Explorer accounts from the early 1700s refer to a Native American woman named Angelina who served as guide and translator for both the French and Spanish. Angelina is the namesake of the nearby Angelina River and Angelina County, in which Lufkin is located, a testament to the lasting effects of Angelina’s powerful character. The statue of Angelina installed outside the Lufkin Convention Center memorializes her roll in mediating relations between Native Americans and Spanish settlers.