Goodies in our museum store!

Greetings, Village People!

This story will be primarily told with pictures. And if a picture's worth a thousand words, then get ready for a whole lotta photographic talking! We are very excited to be able to feature several new items in our museum store. Some of them are bought from other distributors, but much of our new merchandise is made by our talented historical interpreters right here on site! And so, without further ado, we present, "what's new in the Village store."

We love, love, love these little ladies. These clothespin dolls are handmade by Dallas Heritage Village volunteer Barbara. They generously allow us to purchase quantities of these beauties to sell to our Village "westside" visitors.

We mentioned these adorable sweeties recently. They are currently handmade on site by historical interpreters Kessy, Jeanie, Teresa, Marcela, and Linda. We hope to have a couple more in stock very soon! Stay tuned...

While we don't produce these on site, we just thought they were a darned good item to have on hand. The stickers are removable so you can decorate your cabin again and again. Uh...what I meant, of course, is that your CHILD can decorate his/her cabin again and again. Because I would never play with a kid's toy. Ever. If you'll excuse me, I need to go move Pa near the door in case coyotes are approaching.

Yarn dolls. We carry them. We love them. These are a longtime popular item here at the Village, and historical interpreter Marilyn handmakes each one with care.

Again...not produced on site...but aren't these patches COOL? Good for Scouts, Campfire kids, Y-Guides, or anyone else who wants to show their Village spirit. We saw Taffy the cat sporting one recently.

Rag dolls...so simple...so elegant...so "Little House." Handmade on site by historical interpreter Teresa.

The ever popular corn husk dolls! We have a variety of styles, each carefully handmade on site by historical interpreter Linda. We think this mother and child doll is beautiful.

These just knock our socks off. Who knew historical interpreter Fred was such a great artist! These are one-of-a-kind pencil sketches of Village structures, created here on site. What else can we say...the cabins like to pose!

We feature scarves handmade by historical interpreters Debi and Marilyn. We couldn't help but show you this precious child's scarf/hat combo that Debi finished recently, though. Warm...fashionable...made by a Village person...for YOU.

We also feature items made by Village blacksmiths Michael, Steven, and Jeanie...as well as fine woodworked items from Steven and David (items available vary according to materials and time to complete). And Terry, Fred, and Teresa keep us well-stocked with fresh-ground cornmeal!

New items are produced daily...so come check out all their hard work!

Topsy-turvy, photos, scarves...and more!

It seems like winter just started, and yet it's already about time for spring! Don't get us wrong...we love the warm weather and the pitter-patter of children's (and adults') feet, but it's hard to believe the busy season is upon us again. But for that, as always, we are grateful.

Sometimes visitors ask, however, what we do when visitation is slower. On chilly winter days, while our interpreters wait to greet you, they are typically busy with "behind the scenes" tasks. For example, in January, they worked very diligently to help organize photographs from the Village's institutional archives and place them in albums.


They also decided to undertake new craft ventures to provide even more beautiful handmade (Village made) items for our museum store. Lately the women have been working their fingers to nubbins producing topsy-turvy dolls. Every time one is made, it immediately sells (so please call ahead if you're coming in to purchase one). Fortunately we took photos of a couple of the sweet darling dolls before they went into the shop.

Topsy-turvy dolls have a fascinating history. These dolls became popular in the southern U.S. before the Civil War. They could have been made for slave children by their mothers so they could have a “hidden” doll when the master was around. Or, the dolls could have been made for the children of the slave owner for role play. More than likely, both explanations hold some truth. You can read more about topsy-turvy dolls here. We are currently producing the aforementioned as well as "asleep/awake" dolls.

Interpreters have also begun making beautiful knit scarves. Since Texas is not well-known for its scarf weather, they are also planning to expand their "line" to include blankets, booties, and whatever else they imagine!

And we still carry many other Village-made treats like fresh ground cornmeal, lye soap, hand-forged dinner bell triangles, wooden walking sticks, yarn dolls, candles, and more! Stop into the store and see what's new!

Fort Worth Parks book now available!

They're here! They're here!

We are pleased to announce that we have the new Fort Worth Parks book available for sale in our Museum Store. Completed to celebrate and commemorate Fort Worth's Parks and Community Service's 2009 Centennial, the book details the history of Fort Worth's award-winning park system (of which Log Cabin Village is a part), complete with dozens of historic photographs.

Publisher's Description:
Book Description
Fort Worth sits on a blend of timber and prairie land that is transected by the Trinity River and its tributaries. These physical attributes invited the creation of parks to preserve scenic landscapes and to provide Fort Worth residents with access to nature. Generous land donations as well as the foresight of city leaders allowed for the acquisition of park land, particularly after the formation of the park department in 1909. Local architects and such well-known names as George E. Kessler, Hare and Hare, Philip Johnson, and Lawrence Halprin have left a rich legacy of nationally recognized parks and recreational amenities. These include the Fort Worth Zoo, Fort Worth Botanic Garden, the Water Gardens, Heritage Plaza, Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge, and Fort Woof, the city’s first dog park.

Author Bio
In celebration of the Fort Worth Parks and Community Services Department centennial, local historian Susan Allen Kline and Parks and Community Services Department staff have selected historic photographs and other images from public and private collections to illustrate the development of the city’s parks and recreation facilities. The volume also features an introduction by Richard Zavala Jr., the department’s director.

Stop by the Village and purchase your copy today!