There is a little park in the north west corner of downtown bounded by Capitol Street, Bagby Street, Rusk Street and Brazos Street and attached to Tranquility Park by a tunnel under Rusk. It is a quiet, secluded park, shielded from passers by on Capitol and Bagby by trees and a perfect place for two simple memorials to astronauts who died in the two shuttle accidents.
A stone plinth almost in the center of the park contains a plate dedicated to the astronauts on the last Challenger mission. The engraving on the plate is quite weathered. It reads:
Francis R Scobee.......Michael J. Smith
Judith A Resnik........Ronald E McNair
Elison S Onizuka.......Gregory B Jarvis
.......................Christa McAuliffe
To the seven men and women who made the supreme sacrifice to advance humankind to the heavens on January 28, 1986 The Space shuttle Challenger Mission 51-L exploded approximately ten miles above Cape Canaveral Florida at 10:38 AM CST. They wished to serve and they did. Therefore on behalf of the citizens of Houston, the engineers council of Houston honors these national heroes. January 28, 1987.
A second plinth on the west side of the park contains a plate that is much easier to read honoring the astronauts of the shuttle Columbia who were killed on February 1, 2003 on reentry to the Earth's atmosphere.
The Sweeney Clock
Across Bagby Strret from the park and bounded by Capitol, Rusk and Bagby is a small triangle of land containing the The Sweeney Clock. A plaque in front of the clock reads. "Once gracing the sidewalk at the northeast corner of Main Street and Prairie, the Sweeney clock was for decades the authoritative timekeeper for downtown Houstonians. Purchased from the Boston maker E. Howard & Co, the clock stood in front of the J.J. Sweeney & Co jewelry store from 1908-1928, where it was also used as a hitching post for horse drawn carriages.
Donated by the store to the City of Houston in 1929, the clock was moved to the downtown Farmer's Market and later to the courtyard of a municipal building near the Jefferson Davis Hospital.
By 1968 the clock had deteriorated badly. It was restored and moved to it's present location, the Sweeney triangle in 1971 with funds provided by the Colonial Dames of America. A base for the 15-foot timepiece was made using paving bricks from historic Navigation Street."
The Old Hanging Oak
Across Capitol from the Sweeney Clock abutting the Verizon Wireless Theater is The Old Hanging Oak. A plaque next to the tree reads:
"Many stories attach to the history of this 400-year old live oak. Some say that during the days of the Republic of Texas (1836-1845) at least 11 criminals were hanged from its graceful boughs. Although others dispute the tales, the legend survives.
In 1896 a courthouse with jail was built nearby. Inside criminals were hanged from scaffolds. Outside, beneath this tree, relatives, mourners and onlookers gathered and waited.
A second courthouse building later occupied the site. When it was demolished in the 1960's to make room for the Albert Thomas Convention Center, a basement wall was left intact to protect the trees root system.
The Old Hanging Oak is thought by some to be the oldest tree in Harris County."
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