We Liked...

During our visit to Frontier Texas yesterday there were several visits that stood out for us:

life-sized realistic 3 wolf attack on a bison 

Tribes became nomads when pushed off tribal lands, maintained peaceful relations with Anglos.

I found the bottom paragraph interesting.  Of value to men were horses, dogs, and wives and children--in that order--the similar or same value system of many societies.

This Plains (Comanche) dwelling is (a lot smaller than but ) similar to the one Duane was using when we met at an 1840's reenactment (primitive camp).

diagrams of a trail drive formation and cowboy gear because we like cowboys

Portraits of famous/infamous western characters

We've seen Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and Butch Cassidy before 

but not Doc Holliday (top left).

palm pistol (bottom right)

When we entered the museum we were given cards to put into a reader when we completed our tour.  The cards, each with a name and birth date represented a real person who lived in the  Abilene area during its growth.   When we finished our museum tour a computer read the cards and revealed our fates.  Duane turned out to be a 12-year-old pioneer/settler  boy who was killed along with most of his family in an Indian raid on their log cabin.  I had more luck  I was Emily West a woman of mixed race who came to Texas as an indentured servant and ended up as a hotel maid.  I was captured by Santa Ana's army and was present as they prepared to meet Sam Houston.  It was said that I distracted Santa Ana, unknowingly given Sam Houston time to prepare.  When Santa Ana was defeated after only 20 minutes, I was given credit in the song The Yellow Rose of Texas.  (Mixed race  people were known as yellow skinned.)

I especially liked this toothbrush.  Basic necessities were rare in the Texas frontier, and often travelers carried only the clothes they wore.  A toothbrush was a luxury item sometimes left at a stage stop for any traveler to use.

I also was intrigued by these cannonballs in masonry.  The cannonballs were brought from Vicksburg, MS and 4our were imbedded halfway into each corner on each row to keep the building from shifting.  The building they were used in was the Buffalo Gap Courthouse which was built in 1879.  It was significant in that it heralded the end of the lawless frontier and the arrival of civilization.  

The courthouse still stands in Buffalo Gap, a fact that led us to our newest adventure.

That story is next.

Louise and Duane