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A Museum of History and Art in historic Lipscomb, Texas
Map 13310 Highway 305 · P.O. Box 5
Lipscomb, Texas 79056
806-852-2123
staff@wolfcreekheritagemuseum.org
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August 28, 2011

WOLF CREEK HERITAGE MUSEUM NOTES
by Virginia Scott

MUSEUM HAPPENINGS

A good week, I caught up with my desk and email. On Wednesday, we worked on our collection of military uniforms. We have a great collection thanks to all of you. We moved them from hangers to an archival storage box which will preserve them safely. We continue to work on our photograph collection. Dorothy, Lovella, and Ann are working on the framed collection now. They are beginning to think that they will never see the end of this project. Georgia is coming to a close on her project with our glass slides from Kelo Mugg. Kelo was a pharmacist in Lipscomb and Higgins in the early 1900's and his slide collection reveals some of the early citizens and towns in Lipscomb county.

I forgot to mention last week that George Schoenhals collection of Avon cars is for sale so if you are a collector come visit and make us an offer.

This is the last week of August and Camille Harrelson's exhibit will come to a close on Wednesday and Amy Winton will set up her exhibit at the end of the week. Amy's exhibit will last the month of September and October. Her reception will be September 18, 2011 at 2 pm so mark your calendar.

HISTORICAL MUSINGS

One of late summers pleasures is watermelon. All of us probably have a watermelon story conveying the obtaining an illegal melon to watermelon fights. On such adventure was preserved for us in the Prairie Dog.

On September 2, 1965, Jewell LaGeal Dixon wrote as the Prairie Dog about the watermelon adventure that occurred after an August birthday in Higgins. It seemed that the Landers family had a nice watermelon patch and the teenagers of Higgins could not resist a visit. Mr. Dixon offers this description : "It was a lovely moonlit night and the walk was not long. In due time each boy was holding the barbed strands apart for the girls to get through without damage to the long skirts which young ladies wore at that time over white petticoats. Warned by John to not tread on the vines and to select only melons which "thumped" with a bass pitch instead of high soprano, the young fellows invaded the patch while the young ladies waited for them to fetch a nice juicy melon.... Whether Mr. Landers heard some coyotes near the house or the noise of the young people's banter and laughter was never determined. At any rate, right in the middle of the watermelon gathering, Mr. Lander pointed his 12 gauge, double barreled shotgun at the sky and let go with both barrels. Whether it was guilty consciences or that strange urge which cattle, sheep, and humans have to stampede which caused the panic which beset those who were in the watermelon patch will never be known, but it happened. When that shotgun bellowed, everyone, as frightened individuals, made a blind rush for the fence and there was no holding down taut wires this time. Boys and girls got through the fence the best they could, and it is a great wonder that a number were not badly injured, but none were hurt.... For weeks following the wild rush to get through the fence, those driving on the road which ran beside it for some distance could see all sorts of shreds of dry goods and clothing fluttering in the vagrant breezes."

Enjoy the last days of summer since we have been blest with a little rain and a drop in temperature.


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