de Zavala Plaza

Duane's take

Well, here's my tellin' of what the official marker has to say — so let the record show where this story comes from. Now, there are plazas named after politicians, and then there are plazas named after men who earned the name the hard way. De Zavala Plaza honors Lorenzo de Zavala — Vice President of the Republic of Texas, ad interim, from March 17 to October 17, 1836.

That's a title that carries some weight. But to understand why, you have to go back a good long way before Texas ever entered the picture. Lorenzo de Zavala was born in Yucatan, educated at the seminary of Ildefonso — the kind of man who reads widely and thinks deeply, which, as history has shown, tends to make certain governments nervous.

He was an ardent liberal, and in 1814 that conviction landed him in jail, where he stayed until 1817. Three years behind bars for his politics. But here's the thing about a man like de Zavala — prison didn't hollow him out.

It sharpened him. He learned English in that cell. He became a medical doctor.

By 1821, he was a member of the Cortes in Madrid, Spain — sitting in the halls of power on the other side of the Atlantic. He later served as governor of a province of Mexico. After Mexico won its independence from Spain, he kept right on pushing for democratic reforms.

The cause never rested, and neither did he. But then came Santa Anna — Dictator Santa Anna — and de Zavala, loyal to the Constitution of Mexico of 1824, was not the kind of man to make peace with a dictator. He opposed him.

And so he moved to Texas, seeking freedom. On March 2, 1836, Lorenzo de Zavala put his name to Texas' Declaration of Independence. Later, he signed the Republic of Texas Constitution.

And then, that same year — from March 17 to October 17 — he served as Vice President of the Republic, ad interim, while everything around him was still being fought and forged and figured out. He had been married twice. He had six children.

And when he died — his family called it an early death — they didn't let his memory fade. They kept his ideals alive. That is no small thing to say about a family.

The Texas Legislature, in 1858, named Zavala County in his honor. And across Buffalo Bayou from this very plaza, on a plantation on the other side of that water, Lorenzo de Zavala was laid to rest — along with many of his descendants, and some of their neighbors and friends — in the de Zavala family cemetery. This plaza is dedicated to his memory, to his family, and to those buried in that cemetery just across the bayou.

A man jailed for his beliefs, who learned and studied and crossed oceans and signed his name to freedom — and whose resting place sits quietly on the far bank, not so far from here at all.

What the marker says

Name honors Lorenzo de Zavala, vice president of the Republic of Texas (ad interim, March 17 - Oct. 17, 1836). Born in Yucatan and educated in the seminary of Ildefonso, de Zavala was an ardent liberal who was jailed 1814-1817 for political activities. In prison he learned English and became a medial doctor. In 1821 he was a member of the Cortes in Madrid, Spain, and later was governor of a province of Mexico. After Mexico win independence from Spain, he kept working for democratic reforms. Loyal to the 1824 Constitution of Mexico, he opposed Dictator Santa Anna, and moved to Texas to seek freedom. On March 2, 1836, he signed Texas' Declaration of Independence. Later he signed the Republic of Texas Constitution. Married twice, he had six children. The family honored his memory by keeping alive his ideals after his early death. The Legislature of Texas in 1858 named Zavala County in his honor. Lorenzo de Zavala, many of his descendants, and some of their neighbors and friends were interred in the de Zavala family cemetery, on the plantation across Buffalo Bayou from this site. This plaza is dedicated to the memory of Vice President de Zavala, his family, and others buried in de Zavala Cemetery.