Plan to Attend the Antiques Sideshow

The 2012 Antiques Sideshow – the Brazos Valley’s version of the Antiques Roadshow – will be held on Saturday, May 19, 2012, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM in the library of Fannin Elementary School, located at Baker Street and 29th Street in Bryan. 

Doors will open at 9:45 AM with reviews beginning at 10:00 AM.  Doors will close at 1:30 PM to allow for all who have entered to visit with a reviewer.  A $10 donation per consultation will admit visitors to meet with a reviewer.  Five reviewers will cover the following categories: art, vintage jewelry, china and glassware, dolls and toys, linens and quilts, books, and political ephemera.  No furniture will be allowed due to space constraints.

Parking is allowed on the street and in areas reserved for PTO members and school staff.  Signs will be posted to direct people to the event.

So dust off your attic treasures and Grandma’s hand-me-downs and join us on May 19th for an exciting day at the 2012 Antiques Sideshow!

For additional information, contact Fran Lamb at fran1020@yahoo.com.

Wipprecht House Historical Marker Dedication Scheduled

The Banks law firm and Brazos County Historical Commission will be holding an unveiling and dedication ceremony for the newly designated Recorded Texas Historic Landmark – The Wipprecht House.  The Queen Anne style house, located at 500 East 29th Street in Bryan, was constructed by George and Charlie Jenkins.  It has been described by preservation consultants as “one of the few intact Victorian‐era houses in the City.”

In addition to the architectural historic significance, the Wipprecht family made significant contributions to agricultural science and had great influence in keeping A&M College in College Station.

The dedication ceremony for the marker will be held at the home at 2:00 PM on Sunday, May 6, 2012. 

Historical information on other historic marker sites in Brazos County can be found online at www.BrazosCountyHistory.org.

Where in Brazos County? April Contest Winner

On April 19, 2012, the Brazos Heritage Society posted its second monthly photo contest on Heritage Brazos, where readers of this electronic newsletter were asked to identify a building and its location in Brazos County.  The announcement for this particular contest may be viewed at the following link:  http://heritagebrazos.blogspot.com/2012/04/where-in-brazos-county.html.

The winner of the April 2012 “Where in Brazos County?” photo contest is Warren Hohertz – a master at the barbecue pit and a mean piano player – who successful identified the building appearing in the photograph as the Union Baptist Church, located on FM 974 near Edge.

According to The Handbook of Texas Online,

Union is a small rural community on Farm Road 974 about fourteen miles northeast of Bryan in northern Brazos County.  This settlement probably began by the early 1900s. County highway maps in the 1930s showed a church, school, and scattered dwellings in the area.  Though Union still appeared on maps in the late twentieth century no population statistics were available.  [Laurie E. Jasinski, “UNION, TX (BRAZOS COUNTY),” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed April 22, 2012.  Published by the Texas State Historical Association].

Congratulations, Warren.  Arrangements will be made for you to accept your prize.

Electronic Newsletter First Year Report

Heritage Brazos, the electronic newsletter of the Brazos Heritage Society, had its inception in May 2011.  After a year in existence, the Society’s newsletter has had 2,584 online visits. 

While the vast majority of those visits were from within the United States, the newsletter’s website was also viewed by people in the following countries (listed in alphabetical order): Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Hong Kong, Hungary, India Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Latvia, Malaysia, Namibia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and Vietnam.

In decreasing order, the ten countries with the most visits are: United States – 2,256; Russia – 90; United Arab Emirates – 50; Canada – 24; France – 19; United Kingdom – 18; Germany – 17; Thailand – 16; Poland – 8; and Egypt – 5.

The Society’s online newsletter contains all the information as the one mailed to members, and much more. 

2012 Arbor Day Ceremony

On the morning of April 26, 2012, approximately 30 people gathered in Heritage Park in Bryan for the annual Arbor Day Ceremony. 

Participating in the formal program were Darrell Lovelette, Director of Parks and Recreation, City of Bryan; Bob Holmes, Parks Director, City of Bryan; Jason Bienski, Mayor of Bryan, and Nancy Berry, Mayor of College Station, who together read a proclamation on behalf of the two cities and Brazos County; Amy Reed, Executive Director, Keep Brazos Beautiful, who made the memorial tree presentations; Brazos Heritage Society member Dennis Brezina, who spoke about the Heritage Park project; and Amy Atkins, Assistant Parks Director, City of College Station.  Also present were representatives of Congressman Bill Flores, the Texas Forest Service, and the A&M Garden Club.

Several members of the Brazos Heritage Society’s Executive Committee were in attendance, including: Nat Hilliard, President; Dan Beto, Vice President; Kyle Kovel, Secretary; Beverly Myers, Treasurer; and Tom McDonald, Of Counsel.   

The high point of the ceremony was the planting of two trees – a Lacebark Elm and a Live Oak.  These trees were planted in recognition of certain individuals.  A tree donated by Ashley Wesp was planted in memory of Dan Cody, and the other tree, donated by the Evening Garden Club and Kay Perrone, was planted in honor of Joyce Niece and Karen Thomas.

Several photographs from this event may be viewed on the Smilebox below.

Arbor Day Celebration at Heritage Park

Amy Reed, Executive Director of Keep Brazos Beautiful, has invited members of the Brazos Heritage Society to an Arbor Day Celebration on Thursday, April 26, 2012, at 11:00 AM in Heritage Park.

Please RSVP if you plan to attend by calling 979-775-3569 or by emailing kristen@keepbrazosbeautiful.org.

Where in Brazos County?

Commencing last month, the Brazos Heritage Society began conducting a monthly contest in which readers of Heritage Brazos are asked to identify a structure or a location in Brazos County. 

In this second contest, readers are being asked to identify the building in the accompanying photograph and its location.  Submissions may be sent to Dan Beto at dan.beto@gmail.com.

The winner of this contest will be treated to a Starbucks coffee by Society Events Coordinator Fran Lamb.  In addition, as part of the prize, the winner will be provided a book – Historic Brazos County.

President’s Message, April 2012

I would like to begin this message by thanking Linda Roberts, Tamara Garza, and Glynis Gore for all the work they did for the Brazos Heritage Society in their roles as members of the Executive Committee last year.  We would not have had the successful year we did without all their support and hard work.  Thank you ladies for a job well done!

If you were unable to attend our annual membership meeting – held at the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History on February 26 – you missed a great meeting!

During the meeting the following officers were elected for one year terms:

            Nat Hilliard, President

            Dan Beto, Vice President

            Kyle Kovel, Secretary

            Beverly Myers, Treasurer  

Blaine Brezina and his father Dennis were at the meeting to provide a slide show presentation on the project Blaine would like to do for the Heritage Park as a means of meeting the requirements for becoming an Eagle Scout.  He has some really great ideas for the Park and has also presented them to members of the Bryan Parks and Recreation Board, who were also impressed and approved a majority of his ideas. 

If anyone is interested in donating a tree for the park, please let us know.  On the list of approved trees are the following: Burr Oak, Lacebark Elm, Live Oak, Vitex, Crepe Myrtle, American Elm, and Redbud.  Feel free to contact me at this email address if you are interested in make a tree donation: nathilliard@verizon.net.

Sheila Fields gave us an update on the Boonville Jail community marker: she and Tom McDonald are moving right along with the project and we should have the marker in place in the not to distant future.

Dan Beto brought us up to date on our electronic newsletter – Heritage Brazos – and mentioned a new monthly contest – Where in Brazos County?  Please visit our electronic newsletter at http://heritagebrazos.blogspot.com.

 Our Treasurer, Beverly Myers, provided us with an up-to-date financial statement, which reflects the organization continues to be in good financial order.

Fran Lamb made a presentation about our first fundraiser for the year – Antique Sideshow.  She will be contacting experts in many fields of antiquity to arrange for them to evaluate the items brought in for the show.  Additional information about this event may be found elsewhere on this newsletter.  In the picture below I am holding what my great grandmother called her “butter crock.”  The crock was filled with fresh homemade butter and kept in the springhouse to keep it from spoiling.  It is one of the items I plan to have reviewed at the Antique Sideshow.  

After the meeting we enjoyed refreshments in the staff meeting area of the Museum.  Debra Cowman, the Museum Director, had the Museum open for us and answered many questions about upcoming projects and events. 

The new Executive Committee had our first meeting for the year on March 12, 2012, at Elizabeth and Kyle Kovel’s home – the old Cavitt House.  They very graciously agreed to have the meeting there.  

We set some new goals for this year, one of which is to consolidate all of the Society’s records and any other property in one place.  We now have acquired adequate storage and Homer and Beverly Myers have donated a four drawer metal filing cabinet for our records.  It seems that the Society’s records and legal papers are scattered throughout the membership, and each time new officers are elected there are box loads of papers transferred to them.  Since I took office, I have had several people bring different things to me that they had been storing somewhere, in one instance, up to several years.  Tom McDonald has agreed to serve as Of Counsel for the Society and to facilitate this coordination effort.

And while on the subject of Society property, I recall some really great bunting that we used to put on the Gazebo in Heritage Park for the Independence Day festivities.  Does anyone know that happened to it?  Perhaps it is in a box in someone’s garage?  We would love to have it for the 4th of July this year.   

Once again we have a dedicated and energetic members of the Executive Committee who I feel will make this an even more successful year.

                                                                                                        Nat Hilliard, President

“Old School Days” Tea in Millican

The Millican Heritage Society is hosting its eighth annual “Old School Days” Tea on Saturday, April 28, 2012, at the Community Center in Millican, Texas.

The first seating will be at 11:00 AM and the second seating will occur at 1:30 PM.  The cost of admission is $18.00 per person.

Reservations and payment are due by April 23, 2012.  For additional information and to reserve a place, call 936-825-7207.

This annual event is underwritten by Col. & Mrs. John Vilas, Loop Self Storage in Navasota, Brazos Valley Equine Hospital, and BCS Tax Group.

History of Texas Music

The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum has a special exhibit – Texas Music Roadtrip – that is on display until October 14, 2012.  As noted on the Museum website, the Lone Star State is a cultural crossroads with a western persona, southern traditions, and a long history of immigration.  Native Americans, Mexican Americans, African Americans, Anglos, Germans, Poles, Czechs, French-speaking blacks and whites, and numerous other ethnic groups have settled the state over the years, each with influences that resonate in the larger musical symphony of the Southwest. 

Persons interested in the vast musical heritage of the Lone Star State would do well to visit this exhibit.

Additional information about this wonderful exhibit may be found at: http://www.thestoryoftexas.com/the_museum/texas-music-roadtrip.html.

Admission to the Museum’s exhibits, including Texas Music Roadtrip, is $9 for adults; $8 for college students (with valid ID); $7 for seniors/military (with valid ID); $6 for youth ages 4-17, free for ages 3 and under.  The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum is located at 1800 North Congress Avenue at the corner of Martin Luther King, Jr., Boulevard in Austin.  For more information, call (512) 936-4649.  The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum hours of operation are Monday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and on Sunday from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

Treasurer’s Report, April 2012

Greetings from the desk of the Treasurer.  The following is an overview of our finance condition as of April 15, 2012.

At Prosperity Bank we have a certificate of deposit valued at $8,363.5o and our checking account at the bank has a balance of $6,768.57, for a total of $15,132.07.

For more detailed information about the Society’s financial condition, please do not hesitate to contact me at 979-229-9414 or by email at mycobra@suddenlink.net.

If you have not done so, please send in your annual membership fee with the 2012 Membership Application Form.

                                                                                     Beverly Myers, Treasurer

Where in Brazos County? Contest Winner

Last month the Brazos Heritage Society instituted a monthly photo contest, in which readers of Heritage Brazos are asked to identify a structure or a location in Brazos County.  The  announcement for this initial contest may be viewed at:  http://heritagebrazos.blogspot.com/2012/03/where-in-brazos-county.html.

The winner of this inaugural contest is Tom McDonald, who successfully identified the location of the building in Cawthon, Texas, in Southern Brazos County just a few miles from Allenfarm.  The building in the photograph was once a railroad station, and later served as a saloon and still later as a general store.   This building is presently owned by Will Terrell.

According to The Handbook of Texas Online:

Cawthon is a small rural community on Farm Road 159 four miles south of Millican and seventeen miles south of Bryan in southern Brazos County.  The site was within the lands of Stephen F. Austin’s colony and was settled before the Civil War.  A townsite did not develop, however, until after the International and Great Northern Railroad was built from Navasota to Hearne in the early 1900s.  The town was named for early settler Will Cawthon.  A post office operated at the community from 1912 to 1956.  In 1925 the town had a population of twenty-five, two general stores, a railroad express and telegraph agent, a physician, a butcher, and a blacksmith.  The community had a store and a population of ten in 1940.  The 1948 county highway map indicated a church, a school, two businesses, and several scattered dwellings at Cawthon.  By 1964 the community reported a population of seventy-five and no businesses. Cawthon in 1990 had scattered farm buildings, the old International and Great Northern Depot, and an estimated seventy-five residents.  The population remained the same in 2000.  [Christina L. Gray, “CAWTHON, TX,” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed March 10, 2012.  Published by the Texas State Historical Association].

Congratulations, Tom!

A new “Where in Brazos County?” contest will be posted within the week.

Saving Texas History!

Brazos Heritage Society member Henry Mayo has made us aware of Saving Texas History!, an electronic publication of the Texas General Land Office.  The Spring 2012 edition of the Saving Texas History! focuses on a new perspective of the 1842 Archives War, with Land Commissioner Thomas William Ward’s thoughts about the incident that saw Austinites hold hostage the archives and records of the General Land Office for more than a year.

To access this publication, go to: http://www.glo.texas.gov/what-we-do/history-and-archives/_publications/STH-newsletter-spring-2012.pdf.

And for other publications of the General Land Office, visit the following link: http://www.glo.texas.gov/glo_news/newsletters/index.html.

We are indebted to Henry for sharing this publication with us.  

TSHA Riding Line Available

The Spring 2012 issue of Riding Line, the newsletter of the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA), is now available online.

To read this issue, visit: http://www.tshaonline.org/sites/default/files/doc/ridingline/riding-line-2012-spring.pdf.

Additional information about the TSHA may be found at the following link: http://www.tshaonline.org.

Plan to Attend Antiques Sideshow

The 2012 Antiques Sideshow – the Brazos Valley’s version of the Antiques Roadshow – will be held on Saturday, May 19, 2012, in the cafeteria of Fannin Elementary School, located at Baker and 29th Streets in Bryan.  Doors will open at 9:45 AM with reviews beginning at 10:00 AM.  Doors will close at 1:30 PM to allow for all who have entered to visit with a reviewer.  A $10 donation admits visitors for a review consultation.  Categories will be announced next week; however, no furniture will be allowed due to space constraints.

Dust off your attic treasures and Grandma’s hand-me-downs and join us on May 19th for an exciting day at the 2012 Antiques Sideshow!

For additional information, contact Fran Lamb at fran1020@yahoo.com.

Where in Brazos County?

Commencing this month, the Brazos Heritage Society will be conducting a monthly contest, in which readers of Heritage Brazos will be asked to identify a structure or a location in Brazos County.  The winner of this first contest will be treated to a Starbucks coffee by Society Events Coordinator Fran Lamb.  In addition, as part of the prize, the winner will be provided a book – Historic Brazos County.

In this first contest, readers are asked to identify the location of the building pictured above.  Submissions may be sent to Dan Beto at dan.beto@gmail.com.

Tour of Historic Allenfarm

A tour of the historic Allenfarm, located on FM 159 near the intersection of the BNSF (Santa Fe) railroad tracks, approximately six miles south of Millican and some 24 miles south of Bryan in Southern Brazos County, has been tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, May 9, 2012, at 11:30 AM.  

This tour is made possible through the generosity of the Terrell Family, and is sponsored by the Millican Heritage Society.  Sack lunches and refreshments are planned.  Membership in the Millican Heritage Society is not required to participate nor will there be a charge; however, contributions will be appreciatively accepted.

According to The Handbook of Texas Online:

The area was settled by Stephen F. Austin’s second group of colonists between 1821 and 1831.  The original grants were issued to Jarrell and Robert H. Millican.  The community was named for Robert A. Allen, an area plantation owner.  His name however, does not appear on the known land deeds.  The post office operated from 1885 until after 1940.  In 1902 the town had a three-story depot, two gins, a general store, a commissary, three saloons, and a population of 100.  In the 1940s it had two stores, two schools, a church, two factories, and a population of seventy-five.  By 1964 the population had fallen to fifteen.  In 1970 it was forty.  Allenfarm had one business in 1986.  Will Terrell, the owner, preserved several of the original local buildings and their contents.  In 2000 Allenfarm had a population of thirty.  [Molly Kate McCaughey, “ALLENFARM, TX,” Handbook of Texas Online, accessed February 8, 2012.  Published by the Texas State Historical Association].

For additional information about the tour and to reserve your place for this wonderful experience, please call (979) 776-1112 or (979) 680-1099.

President’s Message, January 2012

It is hard for me to believe that almost a year has passed since becoming President of the Brazos Heritage Society; but it has, and what a busy and successful year it has been.  I was blessed to have an Executive Committee that was committed to revitalizing the Society!  Our membership, which was one of our main focuses, has grown threefold this year and we hope to see the same trend in the coming year.

Dan Beto, our Publications Chair, developed a blog (http://heritagebrazos.blogspot.com) this past May and it has kept the membership and the public timely informed of our activities.  If you haven’t had an opportunity to review this electronic newsletter, please do so; it contains not only information about the Brazos Heritage Society but also provides a number of helpful links.

Our 25th Anniversary Fourth of July Celebration in Heritage Park was wonderful; the kids of all ages had a great time.  And the September membership meeting held at the Park’s Matthew Winsper Knobel Memorial Gazebo, concluded with a social hour, was both informative and enjoyable. 

The Victorian Tea of Thanksgiving, held in The Clary House, was really successful, both financially and as a social event.  Many of the ladies, attending the tea, expressed gratitude at seeing the Brazos Heritage Society once again having the teas in one of our Historic Homes.  We had ladies and gentlemen dressed in Victorian costume coming from as far away as Dallas to attend.  Our blog contains great accounts with lots of pictures about all of these events.

Heritage Park was decorated beautifully for our Christmas Stroll on December 10th and the lights continued to sparkle until the New Year.  We received so many compliments from the neighborhood and visitors to the park.  Beverly and Homer Myers, Linda Roberts, and Phil and Harriet Smith had their homes open.  Justin and Jenny Bulhof and my husband and I served Wassail and cookies on our front porches.  Hidden Oasis provided horse drawn carriage rides in the neighborhood and St. Michael’s Choir sang Christmas carols in the park.

We were successful in getting the Master Plan for Heritage Park approved by the Parks and Recreation Board in December.  Now there is a plan in place to keep the integrity of the park as was intended when deeded to the City.

We have also been successful in getting several of the Astin clothes restored so they will be available for showcasing.  We still have several garments left to be restored and will be deciding which ones to have done this year.

We will also continue to work on securing a new Boonville marker until that task is completed.  Some things take longer than others.

We now have a New Year to look forward to and plan for.  We are very fortunate to have Fran Lamb join the Executive Committee as our Events Chair and she has great ideas for additional fund raising events for the Society, ideas we will bring to the membership’s attention as plans firm up.

I hope to see each of you at our annual membership meeting on February 26, 2012, at the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History.  Thank you for your support and involvement in the Society. 

                                                                                                Nat Hilliard

President

Annual Membership Meeting Scheduled

According to the Bylaws of the Brazos Heritage Society, an annual meeting shall be held each February for the election of officers, the hearing of reports, and for conducting other such business of the Society.  The 2012 annual meeting has been scheduled as follows:

Date:              Sunday, February 26, 2012

Time:             2:00 PM

Location:       Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History

                       Brazos Center

                       3232 Briarcrest Drive, Bryan, Texas

Please plan to attend this annual business meeting.  Your participation and involvement in the affairs of the Society are welcomed and encouraged.  Refreshments will be served.

Treasurer’s Report, January 2012

Greetings from the desk of the Treasurer.  The following is an overview of our financial condition at yearend 2011.

Wells Fargo Bank Certificate of Deposit                          $    5,704.78

Prosperity Bank Certificate of Deposit                             $    8,349.97

Prosperity Bank Checking Account Balance                   $    1,526.02

Total                                                                                   $  15,580.77

For more detailed information about the Society’s financial condition, please do not hesitate to contact me at 979-229-9414 or by email at mycobra@suddenlink.net.

If you have not done so, please send in your annual membership fee for 2012.  You may also renew your membership at the annual membership meeting on February 26, 2012.

Beverly Myers

Treasurer

2012 Exploring History Lunch Lecture Series

The College Station Historic Preservation Committee and the Senior Advisory Committee have developed an outstanding Exploring History Lunch Lecture Series for 2012.  

Each month speakers are invited to share their knowledge of local history during a light lunch.  Each program is taped and broadcasts weekly on CSTV-19.

The luncheon is $5.00 per person and begins at 11:30 AM in the College Station Conference Center located at 1300 George Bush Drive.  There is a new shuttle that you can reserve a spot that will leave from the Southwood Community Center, located at 1520 Rock Prairie Road, at 11:00 AM.

Reservations are required and must be made by the Monday before each lecture with Kelly Kelbly at kkelbly@cstx.gov or by calling 979-764-6351.

The 2012 lecture schedule, listed below, features a number of interesting topics and speakers:

January 18: The Magic and Mystery of Millican
By: Col. John Vilas
Sponsor: Waldenbrook Estates

February 15: How to Steal a Moon Rock
By: Dr. Everett Gibson, Senior Scientist, Johnson Space Center
Sponsor: Scott & White Health Plans

March 21: Edge of Freedom: Battle of Goliad
By: John Willingham, author
Sponsor: Comfort Keepers

April 18: Rudder: From Leader to Legend
By: Dr. Tom Hatfield, Senior Research Fellow, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at The University of Texas and Director of the Center’s Military History Institute
Sponsor: Watercrest at Bryan

May 16: Save the Queen
By: Ben Hardeman
Sponsor: Physicians Home Medical Equipment

June 20: Reliving Texas History: Muskets, Cannons and Knives
By: Dr. Lou Hodges, Associate Professor, Department of Recreation, Parks, & Tourism Sciences, Texas A&M University
Sponsor: Lighthouse Hospice

July 18: Brazos River History and a Levee
By: Dr. Wendy Patzewitsch, Lecturer of Geography, Texas A&M University
Sponsor: Medi-Care Equipment Specialties

August: No Program

September 19: Texas A&M Corps of Cadets History
By: Dr. John Adams
Sponsor: Waldenbrook Estates

October 17: Hidden Treasures of Cushing Library
By: Dr. Mary Manning, Texas A&M University Libraries
Sponsor: City of College Station Senior Services

November 14: Second Thoughts: Presidential Regrets with their Supreme Court Nominations
By: William T. Harper, author
Sponsor: The Isle at Watercrest

December: No Program

Happenings at the Brazos Valley African American Museum

An excellent resource regarding the history of Brazos County is the Brazos Valley African American Museum.  The Brazos Valley African American Museum, operated by the African American National Heritage Society, is located at 500 East Pruitt Street in Bryan, Texas.  The museum is open from 1:00 to 4:00 PM, Tuesdays through Fridays, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Saturdays, and from 2:00 to 5:00 PM on Sundays.  For additional information, call 775-3961.

New Exhibit

Found in last week’s Bryan-College Station Eagle was an article about a new exhibit at the Brazos Valley African American Museum dealing with the path to politics African Americans took locally and across Texas.  According to the article, the exhibit – “Ain’t It Good to Always be the Beginning: The Power of Politics” – will showcase the stories of a number of African Americans elected to office across Texas. 

To read the Eagle article, go to: http://www.theeagle.com/local/A-history-of-BV-politics--6868183.

This new exhibit, part of which is on loan from the Texas Institute for the Preservation of History and Culture, will run from January 7 to April 22, 2012. 

11th Annual Appreciation Banquet

In addition to this new exhibit, the Museum will hold its 11th Annual Appreciation Banquet on Saturday, January 28, 2012, at the College Station Hilton, commencing at 6:30 PM.  This event honors and publicly recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the Brazos Valley African American Museum and to the community.  The theme of this year’s banquet is “Call to Action: Preserving our History, Schools, and Community.”  Ronnie Jackson, the Youth Services Manager for the City of Bryan, will be the featured speaker. 

Individual tickets for this event are $50.  To sponsor a table of ten, the cost is $500.  To reserve a table or purchase individuals tickets, contact Willie Pruitt at the museum or call him at 822-0469.

International Interest in Electronic Newsletter

Heritage Brazos, the electronic newsletter of the Brazos Heritage Society, had its inception in May 2011.  Since that time, the Society’s newsletter has had 1,085 online visits.  While the vast majority of those visits were from within the United States, the newsletter’s website was also viewed by people in the following countries (listed in alphabetical order): Bangladesh, Canada, France, Germany, Ghana, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

The Society’s online newsletter contains all the information as the one mailed to members, and more. 

A Happy New Year

Members of the Executive Committee of the Brazos Heritage Society wish you all the very best in 2012.  

Simply stated, may you be safe this last day of 2011 and may you find the new year to be significantly better than the old.

Victorian Tea of Thanksgiving a Success

Persons from as far as Dallas came to enjoy the Victorian Tea of Thanksgiving hosted by the Brazos Heritage Society on the afternoons of November 12-13, 2011, in the beautifully decorated Clary House, located at 601 East 30th Street in the Bryan Historic District.

The menu for this tea included:

Savories

Devilishly Delicious Egg Salad Sandwich

Egg salad with a hint of dill.

English Pear Tea Sandwich

Tea sandwich made with Stilton cheese, pear, and walnuts.

Royal Watercress Roll

Cream cheese roll dipped in watercress and pecans.

Chicken Cranberry Tart

Pastry filled with a delicious blend of chicken-cranberry salad.

Sweets

Orange Blossoms

A delightful taste of citrus.

Shadowlawn Teacakes

Cookies flavored with almond liqueur.

Decadent Chocolate Truffles

Crushed wafers with dark chocolate.

Thanksgiving Tea Bread

Citrus cranberry bread.

Petite Pumpkin Muffins

A taste of the season.

Tea Served

Prince of Wales

Members of the committee for this event included: Linda Roberts, Beverly Myers, Nat Hilliard, Sheila Fields, Tamara Garza, Glynis Gore, Fran Kimbrough, Cindy Irwin, Fran Lamb, Tommie Sue Powers, and Joy Teague.

Music was provided by classical guitarist and composer Byron Goble, whose selections were perfect for this event.  Additional information about this talented musician may be found at his website: http://byrongoble.com/.

The Clary House is a transitional style home built by Charlie Jenkins for John H. Moore in 1902.  Since that time the house has undergone considerable renovation.  The current and fourth owner – Linda Roberts – totally renovated this historic house’s interior and now operates it as a bed and breakfast.  For more information about the Clary House, visit:  http://theclaryhouse.com/.

Persons attending the tea had the opportunity to purchase a book containing recipes from this and previous teas for $10.00.  There are a few more of these books available; persons interested in purchasing one may contact Beverly Myers by phone at 979-229-9414 or by email at mycobra@suddenlink.net.

Proceeds from this event will go to fulfilling the mission of the Brazos Heritage Society.  Several photographs taken during this event may be viewed on the Smilebox below.

Historic District Christmas Stroll

Make plans to attend the Historic District’s Christmas Stroll on Saturday, December 10, 2011, hosted by the Brazos Heritage Society.

Activities begin at 6:00 PM at the Matthew Winsper Knobel Memorial Gazebo in Heritage Park at 600 South Hutchins Street in Bryan with musical selections provided by the choir of St. Michael's Academy; this part of the program is free.  The park will be decorated for Christmas with sparking white lights and festive red bows.

Beginning at 7:00 PM and continuing until 9:00 PM, several of the homes in the neighborhood, decorated for Christmas, will have their downstairs open to the public. There will be a charge of $5.00 a person to tour these homes.  Some of the historic homes that will not be open will be providing free refreshment on their porches with views of their Christmas decorations through the windows. 

The Brazos Heritage Society has contracted with Hidden Oasis to provide free horse drawn carriage rides in the neighborhood.

Come and enjoy some old fashion Christmas activities.  Tickets will be available at Heritage Park on the evening of the event.

Veterans Day Ceremony to be Held at Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial

The Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial Board of Directors is honored to host the Annual Veterans Day Ceremony to be held on Friday, November 11, 2011, at 5:00 PM.  This respectful and patriotic event will take place at the Louis L. Adam Plaza, Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial, Veterans Park and Athletic Complex.  The park is .8 miles east of Highway 6 on Harvey Road in College Station.

Each year, names of veterans – living or deceased – are added to the existing Wall of Honor by their families or friends, and their names are read aloud as part of the ceremony.  Currently, there are over 4,400 names engraved in the granite walls of the memorial, and over 130 names will be added this year. The cost of adding a name is $100 and the deadline each year is August 15.

The keynote speaker for this event will be U. S. Congressman Bill Flores of Texas’s 17th congressional district.  A special seating section will be set aside for veterans.  Members of the Texas Aggie Band, the Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets, the Corps Center Guard, and the Ross Volunteers will participate in helping to make this annual event most memorable.

And save the date for the upcoming memorial dedication of the first of five World War II statues on the Lynn Stuart Pathway.  A Naval aviator statue in the likeness of Lieutenant (JG) George H. W. Bush will be dedicated mid-afternoon on December 7, 2011.  Donations are being accepted for future memorials.

This information was provided by Anne Boykin, Chief Information Officer for the Board of Directors of the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial.  For additional information, contact her at info@bvvm.org or by calling her at 979-450-3296.