Stitches Thru Time: Texian Market Days

Civil War Reenactment

Have you ever felt the noise of a cannon blast? Seen an old-fashioned medicine show? Carded and spun your own cotton? No? Perhaps you've experienced the inside workings of a blacksmith shop? Watched a 1930s-style baseball game? Or wandered through homes from the 1830s, 1860s, 1890s, and 1930s? Can you say you've used an old flat iron, witnessed Cavalry drills, and walked through a chuck-wagon campsite?

If you can't say yes to all of these, perhaps you should visit the Texian Market Days Festival in Richmond, Texas next year. They gave me a taste of each of these and more.

(More including the joys of a sunburn. Yep, gotta love Texas in October.)

Howdy, y'all. Crystal here, and I figured I'd share with you a few photos and tidbits from my first trip to the Texian Market Days back in October. I had loads of fun wandering the acres of history.

Here are a few of the homes I got to tour.

This is a picture of the 1830s Jones Stock Farm. It's a dog-run cabin with a kitchen area on the left half, a breezeway in the middle, a family area on the right half, and a loft where the family slept. There were shuttered windows in the loft on each side of the chimneys. (You can't see the chimney on the right side of the cabin thanks to that magnificent tree. :) ) A porch ran the length of both sides of the cabin. I loved the rugged simplicity of this house.

This shot is of the 1860s Ryon Prairie Home. A gorgeous structure with the kitchen and cook's quarters connected to the main house in a dog-run-style fashion. Here, we learned why women didn't sit in chairs with arms while wearing hoop skirts. Can anyone guess why?

I won't leave you hanging. It was because the arms of the chair would tilt that hoop toward the rafters. Can we say awkward? :)

The 1890s Davis Mansion was picturesque to say the least. There was even a stable and carriage house to peruse as well as a green house. The gingerbread trim and picket fence were a nice touch, wouldn't you say?

This sharecropper's cabin was also a portion of the 1890s offerings. Outside the cabin you'd find a simple swing, a barn and chicken coup, and a smoke house.

This picture shows just a section of the 1930s George Cattle Complex. This house was actually built in the 1890s and then upgraded in later years. They added indoor plumbing, electric lights, and even a newfangled dishwasher. Oh, did I mention the elevator? There's a safe under the stairs that can never be removed too. Why? Well, the house settled and the safe is now part of the stairway's stability. :)

The family had one daughter after their son died young. She was spoiled and showered with (um...what's the best word here?) affection. :) Yes, affection. Here's a pic of what her daddy built her.

Now, who wouldn't want a tree house like that? :)

These are just a finite sample of the pictures I took while at the Texian Market Days on the George Ranch Historic Site. I've got a good portion of them on my website if you'd like to see more.