By Nancy Flake, Posted: Thursday, June 24, 2010 12:00 am | Updated: 9:04 pm, Sat Nov 20, 2010.
Already known by history buffs as the birthplace of the Texas flag, Montgomery County – and Conroe – is set to become a cornerstone in a historical “golden triangle” of state landmarks.
Members of the Conroe City Council, joined by officials from throughout the county, Huntsville and Washington-on-the-Brazos, put shovels to work Thursday morning for the groundbreaking of the Lone Star Monument and Historical Flag Park. The site will be located on the Interstate 45 northbound feeder at West Davis Street, on 3.5 acres of land donated by Montgomery County.
City Administrator Paul Virgadamo Jr. said the monument and flag park, scheduled for completion in four to six months, will become part of a historical trail also comprising the General Sam Houston Museum and monument in Huntsville, historical monuments in the city of Montgomery, including the new Fernland Historical Park, and Washington-on-the-Brazos, where Sam Houston and other leaders of the Republic of Texas signed the documents declaring Texas’ independence from Mexico in 1836.
The flag park will feature a plaza with the 13 flags that have flown over Texas, while its centerpiece will be a bronze sculpture depicting a Texian soldier, created by Conroe sculptor Craig Campobella.
“It’s going to be appreciated for hundreds of years by many, many people,” County Judge Alan B. Sadler said.
The landmark is costing the city about $385,000, including $57,000 for the cost of the Texian statue.
Huntsville City Councilman Mack Woodward, whose ancestors were among the first residents of the Republic of Texas, called the idea of tying together the historical sites “a great initiative.”
“‘Texas is the finest portion of the globe that has ever blessed my vision,’” said Woodward, quoting from a letter Sam Houston wrote after his first visit to Texas.
With flags flying over Conroe, said Janice Campbell, lead interpreter for Washington-on-the-Brazos, “We can’t help remember those people who made sacrifices and gave us the Texas we have today.”
In other council business:
Lake level study: The council approved a $15,000 pledge to the Lake Conroe Community Network for a Texas A&M University study on the impact of potentially lowered Lake Conroe levels on the county’s tax base.
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/courier/news/article_104d7830-f701-501d-83f1-278a4b22b5cf.html
