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2006 Museum Events
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Mon. May 15, 2006
Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum
Museum Luncheon and Tour
"PRESERVATION COULD PROVE TO BE TOURIST BOOST FOR CUERO"
Sonny Long - Victoria Advocate
May 16, 2006
CUERO - In addition to being a first-class showcase for preservation of the area's ranching and agricultural heritage, the Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum could also provide a boon to the Cuero tourism industry.
That's the message museum board president Robert Oliver delivered to more than a dozen downtown Cuero business owners during a luncheon and tour Monday at the Knights of Pythias Hall, which is being renovated to house the museum.
Oliver suggested that the museum could well be a mecca for heritage tourism enthusiasts. The board is working with Lonn Taylor, a former Smithsonian Institute historian, on building a plan for its collection of exhibits. Taylor's credentials include 18 years with the Natural Museum of American History at the Smithsonian, guest curator of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, and curator of collections then director of the University of Texas Winedale Historical Center.
"This institution will be first-class," Oliver emphasized. "There will be a buzz that the Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum is a must-see."
The 5,000-square-foot ground floor will house the museum's exhibits, and the building's 5,000-square-foot second floor will be used for meeting rooms and can be rented out for small functions like wedding receptions, parties or lectures.
A 3,000-square-foot addition is also planned with a separate entrance and ADA-compliant restrooms as well as elevators to reach the second floor of the museum.
In addition to historic preservation the museum can also be an economic asset to the community, Oliver told the business owners and representatives from the city of Cuero and DeWitt County in attendance at the luncheon.
"What we are trying to do is draw out-of-town visitors to our community," he said. "Give them a greater reason to spend more time here. Get them in your shops. Get them in your restaurants. Get them to spend money."
Cuero Chamber of Commerce director Kay Lapp agreed the museum could be beneficial to Cuero.
"The museum board has worked tremendously hard to bring this project to life," Lapp said. "It will be a wonderful asset to Cuero and the entire county. Its tourism potential is tremendous."
The board - which is all volunteer - hasn't acted alone, Oliver emphasized.
"This is a very ambitious project for a town this size," Oliver said, adding that when everything is completed it could well be a $4 million project. "We've been very successful so far in securing grants thanks in part to the city of Cuero, which sponsors our grant applications."
The Cuero Development Corporation also provided $25,000 in seed money for the project. "They put faith and trust in this project," Oliver said.
Oliver also praised the county's courthouse restoration efforts, which will go hand-in-hand with the new museum only blocks away.
"We feel like the county has done an incredible job with the restoration of the courthouse. We're hoping with this building up and running and with the courthouse restoration, we can bring Cuero into the fold as a tourist destination," said Oliver.
He also thanked those who have purchased memberships to the museum.
"We thank you for your help, and we thank you for your membership," he said. "When we apply for grants, we need to show broad support for the project, and all of you are part of that."
Kerry Rhotenberry praised the project.
"They are doing a good job of laying the groundwork for future tourism and economic development in Cuero. We bought a building down the street, just because it's close to this museum," she said.
Rhotenberry, who is also a grant consultant hired by the museum's board, is putting in an art gallery three doors down from the museum site.
Oliver said the museum project, which has been ongoing since 2000, will hopefully be completed by 2008.
"A lot of it will depend on how successful we are with grant applications," he said. "There's still a lot of work to do."
Oliver said the board continues to be active in seeking grants from a variety of sources including the Texas Department of Transportation and Preserve America. One of the museum's major fundraisers, Taste of the Trail III, is scheduled for November.
The Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum is being constructed in the renovated Knights of Pythias Hall, or Jewel Lodge, in the 300 block on North Esplanade Street.
The structure was built by the Knights of Pythias in 1903. Designed by San Antonio architect James Warhenberger, the two-story, 10,000-square-foot building features some of the architect's creative use of brick work in Romanesque Revival style.
The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Texas Historical Commission has awarded the property a registered Texas Historic Landmark status.
The museum board is also committed to collecting and preserving artifacts and memorabilia relating to Texas' rich ranching history and agricultural past focusing on the 50-year period beginning when local cowboy Crockett Cardwell teamed up with Thornton Chisholm on a now legendary cattle drive on April 1, 1866. That first drive, along what would become known as the Chisholm Trail, took more than seven months to complete. When it ended, 1,800 head of Texas longhorn cattle were in St. Joseph, Missouri. In 2001, the Texas House of Representatives officially recognized Cuero as a starting point for the Chisholm trail.
The Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum is a nonprofit endeavor. Memberships are available, including individual membership for $25. Membership dues and gifts are tax deductible. Contact the museum at P.O. Box 866, Cuero, Texas 77954. Visit the Web site at chisholmtrailmuseum.org or call 830-236-5533.
· Sonny Long is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact him at 361-275-6319 or cueroadv@vicad.com, or comment on this story at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.
[Article by Sonny Long originally appeared in the Victoria Advocate,
Tuesday, May 16, 2006. Used with expressed permission.]
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