San Jacinto Monument

In 1856, the Texas Veterans Association began lobbying the state legislature to create a memorial to the men who died during the Texas Revolution. The legislature commemorated the final battle of the revolution in the 1890s, when funds were appropriated to purchase the land where the battle took place. After a careful survey to determine the boundaries of the original battle site, land was purchased for a new state park east of Houston, in 1897. This became San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas began pressuring the legislature to provide an official monument at the site of the Battle of San Jacinto. In March 1936, as part of the Texas Centennial Celebration, ground was broken for the San Jacinto Monument. Construction began on April 21, 1936, the centennial anniversary date of the Battle of San Jacinto. The cornerstone was set one year later on April 21, 1937, and two years later construction ended, also on the anniversary date, April 21, 1939. Jesse H. Jones was in attendance along with the commencement ceremony in 1939 when he and Sam Houston's last surviving son, Andrew Jackson Houston, and others officially dedicated the monument. The project was completed in exactly three years costing $1.5 million. ==Description==

The San Jacinto monument is an eight-sided tapering spire, square in cross-section with chamfered corners. At the point where the shaft rises from the base, it is square (). The shaft narrows to square () at the observation deck. At the top of the monument is a 220-ton, high star, representing the Lone Star of Texas. A reflecting pool shows the entire shaft. The monument was built by W.S. Bellows Construction and primarily constructed of reinforced concrete. Its exterior is faced with Texas limestone from a quarry near the Texas State Capitol. It stands tall and is the tallest monument column in the world. It is taller than the next tallest, the Juche Tower in North Korea. The base of the monument contains a museum and a 160-seat theater. The base is decorated with eight engraved panels depicting the history of Texas. The bronze doors which allow entry into the museum show the six flags of Texas. As of 2006, approximately 250,000 people visited the monument each year, including 40,000 children on school trips. ==Inscription==

An inscription on The base of the monument tells the story of the birth of Texas: ==Gallery==

File:USS TexasSan Jacinto Park in Fog.jpg| and the Monument seen at sunrise in late 2007 File:Base of San Jacinto Monument (2001-05).jpg|The base of the monument File:San Jacinto Monument at San Jacinto Battle Field.jpg| The spire seen from the shipping canal File:San Jacinto Battle Ground.jpg|San Jacinto Battle Ground (postcard, c. 1898) File:San Jacinto Monument engraved panel depicting the history of Texas.jpg|Engraved panel depicting the history of Texas on the San Jacinto Monument ==See also==