Washington Hotel, the research continues

The Washington Hotel was a fixture in Burton from the late 1880s to the 1930s. You heard me right. Burton had a hotel. And it might have actually had two. But back to the focus for this blog post. The Washington Hotel sat on Block 30 lots 11 and 12 from around 1885 to the early 1940s. It was a two-story building and in addition to the rooms for guests it had a dining room, a “drummers” room (for traveling salesman), a kitchen and a bathroom (for bathing only). It is believed that owner/operators who ran it for the longest time were Mr. and Mrs. John Schwendener (for 25 years!). Despite what some have said about the hotel, it did not burn down. It was actually torn down after having sat vacant for years and the lumber was used in other building projects. We continue to look for more information AND pictures/memories of this great part of Burton history so let us know if have anything that will help!

Snowy pictures and a church

Don’t you just love searching through old pictures and all the stories they hold? We do too! But at times, we have to remember that sometimes when searching for those images, our point of interest might actually be in the background! As an example, take this beautiful, snowy day picture taken of Mildred Buck Tonn in 1940s, Burton, Texas. Mildred’s family was recording one of those rare, snow days for the region and might not have given much thought to the background. But, to those of us searching for as many images as possible of the Burton Baptist Church— this was a treasure!

Prior to finding this jewel, our oldest images of the church, dated to the 1970s (many of those taken by Annie Maud Avis during her work on her first volume of the History of Burton). So with this find, our hope was renewed that more images are out there—- we just need to find them! And of course, part of any search for images or history IS persistence. So since this find was definitely a “few minutes ago”… we are on the hunt again and asking for your help. Please contact us via email, FB or phone and let us know if you know of any possible images or others who might be able to help. Thanks and good luck with your own snowy pictures and searches!

A Fitting Day for Texas Ranger Day for 2018

We feel that this year's Texas Ranger Day falls on a particularly fitting day... St. Patrick's Day.  Why, you might ask?  Because of the heritage of this man...

Leander Harvey McNelly.

McNelly was born March 12, 1844 to parents Owen and Mary Katherine Killian McNelly in Brooke County, Virginia. Around 1832, Owen and Mary had migrated to Virginia from Newry, County Down, Ireland.  In 1859, Leander's older brother Peter J. came to Texas and specifically Washington County to raise sheep. By 1860, McNelly had joined his family in the Burton area. McNelly's military career included service in the Civil War, as a captain in the Texas state military police of the Reconstruction-era, and as head of a special force known as the "Washington County  Volunteers."  McNelly returned to Burton throughout his career and at the end of his life.  He is buried at Mt. Zion Cemetery.

In 1983, the Burton Heritage Society began Texas Ranger Day as a way to honor McNelly and the history of the Texas Rangers.  So this year in addition to honoring his connection with the Texas Rangers, we can also honor his Irish heritage!  So come join us Sat. March 17th from Noon to 5pm at the Burton Railroad Depot & Museum for a day of food, fun and history.

History of Burton and Annie Maud Avis--still keeping history alive

Burton history and Annie Maud Avis

In our opinions, the best source of information on Burton history includes the two volumes of the "History of Burton" written by Annie Maud Avis.  Annie Maud (and her family) worked many years to research and print both books and to this day, they are still the best overall sources for images and information on Burton community history. 

I know personally, that I reference it so many times throughout the month for both research for the heritage society and in working with visitors at the museum.  For many years, you were only able to purchase Volume II but we are thrilled to share that thanks to the hard work of Tommy and Gladys Avis, Volume I has been reprinted and that you can now purchase a copy of that as well.  For more information and to buy either (or both), please contact Tommy Avis directly at 979-203-0340.  Volume I sells for $60 and Volume II $45---or $100 for both.  Please note that if shipping is required, that is not included in the above prices.

So please consider adding this wonderful source of Burton history to your personal collection and joining us in the efforts to research and document more of our great history!

 

A new era for Mt. Zion Historical Chapel

The pews sit empty.  Their worn handrails and high seat backs have seen many years of life, death and everything in between.  Their construction is simple and unassuming... not unlike the entire structure.  But despite their overall simplicity, they each convey a power and sense of history that one can feel when walking in the front doors.

This, one of the oldest former church structures left in the Burton community sits awaiting its next chapter of life.  Thanks to the countless work through the past 34 years, a few devoted volunteers have paved the way for this new era and the Burton Heritage Society wants to carry that wonderful legacy forward.  Please help us make THIS the year we restore the structure and ensure its survival for generations to come!

And you have a great opportunity to help by coming out to Burton on March 11 for Texas Ranger Day... our annual fundraiser where ALL funds will go to restore this historic gem.  Visit our "celebrate" tab for all the event details!  

See you soon!

Gravestone studies at Mt. Zion?

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I initially assumed that this was simply a reference to heaven but thought it might be interesting to start digging a little deeper.   A quick online search reveals two great websites, Texas Gravestone Studies (TGS) and the Association for Gravestone Studies (AGS).  It turns out that TGS is actually a state chapter for the larger, national AGS.  And both of these groups are devoted to the “appreciation of the cultural significance of gravestones and burial grounds through their study and preservation.”  So back to our topic at hand (oops, sorry for that pun), information on some of the different symbols that can be seen throughout the cemetery.

Hello again!  With this entry, I want to continue with some of the wonderful symbolism to be found throughout Mt. Zion Cemetery.   I so enjoyed my last venture and taking photos of all of the different symbols that adorn the gravestones and decided that this topic definitely deserves more attention AND what better time to dive into this than right before our upcoming event?  So here goes.

When you wander around at Mt. Zion Cemetery, you will notice several with variations of a finger pointing upward.   

The weeping willow - mourning and sorrow.

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Luckily for us, AGS has posted a list of the common symbols for the 19th Century and here are a few examples that are found at Mt. Zion:

The pointing finger - “gone home, until we meet again (in heaven), with Jesus, Jesus calls, heavenly sleep, departed, no longer on earth.”

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The bible - religious faith.

Angels - “symbolic messengers between God and man.”

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Gates - “portals to the promised land; entry into the kingdom of heaven.”

As with many things, especially in the area of historical research, the list is meant to offer possible meanings for the symbols and as Jessie Lie Ferber notes, “There is more than one interpretation for some symbols so interpretations must be used as possibilities, not certainties.”

So with this great list, I will continue to explore the symbols that can be found at Mt. Zion and hopefully unlock more and more of the mysteries at this wonderful historic treasure in our community!

The church and its story continues...

I would like to pick up where our blog left off a few weeks ago... with the "adventures" of our little white church as of 1880-1881.  According to the Brenham Weekly Banner dated May 18, 1881, the church had been rebuilt in Burton and was to be dedicated.  And for those of you wondering, yes, the church got their lovely organ!  :)

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But of course, the story doesn't stop there.  From 1881 to 1900, the church served the Burton Baptist congregation for services, weddings, funerals and the community as well.  Other churches even used the building for services during their own construction projects.  Then not quite 20 years after the church's move into Burton, it is faced with another challenge---the 1900 storm.  Many of you have probably read about the terrible storm that hit Galveston on September 6, 1900 where 6,000 people (and more) were lost.  But some might not know that the storm was felt as far inland as Burton and Brenham.  Our little white church was also not immune to the storm and its wrath.

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According to the church minutes, the storm "blew off the building's roof" and it had to be replaced.  As of 16 years later, the building still suffered from damages caused by the storm and on October 1st, 1916, the church decided to rebuild.  Local builders, A.G. Homeyer and Will H. Weeren of Burton Lumber Company were given the contract to build and work began and was completed by 1917.

We currently have no pictures of the building in those years.  Our earliest glimpse of the building actually dates to the early 1940s after a rare snowfall in Burton.  Luckily, Miss Mildred Buck chose to pose in her front yard facing the church and thanks to her we have this lovely gem to share!

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From 1917 to 1983, the little church would remain at this site in Burton and serve for countless church services, church revivals with visiting preachers, weddings, funerals, anniversaries, through three wars, as extra school space during Burton School construction, for summer Vacation Bible School and much, much more.  It truly served its community and congregation well.  And while all of the other church buildings in town would be dismantled during these years, our little white church would not.  Thanks to the Burton Baptist Church/ First Baptist Church of Burton, it served them until 1982-1983 and was donated to the Burton Heritage Society to begin its NEXT chapter!

And that almost brings us full circle (whew! a bit of a whirlwind) as we prepare for Texas Ranger Day on March 12th and raising the much-needed funds to restore this hardworking part of our community!  So come join us and become a part of this most exciting chapter in the story of Mt. Zion Historical Chapel!

Oh how the plot thickens...

So as I was writing the short blog entry last week about lovely Mt. Zion Historical Chapel... I remembered a blog post from our previous website and wanted to share it again.  It ties in pretty perfectly with this current post as it shows a bit more about the history of Mt. Zion Baptist Church... the church that would have been built here sometime in the 1850s.   My "funny" (or not so funny) ;/ blog title here will be more clear when you read on... (at least I hope).

Texas Ranger Day and church "revival?"

With all of our plans for the rapidly approaching Texas Ranger Day on March 12th, it's easy to get caught up in all our visions of tasty fajitas, fresh gunsmoke fired by the Old West Rangers, music and MORE.  

But for many of us, the real beacon that drives this event is the little, white church that sits quietly a few miles from Burton at one of our community's oldest cemeteries and final resting place for Captain Leander McNelly.  That church is the Mt. Zion Historical Chapel.  You see, this chapel and the cemetery are actually part of the reason our group formed in 1973.  

So it is only fitting that with each Texas Ranger Day ALL proceeds go into  the fund to restore this piece of our history for generations to come!

The church structure has an amazing history and roots that we can't even begin to explain with this short post but we hope you will peruse our pages and read its history and of some of our other lovely historical gems.

New website adventure!

Hello fellow Burton history lovers!

We are very excited to be working on a totally new website.  We will have more wonderful Burton history, more pictures and of course, more information on our current exciting projects and how you can be part of it!  In the meantime, please check our Facebook page for current info.  If you have questions, don't hesitate to email us at burtondepot@burtonheritagesociety.org or call 979-353-0050 and leave us a message.  Please check back very soon for our progress.

Thanks for your support and talk to you soon!

Your friends at the Burton Heritage Society