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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.
Jane Long's Lasting Legacy in Fort Bend County HistoryOn a frigid Friday in December 1821, Jane Herbert Wilkinson Long gave birth to a baby girl on Bolivar Peninsula. Accompanied only by her five-year-old daughter and Kian, an enslaved African American woman, Jane believed that she was the first Anglo woman to give birth to a child in Texas. Though census data contradicts that claim, her nickname and legacy as the “Mother of Texas” stuck.
On Her OwnJane didn’t learn of her husband’s death until later that summer. Alone in Texas with two daughters to provide for, she initially tried to seek a pension from Mexico for her husband’s accidental death, but was unsuccessful. In 1824, she received a title to a league of land in Fort Bend County and a labor of land in Waller County from empresario Stephen F. Austin. She sold a portion of her Fort Bend County league to Robert E. Handy, who later developed the town of Richmond. Boarding HousesIn addition to her ranching and farming endeavors, Jane also operated two boarding houses. She started the first in Brazoria in 1832; her guests included Sam Houston, Mirabeau Lamar and William B. Travis. In 1837, she opened a second boarding house in Richmond, which became a center for social and political activities pertaining to Texas independence. Later LifeFolklore and family tradition say that Jane was courted by several famous Texans, including Sam Houston and Mirabeau Lamar. Jane never remarried, however, and died in December 1880. She is buried in Morton Cemetery.
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What subjects were taught in one-room schools? Reading, Writing and Arithmetic were the main subjects taught in one-room schools. They were called the "Three Rs" (Reading, 'Riting and 'Rithmetic). Recitation, the act of saying a verse or paragraph aloud from memory, was sometimes added as a fourth "R." Geography could also be a featured school subject -- but science and history were not taught as we know it today.
What is the difference between a territory and a state?
What is the difference between an unorganized territory and an organized territory?
*Answers:
By JESSICA AVERY Programs Coordinator During World War II, the United States found itself in short supply of male pilots. With most men fighting overseas, the U.S. desperately needed trained pilots for non-combat missions in America. Women throughout our country then answered the call, leading to the creation of the first female squadron. Between 1942 and 1944, more than 1,000 women volunteered their time to become Women Airforce Service Pilots – WASPs for short. The head of the WASP program was Jacqueline Cochran, a pioneering aviator who later became the first woman to break the sound barrier!
FifinellaAs with all military units, the WASPs needed a mascot! Roald Dahl, who served as pilot in the Royal Air Force during World War II, had heard stories of little “gremlins” who were responsible for aviation difficulties like tampering with plane engines. Dahl was inspired to create a children’s story about these mischievous gremlins -- but with a few tweaks.
Paper Airplane ChallengeNow it's your turn to fly a plane! Download the paper airplane instructions here and then create your own fleet! How far can your airplanes fly?
The term "silhouette" is attributed to a man named Etienne de Silhouette, a finance minister living in France during the mid-18th century. One of Etienne’s favorite hobbies was to create small and detailed images for friends and family using only scissors and paper. The art form's relatively cheap cost and few required supplies only encouraged Etienne’s enthusiasm for silhouette art and portraits. (He was a finance manager, after all!) The invention of the camera in 1816 caused a decline in popularity for silhouette portraits. However, there has recently been a resurgence of admiration for the art -- so why not try your hand at this fun and inexpensive craft?! Make Your Own Silhouette Portraits![]() Materials:
Vocabulary: BlockadeA blockade is a war tactic where one side will block all of the ports and trade posts of the other in an attempt to keep any goods from getting to the other side. History: Galveston During the Civil WarOn October 4, 1862 William B. Renshaw sailed into Galveston harbor with eight ships and demanded that the port surrender. Colonel Joseph J. Cook (the Island's Confederate commander), managed a four-day truce while he evacuated his men. By December 25, Union reinforcements had taken the town. Then, on January 1, 1863, the Confederates entered Galveston Bay before dawn and a battle began. By the time the fighting was over, the Confederates had lost 26 men and had 117 wounded men. The Union, however, lost 150 men plus a number of captured infantry, the Harriet Lane and the Westfield. The Confederacy held Galveston for the rest of the Civil War. History: The 'Anaconda Plan' BlockadeUnion General Winfield Scott came up with the “Anaconda Plan,” which included blockading the South’s ports to strain the South’s economy. The blockade started April 19, 1861 (a few weeks after the war started). Five hundred Union ships were allocated to patrol from Virginia to Florida and from Florida to Texas. The blockade covered 3,500 miles of coast and 180 ports and was intended to stop the export of cotton and in the import of ammunition and war supplies. Some Southerners attempted to run their ships through blockade; surprisingly, about 80% were successful and made it through! Ready to give it a try? Set up a blockade in your bathtub and see if your ships can make it through the Union blockade! Activity: Bathtub Blockade!Materials needed:
Directions:
As we near the end of dewberry season, it is almost time for blackberry season! If you a drowning in berries, here are two recipes from the Moore family that you can try: Dewberry Cobbler and Dewberry Ice Cream. Blackberries can easily be substituted for dewberries in these recipes. Enjoy! (And let us know if you try the recipes! Tag us on Facebook or Instagram with your berry dish!)
Dewberry Ice Cream
By ALLISON HARRELL
Texian Time Machine & Outreach Coordinator Do you know our state fish? How about our state shell? Make a secret decoder bracelet and see if you can crack the codes to learn uncommon Texas signs and symbols! By ALLISON HARRELL Texian Time Machine & Outreach Coordinator Today's the day, super sleuths! Do you know who killed cashier Robert L. Kirby at the Blue Ridge Bank? Scroll down if you think you've solved the case and are ready to check your answer. If you haven't had a chance to check out the details of the case yet, click here for PART ONE, PART TWO and PART THREE before scrolling. Fort Bend History Murder Mystery: THE FINALEThe following is a transcript from page 9 of The Houston Post; February 21, 1921. Absolon Tells of Beating Cashier Kirby to Death |
The perpetrator of the deed and the slayer of Cashier Kirby has confessed. He is Fred J. Absolon, the man arrested at the Milby Hotel at 4 o’clock Friday morning by Deputy Sheriff “Doc” Sammon. “I picked up the crank to the door and hit him over the head with it several times, the exact number I do not remember,” was the way in which Absolon described how he finally killed Kirby in a confession made at 6 o’clock Saturday night to Deputy Sheriff “Doc” Sammon, later repeated to Assistant District Attorney Fred Switzer, who took the statement down in typewriting. Absolon confessed his guilt at police head quarters following a grilling lasting all afternoon. Efforts of local police officers to wring the confession from him were unsuccessful and Absolon made no statement of a compromising nature. |
Part 3: The Search ContinuesWhen 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. |
Fort Bend Museum Staff
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