Originally: Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle is standing next to a cross. In his left hand is a sword with its tip resting on the ground (the sword was an actual metal sword), his right hand is holding his left glove. He is dressed in a heavy coat and trousers, and wearing heavy boots.
Currently: All that remains is a pair of legs with boots.
Dedicated on September 3, 1928, in what was called "La Salle Memorial Park".
It sits on a six foot pedestal, the statue itself was approximately six foot tall. It was made of shell-concrete, with the exception of the sword.
It was damaged by a hurricane in 1930 and subsequently vandalized.
For more information see The Victoria Advocate January 17, 1999 - Henry Wolff, Jr.
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Atlas: Texas Historical Commission
Details for Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle (Atlas Number 5057004243)
Historical Marker — Atlas Number 5057004243
Born in Rouen France November 22, 1643. Came to Canada in 1668. Founded a first settlement near Montreal. Led several expeditions on the Great Lakes and the Ohio and Illinois rivers. Completed the exploration of the Mississippi, 1682. On July 24, 1684, La Salle sailed from France to establish a colony at the mouth of the Mississippi. Landed at Matagorda Bay February, 15, 1685. There established Fort St. Louis. While on his way to Canada he was murdered near the Trinity River March 19, 1687.
A gentleman but not a courtier, a proud independent yet timid nature, an explorer of bold vision and untiring energy. La Salle's colony on Matagorda Bay gave the United Statues its first claim to Texas as a part of the Louisiana Purchase. "America owes him an enduring memory for in this masculine figure she sees the pioneer who guided her to the possession of her richest heritage" Francis Parkman.
Erected by the State of Texas 1936
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The Task at Hand
A Writer's On-Going Search for Just the Right Words
The Lady and La Salle by Linda Leinen
March 5, 2015 ~ Shoreacres
....Nevertheless, when Maury Maverick and state representative Pat Jefferson asked Nora Sweetland to create a La Salle statue for the new development, she agreed. A Depression-era budget forced her to use concrete laden with shell, a mixture that made constructing a sword impossible. But Representative Jefferson provided an old family sword and, in the end, it was a fine statue.
Unfortunately, her statue lasted only a few years. After a 1930s storm left it in pieces, the statue was decapitated under mysterious circumstances. La Salle’s head disappeared, along with the sword. Today, only the base and boots remain: a puzzle for visitors to the nearby cemetery where the statue finally came to rest.
It’s hard to imagine Nora shedding many tears over her cut-off-at-the-knees statue. She was a woman ahead of her time, and she had things to do…