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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999 BCHC Annual Report - complete Brazos County Historical Commission • Annual Report for 1999 INTRODUCTION • This annual report of the Brazos County Historical Commission is intended to be a permanent record of the work of this group for 1999 for the Brazos County Judge and Commissioners' Court, for the Texas Historical Commission. the citizens of Brazos County and the current and future members of the Brazos County Historical Commission. • Based upon the accomplishments of this group of interested historical preservationists working alone or in conjunction with other interested groups and individuals in Brazos County. it is possible to say that 1999 was a very active year for historical preservation and county history. The interest and activity was certainly equal to. and very likely exceeded that of the past several years. Hopefully, this trend will continue in the future years so that the Brazos County Historical Commission and other individuals and groups of interested historical preservationists will be even more active and more successful than they have been in recent years. SUMMARY OF ACTIVITY The Brazos County Historical Commission met officially seven times in the • County Commissioner's Court Room in the Brazos County Courthouse and in September at the home of one of the commission members because the Courthouse was not available due to a high security trail being held there at the time. Meetings were held on January 11, February 8, March 8, April 12, May 10, September 13, October 11, and November 8. All meetings started at 7:00 p.m. and lasted between one and two hours. We began the year with sixteen members and ended with eighteen. One member resigned and was replaced by a new member and two additional members were added. Attendance of members ranged from 7 to 11 and averaged 9. One or more guests were present at every meeting except the January meeting. Once again the Commission set as its primary goal the completion of the requirements for the Distinguished Service Award presented by the Texas Historical • Commission at its annual Historical Preservation Conference in the spring. To qualify for the DSA, County Historical Commissions must fulfill various numbers of requirements in at least three of seventeen categories. The Brazos County Historical Commission chose to work primarily in the areas of Archaeology and Heritage Education. In addition, we fulfilled the requirements in the category of Organizational • Structure, which is a required category. In the required category of Organizational Structure, we submitted our operating budget, a record of expenditures, a lists of all members and of committees with names of their members, a list of goals for 1999 along with projected dates of completion, a list of , 4 long range goals covering a Live year period, a list of accomplishments towards the long • range goals achieved during 1999, and a copy of the 1999 annual report. In the category of Archaeology, the Chair of the Archaeology Committee. Dr. Thomas Lynch • The Education Committee under the leadership of Pat 1 -tiler worked on promoting the study of Brazos County History in the schools of Bryan and College Station. Commission vice chair Colleen Batchelor undertook a project to have the name of Boonville Road restored to that street /highway along its entire route from the original site of Boonville, the first county seat of Brazos County to the eastern limit of the county. • This involved surveying all the residents and businesses along the route to determine the extent of support for and opposition to such a change. After the results of the survey seemed favorable, the Bryan City Council and the County Judge and Commissioners Court were contacted to legislate the change. The Bryan City Council approved the change throughout the city limits of Bryan, but the County Judge and Commissioners have not yet acted on the issue. Commission vice chair Colleen Batchelor, with assistance of member Henry Mayo, continued the efforts to locate the missing Brazos County historical marker, but unfortunately they were unsuccessful. We have requested funds from the County to purchase a new replacement marker. Those funds were included as a special appropriation in our 2000 budget, and we are in the process of acquiring the granite and • replacements of the seal and marker text and anticipate rededicating the marker within a few months. A list of all members and officers of the Commission during 1999 with their addresses and telephone numbers and a list of committees of the Commission with the chair and members of each is located at the end of this report. At the January 11 meeting Charles Schultz was re- elected Chair, Colleen Batchelor was elected Vice Chair, and Paul van Riper was re- elected Secretary of the Commission. Pat Hiler agreed to continue to chair the Education Committee, and Page agreed to chair the Historical Markers and Research Committee. C. Schultz was instructed to obtain recommendations from former Archaeology Chair Shawn Carlson for • someone to join the committee and chair that committee. The chair reported that the Texas Historical Commission would not act on the marker application for the LaSalle Hotel until the restoration of the building was completed. The Commission voted to ask the Bryan City Council be asked to rename FM 158 Boonville Road to the end of the Bryan city limits. It also voted to ask the County Judge and Commissioners Court to • rename FM 158 and Texas 30 Boonville Road from the Bryan city limits to the Navasota River. Van Riper reported that the Brazos Valley Museum had been given an early 20 century wooden boat used on the Allen Plantation. Details were yet to be worked out on moving the boat to the museum. • At the February meeting Batchelor distributed a draft letter to the Bryan City • Council concerning the project to rename FM 158 Boonville Road from FM 1 179 to the Bryan city limits. The chair was instructed to send copies of the letter to the mayor and members of the Bryan City Council. The Commission agreed with Shawn Carlson's recommended that Thomas Lynch be added and become chair of the Archaeology Committee and authorized the chair to send a recommendation to the County Judge and • Commissioners. Education chair Hiler reported on her activities in working with third grade classes in Bryan on Brazos County history and that the city of Bryan was going to give the Old City Hall to the Children's Museum. The Commission also heard a presentation from former member Shawn Carlson regarding a May 1 referendum in College Station on re- opening Munson Avenue to traffic. Carlson was asked to draft a letter, which the Commission would consider submitting to the local paper. • At the March meeting Bachelor reported that the Bryan City Council would act on the extension of the Boonville Road name and her survey of residents and businesses on FM 158 east of the Bryan city limits and extending the name to the Navasota River. The chair reported that Thomas Lynch had been appointed to the commission and that Lynch had reported the project to move the wooden boat from the Allen Plantation to the Brazos Valley Museum was moving forward. Page reported on a joint project between the Cushing Library at Texas A &M and the Bryan - College Station Library to establish an African American research collection. Several possible organizations and buildings were discussed as possibilities for historical markers. A draft letter provided by Shawn Carlson regarding the opening of Munson Avenue in College Station was discussed, and Page agreed to prepare a second draft for the April meeting. J. Schultz reported on a • meeting at the Brazos Center at which the new Executive Director of the Texas Historical Commission discussed plans for the future of historical preservation in Texas. Small discussion groups met following his presentation to talk about how the state commission could assist local historical commissions. She also discussed early plans to produce a new historical brochure for Brazos County. The Brazos Heritage Society, of which J. Schultz if president, will coordinate the work and seek financial assistance from various agencies in the county and informational assistance from citizens knowledgeable about county history. At the April meeting Batchelor reported further on the project to extend the Boonville Road designation. There was some opposition to this action by residents who responded to the survey she sent to people who reside outside the city limits of Bryan and • College Station. There was some discussion of sending a formal request to the Texas Historical Commission to hold the 2002 Historical Preservation Conference in Brazos County. J. Schultz reported on costs for printing a new historical brochure and on future performances of the historical drams "Heart of the Valley." The second draft of a letter regarding re- opening of Munson Avenue in College Station was discussed, and a final • version was agreed upon to be sent to the local newspaper before May 1. At the May meeting Batchelor reported further on the project to extend the Boonville Road designation. The Commission agreed to pursue the renaming of highway 158 east of the Highway 6 Bypass to Route 30 and such other portions of Route 30 the • Navasota River as Commissioner Sims would support and authorizes Batchelor to • continue to pursue this matter. She also noted that Commissioner Sims had indicated support for obtaining a special appropriation from the county to obtain a replacement for the long missing Brazos County historical marker. There was more discussion on the new historical brochure for the county, and the Commission agreed to seek funds from the county to assist with the cost of printing. Several other agencies would also be asked for funds with the Brazos Heritage Society coordinating the fund raising as well as the research and publishing project. Thomas Lynch reported on plans for an event in October at the Brazos Valley Museum to mark Archaeology Awareness Month. David Gerling reported that St. Mary's Catholic Church in College Station was interested in pursuing an historical marker and that the marker for the Bryan - College Station Interurban Railroad had been broken off the post and stolen. • No meetings were scheduled for June, July, or August. In September the Commission discussed a replacement for the Bryan - College Station Interurban Railroad. The chair reported that the County Judge and Commissioners had approved funding to replace the missing Brazos County marker but had declined to provide any funds for the publication of the historical brochure. Colleen Batchelor reported that Commissioner Sims indicated he would support the extension of the Boonville Road name to Route 30 but had reservations about going beyond that location. Julie Schultz reported on the progress in obtaining funding for publishing the historical brochure, and Bill Page agreed to do the necessary editorial work and asked that others provide information on any corrections, changes, and additions. Archaeology • chair Tom Lynch reported on the wooden boat and brought a request from the President of the Trustees of the Brazos County Natural History Museum for a contribution of $1,000 to help support the Texas Heritage Fair to be held in observance of Archaeology Awareness Month. The Commission agreed to provide $500. Education chair Pat Hiler reported on the status of the National Register application for the Old City Hall in Bryan. The Commission instructed the chair C. Schultz to send a letter in support of the application to the Texas Historical Commission. Hiler also discussed the preliminary work on developing a Web site on Brazos County history and architecture that would include a book developed by two Bryan teachers with assistance by Hiler that would enable all Bryan teachers to incorporate Brazos County history into their curriculum. This would meet TAAS requirements and can be used for a study of a week to a year. The resignation of long time member Rosemary Boykin was announced, and Patrick Gendron was agreed upon to be her successor on the Commission. At the October meeting Julie Schultz reported on the progress on the historical brochure. The commission discussed a marker application for an historical marker for the Wellborn Cemetery and suggested several changes to the authors. The authors were urged to make the changes and resubmit the application as the cemetery is considered worthy of a marker. Archaeology chair Tom Lynch reported the Texas Heritage Fair to celebrate Archaeology Awareness Month was a good success with more than 500 persons attending. Historical Markers and Research chair Bill Page distributed information on historical events in Millican between 1821 and 1887 and reported on a meeting he • attended concerning the establishing of an African American heritage museum in Bryan. • He also reported he has been developing a major bibliography on College Station. Chair C. Schultz reported the County Judge and Commissioners had approved a budget for the commission of $6,600 of which $4,000 is to be used to replace the Brazos County marker. • At the November meeting vice chair Batchelor reported that the replacement Brazos County marker would be located on the courthouse grounds with the exact site vet to be determined. She also reported further on the Boonville Road naming project indicating that it would likely not extend beyond Highway 30 and that the County Judge appears to want to have a hearing on the matter perhaps at the same time that the telephone area code changes. Julie Schultz reported more on the progress on the • historical brochure and indicated 50.000 would likely be printed. There was considerable discussion of an application for an historical marker for the Bethel Cemetery. Some members of the Commission had made suggested changes on their copies of the application and gave those copies to the authors of the application to guide them in making changes and improvements in a new application. Julie Schultz reported for the Education Committee on the Web site being developed and expressed a hope that the county would play in integral part in the development of a historical museum for Brazos County. Henry May reported on the condition of cedar tree located on the courthouse grounds that is supposed to be the tree under which the County Commissioners first met in 1841 and indicated efforts were being made to grow new trees from seeds of that tree because it is feared the tree will not live much longer. • No meeting was scheduled for December. Commission member Julie Schultz and Commission chair Charles Schultz attended the Texas Historical Preservation Conference in Austin where C. Schultz accepted the Distinguished Service Award for the Commission. Members of the Brazos County Historical Commission continue to work with other groups and individuals in their preservation efforts. Most Commission members are members of the Brazos Heritage Society, Julie Schultz served as president. Some are also members of the Brazos Genealogical Society. Still others are very active in the development of the Children's Museum of the Brazos Valley and the Friends of Old City Hall. Others are members of and volunteers for the Brazos County Natural History • Museum. One member serves on the College Station Historical Committee. It is very clear from all this activity that members of the Brazos County Historical Commission contributed hundreds of hours to historical preservation during 1999. It is also possible to state that historical preservation is certainly alive and well in Brazos • County and that interest in historical preservation appears to be growing. • CONCLUSION • Interest in history and historical preservation in Brazos County appears to be increasing as time passes. The numbers of individuals and groups interested in applying for historical markers seems to be growing with each passing year. • A great deal has been accomplished during 1999, but much more remains to be done in the future to preserve historical structures, to mark sites of other structures and events, to honor individuals and organizations. and to increase the public's awareness of the rich heritage and bright future of Brazos County. The struggle to save Old City Hall in Bryan seems to have been won, and the efforts to have it given to the Children's 411 Museum of the Brazos Valley seem to have succeeded. That such struggles and efforts are necessary indicated that more work is needed to bring about a wider awareness of the importance of history and historical preservation. The number of applications for historical markers and the number of requests for marker applications during 1999 portend for a brighter future. The Commission will continue to coordinate, instigate, exhort, assess, and encourage others to participate in the work of preservation and recognition. It will continue to work with all other interested groups, both as an appointed body of the county government and as individuals. With the help and encouragement of the citizens of the county, many more good things will be accomplished in the future. Having received the Distinguished Service Award from the Texas Historical 4111 Commission for the fifth time during 1999 and having worked toward receiving the award again in 2000 we hope to receive that honor for the sixth consecutive time. Since roughly ten percent of the counties in Texas receive the DSA each year, it is apparent that Brazos County has become a member of a select group of hard working Texas counties in the amount and degree of our success. Yet, we have a long way to go to match the records of those counties that have received the honor for twenty or thirty consecutive years. The encouragement and financial support of County Judge Al Jones and the Brazos County Commissioners have been vital to whatever success the Brazos County Historical Commission has experienced. We thank them sincerely for their help and encouragement. The support, advice, and cooperation of the staff of the Texas Historical 411 Commission have also been very helpful and is greatly appreciated. • • Brazos County Historical Commission • Budget Request for 1998 -1999 1. Communication — postage. envelopes. photocopies, etc $ 100.00 These funds will pay postage in sending agendas. minutes • and other materials to each member of the BCHC prior to each meeting and for other postage and envelopes used by the chair in other business and for making photocopies of the annual report for distribution to appropriate persons. 2. Historical Markers $1,000.00 Funds are requested to pay for marker dedication expenses • and for the purchase of a marker when an applicant is unable to do so. 3. Travel $1.000.00 Funds are requested to reimburse BCHC members elected as Delegates to the annual Texas Historic Preservation Conference and other appropriate meetings for registration, transportation. and meals 4. Education $1,000.00 Funds are requested to work with schools and other organizations to produce materials to enhance the knowledge of students and general citizens of the history and heritage of Brazos County Total $3,100.00 • Note: This was the amount requested. The amount actually appropriated by Judge and Commissioners was $2,600. Expenditures Postage 25 packets per meeting for 9 meetings at .33 per packet $ 74.25 Postage and photocopies concerning Boonville road project 50.85 Box of envelopes to mail meeting packets 8. Photocopies of annual report 75.50 Travel Expenses of two members to attend the THC Historic Preservation Conference 932.73 • Other Contribution to Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History in support of Texas Heritage Fair activities 500.00 Refreshments at meeting to discuss THC goals and needs of local CRCs 64.65 Total $1,706.97 • • 1999 Members of the Brazos County Historical Commission, Officers, and • Committees Mrs. Colleen Batchelor, Vice Chair, 614 East 29 Street. Bryan. TX 77803. h. 822 -6500 Dr. Dale Baum, 1605 Wolf Pen Court. College Station. TX 77840. h. 693 -0307. w. 845 -7184 Mrs. Rosemary Boykin, 8407 Shadow Oaks. College Station, TX 77845. h. 693 -0224 • [Note: She resigned during the summer of 1999.] Mrs. Kay Conlee, 202 South Bryan Street. Bryan. TX • 77803. w. 779 -3245 Mr. Patrick Gendron, P O Box 6561. Bryan, TX. 77805, h. 774 -1347 [Note: He was added in the fall on 1999.1 Mr. David Gerling, College Station Parks Department, P 0 Box 9960, College Station. • TX 77842, w. 764 -3773 Mrs. Pat Hiler, 609 South Ennis Street, Bryan. TX 77803. h. 823 - Mr. Thomas F. Lynch, Brazos Valley Museum. 3232 Briarcrest Drive. Bryan. TX 77802. w. 776 -2195 Mr. Henry Mayo, P O Box 9169 College Station. TX 77842, h. 693 -5818, w. 690 -3378 Mrs. Beverly Nutall, 404 West 21 Street, Bryan, TX 77803, h. 823 -7707 Mrs. Regina Opersteny, 7575 Leonard Road. Bryan. TX 77807, h. 823 -4068 Mr. Bill Page, Evans Library, Texas A &M University, College Station. TX 77843 -5000, w. 845 -1952 Mrs. Thena Parrott, 2301 Forest Circle, Bryan, TX 7803-5118, h. 776 -5404 Mrs. Ruth Peattie, 712 Chevy Chase Lane, Bryan, TX 77802, h. 775 -4142 • Dr. Charles R. Schultz, Chair, 1200 Goode Street, College Station, TX 77840, h. 696 -8483, w. 862 -1555 Mrs. Julie Schultz, 5533 Somerford Lane, Bryan, TX 77802, h. 774 -4079 Mr. Sam Sharp, 3006 Broadmoor Drive. Bran, TX 77803, h. 776 -4341 Dr. Paul Van Riper, Secretary, 713 East 30" Street. Bryan, TX 77803, h. 822 -2082 1999 Committees of the Brazos County Historical Commission Executive: Charles R. Schultz, Chair, Colleen Batchelor, Paul Van Riper Archaeology: Thomas F. Lynch, Chair, Julie Schultz, Ruth Peattie • Heritage Education: Pat I-liler, Chair, Dale Baum. David Gerling Historical Markers and Research: Bill Page. Chair. Colleen Batchelor, Julie Schultz, Thena Parrott, Henry Mayo • • Brazos County Historical Commission 1999 Goals 1. Complete a list of at least 10 proposed markers in priority order. to be completed by December 1, 1999 • 2. Encourage submission of historical markers by individuals. organizations. and businesses, to be completed by December 1. 1999 3. Provide financial assistance for development of a Heritage Education Web site in cooperation with the Brazos Heritage Society. to be completed by December 31. • 1999 4. Continue to make historical trunks available in schools in the county and to provide assistance in interpreting the contents of the trunks 5. Provide financial assistance for a project to develop curriculum materials to be used the elementary classrooms in the county, to be completed by December 31. 1999 6. Document an historical marker dedication ceremony. to be completed by December 1, 1999 7. Present to the public libraries supplemental pages for the albums containing photographs of all historical markers in the county along with notation of location, condition, date, and other pertinent information, to be completed by December 1, 1999 8. Provide transcriptions of the texts of all new markers for the albums in all the public libraries and to be mounted on the BCHC Wed site. to be completed by December 1, 1999 9. Secure funding to replace the missing Brazos County historical marker, to be completed by December 1, 1999 • • . . �. Brazos County Historical Commission • Long Range Plans Prepared 1999 1. [ncrease awareness of and interest in the history of Brazos County among school • students through active involvement in appropriate curricular activities 2. Increase the awareness of and interest in the history of Brazos County among teachers in public and private schools and parents and other individuals involved in home schooling • 3. Increase awareness of and interest in the history of Brazos County among the general citizenry through the actrive promotion of historical marker applications and dedication ceremonies 4. Be actively involved in all aspects of historical preservation in order to promote the saving of historical structures, the protection of cemeteries and other historic • sites, and the promotion of visitation to historical areas, structures, and sites by tourists 5. Increase the awareness of the citizens of Brazos County to the importance of protect archaeological sites to better understand the past • 6. Increase the awareness of the citizens of Brazos County to the importance of archaeological field work in documenting the history and culture of the people of the county 7. Work toward making the general citizenry of the county aware that historic preservation pays big dividends through better understanding of and appreciation for the past and through the generation of revenue through tourism • • • • Brazos County Historical Commission • Survey of Proposed Markers in Brazos County Prepared in 1999 1. Wellborn Cemetery • 2. Bethel Cemetery 3. Robert Miller Henry Cemetery 4. Villa Maria Academy and Ursuline Academe • 5. First Baptist Church in College Station 6. Steep Hollow Baptist Church 7. Allen Chapel AME Church in Bryan 8. Dellwood Park, an early amusement park located along the route of the Bryan - College Interurban Railroad in the area bounded by College Avenue, Dellwood Street, Cavitt Street, and Villa Maria Road 9. Col. Briscoe G. Baldwin, Chief of Ordnance of the Confederate States of America • buried in Bryan City Cemetery 10. Boonville Cemetery, burial place of many of the pioneers of the county 11. Hood's Texas Brigade 12. Any of the numerous structures in Bryan that are on the National Register of Historic Places in historic districts that do not have Texas markers 13. Sites of any of the more than twenty early communities in Brazos County that do not currently have markers • 14. Sites of any of the more than sixty county schools that once existed in the county but are not marked in any way • • Brazos County Historical Commission • 1999 Achievements Toward Accomplishing Long Range Goals 1. Provided financial assistance to the Brazos Museum of Natural History for a • Texas Heritage Fair to observe Archaeology Awareness Month. 2. Commission member and Archaeology Commission chair and Director of the Brazos Museum of Natural History Thomas Lynch was responsible for planning and carrying out the Texas Heritage Fair. • 3. Members of the BCHC participated in the continuing efforts to save the Old City Hall in Bryan and to persuade the Bryan City Council to give the building to the Children's Museum of the Brazos Valley for its permanent home. The building is a good example of art deco architecture designed by a notable local architect and is an early example of cast stone construction. 4. Provided financial assistance to the Brazos Heritage Society for the development ofa Web site to contain information about and illustrations of significant buildings, sites, and activities in the history of Brazos County as well as curriculum materials that can be to teach units about the history of the county. • 5. One member continued to maintain a Web site for the BCFIC that includes alphabetical and chronological lists and transcripts of the texts of all historical markers in Brazos County. 6. Encouraged groups and individuals other than commission members to research and write historical marker applications and provided samples of previously approved narratives to be used as a guide. 7. Two members of the BCHC have been working on historical marker applications. 8. One member of the BCHC has continued to do extensive research on Brazos County history and share his information with people working on marker • applications. 9. One member of the BCHC organized a meeting attended by other members of the Commission and other citizens of the county to discuss the establishment of an African American History Museum in Brazos County with her own collection to • be the nucleus of the museum. 10. Continued participating in the project to produce a new county historical brochure to include maps on which historical markers and other historical sites will be located and described. One member of the BCHC, who is also president of the • Brazos Heritage Society, is coordinating the project, and another member of the BCHC is undertaking the editorial work for the brochure. 11. Worked with the Mayor and City Council of Bryan and the County Judge and County Commissioners to restore the historical name of Boonville Road to the street and highway that originally had that name. • 12. Participated in the effort of several groups to name two highways for important persons in the history of Brazos County. FM 2818, which is a bypass around the western sides of Bryan and College Station, has been named Harvey Mitchell Parkway for one of the founders of the county. Texas 6. which is a bypass round • the eastern sides of Bryan and College Station. has been named Earl Rudder Parkway for the president of Texas A &M University during a critical part of its history when it changed from an all male, all military institution, began a period of tremendous growth in enrollment and a great expansion of the physical plant. and changed from a college to a major research institution. 13. Urged individuals and groups to consider historical integrity when contemplating development of communities in traffic, transportation, housing, and commercial ventures. 14. Served as co -host with the Brazos Heritage Society of a meeting of individuals interested in historic preservation in Brazos and surrounding counties the purpose • of which was to hear from the new Executive Director of the Texas Historical Commission and to provide feedback to the THC staff on what they can do to help local CHC's and other groups in their efforts to promote historical preservation in their areas. 15. Supported the National Register application for the Old City Hall of Bryan by sending a letter of support to the state committee that reviewed the application. • • •