The last several months have been busy ones for Freestone County Historical Museum.
Here are a few of the highlights:
Paint the Pews
The fine arts students of Mrs. Susan Walsh at Fairfield High School completed the third church pew which has a scene depicting a riverboat loaded with cotton bales on the Trinity River.
The project is called “Paint the Pews” and involves restoring and painting historic images from Freestone County onto the old church pews donated to the museum by the Post Oak Church.
Post Oak, also known as Postoak and Keechi, is an unincorporated farming community located in central Freestone County on Farm Road 1580, three miles south of Fairfield.
The project is being underwritten with funds received from the Operation Round-Up Program of the Navarro County Electric Cooperative, Corsicana, Texas.
“We are very excited to display three completed pews on the museum’s porches,” says Museum Curator Patty Pratt. “The museum looks forward to the next school year with the completion of restoration and repainting more pews. Hopefully, partnership projects like these will inspire our youth to appreciate the diverse history of Freestone County.”
End Of FHS School Year Awards Ceremony
Fine Arts Teacher, Susan Walsh, was given a framed certificate of appreciation from the Freestone County Historical Museum for her leadership on the “Paint the Pews Project.” The museum now has three beautifully painted pews depicting Val Verde (Civil War) cannon, peaches- our favorite fruit crop; the A.S. Ruthven Steamboat Bell, Blind Lemmon Jefferson and the Trinity River scene.
Museum Certificates of Appreciation were given to all the students involved: Dylan Mudge, Ryan Downey, Terra West, Samantha Roberson, Nathan Craddock, Wade Cockrell and Brittany Oglesbee.
Annual Field Trip by Fairfield Elementary
On May 18th and May 23rd, the museum hosted 8 classes from Fairfield elementary for their annual “museum” field trips. This is was a total of 150 students plus their teachers and classroom volunteers.
This two day event could not have been accomplished so smoothly without the assistance of all of volunteers. The volunteers were: Donna Senter, John and Vicky Cheek, Mark and Jane Phillips, Gail Carpenter, Karen Micheletti, Linda Burt, Richard and Teresa O’Dell.
“The museum appreciates all of our volunteers,” says Curator Pratt, “including our museum board volunteers -Linda Mullen and Nancy Rula!”
Pioneer Day at the Museum
June 9th was a fun day for families and their children. The museum was open with free admission, free face painting and with an assortment of competitive games offered: sack racing, hula hoop races, corn hole toss and checkers.
Free snowcones were given to games’ winners. A variety of family and children’s door prizes were awarded through-out the day.
The small children especially enjoyed feeding the baby chicks!
All the exhibits were open for our visitors to explore and to take many family friendly pictures.
The following individuals are recognized for their “Pioneer Day” volunteer service: Teresa and Richard O’Dell, Leslie Avery, Diane Pullin, Brayton and Clay Mc Kee, Kris Simmons, William Shelton, Robert and Rebecca Shanks, Linda Mullen and Nancy Rula.
The museum thanks the following businesses who donated “door prize” gifts: Texas Outfitters, Sam’s Restaurant, Capps True Value Ag Center, Accessories, Kennedy’s Korner and Brenda’s Closet. Thanks to Lisa Schick and to Maegan’s Fairfield Ice.
2018 Freestone County Fair & Rodeo Parade:
The museum’s 1936 Ford Fire Truck was again on display at the head of the June 11th parade for the second year.
The truck was driven by Carroll Embry with Bill Green in the passenger seat and “manning” the siren.
The museum’s guests this year were Mrs. Sharon Embry and her 90 year old uncle, Lawson Simpson. Also on board were the Moody Bradley House’s Women’s History Club’s Miss Trinity Star, Kinsley Neville and her sister, Raylinn Nevill, the Little Miss Trinity Star Princess. Their mother, Sara Nevill and sister, Harper Nevill accompanied them.
COMING SOON- Titanic, The Artifact Exhibition
Plans are in the making this FALL for a “museum to museum” trip to see the “TITANTIC” exhibit at the Mayborn Museum in Waco. See our FACEBOOK and web site for more information or contact the trip coordinator, Mrs. Jerri Mc Bay at 903 388-2243.
FREESTONE FRIENDS Sponsorship
Various levels of sponsorship range from a PIONEER Individual Sponsor level of $15 to a VAL VERDE Corporate Sponsor level of $1,000. This program replaces the museum’s prior membership plan.
“Your contributions are extremely important,” says Pratt. “Those of you who contribute year after year are the foundation of the museum and essential to its ongoing operation.”
New forms may be downloaded from the museum’s website: freestonecomuseum.com
Keep up with EVENTS at the museum and check out the area’s HISTORY on your phone with the GO FAIRFIELD app.
GO FAIRFIELD is the official mobile app of the City of Fairfield and the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce. Download it today on the App Store or get it on Google Play.
