Rene Robert Cavelier Sieur De La Salle - Indianola, TX
Posted by: 
Raven
N 28° 31.641 W 096° 30.517
14R E 743798 N 3158154
A 40' gray granite monument at the turnabout/terminus of TX Hwy 316 by the ghost town of Indianola, Texas in honor of the great French Explorer.
Waymark Code: WMPTWC
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 10/20/2015
Views: 5
This Texas gray granite sculpture measures approx. 40x5x5 feet and rests on top of a 2-foot cement base. It was designed by
Raoul Jean Jesset -- a French born American sculptor who was commissioned for several other works throughout the US and France -- and formally erected by the State of Texas in 1936 as part of that state's centennial anniversary.
The sculpture consists of a full-length figure of the explorer de la Salle, depicted with long hair and a moustache. He wears a long cloak and holds a sword in front of him with both hands; the tip of the sword rests on the ground in front of his feet. The larger-than-life sized sculpture is carved in low-relief on the front of a granite shaft, except for the figure's head, which is three-dimensional. The figure gazes down to his proper left.
The following inscriptions can be found on both sides of the granite shaft:
[On the proper left side of the granite shaft, i.e. beneath his right foot]
Born in Rouen France November 22, 1643. Came to Canada in 1668. Founded a first settlement near Montreal. Led several expeditions on the Great Lakes and the Ohio and Illinois rivers. Completed the exploration of the Mississippi, 1682. On July 24, 1684, La Salle sailed from France to establish a colony at the mouth of the Mississippi. Landed at Matagorda Bay February, 15, 1685. There established Fort St. Louis. While on his way to Canada he was murdered near the Trinity River March 19, 1687.
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[On the proper right side of the granite shaft, i.e. beneath his left foot]
A gentleman but not a courtier, a proud independent yet timid nature, an explorer of bold vision and untiring energy.
La Salle's colony on Matagorda Bay gave the United Statues its first claim to Texas as a part of the Louisiana Purchase.
"America owes him an enduring memory for in this masculine figure she sees the pioneer who guided her to the possession of her richest heritage"
Francis Parkman
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[On the back side of the granite shaft]
Erected by the State of Texas
1936