Varner-Hogg Plantation Day Trip - November 20, 2009
by Israel Morales
Hogg Plantation House.
What looked like a gloomy and nasty weather day for the planned day trip to West Columbia turned out to be a great day after all with just a sprinkle of rain. The club members who braved the weather were rewarded with an excellent day as they visited the Varmer-Hogg Plantation and the seat of the first capital of the Republic of Texas.
First, we visited the Hogg Plantation House where two guides met us and split the group into two parties and proceeded to give us an unique guided tour of the Hogg Family House. Interesting was the history of the house and the part that the Hogg family contributed to Texas in the early years. The house still has much of the original furniture and has kept many of the furnishings bought by Mrs. Hogg, who had excellent taste for fine furniture and interior decorations. After the 30-45 minute guided tour of the Hogg Home, the outside tour was shortened due to wet grounds.
Attendees.
Sylvia and Charles picked a great place for our lunch at the Hardtack Cafe. The meal was good but it was what we got for dessert after the meal that has to be the BEST UNPLANNED ADDED ATTRACTION we could have ever imagined. Imagine taking a picture with KATHRYN GRANT CROSBY!
The gracious grand lady, widow of Bing Crosby, was also dining at the cafe and took the time to join us and talk to all of us. The very congenial lady shook hands with us and gladly told us how she was doing and proudly told us of her family of two children and 10 grandchildren.
Kathryn Grant Crosby with Israel, Nora and Mary Lee.
After lunch, still delighted at our good fortune of meeting and talking with Kathryn Grant Crosby, we crossed the street to visit the West Columbia Museum. The museum was small but was loaded with interesting collections of early Texas treasures. Here, along with the displays of so many important people of Texas, we saw - you guessed it - the story of Kathryn Grant and what she had done for the community of West Columbia.
Last, but not least, was the visit to see the First Capitol of the Republic of Texas (1836 to 1837), in West Columbia. The one room building has been renovated and looked much as what it did in 1836. Its place in history is well documented. Doing a good job in explaining the importance of the building to all Texans and presenting the early "Texians" way of life were two senior guides dressed in early Texan attire.
First Capital - Republic of Texas.
Attending the Day Trip were: Glenn and Ligia Haworth, Mary Lee and Howard Cameron, Israel and Nora Morales, Ralph Garcia, James and Dorothy Wade, Charles and Sylvia Slanina, Patsy Seay and Marie Kucera.
The drawings for 2 TGIF Desserts were won by Mary Lee Cameron and Nora Morales.
