The 1836 Battle of San Jacinto, here depicted on the side of an oil tank near the battlefield site, was the decisive battle in the cause of Texas Independence.
The Battle of the Alamo had occurred a little more than a month previously, and ended badly for the Texans. At San Jacinto, the Texans led by General Sam Houston were outnumbered by the forces of Mexican General Santa Anna. Houston led a surprise attack and the battle was over in eighteen minutes. Santa Anna was soon captured, and the Mexican army retreated to Mexico. Texas independence was secured.
The art deco style monument is made of reinforced concrete faced with Texas Cordova shell stone, pocked with remnants of fossilized seashells.
The battlefield monument was constructed in 1936 for the battle centennial. At 567 feet it is the tallest monument column in the world. The three-dimensional star on top weighs 220 tons, was built on the ground, dismantled, and reassembled piece by piece way up there. The observation deck, reached by elevator, is behind the three windows at the 489 foot level.
The view from the observation deck. The waterway in the background is the Houston Ship Channel, a busy waterway for ocean-going ships. The Battleship Texas is on the right. The white objects on the grass at the right of the reflecting pool are tents of battle re-enactors. The San Jacinto Day celebration was to be held in a few days.
The Lynchburg ferries that carry vehicles about 400 yards across the Ship Channel, avoiding a 17-mile road trip. They dart across in what looks like a constant game of chicken with the big ships .
My dinner at the Monument Inn by the Ship Channel. These are fried oysters, breaded with a cornmeal batter. They are sweeter than clams, not quite so chewy, and I'd definitely have them again.