George Bush Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| George Bush Park | |
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| Type | public park, wildlife sanctuary |
| Location | Houston, Texas |
| Size | 7,800 acres |
| Opened | 1940s |
| Operated by | Steve Radack [1] |
George Bush Park is a city park in Houston, Texas in the United States. It is the sixth largest city park in the nation, covering 7,800 acres[2], and was previously known as Cullen-Barker Park.
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[edit] History
The federal government opened the Barker Reservoir in the 1940s, mainly to control flooding of the Buffalo Bayou. The present area occupies about half of the area.[3]
The park stayed under the name Cullen-Barker Park until January 1997, when Commissioner Steve Radack proposed the name George Bush park, in honor of former president George H.W. Bush. In May, President Bush Senior attended the opening ceremony, and the park received its new name.
[edit] Pre-Settlement
Before the area was known as part of Houston, the marsh was part of the Stephen F. Austin colony. After settlers in the area moved out of the park, much of its land was sold to ranchers.
In the 1880s, a railway named the Texas Western Narrow Gauge Railroad ran trains from Houston to surrounding areas. Barely lasting one decade, the line was forced to shut down due to bankruptcy, yet still the park considers it a heritage.[3]
Cattle and farms were based throughout the early 1900s, until the area became parkland in the mid-1940s.
[edit] Overview
The large park, located on the far west side of Houston, serves as an attraction and nature reserve for the Buffalo Bayou, a major water source in the park.
Most of the attractions are located on Westheimer Parkway[4] (not to be mistaken with F.M. 1093), a major thoroughfare in the park. The park hosts a large soccer field, a shooting alley, and numerous pavilions, playgrounds, ponds and jogging trails.
[edit] Jogging & Biking Trails
The park has a long system of jogging trails, many surrounded by swamps, forest, and bayous. Many of the trails follow the Buffalo Bayou, and biking is popular year round. The trail is well known for its flexibility in biking, many speed bikers ride the trails. It is very similar to the nearby Terry Hershey Park.
[edit] The Boardwalk
In addition to the biking trail, there is a large wooden bridge that crosses the Buffalo Bayou, dubbed "the Boardwalk" officially.
Capable of holding 5 tons (10,000 lbs.), the Boardwalk was a recent addition, built in 2004, mainly to cross the swampy, meandering Buffalo Bayou.[5] The bayou flows slowly and unsteadily in the area, spilling some of its water into swamps as it conjunctions with a second bayou.
The Boardwalk provides easy access across the bayou, seating, but no access to the Buffalo Bayou shoreline.
[edit] Sports Fields
The park hosts two large, green soccer fields. These are commonly used for local-area teams to run practice drills. The first one is located near the western entrance, and the second, which is slightly smaller, is located near the baseball fields.[4]
There are six baseball fields in the park. Four of them are reserved for the West Oaks Little League[4]. The other three are public fields.
[edit] American Shooting Center
The American Shooting Center reserves 563 acres of land near the southeast entrance for shooting. The center is well-known for accumulating nine different awards from different organizations. The center provides different shooting fields, a gun rental/purchase shop and paid shooting lessons.
[edit] Awards & Accomplishments
The following are awards & accomplishments made by the club:[6]
- 125+ corporate and fund-raising events
- Club of The Decade Award - Runner Up
- Home of the US Open, 1997 and 2004
- Texas State Championship - 1993, 1999, 2001, 2003
- Home of the Bayou City Classic and Browning/Briley World Open
- NSCA Club of the Year - 1997 and 2001
[edit] References
- ^ George Bush Park (Harris County Commissioner Pct 3) Park Main Page
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica Almanac 2006, pg. 272
- ^ a b George Bush Park - History
- ^ a b c Park Layout
- ^ George Bush Park - Photo Gallery
- ^ American Shooting Centers - Houston's Premier Recreational Shooting Facility Main Page
