Museum and Visitor Center
of the Bastrop County Historical Society
News
Think COTTON ....
and you'll find yourself in the same state of mind that preoccupied Bastrop and Bastrop County throughout its first 100 years. That mindset is the subject of a special Museum exhibit: "When Cotton Was King, The History of Cotton in Bastrop County."
The exhibit runs through the fall and traces the arc of cotton's dominance over the local economy. Cotton, corn, and cattle held economic sway in Bastrop County with cotton leading until the early 1900's when corn and cattle began to displace cotton as the "cash crop" of the day. At its peak (around 1900), Bastrop County produced a remarkable bounty of 27,000 bales of cotton.
Cotton was the financial engine that supported small family farms and plantations manned by slaves, giving way after the Civil War to sharecroppers and tenant farmers, and later, to farms crewed by Mexican immigrants. The exhibit tracks these transitions through early photographs and accounts, personal artifacts and tools associated with "King Cotton."
New Trustee
Betty Dunkerley, former Austin City Council member, Mayor Pro Tem, and city finance director is the newest member of the Historical Society board of trustees. Dunkerley, a partner in the consulting group, Civic Interest LLC, moved to Bastrop in 2007. Dunkerley brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to help guide the Society's endeavors. Welcome, Betty.
New Museum and Visitor Center
In early March the City of Bastrop began construction of its new City Hall building. This brings good news because the Historical Society is now another step closer to occupying the old City Hall for a new Museum and Visitor Center. Renovation of the old City Hall is projected to cost approximately $1.25 million with our move-in date targeted for early 2012.
The Capital Campaign Committee has proudly announced that the Member Match Challenge has been met, and is extremely grateful to the anonymous patron who matched dollar-for-dollar, the first $50,000 in contributions made by BCHS members. Contributions, commitments, and pledges have now reached a whopping $1,050,000. The generosity and support from our members, businesses, and governmental agencies is sincerely appreciated.
But, don't stop now. Traditionally, the hardest part of any fund raising effort is the last part. "We are now working on our last $200,000 - and we still need your help and support to reach our goal," said Capital Campaign Chair Mark Rose.
For more information about our Capital Campaign and how you can contribute to our effort, click here.
Garage Sale, Saturday, October 9, 7am - 3pm
Huge Community-Wide Antiques, Collectables, and Garage Sale at 67 W. Loop 150 between Super Donuts and Goodwill, benefiting the Bastrop Historical Society capital campaign for the new Museum and Visitor Center.
Take another look around your house...for the stray piece of furniture that no longer fits the need, space, decor, for what were once "treasures", now just more "stuff." All are prime candidates for this BCHS garage sale, for a 2010 tax deduction AND for helping BCHS down its path toward a new Museum and Visitor Center.
But furniture is the priority of the moment: Lone Star Storage is providing BCHS space for storing furniture collected for the sale. Call 303-0057 or 303-0760 if you wish to make a furniture donation now. All non-furniture donations will be received the week of the sale.
To donate. bring your items during the following times:
Friday Oct 1: 10 am to 6pm
Sat Oct 2: 10 am to 3 pm
Sun, Oct 3: 1-5 pm
Mon-Thurs, Oct 4-7 : 10am -6 pm.
Please bring clothes on hangers. We cannot accept broken items, stuffed animals, or toys with missing pieces, TVs, paint, undies, computers. Pick up is not available. Unsold items will be recycled and donated to other organizations.
Call Barbara Vana (512) 303-0057 or Lucy Todd (512) 303-9501 for more information.
Click Here to Download a PDF Map. The next BCHS garage sale is Saturday, October 9, 7am-3pm, at 67 Loop 150, Bastrop.
Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger Hunt - GREAT Hunting!
On May 22, 87 people—arrayed in 16 teams—fanned out across Bastrop to beat the bushes in the Are you the Master of the Hunt? scavenger hunt produced by the Bastrop County Historical Society.
Teams, with names like Twisted Sisters, the Game Wordens, Undercover and The Framers were spotted (some hard to miss in costumes from pink tutus to safari wear) as they ranged far and wide around town searching for their creative entries to the competition. At day's end, the hunters gathered at Pine Forest Golf Club to display their finds and vie for bragging rights as the "master of the hunt".
While judges pondered, our event partner—the Bastrop County Emergency Food Pantry—dished out sausage and veggie wraps to the more than 130 people gathered. Proceeds from those sales and the more than 170 pounds of canned goods donated by contest participants will help the Pantry sustain its critically important work in the community. BCHS was pleased to have the opportunity to help each other in one event and support our respective missions.
And, when the "Masters of the Hunt" were declared, first place honors went to Ann Brown's team (Teresa and Robert Saunders, Janis Penick, Terry Sanders, Tom Scott and Ann). A close second went to Julia Hickman's team (Sally and Art Keinarth, Sara and Tom Clayton and Cecil Reynolds and Julia) and a just-as-close third place went to Carol Snyder's Smithville team (Adena Lewis, Nancy Catherman and Carol and Dennis Snyder).
Honors also went to the teams that enlisted the largest backing from "stakeholders", friends of team members "betting" on the team. First place went to Kat Handy's "Mina Militia" team (Melissa and Jim Barringer, Cam Chavez and Kat and James Handy). Second place was garnered by Susan Wendel's team (Randy Hudgins, Terri Knop, Chris Cartwright, Joe Newman, Derek Van Gilder and Susan); third place, by Deborah Viesel's Downtown Business Alliance team (Shawn Pletsch, Debbie Denny, Cliff Rogers, Martha Granger, Lisa Jackson and Deborah).
And, except for a break for auction and raffles, the Still Rockin' Band rocked steadily on throughout the evening, much to the crowd's delight.
And many thanks are much in order to our team participants and team stakeholders and the many others who made this daylong event such a smashing success:
Our underwriters and auction donors: Pine Forest Golf Club, Frontier Bank, Libby and David Sartain, Mary McMurrey's Sweet Lucy Ranch, Donna and Derek Van Gilder, First State Bank, Wal-Mart, Lisa and Rob Dougherty, Julia Hickman, Lisa and Cam Chavez, Nancy and Tom Scott, Teresa Saunders and Friends, Dan Hays-Clark and Bill Ennis. Those who purchased our premier auction items: Oceaneering, Inc., Sharah and David Johnson, Dusty Kadlecek and Martha and Doug Granger. Our raffle donors: Best Buy, Lost Pines Car Wash, Saunders Distributing, Julia Hickman, Lisa Dougherty, Best Lil' Hair House in Texas, Lucy Todd, Kathleen Handy and Melissa Barringer. The Bastrop County Food Pantry, and especially Greg Lowe, Dawn Kana, Maria Guzman, Shanda Hernandez, Steve Miller, Drusilla Rogers and Mary Rose. Planning team members Ken Kesselus, Robbie Sanders, Minifred Trigg, Sally Keinarth, Deborah Viesel, Pam Solly, Lucy Todd and Dick Smith. Event support J.R. Smith, Jan Hudgins, Barbara and Alex Vana, Cindye Wolford, Stephanie Peterson, Marc Elson and Pat Crawford.
Proceeds of this one event—totaling almost $15,000 and eligible for a National Endowment for the Humanities matching grant—give a substantial boost to BCHS' drive to finance our new Museum and Visitor Center! Our appreciation for your support of BCHS however is without measure.
Lisa Dougherty, chair
Nancy Scott, co-chair