The Riverwalk Memorial Grove
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Planting of the Memorial Grove commenced in celebration of the nation's Bicentennial in San Marcos. The Grove and Riverwalk were established as a permanent “gift to the City” to continue into the next century.
The City Bicentennial Commission, which later became the Heritage Association, planted the first Arbor Day tree in 1976. The tree was a gift to San Marcos from the Texas Forest Service, a “Liberty Tree,” distributed to recognize Bicentennial Cities in Texas. This large Texas Pecan presently centers the Memorial Grove located between the Charles S. Cock House Museum and the railroad tracks extending to the Riverwalk at the San Marcos River. This Grove began with the four large trees located at the parking lot behind the Museum. These trees were planted in honor of those for whom memorials had been contributed to help finance the Riverwalk. Mrs. Addison Buckner Herbert Holcombe Ralph Ingram, Sr. Fred W. Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Alfred Kroll Kimberley K. Longley Herbert Lennie John Judy Middagh, Sr. Mrs. Bert Miller, Sr. Ed O’Banion Tom G. Oliver, Jr. Mrs. L. B. Oltman Eric Stephen Pool Mary Cock Rylander Gabriel Serur Malcolm Sherrill Peyton Thomas Mrs. D. L. Weir Frank Zimmerman, Sr. Also among the trees originally planted in the Memorial Grove is the Andrew Jackson Magnolia located near the flagpole and the gazebo. This tree was propagated from the magnolia tree growing on the White House grounds in Washington, D.C. It was a gift to the Bicentennial Commission in 1973 from U.S. Congressman J. J. Pickle. The large tree east of the gazebo at the edge of Hopkins Street is the Lyndon Baines Johnson Magnolia. It was planted as a memorial soon after the President's death according to the wishes of Mrs. Johnson. 
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In addition to the recognition of those who contributed to the construction of the original riverwalk, the Riverwalk Park Committee, on behalf of the Heritage Association, has planted trees in memory of other individuals during Arbor Day events, beginning in 1979. These individuals, recognized for their dedicated service to the San Marcos community, include the following:
Virginia Hightower, 1979 Walter Buckner, 1980 Herbert Yarbrough, 1981 James Dell Cummings, 1982 Robert C. Van Gundy, 1983 Dr. Buford Williams, 1984 The Rev. H. Ellis Thomas, 1984 Dempsey Serur, 1985 Dennis McCoy, 1986 Addison Buckner, 1987 Terry L. Jacks, 1987 Joe Vasquez, Jr., 1987 Oscar Calvin Smith, Jr., 1988 R. Eugene Phillips, 1989 Helen Holcombe Allen, 1990 Tula Townsend Wyatt, 1991 Elizabeth Hofheinz Martindale, 1992 Joe Nicola, Sr., 1993 H. Y. Price, Jr., 1994 Robert J. Pollard, 1995 Thomas J. Yoakum, 1996 Bob Kercheville, 1997 Ambassador William H. Crook, 1998 Theodora Scrutchin, 1999 Joe G. Rodriguez, 2000 Lydell Clayton, 2001 Jack Lindstrom, 2002 Dr. William L. Moore, 2003 John Cooper, 2004 Luciano Flores, 2005 Max Souby, 2007 Carl W. Anderson, 2008 John Morrissett, 2009 Steve R Gregg, 2010 Dr. Gwen K. Smith, 2011 Edwin Mutschlechner, 2012 Emmett McCoy, 2013 Willie Higgs, 2014 Martha D. Jackson, 2015 Bob Sappington, 2016 Dorothy "Dottie" Sims, 2017 Ofelia Vasquez-Philo, 2018 Bruce Ingram, 2019 Patty Sherrill Sullivan, 2020 Marie Jager, 2021 Ted and Frances Breihan 2022 Ruben E. Garza, 2023 Miriam McCoy, 2024 |
