Nacogdoches

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Well, here it is Wednesday and once again I'm behind in my blogging. So here goes.
Sunday was a day off, so we finally headed up to Nacogdoches. Here's some background on the town. It's called the "Oldest Town In Texas." It's named after the Caddo family of Indians who once resided there. Numerous landmarks and museums explain the town's historic past. Stephen F. Austin State University also makes its' home in Nacogdoches.
We first stopped at the visitor center. There are display cases with artifacts and in on room is a beautiful, stately sideboard. The center itself is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is worth touring. The two ladies who worked there were enjoyable to talk to and full of information. You can get a map that shows you where the highlights of the walking tour will lead to.
The first place we headed to was Millard's Crossing Historic Village, about 4 miles north. Now, one thing Gary and I aren't real fond of are crowds. Well, let me tell you, we couldn't have picked a better day or place to avoid the masses. There was only one other couple present and they left early. Our tour guide, Roz, was an animated, informative, and I must say, the best guide we've ever encountered. When I asked her how she got the job, she said through a friend who stated he didn't know anyone who can talk as much as she does!!!And she does!! But it is good because she has a wealth of information about the history behind the village, having lived in the area for many years. Just 3 facts-I don't want to tell all about it so you can see it for yourself. In one home we went upstairs to a childs room. Roz pointed out a portrait of a darling little girl with a lace collar and beautiful curled tresses. To our surprise, it wasn't a girl but a boy. Apparently, during that era, little boys and girls were dressed alike and it kept the little boys from playing with the older boys. In another home, we entered a room that had different kinds of wicker furniture. I love wicker, so this was a real treat for me. There was a platform rocker to die for. The next favorite was a beautifully scrolled childs bed. But our favorite was the fainting couch-or so we thought that was what it was. Roz set us straight on that. It was a laying out couch. The morturaries used it for displaying the dead. A fainting couch has a higher back for reposing comfortably. What a beautiful way to be displayed upon dying. And one last item that was really unique. Downstairs in one homes parlor was a fantastic dark brown wicker floor lamp that stood about 6 feet tall and was from around the early 1900's. Now here is the cool part. It was made to look like a lighthouse and when lit up, the light revolved inside and illuminated different colored glass panels, making it appear to work just like a real lighthouse. For more information on the Village go to http://www.millardscrossing.com/.
Next on our tour was the Stephen F. Austin State University. On the north end of the campus is an Arboretum. It boasts of such areas as a children's garden, an 8 acre azalea garden, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Demo garden and a 39 acre Pineywoods Native Plant Center. The peak bloom seasons for Azaleas are March to May, Hydrangeas May to August and Camelias October to February. Since it wasn't blooming time, we just drove past and observed it from a distance.
The one thing we were interested in seeing on the campus was the Old Stone Fort museum. During it's history, the original house served as a public building, grocery,candy store and saloon, and as a temporary fortification during the Magee-Gutierrez, Dr. James Long and Fredonia Rebellion filibusters. The Stone Fort Museum interprets the history of East Texas and Nacogdoches prior to 1900.
Next we drove around the historic area looking at Victorian houses and historical churches. We enjoy looking at headstones in old cemeteries and we happened upon the Oak Grove Cemetery by chance. Buried there are four signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence. Several other persons of historical importance are buried there. We were enthralled by some above ground burial vaults dating back to the mid 1800's. We had never seen such vaults before. Gary found one stone that had Woodmen of the World Memorial carved on it along with some woodworking tools. And most all the headstones were in family plots set apart by concrete or brick low barriers. What a peaceful place to visit.
Lastly, we drove back to the center of town to admire the early architecture of the city. To end the day, we stopped at Red Lobster and treated ourselves to an early Valentines Day dinner.
Looking forward to tomorrow and to what God has planned for us. God bless!!