Washington Avenue Coalition / Memorial Park in Houston in Harris County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Archibald Wynns
(December 25, 1807 - August 21, 1859)
Archibald established a law practice in Houston in 1837 and was a founding member of Houston's First Methodist Church, which was organized in 1839. In 1841, Wynns acquired this property along Buffalo Bayou, located two miles from the courthouse and outside the Houston city limits. He erected a country house at this site, and by the 1850s the Wynns family lived on the farm and rented out their home in town.
Wynns represented Harris County in the Sixth Congress of the Republic of Texas from 1841 until 1842. While a member of Congress, he served in the Army of the Republic, and fought to repulse the advances of Rafael Vasquez into Texas. In 1855, Wynns decided to join the California gold rush and boarded a ship to San Francisco. While in California, he became interested in the activities of adventurer and filibuster Gen. William Walker, who sought to gain control of Latin American nations through military action. Wynns joined Walker's last Central American expedition, but died during his return trip because of an illness contracted while aboard. His burial location is unknown. In 1871, the Houston Cemetery Company purchased the 42-acre Wynns framstead for the construction of Glenwood Cemetery. Martha died in 1896 in San Marcos, Texas and is buried there.
Erected 2009 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 15920.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Exploration • Settlements & Settlers • War, Texas Independence.
Location. 29° 45.888′ N, 95° 23.214′ W. Marker is in Houston, Texas, in Harris County. It is in Washington Avenue Coalition / Memorial Park. Marker can be reached from Washington Avenue. Marker is located within Glenwood Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2525 Washington Avenue, Houston TX 77007, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Edwin Fairfax Gray (a few steps from this marker); Charlotte Marie Baldwin Allen (a few steps from this marker); Gustav August Forsgard (within shouting distance of this marker); Irvin Capers Lord (within shouting distance of this marker); Colonel B.F. Terry (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Washington Cemetery (about 500 feet away); James S. and Alfred T. Lucas (about 500 feet away); The Rev. William M. Tryon (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Houston.
Also see . . . Wynns, Archibald - The Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) (Submitted on September 6, 2018, by Brian Anderson of Humble, Texas.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 6, 2018, by Brian Anderson of Humble, Texas. This page has been viewed 196 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 6, 2018, by Brian Anderson of Humble, Texas. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.