To
read this issue, visit: http://www.tshaonline.org/sites/default/files/doc/ridingline/riding-line-2012-summer.pdf.
Additional
information about the TSHA may be found at the following link: http://www.tshaonline.org.
Monday, July 9, 2012
New Issue of TSHA Riding Line Available
Friday, July 6, 2012
Exploring History Lunch Lecture Reminder
Brazos River History and a Levee
Featuring Dr.
Wendy Patzewitsch,
Lecturer of Geography,
Lecturer of Geography,
Texas A&M University
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 shuttle
on which 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 July 13, 2012, with Kelly Kelbly at kkelbly@cstx.gov or by calling 979-764-6351.
Reservations are required and must be made July 13, 2012, with Kelly Kelbly at kkelbly@cstx.gov or by calling 979-764-6351.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
An Enjoyable Independence Day Celebration
The program, which commenced at 9:30 AM and ended at noon, included a few remarks by Society President Nat Hilliard and an invocation by Gerald Garcia. Members of the Sojourners raised the American and Texas flags, led those present in the Pledge of Allegiance, and then provided their toast to Old Glory, our symbol of liberty.
While the music played, the annual children’s parade took place; many of the children wore patriotic costumes and their bicycles and wagons were decorated in red, white, and blue. Other activities included a silent auction, games, face painting, booths, and exhibits, including a collection of vintage automobiles.
Exhibitors included the A&M Garden Club, Brazos Bluebonnet Quilt Guild, Brazos Spinners & Weavers Guild, and Blaine Brezina, who is working on the Heritage Park Master Plan as part of fulfilling the requirements to become an Eagle Scout.
Lemonade, popcorn, hot dogs, and water were sold at the old fashioned price of a quarter. In addition, members of the Society served watermelon to those in attendance.
Donors who helped make this celebration a success included: Academy, Barnes & Noble, Calvert Historical Society, Cavender’s Boot City, Patti Clark, Dent Magic, Der Wienerschnitzel No. 255, Dixie Chicken, Inc., The Farm Patch, Mary Frances, Friends of Calvert, Gifts & Gab, HEB No. 544, Dan & Nathalie Hilliard, Steve Miller, Millican Heritage Society, Miss Dixie, Homer & Beverly Myers, Old Bryan Marketplace, Kenneth Olexy, Saint-Gobain Norpro, Southern Grace, Stephenson Chiropractic Center, Taco Bell No. 2310, Texas Rose Boutique, and Helen Wise.
The Smilebox below contains photographs taken during the morning’s activities.
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Friday, June 29, 2012
Where in Brazos County? June Contest
In this
fourth 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 submission received by July 15, 2012,
with the greatest specificity will be declared the winner.
The winner
of this contest will be provided a book – Historic
Brazos County.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Celebrate Independence Day at Heritage Park
This event, sponsored by the Brazos Heritage Society, will feature patriotic activities for adults and children of all ages, including live music, flag raising and toast, a children’s parade, and classic car display.
Food and drinks will be available for purchase. All refreshments will be sold at the old-fashion price of 25 cents.
In addition, there will be a number of booths to visit and a silent auction.
Schedule
of Events
9:30 AM Patriotic Music by Proud Country
9:45 AM Flag Raising, Pledge of Allegiance, and Toast
to the Flag
10:15 AM Special Presentations
10:30 AM Music by Proud Country Continues
10:30 AM Children’s Parade
11:00 AM Silent Auction Closes
Come join us
for an enjoyable and entertaining Independence Day celebration.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Antiques Sideshow a Success
On
Saturday, May 19, 2012, the Brazos Heritage Society hosted the 2012 Antiques
Sideshow – the Brazos Valley’s version of the Antiques Roadshow – in the
library of Fannin Elementary School, located at Baker Street and 29th Street in
Bryan.
Between
10:00 AM and 2:00 PM experts reviewed items in the following categories: vintage
jewelry, china and glassware, dolls and toys, linens and quilts, books, and
political ephemera.
This
program was under the direction of Events Coordinator Fran Lamb; Society members
assisting in the delivery of this successful event included Nat Hilliard,
Sheila Fields, Beverly Myers, Homer Myers, Randy Hilliard, Stephanie Hilliard,
and Kyle Kovel.
Reviewers
included Reggie Yannuzzi with English Surrey Antiques and Interiors, Wanda
Comer of Vintage Jewelry, Marceil Geiser and Eulela Swinton with Brazos Valley
Stitchers, and Christi Hendrix of Carousel Books.
According
to Nat Hilliard, Society President, “over 40 people show up with 55
items to be reviewed.”
The
Smilebox below contains photographs taken during this event. These photographs were taken by Beverly Myers
and Randy Hilliard.
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Friday, June 8, 2012
Where in Brazos County? May Contest Winner
The announcement for this particular contest may be viewed at the following link: http://heritagebrazos.blogspot.com/2012/05/where-in-brazos-county.html.
The
winner of the May 2012 “Where in Brazos County?” photo contest is Warren
Hohertz, who successfully identified the building appearing in the photograph as
the Zion Church of Kurten, located at 977 North FM 2038. This is the second time Warren has won this
contest.
Additional
information about the history of this church may be found at: http://www.kurtenchurch.org/about/history.
Congratulations,
Warren. Arrangements will be made for you to accept your prize.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Reminder: Exploring History Lunch Lectures
Reliving Texas History: Muskets,
Cannons & Knives
Featuring Dr. Lou
Hodges, Associate Professor, Department of Recreation, Parks, & Tourism
Sciences, Texas A&M University
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 shuttle on which 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.
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.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Where in Brazos County?
Commencing
in March, 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 third 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.
In this third 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.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Historic Allenfarm Tour
Information
about Allenfarm may be found on The
Handbook of Texas Online at the following link: http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hna24.
There were a number of historic buildings
open for the tour, including a train depot, farm house, blacksmith shop,
company store, barber shop, houses once used by sharecroppers, a farm office,
and an outhouse. Some people were
deterred from using the outhouse during part of the visit because there was a
live chicken snake inside on the bench.
The tour was very informative and
provided a glimpse of Brazos Valley farm life, both past and present. Persons who participated in this educational
experience expressed gratitude to members of the Millican Heritage Society and
Bill Terrell for making this tour possible.
Found below is a Smilebox presentation
containing a number of photographs taken on May 9, 2012.
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New Issue of Texas Insights
The May
2012 issue of this electronic publication may be accessed by visiting the
following link: http://www.teachingtexas.org/enewsletter/may2012.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Wipprecht House Ceremony
Welcoming
those in attendance was Henry Mayo, Chair of the Brazos County Historical
Commission, who also served as master of ceremonies. Speaking about the Wipprecht family and the
history of the house were J. Russell Bradley, Jr., DDS, R. Bruce Buechler, MD,
and Philip C. Banks, JD. Following the
informative and entertaining presentations the Texas Historical Marker was
unveiled by Phil and Amy Banks.
At the
conclusion of the ceremony, those in attendance were invited inside the law
offices for refreshments and for tours offered by Phil, Martha, and Amy Banks.
For the
ceremony’s printed program, Phil had prepared a brief written account of the
Wipprecht family and their house. The
text of that brief history follows:
The person responsible for the
construction of the house at 500 East 29th Street in Bryan, Texas, was Walter
Wipprecht. Walter was born at
Sisterdale, Texas, in 1864 to a German immigrant family. Walter graduated from Texas A&M in 1884
and became the first graduate student in the school’s history in 1885.
Walter grew up to be a
successful businessman who gave back years of service to his community and
years of devotion to his family. Walter
Wipprecht had the house at 500 East 29th Street constructed for his mother and
sister on their return to Texas from Germany.
Walter hired the great builder
Charlie Jenkins and his draftsman brother George to construct this house. The care and attention to detail, the
precision and workmanship of the construction are readily apparent 114 years
later.
When the home was inspected in
2001, the inspector said it was in better condition than the majority of new
construction home he examined. The
combination of the Jenkins brothers building the house for Walter Wipprecht
resulted in a significant building that has stood the test of time.
Walter was a trained scientist
and scholar who was also the President of the Bryan Telephone Company and the
Bryan Press Company. He was elected to
serve five times as the Brazos County Tax Assessor and was President of the
Aggie Alumni Organization. Walter served
as an instructor in chemistry and physics at Texas A&M as well as the first
chemist for the Texas Experiment Station.
He served as Comptroller of Texas A&M for many years.
Walter took over the house from
his mother and sister and later left it to his daughter, Ida W. Kernodle. Her estate conveyed the property to Dr. and
Mrs. Bruce Buechler, who sold it to the present owners, Philip and Martha
Banks. Thus only three families have
owned this magnificent house over 114 years.
The
citizens of Brazos County owe Dr. and Mrs. Buechler and the Banks family a debt
of gratitude for their efforts to preserve this beautiful piece of history.
Found
below is a presentation containing photographs from this event.
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Saturday, May 5, 2012
Plan to Attend the Antiques Sideshow
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!
Friday, May 4, 2012
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Where in Brazos County? April Contest Winner
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].
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Electronic Newsletter First Year Report
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.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
2012 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.
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Thursday, April 19, 2012
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.
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
President’s Message, April 2012
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.
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
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
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Where in Brazos County? Contest Winner
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!
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.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
TSHA Riding Line Available
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.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Plan to Attend Antiques Sideshow
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!
Thursday, March 15, 2012
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.
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