Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca
This bronze bust on a granite pedestal was created by Pilar Cortella de Rubin, a Spanish native living in Houston. Cabeza de Vaca was part of a troubled Spanish colony in Florida. The colony was abandoned and survivors sailed for Mexico. Cabeza de Vaca was shipwrecked on Galveston Island. After traveling around Texas and Mexico for several years, he and his shipmates were reunited with Spaniards. He later wrote about his experiences among Native Americans. The City of Houston acquired the bust in 1986.