Commission Agenda Item No. 14
Presenter:  Ted Hollingsworth

Action
Land Acquisition – Harris County
2.8 Acres at San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site
August 26, 2010

I.       Executive Summary:  Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has been offered a tract of land from the 19th century town site of San Jacinto for addition to the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site.

II.     Discussion:  The San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site (SHS) is located in Harris County less than 20 miles east of downtown Houston.  The SHS preserves the location where a relatively small group of Texas volunteers defeated a numerically superior Mexican army on April 21, 1836 to win Texas her independence.  The SHS has grown from 10 acres in the mid-19th century to 1,216 acres today and now encompasses most of the actual areas of army encampments and combat during the battle.  In recent years, TPWD has made efforts to work with adjacent landowners to acquire or otherwise protect as much of the remaining battleground and associated cultural landscape as possible.

That landscape includes the 19th century town site of San Jacinto, which sprung up shortly after the historic battle and was a thriving community by the time of the Civil War.  TPWD has acquired most of the original town site, but a few individual town tracts and lots remain in private ownership.  Many of these are underwater due to subsidence.  The owner of one of these tracts, consisting of 2.8± acres, has offered the property to TPWD.  Staff has negotiated the transfer of this tract to TPWD in exchange for covering the costs of closing and back taxes due.

III.    Recommendation:  The staff recommends the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission adopt the following motion:

"The Executive Director is authorized to take all necessary actions to acquire a 2.8± acre tract of land in Harris County for addition to the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site."

            Attachments — 3

  1. Exhibit A – Location Map
  2. Exhibit B – Vicinity Map
  3. Exhibit C – Site Map

Commission Agenda Item No. 14
Exhibit A

Location Map for San Jacinto Battleground SHS in Harris County


Commission Agenda Item No. 14
Exhibit B

Vicinity Map for San Jacinto Battleground SHS in Harris County


Commission Agenda Item No. 14
Exhibit C

Site Map of San Jacinto Battleground SHS Showing Location of Subject Tract