One of the most colorful and controversial figures in Texas
history, Sam Houston was born in Virginia on March 2, 1793. He spent much of his
youth, however, in the mountains of Tennessee. There, young Houston became
acquainted with the Cherokee Indians, and he spent much time with them, an
activity which he much preferred over studies or working on the farm.
With the outbreak of the second war with England, Houston enlisted as a
private soldier, and was made sergeant of a company. He excelled in the military
and quickly won the admiration of his men and his superiors. After receiving
three near-mortal wounds at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, he rose to the rank of
first lieutenant before resigning in 1818 to study law.
After a short time, he was admitted to the bar and practiced in Lebonon,
Tennessee before running for public office. He sought and won public office and
was elected to the US Congress in 1823 and again in 1825. In 1827, Houston was
elected Governor of Tennessee by a large majority.
While governor and after a brief marriage that ended unfavorably, Houston
quietly resigned from Tennessee politics and returned to live with his longtime
friends, the Cherokees. There, he remained until 1832 when he moved to Texas
along with a few friends.
In Texas, Houston was elected delegate from Nacogdoches to the Convention of 1833
which met at San Felipe. From that time, Houston emerged as a prominent player
in the affairs of Texas. In 1835 he was appointed general of the military
district east of the Trinity. He became a member of the Consultation of 1835,
and of the Convention which met at Washington on the Brazos in 1836 to declare
independence from Mexico. It was there that Houston was elected
commander-in-chief of the armies of Texas.
Houston immediately took control of the Texas forces after the fall of the
Alamo and Goliad, and conducted the retreat of the army to the site of the Battle of San Jacinto,
where on April 21, 1836, his force defeated Santa Anna and secured Texas long
sought independence.
In the fall of that year, Houston was elected the first President of the
Republic of Texas. After serving his term as President, he served in the
Congress of the Republic in 1839-40. Then in 1841, Houston was again voted by a
large margin to the head of the Texas government.
After statehood in 1845, Houston was elected Senator from Texas to the
Congress of the United States. Still later, in 1859, Houston was elected to
serve as Governor of the State of Texas.
As Governor in 1861, Houston was strongly opposed to the secession of Texas
from the Union. Because he was much in the minority on this issue, Houston was
removed from office in March of 1861, ending his illustrious carrier in public
service.
Houston retired to the privacy of his home at Huntsville, Texas, where died
in July of 1863. He is buried in Huntsville's Oakwood Cemetery.
 
The Sam Houston Memorial Museum historic site is within the city limits of Huntsville, Texas. The most important structure on the grounds is Woodland Home, built in 1847 when Houston was serving as one of the first United States Senators from Texas and was spending more than half of each year in Washington, D.C. His wife Margaret Houston wished to live near town, where she could have better access to medical care and the spiritual comfort of the First Baptist Church. The traditional-style, double-pen dog-runqv log cabin was home to the Houstons, and four of their eight children were born here. Houston rented the home in 1853 and ultimately sold the property in 1858. The house is accurately furnished with several original Houston pieces of furniture and other items representative of the period. Also dating to the 1847–58 period is the law office, a single-room log cabin that served Houston as a study and gathering place for political discussions. It also functioned as a cradle of Freemasonry in the early days of the Texas frontier. The Steamboat House, a building of unusual architectural design, was rented by the family when Houston returned to Huntsville in 1861 following his dismissal as Texas governor for failing to pledge his loyalty to the Confederacy. On July 26, 1863, he died in the house and was buried from the front parlor. The house was moved onto the grounds of the historic site in 1936.This Memorial has always been one of my favorites to stop at on the way to visiting my family. We pass it every time we go to Dallas, and we've been quite a few times. It's just so interesting to me and my family as well. |
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