Sam Houston Park

Sam Houston Park is the name given to a small roadside area in northern Red River County, Texas. The little park is located on FM 410 about 8 miles north of the Woodland community. It contains several monuments to early Texas history, including the tombstone of an early settler. Information on the area is not abundant, and the park itself is not famous, even locally. It is, however, specifically designated as a park by certain entries at the Texas Historic Sites Atlas at http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/index.asp, so that's what I call it here.

I have visited the park several times throughout the years, since it's also the location of the Jane Chandler-Gill burial, but in the past I never paid much attention to any of the other memorials. In December 2006 I visited again and took a closer look at the other monuments in the park. This page is a catalog of that visit.

The General Layout Of The Park

Another one of my infamous Paint drawings.

	Sam Houston Park Click here to see pictures of the park (3 pictures).
	Pioneer Memorial "This site dedicated to the memory of James Henry Johnston, James E. and Elizabeth Johnston Ferguson, Red River County Pioneers." Larger picture here.
	Jane Chandler Gill Memorial & Plaque The small marker reads, "Jane Chandler-Gill, January 1, 1782-September 20, 1816, An Englishwoman who died soon afteer settling in Jonesboro. Her grave is one of Texas' oldest Caucasian burials." (Recorded 1973) Click here for more information.
	Jonesboro (19th century town) One of first ports of entry into Texas for Anglo-Americans. Opened early as 1814; heavily used by 1817. Named for 1819-21 ferry owner Henry Jones (1789-1861). Claimed by both Mexico and the United States, town was 1828-37 county seat of Miller County, Ark. Community had 2,350 people by 1834. At this crossing Sam Houston (1832) and David Crockett (1835) entered Texas. A well-known road led southeastward to other colonies by way of Nacogdoches. In 1836, Clarksville became Red River District's capital. By 1840 Jonesboro had lost its trade and many settlers to other areas. Pictures
	Sam Houston Memorial "Near here at the Old Jonesboro Crossing, Sam Houston, an envoy of President Andrew Jackson first set foot on Texas soil, December 2, 1832." Click here to see more pictures of the monument (2 pictures).
	Jesse Bowman (Alamo Defender) Memorial "Alamo defender Jesse B. Bowman was born in Tennessee about 1785. By 1811 he was living in Illinois where his son Joseph T. Bowman was born that year. Bowman and his family..." Complete text and pictures here.

Created With MS Paint.exe & Notepad.exe
© Ruinedmetropolis.com 2006-2009, All rights reserved.