveston Island.  James was here reorganizing his expedition.  The Bolivar Point outpost was established in an effort to help free Texas from Spanish rule. By the time James Long left Bolivar Point on an excursion in September of 1821, Jane was expecting their second child. She stayed behind and vowed to remain at the fort until his return. Jane held steadfast to that vow and only later learned that James had been captured and later accidentally killed in Mexico City.

Jane still unaware of her husbands fate remained at Bolivar Point through the winter of 1821-1822. Jane stayed even after the few other inhabitants left the fort because of dwindling supplies. Jane, Kiamatta (her twelve year old servant) and her six year old daughter, survived on dwindling supplies of corn meal, salted fish and oysters scavenged from the bay.  Jane and Kian were able to keep nearby Indians at bay by maintaining the illusion that the fort was still protected by soldiers. On December 21, during a record breaking blizzard, in an ice covered tent, Jane gave birth to Mary James Long.

A ship transporting some of the first of Stephen F. Austin's colonists came by Bolivar Point. Jane still unaware of her husbands death refused to go with them.  The colonists reluctantly left her behind.  The colonists left her what they could spare of flour, cornmeal and venison before their departure. Jane continued to await her husbands return until in  July 1822, Randal and James Jones informed Jane that her husband had died in Mexico.

Jane left Texas, but soon returned with Kian and Ann to live with Austin's colony. Jane and Kian became successful hotel keepers first in Brazoria, then Richmond. Their hotels were centers of political activity with guests like David G. Burnet, Sam Houston, and Mirabeau Lamar. Kian remained a slave all her life, but her grandchildren were free and continued to live in the Richmond area. Jane died in Richmond on December 30, 1880 at the age of 82.

Throughout her long and active life in Texas, Jane became the object of many admirers and some would-be suitors. These included no less notable Texans than Ben Milam, William Travis, Stephen Austin, Sam Houston and Mirabeau Lamar. She rejected all offers of matrimony, however, and died a widow of James Long.

Jane Long is buried at Richmond, Texas. On her gravestone is inscribed "Mrs. Jane H. Long, The Mother of Texas."

Mrs. Long's story is lovingly told by Mrs. Annette McMullen.