Thursday, July 28, 2016 - 8:00am
By Finley FitzGerald, Intern, Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site
Originally found in a storage chest amongst other Rayburn possessions, the Prairie Rose trapunto-style quilt is likely one of the most precious of the family’s quilt collection. The dating of the quilt goes back to 1850—likely making it a possession that Mr. Sam and his siblings inherited from their parents. Hand-...
Thursday, June 30, 2016 - 8:00am
By Finley FitzGerald, Intern, Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site
The souvenir cup that rests on a bureau in the room that housed Medibel Bartley, Mr. Sam’s sister and the last of the Rayburn residents in the house, is rather inconspicuously placed atop the right-hand drawer amongst other miscellaneous items. It’s a modest piece, a small ceramic cup no bigger than a stout shot glass...
Tuesday, May 31, 2016 - 8:00am
By Anne Rupert, Sam Rayburn House Curator
Did you know that Sam Rayburn wasn’t the only member of his family to work in the federal government? “Mr. Sam’s” nephew, Robert Taylor Bartley, worked in Washington D.C. for many years. He retired from federal service in 1972 after 41 years on the job.
When constructed in 1916, the occupants of Sam Rayburn’s home in Bonham included...
Wednesday, April 27, 2016 - 8:00am
By Sarah Robinson, Intern, Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site
Sam Rayburn’s nearly 50-year tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives saw eight different presidential administrations, from Woodrow Wilson to John F. Kennedy. As a young Congressman early in his career, “Mr. Sam” did not work closely with the president, but as his career progressed and his influence increased, he and...
Thursday, March 31, 2016 - 12:38pm
By Sarah Robinson, Intern, Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site
In honor of Women’s History Month, our March artifact of the month highlights the fireplace bellows located in the sitting room of the Sam Rayburn House. The bellows were a gift from one of the most important women in Sam Rayburn’s political life: his secretary of 42 years, Alla Clary.
Clary was born on August 26...
Friday, December 19, 2014 - 8:00am
By Anne Ruppert, Sam Rayburn House Museum
Since 1997, historians, preservationists, archeologists, students, and members of the public have celebrated Texas Archeology Month annually in October. The Texas Historical Commission, in association with the Texas Archeological Society and the Council of Texas Archeologists, have dedicated the month to expanding public awareness and...
Friday, May 9, 2014 - 8:00am
By Anne Ruppert, Sam Rayburn House Museum
Sam Rayburn’s farm was home to more than just members of the Rayburn family. Along with Sam, his sister Lucinda, his brother Tom, and other family, the home served as the residence for two employees: Charlie Phillips, his wife Bobbie, and Bobbie’s young granddaughter, Barbara.
Bobbie, an African American woman, began working as the cook...
Friday, September 20, 2013 - 8:14am
By Anne Ruppert, Sam Rayburn House Museum
Statues of Sam Rayburn abound. A bronze likeness of “Mr. Sam” stands as a sentinel outside the Sam Rayburn Museum (formerly the Sam Rayburn Library and Museum) in Bonham, Texas. Another figure of the Speaker is located outside the Rayburn Student Center on the campus of Texas A&M-Commerce. A bronze bust of the former Speaker is located in...
Friday, April 12, 2013 - 8:23am
By Anne Ruppert, Sam Rayburn House Museum Curator
One hundred years have passed since Sam Rayburn first took the oath of office in 1913 to begin his 48-year tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives. Before coming to the national political scene, Rayburn spent five years in the Texas House of Representatives. He won his first election in 1906. After two terms in the Texas House, and...
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