Sometime
within the early 1500’s, the Arkokisa Native American tribe inhabited the land
that is now the Baytown Nature Center. For hundreds of years the natives had
lived undisturbed, but the arrival of foreign settlers introduced fatal
disease. The tribe was declared extinct by 1830. Many artifacts of the tribe’s
existence have been found along the shores of the Baytown Historical Museum. In
1910 a man by the name of Edwin Brown purchased 530 acres of this land on which
to raise his cattle and build his home. After Edwin’s death in the year of
1927, his widow, Myra Brown, began to sell off the land for
development. In 1937, Edwin Brown Jr. sold plots of land to executives of
the Humble Oil Company for homes. The residential area that was
constructed was known as Brownwood. In 1962, Brownwood was annexed into the
City of Baytown and by the early 1970's, the subdivision had over 360
homes. After many years of
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| Photo by Othello O. Owensby |
flooding caused by seasonal high tides,
tropical storms, and hurricanes, the area had sunk 10 to 15 feet causing some
property to be submerged in the bay. In August 1983, Hurricane Alicia
devastated the Brownwood area. Storm
tides measuring at up to 10 feet high swept over the peninsula demolishing the
subdivision and making it uninhabitable. Over time the ruined homes were
demolished and the debris cleared away. In 2008, the Baytown Nature Center and the surrounding area
was severely damaged by Hurricane Ike. Many of the structures were
destroyed by the 13 feet of water that flooded much of the center.
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| Observation Deck |
The Baytown
Nature Center is an expansive wildlife sanctuary and recreational area spanning
450 acres, and is surrounded by Crystal Bay, Scott Bay, and Burnet Bay. The
Baytown Nature Center is home to hundreds of bird species, aquatic species,
reptiles, and mammals. The recreational area and wildlife sanctuary have been separated
by a pair of peninsulas, with five nature trails intersecting through either
one. The smaller of the two peninsulas, San Jacinto Point, houses the
recreational area. San Jacinto Point has picnic areas, a shoreline
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| Turtles at the Children's Discovery Playground |
walkway,
fishing piers, a playground, and an observation deck. The much larger
peninsula, the Natural Area, houses and displays a myriad of unique animals.
With the mixed woodlands, a freshwater marsh, a saltwater marsh, several ponds,
and tall grass habitats, the Natural Area equips every creature with it's own
unique and natural habitat. The winding trails through the sanctuary have been
placed at the perfect distance as to not disturb the wildlife but at the same
allow visitors a proper viewing of nature at its finest.
Baytown has a lot of
roots and a lot of history, but there’s a reason for the nickname Dirty Bay.
The Baytown Nature Center is a stark contrast to the pollution of the oil
refineries in the area. The Baytown Nature Center allows you to see the
beautiful, natural part of Baytown. You get to experience the wildlife residing
there. Hundreds of wildlife species live right here, in this 450 acre span of
land that is a part of Baytown. Walking the trails and observing the different
habitats that the Baytown Nature Center has, is like being in a whole different
world. Outside, the tall, looming smokestacks of the refineries in Baytown and
inside, the colorful, vast amount of splendor that is the Baytown Nature
Center.
It’s a brisk morning in Baytown. My boyfriend and I are sitting in my
car, and he’s making fun of me because I’m shivering from the cold. He seems to
be immune to the chilliness, most likely from his upbringing in the northern
frozen reaches of the world. I am however born and raised in Texas and fifty
degrees is nothing to scoff at. As I back out of the driveway, the car heater
finally decides to work. While driving
to the Baytown Nature Center, I fill him in on my research. I tell him about
the Arkokisa Indians that once inhabited the area and how the Brownwood estates
came and went. I then tell him about the city of Baytown buying the land and
turning it into a recreational and natural area in 1995. By this time, we’re at
the entrance and the sun is peeking over the horizon. He knows what’s good for
him and tries not to look bored out of his mind. We pay our entrance fee and
drive along the dirt trail. I already know where we’re going; The
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| Brownwood Pavilion |
Brownwood
Pavilion. As a little girl, this was and continues to be my favorite thing
about the Baytown Nature Center. I can remember running up the winding trail,
with excitement running through my veins. My parents carried the picnic basket,
and my sister and I raced to the pavilion. Our family trips to the Baytown
Nature Center were few and far between, so I relished every moment. I would
stand on the wooden rails surrounding the pavilion and raise my arms high in
the air, feeling the cool rush of wind and the warmth of the bright sun. It was
then that I felt I was the queen of the world. As I stand here now with my
significant other, I feel the same sense of unburdened happiness. I climb onto
the railing and raise my arms high in the air as I did when I was younger. It
is now that I feel like the queen of the world.
Works Cited
"History of Site." Friends of The Baytown Nature Center. Friends of The Baytown Nature Center, n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2013.
Baytown Historical Museum. "Arkikosa Artifacts." Plaque. Native American. 4 Nov.2013
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