Texans say they have bragging rights, and maybe Houstonians deserve that claim. NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center ("Houston, we have a problem!") is here, as are the Astros, but so are loads of attractions, either popular or offbeat, as I discovered.
Houston, first capital of the Republic of Texas, was founded in 1836 and named for General Sam Houston, the Republic's first president. I had pictured Houston as oil wells and 10-gallon hats, so I was surprised by the city's fine art museums, its resident symphony, opera, ballet and theater company, and its 17-block theater and museum district. Oil isn't the only thing that's refined, here!
At the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, I learned how these soldiers earned their nickname. In 1867, noting the fierce fighting ability of the 10th Cavalry (U. S. Colored Troops), Cheyenne warriors respectfully called these black soldiers wild buffalos. The museum's artifacts and exhibits illustrate the hardships and bravery of black men and women who served in American wars and military campaigns.
Glenwood Cemetery isn't on most visitors' Must See lists, but I went to this "romantic cemetery park" to see the graves of Howard Hughes and actress Gene Tierney. Who can forget Tierney in "Laura" and "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir"? Tierney's husband was oilman Howard Lee. A movie camera is etched into her gravestone in the Lee plot.
Considering the magnitude of Howard Hughes' empire, I expected to see him buried in an elaborate, ornate mausoleum, but instead, his grave is behind a simple low wall fronted by a row of torches. Beautiful live oak trees dot Glenwood's 65 acres overlooking Buffalo Bayou. Among the gravesites, I spotted this obelisk: "Peter W. Gray, born in Fredericksburg, VA December 12, 1819. Fell asleep October 3, 1874."
Bayou Bend was the home of Houston collector and philanthropist Ima Hogg. Her father, a Texas Governor, must have had a cruel sense of humor when he named her. She was pretty. Her 1920s Georgian-Spanish Creole-style house is home to Houston's Museum of Fine Arts, and drips with fabulous paintings and furnishings. The ornamental and Italian Renaissance-style gardens are stunning. Docents give guided tours.
On the flip side is the 1939 Beer Can House. The exterior is covered with 70,000 crushed or hammered beer cans that resemble aluminum siding. I don't know what possessed the house's owner to do this, but its strangeness makes it a tourist attraction.
Another strange but intriguing attraction is the National Museum of Funeral History, whose exhibits and artifacts include vintage hearses and replicas of John F. Kennedy's and Abraham Lincoln's coffins. There's nothing strange about Sam Houston Park, though. The park, an outdoor museum, showcases 19th-century buildings, including the 1850 Nicholas-Cherry-Rice house, once owned by the founder of Rice University.
Another notable park is Emancipation Park. Texas didn't enforce the freeing of slaves until June 19, 1865, so in 1866, black residents commemorated the event with a festive celebration, "Juneteenth," at the park. The "Juneteenth" annual holiday has since spread across the United States.
I admit I was fascinated by the San Jacinto Monument and Museum, part of the San Jacinto Battleground Historical Complex. The monument, honoring all those who fought for Texas independence, is the world's tallest memorial column, 15 feet taller than the Washington Monument.
The museum is in the monument's base and has about 2,500 artifacts from the Mexican war and the Republic of Texas - swords, Santa Ana's diamond-encrusted knee buckle, Sam Houston's pocket watch, etc.
Across from the monument, the battleship Texas, commissioned in 1914, is now a memorial ship. It saw action in World War I, in Normandy and on Okinawa. It was the first battleship to launch an aircraft. Those anti-aircraft guns are impressive! This is the only surviving dreadnought-class warship. An onboard tour guide relayed the ship's history as I explored from bow to stern.
I also took a walking tour of downtown's Texas Avenue, which is filled with architecturally distinctive buildings. Here, 55 historical markers unfold Houston's history beginning from 1839. It was more proof of how culturally, artistically and historically diverse Houston is and - by the way - how great the city's restaurants are.
If Houstonians want to brag, by all means, let them!
- Roberta Sandler is an award-winning writer/author. Her newest book is A Brief Guide to Florida's Monuments and Memorials, published by University Press of Florida. She and her husband live in Wellington, FL.