|
October 17, 2010
WOLF CREEK HERITAGE MUSEUM NOTES by Virginia Scott MUSEUM HAPPENINGS The weekend was beautiful weather. We were open on Saturday for the Fall Foliage. During the day we had visitors that we touring the Canadian, Lake Fryer, Perryton loop back to OK thru Higgins. In the evening we had a program by Kenneth Parton on Kiowa Traditions. He was very informative and updated us on the present Kiowa tribe in our area. We had a crowd of over 25 for the program and everyone enjoyed the presentation. This was our program in honor of Texas Archeology Month. The core team has finished proofing the draft of the County History book and we will be mailing it back this week. So the book is in the final stages of publishing and we anticipate delivery in the first of the year. So if you want pre-publication rate of $65, order now. Georgia and I will be traveling to Lubbock this week for our last quarterly THC/TAM workshop. The topic is on education so hopefully we will pick up some pointers on programs and projects we can arrange. more next week. HISTORICAL MUSINGS There was two interesting items quoted by the Texas State Historical Association in their Day by Day emails. The first was about Lt. James Pike of the First United States Cavalry that allegedly died in 1867 when his rifle, which had malfunctioned during an Indian attack, accidentally discharged when he smashed it against a rock in frustration. Pike, whose birth date is unknown, arrived in Texas in 1859 and joined John Henry Brown's company of Texas Rangers. With the outbreak of the Civil War, Pike left Texas and went to Ohio, where he passed himself off as the nephew of Albert Pike. He joined the Fourth Ohio Cavalry in 1861 and saw considerable action as a scout, spy, and courier under Gen. William T. Sherman, who praised his "skill, courage and zeal" but warned him to "cool down". Pike was captured in 1864 and imprisoned in south Caroline, but escaped and returned to Ohio, where he wrote his memoirs of ranger and army service. In the reorganization of the army after the war, he was commissioned a lieutenant in the First U.S. Cavalry and saw at least some duty in California. "The Scout and Ranger: Being the Personal Adventures of Corporal Pike, of the Fourth Ohio Cavalry (1865)" is highly readable and thought to be generally factual, though many of Pike's claims are demonstrably false. J. Frank Dobie and John H. Jenkins both praised it highly. The second Day by day was about the first state Sangerfest, or singers' festival, which was held in New Braunfels in 1853. After the success of the first festival, the New Braunfels group invited groups from Austin, San Antonio, and Sisterdale (a new one on me) Each group sang a cappella separately and joined together for works by Felix Mendelssohn and Heinrich Marschner. At their second Sangerfest, they organized the Texas State Sangerbund or German Texas Singers' League. Despite interruptions caused by the Civil War and World Wars, the Sangerfeste survived and continue to this day. Enjoy this fall weather by touring the region. Happy trails! |
 |
© 2006 - 2024 Wolf Creek Heritage Museum
All Rights Reserved |