Monday, September 19, 2022 - 8:27am
By Kirby McLeod, Intern at the Sam Rayburn House
Biographers D.B. Hardeman and Donald Bacon recall a meeting with Sam “Mr. Sam” Rayburn in December of 1956. On the day in question, the biographers note the lunch prepared by Medibel Bartley and Martha Rayburn Thomas (longtime cook Bobbie Erskine Phillips had passed away earlier in the year) consisted of fried pork shoulder, pork sausage...
Thursday, August 25, 2022 - 1:03pm
By Margo McCutcheon, Site Educator at the Sam Rayburn House
Whether they have researched him on their own time or have traveled to his historic home site for a tour, most people agree there was a lot to respect about Sam “Mr. Sam” Rayburn. He was a professional politician who supported his political party’s decisions whether he personally agreed with those decisions or not.
He...
Monday, May 16, 2022 - 8:46am
On Thursday, February 17, the Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site and the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History’s Sam Rayburn Museum in Bonham teamed up for an in-depth webinar exploring the life and career of one of the most influential Americans in the 20th Century.
Quite possibly the most formidable political duo of the 20th Century, Sam Rayburn and Lyndon Johnson were a...
Friday, April 22, 2022 - 8:16am
By Margo McCutcheon
At least eight people called the Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site their home from 1916 to 1969. These people ate here, slept here, listened to the radio, and eventually watched TV here. We know the most about Sam Rayburn since he’s the family member that has had the most written about him.
These writings have told us about the food he likes (onion...
Friday, January 28, 2022 - 1:41pm
By Margo McCutcheon
The great thing about the Rayburn home is that it is both historic and modern. The home is over 100 years old, but people today can relate to items in the house because the Rayburn family used the home until just before 1970—meaning our visitors or their families likely had the same kind of appliances or the same furniture as the Rayburns.
For...
Wednesday, January 5, 2022 - 3:37pm
By Margo McCutcheon
Rayburnisms are what people have called quotes from Sam Rayburn. Some Rayburnisms are insightful, some full of wisdom, some are funny, and some are kind of mean and petty (I like to call those RayBURNisms).
Some quotes feature Mr. Sam’s religious teachings, and others show how he was always a die-hard Democrat with something to say about his Republican...
Wednesday, December 15, 2021 - 4:27pm
On Thursday, November 18, 2021, the Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site and the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History’s Sam Rayburn Museum in Bonham brought together a panel of Sam Rayburn experts to discuss the impact Sam Rayburn’s death had on his community, his district, and the nation as a whole.
Part of our ongoing series on the life and career of one of the most...
Monday, December 6, 2021 - 1:49pm
By Margo McCutcheon, Site Educator, Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site
There’s nothing wrong with having a little treat any time you want. Everyone deserves something for making it through the day, but of course you don’t need an excuse for why you deserve a sweet snack in order to have one.
Although I don’t know for sure if the Rayburn family were as partial to...
Monday, October 25, 2021 - 1:17pm
By Margo McCutcheon, Site Educator, Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site
As part of this year’s Cemetery Walking Tour with the Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site, we are examining the family and associates of Sam Rayburn who are buried in sections A–G of Willow Wild Cemetery in Bonham. It is likely that many of the town’s prominent families are buried in this cemetery,...
Wednesday, October 6, 2021 - 10:33am
By Margo McCutcheon, Site Educator, Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site
Tom Rayburn probably had a lot going on in October. He had a farm to manage, cattle to tend to, baseball to keep track of, and maybe some last-minute campaigning for his brother Sam. Minnie Eldridge also had a busy October.
She lived in the Rayburn home from 1927–1937, having moved in after the death of...
