Eugenia Sterne Park
A Deed of Affection from Sam Houston
March 2?Texas Independence Day in 1836?was the birthday of Sam Houston in 1783 and of Eva Helena Eugenia Sterne in 1829. On October 25, 1841, Republic of Texas President Sam Houston presented the land of this present-day Eugenia Sterne Park to his birthday partner Eugenia in a "Deed of Affection."
Eugenia was the twelve-year-old daughter of Adolphus Sterne, Sam Houston's friend from the time of their first meeting in 1817. Sterne was a Nacogdoches merchant, land speculator, politician, and Texas libertarian, who eventually became a state representative and then a senator.
Sam Houston?who had been a soldier, congressman, and governor of Tennessee?made his first trip to Texas in 1832 to visit Sterne. Houston boarded with the Sternes and was baptized as a Catholic in the Sterne's parlour. Houston acquired considerable real estate in Nacogdoches and cited Nacogdoches as his residence as late as 1835. Houston's relationship with the Sterne family, particularly with young Eugenia, was close and warm. Sam Houston gave Eugenia this plot of ground as he was leaving on his way to his inauguration as President of the Republic of Texas.
Eugenia married Thomas Charles Barrett of Melrose on June 2, 1845. She had three children and was widowed after eight years of marriage. After the deaths of her father in 1852 and her husband in 1853, Eugenia and her mother moved to Austin, where they had a boarding house and Eugenia taught piano. She died in March 1919 and was buried in Austin's Oakwood Cemetery.
The Eugenia Sterne Park was the inspiration of Cathy Wilson in 1989. The Timber Framers Guild built the gazebo in 1994. Eugenia Sterne Park was deeded to the city in 1996.
Marker is on Pilar Street near Lanana Street, on the left when traveling east.
Courtesy hmdb.org
