Henderson Syrup Festival, Henderson, Texas-November 2016
Rural Rusk County Texas is my old hometown. Before getting too far my handle "Rusk County Avengers" is from Henderson, they were Company D of the 14th Texas Cavalry. The old Depot Museum in Henderson, where this LH took place, is a place my Dad was a big benefactor of as a longtime County Commissioner and has the "Rusk County Avengers" flag on display.
My SCV Camp has a fellow in I've grown to not care for since then in it who throws a LH every year during the Festival at the museum, (which has a lot of of old period buildings on the grounds, a couple of which even with deep old family connections to me), and he invited me to attend. Practically begged, still does.
So I got my kit together and went, with no tent expecting a good reasonably period correct LH. Fat chance! Our time was mostly spent sitting and visiting with each other as people walked around. The "period camp" (Ha!!!) was right by one wonderfully preserved dog trot house from the 1880's if I remember right, (historical marker below), and I think our placement would have been better spent by the original 1840's/1850's cabin. Though I did demonstrate "load in nine times" to people and even let some teenagers fire my musket with their parents present and their permission, to the ramrod of the events deep disapproval. Not out of liability but because and I quote, "I wouldn't waste my powder on people unless they paid me first!"
All and all it was an okay event, even if very little Living History happened. Though it was nice to walk around period buildings in period cloths.
I would recommend anyone passing through Henderson, Texas to stop by the museum, (maybe one day I'll do a thread on it). Sure there's an old gas station my cousins owned, and a Cotton Gin and its building from the 1930's my Dad led the effort to move in, restore and preserve, (very ironic given his history before being a politician as a demolition contractor who had a genuine deep love of destroying historic buildings and sites), but my bias isn't in the way, it's a great unknown place I highly recommend!
Back this past November I almost went back for the LH, and proposed to the ramrod I come out as Union to make the SCV look better publicly, and a great argument ensued with threats thrown towards my supposed Yankee loving self. Me being the vindictive sort sometimes played possum like I may come out, and as a Confederate, but cancelled on him the day before. More hurtful epithets were thrown my way and I nicely told him he might want to keep on because of my family connections in Henderson and to the museum, as I might could shut his LH down. The ramrod is a good enough guy, he's just in love with the Hollywood image of the Confederacy and anyone younger than 50 can't possibly know a thing. Even when people he looks to as the experts, were my mentors and look to me and my memory when they forget a tidbit of history when giving a program.