Weather: low 74 degrees, high 90 degrees, mostly cloudy skies
I had several chores to do this morning: laundry, a little housekeeping, go to the library, and that sort of thing. After the chores were finished, or at least the ones I wanted to do today, I decided to go to West Columbia, which is about 22 miles away, to see the Varner-Hogg Plantation. We have been through West Columbia many times over the years, but never took the
time to stop and see the plantation. The first picture is of the house, which was built in 1834 with bricks made from the mud of the Brazos River. The style is Greek Revival, which was popular in that time period. The second picture is of the beautiful pecan orchard on the property. 
The plantation was developed to grow sugar cane for sugar, and a sugar mill was constructed in the 1840s for refining sugar. It must have been quite a large brick building, with two floors. The mill was destroyed by a hurricane in 1900, and the only things left are the kettles and brick foundations. It's important to remember that all these buildings were built with slave labor, which also raised the sugar cane until the Civil War was finished.
A barn on the property was filled with different tools and wagons from the era, including this John Deere wagon. Looks good, doesn't it? As I was walking around the property, it occurred to me how quiet it was. The plantation is less than two miles from town, but it almost seems like another world. The holiday coming up is the last one of the summer, and it looks like people are taking advantage of the long weekend. I saw many RVs on the move today, heading to the beach and different campgrounds in the area. I hope they have a good time.
Good night, Dear.
More later, be safe.
Today's Town - West Columbia, Texas: First Capitol Of The Republic Of Texas
Not all who wander are lost.
No comments:
Post a Comment