Huntsville, Texas

I have been to Huntsville several times but this weekend we are being tourist!  Huntsville is all about Sam Houston and the oldest state prison.  First stop was the Texas Prison Museum.  I wasn't sure what to expect but will say it was a good museum with good displays.  As morbid as it sounds the main attraction was seeing Old Sparky.  This was the electric chair used from 1924-1964 and where 361 condemned inmates died.

There was also a very detailed account of the July 1974 prison siege that lasted 11 days when inmates took 15 hostages.   

Next up was all about Sam Houston.  We walked around the Houston Farm complex that is actual land owned by the Houston Family from 1847-1858.  The grounds were very well kept and pretty.  The Houston's Family Woodland Home.  

Stopped by the Memorial Museum complex where there were exhibits about Houston and his life.  Did you know Francis Scott Key (yes, the one who wrote The Star Spangled Banner) was Sam Houston's attorney when Houston was accused of assaulting a member of Congress.  He was found guilty.  Then a short drive to the Sam Houston burial site

And a bit of useless information . . . when the monument arrived in 1911 the word governor was misspelled on the 3rd line . . . so they fixed it by sanding the misspelled word down and putting gov'nor.  

Our last stop was the BIG Sam Houston . . . if you are driving on I-45 you can't miss him!  

 

He stands 67 feet tall on a 10 foot base . . . his cane is 32 feet tall . . . his hand is 7.5 feet wide and he  weighs 30 tons!  Seriously if you don't see him you must have been asleep!

Best Food Spots:
Five Loaves Deli
Farmhouse Cafe

And if you like fabrics and quilting stopping by Little Splitpeas is a must!