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Location:
703 Buchanan
Drive -- Highway 29 West
The main entrance faces Highway 29 and contains the gift shop,
exhibits, and reception area for the beginning of tours.
[Photo of marker and
inside museum]
Hours:
10 a.m. to 5
p.m., Thursday, Friday and Saturday,
from April thru September (Labor Day)
Admission: Free,
donations gratefully accepted
Group Tours:
Please call in
advance to schedule group tours - (512) 756-8281
Features:
Over 1,200
items of early history are on display in the museum. On the grounds,
one can visit a blacksmith shop, a county iron pavillion, stage stop
house, old powder house, Fry Family Cabin, Kincheloe Family Cabin,
Vandeveer Family Cabin, a syrup making shop, and see old time farm
equipment.
Stage Stop
House. The home of
Constantine Foster was originally built just East of Hamilton Creek
while the Fort was still active. It is traditionally known as the
"Stagecoach House" and is believed to have been so used. Inside is a
desk made at Mormon Mills in 1854, an old tobacco cutter, 1865 coffee
mill, sythes, chairs, tables, iron kitchenware, a set of wagon repair
tools, and more.
Old Powder
House.
Traditionally known as the "old powder house", this building was
erected at its present location. During the War Between the States,
local people made gun-powder and stored it here for pick up by C.S.A.
wagons. See old crocks and wooden buckets, a shingle cutter, beer
capper, black powder barrels, mini-ball and musket ball boxes, cotton
scales and other items.
Fry Cabin. The "Old Fry House" was built about 1856 by William
Perry. Later it was the home of John W. fry and his family of 10
children, and also of Aaron Fry and his family of 11 children,
including Roy Fry, first chairman of the Board of Directors of the
Lower Colorado River Authority. See a wooden cradle, wash pots, 1880
sewing machine, dutch oven, old furniture items, Fry family pictures,
and much more.
The "Kincheloe
Cabin" was
constructed by H. C. Allen for Lewis E. Kincheloe, who came to Burnet
County in 1866 and acquired land near the Oatmeal community where
this building was erected. It was moved to this site for preservation
in about 1963. View a handmade bedstead (rope springs) made by
veteran of San Jacinto, bed clothes, spinning wheel, marriage photo
of John Tate Chamberlain and Martha Jane Kincheloe which was in this
cabin of 24 Feb 1870.
Vandeveer
Cabin. Built
before 1855 by Logan Vandeveer for use by his father and family and
located East of Hamilton Creek just North of the Hamilton Creek Plaza
Shopping Center. Moved to the Ft Croghan site in 1973 for
preservation. See an old wheel chair and quilt, split bonnet, irons,
Davis sewing machine, furniture and other small items.
Events:
Ft Croghan
Day, 2nd Saturday, every October. On this day, the local historical groups make every
effort to have one or more persons demonstrate some activity in the
manner it would have been done in the past century, and as much as
possible like it was done in the days when Ft. Croghan was an active
installation. For instance, there will be a lady baking bread in an
old-fashioned wood burning stove, or another churning to make butter,
or a lady crocheting, others knitting, tatting and quilting. There
will be people tending to cows, rabbits, or poultry, goats and pigs
and one or more may be shearing sheep. One or two men will be
demonstrating the blacksmith's work in the blacksmith shop. Others
will be "Killin Hawgs", making lye soap, shelling corn, whittling,
leatherworking, or feeding sorghum cane to the press and boiling the
juice to make molasses.
150th Anniversary.
On June 12, 1999 a ceremony was held
to commemorate 8 soldiers who died at the Fort. A monument was
dedicated to them.
Holiday Special.
Experience
Christmas traditions at Old Fort Croghan the first 2 Saturday nights
in December.
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