Recently the city of Austin held their annual Free Museum Day. This year the wife and I journeyed to Pioneer Farms, as it is known locally. Officially known as the Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farms.
Inscription:
this historic site along Walnut Creek, at the edge of the famous blacklands prairie, originally was home to Native Tonkawa Indians. In the fall of 1844, Texas Ranger Lt. James O. Rice, an Original Austin settler, laid claim to 1,280 acres at the northward crossing of the creek - including the site of pioneer farms.
Eight years later, Frederick and Harriet Bachman Jourdan settled on a portion of that acreage with eight children, eventually amassing a 2,000-acre farm.
Outlaws and marauders menaced the first settlers, many of whom, like the Jourdans, migrated from eastern states. Beginning in the 1850s, immigrants from Germany amd other European countries settled in the areaand founded Dessau, Pfluggerville and other towns. After the Civil War, freedman farmed around the sprinkle community nearby. For a time in the 1870s, the Chisholm Trail traversed the area.
In 1956, the Jourdan grandchildren, Laura and Eugene Giles, donated the core of their ancestors' property to the heritage society of Austin for a park to honor early-day settlers. Dedicated in 1975, the museum now features an architecturally diverse collection of historic buildings, including some of the oldest extant in Texas. Most were moved here to prevent their demolition and ensure their preservation for future generations.
Erected:
1994 by Austin Landmarks
Handicapped Accessibility:
According to the staff and volunteers at the park generally all the buildings except one have ramps. However, the day we were there the ramps had been removed because a film crew was filming the soon to be released indie film "A Relative Stranger."
Location:
What do you think about this attraction?
 |
| photo by Kevin Surbaugh |
Inscription:
this historic site along Walnut Creek, at the edge of the famous blacklands prairie, originally was home to Native Tonkawa Indians. In the fall of 1844, Texas Ranger Lt. James O. Rice, an Original Austin settler, laid claim to 1,280 acres at the northward crossing of the creek - including the site of pioneer farms.
Eight years later, Frederick and Harriet Bachman Jourdan settled on a portion of that acreage with eight children, eventually amassing a 2,000-acre farm.
Outlaws and marauders menaced the first settlers, many of whom, like the Jourdans, migrated from eastern states. Beginning in the 1850s, immigrants from Germany amd other European countries settled in the areaand founded Dessau, Pfluggerville and other towns. After the Civil War, freedman farmed around the sprinkle community nearby. For a time in the 1870s, the Chisholm Trail traversed the area.
In 1956, the Jourdan grandchildren, Laura and Eugene Giles, donated the core of their ancestors' property to the heritage society of Austin for a park to honor early-day settlers. Dedicated in 1975, the museum now features an architecturally diverse collection of historic buildings, including some of the oldest extant in Texas. Most were moved here to prevent their demolition and ensure their preservation for future generations.
 |
| photo by Kevin Surbaugh |
Erected:
1994 by Austin Landmarks
 |
| Greg Valdespino plays the banjo on the porch at Pioneer Farm. photo by Kevin Surbaugh |
Handicapped Accessibility:
According to the staff and volunteers at the park generally all the buildings except one have ramps. However, the day we were there the ramps had been removed because a film crew was filming the soon to be released indie film "A Relative Stranger."
 |
| photo by Kevin Surbaugh |
What do you think about this attraction?
No comments:
Post a Comment