Thursday, February 25, 2010

History Park Committee Guidelines Set

The Conroe Courier reports that the Montgomery City Council approved the addition of five new members to the Fernland History Park Building Committee,:
City officials have finalized the appointees and the responsibilities of a specially formed committee that will oversee development of a planned historical park.

Committee activities will include fundraising, public relations, historical documentation, construction and interface with Sam Houston State University.

Fernland History Park is being developed on 1.75 acres of land donated by LefCo Development. Historical structures leased to the city by SHSU and other structures will be moved to the site designed to create interest in the community’s past significance and serve as an educational facility for area students and historical scholars.

Pad sites for the buildings that will be transported to Montgomery have been rough graded in preparation for foundation work. Subject to favorable weather, committee member Philip LeFevre said he anticipates the four SHSU structures will be moved at the end of March.

Regents Approve Renovation Of Walker Education Center

SHSU was given approval by the Texas State University System Board of Regents to begin renovation on the Katy and E. Don Walker, Sr. Education Center. The facility is located on the grounds of the Sam Houston Memorial Museum. University officials anticipate that the renovation will begin in June and be completed by the end of the summer.

“The Walker Education Center is the portal to the Sam Houston Memorial Museum and is visited by thousands of citizens each year,” SHSU President Jim Gaertner told the regents. “The museum is a major attraction for groups of area school children that come to the Center in multiple bus loads,” he said. “The Center needs to be upgraded and expanded to better accommodate group visits. The improvements will greatly enhance the appearance of the Center and make accommodations more welcoming and comfortable.”

SHSU received $560,000 from the Cultural Activities Foundation of Huntsville/Walker County to renovate, expand, and improve the meeting space on the lower level of the center for events, receptions and conferences for both the campus and the community.

Links:
Today@Sam
Houstonian

Monday, February 22, 2010

Time Capsule: 1910

Industrial Arts BuildingAccording to the 1983 Alcalde, a time capsule was found during the demolition of the Industrial Arts Building that contained a promotional booklet about Sam Houston Normal Institute, a list of the senior class for the 1909-10 school year, and a February 13, 1910 issue of the Huntsville Post-Item about the planned festivities for the February 22 laying of the cornerstone of the Agriculture, Manual Training, and Domestic Sciences Building.

The Industrial Arts Building was the fourth permanent building on the SHNI campus and the first structure on the western side of the quadrangle.