Wednesday, October 4, 2017 - 7:00am
By Sarah Linden, THC Marine Archeologist
Most Texans know the best way to cool down from the heat is to grab some sunscreen and hit the beach or float down one of our beautiful rivers. Texas boasts 367 linear miles of coastline and 1,500 square miles of river bottoms. These waters have been historically utilized to transport people, goods, and culture for hundreds of years. There are...
Tuesday, August 22, 2017 - 8:00am
By Megan Maxwell, Curator, Starr Family Home State Historic Site
Frank and Clara Starr raised six girls in Maplecroft. It’s no wonder, then, that the Starr Family Home State Historic Site has a large collection of hand-made doll clothing. Most of it is in a Victorian style dating to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, depicting the distinctive Victorian puffy-sleeved shirts and...
Wednesday, July 26, 2017 - 7:45am
By John Haynes, Intern, Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site
The quilting work on this piece is one of considerably high quality. It was probably a display piece or the cover on a bed—most likely the latter due to the extremely thick batting for warmth. This quilt shows classic complex “Nine Block” and irregular Baptist Fan stitching patterns. The Nine Block pattern employs nine half...
Tuesday, June 27, 2017 - 8:00am
By Anne Ruppert, Curator, Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site
Medibel Rayburn Bartley was born on December 18, 1879. She, along with her parents, seven brothers, and two sisters, moved from their home in Roane County, Tenn. in 1887 to Flag Springs, Texas. In 1902 at age 23, Medibel married Samuel Edward Bartley of Ladonia, who was 22 at the time.
The Bartleys made their home...
Wednesday, April 26, 2017 - 8:00am
By Anne Ruppert, Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site
2017 marks the centennial of the U.S. entry into World War I. Like many other historic sites, museums, and organizations across Texas, Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site will honor those who served in the war over the next two years.
The Rayburn family is intrinsically linked to World War I through Sam Rayburn, who was...
Friday, January 20, 2017 - 8:00am
By Anne Ruppert, Curator, Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site
On “Mr. Sam’s” ranch, the cattle weren’t just cattle, they were “Pride and Joy,” “Pretty Boy,” “Miss Agnes,” and “Mr. Boots.” These names identified some of Sam Rayburn’s registered Polled Hereford cattle.
Raising Herefords wasn’t initially part of Rayburn’s 1916 farm. He and his family actually raised Jersey...
Thursday, December 8, 2016 - 8:00am
By Anne Ruppert, Curator, Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site
What do you do if you have an important meeting coming up, but all your clothes are dirty? What if the electricity is out and you have no running water in your home?
In 2016, your response is probably, “Well, obviously I’d take a load of laundry to the local laundromat.” If you have the money to spare (but no time...
Tuesday, November 1, 2016 - 7:30am
By Anne Ruppert, Curator, Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site
Known for his poor driving skills, either due to limited vision in his later years or his general inability to maintain a steady course on the road, “Mr. Sam” wasn’t the best driver in the county. Good constituents on the sidewalks in his hometown of Bonham may have needed to clear a path when Rayburn came to town....
Thursday, September 8, 2016 - 8:00am
By Barbara Judkins and Megan Maxwell, site manager and curator at Starr Family Home State Historic Site
Ruth Starr Blake, the second youngest daughter of Frank and Clara Clapp Starr, grew up in Maplecroft, the centerpiece of the Starr Family Home State Historic Site. She was married to Arthur Blake in 1904, and by all accounts the marriage was a good match. The couple lived cozily in a...
Tuesday, August 30, 2016 - 8:00am
By Anne Ruppert, Curator, Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site
Our Sam Rayburn House Artifact of the Month is a page from The Literary Digest, dated August 31, 1918.
The Literary Digest was a general interest magazine published between 1890 and 1938. It contained news stories, poetry, and opinion pieces.
This page from The Literary Digest was at some point torn from...
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