By the time I was a junior in high school, I had all the requirements to graduate; but according to my counselor, I lacked the "maturity to thrive in a college setting", and was denied early graduation. So what do you do with a child who's finished all her coursework but isn't grown up enough (granted, I was clueless socially) to move on? Busy work! I had a rousing morning of Journalism, Speech, Drama, and Shop, and an afternoon of playing Docent at Panhandle Plains Historical Museum on the campus of West Texas A&M University. I love this place, spent sooooo many summer days wandering through the exhibits and playing with the ghosts, and there are oh so many ghosts. When you have tons of artifacts from the earliest known inhabitants through modern day, you're going to have a lot of energy. I would love to do a midnight ghost exploration of that place, but I digress.
So, being a history freak, a natural speaker, and good with kiddos, I became one of the elite: a PPHM Docent. Every afternoon, I'd pick up my group of school kids and off we'd go on a tour of the natural, economic, sociological and political history of the High Plains of Texas. You start in the Great Hall, a 2-story freezing cold marble marvel exhibiting the Six Flags of Texas, in order, with wax figures in military uniforms and brief histories of our time under each. Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Confederate (and yeah, the original Rebel flag and not the PC crap the state flies now), and the Stars and Stripes. All well and good, but not the most exciting.
By far, the most enjoyed exhibits were Paleontology, Geology, and supremely, Pioneer Town. I freaking LOVE Pioneer town. Set out like buildings on a main street, you had the barber shop/dentist, the blacksmith's, the general store, bunkhouse, dugout, and upscale abodes, and my favorite, the Saloon/bordello. You'd walk on plank sidewalks, as you peeked in windows of history. There were so many tiny details in each exhibit, you could always find something new. In the middle, outside the General Store, was a working hand water pump and trough. The kids would take turns pumping out the water and realizing that indoor plumbing was a pretty neat thing. The last thing we'd do was mount the kid-size saddle for pictures. It was so much fun getting the giggling kiddos in the saddle for pics, and bigger kids enjoyed it, too.
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| Yee-haw! |
So, if you ever find yourself in Canyon, TX with a few idle hours, head to the museum. I think they've gone to Smart Tours, electronic smart phone things, so you won't have the interactive fun of a real live history buff. But I can guarantee you, the ghosts are still there.
As a fellow history freak I want to say.Excellent article/pictures about PPHM.
ReplyDeleteNot only was it well written.
But there was not one bit of foul language used.Good job Lady!
Griz
I had the same problem in high school. My last 2 years I went to Vo-tech for machine shop and the rest of the day I had electives which were machine shop 3 and 4 and metal working. They finally released me half way through my senior year.In the mean time I kept all the pot heads in pipes courtesy of the schools lathes.
ReplyDeleteAngel, do you know you look like the girl in the Movie "Nerds" that molested Poindexter?
ReplyDeleteHistory? My house is older than your country.
ReplyDeleteDucking and covering as I type.
Lacked the maturity to thrive in a college setting?
ReplyDeleteHoly crap...did they actually say that with a straight face?
Able, the earliest known ruins of the Plains Villagers settlements date back to 1100 A.D. The best known of the local settlements is the Antelope Creek culture centered around the Canadian River valley. Buffalo hunters and farmers, lived in adobe structures that were perfect for the harsh climate, and quarried flint for arrowheads, spear heads, knives and agricultural tools. The Alibates flint was highly valued and used for trade with other tribes, and has been found in archeological sites throughout the Southwest.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, indigenous tribes have roamed the Panhandle Plains for some 10,000 years. You were saying?
Remind me not to annoy you seriously, I was (attempting/succeeding at) being … humorously facetious(?). That put-down … smarted ;)
ReplyDeleteAlthough in my defence I do live in a house built in 1632 (a bit after your country), have some toga wearing guys outhouse remains in one field (circa 128 A.D.). The Wall (128 A.D.) is only half a mile away, an axe factory (6000 B.C.) is just down the road, and there's some fur wearing/blue painted peoples fishing village/beach resort (circa 4000-3300 B.C) near the village, although the village itself wasn't really officially there until 1152 A.D (the rumour that the local pubs pork-pie supplies date from that time are apparently false, the originals were used in the defence against the Scots/Rievers so what you get in your Ploughmans is 'only' from the C15th ).
The local castle 1093, cathedral 1133, restaurant C15th, town hall C17th ….
If you must know, your prehistoric residents probably pre-date ours since most of the area was under 30+ feet of ice until 10000-9000 B.C (there is some evidence between 16000-8000 B.C. On the coast – Late Upper Paleolithic). By the Mesolithic evidence is widespread, and by the Neolithic you have to watch where you walk or you could injure yourself walking into a henge or a stone circle. (remember this is the cold north where even now the weather isn't especially inviting - so a bunch of nomadic masochists?). Add in Bronze, Iron and Roman ages and it's dangerous to step outside your door (especially with all the people wandering about in Lorica Segmentata around here, you 'really don't want to accidentally get poked with a gladius or pilum when buying a loaf of bread or a pint in the pub – and a game of darts can get downright 'exciting' at times – plumbata).
When everywhere you go you have to watch in case you trip over some prehistoric/bronze age/iron age/Roman/middle ages/..... relic/building/site/reenactor you get a bit blasé about it is all.
Able, darlin', don't mess with Texas.
ReplyDelete