Sam Houston’s birthday was celebrated yesterday, March 2, along with Texas Independence Day. The event was sponsored by the Sam Houston Memorial Museum. The birth of the Huntsville hero was commemorated with a traditional ceremony at 11 a.m. at his gravesite in Oakwood Cemetery. The celebration kicked off with a reception at the Sam Houston Statue and Visitors Center and was followed by a luncheon at 12:30 p.m. at the Katy and E. Don Walker, Sr. Education Center.
Sam Houston was born in 1793, but his father, Major Sam Houston, died in 1806 when Sam was only 13 years old. In 1810 Sam was adopted by Chief Oo-Loo-Te-Ka, of the Cherokee tribe, and was named “The Raven” after having run away from home. Three years later, Houston enlisted in the army, and by 1823 he was unanimously elected to the House of Representatives. In 1836 he celebrated his 43 birthday with the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico. On July 26, 1863 Houston died of pneumonia in the Steamboat House right here in Huntsville. He was 70 years old.
Texas Independence Day is an official holiday of the State of Texas, and the Sam Houston Memorial Museum celebrates it with pride, in conjunction with the birth of Texas hero, Sam Houston. For more information on upcoming events sponsored by the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, visit http://www.samhouston.memorial.museum/ or call 936.294.1832.