This informative sign is located in Heritage Park sits between the 1936 Texas Historical Marker for Dr. George Moffit Patrick and a replica of his cabin home.
History of Centennial Marker
The Texas legislature created a commission and funded the Texas Centennial Markers in 1935 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Texas' Independence from Mexico. The state placed about 1,100 buildings, memorial museums, statues, granite and bronze markers, and monuments throughout Texas.
The original 1936 Dr. George Moffit Patrick centennial marker was placed near the site of his cabin on Buffalo Bayou. In 1948, Rohm and Haas, built their plant and the marker was moved to a nearby site. In the 1970s it was reported that the marker had been moved again. The marker was crated and placed in stores. In 1983, Rohm and Haas came across the marker in storage. They clean the marker and placed it on their property for the re-dedication in 1984. In 2009, Dow Chemical purchased Rohm and Haas. In 2016, Dow Chemical contacted the city of Deer Park at asked if the city would be interested in having the marker placed near the historic representation of Dr. George Moffit Patrick's cabin. The marker was not accessible to the public at Dow Chemical due to security and safety reasons. The city asked for permission from the Texas Historical Commission to move the marker. On March 27, 2017, consent was given, and on April 27, 2017, Dow chemical moved the marker to Heritage Park in Deer Park.
The dedicated effort of Dow Chemical moving this 5,000 lb centennial marker was challenging and the City of deer Park greatly appreciated their diligence and attention to detail. Deer Park is honored to have this marker, which in such an important part of our early history.
Dr. George Moffit Patrick
Dr. George Moffit Patrick, physician and soldier, was born in 1801 in Virginia. He immigrated to Texas between 1827 and 1828. Patrick was among the volunteers under the command of Captain William B. Travis who captured the Mexican Fort and Garrison at Anahuac in 1835. Patrick represented Liberty Municipality in the Coalition of 1835, and on November 13, signed the articles that established the provisional government of Texas. On March 25, 1836, the council appointed Patrick to organize the Harrisburg County Militia and instructed him to order two-thirds of the troops immediately into active duty. At great personal expense and effort, he mustered 20 recruits into what became Captain Mosley Baker”s Company of General Sam Houston's army.
Dr. George Moffit Patrick purchased land in the 1830s. This became the Patrick Survey, which was most well-known ad covered the largest area that became Deer Park. After the Battle of San jacinto, the Texas cabinet met and drafted the initial treaty papers at Patrick's cabin, which was located on the banks of Buffalo Bayou in present-day Deer Park. Dr George Moffit Patrick died in Grimes County in 1889. His remains and those of his wife were later moved to the State Cemetery in Austin Texas.
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From Inside DP.com
Dow Partnership Leads to Historical Marker Relocation
April 28, 2017 by Bobby Vasquez
A seldom-seen monument marking the original site of Patrick’s Cabin has been moved into a city park. Through a partnership with Dow Chemical, the 1936 Texas Centennial Marker was placed in front of the cabin replica in Heritage Park on Center Street.
Yet another historical piece of Deer Park’s history has found its way home.
Thursday morning, employees of Dow Chemical transported and installed a Texas centennial marker at the site of George Moffit Patrick’s Cabin replica in Heritage Park in front of the Theater Courts Building. The project is the second major marker relocation during the (sentence incomplete)
The marker had marked the site of the original cabin for generations, but because of security regulations on the Dow facility, very few visitors were able to see the stone monument. The marker reads: Site of the Home in 1836 of Dr. George Moffit Patrick 1801 – 1889 Pioneer Surveyor. Here the Texas Army Encamped after the Battle of San Jacinto and cabinet meetings were held. Erected by the State of Texas 1936”
Deer Park Councilwoman Sherry Garrison, who heads the city’s historical committee, said having the historical marker moved was the result of a lot of paperwork and a great relationship with the city’s industrial partners.
“Dow actually contacted us to see if we wanted the marker because it was not accessible to the public, said Garrison. “The commission mandates that a maker be accessible to the public. Dow has been incredible. They have done all of the work, removing the marker from their site, transporting it here and an installing it in front of the cabin.”
Garrison said the Dow site has had to turn down multiple groups asking to see the centennial marker.
“There are people who love to travel the state and visit all the historical markers, especially a centennial marker. The centennial markers are rare and very special,” she said. “Dow had one on their site, but could not make it accessible to the public.
The Patrick Cabin site marker had been installed in 1936 in celebration of the State of Texas’ 100-year anniversary celebration. It was placed on the actual cabin site on what was then the Rohm & Haas plant facility. As the facility expanded, the marker was known to have been moved at least once. Over time, security regulations at what is now Dow Chemicals made it nearly impossible for visitors to see the marker.
“This was an eight-month process. Our request to move the marker was initially turned down by the state’s historical commission,” she said. “We asked them to reconsider and we are finally having it moved. A lot of people have never seen or even heard of this marker.”
Dow Chemical’s Jim Gaus, who headed the removal and relocation project, said the monument would be missed at the site, but he and other employees understood the importance of the marker to the city of Deer Park.
“The marker is a pretty big deal to Texas history. We loved having it but we know we are putting it in a place where everyone can see it,” he said.
Removing the marker was not simple. The 81-year-old marker weighs 5,000 pounds and was anchored with a 5-foot concrete pier. That pier became entangled in tree roots. Dow employees were able to remove the monument by cutting off more than three feet of the buried pier. The pier was for anchor purposes only and did not have any aesthetic bearing on the marker.
Workers poured new concrete at the Heritage Park site to reanchor the structure.
Garrison said because the marker depicts the site of the original cabin site near the banks of Buffalo Bayou, it is now somewhat inaccurate. The cabin at Heritage Park is a replica of similar cabins built in that era.
She said the Historical Commission is working on additional signage explaining the replica cabin and its relationship to the centennial marker.
As the city celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2017, Garrison said adding the marker to Heritage Park is extra special.
“I hope a lot of people will understand the importance of the marker in front of the cabin replica. This represents where the treaty was drafted and it was a big deal for Texas history right here in Deer Park,” she said.