Stephenvillebr/ Erath County, Texasbr/23 13.142' N 98 12.351' Wbr/500 W. Washington Streetbr/ br/Text: The Erath Arches were constructed in honor of soldier, surveyor and legislator George B. Erath (1813 - 1891), for whom Erath County was named in 1856. The monument was one of many built around the state to celebrate the 1936 Centennial of Texas Independence. Local architect C.V. Head designed the memorial, and Dublin rock mason Arthur Maxwell constructed it of native field stone. The memorial was threatened with demolition in the 1960s because of the necessity to widen Erath and Washington streets, but public outcry saved it. Instead, the two separate pieces were hoisted by crane and resituated at an angle, allowing modern automobiles to pass between them.