SHSU Botanical Study- Evans Complex & Red Cedar Tree (Tree of Lights) Part 2 of 2 SELF GUIDED MAP #2

SELF-GUIDED TOUR MAP #2
FITNESS WALKING MAP -  Past 1.0 Mile



 

This Red Cedar tree is located in the Evans Complex.  It was known as the "Tree of Lights."

According to an article in "The Huntsville Item, October 9, 1989, page 1," the original plans in 1959 drawn up by the architect would have taken this tree down permanently.  Instead it was spared, but severely trimmed. 

Originally early in the 1900's  the landscape looked quite different than it does now in 2015.  The Evans Complex was bare except for the Agricultural Building at the north end and a cluster of large trees.  The only tree to survive was the Red Cedar that still stands proudly in the middle of the courtyard.

Red Cedar proudly stands

There has been discussion over the years as to the age of this majestic tree.  Back in 1989 when this article was published, a retired SHSU Biology professor, Claude McLeod believed the cedar was about 100 years old or even older.  So next time you enter the building for a class, just think you are passing by a tree that is at least 126 years old.

"'In the 1930's and 40's it was so magnificent a tree that it was lighted each Christmas season, and students and administrators enjoyed a Christmas carol program around it', Tyson said."

Reportedly the tree had a perfect Christmas tree shape.  Also, townspeople could see the lighted tree where the gazebo is located on Avenue O and 19th street.

In 1938, Harry F. Estill, President of SHSU was quoted as saying," Most other trees on campus shed their leaves when the cold frosts of winter com, and their naked branches now stretch cheerlessly and bare toward the winter sky.  This tree, defying the storms of winter, steadfastly and bravely maintains its beauty throughout the year-a lesson of unweaving courage in the face of discouragement, of cheerfulness that never frowns."



A view through Skylights of the Red Cedar
 

Many people still continue to enjoy seeing the cedar from the classrooms and offices located in the Evans Complex. 





The saving of this tree was compared to the preservation of the Dallas pageant tree on Oak Lawn, and the "Treaty Oak," in Austin.

The Tree of Lights ceremony moved from this location to Old Main from 1966-1982, until Old Main burned down.  Then during the construction of the bell tower in 2004, the ceremony was moved to the AB1 mall area in front of the LSC.  2005 brought the first lighted artificial tree decorated with ornaments created by different student organizations, This yearly tradition shares: hot chocolate, wassail, gingerbread cookies, and donated food items needed by local organizations.

Until Next Time.

SHSU Botanical Study-Evans Complex (Tree of Lights) Part 1 of 2. Self-Guided Tour #2

SELF-GUIDED TOUR #2
FITNESS WALKING ROUTE -Between 1.0 & 1.5 Mile

I love discovering the rich history our campus.  One of my favorites is the story connected to the SHSU "Tree of Lights".

 

When entering The Evans Complex, did you ever wonder why the building seems to wrap around the huge Red Cedar Tree?  It is because our 1st campus Christmas tree is that very same tree. 

Building designed around the Red Cedar Tree



 

  According to the "Sam Houston Normal Institute" Newsletter, December 21, 1921, vol. 1 we had our first campus Christmas Tree celebration.

 



Tree of Lights
Photo 1930 Alcalde (SHSU yearbook)

At 5:30 p.m. the Training School, as Sam Houston State was known at the time, celebrated with the community.  The University invited local school children to make ornaments for this tree.  Then at the ceremony, where these same children and their families attended and performed carols, also exchanged gifts with the child whose name they had previously drawn from a box.

 

The tree stayed decorated and lighted each night.  The campus was following New York City's tradition for several years previously, and Houston's newly formed tradition that was just two years old.

 

Aerial View of Tree of Lights
1940


 

The article stated that Houston, "is not so fortunate as to have a growing tree, which may be used, but a large tree is placed on Main street and every night throughout the holidays is lighted." 

 

The Tree of Lights traditions and locations have changed over the many years since its' inception.  I will be addressing the progression of changes in the next blog.

 

Until Next Time.

 

 

 

SHSU Botanical Research-Headed to the Main Campus Grounds (Self-Guided Tour #1)

SELF-GUIDED TOUR #1

FITNESS WALKING ROUTE Between 1.0 & 1.5 Mile

 

There are several great ways to explore the campus and see the sites and botanicals mentioned in my research posts.  I will mainly be referencing the same designated numbers on the SELF-GUIDED TOUR map, but will make a loose reference to the FITNESS WALKING ROUTE MAP. 

 

I found that the Self-Guided Tour map was better suited for my research, but you could combine the two Maps and get extra exercise and see more of our beautiful campus and museum grounds.    

 

There are eager helpers at the Visitors Information Center where you can request a SELF-GUIDED CAMPUS TOUR map, or another option is to follow the designated signs on campus or print off a FITNESS WALKING ROUTE MAP.

 

 

 

 DIRECTIONS RAGSDALE VISITORS INFORMATION CENTER
PICK UP A SELF-GUIDED CAMPUS TOUR MAP

Don't Forget to Enjoy the Earth Kind Roses
Lining the entryway of the Visitor Center

 

 

 

SHSU FITNESS WALKING ROUTE

PRINT OFF THE 1.5 MILE ROUTE MAP

 

 

 

Many students, faculty, and visitors may know of and have used the available Campus Tour maps to navigate around campus, but a surprising numbers of us who are not aware of the 1.5 mile walking route markers.

 

The Fitness Route all began, with a University Wellness Committee that was formed in 2007-2008, in an effort to provide opportunities for employees to be more active and make use of their "release time" given to them by the University for personal workouts.

 

Mrs. Nancy Gaertner, former First Lady of SHSU, and Mindy Oden, Lecturer and Coordinator for KINE 2115, served on this committee.  They measured and marked off the distances and walking paths that would be the safest for pedestrians.  Also, for future uses in 5K runs held on the SHSU campus. 

 

Go grab a map, walking shoes, camera, sketchbook, whatever you like and discover more about Sam Houston State University and the Museum grounds.

 

Until Next Time.

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 



SHSU Botanical Study- Flowering Quince Trees (Main Campus & Woodland Home)

 

I was working on my research in late December, when I spotted these beauties, which by the way bees seem to love.  Unfortunately, these blooms fall off by spring time.  So, if you are fortunate enough and happen to be walking either on the museum grounds at the Houston's Woodland home site or the campus in front of Austin Hall's entryway you may still be able to catch a fleeting glimpse of these brightly colored blooms of the flowering Quince tree. 

In front of Austin Hall

Close up of branches of trees lining sidewalk at the Woodland home

The Quince is often mistaken for the Camellia.  This variety is possibly the Orange Storm, which is an old-fashioned deciduous shrub that American farmers of the 1800's often grew on their homesteads.  These plants would be used sometimes for the little bit of fruit they produced, but mainly this tree's blooms are beautiful and can brighten any dreary day.  The blooms resemble and are often mistaken for the Camellia.

In speaking to Peter, the Museum Groundskeeper he told me of documentation about these plants.  I was able to get copies Mrs. W. A. Leigh's recollection of the grounds from her childhood and when the Houston's lived.  This is her words concerning these plants,  "On the west side of the walk, leading to garden, a short distance from the back porch there grew in a row extending almost to the garden fence, five quince trees."

So it appears these group of 5 Quince trees are still living in the same spot where Margaret Houston planted them sometime in the 1800's.  Also, one can reasonably speculate that the Quince tree growing at Austin Hall, another historically significant building in Texas history, is most likely from this same root stock.

I was able to find a internet site which had interesting ways Quince was used in England.  To read follow this link Historical Reference of the Quince Tree.

Until Next Time.

SHSU Botanical Study: What’s in a name? The Sam Houston Rose

 

If you happen to be strolling by or visiting the Sam Houston Museum Walker Education Center; take a closer look at the dozen plants that make up a 3-4' high hedge of 3" semi-double pale pink colored roses. Those roses are named, the Sam Houston Rose. 

Hedge at Walker Education Center

Closer View of "Sam Houston" rose

 

Being a curious rose lover that I am, I began an investigation into this species of heirloom rose. My first clue was that they were heirloom roses.  In this area of Texas, if you want to know something about heirloom roses, The Antique Rose Emporium located in Independence Texas right down the road from the Baptist church where Sam Houston was baptized, is a logical place to start.

I spoke with Mr. Mike Shoup, the owner of the Rose Emporium. He told me that the SHSU Bicentennial Committee contacted him in 1992, with the intentions of finding a rose variety to plant in the newly created Bicentennial garden located in the ruins of Old Main. 

Later, groundskeepers discovered the Bicentennial garden was too shady for the roses to thrive, therefore they had to be removed. 

Old Main Ruins

"Bicentennial Garden" location



Garden located next to large Mescal Tree

Shoup invited and welcomed, Dr. Barry Bequette and Mr. Frank Krystyniak to The Emporium. During that particular visit in the spring of 1992, they decided that a seedling of the "Katy Road Pink," also known as "Carefree Beauty" would donate the maternal genes known to produce profuse blooming in the fall as well as the spring, and the paternal genes from the "Mrs. Oakley Fisher" because of its' yellow orange colorations. 

This rose would be unique because of its blend of traits: the yellow coloration representing the Yellow Rose of Texas, and the orange coloration representing the orange colors of the University. The rose was so important it was patented by Sam Houston State University.

Until Next Time.

Blessings,

 

 

 

SHSU-Botanical Research (Field Sketch) Pecan Tree, Part 2

I have always thought Pecan trees were one of the magnificent trees that grow in the State, I could eat the nuts by the handfuls, they are one of my favorite snacks.

So working on the Houston Museum grounds has given me a even newer respect for these wonderful specimens, and can see why they were named to represent Texas as our state tree.

The Pecan tree also known as Cary Illioninesis, is a deciduous species of the Hickory tree, which is native to Mexico, South Central and the South Eastern regions of the United States.

My Field Sketches

The word Pecan comes from the Native American Algonquian tribe and means, "a nut requiring a stone to crack.". The Spaniards called the nut, tuerca de la arruga, which translates to wrinkle nut.

Actually pecans are not really nuts, but are a fruit called, Dupe, with a single stone or pit surrounded by a husk.  That husk when immature is green in color and turns brown when mature. 

 

Pecan trees can live up to 300 years and produce that many years too.  Native Americans used pecans as a food source because this fruit is 2-5x more beneficial in calories per unit of weight than wild game.

The wood is also very valuable, it makes good furniture, flooring and as most Texans know, great for smoking meats.  Yum.
The fruit makes wonderful dishes too, a Pecan Pie recipe.

UR TURN:  Have a favorite experience or recipe you want to share about Pecans, please share.

Until Next Time.

SHSU Botanical Research (Field Study) Pecan Tree, Part 1

This a little known fact about one of the Pecan trees planted 15' from another famous Pecan tree near the Sam Houston Woodland home site. 

Did you know that Senator Phil Gram planted it in 1987?  Yes, in fact he was there on the Museum grounds for several reasons.  First to commemorate the 151st anniversary of Sam Houston's election as President of the Republic of Texas, and to convince Texas leaders to restore funding for the complex.

A copy of actual newspaper article photo of the event

 

.

The same tree planted by the Senator

as it looks in 2014

 

 

The tree sapling that started this chain of events was planted by Sam Houston back in 1847.  His granddaughter, Mrs. Jennie Morrow Decker of Houston recants the story.  She tells that Houston was on a trip home in his horse drawn buggy and was having difficulty with a lazy horse.  He was in need of a whip and improvised by using a Pecan tree sapling growing near a creek that he pulled it out.  When arriving home Houston realized the sapling still had viable roots and decided to plant the tree.

 

That little sapling grew to 13 feet in circumference, and 100 feet tall.  The tree lived until 1974 until the water table dried up. 

Texas is recently enduring another season of drought.  Unfortunately more trees on the grounds have died, but Peter, Grounds Manager, came up with a creative way to reuse the recent loss of trees.  He had the trunks made into seats.  The public seems to love using these for photo opportunities.  Halloween brought a young mom and her toddler to use the seat for their photos.

 

Fortunately the Great Grandson Tree

of the original sapling

planted by Sam Houston lives on.

 

Many of its' seedlings were transplanted around the property and the State Capitol grounds.  This native tree is very prolific in nut production and the excess fruit was distributed to Texas schools and colleges around Sam Houston State University.  So famous was Houston's Pecan Tree it was adopted as our State Tree.

 

The next blog post will give more detail of these trees Field Sketches and more interesting facts.

 

Until Next Time.

 

 

 

SHSU Botanical Research (Field Sketch) Yellow Groove Bamboo, PART 2

The Museum complex site where you find the bamboo growing is nestled behind Sam Houston's home and also is fondly known as the "Bamboo Forest." This plant species grows quickly and is invasive as a result has taken over much of the area, leading the groundskeeper to busily thin these plants, making it more manageable.

My first impressions while visiting the site was not only how impressive the number of Bamboo plants growing, but how massive the stalks were.  It truly was a forest full of Bamboo.

As I sat down to draw, I noticed a slight breeze which caused the Bamboo to sway creating a musical clanging noise. I felt like I was being serenaded by a giant wind chimes. 

The finished Field Sketch

Here are some of the interesting facts I learned about Bamboo:
There are over 1000 species of the Poaceae family which grows up to one meter per day.  The plant spreads by sending out underground stems called rhizomes which are classified as either "clumpers" or "runners.". If you have a choice the clumper is the preferable choice, because it is not as invasive and better at soil stabilization.

Although Bamboo is a grass it is strong enough to support a person 300 Ft. in the air.  Many parts of Asia use Bamboo instead of steel as a major construction material to build site scaffolding.  Architects call it "vegetal steel.".  Bamboo can be bound together to form posts, beams of a house or cables of a suspension bridge.

Bamboo is so versatile it can be carved into utensils, split and woven into mats, bent and shaped into objects both graceful and utilitarian, and laminated into floors which are harder than oak.  It is even being seriously looked at in Africa as a material to build inexpensive bicycle frames to provide a cheap method of transportation.

In Asian cuisine, it is the underground rhizomes that forms the bud that is harvested and cut into food called Bamboo Shoots.  The negative side is that rats also love to eat the seeds and then cause problems spreading rodent borne diseases.

UR:TURN: What is your favorite Asian cuisine that uses Bamboo Shoots, or have you seen or used Bamboo in some unusual way?

Until Next Time.

SHSU Botanical Study (Field Work)-Yellow Groove Bamboo, PART 1

In my last post I asked the question, who planted the yellow groove bamboo?  My investigation into this subject kept leading me back to the same source, Reo Kataoka.  Mr. Kataoka was a gardener employed by Judge Elkins in the 1940's.  One of his jobs was to tend to Judge Elkin's Japanese garden that was planted around his lake home. 

It appears history changed the course of Mr. Karaoke and his family's life with the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  The act of war set into motion national concerns about the Japanese Americans living in our country and their possible involvement.  Therefore in 1943 all Japanese Americans were sent to interment camps, including one that was located in the Huntsville area.  The camps locally not only housed the Japanese Americans, but also Germans.

Judge Elkins, did not want to see Reo and his family sent to one of these camps, so instead using his influence was instead able to get him employment caring for the Sam Houston Museum grounds. 

This is were the bamboo comes into play.  As a result, Reo for whatever reasons brought some bamboo seedlings which were planted behind the Houston home over 60 years ago. I can speculate it was to help with soil erosion and possibly even as a privacy screen.

Location behind Houston home.

Possibly planted to prevent soil erosion

and make a privacy screen

After the war his family decided to stay in Huntsville, work and attend school.  The family even opened and operated a successful plant nursery on the East end of Huntsville. 

Obituary article found about Mrs. Kataoka

My next post about the Yellow Bamboo will be showcasing my Field Sketch and interesting facts about this plant.

Until Next Time.

SHSU Botanical Research Study- PLANT POUNDING

This last Thursday, I spent a wonderful afternoon with Helen Belcher, Education Curator, at the Sam Houston Museum Complex.

She was gracious enough to teach me what was a craft used by Cherokee women.  These women would take rocks instead of  hammers as their pounding tool as a means to extract dye from plants.

You can learn more on my ARTIST BLOG-Learn How To Plant Pound article.

See how I went from:

To this:

UR-TURN:  If you give this craft a try, leave me a comment.  Tell me how you plan to use this method in an artistic endeavor.

Until Next Time.