Agriculture and Ranching Exhibit
Commerce Exhibit
Dan Rather Exhibit
Education Exhibit
Entrance Exhibits
Healing Arts Exhibit
Law and Order Exhibit
Marshall and Lillie
Johnson Exhibit Room
Military Exhibit
Oilfield Exhibit
Permanent Collection Exhibits
Religion Exhibit
Sports Champs to Remember Exhibit
Wharton County Junior College Exhibit
Agriculture and Ranching
The small free standing unit hold photos of ranchers and their spreads. This unit features the Stovall Ranch of El Campo, the Boettcher Ranch of East Bernard, the Hudgins Ranch of Hungerford, and the Duncan Ranch of Egypt . These are some of the major Ranches in Wharton County .
The large unit holds old items that were used by early settlers to make life easier. There is a spinning wheel (Miss Nora), old wash boards and clothes wringer, a sewing machine, milk separator, a wood stove, and butter churn. There are a few milk bottles from the old Phenix Dairy which used to be located in Wharton. In front of the wall is a bug catcher used to gather insects from the fields. A blower was located in the center of the unit sucking in the bugs and blow out of the ducts that had sacks attached to each end. On the walls are photos of the various crops and processing units that were located in the county.
In the corner, is an exhibit depicting items from Pierce Ranch, located in Pierce. The ranch was created by A. H. “Shangai” Pierce. Mr. Pierce had three children. A son who died in his early twenties. A daughter who married into the Runnells family of Houston and another daughter who married Laurence Armour, owner of Armour Star Packing Company of Chicago . The Armour family now manage the Ranch in Pierce. The large photo is of the Pierce Hotel located next to the railroad. The hotel had to be demolished due to age but the museum was given a porch column and railing as shown here. The ranch was at one time the largest in the county.
To the right is a machine that was used to process grains and was donated to the museum by the Wearden Feed Mill of Glen Flora. The mill was used up until the time the mill was closed.
Around the corner is an old planting machine, tractor seat, dried sugar cane and a cotton bale with cotton pinking sack and basket.
Commerce Exhibit
The first item that you see in this exhibit is the Old Boling Post Office with General Delivery window as well as individual patron boxes. Also, there are photos of the old Glen Flora Post Office and the old El Campo Post Office interior. Behind that is the operation window of the old Mackay Post Office.
Next is the old Glen Flora Telephone Company switchboard with photos of Efie Thompson who later married Phil Riley and were the owners of the phone company. On the wall behind the switchboard are pictures of the 1913 Wharton Telephone Company and the El Campo Telephone Company.
The file cabinet and early safety deposit boxes came from Security Bank in Wharton.
The next item is an early department store electric cash register. Each sales person had their own cash drawer.
On the wall are photos of various business located in the county.
On the pedestal is an old Courthouse Burroughs adding machine.
On the south wall is 1891 Light Printing Press and a 1903 photo of the Wharton Spectator office. Next to it is a case of typeset used to create the paper's pages and the work station used to set type. At the end of the display are pages from a 1889 Wharton Spectator edition.
The floor display holds photos of more county business and banks. Inside the case is a ledger from the Duncan-Northington General Store in Egypt.
Dan Rather Exhibit
This exhibit contains many items and photographs from Dan's life. He was born in Wharton on October 31, 1931 . The family lived in Wharton a little over a year before moving to Houston .
In the case is a copy of his birth certificate as well as mementos from Helsinki, China , Japan and the United Arab Emirates . Also featured are magazine articles about him and his life as a news correspondent. Special photos show him in Vietnam , Cambodia and Ammon , Jordan . In this case is the record er that he used during many interviews as well various situations.
Education Exhibit
This exhibit starts with the historical marker from the first East Bernard School .
Next, the exhibit features Amanda Watts, the first organizer as well as the being the first teacher for the Wharton School .
Inside the room are photos, certificates and mementos from all of the schools in Wharton County .
The green band uniform comes from the Boling High School .
Entrance Exhibits
Registration Desk Exhibits
The Wharton Brothers… When Wharton County was created; it was formed from portions of Jackson , Matagorda and Colorado Counties . It was named for two brothers prominent in the fight for Texas Independence. William Wharton was a member of the Convention of 1832 and wrote the petition to Mexico asking for statehood and fought at the Battle of San Jacinto. He served as Texas Minister to the United States from 1836 to 1837 and it might be noted that when the Texas Constitution was written, there were 6 copies made and took one of them to Washington to be filed with the U.S. Government. Through the years and for various reasons, all five of Texas ' copies were lost but the one from the U.S. Archives was saved and returned to the State of Texas . He was the first Secretary of War for the Republic of Texas .
The second brother's name was John Wharton and was the Adjutant General to General Sam Houston and participated in the Battle of San Jacinto. He became a member of the first congress of the Republic of Texas .
The county was established in 1846 and was named in these two brother's honor. Note…Neither brother ever lived in Wharton County . On the wall above the desk are pictures of two of their ancestors.
There are two pictures on the wall that depict the Battleship Wharton that served the Republic of Texas .
North Wall
Portrait of Sam Houston, first President of the Republic of Texas
Map of Stephen F. Austin's colonies and book of land grants.
Post West Bernard served as the major armory of the Republic of Texas serving from 1837 to 1839. Provisions were moved there from Camp Bowie, which was the main camp of the Texas Army. The camp was dis- charged by President Houston after a second invasion by the Mexican Army never happened and the area Indians had been dealt with.
Sycamore Grove was the home of the First Lieutenant Governor of Texas , Albert Clinton Horton. The house has been dismantled and the plantation is no longer in existence.
South Wall
The portrait is of Eve Bartlett who was the creator and first director of the Wharton County Historical Museum .
The Indian exhibit represents some of the tools that Indians used in the area.
The large map shows the areas that Indians lived in the State of Texas . The tribes that lived primarily in this region were the Karanakawa and the Tonkawa tribes. They primarily fished and hunted game of the area. In the 1800's, colonist began settling the region and they either moved or were destroyed by disease, starvation or warfare.
Prehistoric relics tell us that large wild animals were in the area, such as the furry mammoth, bison, bears, etc. Longhorn cattle also roamed the gulf coast ranges when the settlers came and their horns were used for utilitarian purposes such as for horn as well as gun powder holders.
The gingerbread houses are from our Annual Gingerbread House exhibit at Christmas time. These were saved because of their historical depiction. The Alamo is naturally a keeper. The upper right is a replica of the Newgulf Baptist Church that was located in Newgulf , Texas and is no longer there. The lower left is the “Burger Buildings” that are located on the east side of the square and courthouse and are still doing business there
North Wall
This exhibit hold the pictures and Biographies of Marshall and Lillie Johnson. It is through their generosity that the land for the museum was given to the County of Wharton for such a facility. Please read their bios.
South Wall
The early county automobile exhibit. During 1907 to 1916, counties issued their own plates. Two Wharton plates are on display. Beginning in 1917, The State of Texas began issuing plates with statewide registration.
Photos show early autos in the county. The brass headlight was generally used on vehicles circa 1900. Note…. Early car wheels had wood spokes instead of metal.
Horton Foote Exhibit…. Horton was born in 1916 and left Wharton as soon as he graduated from high school. He went to study at the Pasadena Playhouse in California to become an actor but soon learned that writing was his true passion. The photos in this exhibit show Horton and his family along with various other aspects of his career. One of the photos shows Steve McQueen and Lee Remick when they were in town to film “ Baby the Rain must fall”. Listed are the works and awards that he has received. Horton still lives in his family home when he is in town.
Healing Arts Exhibit
The first part of the exhibit contains pictures of early Wharton County physicians. Included are pictures of Dr. Leonard Bolton Outlar, Sr. and Dr. William Blair who were the founders of Outlar-Blair Clinic. The large photo is of members of the first county medical association, which was organized in 1899.
The cabinet to the right of this exhibit contains samples of early medicines and instruments (Note the early bronchoscope). Photos on top of the cabinet are of early drugstores. The white cabinet is typical of ones found in early medical offices and contains instruments of that era.
Next is an example of an X-ray machine from the 1940's and equipment found in operating rooms and offices. The bucket on the floor was used to hold blood soaked sponges in the operating room when Dr. Robert B. Caraway began practicing at Gulf Coast Medical Center in 1942.
Uniforms on the wall are typical of nurses and hospital volunteers.
On the wall above the examining table is a picture of Dr. Denis Martin - the first black doctor born in Wharton County . He also practiced in the county.
To the left is a picture of the first infirmary in the county.
A picture of Dr. Vernon A. Black, an ophthalmologist, sits on the Slit Lamp and corneal microscope that he used in his practice at Rugeley and Blasingame Clinic from 1942 until 1976.
Law and Order Exhibit
On the right of the exhibit are photos of the first Courthouse along with many of the County Judges and other officials.
To the left are photos of sheriffs and lawmen of the County and a picture of an early county jail.
The rifle is a 1894 model Winchester that was used during the Spanish American War. Although it was not used by local lawmen, it, however, was the type was the type used during that time period by county peace keepers.
The pistol was confiscated by Sheriff Buckshot Lane in Detroit , Texas and to the far left of the exhibit is a portrait of Sheriff Lane along with the first lie detector kit used by a sheriff in Texas . Beside it is a set of manacles used by the Wharton County Sheriff's Department.
Note….In downtown Wharton, on the west wall of Larry Wadler's Law Office and beside the Wharton Journal-Spectator's office is a mural dedicated to Law and Order of Wharton County.
Marshall
and Lillie Johnson Exhibit Room
On the left of the entry is Mrs. Johnson's Certificate of Confirmation (1909) from Halletsville's St. Peter's Lutheran Church . Under the certificate is the shovel used in the ground breaking of the Johnson Medical Building at Wharton County Junior College in 1980.
In this same area you see Mrs. Johnson's pet Chihuahuas pictures. Their names were Baby Sister, Bitsy Ann and Cricket and below are their doggie beds and their winter jackets. Mrs. Johnson raised Appaloosa and quarter horses and the showcase holds some of here trophies and show memorabilia.
Next you will see a collection of family heirlooms including tables and chairs. On the table is a dance card dated June 23, 1916 and glassware that were wedding gifts and presents through the years.
The antique music cabinet holds porcelain that belonged to Mrs. Johnson's mother, Mrs. Annie Appelt and the manikin behind is wearing a dress that belonged to Matilda Speay (Mrs. Johnson's grandmother).
In the first glass case, there are more dance cards, wedding and 50 th anniversary pictures of her mother and father. Also, there is the memory book from Mr. Johnson's death in 1971 (71 years old) and Mrs. Johnson's memory book of her death in 1987 (92 years old).
Between the two glass cases is a dresser that belong to the Appelt family. On it is a silver dresser set given to Lillie Johnson by her father on her 15 th birthday.
In the second glass case are more memorabilia from Mrs. Johnson's life. There is her baby cap, her first piggy bank, and a lot of jewelry that belonged to her mother and calling cards from before and after her marriage.
Against the wall is a dress from Mrs. Johnson's sister, Elma Allen's trousseau.
On the wall is a picture of Mr. Johnson's parents, Mr. And Mrs. Willis Johnson of Cordele, Mrs. Johnson's family with her parents Mr. And Mrs. William Emil Appelt and daughters, Elma Appelt Allen and Lillie Appelt Johnson. There is also a painting of Mrs. Johnson's childhood home in Hallettsville.
Also in this showcase is a Hallettsville Commemorative Plate dated 1831-1986. There is a blue and white platter and gravey dish, which were part of Mrs. Appelt's first dishes. The clock was a wedding present from Uncle Bill Appelt. The two large J. D. Kestner dolls from Germany were gifts to the Appelt sisters from their parents and the child's tea set belonged to Mrs. Johnson as a child.
On the wall around the room is a collection of plates from the states that Johnson's visited. As you exit the room, there is an antique hall tree that belonged to the Appelt Family.
In the center of the room is a piano that was given Mrs. Johnson's mother at the age of 10 years old by her father. It came from Boston and was shipped to Galveston . He brought it to Hallettsville by wagon. It came to Wharton in 1976.
The only item that does not belong to the Johnson-Appelt Collection is the organ. It was given to the museum by Marilyn Sebesta and seems to fit into the room gracefully.
Oilfield Exhibit
Oil has always been an integral part of Wharton County 's economic basis. A photo of the first well in Wharton County is shown along with a sample bottle of oil from that well. Outside of the museum is the first “Christmas tree” from a well on Pierce Ranch.
The exhibit contains various photos of well in the county along with “blow outs” and damaged rigs.
Permanent Collection Exhibits
Starting to the left
First there is the writing desk of Mrs. Clarissa Northington from Egypt . An elegant and gentile lady, she was a member of the prominent pioneer Northington family. Featured in the desk is her book of poems that she wrote. “ The Long White Road ” refers to the shell topped road from downtown Glen Flora south to the bridge over the Colorado River . She also created the illustrations in her book.
In the first section of the wall cases are toys from the 1920's and 1930's. These toys were created during the depression and it seems odd that they were some of the greatest and most imaginative toys produced during these decades.
The next four sections features a Plate Collection that was collected by Mr. John Franz of Newgulf. Most were obtained from the Bradford Exchange in New York City . The collection starts with the “Peace Rose Plate” (far right case) in 1947 and go through 1985.
The last of the wall cases features musical instruments circa 1920 and were collected by Elizabeth Brown from Wharton.
In the center of the room, there is an exhibit dedicated to the fire stations of Wharton County . Photos depict early fire stations and memorabilia. The fire hose wheel was used by the Wharton Fire Department before trucks were purchased. There is a section of items from Frank Olsovsky including an old fireman's uniform, miniature firehouse collection and fire truck plates.
The scout exhibit includes a photo of the 1928 Wharton Scout Troop pictures. The top right photo is of Irving Moore, Jr., who was the first Eagle Scout in Wharton County . He later in life became County Judge . Also in the exhibit is the scout uniform of Dr. Harold Secor who joined the scouts in 1938 and below are cub scout uniforms of Doug Moses (no dates given) it is interesting to note the photo of East Bernard scout as they become Eagle Scouts. There were 11 new Eagle Scouts in one year, the most ever record ed in the county at one time.
The Girl Scout exhibit features uniforms and memorabilia belonging to Margaret Rugeley, who was a Girl Scout leader for a long number of years.
The last exhibit is that of miniature rooms created by Dorothy Schuhmann of East Bernard. These are 1/12 th miniature room displays. Her first room “ the Doctor's Office” was created in 1976 while her last room was finished in 2000. They have been on display at many sites along the Gulf Coast of Texas. At one time there were 38 rooms completed and on display in her home. Upon retirement, she gave many rooms to her family and to several friends while the remaining rooms (12) were given to the museum. Everything that could be reproduce was done by Mrs. Schuhmann. Interesting features of the rooms are noted in the wall display.
Military Exhibit
Left to Right
The first two units display articles from the Daughters of the American Revolution and the United Daughters of the Confederacy. On the wall above, there is an 1898 Spanish American War uniform and photograph of participant John R. Presley.
Next, there are artifacts and photos of World War I soldiers Samuel Craig, Hugh Harriss and Horace Rowald. The Veterans of Foreign War Post was named for Rowald. Above is a picture of the first plane to land in Wharton.
The World War II exhibit has popular war toys of the era. There is a Father's Day card sent by Glenn Taylor to his dad. Also, photos of Barney Bernstein (still alive today), Chaplain Rev. Marcus Valenta and Major General Howard Davidson. The Purple Heart Certificate posthumously to Gunnery Sergeant Allen Clapp, a Marine war hero. A picture of showing Freeman Mayes, the first to die from Wharton. The Veterans of Foreign War renamed their post Rowald-Mayes Post in his honor. Next is the Congressional Medal of Honor awarded to Navyman, Johnnie Hutchins. On top of the case is a newspaper article honoring A. J. “Red” Rutledge of El Campo by the Nation of France for his bravery and work during the War.
The uniform of Colonel Roger L. King from Iago is next to be displayed. He was Chief of Public Affairs during Desert Storm and was the national spokesman during this time. He is now Chief of Public Affairs of the 18 th Airborne Corp based in Houston .
In the center of the Military Unit are two cases honoring Roy Benavidez from El Campo. There are artifacts and photos and in particular is the Medal of Honor awarded him in February 1981. Memorabilia include keys to Cities that he visited, photos with President Reagan and Astro Allen Ashby. He had military doll made in his honor in the G. I. Joe series but they are not made any longer.
Religion Exhibit
This exhibit features photos of church functions from the towns of Lissie, El Campo, Boling, Iago, East Bernard, Hungerford, Danevang, Louise , Egypt , Glen Flora, Hillje, Taiton and Wharton.
There is an altar cloth from St. Paul 's Lutheran Church located in Wharton. It was crocheted by Mrs. Johannah Walling in the early 1920's.
In the exhibit case are items from various churches in the county.
Sports Champs to Remember Exhibit
The sports wall is entitled “Sport Champs to Remember,” and covers a wide array of sports, from Little League Baseball to professional sports to women bull riders and racehorses.
The first section is dedicated to tennis. Mr. Travis I. Smith, Sr. was a tennis legend. He played tennis well into his 80's and traveled the world to play in tournaments. One of his partners was W. E. “Bob” Swartz, who was a purchasing agent for Texasgulf Sulphur Company. Mr. Smith taught many people to play tennis, both young and old. On display are several rackets that he used over the years. Travis, Sr. was inducted into the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame and is pictured on the wall with the 1946 tennis team that he coached. His son, Travis Smith, Jr. has followed in his footsteps with the love for the game.
The tennis section also features two brothers from Wharton, Buck and Bart Berstein. They were both ranked as high school players and went on to become collegiate players at Southwest Texas State University . After college, Buck and Bart were state ranked in Adult Men's Singles and Doubles by the Texas Tennis Association.
“Go Man Go” was a well-known record setting quarter horse from Wharton County . His picture is displayed on the wall. “Go Man Go” was raised and trained by John B. Ferguson on his Mackay, Texas Ranch.
The sport wall also features pictures of various school basket and baseball teams. One picture in particular, is of the 1952 Wharton County Junior College National Junior College Champion basketball team. The legendary coach, Johnny Franke, coached this team. There are various baseball and football cards featuring Wharton County players who played professional sports on display.
One professional baseball player from Wharton County was Carl Nettle Reynolds. He played thirteen years as a pro outfielder during the 1930's. Carl Reynolds played in the Lone Star League before joining the Chicago White Sox franchise before being traded to Washington and then finally to the Saint Louis Browns team. He had a .302 lifetime batting average and was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame on December 31, 1971 .
The exhibit also features Mary Lee Shannon Stevens atop the famous Hudgins Ranch bull “Josephus” at the 1932 Wharton County Fair.
The middle section of the sports wall features various championship teams from Wharton County . The top left corn features Bowie Duncan who was named to the University of Texas Longhorn Hall of Honor on November 26, 1970 . He was captain of the 1907 University of Texas football team. It was once said that he caught the first pass ever thrown in the State of Texas . At the top right corner of the championship section is a picture of Harrison Stafford . He was one of the best all around football players that the University of Texas ever had. He was a star halfback and quarterback at Wharton High School from 1926 through 1928. At the University of Texas , he played as a back fielder and was named All-Conference in 1930, 1931 and 1932.
Frank I. Guess is also in the championship section. He was featured on the cover of “This Week Magazine” and played a wide variety of sports. Frank Guess was the first freshman to ever play football in the Southwest Conference. In 1948, he was named as All American in Track for Javelin.
On display are pictures of the 1959 Wharton High School State Track Champs along with the 1950 Wharton High School State Football Champions.
Glenn Lippman from El Campo is also featured in the display. He was inducted into the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame. He led the country in scoring in 1948 as a high school senior. He scored 293 points in ten games, for an average of four touchdowns per game. He also led the scoring in the Southwest Conference when he was at Texas A&M in 1951. Glenn went on to be a MVP in the U. S. Armed Forces League representing the U.S. Air Force.
In 1979, the Wharton Little League All Star Baseball team won the Texas State Championship. They went on to play in the Little League Regional Tournament in Florida . Their picture is on display in the exhibit. Various Little League teams are also featured in the exhibit.
Also on display is a picture of the 1972 Boling High School Football team, which won the Texas State Championship for AA schools.
Shane Lechler is also featured on the sports wall. He was an all-star quarterback at East Bernard High School . Shane went on to become a record setting punter at Texas A&M University . Upon graduation he was drafted by the Oakland Raiders as a punter and as a holder for the kicker. He was fortunate to be part of the Oakland Raider team who played in Super Bowl XXXVII but lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
To round out the sports wall is a plaque of the Wharton County Tennis Association Men's Doubles Champions. The trophy case displays various tennis trophies that have been awarded throughout the years. Setting on top of the case are notebooks containing the draws from various WCTA tournaments.
As you can see from the various items listed, Wharton County has had many “Champions to Remember”. Wharton County has been loaded with sports talent. This wall will eventually have to be expanded to hold memorabilia from the future champs of Wharton County .
Wharton Junior College Exhibit
In 1944, A Post-War Planning Board of prominent citizens decided to support the establishment of Wharton County Junior College . A committee composed of citizens from various sections of the county was organized on August 7, 1945 . A twenty-cent tax was voted on and passed by the citizens and the following citizens were elected as the first Board of Trustees.
F. J. L. Blasingame from Wharton, Donald Duson from El Campo, Carl Reynolds from Glen Flora, J. R. Peace from East Bernard, Lottie Mullins from Boling, Richard Meek from Louise, Harold Hanson from Danevang.
The college began classroom instruction in 1946 with 200 students. During the first two years, instruction was held in five Wharton County Fair buildings at the corner of the Boling highway and Alabama road. The first president was J. M. Hodges serving from 1945 to 1962.
The college had a very successful program that was created in 1947 and the coach for the Pioneer football team was Johnnie Franke. (1948 - 1959) a cheerleader group was created in 1948.
In 1948, the first graduating class consisted of 48 graduates and also during that year a Phi Beta Kappa International Society was organized.
In 1952, a precision dance team of Pioneer ladies was organized and became a statewide institution.
