I’ve been ancestor hunting, but you never know what such an exploration will find. Happily, I found pleasure in the past, the present, and saw relevance for the future.
Before I met my other 3 relatives who are 87, 64 and 14 in Frederick, Oklahoma, I stopped in Weatherford, Texas, to see if I could find the grave of my Grandmother’s great grandfather, who was born in 1832 and settled in Parker County (which Weatherford is the County seat) in 1855.
Isaac Jefferson Briscoe (Jeff) was a founder of the Harmony Community just outside of Weatherford. There were still Indian conflicts and the family often had to flee to Fort Worth when they got particularly nasty. It seems adventure ran in the bones of this part of my family that is traced back to 1600’s England and a gentrified manor complete with its own railroad station. Who would think one of its descendents, my Grandmother, would live in a dugout in Oklahoma Indian Territory in 1900? It seems that when things started to get a little more settled, my family would move to a new adventure. Actually new generations were following where land was available, well water was present, and where railroads would be located.
I found the abandoned Harmony Cemetery. To look for graves, I will need more expertise than was available this trip, but I know who owns the land and that likely archaeology will be involved to find graves.
Weatherford was the pleasant surprise. With rural Texas declining at a rapid pace, seeing a thriving community that has experienced population growth during the past ten years made me change my plans from going to Clark Gardens to exploring Weatherford itself. What was a city of 25,000+ and a county of 80,000+ doing right to thrive and exude energy? The commute to Fort Worth is 25+ miles before you get to suburbs.
In the geographic center of Parker County on a high hill is the beautiful Parker County Courthouse. Completed in 1866, the Second Empire style courthouse is one of the most beautiful in Texas (or anywhere for that matter). It has been delicately restored and has pulled renovation of the historic district that includes the old Santa Fe Railroad station, which now houses the Weatherford Chamber of Commerce and a museum.
My most fun find was the Farmer’s and Public Market between the Courthouse and Railroad station museum.
I have to say I at first envied what appeared to be using two old train depots—come to find out they were clever stucco facades on metal warehouse type buildings that had many garage doors and were open air, merchandized beautifully and open daily. The fresh peaches were divine.
Keeping customers and bringing new customers is the “First Monday Trade Fair” which is actually held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday before the first Monday of the month, monthly. Using a public, private formula, this was an active and attractive community magnet . . . and all kinds of other businesses were drawn by the traffic.
There are many more pieces to what makes Weatherford thrive and work, but the main formula is bringing together its past, relevance for the present, and continuously building and renovating for the future—using existing assets in clever, resourceful ways that fit the communities’ means. They have found common interests (like fresh food) to bring people with many interests together.
Illustrated from Musings column in Fort Bend Independent 06/29/2011 edition by Janice Scanlan.
. . . More Stuff . . .
The Downtown Weatheford Cafe above is one of those, plate lunch "chicken fried steak" places. I had an amazing blackened chicken on rice which was one of it's specials. . .with great sides of vegetables. It sits across from the Courthouse and has a wonderful primitive painting of "The Square" that just happened to be my view from my table. But it's not just the past.
The next photo will show you how Weatherford is thinking to the future. Like I said, all the pieces have to click whether it's the already realized park, pool and recreation area "just down the way" or the visions for the future depicted below. Lots of pieces to making a community exude energy and vibrance like Weatherford. No, we don't all have a square and beautiful courthouse like Weatherford. It's not trying to do a "me too." It's figuring out each community's unique assets . . . and then how to enhance and capitalize on them--and both the past and future visions are some of those assets. It's how you share them so people of varied interests feel they "fit into to them and dream about them" so the will to keep building continues.
It took Oklahoma City 40 years to realize Bricktown by cleaning up 40 square blocks of skid row and taxing herself to do so. That's the will part. Having enough people willing for more taxes is the varied interests part. You can't be a one or two trick pony. Many people have to feel included and excited.
Please click on pictures if you wish to enlarge the view.
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