Category Archives: Texas History

Historic Washington State Park in Arkansas

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If you are looking for a trip over spring break but don’t want to go too far afield, consider a trip to Historic Washington State Park in Arkansas. The park is actually the set of historic buildings that comprise Washington. The nineteenth century town transports visitors to the Washington Parkpast when great western pioneers like Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, and Stephen Austin traveled the Southwest Trail.

Washington History

Originally a supply depot along the Southwest Trail, Washington grew into a major town in the 1830s. In its heyday the town boasted 16 doctors, 17 lawyers and three hotel keepers along with a host of craftsman and merchants — impressive for a frontier settlement.

It’s this golden age – 1830 through 1880 – Historic Washington State Park captures with its living history exhibits and reenactments. Over a dozen buildings have been restored including the 1836 Courthouse that served as Arkansas’ State Capital during the Civil War; a tavern purportedly where Houston, Crockett and Austin planned the liberation of Texas from Mexico; Greek-Revival styled homes built in the mid 1800s; and even a log home circa 1835. Other buildings like the blacksmith shop are reconstructions.

The 1874 Hempstead County Courthouse houses the park visitor center. For a nominal $8 (children are just $4), visitors can take a walking tour through several of the historic buildings. Costumed docents at each building bring history to life with stories of Washington’s past. Allow at least three hours for the walking tour. Not all buildings are open each day, but visitors will be able to tour at least eight of the historic structures.

What you’ll see

The 1920 Print Museum is a favorite with its functioning antique printing press. First published in Washington in 1839 the Washington Telegraph is the oldest, continuously published weekly newspaper in Arkansas.

The legendary Bowie Knife was made by Washington resident James Black, a silversmith, for frontiersman James Bowie. Visitors learn more about the Bowie Knife and blacksmithing at the blacksmith shop.

Those interested in antique weapons will want to visit the B.W. Edwards Weapons Museum. Housed in the Old Bank Building, over 600 historic rifles and pistols are on display.

Other historic buildings provide visitors with a glimpse into everyday life. Homes of prominent Washington residents are furnished as they would have been in the mid 1800’s.

In addition to the walking tour, Historic Washington State Park hosts several reenactments throughout the year including a Civil War Weekend in November. A favorite time to visit the park is in March when thousands of naturalized jonquils create yellow flowering carpets throughout the town. The park’s Jonquil Festival, a three-day event with craft fair, is in mid-March.

When you go

Before you leave the park, be sure to dine at the Williams’ Tavern Restaurant. Located in a historic 1832 building, Williams’ Tavern serves southern food at affordable prices. The restaurant is on the grounds and open daily for lunch from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Historic Washington State Park is located eight miles northwest of Hope, Ark., on Highway 278.  The park is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sam Houston, Tribute in Courage

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The Sam Houston statue at Huntsville puts an exclamation point on the saying everything is bigger in Texas. The 65-foot statue towers alongside Interstate 45, between Dallas and Sam HoustonHouston. Looking distinguished in topcoat, colonial wig, and with his walking stick, Sam Houston dwarfs the surrounding pine trees. If you have the opportunity, stop and pay the old gent a visit.

The City of Huntsville purports that Sam is “tallest free standing statue of an American hero.” President of the Republic of Texas and later Governor of the State of Texas, Sam Houston played a pivotal role in Texas’ early history. What you may not have known, is that the Texas hero spent the last two years of his life in Huntsville. The Texas fore father is buried in nearby Oakwood Cemetery (Avenue I and Ninth Street, Huntsville).

Titled Tribute to Courage, the monument is the work of Houston based artist David Adickes. The statue statistics are impressive. It weighs about 32 tons, stands on a 10-foot marble base, and is the second largest freestanding statue in Texas. Surprisingly, the statue is only 20 years old, installed in 1994. Adickes built the concrete and steel Houston in ten-foot segments. One head segment not used in the final statue, can be seen on the grounds. It’s a great location for a picture!

When you go

Take Interstate 45 exit 109 or 112. The Sam Houston statue is accessed through the visitors center whose hours of operation are Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Be sure to bring your camera!

Eisenhower’s Birthplace in Denison

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It’s almost President’s Day, so how about a day trip to the birthplace of our thirty fourth president? World War II hero and President, Dwight D. “Ike” Eisenhower was born in Denison, Texas.

North Texas Ramblings - Eisenhower's Birthplace in DenisonLocated just 70 miles north of Dallas near the Oklahoma border, Denison thrived as a railroad town in the 1880s. Eisenhower’s father, David, came to Denison to work for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (KATY) Railroad in 1889. David and his wife, Ida, already had two boys. Dwight, their third child, would be born in 1890. The Eisenhowers lived in Denison only three years, returning to Kansas when Dwight was just a toddler. Ironically, Dwight Eisenhower did not even know he was born in Denison until mid-life. A Denison teacher, Ms Jennie Jackson, thought she remembered the Eisenhowers, and discovered the family’s link to the town by combing through old city records. Following World War II, the local community bought the house where Dwight Eisenhower was born and that his family had rented while living in Texas. Eisenhower visited Denison for the first time as an adult in 1946 having breakfast with community leaders and Ms Jackson at his birthplace home.

The Texas Historical Commission now operates the site. The Dwight D. Eisenhower Library and Museum, in Abiliene Kansas, houses the presidential papers and almost all presidential artifacts. However, Eisenhower’s Birthplace in Denison has a small collection of Eisenhower memorabilia including a painting by the President. A film in the visitor’s center provides a short history of President Eisenhower’s life and legacy. The docent-lead tour is well worth the admission cost. The knowledgeable guides paint a picture of Denison life in the 1890s, and shares a wealth of information about the challenges Eisenhower’s parents faced in those early years when David, Ike’s father, worked for the KATY railroad.

Near the Eisenhower’s home, a larger than life bronze statue stands atop a marble base. This is one of four Robert Dean sculptures of Eisenhower in military uniform. The other three statues are at West Point, the London Embassy and at his presidential library in Abilene.

Eisenhower’s Birthplace (609 S. Lamar, Denison, 903/465-8908) is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and on Sunday from 1:00 until 5:00 p.m. Admission is $4 for adults and $3 for students. There are picnic grounds next to the visitors’ center.

George W. Bush Presidential Center

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The George W. Bush Presidential Center offers the public highlights from two presidential terms. North Texas Ramblings George W Bush CenterThe Presidential Library and Museum covers signal events such as 911, Hurricane Katrina, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Literacy campaigns, volunteerism, and compassionate foreign policy receive equal attention.

Presidential Library and Museum

Located on the edge of Southern Methodist University, the museum highlights the George W. Bush presidency with artifacts, films, and computer-guided demonstrations. Most poignantly, a towering piece of steel from the World Trade Center anchors the 911 exhibit. A war room styled, computer table allows visitors to explore what lead up to both wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the wars’ aftermath.

The Center’s Decision Points Theater provides visitors a hands-on experience decisioning a major crisis. Each person has their own computer consul and access to video from key players. When we visited, we responded to the disaster in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. It gives you a new appreciation of the high stakes, time-sensitive decisions presidents make.

First Lady Laura Bush figures prominently throughout the Center’s exhibits. She and the Bush daughters are pictured around the world in venues supporting peace, literacy, and human rights.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the museum includes very little about Vice President Cheney, though you can purchase his and Lynne Cheney’s books in the museum store.

The museum also boosts a full-sized replica of the oval office. And, across the hall from the permanent exhibits, you’ll find a temporary gallery highlighting various aspects of life in the White House. We enjoyed a look at Christmas 2002 that featured a retrospective of First Family pets.

Bush Institute

The George W. Bush Presidential Center encompasses the entire complex and includes the ongoing work of the Bush Institute. The Bush Institute’s tenants are

  • “Freedom is a universal human desire.
  • Free enterprise is the engine of economic prosperity.
  • Education is the foundation of successful life.
  • Every human life is precious.”

These principles weave their way through much of the museum exhibits culminating with a call to action encouraging volunteerism.

When you visit

The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., and Sundays, from noon until 5 p.m. There is a courtyard café for drinks and sandwiches (outdoor seating only). A formal restaurant appropriately titled Café 43 offers table service. The center is located at 2943 SMU Boulevard, Dallas. Parking is available for a fee across from the center. Tickets to the Presidential Library and Museum range from $10 – 16. Active duty military and children under 4 are free.

Insider’s Tip

Visit the George W. Bush Presidential Center in springtime. A 15-acre urban park planted with native prairie grasses and wildflowers forms a semi-circle around the back of the Presidential Center. Not only will you find bluebonnets, but also dusty pink carpets of evening primrose, brilliant reds and yellows of firewheel, and magenta wine cup. Benches scattered around the garden make for an ideal spot to stop and enjoy the magnificent spring display. The park is open sunrise to sunset. There is a fee for touring the Presidential Center, but entry to the attached park is free.

Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge

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Snowbirds are on their way, flocking to Texas to escape northern winters. No, they are not the two-legged variety driving RV’s. These feathered visitors arrive by wing. Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, near the Texas and Oklahoma border, hosts up to 30,000 migratory birds October through February. Just west of Sherman, Hagerman North Texas Ramblings Hagerman National Wildlife Refugeprovides wetland habitat for thousands of Canada, snow and Ross geese each winter along with ducks, heron and songbirds.  Cormorant troll the waterways their long necks like submarine periscopes, great blue heron look like prehistoric pterodactyl against the sky, and thousands of snow geese honk a continuous serenade. In total, over 300 bird species call the refuge home. It’s a veritable birder’s paradise.

Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge offers a four-mile, self-guided auto tour. Ideal for birders with limited mobility, the driving route gets you up close to thousands of birds without ever leaving the car. The best part, your parked car serves as an effective birding blind!

Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge has recreational activities beyond birding. In addition to the driving route, the refuge has miles of hiking trails. You’ll find additional bird species along with many local animals like armadillo, rabbit, fox squirrel and the occasional coyote, bobcat and feral pig. Trails cover a variety of habitat from prairie to marsh to woodland. The Meadow Pond trail is along an unpaved service road that is an easy hike for families with small children. Enjoy a packed lunch at one of the many picnic areas scattered throughout the refuge.

The area’s history is as interesting as the migratory birds wintering at the refuge. Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge is named for a town now under Lake Texoma. Founded in 1904, Hagerman boasted 250 residents, church, school and cotton gin.  In 1943, the Army Corps of Engineers built Denison Dam. The dam submerged the town and created one of the largest man made reservoirs in the United States. Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge was established shortly thereafter in 1946 in the area near the former town site.

The refuge is unique in other ways, too. Among flocks of geese, you find oilrigs. The grasshopper-styled rigs date from 1951 when oil was discovered in nearby Big Mineral Creek. While the Army Corps of Engineers bought the land for the Denison Dam project, they failed to purchase the mineral rights. As a result, privately owned and operated oilrigs have removed millions of gallons of oil and natural gas from the refuge.

So pack your lunch and head out for a winter hike to Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge. Don’t forget your binoculars and bird book!

Details. Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge is located at 6465 Refuge Road, Sherman. It is a day use facility open from sunrise to sunset. Visit the Friends of Hagerman website for information on free tours and talks at the refuge.

Update: Unlike past years, only about 3,000 snow geese are at the refuge this winter (2014). The refuge is still a fabulous place for bird watching.