Nacogdoches Year Round Event
South Loop
08/26/2017

 

 

Walk registration is at Java Jack’s.

“The Country Doctor” sculpture at the Nacogdoches Memorial Health Center
George Louis Crocket, minister and historian (1861–1936). Statue in front of Christ Episcopal Church

Christ Episcopal Church circa 1930
We passed along the edge of the Stephen F. Austin University campus.

We picked up the Lanana Creek Trail.
Goodman Bridge built in 1932, over the Angelina River on CR 789. In 2010, the Texas Department of Transportation deemed the bridge unsafe and it was moved here to Pecan Park to be a pedestrian bridge.

The walk route doesn't cross the bridge, we cross the creek on a low water crossing.
View of the trail when its smooth.

View of the trail when its not so smooth.
Heron in Lanana Creek.

Carol patiently waiting for me to catch up.
View of Lanana Creek.

Carol took our picture walking on the boardwalk.
Zion Hill Baptist Church Cemetery is along the Lanana Creek Trail.

Trees in the middle of the trail.
Bridge over a dry creek.

Detouring from the walk route to climb the steps to the spring created by Father Margil.
Marker that tells the story of the “Holy Springs of Father Margil”

Trailhead map.

When we come out on Main Street there is a marker for the Old San Antonio Road.

Back on city streets we pass a colorful mural on a retaining wall.

We walk along the side of Eugenia Sterne Park, which has a nice gazebo.

Nine flags over Nacogdoches is also in Eugenia Sterne Park.

Home of Adolphus Sterne – Alcalde at Nacogdoches under the Mexican Government, member of the Congress of the Republic of Texas.

Pretty house across the street from the Sterne House.

Going down the other side of the park there is a sign which tells us this property once belonged to Sam Houston.

The directions send you back to Main and you are supposed to turn left, but before you do look right to see the vintage movie theater which opened in 1951. It has been converted into loft apartments.

We crossed Main to visit “Running to the Fight” – A statue memorializes Texas soldiers of the Nacogdoches District who fought Mexico to gain Texas independence before turning left.

This three-story building was constructed in 1923 to house the local Woodmen of the World chapter. It is in on Main. It is listed on the NRHP.

This interesting building is also on Main, but I didn't cross the street to read the plaque.

Directions tell us to turn left here, but the Visitor's Center (old 1917 Post Office) has bathrooms so we went inside.

Inside there is this lovely mural.

You pass this statue of an early pioneers family (The Gateway) when you come back out.

Heading back to the walk route we see a fire station.

Next to it is the Roberts Building. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. Back in the 1930s it was known as City Cafe. It was in this coffee shop local legend claims where Bonnie Parker (of “Bonnie and Clyde” fame) worked as a waitress before meeting Clyde Barrow and turning to a life of crime.

On the far side of the building is this old Coca-Cola advertisement.

The city hall of Nacogdoches, Texas is a 3-story brick building built in 1891 as the Liberty Hotel.

Walking down the other side of the visitor's center we come to an old pole clock which is now just a sign.

Nearby is a boulder with a poem on it by Karle Wilson Baker.

Back on Main we were supposed to turn on North Street but I wanted to see the courthouse. So I crossed the street instead. This courthouse was built in 1958.

War Memorial on one of the courthouse pillars.

Turning to leave we spotted a mural on the building across the street. This is the best part of the mural.

After viewing the mural we headed back to the walk route and spotted this historical marker. It tells us the courthouse is built over the Old Spanish Cemetery.

Back on the walk route we pass Thomas J. Rusk - Lawyer, businessman, soldier and statesman – (1803-1857)

In front of him, hiding in a planter is an old hand pump. The well was bricked over in 1924.

When you turn the next corner there is a grey 1936 historical marker.

Walk passes in front of the First United Methodist Church circa 1969

The Hotel Fredonia was constructed in 1954-55. An lovely six-story hotel.

At Church Street we detoured around the corner to see this lovely Victorian Mansion, completed in 1897.

Seated in front of the house is a statue of Diedrich Rulfs who was the architect of this beauty.

Originally called “American Cemetery,” the cemetery is filled with historical figures important both to Nacogdoches County and the State of Texas. Perhaps the most famous is Thomas Jefferson Rusk, judge, statesman and Sam Houston’s secretary of war.

Directions tell you to turn left in cemetery, but if you look right before you do, you can see the obelisk that marks the grave of Thomas Rusk.

Zion Hill Baptist Church, which sits on the corner of Lanana and Bois d’arc streets, was built in 1914 by famed architect Diedrich Rulfs.

1915 Christian Church.

When the directions tell you to go visit the Old University building, if you were to continue ahead on Mound you would come to this home designed by architect Dietrich Rulfs.

Next door is this Queen Anne, Stick/Eastlake style home also designed by architect Dietrich Rulfs.

Across the street is the 1939 art-deco elementary school built by the Public Works Administration.

Return back down Mound and pick up the directions, soon you will see this statue along the edge of the street. It is of Karle Wilson Baker – American poet and author. She was also a Professor at SFA University (1924-1934). It was her poem back on the boulder by the visitor's center.

It started raining right about here, so we quit taking pictures and made our way back to Java Jack's. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed walking in Nacogdoches again. So very glad to see it was renewed for 2018.