Landscape Architect & Specifier News

MAR 2018

LASN is a photographically oriented, professional journal featuring topics of concern and state-of-the-art projects designed or influenced by registered Landscape Architects.

Issue link: https://landscapearchitect.epubxp.com/i/952062

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 82 of 165

March 2018 83 Juan Seguin Park, La Porte, Texas Landscape Architecture Design Lead, Clark Condon Juan Nepomuceno Seguin, born October 27, 1806 in San Antonio, had an illustrious political and military career. At 28 years old, Juan Seguin formed a militia group to aide in the fight against the Centralist forces of Mexican politician Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Commissioned as a captain by Stephen Austin, Juan's company fought in the 13-day Battle of the Alamo. Juan was one of the few people in the Alamo battle that survived, only because he was sent away as a courier before the Alamo fell. Juan organized a new company and on April 21, 1836, Captain Juan Seguin and his Tejano unit fought for Texas Independence alongside General Sam Houston's troops in the Battle of San Jacinto. Seguin was the only commissioned officer to fight at both the Alamo and San Jacinto. To capture the compelling history and historical significance of Juan Seguin, the design team, Harris County Precinct 2, Juan Seguin's family and the Sons and Daughters of the Republic of Texas, collaborated to re-imagine an abandoned city into a regional educational destination celebrating the Tejano hero and the importance of the land today. A Virtual Tour of Juan Seguin Park This two-acre green space in La Porte, Texas is at the confluence of Buffalo Bayou, the San Jacinto River and the Houston Ship Channel, and just two miles from the historic San Jacinto battleground. The park was also the former site of San Jacinto Town, a once thriving area that was devastated by repeated hurricanes. The town was little more than a fishing camp after 1915, and over time became a construction spoil site. Over 140 tons of large concrete slabs removed from the site were reused as rip rap for bank stabilization along the ship channel's edge. Rebellion, revolution, conflict and civil war contributed to Texas' history and defined the borders of the second-largest state in the United States. In 1821, Mexico won independence from Spain, which resulted in turmoil and a strong opposition among colonists and Tejanos. This led to the Texas Revolution of 1835 that spawned some of the most notable figures in Texas history: Sam Houston, William Travis, Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett, David Burnet and Juan Seguin – the namesake of this La Porte, Texas park.

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Landscape Architect & Specifier News - MAR 2018