82R26513 RYA-D
By: Hernandez Luna H.R. No. 2018
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Many proud Texans are gathering to celebrate the
rededication of a Texas Centennial Marker at the Lorenzo de Zavala
homesite in Harris County on May 21, 2011; and
WHEREAS, Lorenzo de Zavala was born in Tecoh, near Merida,
Yucatan, on October 3, 1788; a Renaissance man, he was fluent in
Spanish, French, English, and Latin, studied medicine, founded
several newspapers in Mexico, and wrote several books and numerous
pamphlets; he also served as an official in the governments of three
nations, Spain, Mexico, and the Republic of Texas; in 1826 he was
active in establishing York Rite Masonry in Mexico, serving as the
charter master of Independencia Lodge No. 454; and
WHEREAS, Mr. de Zavala entered Mexican politics in 1812, and
in 1821 he became a deputy to the Spanish Cortes in Madrid; a leader
of the Federalist Party, he served in the First and Second Mexican
Constituent Congresses, convened in 1822 and 1824, respectively,
and in the Mexican Senate from 1822 to 1826, and he aided in
drafting Mexico's Constitution of 1824, but his liberal views led
to his exile in 1830; after spending time in New York City and in
Europe, he returned to Mexico in 1832; Mr. de Zavala became governor
of the state of Mexico in 1833, and in the spring of 1834 he arrived
in Paris as head of the Mexican legation; on learning a short time
later that President Santa Anna had assumed dictatorial powers, he
resigned his position and returned to New York; and
WHEREAS, This staunch champion of democratic practices moved
to Texas in July 1835 and immediately became involved in its
politics, gradually emerging as an advocate for Texas' independence
from Mexico; he served as a delegate from Harrisburg at the
Consultation at San Felipe in November 1835 and at the Convention at
Washington-on-the-Brazos in March 1836, when he signed the Texas
Declaration of Independence, helped to draft the new Texas
Constitution, and was unanimously elected as the first vice
president of the Republic of Texas; and
WHEREAS, In the summer of 1835, Mr. de Zavala purchased a home
on a high peninsula overlooking Buffalo Bayou to the east, Old River
to the north, and Carpenters Bayou to the south; the 177-acre
homestead, now located in Channelview, along the banks of the
Houston Ship Channel and across Buffalo Bayou from the San Jacinto
Battlefield, became known as Zavala Point; Mr. de Zavala's house,
built in 1829, was a one-story log cabin covered with plank boards,
reportedly the first erected in the municipality of Harrisburg;
following the Battle of San Jacinto, it served as a hospital for
Texan and Mexican soldiers; the home was destroyed by fire sometime
around 1866; and
WHEREAS, Late in 1836, Lorenzo de Zavala was crossing Buffalo
Bayou when his boat overturned during a norther, drenching him;
already in poor health, he soon developed pneumonia and died at his
home on November 15, 1836; he was buried in the nearby family
cemetery, which is now submerged due to subsidence and erosion; and
WHEREAS, Texas has such high regard for Mr. de Zavala that the
building housing the Texas State Library and Archives in Austin is
named for him, as are numerous schools, including four within 20
miles of his home; in 1936, the State of Texas erected a granite
Centennial Marker at the site of his homestead; after Hurricane Ike
severely damaged the marker in 2008, admirers of Mr. de Zavala's
soon began the effort to replace it with a replica, and that effort
has now come to fruition; and
WHEREAS, Lorenzo de Zavala played a vital role in guiding the
fortunes of Texas at a critical juncture in its history, and his
homesite carries a particular resonance for all who care about the
heritage of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the rededication of a Texas
Centennial Marker at the site of Lorenzo de Zavala's final
residence and extend sincere appreciation to all those who have
worked to preserve the memory of this illustrious Texan.