Park Development

The park is a 35 foot by 337 foot strip adjacent to Highway 35 in the heart of downtown West Columbia.

The land was donated by a developer who purchased the property from the Weems family. A Walgreen's Pharmacy has been completed and is open.

The historical stations are completed. They will illustrate for visitors the history leading up to the formation of the Republic of Texas and its early days when it was centered in West Columbia.

As visitors read the events of that exciting time in the birth of Texas,they will be standing where men such as Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, Henry Smith, Mirabeau Lamar and others whose names fill the history books once walked and debated the future of their fledgling Republic. It is, in fact, the very spot where Sam Houston took the oath of office as the first President of the Republic and Stephen F. Austin was named Secretary of State.

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You Are Cordially Invited to the First Anniversary of
THE CAPITOL OF TEXAS PARK
A WALK THROUGH THE BIRTH OF TEXAS

April 17, 2010
West Columbia, Texas
1:00 p.m.
Corner of 17th Street & Brazos Street

Reception following at Scott’s BBQ Restaurant
For more information, please call 979-345-5777

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News Release

03-09-2010

The Capitol of Texas Park is nearing its first year of operation. Pictured above is Thomas Adams, of Texas Wildscapers, the landscaper for the park, as he continues to prepare the park. The parks landscaping is designed to include only Texas native plants, flowers, and grasses. Our first years experience revealed that some of the native plants flourished a little too much. And were bigger than anticipated. This year, as the plants are being pruned and cultivated, size will be major consideration. Plants adjacent to the 16th and 17th streets intersection with SH 35 will be sized as so that they will be low and will not be a traffic obstruction. In addition the plants should not obscure the view of the parks 21 historical monuments or the restored First Capitol Cistern. The landscaping improvements should be fully visible by the first anniversary of the opening of the park, which will be celebrated at 1:00 PM, April 16, 2010, as part of the San Jacinto Festival in West Columbia. The park is open to the public all day every day and all of our citizens should walk through the park and refresh their historical knowledge of what happened here, on this spot, during the summer and fall of 1836 as our Republic of Texas was formed.