Old Trinity University Interior

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 I was finally able to get together with Mr. Parker, the man who heads up the organization trying to restore the old Trinity University property. It was truly awesome to see the interior, you could imagine the history that took part within the walls. They have  a facebook page and are always looking for grants and donations. The whole undertaking is done strictly on donations. They have no debt in the restoration. Projects are completed as they raise money, which I thought was amazing. He has been a part in this process for 20 years and over that time they have spent $600,000, mainly in correcting foundations, structural, and engineering issues.  I could see the possibilities as he was describing their hopes for the future of the restoration. The Great Hall on the second floor was breathtaking, even in the current state.  I could  envision amazing wedding ceremonies and receptions held there. The whole tour was fascinating and intimate, as he took the time to personally walk my parents, my daughter, and me through the buidling. The tour comes to a close in a front room that has been completed. It holds an array of artifacts and salvaged pieces from the Building's history. The photos of students and documents to show classes and prices were so neat to look at. I found it interesting to learn, for a time there was a flat rate for families to have all of their children attend college. After a short time though the special rate was discontinued because so many children would be sent from individual families. After taking a few more pictures we left the building the way we came in. Though we were obviously above ground it felt very much like we were in a deep cellar. The temperature outside was atleast 100 degrees that day, but the interior in the main hallway felt atleast 78 or 79. He assured us that there was no air conditioning and that the thick stone walls went several feet into the ground and accounted for the cooler temperature on the first floor. We exited the buidling and thanked him for letting us see the inside of the building. He said of course and went back to sitting on the screened in porch of the old house on the property. I was glad we were finally able to mesh our schedules. I hope if you have any contacts that would be interested in this restoration endevor you can pass on the word. It is so disheartening to know what a stoic piece of history is just sitting, not nearly at its' potential. Thanks for checking it out.   

 

 

Kerrie's accounts of the outhouse. Yes, outhouse.

Kerrie my next door neighbor told me a little bit about what it was like growing up in one of the other houses on the property. The house directly across from the original house is where she now lives. It had been broken up into two separate homes, the other which is about two hundred yards away being rented.  Though running water was installed with at least one faucet across the way in the fifties they didn't have running water and indoor plumbing until 1962 in the house she lives in. She walked me around the back of the house to show me where THE OUTHOUSE was. There was also no formal kitchen in that house. When they prepared meals at the larger home the whole family would join in,  I found that very interesting. I think it also comments on the difference between then and now. Food was prepared meal by meal, it brought families together, and unhealthy diets, food grazing at leisure was just not an option for people.  This family style dining seemed to be an arrangement of necessity not choice, but I imagine it did provide time to bond and an experience many don't have today.

This is where the outhouse was nearly fifty years ago. The board on the tree was the anchor.

The Original House History Continued...

So, these are some still shots of the recreated simple floor plans of the original house and how it has evolved over the years. 



Original two large room layout





Renovation by East Family

Jim and Irene Higgins

Higgins family in old dining room



Addition to home by the Higgins Family



That's one old house

I have family in Delaware. It isn't out of the ordinary for houses to be several hundred years old, and they are awesome very worth asking to look around. I find it so much more interesting to get history on old houses in Texas! I spoke with Deborah for awhile this week. She shared with me the information binders she had put together regarding ownership and modification history on their home. The house used to be part of a historical tour in the limestone area years ago she said, and they had pamphlets of information at one point but couldn't locate any. I took some time reading through her documents and sketches of layouts. It was very neat to see what sections of the house were original, especially having walked through the house with her many times. I can only imagine what it would have been like to live in the two room house it started off as.
The next bit of information is directly from her collection of historical data.

The original deed was dated 1884 for an ajoined property of Trinity University per T. L. Garrison. In February of 1915 it was sold to Julia Buckholt. August of 1920 three property was sold to George & Eva Evans and C.D. Kay. In 1924 J.W. Higgins purchased the house for $1,500.00. The information page stating, "with three payments of $500.00 in two yearly payments at 10% interest." (I don't quite understand that)
The most interesting thing to me about the house's history was that it was the town switchboard. When you dialed in to the town, you got the operator, and told them the house number and would be rerouted to their line. Very cool. The home was heated with wood stoves. When they did eventually get electricity only two "drop pull chain lights" were installed. Water was originally collected in a cistern located by the back porch. When it was piped in tge only running water was on the back porch. The floors are the original wood, and the door into the living room from the original hall way is the one installed when it was built. The East's acquired the home from the Higgin's who I guess in someway were family and have since renovated the once 1200 sq.ft. Home to it's current 2000 sq. ft. size.

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That Garden I was talking about...



Berkley, Out back



 

Old chicken Coop




This is the East's family garden I was talking about in a previous post. I really wanted to show how huge the zucchinis were, but they had harvested all of them. My daughter and I walked around the property for awhile after I took pictures of the garden. I snapped a few of the old chicken coops that they used to have stocked providing them and neighbors with fresh eggs. They have just been left to rust for now I guess, but I got some neat pictures. We walked over to Kerrie's house so my daughter could play with the current litter of puppies.  That brings me to another point, (that I could elaborate on for pages. I'm not going to, but I could) the stray dog situation in Tehuacana. I can't jog, walk to the post office, or take my kids to the park without being accosted by mobs of stray dogs. It's like "Gangs of New York"  at the main street intersection. Packs of dogs loyal to their particular run down home converge at the stop sign one hundred yards between my house and the park/post office to have barking contests. The two times I made the mistake of trying to go for a walk, I haven't stuck around to see if the barking contest escalates to full on gang wars. Is it a cultural trait to not spay and neuter your animals or collect strays like a hobby? I'm not judging. I do like dogs, but at this rate it is a safety issue. Not to mention, a couple miles down the street, I'm fairly certain I will see this neighbor on "Animal Hoarders" debating which of their vicious front yard dogs to give up. When you drive by their house, you see 20+ puppies shoot in all directions, and the adult and adolescent dogs run along side your car barking and trying to jump in your car window. Sorry, I said I wouldn't elaborate and I did anyways. I guess this all counts as just some of the "field observation" I have been able to do over the past several months.





















Porch Chats

Talked to Deborah East and Kerrie for awhile outside today. Deborah told me a little about their garden. This isn't a small backyard garden, it has to be at least a quarter of an acre. I asked how many years they have done a garden. Kerrie said every year since she can remember and before that. They save money not having to get any produce commercially. Kerrie cans vegetables frequently and they both agreed they prefer fresh produce straight from the garden.  Kerrie regularly gives me fresh salsa and picked vegetables. I've got a decent collection of mason jars from her. ( I should probably return those. Maybe she will take that as a hint that we liked all of it.) About two weeks ago she came to my door with a white 5 gallon bucket and said, "You like zucchini squash?!" Well it happens to be my favorite so I said, "DEFINITELY!". She pulled out four of the largest squash I've ever seen. I wish I took a picture. I will probably go and take some tomorrow of the garden and see about getting more squash. In addition to the squash, they have broccoli, collard greens, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, beans, radish, peppers, plum trees, peach trees, kumquats, cherry trees, and grape vines!!! it's pretty neat.
I asked Deborah for Mr. Parker's information. He is the man who lives inside Old Trinity University. Yes! Inside the building for the summer. He is a professor during the year and comes back over the summers. That is all I know about him, but I will be calling to see if we can go look inside the college, take pictures, and get more information about anything and everything he probably knows about the building and its' history. That should be exciting. I will Have a post about that tomorrow.

Out of place...and it has to be haunted!

Trinity University

Well the first thing I noticed when I moved in, after poking around the ghost town is the old, empty, haunted looking university. I got the full run down on the establishment, being that my neighbor is friends with the owner, or grounds keeper? I'm not entirely clear on which.  From the pictures you can see it is a historical site. The pictures in no way do this amazing building justice. It is more eerie than anything I've ever seen, Supposedly the man who watches and keeps up the property lives in another state and is a professor at some college. During the summer he returns to Tehuacana and works on restoration projects. I've been told I can go look inside when he is here. I'm looking forward to that. Kerrie (my neighbor & the daughter of my landlord who lives across from us) told me that Trinity College was supported and instituted by a church after John Boyd granted the University land from the Mexican land grant he had. A year or so before the University called Tehuacana home, John Boyd nominated Tehuacana as the capital of Texas. Obviously we know that didn't go it's way.  That was in 1850.... but from my experience it is their claim to fame. 

In all of these very interesting chats I've had with my neighbors one thing I notice is the pronunciation of Tehuacana. I don't quite know how to bring it up without sounding pompous, like I'm questioning that they can read correctly.  Tehuacana, I say Te-wah-can-uh. The locals say Te-wah-ka-knee. Now through research I have done on my own, I know that the city and local landmarks are named for the Tawakoni indians. I can see exactly how that is pronounced, Ta-wa-koni.... the way the locals say Tehuacana. I just don't see how the two are pronounced the same. I guess it will be something I just need to ask. I'll post about it another time. Most of this I knew from talking to Kerrie months ago, but it was all rehashed in detail this weekend during an extensive conversation on her porch (because that is how it's done around here) while the kids were playing outside.

Take a look at Tehuacana for yourself!

I happen to have a great passion for photography. This past week I tried to take pictures of the city so you could get an idea what Tehuacana looks like physically. For project purposes on this particular task I spent two and a half hours over the course of two days.  Enjoy.

Tehuacana, Tx

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This is a city?

Since September of last year we have called Tehuacana, Texas home. "How did we wind up here?", you ask. Well, my husband, due to the lack of teaching jobs available in Houston procured a position in Mexia. Mexia being the city five miles down the street. Moving here has been literally a night and day change from what I and my family were used to coming from Houston. From suburb to rural life, you don't know the convenience of living in close proximity to places like a grocery store until you have to drive ten miles to get milk or diapers. Let's just say it has been an experience, to say the least.

This brings me to the point of this blog. Being that I am so far our in "the sticks"  I had to get creative with my field study. I thought an oral history would be perfect for my situation. Nearly as soon as we moved in, I was bombarded by historical information from my neighbors. Telling me everything from who is who in the town, how it was almost the capital, how much they used to own, and how wonderful small town life is. It was quite a bit to absorb. Over the past months, I have explored the town when I have the time, come to some of my own conclusions about small town life, and this field study is a great excuse to find out even more about this small cast aside city.