Milam County Historical Commission
Milam County, Texas
Milam County, Texas
Heritages get their day(s)
Rockdale Reporter - April 28. 2016
The past was on display at several downtown venues Thursday through Saturday for the
first annual Heritage Days celebration.
The city library, I&GN Depot Museum and Wolf Park were sites for speeches, music,
exhibitions and food, while a Friday bus tour of the El Camino Real (ECR) National
Historic Trail left from the Chamber of Commerce rock house.
Historian Dr. Jesus De La Teja kicked off the weekend Thursday urging that Texas history
be taught as more than the traditional Travis-Crockett-Bowie approach.
Rockdale’s own Susie Sansom Piper spoke Friday at Sho Nuff Soul Food.
Presentations at the library covered Native American, Tejano and Wendish contributions.
There were also presentations on the ECR trail and conservation of “family treasures.”
Free hobo stew, archery, blacksmithing and other demonstrations were on tap at the
depot.
The Communities in Concert Band, deejay music and plenty of crafts and food were on tap
across the street at Wolf Park.
Walking tours of historic Rockdale were offered. Sponsors of Heritage Days were Friends
of the Library, the Milam County Historical Commission, the Rockdale Chamber of
Commerce, the Rockdale Downtown Association and the Rockdale Historical Society
I LIVED HERE’— “I,” in this case means the very late Maie Van De Venter, not actress Donnie Rinn who portrayed author George Sessions Perry’s grandmother during walking tours Saturday. Rinn/Van De Venter stopped at the home—Davilla at Green—which once housed the Perry family including Mrs. Van De Venter, who was the subject pf Perry’s book My Granny Van. From left are Milano students Chloe Yoakum, Bailey Baggerly and Zachary Hopkins.
Some of the faces of Heritage Day, from left: Local historian Dr. Lucile Estell, Friday speaker Susie Sansom Piper, Dr. John Pruett (dressed as farmer Sam Tucker from George Sessions Perry’s Hold Autumn in Your Hand), Native American authority Sandy Duncan and Thursday speaker Dr. Jesus De La Teja, who argued for a more inclusive approach to Texas History.
Above, (L-R) free hobo stew on grounds of I&GN Depot museum, Christopher Talbot showed his photos of the El Camino National Historic Trail. Bottom (from left) Patrick Dean, Jaden Warren and Danielle Pedroza were among Milam County 4-Hers displaying archery skills.
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goes to the Rockdale Reporter
goes to the Rockdale Reporter