Grayson County Frontier Village

Guess what I got to do today? Well maybe don't guess because I'm sure by the pic above you can see.

Let's just say that I was totally in my environment this afternoon. It's not the first and I'm sure it won't be the last time that I talk about my love for Pioneer days so when I found out that just a few minutes from where we are stood the Grayson County Frontier Village, there was no way I was going to let this vacation end without visiting.

Take a walk back in time to the days when pioneer Grayson County residents used hand tools to shape logs notched together at the corners to form one-room cabins, some with lofts for added space to house families of six or more.

I have a lot of photos on my flickr album, so I won't post them all here but I still wanted to share some on the blog and also tell you a little about each house we visited.

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Thompson House

Judge James George Thompson came to Grayson County in 1830 and was the first county judge. He built this home at the tip of Preston Penninsula and it was moved to the Frontier Village in 1990.

Hendricks House

Jessie Elvis Hendricks migrated to Texas in 1845 and built the log cabin section of this house on land northeast of Sherman near the old Shannon Church.

Bradley/Bodkin Cabin

Thomas Bradley built this cabin around 1842 after coming to Sherman with his parents in 1838. He married twice and reared 14 children in this one-room cabin.

Evans Carpenter Cabin

Built around 1857 by R.J. Evans in the Cherry Mound Community. J.C. Carpenter bought the cabin about 1900 and added three additional rooms.

Country Store

A replica of a typical pioneer Texas business, it contains original equipment and other artifacts of the late 1800s.

Weaver Wagon

In 1934 two young Sherman women and their mother traveled to Colorado in this tin-covered wageon, enduring hardships similar to that of pioneers who came to Grayson County. Winnie their cow made all three trips for a total of about 4000 miles.

Fitzgerald House

Constructed by George S. Fitzgerald in 1866 on his 800 acre farm on Red River. All of the framing is hand-hewn logs fastened together with wooden pegs in the absence of nails.

Bullock/Bass House

Randolph Bullock built this house in 1850 and is said to have the first glass windows in Grayson County. It was later sold to Col. T.C. Bass. His daughter, Miss Nettie Bass, was born in the house, lived there 97 years and died in the house.

Cold Springs School

The Holder family emigrated to Texas in the mid 1840s and built this school house. Miss Maud Mangum, the first teacher, slept in the loft and ate with the families of the pupils.

Sophia's Cabin

When Sophia Augenbaugh Coffee Butt Porter came to Grayson County in the late 1830s with her second husband Holland Coffee, they lived in a one-room clapboard cabin.

Barber Shop/Dentist Office

An early day barber shop and dentist office with a display of furniture and instruments used in their profession in the late 1800s.

Newspaper Office and Saddle Shop

A replica of a newspaper office on one side and tack room on the other.

Lankford Home

William T. Lankford, one of the first five Commissioners of Grayson County, built this house in 1847 on his 1800 acre land grant east of Denison. He hauled the lumber by ox-freight from Jefferson, TX.
The ceiling was removed to make coffins during the cholera epidemic in the 1870s. The home was in the Lankford family for 124 years.

Country Church

This replica of an early Texas church is fully equipped with pews, organs, kneeling bench and pulpit.

Price/Shaw Cabin

This Texas Dogtrot cabin was built about 1860 by Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Price.

Davis/Ansley Cabin

This cabin was built about 1838 by Micajah C. Davis, one of the original founders of Grayson County. Rev. Sumner Bacon formed the Pilot Knob Presbyterian Church in the cabin in 1842, Davis served as the first elder.

Smokehouse

Early day tools and other equipment are stored in this replica of an early Texas smokehouse where meat, usually pork, was smoked or packed in salt for preservation.

I had such a blast and I can't wait to sit down and learn a bit more about the families that lived in these homes and what their lives were like in the 1800s. Hope you enjoyed it too.

I'll have more fun stuff for you, I'm so glad I'm able to take you on this trip with me.