Followers and readers of this blog will know that I do go off on tangents every now and again. This post is one of them.
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| The messy appearance of the Pavilion |
Today my wife and I talk a humid walk around the Clifton area of Cincinnati. For years I have been wanting to stop at the Lone Star Pavilion at Burnet Woods so we made an effort to include the pavilion on our walk. The pavilion was dedicated in 1974 by the Sons of the Republic of Texas and has replicas of the Twin Sisters, two artillery pieces that citizens of Cincinnati raised money to send to serve in the Texas Revolution, also known as the Texas War of Independence. These two guns (iron six-pounders, cast at the foundry of Hawkins and Tatum in Cincinnati) served at the Battle of San Jacinto, where Mexican General Santa Anna's force was routed in just eighteen minutes by Texans and other volunteers commanded by one Sam Houston, thus securing Texas as a separate republic. As the United States were* "neutral" during the conflict, the guns were called hollow ware by the local citizens. The location for the Twin Sisters sent to Texas is currently unknown. Having bounded around Texas for awhile, they were used during the Civil War, and most likely present at the Battle of Palmito Ranch, the last major action of the war.
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| Replica cannon needing some work |
The pavilion in Burnet Woods is in need of some TLC. It is weedy, the flower bed is a mess, grass cuttings left are on the sidewalks from our highly dedicated and motivated city employees, and no flags fly from the three flagpoles. A beat up trash container sits along the walk to the street. I didn't explore all of the area as there was a homeless person sleeping inside. Burnet Woods as a whole is a pretty messy park, with honeysuckle and tons of poison ivy everywhere. If only Cincinnati could spend money on parks instead of a streetcar, but I digress. The cannon themselves need a good cleaning and new coat of paint. Perhaps a more permanent trash receptacle could be installed. Some dogwoods and cheery trees could make a nice backdrop, especially in the spring.
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| Cool five pointed star roof to honor Texas |
I am only about a ten or fifteen minute drive from the park. With a wife who is a master gardener and works in the field of landscaping, along with taking care of another Cincinnati city park, I bet we could come up with a plan to at least salvage that garden area, creating bands of red, white, and blue flowers to signify the Texas flag. I am wondering too if we could buy three flags and hoist them on the flagpoles - I think having a United States, an Ohio, and a Texas flag would be appropriate, yes? There is easy street access to Clifton Avenue, so bringing in tools and flowers is a snap. I do not believe there is water nearby, so whatever plants used would have to be drought resistant.
So, perhaps a new project, one that my wife and I could work on together. Just don't tell her that I suggested it! Wonder if there are any Sons of the Republic of Texas in the area who would want to assist?
* using the plural as before the Civil War the country was a collection of states, united. After the Civil War the term became used in the singular form to indicate one country.
Just some additional pictures of the Lone Star Pavilion area in Burnet Woods, close to the University of Cincinnati campus. I am meeting with the Cincinnati Parks folks next week to talk about volunteering at the site and what work I would plan to do.
At the moment plans would be to rip up the garden area at the base of the flagpoles, turning the dirt over and adding some soil enrichment. Planting of three types of plants, perennials known to be deer resistant, heat tolerant, and attractive to bees and butterflies, would occur next spring.
