Cultural Report Three

Baytown Nature Center Report

            I decide to choose the Baytown Nature Center because is home to more than 300 species of birds and numerous species of butterflies, mammals and aquatic organisms. These 450-acres peninsula is an official site on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail and is designated a U.S. Important Bird Area by the American Bird Conservancy. In fact, several species of threatened and endangered birds rely on the area for migration, feeding or nesting. This makes the center a population destination for birdwatchers. Visitors can also enjoy activities like hiking, fishing and picnicking.

I remember growing up as a child and my family taking us to Brownwood subdivision to go fishing. We all knew that on Saturday’s it was a family trip to Brownwood. Brownwood was a subdivision that had areas and piers that people used to go fishing, crabbing, and even swimming. We never knew that it was dangerous to go swimming in the water because to us it was like a small little beach not realizing it was the Gulf of Mexico, what we were getting into just to swim and have a good time. After Hurricane Alicia hit the subdivision of Brownwood in Baytown, Texas it destroyed and all the houses were gone with the Hurricane. I still remember my parents driving through the streets in Brownwood subdivision and not see the streets because they were covered with water at least 2 to 3 feet high in some parts it will cover the tires. I remember being scared because sometimes I thought we were going to drive in to the water because we couldn’t see the streets but my parents knew where they were going it just looked like you were driving in the water. In 1991 they closed the subdivision Brownwood because it got pretty bad with all the rain. After years of rain the subdivision got sucked in that they decided to demolish the subdivision. A lot of people were not allowed to go back there anymore to go fishing or just go drive by and see the water. The City of Baytown gated the streets and didn’t allowed people get back there because they were scared they could drown because the water got 15 to 20 feet high and some places were deeper because of the unleveled areas. These the water was coming from the Gulf of Mexico the City of Baytown didn’t want the community to go fishing or crabbing anymore because they didn’t realize how many disease are in that water and animals.

After year’s people decided to do something with the Brownwood subdivision that the City of Baytown made it a Nature Center. The Nature Center becomes a people where the community can place where the community can go and see all the different species that the 450-acres have to show us. It’s a great place to take your kids and tell them our history of the Brownwood subdivision and show them what it became on a Nature Center. The area began to flood during seasonal high tides or storm surges brought on by tropical storms and hurricanes. Between 1967 and 1981, there were 26 entries in city records pertaining to flooding or evacuations. Withdrawal of ground-water by neighborhoods and industry was causing the area to subside.  Eventually, the area had sunk 10 to 15 feet causing some property to be submerged in the bay or subject to tidal flooding. In August 1983, Hurricane Alicia devastated the Brownwood area.  Storm tides over 10 feet sweep over the peninsula and the subdivision was virtually demolished.  Most of the area was declared uninhabitable.  The area lay in ruin for years as the political and legal processes took place. The city eventually bought most of the lots and others were abandoned.  Over time, the ruined homes were demolished and the debris cleared away.

Hurricane Alicia of August 1983 was the costliest tropical cyclone in the Atlantic since Hurricane Agnes in 1972. Alicia was the third depression, the first tropical storm, and the only major hurricane of the 1983 Atlantic hurricane season. It struck Galveston and Houston, Texas directly, causing $2.6 billion 1983in damage and killing 21 people; this made it the worst Texas hurricane since Hurricane Carla in 1961. In addition, Alicia was the first billion-dollar tropical cyclone in Texas history. Hurricane Alicia was the first hurricane to hit the United States mainland since Hurricane Allen in August 1980. The time between the two storms totaled three years and eight days (1,103 days). Hurricane Alicia became the last major hurricane (Category 3 or higher) to strike Texas until the stronger Hurricane Bret 1980 made landfall. Alicia was the first storm for which the National Hurricane Center issued landfall probabilities. Hurricane Alicia was notable for the delayed post storm evacuation of Galveston Island since the eye of the storm traveled the evacuation route up from Galveston to Houston. The hurricane was also notable for the shattering of many windows in downtown Houston by loose gravel from the roofs of new skyscrapers and by other debris, prompting changes to rooftop construction codes.

The Baytown Nature center, which is operated by the City of Baytown, was formerly the residential subdivision of Brownwood. Over the years, the land subsided due to the withdrawal of oil and groundwater, and the neighborhood suffered problems with flooding. In 1983, Hurricane Alicia struck the final blow, damaging many of the homes. During a community meeting in 1991, the idea arose to turn the area into a nature center. City officials seized the idea and began development of the Baytown Nature Center. Today, the site features picnic shelters, four fishing piers, two pavilions and two overlooks. It also includes a butterfly garden, a children’s nature discovery playground and the Myra C. Brown Bird Sanctuary.

A master plan was developed by a special planning committee to turn the area into a nature center.  In 1995, sixty-five acres of the Brownwood site was returned to a mix of tidal wetlands, fresh and brackish water pools, and forested islands and The Baytown Nature Center was opened. The initial nature center development was handled as a mitigation site for the French Limited Superfund clean-up project, a consortium of 200 companies.  Since then, additional habitat restoration projects have expanded the wetlands area and enhanced the upland areas. The smaller peninsula was developed into a recreational area with fishing piers, picnic tables, walking trails and observation platforms and a Children's Nature Discovery Area. The larger peninsula, which includes the initial wetlands project, was maintained as a Natural Area.  An additional 15 acres of wetlands restoration was completed in 2004. In 2005, and a new entrance was added on Bayway Drive. In 2008, the Baytown Nature Center was severely damaged by Hurricane Ike.  Many of the structures were damaged or destroyed by the 13 feet of flood water that inundated much of the center.  Since then, most structures have been rebuilt, restored or repaired. The Children’s Discovery Area, which was totally destroyed in the hurricane, has undergone a complete redesign, and is currently being rebuilt as a natural playscape.

In the process of creating the Baytown Nature Center, the city of Baytown also restored a valuable art of the environment. The wetlands found at the center help control flooding and erosion, and they improve water quality by filtering out trash and pollutants. In addition, wetlands provide feeding and breeding grounds for fish, shrimp, crab and variety of other aquatic organisms. In fact coastal wetlands are one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in existence. The City of Baytown is committed to protecting others about the importance of wetlands. In fact, thousands of students visit the Baytown nature Center every year as part of the wetlands Ecology Program sponsored by ExxonMobil. The program, conducted by staff at Baytown’s Eddie V. Gray Wetlands Center, introduces students to a variety of hands-on environmental activities and concepts.  The programs and activities at the Baytown Nature Center are funded by the City of Baytown and through grants and donations. Volunteers also play a major role in making the nature center successful. Additional support comes from the Friends of the Baytown Nature Center, a nonprofit group that provides financial and hands-on support to the center. The hands-on projects include designing and building trails, bridges, blinds, signage and other amenities plus the preservation and improvement of habitat. Everyone from educators and outdoors enthusiasts to the office workers and carpenters can help support the Baytown Nature Center by volunteering or by joining the friends of Baytown Nature Center.

 

Cultural Report Two

Memory Garden Cemetery Essay Paper

 
I have chosen Memory Garden Cemetery because is one of the nicest cemetery here in Baytown.  I have lots of friends and love ones buried here and every time I turn around their adding more to the cemetery. They have a beautiful landscaping and just when you drive in you feel this peace and how clean the cemetery is all over.

 

I would like to share a little more about the history of Memory Garden Cemetery it’s been around for years. James Bradshaw Earthman, Sr. was a blacksmith and livery service provider in Taylor, Texas. The town of Taylor purchased a horse-drawn hearse, and as proprietor of the livery stable, Earthman was frequently asked by the townspeople to assist with their funeral needs. Beginning in 1889, providing funeral services became James B. Earthman’s full-time profession. In 1904, Mr. Earthman and his friend, railroad surveyor J.C. McCarty, moved to Houston and established the Earthman and McCarty Undertaking Company. The company prospered and in 1924 after McCarty’s death, the company became the J.B. Earthman Company. After James B. Earthman Sr.’s death in 1931, James B. Earthman Jr. ("J.B.”), a graduate of St. Thomas High School and Rice University, left his successful architectural career to manage the company. James B. Earthman Sr. his wife, Blanche Bastian Earthman, worked with J.B. in the daily operation of the business and was one of the first women in Texas to become a licensed funeral director. J.B. was a pioneer in advanced funeral planning, founding a burial insurance company in the 1930s. Together, J.B. and Blanche built Earthman Funeral Directors & Cemeteries into one of the largest family-owned and operated funeral companies in the United States. Their children and grandchildren continued to manage and expand the business further with new locations throughout the community. James B. Earthman, Sr. began with a commitment to a high standard of service, and throughout our history we’ve continued to lead and innovate while maintaining that high standard. Everyone at Earthman Funeral Directors & Cemeteries is proud to uphold his heritage and commitment to our community.

The Earthman family and their funeral homes and cemeteries have been providing funeral, cemetery, and cremation services for Houston and Baytown, Texas, since 1889. Throughout the years, we’ve maintained our commitment to our client families while responding to the changing needs of our community. They’re proud to be members of the Dignity Memorial network of more than 1,600 funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers. When you choose a Dignity Memorial provider, you not only receive the compassionate care you expect from a locally operated establishment, but also the value you deserve from the largest and most trusted network of funeral, cremation and memorialization service providers. All of your services are designed to help your families through one of the most personal and challenging stages of life. They understand losing a loved one is an emotional and difficult experience, and they’re committed to helping your families with compassionate, professional, and personal service.

 

When you first drive in it feels so peaceful and it’s a beautiful cemetery.  They have a beautiful landscaping they make sure that the grass is cut perfectly and ever headstone is clean. This cemetery used to stay open all night long 24 hours but they started vandalizing it at night that one year ago they started closing the gates and locking it  as soon as the sun comes down. When you first drive in the areas to your right and left from the beginning of the cemetery are only allowed to use flat plots they can’t use a high rise headstone because of their policy of the cemetery.

 

 In the middle of the cemetery is where they have the baby land and all the children that passed away are buried there to be around the other babies. This is a small chapel where some times before taking you to your rest place that bring you here and do a small prayer and then they carry you to the place where you will be resting.  I found one headstone that was blank I don't know if they wore going to add later on to it or just leave it only for now it only had a small plot that told you who it belong too.

 

 

The cemetery will be cleaning up the headstones or plots every day and if they have any extra stuff that does go with their policy they will throw them away. They used to left you go and decorate for every holiday and put solar lights an even a wind chimes but they a few years ago they started vandalizing the cemetery and they decide for the family members not to bring that to their love ones anymore because they’re not responsible for anything being vandalize. The good thing is that at least you don’t have to go back in a few days or weeks to go clean up your love ones headstone and take any dead flowers because the cemetery does that for you and they keep up with every ones headstones and if something happens to the headstone the report it or even contact you to come and make a report to get the headstone or anything done to it fixed as soon as possible. 

 

 

 

I found a headstone that I loved it’s based on a love story I saw Ms. Helen Carpenter cleaning her husband’s headstone and I decide to stop by and asked her if I can take a few pictures and use it on my paper and she told me yes and started telling me how she decide to make it a love story. The couple meet in 1978 they both got hired out at DuPont Refinery and in 1979 Mr. Martin Carpenter was laid off and the couple really did like each other cause to her he was a nerd. He was hired in 1979 at BP Amaco refinery in Texas City she stayed at DuPont here in La Porte, Texas. They were both divorce and after a few years pass one of her co worked told her that Martin wanted to take her out on a date and of course she told him NO at least three times after asking her she decide to go on this date with him and that’s where they started dating. They dated for at least two years before getting married in August 18, 1989 here in Baytown.  A few days after her husband passed away she was thinking of how she wanted to make him the perfect headstone and she felt that he was telling her how to do it because she was running in to things and pictures of how that meet their first date and even when he propose to her and she felt it was a puzzle adding up to their love story. They wore married for 18 years and she found an old invitation and napkin of their wedding that was in his computer desk mine you that desk was maybe one or two years old that’s why she couldn’t believe that was there as soon as she open the desk door. That gave her the idea of putting the invitation on the headstone and the refineries where they both meet and worked until they both retired. The doves and the rings are the invitation and the back of the headstone was DuPont & BP Amaco Refineries where they both meet and they both worked until they retired.

The family picture in the back was the first and last photo taking of all them together every year their kids and grandkids take Christmas pictures. She said that morning he came to the room and told her can you please iron my shirt for the pictures she said she didn’t have the nervous to tell him that they wore not taking pictures only the kids and grandkids. Well they went that year with the kids and grandkids to take pictures and even their kids were asking their mom why dad all is dressed up. She told them he wants to take pictures with you’ll as a family. They said cool it will be our first time as a whole family taking pictures so they did and six months later he passed away that’s why they decided to use that picture of all the kids and grandkids together because that was their first and last photo together. The poem of the broken chain was perfect for this headstone because in 2005 when BP Amaco Refinery exploded and killed all those people it really scared him that was his unit and he said that day that’s it I think it’s time for me to retired and he did for the next year all he did was spend all this time with his wife and family he worked all the time that the only time he had for his wife was the days he was off or not even just said it was at 9 ‘clock  every morning or 9 at night when he worked that was his break time.  He was a very smart intelligent man that he was not going to just stay at home and he decide to go work somewhere else and he started applying for other companies the day of the testing he decide a day before to go stay at a hotel to be closer to the facility where he was going to go test the next morning.  He felt in the hotel lobby and hit his head on the marble floor he was rushed to the hospital but they couldn’t o anything for him so he was dismiss from the hospital and came home later on that night he was not responding and had to be life flight to Hermann Hospital. He was having an aneurysm is your brain can also swell as a result of injury, illness, or other reasons. Brain swelling, though, can quickly cause serious problems including death. It's also usually more difficult to treat. That's because as your body's master control system, the brain is critical to overall function. Yet, the thick, bony skull that snugly protects this vital organ provides little room for the brain to swell.  As an aneurysm increases in size, the risk of rupture increases. A ruptured aneurysm can lead to bleeding and subsequent hypovolemic shock, leading to death. Aneurysms are a result of a weakened blood vessel wall, and can be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. The doctors couldn’t believe how he stayed alive for three days because he should of died when his head hit the marble floor the only think she believes is that he wanted her to accept that it was time for him to left and that she was going to be fine financially she would always tell him that she hated June because that was the June she lost her mom and little brother but he would always tell her June is a beautiful month you just watch and see.  That June he passed away six months after his father died now she said that June was a beautiful month for her husband because that was the month he choose to left her and beginning his eternity life with God. This headstone was name the best headstone and won first place in the Hall of Fame of headstones in 2007 and is still ranting #1 district all over the Harris County of Headstones.

 

I enjoyed my time at Memory Garden Cemetery seeing and learning a lot about the history of the cemetery. I would always just go by for funerals but never stayed for hours just spending the day out their looking at all different kinds of headstones. I enjoyed my afternoon getting to meet Ms. Helen and telling me her love story and why she decides to make this headstone. Her husband’s headstone made the Hall of Fame Headstones in Harris County I never knew that headstones wore that important that they can be put in a drawing for the best design ever now when you go to make funeral arrangements  that’s the first thing they show you headstones and the Carpenter’s headstone is the first one on the magazine. I really enjoyed myself a lot and I learned new things every time and I saw three different mausoleums for those that wish to have an above ground burial. Their mausoleum features beautiful white marble faceplates which hold bronze name plates as well as bronze vases. I have never seen that before I have only seen the one’s in the white building what looks like an office and they have all this different boxes of people being cremated and put there by their family members.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I found some more headstone that I really thought they work so cool because everyone is so different and just by the details on the headstone it tells you a little more about that person even though you don't know that person. I found a police officer that was killed on the line of duty for going over to a trailer park to go service someone that own too much water and was being service but the Harris County. The other headstone I found was two cousins that made worldwide news by leaving their home in the middle of the night with two boys and were drinking and didn't see a railroad train parked in the track and ran in to it and killed them instead the girls were in junior high.

This two guys were killed at work 2005 when BP Amaco exploded they were burned to death when the unit trapped them inside. They both left their families and kids behind here are their headstones made by their love ones. I found a couple of headstones that its a whole family and they purchase a big land to buried more family member because on one side is the brothers and sisters and the back is the grandkids will be buried they have a big spot for 12 family members.