Tales from the Vault

I Love Williamson County: Pioneer Day Poster Contest

2011-04-21T17:47:00.000-05:00

Students from Williamson County were invited to submit an artistic interpretation of what makes Williamson county special. This contest is to honor pioneers of the area who created the wonderful culture we have today. The exhibit will be up for 6 months and you can come check it out for the first time during First Friday in May from 6-8pm. See our website for more information on Pioneer Day as well!

Miria Isbell

New At The Museum Store

2011-04-19T12:54:00.000-05:00

We have two new great items at The Williamson Museum Store. The "just off the press" Historic Homes of Georgetown has arrived and is already a big hit. For something a little different we are now selling a local product, Today's Farm Freeze-Dried Fruit Snack from Justus Foods Inc.

This week we will be stocking some new wood toys and some old fashioned candy.

Hope you stop in and use your membership discount to buy some of our new products. If you are not members we would love to have you join and you can also take advantage of discounts at the store.

Jim Ross
Visitor Services Coordinator

Behind the Scenes

2011-04-07T17:01:00.000-05:00

If you've ever wondered how much work it takes to put up a new exhibit at the Williamson Museum, we'll tell you- it's a lot!! This past January we opened our newest exhibit A Cabinet of Curiosities, and due to funding, the staff got to do must of the 'grunt work'. They never tell you in Museum School that you'll need to learn how to properly apply gold stenciling to a wall, or how to patch holes, tape off an area with painters tape, properly prime, paint, stain, wood grain, or, or... I digress...
I've included a few pictures for your enjoyment, and in order to see the finished product- come to the museum!!! You'll be just as pleased with the new exhibit as we are! ENJOY.

Out with the old and in with the new!

scraping tape and pulling off boards- our arms were sore!

Before....

And AFTER..

Spring Volunteer Spotlight: Larry Davis

2011-04-01T15:03:00.000-05:00

How long have you been volunteering with the WM?
Since April 2010

What are your primary duties?
Cataloging collections, assisting with educational activities and acting as a docent.

How many hours per week do you usually volunteer?
5-8

What type of training did you have?:
Volunteer orientation and docent training
How do you feel your work helps others?
By becoming more knowledgeable about Williamson county, I am able to transfer that knowledge to both local residents and out-of-town visitors who come to the museum.

What you enjoy most about WM?
Working with a group of very professional and dedicated staff and volunteers to accomplish the mission set forth for the success of the museum.

What's unique about WM?
I especially like the fact that the volunteer can pick and choose what he wants to do from a wide variety of activities and work as much as he wants within a flexible schedule made possible by procedures developed by museum staff.

As for the museum itself, I think the most unique thing about it is its location. It is a stone’s throw from the courthouse where so much of Williamson County’s history has been made. And, it is on the town square which allows it to benefit visitation wise from people coming to town on courthouse business, to shop and/or sightsee. Local business benefits from people that come primarily to visit the museum and then finish their trip with a little shopping.

Personal information about yourself:
Born and raised in southern Indiana (a native Hoosier). I have a B.S.C.E from Purdue University. Worked in private industry for several small and large consulting engineering firms. Then moved to Texas in 1996 after retirement. I currently live in Sun City with my wife and two cats. We spend summers in Canada and winters in Texas.

Interested in Volunteering? Please contact Celina Aguirre at caguirre@williamsonmuseum.org for more information.

Please DO Touch The Artifacts!

2011-03-25T17:17:00.001-05:00

"Please Do Not Touch" signs are common at museums, and help to protect valuable historical artifacts from being damaged by casual handling. But behind the scenes at The Williamson Museum, our trained collections volunteers DO touch!... wearing protective gloves, of course. Two times a week, volunteers gather at the Museum to catalog artifacts from Williamson County's past. Under the supervision of the Museum Curator, they measure, describe, and assess the condition of assorted objects ranging from love letters to chicken feeders and everything in between. It's a great way for inquisitive volunteers to put their "hands on" history, while also helping The Williamson Museum document its growing collection of artifacts.

Here is a sampling of some of the approximately 500 artifacts that volunteers and Museum staff cataloged in the month of March:

1941 program from a Georgetown High School production of "Headed for Eden"
Dust pan from Guarantee Electric Company
Instructions for opening a Belford Lumber Company safe
Pullman railcar uniform button
1907 United States "Barber" dime
1920 Liberty Hill High School diploma
Purple Heart awarded posthumously to Duncan S. Hughes for service in World War II
Tellus Company wood burning stove
Minutes from a meeting of a 1960s era Georgetown anti-segregation group
Photographs of workers mounting the goddess Themis statue onto the Williamson County Courthouse dome

If "Do Not Touch" signs leave you feeling a step removed from history, consider becoming a collections volunteer at The Williamson Museum! No experience is necessary, and we'll train you on all the ins and outs of safely handling historical artifacts. Contact the Museum at (512) 943-1670 for more information.

Abby

Archeology Day is Coming!

2011-03-17T18:02:00.001-05:00

Archeology Day is just around the corner and we are working feverishly to make sure it is the most fun event of the year! This week I had some dedicated volunteers come to “work day” to help with the preparation for the hands-on stations. We are going to have a few new stations this year that will be exciting for the whole family- Caddo Trade Fair, Archeology Matters, a mock pottery dig and so much more!

One of my favorite hands-on activities for this event is making a Native American rattle. It is fun and easy, just my type of project. There are 3 easy steps to making this cool musical instrument. 1.) Take a nature walk or even out to your own backyard and find a good and sturdy y-shaped stick. 2.) Tie a piece of raffia or twine around one arm of the “y”. Thread a few beads onto the yarn. Tie the other end of the yarn to the other end of the stick. 3.) Make some magical music!

If this sounds great to you, come join us on March 26th from 10am to 3pm at Berry Springs Park and Preserve at 1801 County Road 152 in Georgetown. Admission is Free!

Miria Isbell

Visitors

2011-03-10T12:18:00.000-06:00

One of the fantastic things about working at The Williamson Museum is you meet people visiting the area for the first time. As an example just this morning we had two visitors from Iowa, two from Minnesota and two from the United Kingdom.

It is a pleasure to engage our visitors discussing the Williamson Museum, our history, people and how great it is to live in Central Texas. However, the best part for me is listening to the many wonderful compliments about The Williamson Museum.

Jim Ross

Cracking the safe...

2011-03-03T17:44:00.000-06:00

Hooray!, We have opened the Belford Lumber Company Safe!!
We originally acquired the safe when we were contacted in the fall of 2007 by Rachel Osgood from the City of Georgetown, notifying the then director that there was a large safe IN THE CITY DUMP!!!
It was so heavy, it required a crane to lift it out and transport it to a warehouse where it was kept for safekeeping. We estimated the safe weighs OVER 1,000lbs. It was rusted along the front, sides, bottom, and wheels, and we thought that the doors were rusted shut.
Today, the Director and I met with some local locksmiths and professional safe openers along with Virginia Stubbs, the President of the Georgetown Heritage Society to attempt to open the safe again.

After 1.5 hours of patient attempts at the combinations, our safecracker opened the one door of the safe, and the cheers of happiness rang through the warehouse!
We've included a few photos, and we hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Dana

Lets Advocate for Museums

2011-02-08T16:37:00.001-06:00

Do you love The Williamson Museum? Do you love your area Museums? Do you love Museums in General? Then become our advocate. Be our voice.

The American Association of Museums (AAM) invites you to Capitol Hill February 28-March 1 to speak up for museums. After a day of advocacy training, AAM will facilitate individual meetings with each participant's elected members of Congress. Museums Advocacy Day is an opportunity to bring our message of the value of museums to Capitol Hill and to advocate for policy issues that affect the field. Visit www.speakupformuseums.org for more information and for fact sheets with tips and tools for advocacy basics, including the rules of engagement, meeting with elected officials, communicating with legislators, and more.

For those of you sticking closer to home, the Texas Commission on the Arts offers a free Advocacy Tool-Kit online to help you develop a plan for advocacy. In it, you'll find detailed instruction onadvocacy and lobbying basics, stating your case, contacting decision makers, avoiding common mistakes, and complying with nonprofit lobbying laws. The tool-kit also includes examples of key messages, templates for writing decision makers, and sample call-to-action letters. Remember, advocacy should happen at all levels and a great place to start is in your museum's own backyard with your city and county officials.

From the Texas Historical Commission.

Volunteer Spotlight: Bob Payne

2011-01-27T11:55:00.000-06:00

How long have you been volunteering with the WM?
Two years

What are your primary duties?
Courthouse Docent/Tour guide

How many hours per week do you usually volunteer?
5 to 10 per week, sometimes more, lots more.

What type of training did you have?
I attend all training offered by the Museum. I also have formal training as a briefing officer and public speaker.

How do you feel your work helps others?
My orientation is towards history, I enjoy learning about history and teaching others about it. Especially the interesting and amusing elements of history which are not very well known. When people hear me talk about history, they usually smile a lot and that means they retain some of what they heard.

What do you enjoy most about WM?
You can learn a lot about the History of Williamson County at the Museum. I also like working with the people who work and volunteer there.
What's unique about WM?
I know of no other museum that reaches out to school children as much as The Williamson Museum. Also, it is small but is located in a great building in the center of town.

Personal information about yourself:
Native Texan, born in Big Spring, and raised on the Gulf Coast. Joined the navy in 1955 and served 25 years on active duty. Stationed all over the world at some very interesting places, I was directly involved in the Cuban Missile crisis at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in 1963/64 and served with the US Marines in a combat role in Vietnam. Was responsible for building Top Secret Intelligence facilities in Florida, Hawaii, VietNam, and Guam. Was also a briefing officer in Washington, DC.

In retirement, I volunteer at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Temple, am active in the Veterans of Foreign Wars, (VFW), Habitat for Humanity, the Red Cross, and am Editor of the Naval Cryptologic Veterans Association (NCVA) newsmagazine CRYPTOLOG. I also sit on the Board of Directors of the NCVA. My hobby is golf, which I play as much as possible.

Married to Edith Payne, we have a son, Walter, who is in Real Estate in Austin and a daughter, Maria, who lives in Belton with my grandson, Robert.

Have you ever thought of volunteering at the Museum? It’s not just about giving tours. To sign up for February training, contact Celina Aguirre at caguirre@williamsonmuseum.org or 512-943-1670.

Adopt An Artifact Campaign

2011-01-19T13:46:00.000-06:00

A primary part of The Williamson Museum’s mission, and the job of the Curator & Registrar is to collect and preserve the history of Williamson County. Ideally, each artifact in our collection should be housed in an acid-free box, and wrapped in acid-free tissue paper. Other storage needs include new shelving in the storage areas, bags for storing small artifacts, numbering supplies (India ink, B-72 acryloid, and tags), padded hangers, acid-free folders, and gloves for handling artifacts.

Abby and I have been working to organize the limited space we have available in the collections storage area. By housing the artifacts in boxes with protective tissue paper, we can further protect them from the elements and ensure that they will still be around for generations to come. We can free up space on our shelves by stacking smaller boxes and change wasted space into valuable space for storage of more collections artifacts. The truth is that we never really stop collecting things, and we have to have make sure we can properly protect everything.

And the best part is- You can help!
Your tax-deductible donation to the Adopt an Artifact program will help pay for the care, maintenance, conservation, and storage of the Permanent Collection. You can name an item of your choice—a photograph, an antique tool, a piece of glass, an article of clothing. Or, you can let us decide for you. Your donation is used for the purchase of archival materials such as boxes, tissue paper, shelf lining, etc.

Any amount is welcome, and to show our appreciation, you will be listed in our next newsletter as a proud member of the Adopt an Artifact program. You can contact the museum for more information.

Dana
Curator

Museum Volunteers Helped Make 2010 Holiday Events Historic

2011-01-06T13:38:00.000-06:00

The Williamson Museum is very fortunate to have many talented and dedicated volunteers. From decorating the Museum to toasting in the New Year it was a pleasure to have worked alongside some very special volunteers this Holiday Season.

A big Thank You to all our volunteers. I can't wait to see what great things we will do together in 2011. I have posted a pic below of some of our volunteers in action.

Jim

December 4, 2010 - Christmas Stroll Parade

Volunteers from left to right: Linda Turner, Olivia Denton (Linda's granddaughter),

Bob Brownfield, Bob Payne

Lets Celebrate the New Year!

2010-12-31T15:02:00.001-06:00

We are getting ready to close down 2010 with a wonderful celebration at the Historic Williamson County Courthouse. The Museum is hosting the first ball in the courthouse and will be Unmasking the New Year under the rotunda!

This is always such an exciting time of year celebrated all over the world. People gather with friends and loved ones and often partake in very specific actions. Here are some fun traditions to keep in mind.

Food seems to be closely associated with bringing good luck in the New Year. It is common knowledge in this country that black-eyed peas will bring you good luck, but other cultures eat cabbage and rice to bring prosperity. In Mexico, people eat 12 grapes at midnight while making a wish for each grape. The Dutch believe eating donuts brings good luck. This stems from the belief that round objects are lucky as they symbolize "coming full circle."

Toasting and kissing your partner are very common traditions, but if you are superstitious you might want to take note of the following. To increase prosperity, make sure you have money in your pocket and your cupboard is full when the New Year comes. To increase happiness year-round, don't wash your hair and wear red. Launch a broom out your font door at midnight to get bad vibes out of your home. Dress well throughout the year by receiving the New Year in new clothes. Finally, evil spirits hate loud noise, so be as loud as possible tonight when receiving the New Year.
We wish you much luck and happiness in the New Year and hope to see you at the Museum in 2011.

Celina
Volunteer and Membership Coordinator

Home for the Holidays

2010-12-28T17:31:00.000-06:00

The Staff at The Williamson Museum hopes you had a wonderful and safe holidays spent with friends and family, celebrating traditions old and new.

If your family is anything like mine, we all get together and share memories from 'the good ole days' when Grandma and Grandpa were first married, and Grandpa's service years in the Navy- which always prompts the pulling down of the dusty photo album off the top shelf.

The holidays are one of the few times when all the kids and all the grand kids get together- and while you are up in the attic pulling down boxes of Christmas decorations, maybe you stumble across Grandpa's old trunk, filled with old photos, letters, photographs, etc. Lots of times, people don't have children to pass things down to, or they feel that things are too silly, or frivolous and that nobody would want them.... WROOONNGG!!!

Your local Museum, heritage society, or history center would love to share your memories!!! These local institutions tell the stories of the families, and businesses in your community. It's through these memories, letters, photographs, and keepsakes that they can further preserve the cultural heritage of your community. So, when you gather up a box of old "junk", call your local Museum, Heritage Society, or Library before you cart if off to the dump. Your community will thank you.

Dana

History Note: Georgetown's Christmas Cash Crop

2010-12-18T17:59:00.000-06:00

When we consider Williamson County's rich agricultural past, we most often think of cotton. But the area was once well known for a surprising seasonal crop: mistletoe!

Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that attaches itself to the branches of a host tree. While it does not usually kill trees, foresters consider it a pest. It was W. E. Thies, a used furniture store owner in Georgetown, who first turned this local pest into a holiday commodity. He began harvesting mistletoe and shipping it out at Christmastime, and other folks soon caught on to the idea.

A 1952-1953 Texas Almanac noted that Christmas mistletoe was being shipped in large quantities from Georgetown. During that time period, the Central Texas area shipped as much as a half a million pounds of the crop each December. Georgetown was such an important producer of mistletoe that it was even dubbed "The Kissing Capital of the World!"

From all of us at The Williamson Museum, in The Kissing Capital of the World, Happy Holidays!

Cowboys and Cocoa and Christmas Around the World!

2010-12-18T15:27:00.000-06:00

Wow! December has really been a whirlwind! We at the museum kicked off the Christmas season with Cowboys and Cocoa during the Georgetown annual Stroll event. A cowboy and several ladies came by to hand out hot cocoa and gingerbread cookies to the hungry pedestrians on the square that evening.

Cowboy Joe Gonzalez serves hot cocoa and cookies

Today, we celebrated the several immigrant cultures that are found in Williamson County with our Christmas Around the World event. Jan Faubion shared her expertise about how to make traditional Swedish straw ornaments, while Round Rock Ballet Folklorico came and taught us about the Mexican Posada tradition. To top it all off, we had the Taylor Czech Chorus out to sing traditional Czech Christmas carols! The children who visited the museum during the event made traditional ornaments from the Mexican, Swedish, Czech, and German traditions. We had many luminarias, pickle ornaments, woven Swedish heart basket ornaments, and German scherenschnitt schneeflocke (scissor cut snow flakes) running through the museum!

Jan Faubion teaches the children about Swedish straw ornaments

Children making Czech pickle ornaments

A member of Round Rock Ballet Folklorico teaches our volunteers about the 7 points on the pinata

The Taylor Czech Chorus sings Czech carols

It was a wonderful event and was a great way to really get into the Christmas spirit. I hope that wherever you are, you may also feel the warmth and goodwill that we felt here in the museum today. Happy Holidays!

Looking for unique gifts.

2010-12-18T11:20:00.000-06:00

The Williamson Museum can help you.

Give the gift of history by buying a Williamson Museum membership.
Visit the Museum Store. We have historic toys, great history related books, jewelery, hand made soap, a poster of Texas Courthouses, cooking aprons and much, much more.

Proceeds from the store help support ongoing programs and exhibits.

Collections Housecleaning

2010-11-19T14:03:00.000-06:00

If you've been to the Museum lately, you've probably noticed us moving our offices around- what an ordeal!! WHEW!!
Amy our Educator, moved her office out in the upstairs area and now has access to a storage closet to keep all of her education stuff together (Yay!) and Dana our Curator, moved into Amy's old office upstairs in the same space as Abby, our Registrar. That was a smart move!
We've now got the downstairs collections office area open and free to use as a workspace for our faithful collections volunteers who come weekly to help catalog artifacts.

Now that we have access to that workspace, Abby & Dana have been hard at work (a sort of 'housecleaning'), going through the collections, and re-housing archives in archival boxes and making sure that we have the entire collections cataloged. When we pull objects we also inspect them for deterioration, and try to preserve them to the best of our ability. (this is a rather large task, mind you) A large part of accessioning objects is the legal paperwork that goes along with it, and keeping track of collections could easily be a full time job! And along the way, we find some pretty interesting items. Some recent donations include items from a local barbershop, Swedish baptismal records, and a large collection of family photographs. The curator & registrar must have a close relationship with the collections artifacts, because this is what we build our exhibits from.
(and let me tell you, we have some pretty cool exhibits coming in the future!- So keep your eyes peeled!)

Dana
Curator

Ghosts and Graves, Oh My!

2010-11-11T16:41:00.000-06:00

October can be a creepy, spooky month and we at the Williamson Museum were determined not to be left out of all that ghostly fun. On Halloween weekend, we hosted Ghosts on the Square, where costumed docents led tours of the Georgetown square and related the stories of the many other-worldly specters which haunt the historic buildings there. We had four sold-out tours each night and our guests left the square with a new appreciation for the people of the county who were perhaps none too ready to leave this world for the next. A shout-out to Quenan's Jewelers, who added creepiness to our tours with a mummy in their second story window! It gave everybody a bit of a start to find something unexpectedly lurking in that window!

Continuing with the other-worldly theme, the museum hosted a Cemetery Tour at the Independent Order of Oddfellows (IOOF) Cemetery on November 6th. In this event, costumed interpreters told the story of the many prominent citizens of Williamson County buried at the IOOF and how they contributed to the success of Southwestern University. Among the dead who "returned" to speak to our guests were SWU presidents, trustees, businessmen, ministers, and their wives. Many returning Southwestern graduates, in Georgetown for Homecoming, enjoyed touring the cemetery and learning about the many men and women who worked diligently to ensure that Southwestern would continue to "survive and thrive" into the twenty-first century.

The success of these two programs ensures that the museum will survive and thrive, as well. I look forward to planning the next Ghosts on the Square and Cemetery Tour next year. And in case you missed it, I hope you will plan on coming out to one or both events in 2011 to experience the rich and (sometimes) spooky history that Williamson County has to offer.

Things You Never Thought You Would Do As A Museum Professional

2010-10-30T18:23:00.000-05:00

Ever since I started working at the Museum three years ago, I have had duties I never imagined I would have when choosing this field as a career. This was especially obvious this month as there have been several events we were involved with that don't fall under your regular Museum work, which I love!!

To start with, let me mention that three years ago, I had to dress up in a witch's hat for the launch of the last Harry Potter book. Downtown Georgetown turned into J.K. Rowling's world and there were witches and warlocks walking around the square waiting for Hill Country Bookstore to release the book. The Museum, I mean Gringotts (the Wizarding Bank), had flashlight tours that night. It was so much fun!

Coming back to October, here is a brief list of the events we were a part of this month. Notice they do not include our regular monthly events (First Friday, The Salon at Wildfire, Hands-On History or Books for Texans) or our educational programs (Field trips and trunk shows).

First of all, earlier in the month, I created big pink bows and pink ribbons for the Museum's facade in honor of the 2010 Pink Heals Tour. Our Visitor Services Coordinator was up on a ladder attaching the bows to our columns. We were pinked out!
That same week, I decorated a table (place settings, centerpiece and all) for the Georgetown Garden Club's Tea Party to celebrate their 70th anniversary. It was a delightful event.
The day after the tea party, a volunteer and I maned a booth at the first Jonah Harvest Fest, while the rest of the staff worked a craft booth for Art in the Square in Georgetown while keeping the Museum open. We can do it all!
Last weekend we hosted the registration tables for the Taste of Georgetown for the second year in a row and our Educator got a taste of how our courthouse rentals work. (We rent the 1911 Williamson County Courthouse)
Finally, the Brown Santa program asked us to decorate a jail cell for their Nightmare on Jail Hill Haunted House this year. This involved shopping for headstones, creating dead bodies, and a trip to a pecan orchard on HI29 to get branches for our fake cemetery inside the cell. Let me tell you that jail doesn't need much decorating to be scary.

Usually, when you think of a Museum you might think of exhibits, artifacts, and educational programs. Right? Well, The Williamson Museum is definitely no exception, but make no mistake, we do more than that.

Celina Aguirre

Volunteer and Membership Coordinator

New Exhibit Coming Soon

2010-10-23T18:55:00.000-05:00

Jno. Trlica, a first generation Czech-Texan, spent decades documenting the town of Granger and its inhabitants. His commercial studio made the dream of owning a photographic memory a reality for all. In the sometimes racially charged atmosphere of early 20th century Texas, Trlica never discriminated against any person who wished to have their picture taken.

His advertising slogan:

Where there is beauty,

We take it.

Where there is none,

We make it.

We take anything.

Where There Is Beauty opens during First Friday, November 5, 2010.

New Life For An Old Exhibit

2010-10-23T18:32:00.000-05:00

...well, not that old. Our most recent photography exhibit, Recuerdos, has been given a new lease on life at Texas State University's Round Rock Higher Education Center. You may recall that the original Recuerdos resulted from a collaboration in which The Williamson Museum asked members of the Hispanic-American community to share their memories (recuerdos) of life in our county. The photographs graced our walls from May 2010 until just a few days ago, when they were removed to make room for our next photography exhibit.

But that's not the end for Recuerdos. The original photographs, along with many additional historical images, can now be seen in the 1st floor hallway of the Round Rock Higher Education Center. If you missed Recuerdos the first time around, don't miss this new opportunity to view memories of Hispanic-American life in Williamson County.

The Round Rock Higher Education Center is located at 1555 University Boulevard in Round Rock. Recuerdos is on display in the 1st floor across from the library. We hope you enjoy the "new" Recuerdos.

Changes, Changes, Changes...

2010-10-13T10:03:00.000-05:00

It has been a long time since we have updated the blog, and I apologize for that! It is a sad fact that when changes come about in an organization, something falls through the cracks and this was one of those things. I will remedy that today and we will make it a priority from now on!

Lots of things going on this week, but the most immediate is the scheduled stop of the Pink Heals tour on the historic downtown square this afternoon at 5:30. Please wear your pink and join us for the parade of pink firetrucks and all of the festivities at the Fire Station on Main Street until 7:00 pm this afternoon.

If that is not to your liking, you can join us at The Salon at Wildfire at 6:30 for a presentation on Community Gardens by Natalie Vreeland.

And don't forget that tomorrow is our fundraiser at Casa Ole here in Georgetown. Let us know if you need a flyer!

Two more wagons!

2010-08-20T17:04:00.000-05:00

We received two more wagon entries for next month's Up the Chisholm Trail event on September 17 & 18 at San Gabriel Park in Georgetown.

Rocking T
R - D Chuckwagon

That means we'll have a total of 7 wagons competing in this year's event. For more information about Up the Chisholm Trail and to see a schedule of events, please visit the event website at www.upthechisholmtrail.org.

We'll see you there!

Historic photographs: online and searchable

2010-08-17T15:13:00.002-05:00

Check out our new searchable format for looking at photographs from the Museum's collection. Included in the database are images from the Sesquicentennial Collection, Images from the Williamson County Courthouse, and photographs of Pioneers of Williamson County.

Check them out here!

Wagons, wagons, wagons!

2010-08-14T09:59:00.002-05:00

We've got 5 wagons signed up for next month's Up the Chisholm Trail Chuckwagon Cook-off:

Bertie Bell from San Angelo
Break Away Wagon from Stamford
Ellis Cattle Co. from Sinton
Wish Bone from Axtell
Bear Creek Ranch from Kerrville

Our favorite musicians/chuckwagon team from Houston, The Buckaroo Band, will be at the event on Friday and Saturday night providing us with hours of music entertainment.

We'll see you there: Friday and Saturday, September 17 and 18, in San Gabriel Park in Georgetown!

High Cotton

2010-08-10T11:17:00.002-05:00

Come by to see our newest exhibit: High Cotton: Farming in Williamson County.

Drawn to the rich blackland soils in the eastern portion of Williamson County, early inhabitants farmed the land. The soils in Williamson County are some of the finest farmland in Texas. The landscape is rich with trees and rivers and creeks. Settlers, foreign and American, arrived in Texas in the 1820s seeking that fertile land and a better life.

The Williamson Museum is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10am to 6pm.

Who was Arthur Olander?

2010-07-29T13:26:00.002-05:00

Here's a photograph from the 1950s or 1960s of Arthur Olander of Hutto checking out his corn crops.

Come to the Museum on Friday, August 6, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm for the opening of our newest exhibit, High Cotton: Farming in Williamson County.

You'll find out why Arthur Olander is included in the exhibit and much, much more!

Volunteer Spotlight: Janelle Litos

2010-07-01T10:46:00.003-05:00

Janelle (on the left in this photograph) volunteering during Hand-On History.

How long have you been volunteering with the WM?
I have been volunteering with the WM for a little over a year.

What do you do for WM?
I volunteer as a greeter, I help with special events, and I help with Hands-On History.

How do you feel your work helps others?
I feel that my volunteering helps others in an educational way. By expressing my love for history and sharing it, especially with kids, I feel that I contribute to a positive educational experience.

What do you enjoy most about WM?
Along with the history, I enjoy the people the most. The workers, including the volunteers, are all friendly, and the visitors are often interesting and pleasant. I love when people come in with much enthusiasm, and I also love when they have their own stories to share about their ties to the county!

What's unique about WM?
I think one of the unique factors of the WM is that it offers so much to the public. There’s always something exciting going on. Also, of course, its promotion of Williamson Country culture is quite unique.

Personal information about yourself:
I am 16 years old and will be entering my senior year at Georgetown High School in the fall. I moved to Georgetown from Massachusetts when I was five with my family of six. I play the piano and guitar, and my interests include history, philosophy, current events, and people. In my free time I enjoy listening to music, reading, watching movies, and hanging out with friends and family.

New Exhibit Work Begins

2010-06-29T11:58:00.003-05:00

Last Saturday, Abby (the intern), Amy (the volunteer) and I worked to uninstall the exhibit Return to Splendor, which was about the history of Williamson County's courthouses.

It took us almost 5 hours to take everything down. That includes HOURS of working to get label adhesive off the walls (a HUGE shout-out to Amy on that one!) and put all the artifacts back in their proper homes.

Now, the space is empty. Tomorrow, our construction guys (Harlan and Mike) will start working on creating a new home for our next exhibit, which will open the first week of August. Keep your eyes open for updates as we continue to install this exciting new exhibit!

Mickie Ross Named Executive Director

2010-06-24T17:56:00.001-05:00

After conducting a nationwide search to fill the vacancy in The Williamson Museum Director's position, Mike Martin, President of the Museum's Board of Directors, announced the appointment of Ms. Mickie Ross to replace former Director, Chris Dyer. Mr. Dyer served as Museum Director beginning in 2005 before relocating to another community this spring. Ms. Ross previously served the Museum as both a volunteer and board member before taking over the position of Educational Program Coordinator in 2007, in which capacity she has continued to serve until today. Ms. Ross' appointment as Executive Director becomes effective July 1, 2010.

Mr. Martin said that the board received applications from and considered 48 candidates from across the country, all with significant experience in and credentials for museum management. In the final analysis, he said the board was unanimous in its support for Mickie, citing her thorough knowledge of the Museum and the Williamson County community it serves. He also noted her vision for the future growth, development and expansion of the Museum and its programs as well as her deep commitment to the Museum and her obvious, demonstrable passion for it.

"Mickie Ross has distinguished herself during her tenure with The Williamson Museum", said Martin, “and the board of directors is excited about the direction in which she will lead us. The board, staff and members of the Museum have a large vision for the future in Williamson County, and we believe that Mickie Ross is just the leader we have been seeking for our organization.”

Mickie spent 21 years as a professional educator before joining the Fort Bend Museum in Richmond, Texas and then serving as the Adult Education Program Coordinator for the Texas State Historical Association. She has written and published Texas history teaching guides, served as a consultant for Texas history publications, and has presented workshops at state and national social studies conferences. "Mickie Ross brings a wealth of experience to the helm of the Museum", Martin noted.

Ms. Ross earned her BA in education from San Houston State University and resides in Georgetown with her husband, Dale, a CPA and a Georgetown City Councilman.

Books!

2010-06-23T09:58:00.001-05:00

We've chosen books for the next six months of Books for Texans Book Club.

July 20, 2010- The Men Who Wore the Star: The Story of the Texas Rangers by Charles M. Robinson III

August 17, 2010- Minding the Store by Stanley Marcus

September 21, 2010- Failure is Not an Option: Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond by Gene Kranz

October 19, 2010- The Big Rich: The Rise and Fall of the Greatest Texas Oil Fortunes by Bryan Burroughs

November 16, 2010- Stand-Off in Texas: "Just Call Me a Spokesman for the DPS..." by Mike Cox

December 21, 2010- The Big Bend: A History of the Last Frontier by Ronnie C. Tyler

Books for Texans meets on the third Tuesday of every month at 7:00 pm in the Hewlett Room at the Georgetown Public Library. We hope you can join us!

Mark Your Calendars!

2010-06-02T14:00:00.002-05:00

We've got a lot going on in the next couple of weeks. We hope that you can stop by for one or all of them!

June 4: First Friday (6 to 8pm)-- Stop by the Museum for refreshments and see our newest exhibit, which opened last month, Recuerdos: Images from Williamson County's Hispanic-American Community. After, stroll around the Downtown Square and listen to the live music from Lonestar Swing Band Syndicate during the street dance (8 to 10pm).

June 9: The Salon at Wildfire (6:30 to 8pm at Wildfire Restaurant)-- Come listen to Glenn Dishong, Water Services Director from the City of Georgetown, talk about water conservation.

June 12: Hands-on History (10am to 2pm)-- Join us in the gallery for this free, hands-on activity for the whole family. This month's theme is Working Cotton.

June 15: Books for Texans Book Club (7 to 8pm at Georgetown Public Library)-- Drop in to discuss our latest selection, Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream by Doris Kearns Goodwin, and find out the next six months' selections, too.

Guest Post

2010-05-29T16:22:00.002-05:00

Linda Turner has been a Museum volunteer since 2006.

I love volunteering at the Williamson Museum. It’s great fun to meet so many people from all over that come to the museum and it’s even better to meet the other volunteers - I have made some great new friends! It’s also such a pleasure to work with the museum staff - they are so creative and fun.

I have always loved history because it’s always been personal stories to me - never just events and dates in a book. I think in terms of the people in the events as my relatives, myself, my friends. I think what it must have been like for them while a loved one was away at war or seeing your new frontier home for the first time, seeing the new inventions and all the fashion changes, struggling through the awful times - laughing at the celebrations - being young and in love. One’s grandparents were, after all, young and in love long before you entered the picture!

I’ve learned so much - broadened my own experiences - Pioneer Day, Archaeology Day, cemetery tours, book club (great folks there), and trunk shows. History and working with it through the museum has given me good times, chances to meet good people with similar interests, and gives me the opportunity to make history more interesting to students in our schools.

There’s a place for you at the Museum - when you quit learning, you quit living. It’s almost impossible working in a museum to not learn something you didn’t know before - that’s why it’s so interesting.

Linda Turner

Chuckwagons!

2010-05-19T13:25:00.002-05:00

Even though the Up the Chisholm Trail event isn't until September, we're already in the planning stages.

The Chuckwagon Committee has been meeting monthly since February. We're applying for funding for the event (thanks to the City of Georgetown for their generous and continued support). Mickie is working on the event permit. We met with our graphic designer about this year's rack card and poster.

And...

We have our first two chuckwagon team entries for the cook-off competition!

Dove Creek from Copperas Cove
Ellis Cattle Co. from Sinton

Make your plans to join us!

This week at the Museum

2010-05-11T10:32:00.004-05:00

Before I start with this week, let's recap last week.

1. Two successful days of Pioneer Day field trips at Old Settlers Association. We had well over 500 students over two days of hands-on fun!

2. Recuerdos exhibit opening on Friday night. We had a full house, and everyone had a great time.

3. Pioneer Day at OSA in Round Rock. This year, we had a couple hundred more guests than last year. You can't beat that!

What's on tap this week, you ask?

Mickie and the education volunteers have field trips at the Museum all this week. Right now, third graders from Village Elementary are here touring the Museum, the downtown and the courthouse. Tomorrow, Mickie and the gang will be at San Gabriel Park for an all-day Civil War-themed field trip. Pickett Elementary third graders will be here on Thursday, Williams Elementary third graders tour the Museum on Friday, and then on Saturday the local Girl Scouts will be here all day for Victorian tea parties.

As for me, I submitted a grant application this morning. I have an advisory group meeting this afternoon in Austin, and a chuckwagon committee meeting this evening. Tomorrow night is The Salon at Wildfire.

Next Tuesday, May 18, is Books for Texans Book Club held at 7pm at the Georgetown Public Library (second floor, Hewlett Room). We hope you can join us, and talk about The Kings of Texas: The 150-Year Saga of an American Ranching Empire by Don Graham.

See you soon!

Recuerdos, part two

2010-05-07T16:24:00.001-05:00

Read the nice article published by the Round Rock Leader about the new Recuerdos exhibit at The Williamson Museum

Recuerdos

2010-05-06T17:00:00.001-05:00

The Williamson Museum is excited to present images of Hispanic culture and history from its photographic collections in a new exhibit entitled Recuerdos: Images from Williamson County’s Hispanic-American Community.

The Recuerdos exhibit will open to the public on Friday, May 7, at 6:00 pm during the Museum’s monthly First Friday celebration. Many of the images featured in this new exhibit, which is open from May to November 2010, were donated to the Museum as part of the Recuerdos project in October 2009. The Williamson Museum invited members of the county’s Hispanic-American community to donate family photographs documenting life in Williamson County. Images from that effort in the new exhibit include May Fest 2009 celebrations in Round Rock, class photographs from the area’s Mexican schools, and eighteen portraits of Hispanic men who served in all branches of the military from World War II to present day.

In conjunction with the Recuerdos exhibition at The Williamson Museum, the Round Rock Public Library will also exhibit images from the Museum’s collection during the month of May. Join The Williamson Museum on Friday, May 7, at 6:00 pm to view these great new images and celebrate Williamson County’s Hispanic heritage.

Working in a Small Museum

2010-04-22T14:58:00.003-05:00

The great (and sometimes aggravating) thing about working in a small museum is this: you never *really* know what you're going to be doing. Oh sure, I've got my list of things to do, but something *always* comes up that I hadn't planned. I thought I'd give you a little peek into my week-- my list of things to do and those things that have just popped up along the way.

To-Do List (actually only about half of my list):
1. Recuerdos exhibit: print photographs, write labels, buy mounting supplies, contact donor about which images we're using

2. Secure a speaker for June's Salon at Wildfire

3. NEH grant: finish narrative, contact consultant to discuss project further

4. Prepare outline for upcoming presentation (which will be at 6:30am!)

5. Look into grant for marketing materials for our Up the Chisholm Trail event

6. Continue research/write for cotton exhibit

7. Find a museum that might want items that a potential donor had acquired (they're not related to Williamson County, so we cannot take them)

8. Update blog

Here's some of what's come up in the mean time this week:
1. Try to find appraiser/auction house for murals

2. Try to find a person or organization that deals with steam trains/engines

3. Review report for historical commission

4. Review and make edits/comments on a grant for another organization

5. Scan and make copies of items from the collection for donor

6. Work the front desk and try to fix the computer (or at least figure out what's wrong, which I did yesterday)

Tomorrow, I have a meeting about a tour of the courthouse for the NTHP Preservation Conference in Austin (this fall) and a conference call about a digitization project with my partner organizations. Saturday is one of those 12 hour days. We've got a members' only parade watching party in the morning, and we're staying open until 8pm for the Red Poppy Festival. Monday, my day off, I will be attending the Austin Museum Partnership executive committee meeting, where I serve as treasurer/membership person.

While it can all be exhausting at times, I can't even imagine working in a larger institution. I'd miss the variety of everything we do.

Civil War Cemetery Tales- April 17

2010-04-14T16:03:00.002-05:00

Join us on Saturday, April 17, from 4 pm to 6 pm at the I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Georgetown.

$10 per person

This self-guided tour allows visitors to learn stories from the Civil War era told by the people who were there, played by costumed interpreters. Come and meet some of the fine citizens of Georgetown who fought in the War, as well as their families who kept the home fires burning.

Tickets on sale now at the Museum and on sale at the Cemetery on April 17 (day of the event). Tickets are $10 per person. (No refunds. In case of inclement weather, Museum will reschedule the event.)

I.O.O.F. Cemetery
(Behind Southwestern University)
701 Smith Creek Road

Please note that the Museum will CLOSE early (at 3:30pm) on Saturday and staff will be at the I.O.O.F. Cemetery.

Salon- Wednesday, April 14

2010-04-08T09:18:00.002-05:00

Hope to see you there!

News from the Museum's Director

2010-03-31T17:01:00.000-05:00

I am writing today to share some exciting, but bittersweet news. I have recently accepted the position of Executive Director for the Arts Council of Brazos Valley in College Station where I’ll be responsible for “making the arts accessible to citizens of the Brazos Valley,” an area that encompasses seven counties. My last official day as the Director of The Williamson Museum will be in mid-April. Although I will greatly miss the Museum and all of the wonderful people involved, I look forward to a new challenge in my career and a new chapter for the Museum.

I feel it is important to note that I could not have asked for a better board, staff, community and county with which to work. I look back on all that the Museum has accomplished since opening our doors to the public in late 2003 and realize that I owe you all a debt of gratitude for your role in our success. Without your help and generous donations of time, resources and wisdom, the Museum story would not have happened at all.

We officially opened our doors to the public just over six years ago. At that time, we barely managed to keep the lights on and the doors open fifteen hours a week. We did so with a handful of dedicated volunteers, one staff member and next to no financial resources. Look at what we have accomplished in just a few short years! With your continued work and support just imagine what the Museum will do in the coming years!

Thank you again for all that you do and although it is difficult for me to leave Williamson County, I know that the Museum is in good hands. Rest assured that the Museum will continue operations as usual under the direction of a very talented staff and board of directors.

I know that you will give our next director the same warm reception and support that I have received during my five and a half years here, and I also look forward to watching The Williamson Museum continue to grow and prosper, but now from the position of Museum member and supporter. Thank you again for making my time in Williamson County memorable. I will miss you all.

Sincerely,
Chris Dyer

Art Contest!

2010-03-25T16:47:00.001-05:00

Spring Break

2010-03-12T16:00:00.002-06:00

We've been busy, as usual. Mickie and Charles (education intern) and the education volunteers have been presenting our trunk programs all over the county. And TONIGHT is the first sleep over at the Museum. We'll be excited to hear how it went tomorrow morning!

I spent a lot of time reworking the Museum's website. I hope it's user friendly and that you're able to find everything you're looking for when you visit.

Next week is spring break at our area schools. If you're looking for something to do, make sure you stop by the Museum. We've got fun, hands-on activities in all of our exhibit areas.

Next week is also the Texas Association of Museums annual conference-- this year it's in College Station. Celina and I will be leaving Tuesday morning. Chris will follow Thursday and Friday. I'll be back at the on Friday, and Celina will be back on Saturday. There are a lot of great sessions, and of course it's always great fun to catch up with our museum friends from around the state.

Celina was awarded a scholarship from the Multicultural Initiatives affinity group, which enabled her to attend. Congrats, Celina!

Here's an idea of some of the sessions that are of interest to collections-type people, like myself:
Identification of 19th century photographs
Picture This: working with film crews
Collections issues during building projects
Thinking outside the Acid-free Box: Museum Archival Collections

And, there are some great sessions that are (at least for me) on the cutting egde for smaller museum:
Museums and Social Media
Using New Media to Create Multi-User Alternate Reality Games
Making a Place for Community Engagement
The Multi-Platform Museum: Bridging Online/On Site Visitor Experiences
Forecasting the Future of Texas Museums

There's so much to choose from; it'll be tough to narrow it down.

We'll see you when we get back!

The Salon- TONIGHT (3/10)

2010-03-10T14:41:00.002-06:00

Join us tonight for The Salon at Wildfire.

Internship Opportunity

2010-02-25T10:30:00.001-06:00

Judge Thomas Proctor Hughes and Tom E. Nelson Families Museum Internship

Description: The Williamson Museum is located in Georgetown, Texas, 30 miles north of Austin. The Williamson Museum is housed in the 1911 Farmers State Bank building and serves as the county history museum. The Museum Intern’s main duties will be to assist with the research, cataloguing, photographing, digitizing, organization and the updating of information in the Museum’s collections database (PastPerfect). Working under the supervision of the Curator, the intern will be assigned collections management projects to complete both independently and as part of a team. In addition, the Intern will be able to assist in the installation of a major exhibit and have the opportunity to research and install a small exhibit independently. Other duties will include working special events, which may require times other than regular office hours (Tuesday through Saturday). This internship program is named for and is established to honor two Williamson County pioneering families: the Judge T.P. Hughes and the Nelson families. To learn more about The Williamson Museum, visit our website at www.williamsonmuseum.org.

Required Qualifications: Applicants are required to have completed or working to complete a master’s degree in museum studies, public history, archival studies or other related field. Preference will be given to applicants with experience in a historical organization or museum. All applicants must demonstrate organizational skills, strong communication skills, the ability to manage multiple tasks, and the ability to work independently as well as in a group.

Compensation: The Intern selected will be awarded a stipend of $4300, based on a 40-hour workweek. The length of the internship is negotiable with a minimum length of 3 months full time. Internships can also be completed for course credit depending on school requirements.

Dates of Internship: The internship may be scheduled any time from May 2010 through the end December 2010.

How to apply: For consideration, please send letter of interest and resume with three (3) references to Lisa Worley, Curator at The Williamson Museum, by email to lworley@williamsonmuseum.org, or by fax to 512-943-1672. Applications should be received by March 30, 2010.

Books for Texans Book Club

2010-02-17T17:47:00.002-06:00

Books for Texans met last night at the Georgetown Public Library. The book club meets every third Tuesday of the month (7pm in the Hewlett Room). We discussed Liar's Club by Mary Karr. Mickie and I really liked the book. I thought it was very well written. Of course, the story isn't something that I would classify as happy or even uplifting, but good nonetheless. The book club members were just about split on who liked it and who didn't.

We'd love it if you could join us for book club. We did something a little different this year-- we picked books for the first six months.

Here's what we're going to be reading over the next few months.

March: Spanish Texas, 1591-1821 by Donald E. Chipman and Harriet Denise Joseph

April: Off the Beaten Trail by William Edward Syers

May: The Kings of Texas: The 150-Year Saga of an American Ranching Empire by Don Graham

June: Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream by Doris Kearns Goodwin

We hope to see you soon!

The Salon-- tonight (February 10)

2010-02-10T11:06:00.004-06:00

Tonight's Salon at Wildfire features Gene Davenport, the executive director of The Georgetown Project. Gene plans to speak and answer questions about the issue of childhood homelessness, especially as it relates to Georgetown.

We hope to see you tonight @ 6:30pm.

Next month's Salon is March 10, and Gary Chapman from the LBJ School of Public Affairs will be on hand to discuss "Three Big Things Being Changed by the Internet Now."

Fighting Back

2010-02-06T14:11:00.004-06:00

Thursday night we held the members' only preview party for the new exhibit: Fighting Back: The 1923 KKK Trials. We had a packed house with over 70 people in attendance. We send a shout-out to Wildfire Restaurant for the wonderful food, Cindy Anderson for the drinks, and Lisa David (Williamson County District Clerk) for bringing the original trial documents for everyone to see.

Friday night was, of course, First Friday in downtown Georgetown. Fighting Back drew big crowds (well, and the food and drinks) and we had over 300 people visit us between 6:00 and 8:00 pm. Today, the Austin American-Statesman featured an article about the exhibit.

Here are a couple of photographs of the exhibit. Come by and see it for yourself!

New Exhibit!

2010-02-04T10:28:00.004-06:00

It's done! We finished installing the last piece of our new exhibit this morning, right before docent training started. Tonight is the members' preview party at the Museum. Tomorrow is the official opening day in conjunction with First Friday. We hope that you can visit us soon and see Fighting Back: The 1923 Ku Klux Klan Trials for yourself.

Here's what you'll see if you come in today. (Check back in the next couple of days for images of the exhibit.)

New Exhibit Construction

2010-01-14T14:38:00.007-06:00

We've been busy the last couple of days. I thought I'd give you all a visual tour of what's been going on as we deinstalled the From Smaland Sweden to Big Land Texas exhibition, and we're beginning work on our newest exhibit: Fighting Back: The 1923 KKK Trials.

Tuesday:
Here's the exhibit before we took it down.

Wednesday:
After I took down all the artifacts, labels and photographs, and the construction guys pulled out elements to reuse in the new design.

Thursday:
After the first round of painting.

And, we're back!

2010-01-06T10:04:00.003-06:00

We hope you all had a nice, refreshing holiday. I know I did. And, now we're back to the daily routine, if there is such a thing at a museum.

Up next: The Salon at Wildfire. Join us on Wednesday, January 13, at 6:30 pm.

After you've rediscovered Shakespeare, come to the next Books for Texans Book Club meeting on Tuesday, January 19, at the Georgetown Public Library at 7:00 pm. We'll be discussing Texas Politics and Greed by Ross McSwain and Harold Byler.

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-17T14:19:00.002-06:00

The Museum will be closed for the Christmas holiday from Wednesday, December 23, through Monday, December 28.

We will open with our regular hours (10 am to 6 pm) on Tuesday, December 29, but please note that we will be closed on Friday, January 1, for New Year's Day.

Book Signing

2009-12-11T09:40:00.003-06:00

Tomorrow from 1:00 to 3:00 pm, I'll be signing copies of our new book, Williamson County, published by Arcadia Publishing.

If you haven't picked up your copy yet, here's your chance:
Hastings Books
2200 I H 35 S
Round Rock, TX 78681-8001
(512) 244-2223

We also sell copies of the book in the Museum's gift shop. You can always stop by the Museum to purchase your copy, too!

Busy Times

2009-12-01T14:29:00.003-06:00

I always used to think that our quiet time was October through January-- those few months after Up the Chisholm Trail. But, this year it's very different. And, really, this month is very busy with events, regular business, and the holidays.

Here's a run down of the next couple of weeks.

Wednesday, December 2:
I'll be in an all-day workshop. Plus, we're having our Volunteer Christmas Party. It'll be held at the Georgetown Winery. (I've made yummy artichoke-olive tapenade to put on crostini.)

Thursday, December 3:
For me, I'll be in the second day of my all-day workshop. Mickie has a trunk show at a local school and then a scout tour in the evening.

Friday, December 4:
It's First Friday! That means we'll be open until 8:00 pm (ish). This First Friday, the Sun City Dulcimers are playing in the gallery. In addition, the new Williamson County book is out, and Chris and I will be doing our first book signing.

Saturday, December 5:
Ho, ho, ho...It's the Christmas Stroll! Staff will get here early in order to prepare for our Members' Only party, which will be held at the Courthouse. We'll have brunch goodies (including mimosas), and attendees can watch the Christmas Stroll parade from the balcony. The Museum will open as soon as the party and parade are done. We'll be open late into the evening, since there will be exciting things happening around the square. Make sure to stop by the Museum for some hot cider.

Wednesday, December 9:
Join us at Wildfire for December's Salon. This month, we'll hear from Dr. Bonnie Stump who is going to discuss rainwater harvesting in central Texas.

Thursday, December 10:
Mickie's got Tippet Middle School (7th graders) coming for a field trip. There's a BIG group of students, so we'll be giving them the works!

Friday, December 11:
Mickie's going to Brushy Creek school for a trunk show.

Saturday, December 12:
If you missed your chance to purchase your signed copy of Williamson County at the Museum's First Friday, stop by the Round Rock Hastings between 12:30 and 3:30 pm. I'll be there!

Local History

2009-11-19T10:23:00.002-06:00

Robyn from the City of Georgetown found some interesting City Ordinances from the early 1900s, which she was kind enough to share with me. I thought I'd share one of my favorites with you.

An Ordinance Prohibiting the Running at Large of a Chicken, Chickens or Other Fowls in the Corporate Limits of the City of Georgetown, Texas, and Prescribing Penalties.

Be it Ordained by the City Council of the City of Georgetown, Texas:

That it shall be unlawful for the owner of person in charge or control of any chicken, chickens or other fowls to permit any chicken, chickens or other fowls to run at large within the corporate limits of this City, and any person violating this ordinance shall be fined in any sum not less than One and not more than Twenty-five Dollars, and each and every day that such chicken, chickens or other fowls shall run at large in said City shall constitute and be a distinct and separate offense.

Passed and approved this 10th, day of March, 1919.

R.E. Ward, Mayor of the City of Georgetown, Texas

Attest: Geo. Keahey, Secretary.

First Friday, November 6

2009-11-03T12:16:00.001-06:00

Scary!

2009-10-29T14:06:00.003-05:00

I spent all day yesterday transferring all of my software, documents, etc. from my old computer to my Brand New One. The old computer predates the start of my employment at the Museum. It ran great...until a couple of months ago. All of the sudden, it started moving slowly. Sometimes it would take up to 10 minutes to open a Word document or a Photoshop file. Then, to print? For get about it.

I ordered a new computer in early October. It was delivered last week, but with two days of archaeology events, I didn't have time to install everything until yesterday. I was mainly worried about transferring information from our collections/membership database, called PastPerfect. My computer works as the network from which all the other staff members access the program and information. I had to backup all the information, install all the new software, restore the backed up information, make the files to PastPerfect networked (or "share" them) with the other computers, THEN reconnect everyone else's computers to PastPerfect. There's a couple of little glitches, but all in all, it was well worth the way. This Brand New Computer is super-fast. I love it!

Speaking of scary...Make sure you join us tomorrow night for Walking Ghost Tours of the Downtown Courthouse Square. Tickets are $10 each, and tours are at 7:00, 7:30, 8:00 and 8:30.

Before, After, and Up Next

2009-10-21T15:59:00.004-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, Round Rock Public Library asked if we'd like to put together a temporary exhibit for them. I drove over to check out the space. Here's what the empty case looked like.

It took us about a week and a half, but we came up with a nice little exhibit about the museum-- what we collect, what we exhibit, and examples of interesting artifacts and photographs from the permanent collection. Here's what the finished exhibit looks like.

Don't forget: ARCHEOLOGY DAY is this Saturday, October 24, at Berry Springs Park and Preserve. Visit our website for more information and a map to the park. (Or see the flier from my earlier blog post below.)

Hope to see you soon!

Archeology Day- October 24

2009-10-16T10:28:00.003-05:00

Join us next Saturday (October 24) from 10 am to 3 pm for Archeology Day at Berry Springs Park 7 Preserve!

Coming Soon!

2009-10-07T15:51:00.002-05:00

I'm working on a new photograph exhibit featuring images that are in the new Images of America: Williamson County book written by Museum staff, which will be published at the end of November 2009.

In the mean time, I hope we'll see you at next week's Salon.

Recuerdos

2009-09-17T15:54:00.003-05:00

When it rains, it pours

2009-09-15T12:39:00.005-05:00

First, we want to give a huge shout-out to the chuckwagons and wagon sponsors who participated in the Up the Chisholm Trail Chuckwagon Cook-off. You may (or maybe not) aware that it rained the ENTIRE weekend of the event (see photos below). We ended up having to cancel everything except the chuckwagon cook-off.

The results of the third annual Up the Chisholm Trail Chuckwagon Cook-off are as follows:

Beans- 3rd place: Bear Creek Ranch from Kerrville (sponsor: Bryan & Marsha Farney)
Beans- 2nd place: Wagon Wheel C from Prairie Hill (sponsor: HNTB)
Beans- 1st place: Scorpion Cattle Co. from Roscoe (sponsor: TDM Sales Company)

Biscuits- 3rd place: R bar D from Canton (sponsor: HNTB)
Biscuits- 2nd place: Wagon Wheel C from Prairie Hill (sponsor: HNTB)
Biscuits- 1st place: Scorpion Cattle Co. from Roscoe (sponsor: TDM Sales Company)

Potatoes- 3rd place: Break Away from Stamford (sponsor: Lott Brothers Construction)
Potatoes- 2nd place: Rodgers Ranch from Bertram (sponsor: Double Boot Ranch)
Potatoes- 1st place: Scorpion Cattle Co. from Roscoe (sponsor: TDM Sales Company)

Dessert- 3rd place: M bar S from Burton (sponsor: Whataburger)
Dessert- 2nd place: Rodgers Ranch from Bertram (sponsor: Double Boot Ranch)
Dessert- 1st place: Rocking K from Slaton (sponsor: TDM Sales Company)

Meat- 3d place: Dove Creek from Copperas Cove (sponsor: Haynie Consulting, Inc.)
Meat- 2nd place: Wagon Wheel C from Prairie Hill (sponsor: HNTB)
Meat- 1st place: Rocking K from Slaton (sponsor: TDM Sales Company)

Best Wagon- 2nd place: Break Away from Stamford (sponsor: Lott Brothers Construction)
Best Wagon- 1st place: Wagon Wheel C from Prairie Hill (sponsor: HNTB)

Best Overall- 3rd place: Break Away from Stamford (sponsor: Lott Brothers Construction)
Best Overall- 2nd place: Wagon Wheel C from Prairie Hill (sponsor: HNTB)
Best Overall- 1st place: Rocking K from Slaton (sponsor: TDM Sales Company)

This weekend-- Up the Chisholm Trail!

2009-09-09T08:58:00.002-05:00

It's been extremely busy at the Museum this month. We had two events last week-- a special You Can't Do That, Dan Moody! performance in partnership with the Palace Theatre and First Friday. This week we have The Salon tonight at Wildfire. This month's speaker is Rodney Gibbs, co-founder of Fizz Factor and a game developer.

We've been spending the last few months planning for our biggest event: Up the Chisholm Trail. (www.upthechisholmtrail.org)

The event starts on Friday night with a kids' chuckwagon cook-off starting at 5:30 pm and live music from AC Bible at 6:30 pm. Awards for the best kids' cooked dessert will be at 8:30 pm. Friday night also honors our men and women in uniform. So, if you wear your uniform, you'll get your dessert for free! Otherwise, tickets are $3.00 each.

Saturday morning begins with a cowboy breakfast (biscuits, sausage gravy, and coffee)served at 8:00 am. Tickets for breakfast are $3.00 each. We'll have live music, western art vendors, children's activities, demonstrators, and living history groups all day, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The Chuckwagon teams will serve lunch at 1:15 pm, with tickets going on sale at 8:00 am. (Tickets are $10.00 each and includes a plate lunch with meat, biscuit, beans, potatoes and dessert.) The awards ceremony is at 3:00 pm.

The longhorn cattle drive begins along the San Gabriel River around 5:00 pm. Then across the road in the WCSP Rodeo Arena, the Ranch Rodeo begins at 6:00 pm. (Tickets are $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children, and can be purchased the day of the event.)

So, in the two days leading up to Up the Chisholm Trail we're plenty busy. The competition food is being delivered today, and the meat is delivered tomorrow. We've got to get the rest of the signage printed and mounted. The chuckwagons start rolling in tomorrow, and we're beginning initial set up in the park-- tents, wood, tables, etc. Friday morning, most of the wagons will arrive early to be set up by noon-ish in preparation for wagon judging, which begins at 1:00 pm.

If you're free this weekend, stop by and see us!

Sign Your Kids Up for Chuckwagon Team Cook-off!

2009-08-29T14:44:00.002-05:00

SPECIAL RULES
1. Eligibility—contestants must be between the ages of 10 and 15 years to compete in the cook-off.
2. Entry—each contestant must complete a cook-off entry application. Entry is limited to 30 kids.
3. Teams—contestants will be paired in teams of two (2). Each team will be required to work with their assigned chuckwagon crew to cook a dessert dish to feed 50 people using peaches. It is up to the discretion of the wagon and the kids’ team on what the dish will be and how it will be prepared.
4. Supervision—the Chuckwagon Cook-off Committee will be responsible for assisting kids to their assigned wagons. Only cook-off contestants are allowed within the designated wagon cooking area.
5. Dress code—all participants must wear close-toed shoes. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Kids’ Chuckwagon Cook-off Competition SCHEDULE
Friday, September 11
Check in and Wagon Assignment 5:00 pm
Kids’ Cook-off Competition 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Dessert Entries Submitted for Judging 7:30 pm
Kids’ Cook-off Awards Ceremony 8:30 pm

Prizes
First Place Team $50
Second Place Team $30
Third Place Team $20

To enter the Kids’ Cook-off Competition
Spots are limited. To sign up to be a participant in the Kids’ Cook-off Competition on Friday, September 11, fill out the Kids’ Chuckwagon Cook-off Entry form and drop it off or mail it to The Williamson Museum (716 S. Austin Ave., Georgetown Texas 78626) or fax it to 512-943-1672 by Saturday, September 5, 2009.

Entry form and Release can be found at: http://www.upthechisholmtrail.org/kidsevents.htm.

A Surprise Visit

2009-08-19T15:21:00.003-05:00

Last night, Books for Texans met at the Georgetown Public Library. Our normal group showed up to discuss August's book selection: City on Fire: The Forgotten Disaster That Devastated a Town and Ignited a Landmark Legal Battle by Bill Minutaglio.

The synopsis of the book given by the Library Journal: On April 16, 1947, two huge explosions rocked the port city of Texas City, TX, killing 600 people, injuring thousands more, leveling houses and buildings, and soaking the landscape with toxic chemicals. Cold War sabotage was initially suspected, but the true culprit was a shipment of ammonium nitrate, a chemical that can be a fertilizer or a deadly explosive. The chemical was being manufactured and shipped by the government with no warning label or instructions for safe handling. Angry at this negligence, attorney Russel Markwell brought the first-ever civil class action suit against the U.S. government under the Federal Tort Claims Act and won. Though the victory was overturned on appeal as a dangerous precedent, the government's responsibility wasn't in doubt. Over two thirds of the book is a poignant present-tense account of the hours before, during, and after the explosion, bringing to life the horror, pain, and bravery of the people of Texas City. The account of the lawsuit is secondary, as it should be. This terrible story deserves this passionate retelling.

Here's the REALLY EXCITING part: a survivor of the Texas City explosion was visiting his daughter in Round Rock and read that our book club was discussing the book. So, Floyd Walker joined us for the evening and talked about his recollections of the explosion. He was 5 years old. His mother, sister, and brother were at home, which was located about 2.5 miles from the port. His older brothers were at the high school, which if you've read the book means they were in the thick of it. And, his dad, who was reporting for jury duty in Galveston wasn't at his job and survived. If he didn't have jury duty, chances are he'd been killed in the explosion, too.

Floyd's stories about that day, his memories of growing up in Texas City (he still lives there), and his years working at the refineries made the book come to life.

Thanks, Floyd!

The numbers never lie

2009-08-01T16:55:00.005-05:00

I just did a little bit of math out of curiosity. First, I figured out how many artifacts we've entered into the collections database in the past 2.5 years I've been at the Museum. If you're wondering, it's 2589.

Doing a bit of research a while back, I read somewhere that it takes on average about 3 hours per artifact to completely document it-- catalogue, number, photograph, put in storage, and enter information into the database. 2589 artifacts at 3 hours each equals 7767 hours of work.

Now, here's the interesting thing. 7767 hours of work equals 194.175 weeks of work. I've been at the Museum for 2.5 years. That's 116 weeks. I've had two 6-month collections interns. That's an additional 48 weeks, for a total of 164, 40-hour weeks. We're still 30.175 hours short.

Of course, I do not spend all my time working on documenting artifacts. I conduct research, work with the volunteers, help with special events, design posters and postcards, and write and design exhibits, just to name a few things. And, the interns-- they didn't spend all of their 24 weeks with us working just on collections.

It's the volunteers! Those wonderful collections volunteers who come in every other Tuesday and catalogue each and every artifact. The math proves it: we couldn't do it without them!

So, here's a treat for everyone from the collections. It's a photograph of a postcard in our collection. You'll notice the building-- it's the Museum, today. I couldn't resist sharing this. It's just too funny. The card belonged to a woman who served as the Vice President of Farmers State Bank, when it used this building for their place of business. I swear-- it's too funny! (If you're curious-- 26 years is 1248 weeks...that's 49920 hours. If we worked that long, we could document almost 17000 artifacts!)

Book Club

2009-07-22T10:44:00.002-05:00

If you didn't attend the book club meeting last night, you missed a lively discussion. We had read The Captured: A True Story of Abduction by Indians on the Texas Frontier by Scott Zesch. We talked about everything from views of Native Americans, immigrants to Texas (especially Germans), and the death of the buffalo, among many other topics. If you haven't read the book, I'd recommend it. It read like a novel.

Next month, we're meeting on Tuesday, August 18, and we're reading City on Fire: The Explosion that Devastated a Texas Town and Ignited a Historic Legal Battle by Bill Minutaglio. I've been interested in the topic since my first trip to Texas City a few years back.

Chuckwagons!

2009-07-14T17:04:00.002-05:00

The Chuckwagon Committee has been meeting monthly since February to plan for this year's Up the Chisholm Trail chuckwagon cook-off. We sent out information to a BUNCH of wagons in March. Slowly, entries started coming in. And NOW we have 13 wagons confirmed. That's more than we had total at the event last year! While we're sure that we'll get more (we're aiming for 15 total), here's who is coming:

Bertie Bell from San Angelo
Wish Bone from Axtell
Crew 1298 C&C from Corsicana
Rodgers Ranch Chuck Wagon from Bertram
Wagon Wheel C from Prairie Hill
Texas Stampede Chuckwagon from Watauga
R-D Chuckwagon from Canton
Break Away Wagon from Stamford
Rocking K Chuckwagon from Slaton
Dove Creek from Copperas Cove
M bar S from Burton
The Buckaroo Band from Houston
Bear Creek Ranch from Kerrville

Mark your calendars-- September 11 and 12. I promise you won't be sorry!

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-03T10:07:00.002-05:00

Just a quick reminder that the Museum will be closed on Saturday, July 4.

Just this morning I was reading about when the first July 4th was celebrated. From Live Science:

The following year [after independence was declared], no member of Congress thought about commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence until July 3 - one day too late. So the first organized elaborate celebration of independence occurred the following day: July 4, 1777, in Philadelphia.

Learning new things

2009-06-26T13:58:00.002-05:00

We've been working on writing captions for the photographs for the pictorial county history book that's due next month. Doing a bit of research on agriculture, here are a few facts I discovered.

In 1920, there were only 225 tractors in the United States.

Rubber tires for tractors were introduced in 1932.

The John Deere company started out when Deere developed the steel walking plow. It wasn't until they bought a company called Waterloo Gasoline Traction Engine Company in 1918 that they started producing tractors.

In 1930s and 1940s, Williamson County was one of the top three corn producing counties in Texas.

What we're doing

2009-06-13T16:29:00.002-05:00

It seems like it should be quiet, and really it kind of is. School tours are over now that school's out. Pioneer Days are over. Summer is usually our planning time.

Here's a little of what's going on:

Mickie is starting to plan Up the Chisholm Trail and Archeology Day. She's marketing the Williamson County Courthouse for weddings and receptions. And, the really big thing, she's planning Summer History Explorers' Camp: two weeks of history and fun.

Celina's been working to get our Up the Chisholm Trail brochure printed and approved for distribution at Texas Travel Centers. She's dutifully keeping up with our Twitter and Facebook pages. Celina and Mickie continue to plan First Friday celebrations, getting food, drinks and special guests.

Chris and I are working on writing a pictorial history of Williamson County to be published by Arcadia Publishing. We're using images from our permanent collection, and doing all of the research and writing ourselves. No small task, lemme tell you.

Me? I'm working with the volunteers to keep up with cataloging artifacts. Planning for our quarterly acquisitions committee meeting. Meeting with potential artifact donors. I've taken down the map exhibit, and I'm trying to see if we can be an additional venue for an art show later this year.

I've been meeting with the chuckwagon committee since February, and I think that we're farther ahead of schedule than we were last year at this time. We even have 6 confirmed wagons! And Books for Texans book club and The Salon are trucking along with monthly meetings.

So, even though is *seems* like it's quiet around here. It's really not. We're working hard...very, very hard. We just make it look easy.

Don't forget-- Second Wednesday = The Salon

2009-06-09T11:57:00.000-05:00

Gloves- a short history

2009-05-30T10:37:00.005-05:00

Whenever you see a museum artifact handled by anyone, they're wearing white gloves. We've got about a hundred pairs of white cotton gloves all over the Museum. And, on occasion, we still use them. Especially with certain types of artifacts (like negatives).

Back in 1999 or 2000, I can't remember which, I attended a workshop that was about handling different types of artifacts. It was held at the Harry Ransom Center in Austin and put on by the Texas Association of Museums. So, these people knew what they were talking about. At that workshop, they weren't using the cotton gloves to handle the artifacts. NO. They were using nitrile gloves. They explained that sometimes the cotton of the white gloves could snag on loose elements of various artifacts. And, really, you lose a lot of feeling when you're wearing the white gloves...they can be pretty thick. I, of course, switched immediately to the blue nitrile gloves. I've been using them for years at various institutions.

Last year, I started to notice that when we were handling metal artifacts with the blue nitrile gloves, that the gloves would turn a reddish-rust color. Weird. At first, I thought it was rust from the metal transferring to the gloves. But, it happened a lot and worried me enough that I started using the white gloves again for handling metal. Then one day while reading an email thread from a listserve, I saw something that confirmed what I had noticed. There WAS a reaction between the blue nitrile gloves and the metal. Conservators had done some testing, and they found that using the accelorater-free GREEN nitrile gloves was better. Not the same reaction.

So a few months ago following this advice, we switched to the green nitrile gloves. Very green, and fun, which never hurts. And, they're working wonderfully!

New books selected for book club readings

2009-05-27T11:40:00.004-05:00

We've picked our reading selections for the next two Books for Texans Book Club meetings.

For June, we've chosen: Harder than Hardscrabble: Oral Recollections of the Farming Life from the Edge of the Texas Hill Country by Thad Sitton. June's meeting is on the 16th.

For July, we chose: The Captured: A True Story of Abduction by Indians on the Texas Frontier by Scott Zesch. We'll meet on July 21 to discuss this book.

We hope to see you at our next meeting!

Books for Texans Meeting- Tuesday, May 19

2009-05-14T10:29:00.003-05:00

Join us as we discuss Tulia: Race, Cocaine, and Corruption in a Small Texas Town by Nate Blakeslee.

We'll meet at 7:00 pm in the Hewlett Room on the second floor of the Georgetown Public Library.

See you there!

The Salon @ Wildfire- TONIGHT

2009-05-12T10:52:00.002-05:00

Pioneer Day- Saturday, May 9

2009-05-06T10:09:00.000-05:00

Wanted: collections management intern

2009-04-24T10:52:00.002-05:00

We're looking to hire a collections management intern for a three-month period. The job description and requirements are below. If you are interested, make sure to contact me.

Judge Thomas Proctor Hughes and Tom E. Nelson Families Museum Internship

Description: The Williamson Museum is located in Georgetown, Texas, 30 miles north of Austin. The Williamson Museum is housed in the 1911 Farmers State Bank building and serves as the county history museum. The Museum Intern will assist with the research, cataloguing, organization and the updating of information in the Museum’s collections database (PastPerfect). Working under the supervision of the Curator, the intern will be assigned collections management projects to complete both independently and as part of a team. This internship program is named for and is established to honor two Williamson County pioneering families: the T.P. Hughes and the Nelson families. To learn more about The Williamson Museum, visit our website at www.williamsonmuseum.org.

Required Qualifications: Applicants are required to have completed or working to complete a master’s degree in museum studies, public history, archival studies or other related field. Preference will be given to applicants with experience in a historical organization or museum. All applicants must demonstrate organizational skills, strong communication skills, the ability to manage multiple tasks, and the ability to work independently as well as in a group.

Compensation: The full-time, three-month internship pays a stipend of $1000 per month (for a total of $3000 for the internship). In addition, the internship can be completed for course credit depending on school requirements.

Dates of Internship: The internship may be scheduled any time from June 1 through the end of 2009.

How to apply: For consideration, please send cover letter and resume with three (3) references to Lisa Worley, Curator at The Williamson Museum, by email to lworley@williamsonmuseum.org, or by fax to 512-943-1672. Applications should be received by May 8, 2009.

Are you a museum member?

2009-04-22T11:03:00.003-05:00

During the Red Poppy Festival Parade, we are hosting a brunch from 9 am to 10 am exclusively for members of the Museum.

This special brunch will be held at the Williamson County Courthouse. We will watch the parade from the balconies of the courthouse. This is a chance for the Museum to show appreciation for our members, as well as a chance for everyone to mingle.

It's not formal but a chance to share in conversation, eat, and watch the parade from a special place.

If you would like the chance to participate in future members-only events, please contact Celina at The Williamson Museum: caguirre[at]williamsonmuseum.org or 512-943-1670.

Photographs...and more photographs

2009-04-15T09:39:00.005-05:00

We did it! We have finally entered all of the Sesquicentennial Photograph Collection into our collections database. It only took three weeks of work-- entering information, resizing photographs for addition to the database, and going through a couple of different logs and files to get information together. It's a huge accomplishment-- the collection has over 1000 photographs. This is especially important as we start identifying photographs and writing text for a new pictorial history of Williamson County book.

Here's a sample of a couple of the photographs.

If you'd like to see the photograph collection, visit our website at www.williamsonmuseum.org. Click on COLLECTIONS, and then on VIEW OUR HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTIONS. From there, you find PDFs with thumbnail images and descriptions of the Sesquicentennial Photograph Collection. Enjoy!

The Salon- Wednesday, April 8

2009-04-03T11:17:00.002-05:00

Join us for April's Salon in Wildfire's backroom @ 6:30 pm. On April 8, Bob Hudgins, Director of the Texas Film Commission, will talk about making movies and their economic impact in Texas.

April 3- First Friday

2009-03-27T12:55:00.002-05:00

The Museum always participate's in Downtown Georgetown's monthly First Friday event. We'll be open until 8 pm (or there abouts) on Friday, April 3. Stop by for exhibits, refreshments, and a visit with Museum staff and volunteers.

Special Guests: Sun City Dulcimers will play music on their mountain dulcimers from 7pm to 8pm.

What's a dulcimer, you ask? A mountain dulcimer, also called an Appalachian dulcimer, is a fretted stringed instrument of the zither family, typically with three or four strings. The mountain dulcimer is native to the Appalachian region of the United States. (For more information visit wikipedia.)

See you Friday!

Books for Texans

2009-03-13T12:42:00.001-05:00

Reminder that our next Books for Texans meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 17, at 7:00 pm in the Hewlett Room at the Georgetown Public Library.

This month, we'll be discussing "Three Roads to the Alamo" by William C. Davis. I don't know about y'all, but I'm REALLY enjoying this one!

See you Tuesday!

The Salon, March 10 @ 6:30 pm

2009-03-03T12:59:00.003-06:00

Speaker Profile:
March’s Salon features guest speaker Teresa T. Miller who serves as Manager of the Dell Foundation. Teresa is responsible for setting the strategy of the Dell Foundation, oversees partnership grants to over 80 non-profits across the United States, manages YouthConnect Grants for Dell India, and is part of the Dell Giving Team. Teresa is a 14-year veteran at Dell who received a bachelor’s of Psychology with a major in Marketing from Missouri State University. Teresa serves on the Community Montessori School Board as Secretary where her daughters attend school. She has served on the Advisory Council for Hands on Central Texas, served on Greenlights for Non-Profit Success Crossroads Advisory Council.

Coming Soon...The Salon

2009-02-26T13:20:00.002-06:00

A salon is a gathering of people, who meet partly for amusement and partly to increase their knowledge through conversation.

The Williamson Museum’s Salon
The Salon encourages open, easy-to-understand conversation. No lectures. No PowerPoint. No technical jargon.

The Salon is an event where anyone can participate in topical discussions with leaders in the fields of science, history, art, archaeology and technology, among other topics. Hosted by The Williamson Museum, these monthly talks are held in the banquet room of Wildfire Restaurant and promote discussion of diverse topics in an informal community setting.

The Salon is a new program hosted by The Williamson Museum with once-a-month presentations by leading professionals and researchers in their respective fields. The presentations will be followed by opportunities to mix and mingle with like-minded people.

Admission is free for the presentation, with refreshments offered by Wildfire Restaurant pay-as-go before and after the formal presentation.

Meetings
Meetings are held once a month (second Wednesday) and begin at 6:30 pm. If participants want dinner, we suggest that they arrive early (say, 5:30 or 6:00 pm) so that they’re done (or eating) before the program starts, or they can stay and eat after the program is over (8:00 or 8:30 pm) with the speaker at a reserved table at Wildfire.

Check back soon for specific speaker information for the first meeting!

Goin' Green

2009-02-04T12:15:00.009-06:00

A while back, we rounded up a bunch of our old vinyl banners-- some of the sesquicentennial celebration and those with our old name and logo. We sent them off to a company that makes tote bags and purses out of the banners that we can turn around and feature in the gift shop. They're AWESOME!

This is the "Randi Tote," and it sells for $29.00. It's made from one of the old sesquicentennial banners.

Made from our old logo banner, this is the "Tiara Tote," which costs $35.00.

Your yoga workout won't be complete without this yoga mat bag ($30.00).

This super-cute handbag features an image from the cattle drive; it's priced at $44.00.

And, seriously, my personal favorite: the messenger bag ($52.00). We only have one. I'll fight you for it!

The Swedes!

2009-01-30T17:07:00.003-06:00

You knew it wouldn't end...our From Småland Sweden to Big Land Texas exhibit has been such an overwhelming success that we've extended the exhibition for another year. In addition, the traveling exhibit based on this popular topic has been at the Round Rock Public Library and is now at the Taylor Public Library until March. (Check back later to see where it's scheduled next.)

In addition to what we've got at the Museum, graduate students from Texas State University Jac and Jamie produced a website and a video about the Swedish migration in central Texas.

Check it out here: Swedes of Central Texas: A Passage from Agriculture to Education.

We want to hear from YOU!

2009-01-14T16:17:00.001-06:00

We are accepting exhibit proposals for future exhibit topics. We will review proposals and ideas with the entire staff, and we generally try to have our exhibition schedule planned two to three years in advance.

The Museum’s mission is to collect and interpret items that promote the unique culture and heritage of Williamson County.

If you have an idea or proposal for an exhibition at The Williamson Museum, include the following information in your proposal:

1. What is the topic of your exhibit?
2. Why is the exhibit topic significant?
3. What could the Museum’s visitors see, hear, read, and experience in the exhibit?
4. How would the exhibit top be relevant to visitors’ lives today?
5. How does the exhibit topic fit in with the Museum’s mission?

Please send exhibit proposals to me at:
The Williamson Museum
Attn: Lisa E. Worley, Curator
716 S. Austin Ave.
Georgetown, TX 78626

Or you can email them to me at lworley at williamsonmuseum dot org.

While you were sleeping...

2008-12-28T17:22:00.004-06:00

Remember that old cartoon with the shoe maker? Where, every night while he was asleep the little elves would come into his workshop and make/repair shoes? Well, that's what I'm doing...sort of.

Not over night, but today (Sunday) I came into the quiet and closed museum to do a bit of maintenance: painting walls and replacing exhibit labels. Three coats of paint later, all the pencil marks are off the walls. You can see the line of the new paint vs. the old paint, but with the updated labels and photographs (and one new artifact!), I'm hoping it won't be that noticeable.

Here are a few photos of some of my work today.

Closed for the Holiday

2008-12-23T13:07:00.002-06:00

Just a reminder that we'll be closed Wednesday through Friday for the Christmas holiday.

We will be open at our regular hours (10 am to 6 pm) on Saturday, December 27.

Holiday Shopping

2008-12-13T12:17:00.004-06:00

Make sure you stop by the Museum Store for unique Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers. Luckily, the Museum will be open extended hours three days next week to accommodate the holiday shoppers. We'll be open from 11 am to 8 pm on Wednesday, 12/18; Thursday, 12/19; and Friday, 12/20.

Some of the Museum Store's offerings:

Red poppy necklace-- $14
Lily & pearl necklace-- $19
Key & swallow necklace-- $19
Cup & ball-- $3.38

Courthouse bag-- $8
Texas women on the cattle trails-- $29.95
Courthouses of Texas-- $22.95
Bill Pickett-- $16.95
Evolution of a state-- $19.95
Jacks-- $1.50

This and so much more is available at the Museum Store.

Stop by!

Deck the halls...

2008-11-29T08:55:00.003-06:00

Well, more like "deck the facade..."

We're all decorated for Christmas. Last night was the Lighting of the Square, and we made sure we were prepared for the big event. We had over 350 people in the Museum last night. There was music, children could make their own snow globes, and we were packed!

Next week, we've got two big events planned: Bob Brinkman will be here for First Friday (December 5) to sign copies of his new book, "Round Rock," and the Christmas Stroll is on Saturday (December 6). We'll be open until 8 pm both days.

And, we're done!

2008-11-13T17:41:00.005-06:00

We opened our latest exhibit called Charting History on Friday, November 7. The exhibit opening was held in conjunction with First Friday, and about 250 people attended. This temporary exhibit includes historic maps from the collection of Don Martin, owner of an Austin-based public affairs firm, that date from the 1680s to the 1880s.

A great, big THANK YOU to Central Texas Questers who funded the exhibit and to Gatherings who loaned us the historic doors!

One down, one to go.

2008-11-01T14:17:00.005-05:00

We installed the traveling From Småland Sweden to Big Land Texas exhibit this morning at the Round Rock Public Library. They reopen on Monday, November 4, after being closed for renovations, and our exhibit is part of their opening celebrations. I think that the panels and the hands-on trunk turned out very well. I'm excited for the public to view it. Below are a couple of photos taken by Dana as we were installing the exhibit at the Library this morning.

Up next is our special exhibit featuring historic maps dating from 1685 to the mid-1800s. It's called Charting History: Maps from the Don Martin Collection, and it opens next Friday, November 7, at 6:00 pm. Join us at the Museum for the exhibit opening, First Friday, and some refreshments.

Back to our normal daily grind...

2008-10-15T10:13:00.002-05:00

We're done with our two big events-- Up the Chisholm Trail and Archeology Day, which were held within two weeks of each other.

This is sort of our quiet time of the year...the time where we try to catch up on things that were put off while we were planning for the two events.

What do I have going on? A lot.

We've got a temporary exhibit that opens in early November featuring early maps of the world, the United States, and Texas. I think it'll be a really nice exhibit. I know I enjoy looking at maps.

I'm working on updating our main exhibit that talks about early Williamson County-- new maps, new labels, new photographs. Dana is pulling together an exhibit for one of the exhibit cases.

The traveling Swedish-Texans exhibit will be done soon...very soon. I've designed exhibit panels, received permission to use photographs from other institutions, and am almost ready to send it all to the printers.

We're still accepting artifacts. And, we're still working to get everything (and there's a lot) into the database-- catalogued, numbered, and photographed.

There's always something to do.

Chuckwagon Cook-off Results

2008-10-04T15:00:00.002-05:00

The results are in and we had another successful Up the Chisholm Trail event. This year, 11 chuckwagons participated in the cook-off.

Drum roll, please...and the winners are...

3rd place Beans: Rodgers Ranch
2nd place Beans: M bar S
1st place Beans: Wagon Wheel C

3rd place Biscuits: Bertie Belle
2nd place Biscuits: Bear Creek Ranch
1st place Biscuits: M bar S

3rd place Dessert: Bertie Belle
2nd place Dessert: Bear Creek Ranch
1st place Dessert: Rodgers Ranch

3rd place Meat: Bear Creek Ranch
2nd place Meat: Texas Stampede
1st place Meat: Rodgers Ranch

Best Wagon: Wagon Wheel C

Overall scores are based on 40% wagon scores and 60% food scores.

2nd place Best Overall: Wagon Wheel C
1st place Best Overall: Bear Creek Ranch

Congratulations to the winners, and a big thanks to all the wagons who participated this year. I know that Dove Creek made my morning with their fresh brewed coffee and very tasty breakfast burritos!

Thanks everyone! We hope to see you all again next year.

Up the Chishom Trail!

2008-09-25T09:28:00.003-05:00

This weekend is our Up the Chisholm Trail event at San Gabriel Park. We hope that you're planning on joining us Friday evening and all day Saturday, because we've got lots of activities planned.

Friday:
4-6pm Watch chuckwagons cook authentic desserts

6-9pm Sample delicious desserts, vote on most hospitable chuckwagon, and enjoy a performance by Grady Lee

Saturday:
9am Grady Lee at the gazebo

9am-3pm Check out the authentic chuckwagons

10:30am Evelyn, the Yodeling Cowgirl, at the gazebo

11:30am Stick Horse Rodeo

11:45am Cowboy Poetry Contest Awards

12pm Children's Costume Contest

12:30pm Shirts and Skirts Square Dancers at the gazebo

1:30pm Randy Waller, Cowboy Poet, at the gazebo

1:30pm Chuckwagon food samples available for the public (must by wristband; limited supplies; wristbands go on sale at 9am; $5 each)

2:30pm Evelyn, the Yodeling Cowgirl, at the gazebo

3pm Chuckwagon Cook-off Awards Ceremony at the gazebo

3:30pm Cullin Lane at the gazebo

4pm Charlie Bishop at the gazebo

4:30pm Jim Gough & the Cosmopolitan Cowboys at the gazebo

5pm Trick Roping Show

5:30pm Cattle drive along San Gabriel River

7-10pm Ranch Rodeo* at Sheriffs Posse Rodeo Arena

10:30pm Rick Trevino* live in concert at Sheriffs Posse Rodeo Arena

*Tickets for Ranch Rodeo and Rick Trevino are available at www.upthechisholmtrail.org until Friday. Tickets will be available at the event (in San Gabriel Park) on Friday evening and all day Saturday.

For more information visit the Up the Chisholm Trail website or call the Museum at 512-943-1670.

Have you bought tickets, yet?

2008-09-20T15:23:00.003-05:00

It's so close! We can feel Up the Chisholm Trail, now. While I'd like to say it's all Up the Chisholm Trail all the time, truth is we've got a museum to run, too.

So, Dana and I are working on collections. I've been working on designing panels for the traveling Swedish Texans exhibit. Mickie's giving a cub scout tour as I write.

But, really, for the most part we are all Chisholm Trail. Getting packets together, sending out sponsor information, gathering supplies, ordering the PA system...you name it, we're getting it done.

That said...Have you purchased your Ranch Rodeo and Rick Trevino concert tickets, yet? They're a very reasonable $15 for adults and $5 for children. You can buy them now on our event website at www.upthechisholmtrail.org, or you can buy them the day of the event-- September 27 at San Gabriel Park.

Either way, make sure you get yours before it's too late!

Cutest Cowgirl and Best-looking Buckaroo!

2008-09-09T09:09:00.001-05:00

That's right...we're holding our first children's Western Costume Contest at the Up the Chisholm Trail event this year. Registration is from 9:00 to 11:30 am at the gazebo in San Gabriel Park.

Judging for the contest is at high noon.

We'll have three age groups for the contest: 1 to 4 years; 5 to 8 years; and 9 to 12 years. Judges will award First, Second, and Third Place ribbons in each age group for Cutest Cowgirl and Best-looking Buckaroo.

I'm excited to see all the cowgirls and cowboys. We hope you'll join us!