ORDER NO. 31587 ANNUAL REPORT FROM KERR COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND LIST OF MEMBERS Came to be heard this the 11th day of January, 2010, with a motion made by Commissioner Letz, seconded by Commissioner Williams, the Court unanimously approved by a vote of 4-0-0 to: Approve annual report from the Kerr County Historical Commission and approve list of Members. 1-`~ COMMISSIONERS' COURT AGENDA REOUEST PLEASE FURNISH ONE ORIGINAL AND ONE COPY OF THIS REQUEST AND DOCUMENTS TO BE REVIEWED BY THE COURT. MADE BY: Comm. Baldwin MEETING DATE: January 11, 2010 OFFICE: County Commissioner TIME PREFERRED: SUBJECT: Consider, discuss and take appropriate action on annual report from the Kerr County Historical Commission; and approve list of members. EXECUTIVE SESSION REQUESTED: (PLEASE STATE REASON) NAME OF PERSON ADDRESSING THE COURT: Comm. Baldwin ESTIMATED LENGTH OF PRESENTATION: IF PERSONNEL MATTER -NAME OF EMPLOYEE: Time for submitting this request for Court to assure that the matter is posted in accordance with Title 5, Chapter 551 and 552, Government Code, is as follows: Meeting scheduled for Mondays: 5:00 P.M. previous Tuesday. THIS REQUEST RECEIVED BY: THIS REQUEST RECEIVED ON: All Agenda Requests will be screened by the County Judge's Office to determine if adequate information has been prepared for the Court's formal consideration and action at time of Court Meetings. Your cooperation will be appreciated and contribute towards you request being addressed at the earliest opportunity. See Agenda Request Rules Adopted by Commissioners' Court. Kerr County Commissioner's Court needs to approve/appoint the following list of members for 2010 Ann Bethel, Sue Dyke, Haskell Fine, Julius Neunhoffer, Bill Rector, Julia Stehling, Irene Van Winkle, Lew Williams and Mindy Wendele, Wilma Teague, Linda Nielson, Larry Welty and Carol Darling were nominated as new members. The slate of all the above were approved Texas Local Government Code § 318.008 mandates a county historical commission make an annual report of its activities and recommendations to the commissioners court and to the Texas Historical Commission before the end of each calendar year. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This year saw a renewed interest by members of the KCHC in fulfilling our state- mandated purpose of preserving our county's historic cultural resources. Providing our citizens and visitors access to records of our cultural resources headlined our activities. The archives and artifacts collected by the KCHC over its thirty-four years of existence are now available for the public's education and enjoyment. This year-long effort of inventorying, cataloging and protecting holdings for preservation ended in early September when the William M. Logan Library at Schreiner University accepted the long-term loan of the KCHC archives into their Special Collection Library. These holdings include over 8000 pages of historical marker narratives, oral histories, books, pamphlets, records of KCHC and private projects to preserve the county's history and Kerr County historical heritage information. Of keen interest are the audio and video recordings of oral histories which benefit researchers and descendants of county citizens who have contributed their memories of early Kerr County activities to our collection. In addition to offering the archives and artifacts to the public, we completed the digitization of the Kerr County Album. This book, compiled and published by the KCHC in 1986, is long out-of-print and in high demand by interested Kerr County researchers and descendants of families chronicled within its 548 pages. The digitized copies will be made available on the Internet by the William M. Logan Library. We revamped our meetings to shift the focus from a business meeting format to concentrate on member and visitor education. Historical or preservation-related programs are now offered at each meeting. Topics thus far include Preservation of Kerr County Cemeteries, Kerrville's Main Street Program, a field trip and historical background presentation on Polly's Chapel, Texas Indian Depredations and planned development for the Kerr Regional History Center as part of the Butt-Holdsworth Library renovation. KCHC 2009 Annual Report A long-standing way of reaching the public is through evolving displays in the courthouse lobby. This year exhibits covered Indigenous Peoples of Kerr County, Cypress Creek Community Centennial Celebration and Historical Markers and Cemeteries. The annual exhibit at the Kerr Arts and Cultural Center featured What to Wear in the 1800s. This professional display of clothing and accessories gathered many visitors and positive comments. We continued our historical marker and oral history programs with recognition of several historic sites and notable county citizens that have contributed to the county's heritage. Relocation of three historical markers to the south entrance of the courthouse created a visually appealing approach by visitors to the courthouse. Renewed emphasis on local news media announcements of opportunities for the public to attend and participate in our activities is reaping dividends with increased attendance by the public and members at each event. Another focus area for reaching the public is a totally re-designed website and a presence on Facebook. In April, the Texas Historical Commission, bestowed KCHC member Irene Van Winkle with its annual "Award of Excellence in Media Achievement" for her Family Chronicle articles published weekly in the West Kerr Current. This award promotes excellence in reporting by print or electronic media on preservation and/or heritage tourism issues, increasing awareness of the state's historic and prehistoric resources. This report of KCHC activities during 2009 describes activities completed by committees and special projects undertaken during the year. The report concludes with lists of awards received, officers and members, and a chronological list of KCHC events. Archives. In January the commissioners court and Schreiner University signed an agreement for the long-term loan of the KCHC archives and artifacts to the William M. Logan Library at the university. This partnership agreement stimulated the final actions needed to fully inventory and document all of the KCHC holdings. Thirty-four years of accumulated background for historical markers, oral histories of notable Kerr County citizens, news articles, reports of commission and community projects and books make up the archives. Artifacts represent primarily the City of Kerrville, Kerr County and Texas Centennial and Sesquicentennial celebrations. The staff at the William M. Logan Library guided us with instruction in preservation techniques and cataloging. The transfer took effect in early September when the Library opened its doors to public to enjoy the KCHC Special Collection in both digital and hard copy formats. A brochure describing the content of the archives and procedures to gain access was published in conjunction with the Kerrville Convention and Visitors' Bureau. KCHC 2009 Annual Report 2 Donations to the archives of books, news articles and artifacts reached a level unprecedented over the past decade. We attribute this to increased awareness of the commission's action to make our archives and artifacts holdings available to the public. We converted the printed pages of the Kerr County Album to digital images for posting on the Internet by the William M. Logan Library. This 548-page history of Kerr County families, schools, hospitals, war veterans, churches, cemeteries and much more of Kerr County's heritage has been much sought after by researchers. There was only one printing of the book and it was sold-out before its initial distribution. Making this book available to the public is a major achievement of the KCHC. We will publicize and track the use of this treasure. We continue to use the room in the basement of the courthouse that was used to house the archives prior to the move to the university's library. This room is now used to store the KCHC photographic collection. That collection will move to the university during 2010. The courthouse commission room is now arranged as a workroom for multiple commission projects. Historical Markers. The KCHC hosted dedication ceremonies for the Mary Ann Kent Byas Chambers Morris "Daughter of the Alamo" historical marker and the Old Spanish Trail historical marker. The citizens of Kerr County supported these ceremonies with their attendance and participation. The Texas Historical Commission (THC) approved markers for the Masonic Building, Apelt Armadillo Farm, Great Western Trail, and Old Spanish Trail this year. Additionally, the THC approved astate-funded marker recognizing the Penataka Comanche for placement at Camp Verde. The marker on Hwy 27 near the airport commemorating the Founding of Kerr County was moved to the south entrance of the courthouse. This marker was originally placed there by the State in 1936 to celebrate the State Centennial. At the time of its placement, the site was the main entrance to Kerrville from the east. With the construction of I-10, the primary entrance is now from the north. Two other markers, James Ken- and Ken- County Early Settlers, were moved from the southeast corner of the courthouse square to flank the Founding of Kerr County marker at the south entrance. Our application to move the Camp Verde CSA marker from the southwest corner of the courthouse square to Camp Verde is pending with TXDoT. The two markers near the headquarters buildings of the YO Ranch, Remount Station and First School House, thought to have been destroyed in the May fire at the YO Ranch in fact escaped any damage and as they were not mounted on the fire-destroyed buildings. As we began the year, an inventory of our historical marker files revealed we were missing one quarter of the marker justification narrative documents. The THC was very cooperative and reproduced all of the missing documentation for our archives. We have submitted a marker application for Notre Dame Catholic Church. KCHC 2009 Annual Report 3 Oral Histories. We finalized oral histories for Frances "Fuzzy" and Nell Swayze and John Ike Walton. In editing are interviews with James Avery, Lee Mosty and Mary Ayala Garza. The commission's oral history interviews began in the late 1990s. Those interviews were recorded on the audio and video medium that was available at that time. This year we contracted with a local vendor to preserve those cassette tape recordings by transferring them to CD (audio) and DVD (video) discs. These steps also allow the public to more easily hear and view them on equipment that is readily available today. We re-located our oral history files and equipment from the Carriage House on the Butt- Holdsworth Library property to the courthouse workroom. This consolidation of our holdings eased our inventorying and transfer of the archives to the William M. Logan Library. Exhibits. In February, the KCHC presented What to Wear in the 1800s as our annual exhibit at the Kerr Arts and Cultural Center. A reception with members from the Sons of the Republic of Texas, Daughters of the American Revolution and Sons of Confederate Veterans outfitted in period costume, created a venue for positive publicity for the KCHC. Exhibits in the courthouse lobby featured Indigenous Peoples of Kerr County, Cypress Creek Community Centennial Celebration, and Historical Markers and Cemeteries. Cemeteries. The KCHC completed a survey of known Kerr County cemeteries to gather new photos, driving directions and GPS coordinates. We collaboratively added this new documentation to the vast collection of existing Kerr County cemetery information found on the privately maintained Kerr County Genealogy webpage. We published a brochure, Kerr County Cemeteries, summarizing information on the 45 Kerr County cemeteries with joint funding from the KCHC and the Kerrville Convention and Visitors Bureau. In April, we presented Preservation of Kerr County Cemeteries at a cemetery workshop sponsored by the Hill Country Trail coordinator. Publicity. Activities of the KCHC attracted good publicity in the local newspapers this year beginning in January with the archive transfer agreement signing and closely followed in February with the What to Wear in the 1800s exhibit. These press occasions were soon followed by notice of the Preservation of Kerr County Cemeteries presentation at the Texas Hill County Trails workshop, aKCHC-guided field trip to Polly's Chapel and local resident, Sybil Sutherland's, presentation at a KCHC meeting of Texas Indian Depredations. The rotating exhibits in the lobby of the courthouse earned publicity for the Historical Markers and Cemeteries of Kerr County and the Ayala Family exhibits. The transfer of the archives to the William M. Logan Library in September was publicized and the first visitors appeared the week the article was published. In October the West Kerr Current featured coverage of the new KCHC website and the archive availability to the public for research and enjoyment. KCHC 2009 Annual Report 4 Web Site. A totally new KCHC web site was launched in September. This site has many links to data on the county's historical markers and to abstract of oral histories. There is a new selection of photos of historic Kerr County and a newly crafted Kerr County historical perspective garnered from Kerr County history books. The web master has received multiple inquiries from the public related to the work of the commission which proves the public is visiting the website. The commission is experimenting with a presence on FaceBook to offer a forum for discussing and sharing information on Kerr County's history. Archeology. The University of Texas at San Antonio Center for Archaeological Research Center accepted artifacts and records left in the archives several years ago by Bobby Rector. The Center will curate the items from a survey performed by Bobby Rector in Kerr County. Union Church. The plan to erect a fence and landscape the Union Church was scaled back with the support and agreement of the Friends of the KCHC. The initial phase of the project includes a more limited section of fencing than previously planned and less landscaping. The City of Kerrville granted a building permit for the project in September. Special Projects. We completed a major re-write of the Bylaws of the KCHC to bring them into compliance with the Texas Local Government Code. The THC provided us a bylaw template based on the Code plus lessons learned by other county historical commissions. Three noteworthy changes made were: 1) delete Associate and Emeritus categories of membership; 2) allow the membership to elect officers vice gaining commissioners court approval of individuals to fill those positions; and 3) the Vice Chairman now also serves as the Program Chair to arrange preservation-related programs for each meeting. We published the first KCHC Member Handbook to assist new members in quickly becoming contributing members. This handbook project involved multiple members writing and editing the content that mirrors the updated bylaws and explains the purpose of the KCHC plus covers policies, procedures, responsibilities and lists previously completed projects. Awards KCHC 2009 Annual Report 5 Officers and Members ~ Chairman ~~• Joe Luther Vice Chairman Sue D ke 2" Vice Chairman Julie Leonard Secreta Francelle Collins Treasurer Julia Stehlin The Chairman took a medical leave of absence in April. Sue Dyke became the Interim Chairman. In August, the commissioners court removed Joe Luther as a commission member. Raul Arreola .- ~~• ... - . ... Vicki Love Clarabelle Snod rass Ann Bethel Julius Neunhoffer Jeanne Sutton Ann Branson Paul Parks Francis Swa ze Joe Burkett William Rector Lanza Tea ue Cliff Caldwell Laura Rhodes Irene Van Winkle Brenda Crai Bob Rizzari Kathleen Walker Haskell Fine B ant Saner Ter Wallace Wanda Henderson Thornton Secor Jeanie Webb Robert Love Dell Sheftall Mind Wendele Lew Williams Activities sponsored through-out the year are summarized below: • .. . ~ ~~• January • Commissioners Court and Schreiner University sign agreement for long-term loan of KCHC archives and artifacts to the William M. Logan Library • Courthouse Exhibit: Indi enous Peoples of Kerr Count February Presentation: Document, Photographic, and Fabric Preservation Techni ues March • KACC Exhibit: What to Wear in the 1800s • Courthouse Exhibit: Cypress Creek Community • Morris Marker dedication ceremon at Nichols Cemete April • KACC exhibit reception • THC Awards presented at THC Convention • Kerr Count Cemeteries brochure ublished KCHC 2009 Annual Report g • Hill Country Trail Workshop Presentation: Kerr County Cemete Preservation May • Presentation: Kerr County Cemeteries • Oral Histories transferred to courthouse KCHC workroom June Courthouse Exhibit: Historical Markers and Cemeteries July • Field tip to Polly's Chapel with presentation of Polly's life histo August . Presentation: The Way Ahead for KCHC • Oral Histo recordin s transferred to di ital media September Archives transferred to Schreiner University • KCHC Archives brochure published • New website unveiled • Presentation: Texas Indian De redations October Presentation: Butt-Holdsworth Library Planning • B laws revised and ado ted November • KCHC Member Handbook distributed December • Old Spanish Trail historical marker dedicated • Kerr Count Album available on Internet You may address questions on this report to Sue Dyke, Kerr County Historical Commission (KCHC) Interim Chairwoman at sudiescoCa~windstream.net Respectfully submitted, Sue Dyke KCHC, Interim Chairwoman KCHC 2009 Annual Report 7