Are you fascinated by Texas’ history and you want to share it with the kiddos? If so, consider taking a trip to La Porte to the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Complex. It is the site of April 21, 1836, battle between General Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna and General Sam Houston’s army. The Texan army of 910 attacked the Mexican army and routed them in about 18 minutes. This battle won Texas its independence from Mexico. The battleground is a 1,200-acre park that is home to the San Jacinto Monument and the Battleship TEXAS.
Come out and see the tallest masonry structure in the world in Texas! At 570 feet, tall, it is 15 feet taller than the Washington Monument, in DC. Weighing in at 70 million 300,000 lbs., and is faced with blocks of Cordova shell stone weighing 500 pounds., each. The San Jacinto Monument and Museum was a Public Works Administration project which started on April 21, 1936, and dedicated on April 21, 1939.
The project was completed on time, which began three years ago. The top is made of shell stone. It is over 100 million years old and was quarried from Burnet County north of Austin. The nine-point star is 35 feet tall, weighs 220 tons, and is a star from any direction in the park because of its unique configuration. The total cost of the Monument was $1,500,000.00. For more information, the public may visit www.sanjacinto-museum.org or call (281)479-2421.
While you and the family are visiting, be sure to see The Battleship TEXAS in all her glory. She was commissioned, March 12, 1914, and assigned her hull number BB-35. TEXAS became the only surviving “dreadnought” U.S. naval vessel to have seen service in both World Wars.
On April 12, 1948, she was formally decommissioned, and her new birth became the San Jacinto Battleground and was turned over to the state of Texas under the administration of the Battleship TEXAS Commission. In 1983 she was transferred to Texas Parks & Wildlife. Open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. For more information, please visit www.tpwd.texas.gov or call (281)479-2431.
