This year marks the 161st anniversary of Sam Houston’s death. The Sam Houston Memorial Museum and Republic of Texas Presidential Library will honor Sam Houston’s memory on Saturday, July 27, 2024.
On July 26, 1863, Sam Houston passed away in the Steamboat House in Huntsville, Texas. After the death of her husband, Margaret opened the family Bible and inscribed inside, “Died on the 26th of July 1863 General Sam Houston, the beloved and affectionate husband and father, the devoted patriot, the fearless soldier, the meek and lowly Christian.”
The next day, July 27, Houston’s funeral service was held in the upstairs parlor of the Steamboat House followed by a procession to Oakwood Cemetery with members of the local Masonic Lodge accompanying the body. At the cemetery a Masonic service was held.
The Steamboat House will be open to the public to tour inside from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., July 27th, where museum staff and partners will talk about Sam Houston’s last days and 19th century mourning customs.
