Monday, February 16, 2015

Whitehead Memorial Museum - 2/15/15

The Whitehead Memorial Museum was established in 1962 to preserve historical artifacts of the early history and culture of Del Rio and Val Verde County in Texas. It is the only public museum in the county.


There are 21 exhibit sites on 2 acres of land. Following are photos from some of them.

The entrance to the museum is through the Perry Store, a 140-year old building, that houses a small gift shop along with artifacts from earlier times. The second floor of the building was the living quarters and houses many artifacts of the period. The kitchen was outside.



Armadillo lamp.
Jail.

Replica of Judge Roy Bean's saloon and court can be found in this 109 year-old building. The original building is located in Langtry, TX, about 120 miles from here.


Roy Bean, known as the only "Law West of the Pegos," and his son, Sam, are both buried here.


Dr. Simon Rodriquez was the first Mexican physician in Del Rio where he practiced for many years. The building is 105-years old and houses many medical artifacts of the era.



Blacksmith shop.

Log cabin (the building is 86-years old). Check out the screened-in crib to keep insects and other creatures out!


White salmon-crested cockapoo, 40 years old, named Casper.


Gold and blue macaw, Bo. He likes females (first photo he is posing for me). He dislikes mails (second photo he is intimidating John!)


The Cadena Nativity is a cultural folk art exhibit that is comprised of 1,287 pieces and is 32' long, 20' deep, and 10' high. It's amazing!


Equipment from the winery that is located nearby, Val Verde Winery. It is the oldest winery in Texas.


Barb wire and antique sewing machine collection.


This piece of art made entirely of rattles (from rattlesnakes). Now that's a lot of snakes!

Two-headed sheep!
Livery stable.


Train depot and 1945 caboose.



La Zappa Chapel was built in honor of 300 years of Spanish influence on Christianity in the area. It is an active chapel where weddings are still held.


Admission to the Museum is $5/adult. We went on a Sunday afternoon and there were very few people there. We basically ended up with a personal tour by an individual that works there. He provided lots of interesting information and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit and made a donation at the end. There are many more exhibits than I have covered here.

There are many amazing artifacts at this place, but it definitely could use a good cleaning in most areas. Nonetheless, it gave me a good understanding of the culture of this part of Texas.

Website:  www.whiteheadmuseum.org

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