When we first started this journey, we were keenly aware of the history we were inheriting with this property. This was brought home when my partner found a trunk full of artifacts that chronicled the life of the Schwartz family that had owned the property since 1890. Unfortunately, amazingly, the trunk was left out on the back porch by the previous owners and so many of the contents are damaged. However, one priceless object was retrieved intact, a deed abstract compiled for William Schwaze (sic) when he first purchased the land. This was compiled in beautiful copperplate handwriting, the most interesting entry being the original transaction that documents the transfer of 4,428 acres (or one league) of land to William Bridge on November 2, 1832. Now I have to admit that until now, my knowledge of Texas history was primarily gained from watching Fess Parker, The Lone Ranger, The Cisco Kid and Hopalong Cassidy on a 9" black and white Bush television set. From these historic chronicles I learned about Davy Crockett and the Alamo. And that other than Tonto, the Red Indians were always the bad guys. And that Texas would be a cool place to go when I grew up.
So you will have to excuse my ignorance of the events leading up to the formation of the State of Texas. The accompanying photograph is a copy of this page and it shows that the land was given by the Government of Mexico as a Grant for Services. The rest of it reads:
Wm Bridge was a colonist under Stephen F. Austin, in ? up the State of Texas under the Mexican Government, as such colonist he was entitled to and received a Grant for 4428 acres of land, (or a league), which he located in Washington Co Texas the original grant being on record .... in Austin Texas.
William Bridge was one of the original "Texas 300" settlers who were granted land in return for keeping the peace with the native Indians. So basically the Mexicans took the land from the Indians and gave it to the settlers who then won it fom Mexico in the Texas War of Independence. Hmmmmm!!!
My original fears about this project were the costs and this is the one thing that still keeps me awake at night. A visit to my woodworking mentor and very good friend in Sturgeon Bay WI last week showed me that a workshop does not need to be complicated and while the idea of replicating the barn still seems to a good idea from an aesthetic standpoint, I am beginning to wonder if the costs of maintaining the character of a 100-year old barn versus a standard 50' x 30' building are worth it. We are also still trying to decide on the location of the barn/workshop and realizing that building placement is perhaps more difficult than we initially realized. Other than keeping the foundation and structure away from the trees; driveways, access, views, landscaping and aesthetics are all interlinked, with each change of location affecting any number of factors for better or worse.
We are still waiting on responses from several builders contractors. I hope that by the time I write my next blog we will have made a decision. Time will tell -- and I fear it will likely be Brenham time!
