Henkel Square: 7-9 November 2008

[Annette Bethke]

The 2008 Henkel Square event will take place the weekend of November 8, 2008. The year interpretated will be 1860. For information about last year's event, see the Henkel Square thread in the 2007 events forum. More information about the 2008 event will be available soon.

Date: 7-9 November 2008
Name: Henkel Square Living History
Location: Round Top, Texas
Capacity: 40 civilian 40 military
POC: Annette Bethke
Email: netnet81@yahoo.com
Websites: http://www.geocities.com/txcwcivilian/henkel.html
http://www.texaspioneerarts.org/henkel_square.html
Listserver: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/txcwcivilian/
Preservation Component: Donations to the Pioneer Arts Foundation for the support of Henkel Square

[Annette Bethke]

Registration and other information is now available at http://www.geocities.com/txcwcivilian/henkel.html.

The scenario is still in the works, however.

[ohpkirk]

This will be my first year in attendance (only having to worry about getting work off and not my school schedule kept me away in 2007).

For any interested parties, I would suggest these three books:

For the men:

Thomas North, Five Years in Texas 1861-1866, published in 1871 this book is North's personal experiences with the people of Texas with an emphasis placed on the populace living in and between Houston and Austin. My impression is going to be based on his description of Texans as : "the masses of them wore spurs on their heels, generally the immense wheels-spur [Spanish style rowell], and though not born with them on, yet they might as well have been, for they not only rode in them, but walked in them, ate in them, and slept in them. Thier clanking as they walked was like a man in chains. They wore belts around the waist, suspending one or two revolvers and a bowie knife; were experts in the saddle, had a reckless dare-devil look, and were always ready for whiskey and a big chew of tobacco, and the handwriting of passion and appetite was all over them." p. 102-3

I believe you can find North's book on Google books.

For the women:
Kate Stone, Brokenburn:The Journal of Kate Stone edited by John Q. Anderson
Kate was a recent immigrant to Texas along with her mother from Lousisiana to escape the invading Yankee hordes. Her descriptions of Texas women and Texans in general are written with contempt for being thrust out of her priveleged life and onto the frontier.

July 7, 1863
"Here we are safely in a dark corner of the far off County of Lamar....this part of the land abounds with whiteheaded children and buttermilk, my two pet aversions. It is a place where the people are just learning that there is a war going on, where Union feeling is rife, and where the principal amusement of the local citizens is hanging suspected Jayhawkers. Hoops are just coming in with full fashion. This is indeed the place where hoops "most do flourish and abide." Hae not seen a hoopless lady since entering the state. Shoes are considered rather luxuries than necessaries, and are rather kept for state occasions. As for bowls and pitchers, "Oh no, they never mention them. Their name is never heard." One tin pan or a frying pan answers every purpose....And oh, the swarms of ugly, rough people, different only in degrees of ugliness. There must be something in the air in Texas that is fatal to beauty. We have not seen a good-looking or educated person since we entered the state." p. 223

July 12, 1863
"We saw several nice-looking families, but all were in the fashions of three years ago. if they would only leave off their trememdous hoops, but hoops seem in the very zenith of their popularity. Mamma and I were the only women folks without the awkward, ungraceful cages. No doubt the people thought us hopelessly out of date. We have not worn them for a long time. Nothing looks funnier than a woman walking around with an immense hoop--barefooted." p. 225

Another good book to pick up when looking for contemporary accounts of Texas during the war years is B.P. Gallaway's Texas: the Dark Corner of the Confederacy.

[Annette Bethke]

Thank you for posting that, and glad to hear you are considering attending. Both those books are gems for Texas interpretation.

[Cfarrell]

I've marked it already on my calendar at work. Looking forward to it!

Kind Regards,

[JWKellum]

Annette,

I'll get my registration to you ASAP. I look forward to seeing you at HS in January. I am very glad to see more of the Ground Hornets will be at HS '08. I know Phil and I had a great time at the 2007 event.

Best Regards,

[Alamo Guard]

Ask Phil, what the sign said we Davis Brothers put on him while he was sleeping?

[Annette Bethke]

Basic scenario information for the Henkel Square event to be held Nov. 7-9 in Round Top Texas is now available at http://www.geocities.com/txcwcivilian/henkel_scenario.html.

[tmdreb]

Ask Phil, what the sign said we Davis Brothers put on him while he was sleeping?

If that nap hadn't been refreshing enough to put me in the good humor I was in when I awoke, I might have found myself with more sympathies to the Bylers than the Davises.

I can't wait for this event. I had a blast last time, even if it was hotter than the inside of a stove.

[Annette Bethke]

Yes, it was rather toasty. November will be a bit more comfortable.

[Annette Bethke]

The first edition of the Henkel Square Herald is available at http://www.geocities.com/txcwcivilian/Henkel_herald.html.

The Herald is a new sheet that includes news articles from different newspapers from Texas during the event time line (thanks Vicki Betts!) as well as community members' "advertisements" and announcements. The intent of the sheet is to provide information about Texas during the event time line and to help build community through announcements, letters to the editor, etc.

[Annette Bethke]

The April edition of the Henkel Square Herald is now available at http://www.geocities.com/txcwcivilian/Henkel_herald.html.

[Annette Bethke]

The Henkel Square event is yet six months away with the registration deadline for structures being just over 3 months away. I suggest that if you would like to attend this event and have a particular impression in mind, especially if it is one of a kind, or would like your first choice of structure you register as soon as possible to ensure your spot. It would be a shame to research and prepare for a particular impression only to find that it is not available.

The post office and general store impressions have been reliquished and are again available.

Detailed information about the event can be found at http://www.geocities.com/txcwcivilian/henkel.html

[Annette Bethke]

Latest edition of the Henkel Square Herald has been posted on the website at http://www.geocities.com/txcwcivilian/Henkel_herald.html

[Annette Bethke]

The June 1860 edition of the Henkel Square Herald can be found at http://www.geocities.com/txcwcivilian/Henkel_herald.html

[Annette Bethke]

Just a reminder that the structure assignment deadline is coming up fast, August 31. If you wish to have a bed in a structure at this event, you will need to provide your registration, photo if you did not attend last year, and biography if it has changed from last year.

The registration is available at http://www.geocities.com/txcwcivilian/henkel.html

[Annette Bethke]

We will have an interesting impression at Henkel Square this year--a newspaperman employed by the Civilian & Galveston Gazette traveling throughout the State gathering the public view on the upcoming election and the talk of secession, especially the opinions of the pro-union German population living in and around Henkel Square. This should lead to some interesting scenarios for the weekend. The Civilian & Galveston Gazette was an actual paper in publication in the 1860s and had pro-Union leanings.

[Annette Bethke]

The July edition of the Henkel Square Herald can be accesses through
http://www.geocities.com/txcwcivilian/Henkel_herald.html

This edition includes several articles regarding the fires in and around Dallas, the discovery of some dinosaur bones, and the drought.

[Annette Bethke]

Just a reminder that the deadline for registering for accomodations at Henkel Square is August 31. Registration can be done online or through the mail. The registration form (online and PDF) is available at http://www.geocities.com/txcwcivilian/henkel_form.html

[Annette Bethke]

It has been brought to my attention that the online registration form is not so straight forward to use. I apologize for that, have attempted to fix it to no avail. However, there are now instructions on using the form on the registration form page. Sorry for any confusion or inconvenience.

[Annette Bethke]

The August Henkel Square Herald is now available at http://www.geocities.com/txcwcivilian/Henkel_herald.html

[Annette Bethke]

Two more weeks or so to register for Henkel Square and have a home during the event. I’ve noticed that the event announcement is appearing in several statewide travel magazines and web calendars, so there is potential for a good public crowd. Registration information can be found at http://www.geocities.com/txcwcivilian/henkel_registration.html.