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  • Fort Bend Connection

Blog

A number of activities and topics of interest are included in the blog posts below.  For educational curriculum enhancers on Texas history, visit the Fort Bend Connection page. 

Fort Bend History Murder Mystery: THE SEARCH CONTINUES

4/30/2020

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BY ALLISON HARRELL
Texian Time Machine ​
​& Outreach Coordinator


Can you solve the murder mystery? This is part three of a four-part series. Gather all the information you can, and then see if you can figure out the perpetrator in this historical whodunit!

Part 3: The Search Continues

  • Click here to download NEW evidence collected, witness statements, fingerprints and suspect profiles!
When the police went back to the boarding house later that day, [Suspect #5] was nowhere to be found. Luckily, before they started to kick down doors,  one of the other boarders showed them how to jimmy the doors open. When questioned, the helpful boarder, Waddell Pitts, also gave a description of all the other boarders and in which rooms they lived.

Both of the previously-unsearched rooms had objects of interest to the cops. Room two had a rolled-up stack of cash hidden in a jar under the bed. The total was close to $1,000. Room three had blood on a number of things in the room: the washstand, the windowshade, the bureau, a talcum powder tin, a sweat band from a cap, and other furniture in the room.
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Fort Bend History Murder Mystery: THE SEARCH

4/28/2020

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BY ALLISON HARRELL
Texian Time Machine ​
​& Outreach Coordinator


Can you solve the murder mystery? This is part two of a four-part series. Gather all the information you can, and then see if you can figure out the perpetrator in this historical whodunit!

Part Two: The Search

Download THIS PACKET for new suspect profiles, fingerprints, room layouts and evidence discovered.
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​As soon as word of the robbery spread, a posse was formed. Law enforcement officials from three counties (Fort Bend, Harris and Brazoria) came together to search Blue Ridge. Every oil field worker was tracked down and their alibi checked. Two men were arrested who had been found sleeping in the woods near Stafford, with recently-fired weapons in their possession.

One of the buildings that was of special interest – especially to officer “Doc” Sammon – was one of the local boarding houses. The robber/murderer had been seen running in the direction of this boarding house by the young messenger boy. When the cops arrived, they found blood on the front door handle. This made Doc Sammon certain they were in the right place.

This particular boarding house was operated by [Suspect 5]. When the cops arrived, she was less than helpful. She was in the middle of her dialing cleaning of the communal spaces (living and dining areas) and she was close to being done. She had been cleaning since she finished up the 8 a.m. breakfast, and wasn’t going to stop until she was done.

Each of the bedrooms of the house were to be searched for evidence. However, two rooms were locked (Rooms two and three) and their occupants were nowhere to be found. The cops asked [Suspect #5] for a list of who was staying at the boarding house at that time. She promised to get them a list and look for the master keys after the living room was clean.
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Dessert Recipes from the Moore Home Kitchen

4/28/2020

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Inez had a sweet tooth this morning and was up early looking for a treat in the Moore Home kitchen -- and she found a bunch of great vintage recipes to try! Want to join her? Happy baking!
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Apple Pie

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  • 5 sour apples
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • Few gratings lemon rind
Line pie plate with paste. Pare, core and cut apples and fill the pie. Mix the dry ingredients and lemon juice, and sprinkle over apples. Dot over with butter. Wet edges of under crust, cover with upper crust, pressing the edges close together. Bake in a hot oven 40 to 45 minutes or until fruit is cooked.

Sand Tarts

These crisp cookies are all-time favorites at the home of Master Farmer and Mrs. W.A. Meadows, Bleckley County, Ga.
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
Sift flour with baking powder. Cream butter thoroughly and add sugar. Cream until light and fluffy. Add egg and flour. Blend, and chill until firm enough to roll. Roll 1/4 inch thick. Cut with doughnut cutter. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with mixture of sugar and cinnamon.
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Pound Cake

A tasting-test kitchen endorsed recipe
  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon mace
  • 1/2 pound butter
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 6  egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 6 egg whites
Sift flour, measure, and resift 3 times with baking powder and mace. Cream butter, gradually blend in 1 cup of the sugar, add the egg yolks, and beat vigorously until fluffy and stiff. Add flour mixture and milk, to which vanilla has been added, alternately in small portions, beating well after each addition.
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Beat egg whites until fluffy but not dry, gradually add remaining sugar, and continue beating until stiff and smooth. Fold lightly but thoroly [sic] into batter. Turn batter into buttered loaf pan or ring mold, and bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) 60 to 70 minutes, or until done.

Date Bread Crumb Pudding

Tempting the Jaded Appetite
By Mary Lee Swann, The Well-Known Writer and Lecturer on Cooking


Beat 3 egg whites until stiff. Add 3 well-beaten egg yolks. Add 1 cup dry bread crumbs, 1 cup chopped dates, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and a few drops vanilla. Bake in a buttered baking dish in a moderate oven about 25 minutes. Serve with whipped cream.
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Fort Bend History Murder Mystery: Part One

4/27/2020

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BY ALLISON HARRELL
Texian Time Machine
​& Outreach Coordinator


Can you solve the murder mystery? This is part one of a four-part series. Gather all the information you can, and then see if you can figure out the perpetrator in this historical whodunit!

Basic Info in Part One:

  • Download the narrative and crime scene layout.
  • Download the evidence sheet.
  • Download the witness statements.
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In late 1920, discovery wells were drilled and oil was found in the Blue Ridge area. This small section of eastern Fort Bend County is nestled along the Harris County border. The salt dome had been known since 1902, but no oil had been found before now.
The discovery of oil made Blue Ridge a hot commodity, and a town was thrown together. Boarding houses, restaurants and stores sprang up to support all the men hoping to strike it rich in oil. On January 9, 1921, it was announced that a bank would be opening soon.

January 15, 1921 saw the opening of the Blue Ridge State Bank. It was a branch of the National Exchange Bank of Houston, and operated as a private bank until February 14, when it was certified and became a state bank.
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The Houston Post, Sunday, Jan. 9, 1921
On February 15, 1921, the Blue Ridge State bank was robbed and the young, well-liked cashier was murdered. A young messenger boy coming to the bank saw a man wearing corduroy pants and a white shirt covered in red leaving through a side window. When the young boy looked through the window, he saw the body of the cashier – so he ran to get help.

Cashier Robert Lee Kirby had been beaten to death and all the money (except $10) had been stolen.

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Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 1921
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The Salina Evening Journal, Tuesday, Feb. 15, 1921

Check back on Wednesday for part two!

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Flower Pressing

4/24/2020

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By SHANNON CARR
Museum Assistant

The art of flower pressing has been around since early human civilization. Pressed laurels and garlands were even found in the 3,000-year-old coffin of Tutenkhamun’s mother in Egypt! However, the official art of pressing flowers to form decorative images originated in the 1500s and is called Oshibana. The art of Oshibana uses pressed flowers, petals and other plants to create a detailed image. Through interaction between Japan and Europe, Oshibana became a popular art in the Victorian era.
In the mid-1800s, discussions about flower pressing started appearing in texts and news reports all over the world. The unlimited resources and relative ease of flower pressing attracted middle- and upper-class Victorian ladies who were looking for new ways to express themselves artistically and interact with the natural world. During this period, flower pressing evolved into much more than just an art form. It became a way to document, preserve and record new or unseen plants and save special memories.  
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Pressed flower craft Oshibana by Ukrainian artist-florist Tatiana Berdnik, https://sk.pinterest.com/pin/675962225292511290/.
Many books were published in the 1900s that challenged the hobbyist to make more complicated and detailed arrangements. Flower pressing also expanded various scientific fields by providing a means for explorers to preserve specimens with relative ease.

The art of flower pressing has been nearly unchanged from its original development, and it continues to be a rewarding and fun hobby. Make your own flower-pressed creation by following the steps below. Happy crafting!

Materials:
  • Flowers
  • Parchment Paper
  • A heavy book (like a telephone book or a large dictionary)
  • Weight

Directions:
  1. Make sure that your flowers are completely dry.
  2. Arrange your flowers face-down in your heavy book lined with parchment paper.
  3. Close the book and place your weighted object directly on top.  
  4. Leave your arrangement undisturbed and covered for 7 to 10 days.

TIP: Try looking for fallen petals and blooms at your local outdoor store for unique additions! 
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Travel log entries by Gertrude Tredwell during a trip to the White Mountains and Northampton in July 1865, http://merchantshouse.org/tag/gertrude/
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Make Your Own Victorian Calling Card

4/21/2020

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During the Victorian era, calls were an important social event. Certain afternoons were set aside as "at home days" for people to come calling; proper calls typically lasted no more than 15 minutes. If you were not well acquainted with the person you intended to visit, the appropriate time to call would be between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. If you knew the family well, you could visit between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Calling cards played a big part in this elaborate ritual. Calling cards were about the size of today's business cards, though they could vary in design from a plain white rectangle to an elaborate, full-color art piece. They always had the person's name written on them -- usually in calligraphy, though printing plates could also be made of a person's card so that they could be ordered in bulk.

When a caller came in person to make a call, they were shown into the parlor to wait while the butler went to see if the lady of the house was "at home."

While the caller waited, he or she had the opportunity to look through the cards laying in the card receiver to see who else had paid calls recently. The cards of important people were often left at the top of the stack to impress visitors.

After receiving a card or a visitor, the lady of the house was obligated to return the call, either in person or with a card. Women kept records of calls paid, received and owed; if calls were not paid, it was considered a snub -- a serious etiquette faux pas in Victorian times.


A Few Calling Card Pointers

  • Young ladies who went calling with their mothers – especially to be introduced to eligible young gentleman – did not have their own cards. Their names were handwritten underneath the mother’s name on her card.
  • One corner of the card may be turned down to indicate the purpose of the call.  Often cards were engraved on the back with:​
    • “Visite” in the left upper corner
    • “Felicitation” on the upper right (to offer congratulations on marriage/birth)
    • “Conge” or “Good-bye” on the lower left
    • “Condolence” on the lower right
You would turn down the appropriate corner so that the message shows on the front.
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In this example, you can see how each corner could be turned down to indicate the purpose of the call.

Make Your Own Calling Card

Materials:
  • Scissors
  • Magazines/Greeting Cards
  • Glue
  • Cardstock or paper
  • Pencil or pen
Directions:
  1. Using your best handwriting, write your name on each card.
  2. Turn the card over to the back. Write "Visite" in the upper left corner, "Felicitation" on the upper right corner, "Conge" on the lower left corner and "Condolence" on the lower right corner.
  3. Cut out small pictures from old magazines or greeting cards. (The Victorians were especially in to elaborate floral/nature scenes.)
  4. Glue the pictures on to your card.
Now you're ready to go calling!
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Source: American Antiquarian Society
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Source: HobanCards.com
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Gone to Texas: Farm Expansion!

4/20/2020

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Exactly one month ago today, we posted the "Gone to Texas" board game created by staff member Allison. Today, we've got an expansion pack for you!

Gone to Texas: Survival Game – Farm Expansion 

Materials needed for the expansion:
  • Settler’s Surprise cards (New! Click here to download.)
  • Player sheet (New! Click here to download.)
  • Farm building bank page (New! Click here to download, then cut out each building to be used during play.)​
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Materials needed from the original game:
  • First set of Settler Surprise cards, the movement dice and game board. Click here to download if you don't already have these!

Not provided:
  • Two additional regular dice
  • Game tokens
  • Scissors and glue (to cut out and attach the buildings)​
Directions:
1. Cut apart all of the new Settler’s Surprise Cards, mix them with the original cards, and place all of them on top of the game board.
2. Cut apart all of the buildings on the Building bank page and stack them up nearby for easy access.
3. Give each player a player page.
4. Follow the rules listed on the game board to play:
  • Start all game tokens on the “Fall square”
  • Roll the “movement” dice to see how far to move each turn.
    • The exception is that everyone MUST land on the “Harvest” square and the “End of Year” squares. Those have benefits that everyone needs to have available.
  • If you land on a season square, or when you land on the “End of Year” square, you have the option of purchasing a building for your farm at that time (instead of taking a “Settler’s Surprise” card).
    • Document the resources used to purchase a building into the “used” column for the year on the player sheet.
    • The next time that you pass the “End of Year” square, the benefits of the building will kick in.
      • If you do not have the resources to pay into the building (the chicken coop and the smoke house), you do not get the rewards. (But you also don’t lose the resources that you don’t have, and you don’t lose the building.)
      • You can purchase more than one of any of the buildings, as long as they fit onto your farm square – if you want to draw your own farm buildings, use the size requirements written on the “Building Bank” page as a guide.
  • Draw a “Settler’s Surprise” card if you land on a season square or if you don’t have the resources to complete the task you have been given.
  • Track all changes on the player sheet.
    • Any resources that are used to buy a building go into the “used” column of the year that the item is purchased.  At the end of every year, all the resources are totaled up and start a new line in the “start” column.
​​5. The game ends when everyone gets to the “End of Year” square the third time (the end of the second year).
  • Be sure to include any resources that you stored in your barn in your end of Year 2 total.
  • The winner is the person who has the highest total resource score at the end of the game.

​HAVE FUN!!

Note: The two “lose a dice roll of food” squares are different. The first one (with a jar on it) is in reference to your food stores running low in winter, and the second (with a pig) is because wild pigs have come through and eaten some of your food.
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Cattle Branding in Texas: Show Us Your Herd!

4/18/2020

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By ALLISON HARRELL
Texian Time Machine & Outreach Coordinator

The Spaniards brought cattle with them to the New World (or America) in 1541. With the introduction of cattle to the ecosystem, they also introduced the occupation of ranching. Here in Fort Bend County, the Moores, Georges and Dews, to name a few, were all part of that grand tradition.
​
Like the Spanish before them, the Texian pioneers branded their cattle. Branding is a method of marking cows that can be traced back to the ancient world. (There are 4,000-year-old Egyptian paintings of cattle branding and it is even mentioned in the Bible!) Branding was important because, until the invention of the tattoo, it was one of the only ways that a person could differentiate their cows from the cows of another rancher.  Since most cattle ranged free much of the time, it was important to be able to establish ownership. 
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Early Texas brands.
Brands were important markers, and had to be unique to the owner. Richard H. Chisholm owned what might be the first recorded brand in Texas. To help keep track of each brand and ensure no markings were doubled, ranchers were required to register their brand with the government. Registration became even more important in 1848, when provisions were passed stating that unless a brand was registered with the county clerk, it was not a valid legal means of establishing ownership of a cow. Since that time, a great deal of legislation has gone into the finer points of branding -- including the punishments for branding over someone else’s brand or using someone else’s brand in general.

LOCATION
Traditionally, brands were placed on the left hip of the cow (though the placement is not set by law).

EAR MARKS
Sometimes ear marks were used in addition to or instead of a brand. These were most popular among the early settlers of New England. An ear mark was a cut made into the ear of the cow, where shape and location functioned as a brand unique to the rancher. These ear marks were also registered with the government. In Texas, some ranchers used both the ear mark and the brand to identify their cattle, and both needed to be registered. Ear mark registries were filled with colorful language to describe the cuts that were made into the ears; each cut type and shape had a name to assist in the description. (The "jinglebob" was considered “one of the most hideous earmarks ever devised” and was unique to John Chisum of west Texas.)
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This 1922 photo from our collections shows African American cowboys branding cattle at the John Moore Ranch. Men are identified on back, left to right, as Joe Foster, Frank Johnson, Judge Mason and Mathina Harris. Johnson is holding branding iron; Mason is holding down calf.
THE PROCESS OF BRANDING
Cattle were ready for branding somewhere between the ages of six months to a year. Calves were typically tied down in a pen, or roped and held down, for the duration of the branding.To ensure the clearest brand possible, a number of factors come into play:
  • You have to use a hot iron to brand, but you shouldn’t get the brand red hot, because this can start a hair fire on the cow.
  • The iron should be the color of ashes, and it is best if it is heated with a wood fire, and not a forge or a coal fire.
  • You should never brand a damp or wet animal, because this can create scarring that makes your brand difficult to read. Likewise, a brand should not be too thin because it can cut into an animal and scar it. 
  • It is considered bad form and can be illegal to brand over an existing brand. It is also illegal to use an unregistered brand.
 
BRAND LAWS
In Texas, brands must be registered with the county clerk's office. For a $5 fee, you can register your brand for 10 years. You must specify the symbol itself and the location it will be placed on the cow.

Create Your Own Brand and Show Us Your Herd!

Now it's your turn! 
  • Click here to download the cow template.
  • Click here to download the brand symbols guide.
  • Design your own brand (letters, numbers and figures are all allowed in Texas brands).
  • Color your cows and add your brand.
  • Then take a picture and tag us on Facebook or Instagram so we can show off your herd!
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Victorian Collection Under the Glass

4/17/2020

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By JESSICA AVERY
Programs Coordinator

During the Victorian period, people loved spending time in nature by painting, gardening, collecting flowers or simply exploring their surroundings. Even those in cities were encouraged to take up gardening or spend time outdoors for better health. Children especially loved exploring the areas around their homes and collecting items from nature like shells, flowers, seeds or butterflies. These natural specimens served as souvenirs and provided a physical connection to natural history.
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We made this sample "Collection Under the Glass" during last year's summer history programs at the Museum.
Many families displayed their prized collections in their parlor under a glass dome, generally known as a "shade." These beautiful blown-glass shades were found in nearly every home, where they served as a showpiece and protected a variety of treasures. At times, these treasures and collections could be very elaborate and include artful displays of dried flowers, feathers, taxidermy, and even hairworks. Sometimes when a collection outgrew the dome it was moved to a larger space such as a cabinet or a “wonder room." These cabinets of curiosity held wondrous, extraordinary and sometimes oddities of the natural world.

Take a walk around your home or neighborhood to explore the natural world around you like children did centuries ago. Keep your eye open for wonderful treasures and specimens to fill your very own dome. Once it is finished you can display it for all to see in a special place inside of your home!

Make Your Own

Materials 
  • Small glass bowl, jar or clear votive candleholder
  • Pencil or pen
  • Poster board (if not available, use cardboard or a thick piece of paper)
  • Scissors
  • Piece of fabric or felt
  • Hot glue
  • Small collected objects (leaves, feathers, flowers, shells, etc.)​
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Directions 
  1. Place the glass container upside down on the piece of poster board and trace around it.
  2. Remove the glass and cut the paper around the outline.   
  3. Wrap the poster board with fabric or felt. (If you don’t have any, that’s okay, too. Just color and decorate it with crayons or markers.)
  4. Next, take some time to explore your backyard or go for a walk around your neighborhood to collect items form nature like flowers, interesting rocks, seeds and more. You can also look around your house and find special items you would like to place under your dome.  
  5. Arrange your special collection on the piece of poster board. When you are happy with the design, have a parent help you glue down the items.  
  6. Next, have a parent help you place glue around the edge of the paper and place the glass container upside down on the glue.
  7. When the glue is dry, your collection under the glass is complete!
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Clara Barton - Who Is It?

4/14/2020

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By ALLISON HARRELL
Texian Time Machine & Outreach Coordinator

Clarissa “Clara” Harlowe Barton was born on Christmas Day 1821 in Massachusetts. She was a very timid child, but her family constantly tried to bring her out of her shell. As an adult, her career spanned from school director to patent office clerk -- but one constant is that she kept being passed over for promotions and jobs in favor of her male counterparts.

During the Civil War, she felt that it was her Christian duty to aid the soldiers, so she began gathering and distributing medical supplies. After the war was over, she worked with the Office of Missing Soldiers to identify missing and dead soldiers. She then went to Europe and met Dr. Louis Appia, who convinced her to start an American branch of the Red Cross.
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Clara Barton, 1866

Family Activity: Who Is It?

Clara Barton worked a lot with the Office of Missing Soldiers to reunite soldiers with their families. This was in a time before photographs were widely available. Imagine having to describe a loved one and hoping that someone matched that description! Could you do it?
  1. Have everyone write or draw a description of a specific relative or family friend of their choosing. (Remember that when someone is missing, they are not available to be looked at for reference -- so this has to be done from memory! You can also write down family/friends' names and have everyone draw a person's name from the hat.)
  2. Once everyone is finished, number each person's description or drawing with a randomly-assigned number. 
  3. Read each description and show each image aloud. On a separate sheet of paper, have everyone write out their guess for each of the descriptions/pictures.
  4. Once everyone has guessed, have the author/artist explain who it is and why they made the choices that they did.                                                                                                                       

Scoring

  1. Anyone who got the answer right gets a point
  2. The artist/describer gets a point if everyone correctly guesses his/her person
  3. The winner is the person with the most points at the end
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    Funding has been provided to the Fort Bend History Association from Humanities Texas and the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020.
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