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Inquiring
at the office of the Fayette County Record for a progress report on the
status of the Burnam’s Ferry Centennial Marker, reporter-at-large Pancho Howze
acknowledged our request by picking up his telephone and dialing Tom Muras, County
Commissioner for southern Fayette County and a walking encyclopedia of information
on the region.
Twenty-five minutes later, we were in Schulenburg
(at an undisclosed location) being guided to a corrugated metal barn. Once within
the building, our blindfold was removed and we saw the well-traveled marker, lying
in meditative anticipation of its rededication – now scheduled for late summer/
early fall of 2011.
The marker lay on what appeared to be an antique cart
similar to those once used at railroad depots across the country. It was under
a plastic sheet – not unlike a body lying on a cooling board, waiting to be identified
by next of kin. |
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A recent
inscription on the front mentions its relocation, but the old inscription
is hidden from view on the back – waiting for the big unveiling.
After
respectfully photographing the stiff, cold slab of granite, we were invited to
an office where we got to meet Tom Muras, who now has the additional responsibility
of protecting the marker until its placement.
With his tongue firmly in
cheek, he informed us that he doesn’t anticipate any “trouble” from Colorado County,
but just to be safe, he might request a few guards armed with BB guns.
The
rest of the all-too-short visit was spent swapping stories about the towns of
Dubina, Ammannsville,
and Schulenburg, and topics
ranging from Preservation to vandalism.
He revealed secrets of the famed “Piano
Bridge” and how times are changing in this region that has successfully (and
politely) resisted change for so many decades.
That’s about all that can
be said of the marker until the final installment of this saga – which will be
the physical installment of the marker.
Although the marker commemorates
the ferry crossing at the nearby Colorado River, it is being placed alongside
FM 155, the connecting road between Weimar
and La Grange, where it will be seen
by hundreds of people weekly. This is probably a bigger audience than the total
of all the people who have seen the marker at its previous site over all the years
it was there.
July
2011 Update |
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Site of Burnham's Ferry Texas Centennial Marker
TE Photo, July 2011 |
Texas
Escapes, in its purpose to preserve historic, endangered and vanishing
Texas, asks that anyone wishing to share their local history, stories, and vintage/historic
photos of their town/subject, please contact
us. | | |
