Story behind the Mural and Study

Name: Sam Houston enters Town of Houston 1835
Artist: John McQuarrie (aka MacQuarrie), San Francisco (1871-1944)
Date of Painting (Study) circa 1933.
34"x 36"  on wood veneer
Medium: Unknown- (possibly Tempera)
John McQuarrie painted several Murals in Railroad Stations on the Southern Pacific Line and in Salt Lake Utah, was a Sculptor of renown and as I understand, was Southern Pacific's official Muralist.

My father was visiting in San Francisco in approx 1954. While talking to a neighbor of my brother [my brother lived there], Dad mentioned that we are relatives of Sam Houston, first president of Texas. (my dad lived in Texas and I was raised there.). The gentleman showed my dad a painting he had, one that was given to him by the artist John McQuarrie. He explained that he (the neighbor) was the Baggage Master for Southern Pacific Railroad in the 1930’s, and as such was in charge of transporting two Murals painted by the artist John McQuarrie to Houston, where these Murals were to adorn the wall in the new “Grand Central Station” that opened in Houston that year (1934). Mr McQuarrie had painted a “Study” to show what the large murals would look like, perhaps to show his clients, the Southern Pacific Railroad Co., as one of two  Murals they had engaged him to paint for the Grand central Station, Houston Texas, each on canvas and measuring 17ft by 16ft ; one of Sam Houston & one of Travis Stephan Austin, to be glued to the wall in previously designed & constructed locations in the main hall of the new Grand Central Station, as can be seen in a newspaper clipping [1934] from the Houston Post, at the main Houston library 
My dad kept the painting for several years, but when he heard about Sam leaving his wife & living with the Indians for several years, he relegated Sam to the laundry room. On my next trip to see my parents in the 1980’s my mother asked if I wanted the painting, so I then took it home with me. My dad had lost the particulars of the painting  by then so I spent several years in looking for the train station & artist, mainly after getting on the Internet.  I had always felt this to be a very strong representation of the building of the city of Houston and the Lone Star state, and I seem to remember that as a school boy in Texas, I had seen a likeness of the mural in a Texas history book.
After many years of searching, I made a mistake while searching the Web & searched for a "photo" of Sam Houston. You can’t imagine my surprise when up popped a photo someone had taken of the mural [http: pro.corbis.com-artE2068]. Although the photo was only part of the mural, this was definitely it. I was able to determine that it was in the “Grand Central Station” Houston Texas. 
My Daughter, who lives in a Houston suburb, contacted the Houston main Library, Texas history room, Mr. Doug Weiskopf, Historian, who found the news clippings for us, identifying the Artist etc.
I had been thrown off by assuming the work to fall into the Government sponsored WPA mural programs of that era & thought my Dad probably remembered wrong in saying a train station, as only post offices and other government buildings were recipients of that program.
When Mr. Wieskoph sent the article & the article referred to the author as the  noted San Francisco artist, it all fell in place.
The Grand Central station was demolished circa 1960, and as I understand, the attempt to save the Mural failed when the wall that had been removed with the mural collapsed. Another story is that both murals were saved, but lost in storage by persons that probably had no Idea of their value.
I feel that this painting immortalizes a masterpiece of Texas history, & the city of Houston.

Emmett (Pete) Dammon