Frontier Times Museum facts for kids
The Frontier Times Museum in Bandera
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| Established | 1933 |
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| Location | 510 13th Street, Bandera, TX |
The Frontier Times Museum is an exciting place in Bandera, deep in the Texas Hill Country. It's a museum all about the American West and what life was like back then. A writer and historian named John Marvin Hunter started this museum in 1933. It's filled with amazing things that tell the stories of cowboys, pioneers, and Native Americans.
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Exploring the Museum's Cool Exhibits
The museum gets its name from J. Marvin Hunter's popular Frontier Times magazine. You can find the museum at 510 13th Street. Hunter started collecting items about the West in 1927 and needed a house to hold everything! He even used local materials like stone, fossils, and petrified wood to build parts of it.
What Kind of Treasures Will You Find?
Inside, there are about 40,000 items from the Old West. You'll see Western art, old antiques, and Native American artifacts. Imagine seeing Chinese temple bells and old posters from Buffalo Bill Cody's famous Wild West Show! Some special exhibits include an old printing press, a cozy fireplace, cowboy awards, and a small gallery with paintings. Sometimes, the museum even hosts fun events, like the "National Day of the American Cowboy."
Meet Amasa Clark: A Pioneer's Story
One exhibit tells the story of Amasa Clark (1825–1927). He was from New York and was one of the first permanent Anglo settlers in Bandera County. Friendly Native Americans led him to the Medina River Valley. Can you believe he lived to be over one hundred years old and had nineteen children with two wives? He started fruit orchards on a 160-acre (0.65 km2) farm. He was also one of the last living veterans of the Mexican–American War. There's even a cemetery in Bandera County named after him!
José Policarpio Rodriguez: From Scout to Minister
Another interesting exhibit is about José Policarpio "Polly" Rodriguez (1829–1914) from Bandera. When he was a boy, he became a gunsmith's apprentice. In the 1850s, he worked as a scout for the U.S. government, exploring roads through Texas. During the American Civil War, he even served with Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and Albert Sidney Johnston, and with the Texas Rangers. Later, he became a Methodist minister in 1878, traveling around to preach. He passed away from pneumonia. His exhibit says he "won many souls to Christ," and went through life with "singing and joy."
The Man Behind the Museum: J. Marvin Hunter
J. Marvin Hunter was born in Loyal Valley, Texas. He grew up in towns like Menard and Mason, where he worked for his father’s newspaper, the Mason Herald. He also worked for other newspapers in Texas and even a daily paper in Mexico City that was printed in two languages!
Hunter eventually settled in Bandera. He published the Bandera New Era from 1921 to 1935, and then the Bandera Bulletin from 1945 until he passed away. During his life, Hunter published sixteen newspapers, mostly small weekly papers that were set by hand. He also wrote history books about the West and printed brochures for others. He hoped the museum would help him sell his books and other printed materials.
After Hunter's death in 1957, a group called the F. B. Doane Foundation bought the museum in 1960. They fixed up the old building, added a gallery, and then gave ownership to Bandera County in 1972.
Texas Heroes Hall of Honor
In 2009, the Frontier Times Museum started its "Texas Heroes Hall of Honor." This hall celebrates people who have made a big difference in Texas. The first people honored included Hunter himself, a famous author named J. Frank Dobie, and a skilled marksman and bootmaker named Joe Bowman. These three were honored after they had passed away.
The living heroes honored were:
- Ray Wharton of Bandera – a 1956 World Champion in calf roping.
- Cleo Hearn of Lancaster – he helped start the American Black Rodeo Association.
- Kevin Fitzpatrick of Bandera – a 2008 World Champion trick roper.
- Terry Boothe of Austin – someone who works to preserve culture and is also a humorist.
- Raul Gaona, Sr. of San Antonio – he helped start the San Antonio Charro Association and promotes Mexican culture in the American West.
When Can You Visit?
The Frontier Times Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Sundays, you can visit from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
