San Jacinto Monument

THE SAN JACINTO MONUMENT

The San Jacinto Monument commemorates the 1836 Battle of San Jacinto, where General Sam Houston and the Texas Army won independence from General Santa Anna’s Mexican forces in less than 20 minutes. It is a much visited and celebrated historical site located along the Houston Ship Channel in La Porte, Texas.

During the 1890’s the Texas Veterans Association started planning a memorial for this historic event after receiving funds from the State of Texas to buy the land, which was at the time privately owned. Many years later, the Sons and Daughters of the Republic of Texas, along with President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Secretary of Commerce, Jesse H. Jones raised the necessary funds to build the tower. They all helped in constructing and building what is now known as the San Jacinto Monument. This was also the perfect time for the building process to begin since it commemorated the 100^th anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto.

Construction began on the 570 foot monument in 1936 and was completed in 1939. On April 21, 1939, the monument was dedicated and was recognized as the world’s tallest monument and masonry tower. At this time, it is the 2^nd tallest monument in the United States with the Gateway Arch in St. Louis being the tallest.

The San Jacinto Museum’s Historical Association has occupied this facility since the doors first opened. The Museum is located inside the base of the Monument behind bronze doors imprinted with the six flags of Texas. The base of the Monument which contains panels highlighting the Events that took place leading up to the Texas Revolution. At the base of The San Jacinto Monument sits the crowning jewel, a 24 foot and 220 ton Lone Star which was constructed out of stone, steel and concrete.

Visitors can ride an elevator all the way up to the observation floor, which is 489 feet directly above the actual site of the battleground, and view the city and the ship channel. The museum has now acquired thousands of objects, documents, and images, along with a 35,000 volume library spanning over 400 years of Texas History which from the Spanish conquest through the 19^th century.

If you haven’t yet seen the fantastic monument dedicated to General Sam Houston and the Battle of San Jacinto, you must take time to do so. The San Jacinto Monument is open daily and admission is free between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. However, you will need to buy a ticket for the elevator ride and the 160 seat theater named for well-known Houstonian Jesse H. Jones, which is housed inside the museum.