Historical Marker Dedication Ceremonies (1965)

Duration: 1:55

Year Published: 1965

Sound: No Sound on Film

Description: This 1965 news footage for Houston’s KPRC-TV captures a trio of dedication ceremonies unveiling new state historical markers around Houston. The first memorializes Houston’s history as a temporary capital for the Republic of Texas. Houston Mayor Louie Welch attends the ceremony in Sam Houston Heritage Park. The second honors Lieutenant Dick Dowling of the Confederate States Army. The marker was one of several Confederate emblems erected in Texas public spaces during the 1960s to commemorate the centennial of the Civil War. Following the ceremony, boy scouts lay a wreath at the foot of the Dick Dowling statue in Hermann Park. The third marker memorializes Old Harrisburg, an early Texas port and trading post that was annexed by Houston in 1926. Women dressed in period attire attend all three ceremonies. The Texas Historical Commission operates the state’s historical marker program. There are more than 16,000 markers across the state.