Texas Insights

The Texas State Historical Association, in cooperation with its partners, offers Texas Insights, an electronic newsletter designed to share opportunities for Texas teachers and students while promoting effective instructional practices.

The May 2013 (Vol. III, Issue 5) edition of this electronic publication may be read by going to: http://www.teachingtexas.org/enewsletter/may2013.

For more information about Teaching Texas, visit the following link: http://www.teachingtexas.org/.

Exploring History Lunch Lecture Series

The College Station Historic Preservation Committee and the Senior Advisory Committee have developed an outstanding Exploring History Lunch Lectures Series for 2013.  Please join them on May 15, 2013, at the Aldersgate Church, as they present:

Military Heritage of Texas A&M and the Texas Aggie Medals of Honor

Featuring Colonel James R. Woodall, TAMU Corps Commandant (1977-1982)

The luncheon is $5.00 per person, payable at the door, and begins at 11:30 AM in the Aldersgate United Methodist Church at 2201 Earl Rudder Freeway in College Station. 

Parking is available in the main lot to the south of the building.  Enter through the main double doors, take a left, and you will be directed to the meeting room.   In case you are not familiar with this facility, it is located just north of Academy, Gander Mountain, and Dickey’s, on the frontage road between Southwest Parkway and Harvey Road. 

Reservations are required and must be made with Marci Rodgers, Senior Services Coordinator, College Station Parks & Recreation Department, at mrodgers@cstx.gov or by calling 979-764-6351.

Texas Forces Win at San Jacinto

On April 21, 1836, Texas forces won the battle of San Jacinto, the concluding military event of the Texas Revolution.  Facing General Santa Anna’s Mexican army of some 1,200 men encamped in what is now southeastern Harris County, General Sam Houston disposed his forces in battle order about 3:30 p.m., during siesta time.  The Texans’ movements were screened by trees and the rising ground, and evidently Santa Anna had no lookouts posted.  The Texan line sprang forward on the run with the cries “Remember the Alamo!” and “Remember Goliad!”  The battle lasted but eighteen minutes.  According to Houston’s official report, the casualties were 630 Mexicans killed and 730 taken prisoner.  Against this, only nine of the 910 Texans were killed or mortally wounded and thirty were wounded less seriously [The Handbook of Texas Online, Texas State Historical Association].

For more information about this decisive battle, go to: http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qes04;  http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/ccbn/dewitt/batsanjacinto.htm; https://www.tsl.state.tx.us/treasures/republic/san-jacinto.html; http://www.sanjacinto-museum.org/The_Battle/; and http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/gks04.

Exploring History Lunch Lecture Series

The College Station Historic Preservation Committee and the Senior Advisory Committee have developed an outstanding Exploring History Lunch Lectures Series for 2013.  Please join them on Wednesday, April 17, 2013, at the Aldersgate Church, as they present:

Native American Prehistory in the Brazos Valley

Featuring: Alston Thoms, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Anthropology, Texas A &M University

The luncheon is $5.00 per person, payable at the door, and begins at 11:30 AM in the Aldersgate United Methodist Church at 2201 Earl Rudder Freeway in College Station. 

Parking is available in the main lot to the south of the building.  Enter through the main double doors, take a left, and you will be directed to the meeting room.   In case you are not familiar with this facility, it is located just north of Academy, Gander Mountain, and Dickey’s, on the frontage road between Southwest Parkway and Harvey Road. 

Reservations are required and must be made by Monday, April 15, 2013, with Marci Rodgers, Senior Services Coordinator, College Station Parks & Recreation Department, at mrodgers@cstx.gov or by calling 979-764-6351.

Spring Issue of Riding Line Available

The Spring 2013 issue of Riding Line, the newsletter of the Texas State Historical Association, is now available online. 

Featured in this issue are articles about the Association’s new officers and directors, an overview of the TSHA Annual Meeting in Fort Worth, upcoming activities, new books from TSHA Press, educational and service opportunities, and other topics relating to the history of Texas.

This latest issue of Riding Line may be read by going to the following link: http://www.tshaonline.org/sites/default/files/images/events/2011/rl_spring_2013_final_live_links.pdf.

“The Hankie Pankie Tea” in Millican

The Millican Heritage Society is hosting its ninth annual tea – The Hankie Pankie Tea – on Saturday, April 27, 2013, 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 $20.00 per person.

Reservations and payment are due by April 17, 2013.  For additional information and to reserve a place, call 936-825-7207.

Winter Issue of The Medallion Online

The Medallion, the Texas Historical Commission’s (THC) official quarterly magazine, contains news and advice about preservation projects, Texas’ historic sites, and heritage tourism opportunities. 

Found in the Winter 2013 issue of this publication are articles and news items about exploring some of the historic forts of Texas, various programs of the Commission, the preservation of Camp Mabry, and introduction of the THC’s new website, and information about other activities of historical significance in Texas.   The current issue of The Medallion is accessible online at the Texas Historical Commission’s website at the following link: http://www.thc.state.tx.us/medallion.

To receive the latest edition and join the free subscription list, please fill out the subscription form.

For more information about the Texas Historical Commission, visit its impressive website at: http://www.thc.state.tx.us/.

President’s Message

 At the end of February Nat Hilliard completed her second term as President of the Brazos Heritage Society.  During her two terms in this leadership position she created energy and enthusiasm within the organization, she caused the delivery of a number of successful programs and activities, and she was, without a doubt, a good steward of all that which she was entrusted.  We owe her a debt of gratitude for her remarkable service to the Society, both in the past and continuing. 

During the year I serve as President, and with the help of a very able Executive Committee, I intend to continue on the course set by Nat and build on it.  Elected and appointed members of the Executive Committee include:

Isabel McPartlin, Vice President

Kyle Kovel, Secretary

Beverly Myers, Treasurer

Nat Hilliard, Immediate Past President

Tom McDonald, Of Counsel

Sheila Fields, Research Chair

Randy and Stephanie Hilliard, Special Events Co-Chairs

Linda Roberts and Lee Davison, Eastside Historic District Co-Chairs

Over the past several weeks members of the Executive Committee have been meeting and have created two new committees to better serve the membership and the resources of the Society.

The first is the Events Committee, responsible for coordinating the signature event of the Society – the Independence Day festivities in Heritage Park.  In addition, this committee will work with other committees to produce activities, such as the Christmas Stroll and the Victorian Tea.  Further, this committee will take the lead in representing the Brazos Heritage Society, along with other members of the Executive Committee, at various community events.  Finally, this committee will develop and host “day trips” for Society members to historic sites and will explore the development of programs of interest to our members.  I am grateful to Randy and Stephanie Hilliard for co-chairing this vitally important committee.

The second new committee created is the Eastside Historic District Committee.  The mission of this committee is to promote and preserve this historic district of Bryan by: developing an annual plan for the district; identifying areas for improvement and enhancement; providing stewardship of Heritage Park; with the assistance of the Events Committee, conducting activities that favorably highlight the Society and the district; and advertising events in the district and park.  We are indeed fortunate that Linda Roberts and Lee Davison have volunteered to co-chair this committee.

While our plans are to continue to mail out a paper newsletter to the membership, much more information may be found on our electronic newsletter – Heritage Brazos.  On a monthly basis, or when time sensitive information needs to be disseminated, we will send out notices to the members’ emails we have on hand.   

Members interested in serving on any of the committees or becoming more involved in the activities of the Brazos Heritage Society are encouraged to contact me or any member of the Executive Committee.

                                                                                                Dan Beto, President

Cenotaph Dedicated for Richardson Perry

On Wednesday, March 27, 2013, members of the William Joel Bryan Chapter No. 14 of the Sons of the Republic of Texas and a number of interested community members dedicated a cenotaph to the memory of Richardson Perry (1817-1836) at the historic Steep Hollow Cemetery located a few miles east of Bryan.

Blair Fannin, the Chapter Publicist, welcomed those in attendance and served as master of ceremonies for the dedicatory ceremony.  George Nelson, Chapter President, provided an invocation and John Hick, Chapter Vice President, lead those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance and the Pledge to the Texas Flag.  That was followed by the singing of “Texas, Our Texas.”  Mervin Peters, the Chapter Secretary, provided remarks on the historical significance of Richardson Perry to Brazos County and to the Republic of Texas.  Following these brief remarks, the Cenotaph was unveiled and the ceremony concluded with a benediction.

The Steep Hollow Cemetery is located on land that was originally part of the Richardson Perry League.  Perry, born in Hancock County, Mississippi, in 1817, came to Texas with his father, Burwell Perry, an early settler.  The younger Perry was single and received a land grant in Brazos County on October 10, 1835.

Perry took part in the siege of Bexar and later served in the Alamo garrison as a private in Captain William R. Carey’s artillery company.  He died in the battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836.

The Steep Hollow Cemetery has been designated a Historic Texas Cemetery by the Texas Historical Commission.  According to the historic marker provided by the State of Texas:

This burial ground was part of the Steep Hollow community, named for the valley of the Steep Hollow Branch, a tributary of Wickson Creek.  Residents were ranchers and farmers, and the community had a general store, cotton gin, gristmill, and schoolhouse.  Saint’s Rest Baptist Church (later Steep Hollow Baptist Church), organized in 1873, was associated with the cemetery, which first served as a private family burial ground.  In 1874, Charles and Evaline Peters conveyed property for the cemetery and surrounding land to the church.

The earliest interments were those of James Peters, (died 1870) son of Charles and Evaline, and Robert Martin (died 1871), son of Sarah Ann (Cheshire) and Rev. Samuel Crawford Martin (died 1902), the first pastor of Saint’s Rest Baptist Church.  The Martins are also buried here with four other ministers of the church.  Other burials include teachers, businessmen, farmers, ranchers, and veterans of military conflicts dating to the Civil War.  The cemetery is located in a naturalistic setting and features curbing, interior fencing, vertical stones, obelisks, and Woodmen of the World grave markers.

In its early years, family members cared for grounds.  By 1926, the Steep Hollow Cemetery Association (SHCA) had formed to maintain the cemetery.  In 1966, the church officially transferred ownership of the burial ground to the cemetery association.  Today, Steep Hollow Cemetery continues to serve the area and persists as a reminder of the pioneering men and women whose hard work and sacrifice contributed to the establishment of the Steep Hollow community.

Found in the accompanying Smilebox are photographs of the ceremony and parts of the cemetery.

Additional information about Richardson Perry and the Steep Hollow Cemetery may be accessed at the following links: http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fpe77;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Alamo_defenders;

http://www.brazoscountyhistory.org/node/76; and

http://www.brazoscountyhistory.org/sites/bchc/files/SteepHollowCemetery.pdf.

Texas Insights

The Texas State Historical Association, in cooperation with its partners, offers Texas Insights, an electronic newsletter designed to share opportunities for Texas teachers and students while promoting effective instructional practices.

The March 2013 (Vol. III, Issue 4) edition of this electronic publication may be read by going to: http://www.teachingtexas.org/enewsletter/march2013.

Membership Chair Solicitation

The Brazos Heritage Society is seeking a member to serve as Membership Chair; the job description follows:

Membership Chair

Job Description

Scope:

The Membership Chair is responsible for all activities involving the solicitation and maintenance of the active membership; the Chair also performs various administrative and support duties for the organization.

Specific Tasks and Duties:

This position is responsible for: 1) maintaining the master membership list in a spreadsheet program; 2) keeping an updated address book for label preparation; 3) keeping all membership forms updated; 4) maintaining a file for membership applications and paper backup for all pertinent additional information; 5) writing and sending thank you notes to all new members; and, 6) forwarding any money received for membership fees to the Treasurer.

Authority:

The Membership Chair is a member of the Executive Committee.

The individual filling this position must obtain prior approval of the President or the Board for any expenditures.

Contact:

Persons interested, and those requiring additional information, are encouraged to contact Dan Beto at 979-822-1273 or dan.beto@gmail.com.

The Brazos Valley African American Museum

Persons interested in the history of Brazos County would do well to visit the Brazos Valley African American Museum (BVAAM) at 500 East Pruitt Street in Bryan.  As found on the museum’s website, the “BVAAM chronicles the tragedies and triumphs of African Americans from the past and present, while focusing on the history of local churches, families, and schools.  The primary goal of the museum is to portray the struggles and accomplishments of African American history in attempt to build strong cultural foundations in our youth.”

Particularly fascinating is a video presentation – “We grew up in the Brazos Valley” – which features the stories of a number of Brazos Valley residents in their own words, all of whom were 90 years or older when the video was created.

At present there is a special exhibit on “A Tale of Two Sides: African Americans in the Civil War.”

Velma Spivey is the Director of the BVAAM, and if she is available she will be more than happy to spend some time with you and point out and expand on some of the interesting exhibits found in the museum.

Found below is a smilebox presentation of photographs taken inside the museum.

To learn more about this wonderful historical resource, visit the following link: http://www.bvaam.org/.  Or better yet, visit the museum.  It is open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and Sunday from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM.  Admission is $5.00 for adults, $4.00 for seniors, and $2.00 for students; children under the age of five are admitted free.

Exploring History Lunch Lecture Series

The College Station Historic Preservation Committee and the Senior Advisory Committee have developed an outstanding Exploring History Lunch Lectures Series for 2013.  Please join them on March 20, 2013, at the Aldersgate Church, as they present:

Bigmama Didn’t Shop at Woolworth’s

Featuring Sunny Nash, Award Winning Author and Columnist

Additional information about the author may be found at her blog – Sunny Nash: Race Relations in America – at: http://sunnynash.blogspot.com/.

The luncheon is $5.00 per person, payable at the door, and begins at 11:30 AM in the Aldersgate United Methodist Church at 2201 Earl Rudder Freeway in College Station. 

Parking is available in the main lot to the south of the building.  Enter through the main double doors, take a left, and you will be directed to the meeting room.   In case you are not familiar with this facility, it is located just north of Academy, Gander Mountain, and Dickey’s, on the frontage road between Southwest Parkway and Harvey Road. 

Reservations are required and must be made with Marci Rodgers, Senior Services Coordinator, College Station Parks & Recreation Department, at mrodgers@cstx.gov or by calling 979-764-6351.

Saving Texas History

The latest quarterly issue of Saving Texas History has been published by the Texas General Land Office.  Saving Texas History is the official newsletter of the Texas General Land Office Archives and the Save Texas History program; it features scholarly articles about Texas history and the historic documents of the Archives.  The primary focus of the Spring 2013 (Vol. 10, No. 1) issue deals with Col. William Barret Travis’ “Victory or Death” letter and the Alamo.

This informative newsletter may be read by visiting the following link: http://www.glo.texas.gov/what-we-do/history-and-archives/_publications/STH-newsletter-spring-2013.pdf.

Camp Hearne Newsletter Available

An interesting historical resource in the Brazos Valley is Camp Hearne, a World War II prisoner of war camp located on the north side of Hearne.

Camp Hearne has just sent out the March 2013 issue of Roll Call, its e-newsletter.  Featured in this newsletter is information about scheduled activities at the camp and elsewhere.  This publication may be read by visiting: http://us5.campaign-archive2.com/?u=0b3baa674d858c3026c7050a8&id=7242a08d74.

To learn more about this historic site, visit the Camp Hearne website at: http://www.camphearne.com/.

Annual Membership Meeting Proved Productive

On February 24, 2013, the Brazos Heritage Society held its annual meeting at the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History.   Shortly after 2:00 PM Nat Hilliard called the meeting to order and welcomed those in attendance.  She provided a report on her two terms as President of the Society.  This report was a recap of her “President’s Message” posted earlier this month on Heritage Brazos at: http://heritagebrazos.blogspot.com/2013/02/presidents-message_3.html.

Following President Hilliard’s presentation, in which she thanked past and current members of the Society’s Executive Committee, she introduced Mervin Peters, Secretary of William Joel Bryan Chapter No. 14 of the Sons of the Republic of Texas, who provided an informative presentation on the relocation project of the historically significant Turner-Peters Dogtrot Log Cabin, currently located on property owned by TMPA in Grimes County.  It is the plan of his organization to have the cabin moved to property adjacent to the Boonville Cemetery.  Mr. Peters expressed his appreciation to members of the Brazos Heritage Society for supporting this undertaking.

After this presentation, President Hilliard brought up several business items.  The minutes from the February 26, 2012, were approved.

The Society’s financial status was also approved.  According to the Treasurer’s Report, the Society began 2012 with a balance of $15,580.77, and ended the year with $14,143.99.

Sheila Fields, Research Chair, provided a report on the Boonville Jail Community Marker, for which there was a dedication ceremony held on September 28, 2012.  During her remarks, she thanked members of the Duncum family for their wholehearted support of this project.

Her presentation was followed by a report on the status of Heritage Park by Stephanie and Randy Hilliard, Heritage Park Co-Chairs.  Quite a few trees have been planted in accordance with the park’s master plan, but more will be needed.

Kyle Kovel, the Society’s Secretary, was called upon to provide a report from the Nominating Committee and to conduct the election of the 2013 officers.  Mr. Kovel reported that the Nominating Committee had met and developed the following slate of officers:

Dan Beto for President;
Isabel McPartlin for Vice President;
Kyle Kovel for Secretary; and
Beverly Myers for Treasurer.

Mr. Kovel then asked for nominations from the floor; there were none, and a motion was made and seconded that the slate be approved by acclamation.  This motion carried.

President Hilliard then offered some concluding remarks and invited everyone to stay for the reception and to avail themselves of a private viewing of the historic Astin family clothes exhibit.

Events at the Museum of the American GI Scheduled

Henry Mayo, Chair of the Brazos County Historical Commission, recently provided information via email about events scheduled for March 22-23, 2013, at the Museum of the American GI located at 19124 South Highway 6 in College Station, Texas.  Henry’s message reads as follows:

If you have seen me in person this week, you will see that I have shaved off my beard again this Spring.  This is in preparation for my participation in the World War II reenactment at the Museum of the American GI Open House on Saturday, March 23. 

Please mark your calendars and see their great website for more information at http://magicstx.org/.  

Here is a direct link to a short video of the 2012 reenactment http://magicstx.org/OH2012.html to give you a better idea of what you will experience.

(In this 2011 photo, I am at the far right, without my helmet, as the tank commander on the M8 Greyhound armored car “Miss Emily”)

We strive for authenticity and Brent Mullins’ tanks are restored just like the day they were shipped overseas in the 1940s.  The all have original engines manufactured by Cadillac, Buick, Chrysler, Ford, Chevrolet, Continental, International and all of the contractors of the period.  Some of the tanks have multiple engines, running in unison.  We have them all on display Friday and Saturday, so be sure to bring cameras, kids, and expect a very unique educational experience.  The reenactment is at 3:00 p.m., and lasts a good hour or so.  Please plan to come early and browse the many vendors of everything military as well as exhibits such as very authentic, remote-control model tank battles.

Rest assured that battle reenactment is not too gory for kids, or that the guns are too loud.  You may want some ear plugs if you are sensitive to loud noises, but the blanks we shoot are not terribly loud.  The “wounded” and “killed” infantrymen do not use fake blood, etc., and they all march up to the crowd at the end to show off their uniforms, weapons, and equipment.  

The museum building exterior will be finished by the event and a fundraising dinner will be held there on Friday night (March 22) at 7:00 p.m.  Dress is casual, so please consider attending to help fund this great, non-profit museum and the great events they hold.  The plan is to have several reenactments and demonstrations of varying scale throughout the year, since the tanks will now be housed in the museum, on the reenactment property in south College Station (exit at the Texas World Speedway exit).

Hope to see you all there. 

Henry

For additional information about the museum and these events, visit the website at http://magicstx.org/, call 979-739-4037, or email robin@magicstx.org.

Thanks for bringing this to the attention of the membership of the Brazos Heritage Society, Henry.

Annual Membership Meeting Reminder

Please plan to attend the Brazos Heritage Society’s Annual Membership Meeting on Sunday, February 24, 2013, at 2:00 PM at the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History.

During this meeting we will hear a special presentation from Mervin Peters, President of the Sons of the Republic of Texas, on efforts to relocate the Turner-Peters Dogtrot Log Cabin from Grimes County to the Town of Boonville in Brazos County.

In addition to hearing this interesting presentation, the Society will elect new officers at this meeting. 

If you are interested in serving in any capacity, please come to the meeting.  If you have any questions about serving as an officer, please feel free to call me at 979-229-2468 or email me at nathilliard@verizon.net.

I look forward to seeing you on February 24.  Please come, learn about some of the history of Brazos County, and get acquainted with other members of the Society.

                                                                                                Nat Hilliard, President 

New Issue of Riding Line

The Winter 2013 issue of Riding Line, the newsletter of the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA), is now available online. 

In addition to providing information on the upcoming TSHA Annual Meeting scheduled for February 28 – March 2, 2013, in Fort Worth, the newsletter highlights some new publications available from the TSHA Press, recent awards and fellowships, and other topics related to the history of the Lone Star State.

This issue of Riding Line is accessible at: http://www.tshaonline.org/sites/default/files/images/events/2011/winter_riding_line_2013_finalwithlinks.pdf.

Additional information about the mission and products of the Texas State Historical Association may be found at: http://www.tshaonline.org/.  

Exploring History Lunch Lecture Series

The next luncheon of the College Station Exploring History Lunch Lecture Series will be held on February 20, 2013, at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in College Station.  In recognition of Black History Month, Wayne Sadberry will be the guest speaker.  Mr. Sadberry is a 2013 honoree at the 12th Annual Appreciation Banquet of the African American National Heritage Society.  Raised in Bryan, his family was among the first Black landowners in the Brazos Valley. 

Mr. Sadberry will share the history of when Blacks became a part of the fast growing area “back in the day,” the challenges they met, and how they have become such an important part of our community today.

The cost of the luncheon is $5.00 per person and begins at 11:30 AM at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, located at 2201 Earl Rudder Freeway South.  For more information and for reservations, please contact Marci Rodgers, Senior Service Coordinator with the College Station Parks and Recreation Department, at 979-764-6351 or by email at mrodgers@cstx.gov not later than February 19, 2013.

The Exploring History Lunch Lecture Series is a product of the College Station Historic Preservation Committee and the Senior Advisory Committee.

President’s Message

These past two years I have served as your President have been challenging, rewarding, and full of activity.  During this period members of the Brazos Heritage Society accomplished a great deal:

• Continuing the tradition, we held two well attended and enjoyable Independence Day celebrations in Bryan’s Heritage Park;
• We produced two successful Christmas strolls in the Eastside Historical District and Heritage Park;
• We provided stewardship of Heritage Park by finalizing a master plan, providing necessary maintenance, and entering into a relationship with Blaine Brezina to landscape and plant trees in partial fulfillment of his Eagle Scout project;
• Working in harmony with the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History, we participated in two Boonville Day Living History Fairs and created a special exhibit of Astin Family clothing;
• We held a Victorian tea at the Clary House and at Fannin School we had an “Antique Sideshow,” Brazos County’s answer to the successful PBS program Antiques Roadshow;
• We helped host the 2012 Arbor Day ceremony in Heritage Park;
• With the help of the Duncum Family, we placed a community marker designating the site of the old Boonville jail;
• We created Heritage Brazos, our electronic newsletter;
• In addition to the regular annual meetings in February, we held two fall meetings at the Matthew Winsper Knobel Memorial Gazebo in the Park;
• And we supported several organizations whose mission was to preserve the history of Brazos County.  

All this could not have been accomplished without the hard work of those persons who served on the Executive Committee over the past two years, to whom I am extremely grateful.

I have thoroughly enjoyed serving as your President but it is now time for someone else to assume this responsibility.

Please attend the Society’s Annual Membership Meeting on Sunday, February 24, 2013, at 2:00 PM at the Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History, at which time we will elect new officers.  If you are interested in serving in any capacity, please come to the meeting.  If you have any questions about serving as an officer, please feel free to call me at 979-229-2468 or email me at nathilliard@verizon.net.

I look forward to seeing you on February 24.  Please come and get acquainted with other members of the Society.

                                                                                         Nat Hilliard, President

New Exhibits at the Texas State History Museum

Commencing this month the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin, Texas, will open two new exhibits.

Texas State Parks and the Civilian Conservation Corps 

In collaboration with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), the Bullock Texas State History Museum will open Texas State Parks and the Civilian Conservation Corps on February 1, 2013, in the 3rd Floor Rotunda Gallery.  Photographs, maps, postcards, newsletters, and original furniture will highlight the history of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the parks built between 1933 and 1942.

By way of background, in the 1930s, the United States was in the throes of a financial depression.  Businesses were not hiring and many young Americans lacked the skills or experience they needed to get the few jobs that did exist.  When Franklin Roosevelt became president in 1933, he created the CCC to provide jobs and training to men between the ages of 17 and 25 and also out-of-work World War I veterans.

The Texas legislature had created the Texas State Parks Board in 1923, but declined to fund the development of land into state parks.  Within days of Roosevelt’s creation of the CCC, Texas Governor Miriam Ferguson submitted a proposal to the federal government requesting funding for 26 CCC projects – which led to 97 work camps across the state.

Although most camps were devoted to soil-conservation and erosion-control projects, about 27 camps were responsible for the development of state parks.  They constructed roads and bridges, built cabins, prepared hiking trails and campsites, and fabricated furniture.

Today, TPWD manages 29 CCC-built parks that form the core of the state park system. Many of the original CCC buildings and features are still in existence and continue to provide recreational opportunities for Texans.

Enduring Women: A Photography and Oral History Exhibit

Women working the land in Texas today as ranchers and farmers continue to shape the state, adapting to and overcoming whatever nature or man throws at them.  Enduring Women, a new photography and oral history exhibit at the Bullock Texas State History Museum, celebrates the importance of place in the lives of these Texans and explores their stories in their own words. 

The Bullock Museum has partnered with St. Edward’s University to highlight undergraduate creative research in the fields of oral history, art history, and photography for a unique companion exhibit, Enduring Women.  Held in conjunction with the special exhibition Women Shaping Texas in the 20th Century, on view now in the Museum’s Albert and Ethel Herzstein Hall, the photography and oral histories of Enduring Women are presented by students of St. Edward’s University School of Humanities and School of Behavioral and Social Sciences.  Both exhibits will be on view in the Herzstein Hall through May 19, 2013. 

Enduring Women features 12 real Texas women who work the land. These women personify fortitude as they tackle back-breaking work to protect and preserve their family heritage. Hear their stories in their own words and witness the daily lives of these remarkable Texas women who have endured – sometimes for generations – in their stewardship of the land. 

Enduring Women is on view from February 2 to May 19, 2013, in the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Hall of Special Exhibitions.

Admission to the Museum is structured as follows: $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.  In addition, members of the Bullock Texas State History Museum are admitted free.

The Museum, located at 1800 North Congress Avenue at the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr., Boulevard in downtown Austin, Texas, is open daily from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday through Saturday; Sunday’s hours are from noon to 6:00 PM.  

Additional information about the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum may be found at: http://thestoryoftexas.com/.

New Exhibit at BVMNH to Highlight the Astin Family

The Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History (BVMNH) is pleased to present its new exhibition:  Legacy – The Astin  Family – Culture and Couture in Early 20th Century Bryan.  The exhibit opening reception, free to the public, will begin at 6:00 pm, Thursday, January 31, 2013, with a fascinating presentation by Fran Lamb about the Astin Family and early 20th century Bryan.  A reception and gallery viewing will follow.  Fran Lamb, a local KAMU radio personality, is best known for writing and narrating more than 400 episodes of Heritage Highlights, stories of Brazos Valley history.  Fran brings her unique homespun style and extensive research efforts to all of her programs. 

The exhibition tells the Astin family story, charting the rise of the family and its business enterprises in the Brazos Valley region.  James Hugh Astin, pioneer planter, first came to Texas in 1854, and after a brief stint as a gold miner in California, but he returned in 1861, serving in the Confederate Army’s famed Hood’s Brigade.  Ultimately, Astin married, settling in Bryan in 1865.  Gradually, through hard work and native business sense, he accumulated extensive holdings in the Brazos Bottom, becoming one of the most successful cotton farmers in the region. His descendants constructed Rivermist, an extensive cotton plantation near Bryan, and went on to become one of the most prominent families in Brazos County.

The Astin’s are one of a few key families who helped build this region into what it has become today.  Their story provides a point of access to their milieu, one of privilege on the frontier in the 19th century, and the gradual transformation that social, economic and political realities imposed through the first half of the 20th century.  The exhibit incorporates fashion, graphic design, and art from the period to highlight the popular culture and couture of the first three decades of the 20th century.

Nina Heard Astin and her daughter, Nina Bess, well known for generosity and community involvement, bequeathed much of their inherited wealth to the Bryan/College Station community through the Nina Heard Astin and Nina Bess Astin Charitable Trusts.  The two trusts continue to support community projects, scholarships, and charitable organizations including the Museum.  Legacy will be held in the Museum’s main gallery – named for the Astin family.

Materials on loan from the Heard-Craig House Museum in McKinney, Texas, including photographs and family china, will augment an extensive collection of historical clothing once belonging to members of the Astin family, on loan from the Brazos Heritage Society.  Supplementing couture on display are stunning examples of period jewelry, purses, and hats.  A selection of decorative items, including Steuben glass and Tiffany reproductions, art from the period on loan from the J. Wayne Stark University Center Galleries, and other Art Nouveau and Art Deco pieces will give the visitor a sense of the prevailing art and design movements of the period.  Collaborators include historian John P. Blair and genealogical researcher Bill Page, along with members of the Brazos Heritage Society and coordinating curator, Elisabeth Manning of the BVMNH.

The Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History is open to visitors Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm. The admission fees: adults $5; seniors/students/children $4; children 3 and under are free.

Members of the Brazos Heritage Society are encouraged to attend this opening reception.