Houston's Mound
Grapeland, Houston County, Texas
Marker Inscription
At 552 feet above sea level this oblong knoll rises to the highest elevation in the area. Known as Houston's Mound as early as the 1830s, it afforded Native Americans, pioneers, and soldiers a view of the surrounding terrain. William T. Sadler (1797-1884) acquired land here which included the mound in the 1820s. Sadler, San Jacinto battle veteran and a respected land surveyor, is credited with establishing the mound as a survey benchmark. Sadler and a number of other surveyors used the mound to verify boundaries between Houston County and counties to its north and east. Sesquicentennial of Texas Statehood 1845 - 1995
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Rising to 552 feet, the highest point around, this oblong knoll gave Native Americans, pioneers, and soldiers a commanding view of the East Texas landscape and was already known as Houston's Mound by the 1830s. William T. Sadler, a veteran of the Battle of San Jacinto and a respected surveyor, acquired land including the mound in the 1820s. He and other surveyors used its vantage as a benchmark to verify the boundaries between Houston County and its neighbors.
Why it matters
A natural landmark turned survey benchmark, the mound shows how the physical geography of early Texas guided the very lines that carved a wilderness into counties.
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Related people
- · William T. Sadler
Themes & tags
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