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Greetings! We are thrilled to be connecting back with you after a hot summer and following the end of what has been a very eventful fiscal year. The post-Covid transition, our 25th anniversary celebrations and everything that came with that, continuing existing projects as well as beginning new ones that required us to think outside of the box, and staffing changes, all stretched us and made us a stronger partner to the Texas Historical Commission (THC) in its preservation and education mission.
None of what we do would be possible without YOUR support. I want to take this opportunity to share some of the impact YOU have made over the last 12 months on Texas history and on the real places and real people whose stories you help preserve and share through your support of the FTHC.
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 At the end of their internship program in August of 2022, we asked the Preservation Scholars’ Class of 2022 for their thoughts on how to better engage young people in historic preservation.
As expected from this group of incredibly talented and passionate young people, the answers we received were direct, deep, and insightful. Bringing the next generation of young people into the work of historic preservation is a challenge—one that we need to take head on, and our scholars have provided us with some guidance on the work we need to do. One thing is clear—young people in Texas want to learn about the history of all Texans, and they want to claim their place in Texas history—as a generational Texan or, like my own two children, as first-generation Texan children of immigrants.
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Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site showcases the home where the 34th U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was born in 1890. The site contains an impressive collection that tells the story of President Eisenhower’s humble beginnings.
For Amanda Lanum, an educator from Eisenhower Birthplace, one of the most rewarding things about working at the site is facilitating connections. She helps visitors explore their understandings and memories of the site and of Eisenhower’s life. Through this process, she has the privilege of hearing the visitors recount stories of the past. Some of the most memorable stories are those when visitors share experiences of voting in their first election for President Eisenhower or remembering the times he visited Denison when they were children.
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“We believe that in order to know who you are, you need to know where you come from.” –Ysleta del Sur Pueblo: Walking in the Footsteps of our Ancestors
The story of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo spans generations. It is the story of the perseverance and determination of the Tigua Indians, whose community at Ysleta del Sur Pueblo represents the oldest community in Texas and whose governing body, the Tigua Tribal Council, endures as the oldest government in the state.
Join us November 17th as we host Rick Quezada, director of cultural preservation for the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, as he helps us understand the story of this community and its vital importance in the history of the State of Texas.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Environmental Affairs Division, Historic Studies Branch is completing a statewide survey update of Texas’ non-truss vehicular bridges and bridge-class culverts built in or before 1945, as well as masonry structures built through 1950. Non-truss bridges can come in a variety of shapes (like arches, beams, and slabs) materials, and sizes. This project is a planning study that will provide TxDOT National Register of Historic Places evaluations for bridges included in the study population – of which there are currently 3,793 bridges/bridge-class culverts. You can find more information about the project on the project website.
TxDOT needs your help. TxDOT’s project team created an Interactive Comment Map (ICM) where you can share comments on specific bridges or provide general information about bridges or overall survey efforts. Your comments will help shape the documentation and survey efforts for this statewide project.
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