Repairs to begin soon on battlegrounds
Mary Meaux
The Port Arthur News
SABINE PASS —
With jaw set firm and a stern look on his face, the bronze statue of Civil War Lt. Richard “Dick” Dowling continues to guard the path to an area once known as Fort Griffin.
The lifelike statue has kept its ground through not one but two hurricanes, withstanding the fury Mother Nature unleashed on the 57-acre historical park. But not all of the park was so lucky.
The storm surge flooded the park, tearing thick monuments and plaques from their foundations, ripping picnic areas apart and vanquishing a floating dock from the boat ramp area.
Efrem Hill, maintenance supervisor for the Sabine Pass Battlegrounds Historical Park, said the interpretive pavilion once held plaques telling the history of the battlegrounds were spread across the park.
The restrooms, made of concrete cinder blocks, was knocked down during Hurricane Rita in 2005 but it was powerful Ike that dealt the final, fatal blow. Plans are on the drawing board to reconstruct the facility.
Hill opened the heavy metal gauge doors to a World War II ammunition bunker. He pointed to an area at the back of bunker — now a maintenance shed — where the storm surge from Hurricane Ike filled the space up to about 12 feet. Though the park has been closed due to storm damages, Hill said he expects repairs to begin soon.
The park was previously managed by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. The Texas Historical Commission, the current owners of the park, took it and other state parks over on Jan. 1, 2008.
“On a typical summer day, we have people fishing and families with children out here. There a peace of mind, it’s quiet,” the 18-year park worker said. “I can’t wait until they reopen.”
Hill and his family once lived on the park grounds in a trailer until Hurricane Rita destroyed his home and many others in September 2005.
The park, which opened in 1974, was once a destination spot for families to fish, camp and relax. Recreational vehicle owners rented spaces with electricity and water and camped for days or weeks at a time. A bulkhead with handrails allowed fishermen a place to toss in a line for a chance to catch a variety of game fish and crab.
The park is also home to an annual re-enactment of the battle during a celebration known as Dick Dowling Days.
In September 1863, Dowling and his 46 Confederate artillerymen defeated a federal invasion force of 26 ships led by four heavily armed gunboats during the Battle of Sabine Pass.