Back to our normal daily grind...

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

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!

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?

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!

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!

Update

I received copies of the petitions from Texas State Library and Archives in the mail last week. They're BOTH undated. So...the mystery remains unsolved...Ah well.

Up Next...

We're working on our next exhibit entitled Picturing the Past. During our summer history camps, students were given the chance to write exhibit labels for images from our historic photograph collection. The results are fun, interesting, and unexpected.

Here's a sneak preview. Below is a detail from one of the photographs with the text written by a couple of students.



In this picture you see the circus parading past the courthouse. As the circuses of old, they used horse-drawn carriages to get around. Every year when the circus came, people were crowding around the streets to watch. Some people paid a lot of money to watch. Everyone in the city (almost) comes to watch. Let's go!

The exhibit opens on Saturday, August 30, at 2:00 pm. Stop by!