The Texas Forestry Museum in Lufkin is hosting its annual Sawmill Sampler event Friday, May 18, 2018, from 6 – 8 pm. The museum invites everyone to travel back in time for a sampling of what life was like in the early East Texas sawmill towns. Demonstrations on woodturning, Dutch oven cooking, beekeeping, canning and more will be featured.
East Texas history was shaped by the logging industry of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. History notes that as many as 600 sawmills were doing business in Texas during this period. Towns sprang up around many of the mills giving rise to thriving, self-sustaining communities with their own stores, churches, even their own currency in trade—sawmill tokens used by company merchants before they were declared illegal tender by the government.
The Texas Forestry Museum’s Sawmill Sampler event is your opportunity for a sampling of what life was like in the early East Texas sawmill towns, including a variety of beans to sample in the Sawmill Bean Cook-Off before casting your vote for the winner. Young cloggers from Susan’s Studio of Dance will perform, and children’s activities include crafts, petting zoo, and free pony rides with the purchase of an event ticket. All of this can be enjoyed while listening to old time music provided by the Hartz family of musicians.
Add to this, food samples offered by local restaurants, and it’s a history lesson wrapped around a memorable evening.
Tickets are $10 for adults; $5 for ages 4 to 12, and free for ages three and under. Tickets may be purchased at the museum or online at www.treetexas.com. The event is sponsored by Catfish King, Stringer’s Lufkin Bar-B-Que, Posados, Cracker Barrel, Cotton Patch, and the Texas Forestry Association. Photos will be taken at the event for promotional materials.
For more information, contact the Texas Forestry Museum at 936-632-9535. The museum is located at 1905 Atkinson Drive, Lufkin, Texas, adjacent to the Texas Forestry Association offices.
