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2100 Log Cabin Village Lane

Fort Worth, Texas 76109

Phone (817)392-5881

Fax (817)392-7610

www.logcabinvillage.org

Hours: Tue - Fri 9 am - 4 pm

Sat 1 pm - 5 pm Sun 1 pm - 5 pm

Closed Mondays

Operated by the

City of Fort Worth’s

Parks & Recreation Department

In the mid 1800s, a large part

of north Texas remained

unsettled by anyone other than

American Indians. The West was vast and unknown to the many

pioneers who made the long,

hazardous journey to this

uncertain land. The Foster family

and their slaves were among

these pioneers.

Harry Foster’s adventurous

spirit and desire for a better life

led him to Texas, which in many letters he referred to as “the land

of sunshine and flowers.”

Harry was born in 1814 in

Tennessee. His family moved to

Mississippi, where the Fosters

were prominent plantation

owners.

In 1836, he married the

wealthy Martha Ann Davis. Six children were born to them.

Harry made several trips into

the New Republic of Texas in

search of the finest cotton land.

In 1850, Harry purchased 500

acres of land in Milam County,

Texas where this impressive

two story log home was built.

The Foster slaves hand hewed

and stacked the logs from large

oaks and cedars which grew

from the Brazos River bottom.

Originally, the front doors opened into a wide entry hall,

much like it does today. The

room which now serves as the

gift shop was a bedroom, and

the parlor, a favorite

gathering place of friends, was

located where it is today. The

kitchen was in the room by

the stairway and another

bedroom was located across the

hallway from it. The dining room

occupied the latter portion of the

hallway. The narrow stairway led to three more bedrooms.

Despite facing many hardships and

uncertainties in the new state of

Texas, the Fosters became

prominent in their new community.

They administered a large cotton

plantation which prospered through

slave labor prior to the Civil War.

After the war, many of the freed men and women remained as

sharecroppers. Unfortunately, li�le

is known about them.

When Martha died in 1870, Harry

con�nued to live in the house with his

bachelor son, William Henry, un�l his

own death in 1891.

The great log house remained in

con�nuous use un�l the 1930s. In

1969, Joseph W. Foster donated it for

restora�on at Log Cabin Village.

The Harry A. Foster HomeThe Harry A. Foster HomeThe Harry A. Foster HomeThe Harry A. Foster Home

When Harry Foster married

Martha Ann Davis in 1836, he

gave her a beautiful rosewood

piano as a wedding gift. When they

moved to Texas,

they did not want

to expose their

prized possession

to the perils of

road travel in the nineteenth

century. Instead, the Fosters had

the piano shipped from New

Orleans to Galveston where it was stored until a steamboat

ventured up the Brazos River to

Port Sullivan in 1859. The piano

still sits in their parlor at Log

Cabin Village.

Pioneer SnapshotPioneer SnapshotPioneer SnapshotPioneer Snapshot———— The Wedding GiftThe Wedding GiftThe Wedding GiftThe Wedding Gift

History & Activity Guide

2

add small wet wool skein, cotton

cloth, or uncooked eggs. Simmer for

15 minutes, and stir occasionally.

Remove wool or cloth. Rinse

with hot water first, then in cooler

water. Hang in shade to dry.

Remove eggs and let dry. Rotate

to prevent dark spots.

Experiment with different items,

recipes and simmering times!

(* a mordant “sets” the color)

cotton cloth or Easter eggs:

In a small bowl dissolve mordant*:

1 1/2 tsp. Alum

1 1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar

1 cup Boiling Water

In a large enamel pan add to

mordant:

1 Gallon Water

2 Handfuls of Purple Onion Skin

Simmer for 45 minutes.

Cool dye to luke warm, strain and

The color of natural wool varies from sheep to sheep, but it is

definitely not bright!

To get a little variety in their

clothing, the pioneers dyed their

homespun yarns and materials. As

with many

other things,

they had to

resort to

nature to

make their

dyes.

Try this on some white wool yarn,

William Sidney Pickard was born in 1834 in the small community of

Mount Pleasant, Tennessee. In 1856, he married Malissa Ellen Dickson

(born in 1835). Later that same year, the young couple loaded their

wagon with a few necessary household possessions and moved to

Texas with his father’s family and slaves.

Arriving in Parker County, the elder Pickard purchased a 320 acre

farm in the Spring Creek community. The Pickards raised horses from

the stock they had brought from Tennessee.

In 1863, after returning from the Civil War, William purchased this

story-and-a-half log home along with 90 acres for his own growing

family. The house was located near a tributary of Spring Creek near

Mount Nebo. The cabin had belonged to the Patillo family who built

it in the early 1850s.

In subsequent years, William purchased additional acreage, enlarging

the original tract to 400 acres. Like his father, he raised horses and

various grain crops.

In this log home and its frame additions, the Pickards raised their

family of eight children.

William Pickard was a

prominent and highly

respected resident of Parker

County. At one time,

William served as County

Commissioner and as

President of the Parker

County Pioneer

Association.

He died at home in 1898.

Malissa survived him, dying

at the age of 77 in 1902.

Color Me Naturally!Color Me Naturally!Color Me Naturally!Color Me Naturally!

History & Ac�vity Guide

The Pickard CabinThe Pickard CabinThe Pickard CabinThe Pickard Cabin How Big Was That?

from Early Settler Activity Guide

Using string and a

student standing at each

corner, create a rectangle

to represent the size of an

average first home,

approximately 16 ft X 20

ft (5m X 6m). This space

could also be outlined on

asphalt with chalk, or

with poster paint on a

washable floor.

Emphasize that this was

the family’s total living

space!

• How many students

can stand comfortably

in the area?

• How much furniture

would you put in this

space?

Have students construct

a floor plan of a first

cabin or shanty using a

simple scale. Draw in

items of furniture. This

activity is easier if graph

paper is used.

3

a. Riding a stagecoach, at a dizzying

2 1/2 miles per hour (8 hours per day)

b. Riding in your family car at 35

miles per hour.

c. Compare the two trips and how

you would have to change your daily

routine if you were a pioneer.

Today, we are a mobile society. If we

need milk, we zip down to the local

store. If we are bored, we dash out to

an entertainment spot. If we are hurt,

we race to the emergency room.

Traveling a hundred miles in a day is not

extraordinary.

Our pioneer ancestors did relocate

great distances, but the words “zip,”

“race,” and “dash” were not associated

with travel. For most, the nearest town

or village was at least a one or two day

trip by horse and buggy.

Just for fun, try this:

Long Trips Long Trips Long Trips Long Trips - The Seela family moved

from Missouri to Texas. On a map,

locate a town in southwest Missouri and

Weatherford in Texas. Using current

highways...

a. Calculate their traveling time in a

covered wagon, at a speedy 2 miles per

hour (8 hours per day). Add an extra

day for hazards such as crossing large

rivers or mountains.

b. Calculate your traveling time in a

car at an average speed of 55 miles per

hour.

Short Trips - Pick a trip you make

everyday (like riding the school bus)

and calculate the following...

History & Ac�vity Guide

The Seela CabinThe Seela CabinThe Seela CabinThe Seela Cabin

Rebecca and Isaac Seela emigrated

to Texas when life in 1854 Missouri

began crowding them and their

family. They sold their farm,

loaded their household belongings

into their wagons, and made the

long journey. It is believed that the

family went first to Goliad, then

northward into Parker County.

Rebecca and Isaac homesteaded

160 acres on Spring Creek, about 12 miles south of Weatherford,

Texas.

When Isaac first staked out his home site, there was a group of

Caddo Indians camped out on Spring Creek. An elder warned him

not to build his and Rebecca’s cabin too near the creek which had

been known to flood during heavy rains. Isaac paid no heed to the

Indian’s warning. The cabin was washed away in a spring flood.

The second cabin, built above the food plain, stood on its original

location until Isaac’s grandson, James Newton Seela, donated it for

restoration at the Log Cabin Village.

Isaac Seela, one of the 13 children of John Nicholas Seely (later

spelled Seela) and Katherine Brinker, grew up near the present city of

St. Louis, Missouri. Rebecca White married young Isaac in 1827.

Five years later, the family moved south to the small community of

Sarcoxie, Missouri. Traveling along with them was Rebecca’s father,

112 year-old Shadrach White, a Revolutionary soldier from Virginia,

her 80 year-old mother, and other members of the White Family.

Isaac and Rebecca were the parents of 13 children, 11 of which

lived to maturity. Rebecca preceded Isaac in death but the exact

date is not known. Isaac died in 1872.

Wagons Ho!

What Would You Pack?

If you are like most people, you

over pack for trips. “Better safe

than sorry!” we say.

But the pioneers did not have

the luxury of space. When they

moved west, they had to pack all

their essentials into a covered

wagon.

If you were put in that

situation, what would you take?

Try this:

In groups of two to three,

pretend you are a family that is

moving from St. Louis, Missouri

to the Texas frontier. You will

not be living in an organized

town or village. The nearest

trading post might be miles

away.

On the floor, mark out (or

surround with chairs) a space that

is 10 feet long and 4 feet wide

and 2 feet tall. That was the size

of the interior of a covered

wagon.

Ask the question, “What would

you take to start a new life and

home?” Make a list and share

with others.

The Long Dusty TrailThe Long Dusty TrailThe Long Dusty TrailThe Long Dusty Trail

4

The Parker Cabin was built in a “dogtrot” style, so named for the covered

breezeway in the middle that allowed a dog to trot through. Other notable

features of this style include a long southern porch for summer shade and a

north/south orientation of the dogtrot to catch the prevailing winds. The

kitchen and the bedroom both have doors facing it. As the summer air

swept through the breezeway, it created a low pressure zone at the

doorway, and pulled air out of each room, creating a welcome breeze. Also,

building the kitchen on one side and the bedroom on the other kept the

daily cooking chores from heating up the sleeping quarters.

several rooms made of milled

lumber to the original log

structure.

Lucy, Isaac's wife, died in

1867, and he remarried at the

age of 76.

In 1872, Isaac Parker and his

second wife, Virginia Simms,

moved to Parker County, which

had been named in his honor.

He purchased land near

Weatherford and built a double

log home similar to the one in

Birdville. Four children were

born to Isaac and his second

wife. The old pioneer, soldier,

and law maker lived to be 91.

The Amon G. Carter

Foundation donated the

Parker’s Birdville home to the

Log Cabin Village. It is now

one of the oldest structures in

Tarrant County.

After fighting in the War of

1812, Isaac Parker arrived in

Tennessee. There he met and

married Lucy W. Cheatham in

1816. They resided there only a

short time before heading west

to the Illinois frontier where

five of their children were born.

In 1833, the Parkers migrated

to Texas, which was still part of

Mexico, and settled near the

present town of Elkhart. A few

years later, The Declaration of

Texas Independence was signed

and Isaac was involved in

establishing the New Republic.

Later, when Texas joined the

United States, Isaac served as a

State Senator, a Representative,

and as a delegate to the Texas

Constitutional Convention in

1845.

In 1853, the Parker family

moved to Birdville in Tarrant

County. It was there that Isaac

purchased this double log home

connected by a breezeway

(dogtrot) from the Hamilton

Bennett family. During the

following years, Parker added

The Dogtrot The Dogtrot The Dogtrot The Dogtrot ----

Pioneer Air ConditioningPioneer Air ConditioningPioneer Air ConditioningPioneer Air Conditioning

History & Ac�vity Guide

The Parker CabinThe Parker CabinThe Parker CabinThe Parker Cabin

Cynthia Ann Parker

As a result of a long territorial

dispute with the new settlers, a

band of Comanches with their

Kiowa allies attacked Fort Parker,

near Groesbeck, Texas, in 1836,

killing several and taking five

captives. Among those taken

were the niece and nephew of

Isaac Parker, 9-year-old Cynthia

Ann and her 6-year-old brother

Johnnie.

Many years later, there were

rumors of a blonde, blue-eyed

woman who was the squaw of

Nocona, a Comanche chief.

In 1860, Texas Rangers

captured a band of Indians near

the Pease River. Captives taken

by the Rangers during the battle

included a blue-eyed woman and

her child.

Word was sent to the

settlements about the capture,

and Isaac Parker went to

investigate. He interviewed the

woman with the aid of an

interpreter. He noted her

features and said, “She has the

appearance of my people. I

believe she is the long - lost

Cynthia Ann.” The woman

quietly patted her chest and said,

“Me Cynthia Ann.”

Parker brought Cynthia Ann

and her small daughter,

Topsannah, to his log house.

Accounts say that she would

wander off into the woods, and

pray to be reunited with her

husband, Nocona, and their two

sons, Pecos and Quanah.

She stayed only briefly with

Uncle Isaac before being sent to

other relatives in East Texas.

Topsannah died of pneumonia,

and Cynthia Ann never got over her

longing for Nocona, her sons, and

the Indian way of life. She died four

years a0er being recaptured. It is

said she died of a broken heart.

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This unique program offered at Log Cabin Village allows

students to experience an 1880s school day first hand. Their

class is held in the Marine Schoolhouse, an authentic 19th

century one-room school.

Students and classroom teacher arrive at the Village dressed in

1800s style clothing (optional) with their tin lunch pail, ready

to spend a full day stepping back in time.

Prior to the trip, the classroom teacher will receive a 52-page

booklet of 1880s lessons, costume and

lunch ideas, games for recess and much

more.

The day will end with an opportunity

for the class to tour the village and visit

with all of the Villagers.

On September 16, 2003 this one room, board and batten structure

moved down the streets of Fort

Worth to its present location at

Log Cabin Village. The relocation

was a critical move for the

preservation of a historic structure

and a Fort Worth landmark.

Known as the Marine

Schoolhouse, it was originally

located in Fort Worth’s North Side

at 2000 N. Commerce Street. It

was built in 1872 to serve the

settlers’ children. Throughout the

1880s, it continued to be used as a

schoolhouse.

After a new elementary school

was built in 1889, the old school

was used as a community church

by various denominations. In

1904, it housed the four students

enrolled in North Fort Worth High

School.

When the community finally

outgrew the little building in 1906,

John Mulholland bought and

moved it to 1309 Commerce

Home Sweet Home

Log Cabin Village contains log

structures, but 19th century

Texans lived in many different

types of homes! Texans in the

1800s resided in everything

from teepees to sod houses to

homes made from clay and

earth. They all had one thing in

common, though: the builders

made use of the resources that

were available to them.

Think about it: • Name as many different

types of 19th century Texas

homes as you can think of.

Who built them? Where

were they built?

• What resources would YOU

use to build a home? Draw

or build a model of your

19th century dream home.

Pioneer School ProgramPioneer School ProgramPioneer School ProgramPioneer School Program

History & Ac�vity Guide

The Marine SchoolhouseThe Marine SchoolhouseThe Marine SchoolhouseThe Marine Schoolhouse

Street, where it was used as a

residence throughout the early

1900s.

In 1991, the City of Fort Worth

condemned the weathered and

beaten structure. But a group of

preservation-minded

individuals, known as the

Friends of the Marine

Schoolhouse, rescued it from

certain destruction. On April

1993, the “Friends” moved the

building to 601 Park Street,

where it remained for ten years

until it was donated to the City

of Fort Worth for preservation

at the Log Cabin Village. The

Marine Schoolhouse stands

today as Fort Worth’s oldest

school still in existence.

What’s for Lunch? As a class project, prepare and hold a pioneer picnic.

Before the event, discuss:

• What did pioneer children take in

their lunches?

• What kind of fruits, meats, breads,

etc. were available?

• What did they drink? In what?

• What was used to wrap their

food?

• What did they carry their lunch to

school in?

Make lunch pails out of coffee or

other large cans, punching a hole on

each side to attach a rope handle.

Send the pails home with the student’s

list of possible pioneer lunches.

Hold a pioneer picnic outside under

a tree and discuss with your class what

pioneer children did for entertainment.

6

The Shaw Cabin is now a working gristmill. Gristmills were one of the most important places in any

frontier community. They produced the flour or cornmeal for making most of the staple foods of the

settlers' diet. Without mills, the grains had to be ground by hand on a mortar and pestle (molcajete y mortar and pestle (molcajete y mortar and pestle (molcajete y mortar and pestle (molcajete y tejolote) tejolote) tejolote) tejolote) or or or or metate y manometate y manometate y manometate y mano, , , , a method that requires many hours of laborious work.a method that requires many hours of laborious work.a method that requires many hours of laborious work.a method that requires many hours of laborious work. Mills however, produce large amounts of flour constantly and without much human effort. 19th

century mills were run by hydropower. Instead of electricity, running water from a nearby river or

stream provided the power.

The water wheelwater wheelwater wheelwater wheel outside the mill rotates as each bucket on it becomes heavy with water. This wheel

is attached to another wheel inside the mill called the bull wheel. It turns with the movement of the

outer one and sets the belt attached to it in motion.

Corn poured into the funnel shaped hopper falls between two grinding stones found inside a

wooden enclosure. When the stones turn against each other through the motion of the belts, the corn

is crushed and delivered through a metal spout as fresh, golden cornmeal. The milling equipment in this cabin was originally manufactured around 1860.

Thomas J. Shaw was born in 1819 in Tennessee. In 1845, he

married Louisa Ann Long. The couple then moved to Missouri. But

in 1851, they decided to move to Texas. They settled near the present

town of Paris for a brief period before moving back to a location near

Fort Smith, Arkansas.

In 1854, the wagons of the Reverend Pleasant Tackett, a Methodist

minister, and a group of families from Missouri

rolled into Fort Smith on their way to Texas.

The Shaw family joined them.

The 160-acre tract on which Thomas built

this cabin was located on what is now Shaw

Creek, on the extreme frontier. Not another

permanent Anglo settlement was west of his

cabin. Only five miles away, a large group of Tonkawa Indians were

camped along the Brazos River.

Shaw’s skill as a carpenter and house builder were widely known.

With his help, many inexperienced homesteaders were able to erect

log homes.

The Shaws were the parents of fourteen children, four of whom

died in infancy, a very common occurrence in the 19th century.

Louisa died in 1890 and Thomas in 1904.

Their cabin then served as a bunkhouse, then a barn, and finally as a

gristmill.

The Daily GrindThe Daily GrindThe Daily GrindThe Daily Grind

History & Ac�vity Guide

The Shaw CabinThe Shaw CabinThe Shaw CabinThe Shaw Cabin

Corn Pone

Pre-heat oven and iron griddle to

400° F. Stir together the following

ingredients:

• 4 cups cornmeal

• 1 tbs. butter, melted

• 1 tsp. salt

Add enough cold water to make

soft dough . Mold into oval cakes

with hands. Place on a hot, well-

greased griddle. Bake until brown,

turning once.

Corn Tortillas

• 2 cups corn flour (masa harina)

• 1 1/3 cups cold water

• 1 tsp. Salt

Stir together ingredients. Cover and

let rest for 20 minutes. Shape dough

into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place dough ball

between two sheets of waxed paper

and roll out thin (or use tortilla

press). Cook tortillas on an

ungreased griddle or pan over

medium heat, 2 minutes on each side.

7

The fat removed from the animals

was placed in large cast iron pots.

Then, it was not merely melted, but

rendered by boiling. As the cooking

process broke down the fatty tissue,

the fibrous material rose to the

surface and was skimmed off. This

clean, liquid grease was what the

pioneers used to make the candles

and soap.

Candles

Candle-making was

greasy and smelly. It

was also a time

consuming job that was usually

assigned to the pioneer children.

The first step would be to spin

cotton into candle wicking, but

when nothing was available, old

strips of cloth were used instead.

Then, the wicks were dipped

repeatedly into hot grease.

After each dip, the new thin

layer of fat was allowed to cool

and solidify on the wick so that

the candle grew in width with

each layer. Since the candles

were made of tasty animal fat,

they were buried or stored

safely away from rodents and

other animals.

History & Ac�vity Guide

The Tompkins CabinThe Tompkins CabinThe Tompkins CabinThe Tompkins Cabin

John Baptist Tompkins was born in Virginia in 1820. Early in his

youth the family moved westward, via Kentucky and Illinois.

In 1844, he married 17-year-old Sarah Harbison and they migrated

to Missouri where they ‘broke sod’ for their first crops. Four of their

children were born in Missouri.

Ever restless, Tompkins sold his Prosper County farm, and the

family turned their wagons toward Texas, arriving in Parker County

in 1857. There, the Tompkins rented the 120 acre Isaac Anderson

farm with this cabin. It was there that Sarah had five more children.

The sandy loam of Parker County produced an abundant and

lucrative crop for the family in 1858. John purchased the farm later

that year. In the years that followed, the Tompkins acquired

additional acreage and expanded the cabin into a considerable

dwelling place.

Like most log homes, their cabin had a loft where the children

slept. Legend has it that one night, Tompkins rushed out on his

horse to get a doctor who resided many miles away. While he was

away, Mrs. Tompkins spotted a band of Indians in the distance.

Realizing that they were stealing cattle, she grabbed the rifle and

rushed the kids up to the loft. She climbed in after them and closed

the trap door so that the entrance

to the second story was

concealed.

The Indians came in and

ransacked the cabin, but they

never realized there was an entire

family hiding in the loft. When

Tompkins got back, he found

some of his property gone, but

his most precious possession, his

family, was safe.

On the frontier, a family might

need to travel several

hours, or even days, to

get to the nearest town

or trading post. For

this reason, supplies

that were consumed

quickly, such as candles

and soap, had to be

made at home.

The main ingredient in these two

items was old cooking grease, lard

(hog fat), or tallow (cattle fat).

Candle and Soap Making

Soap

Lye Soap is a simple

mixture of lye, water and

animal fat. Lye is a very

caustic, alkaline material,

but when combined with

fat, it produces a harmless,

yet effective soap.

The settlers made their own lye.

Water poured through wood ashes

would become liquid lye as it

dripped into a wooden bucket.

There are many recipes for

homemade soap. They all begin

with lye added to rendered animal

fat. As the mixture is stirred, it

becomes thick and creamy. It is

then poured into a box or mold to

set. A few days later, the soap is

cut into bars. Before it is used,

the mixture must cure for 2 to 4

weeks.

It has been said that “a good lye

soap will remove ring-around-the

collar, grass stains, and is a sure

cure for dandruff.”

8

History & Ac�vity Guide

The Blacksmith ShopThe Blacksmith ShopThe Blacksmith ShopThe Blacksmith Shop

The blacksmith was critical

to village life. Blacksmiths

shaped and bent iron into

farm implements, hardware

and household items. As

roads developed, horseshoes

became more important.

Young men who wished to

learn the trade, would

apprentice with a blacksmith

for seven years. After that

time, they would receive a full

set of tools and clothing so

they could move on and open

their own shop.

On the frontier, many

pioneers had to do their own

blacksmithing. If a plow or

hinge broke, the pioneers

would have to fix it

themselves. The nearest

village or town with a

blacksmith was often a one or

two day ride away.

Did you know… The phrase “dead as a door nail” means to be dead with no

chance of recovery. When building a cabin door,

carpenters o0en drove the nail through then bent it over

the other end so it couldn't work its way out during the

repeated opening and closing of the door. When it came

�me to salvage the building, these door nails were

considered useless, or "dead" because of the way the nail

was bent.

The Story of Log Cabin Village

Log Cabin Village is a living history museum located on 2 1/2 acres in Fort Worth’s Forest Park. The Village

depicts the life of pioneers who settled the North Central Texas frontier in the mid to late 1800s.

In the 1950s, six representative log cabins were selected from surrounding counties, moved to this site, and

restored by the Pioneer Texas Heritage Foundation and the Tarrant County Historical Society. They donated the

Village to the City of Fort Worth and it was opened to the public in 1966. The Foster Cabin was added in 1975,

and the Marine Schoolhouse arrived in 2003.

Today, the Village offers history programs for school children and special groups, hands-on activities for groups

and families, and walk through tours for general visitors.

Interpreters and craftsmen are City staff and volunteers.

Nineteenth century Texans were very dependent on herbs for

cooking, medicines, hygiene and more. Mortars and pestles

were used to grind herbs into powders for tea and elixirs and

boiled for natural dyes. Lemon Verbena might be used to

make lemonade, rosemary could be burned to make the air

smell better, sage helped an upset stomach, and mint was

chewed to cure bad breath!

The Pioneer Herb GardenThe Pioneer Herb GardenThe Pioneer Herb GardenThe Pioneer Herb Garden