"The World Will Take Care of Houston's Fame" is the inscription on Sam Houston's tombstone. He was such a pivotal character in American (and Texas) history that it's hard to imagine him being forgotten. Among his achievements were:

• Defeating Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna at San Jacinto to secure Texan independence (1836)
• Serving as the 1st and 3rd president of the Republic of Texas (1836-38 and 1841-44)
• One of the first two individuals to represent Texas in the United States Senate (1845)
• Served as seventh governor of Texas (1859)

He was removed as governer in 1861 after Texas joined the Confederacy, which he opposed. After being removed, Houston relocated to Huntsville, north of the city of Houston (which President Houston had made the capital of Texas, a location which was changed by Anson Jones, the fourth President of Texas, in favor of Austin in 1845). He bought a house called Steamboat. Steamboat was built by Huntsville resident Rufus Bailey, as a wedding gift for his son, but the couple refused to live in it because of its unusual architecture (and hence the name steamboat):

Sam Houston died July 26, 1863 in Steamboat. His last words were "Texas - Margaret - Texas" (his second wife was Margaret Lea Houston).

For someone so historically significant, his final resting place is underwhelming. His grave can be found in the Oakwood cemetary, near Steamboat:

Although the grave site may be small, the statue nearby (visible from the I45 freeway) is much more appropriate to his greatness: