Experts on all facets of state and national history provide compelling presentations, often from their own books. Facts, statistics, rumors and tall tales provide an entertaining session for adults.
Scroll through to see what events we had in 2018 and 2019.
OCTOBER 19, 2019
“Train Crash at Crush”
On September 15, 1896, Crush boasted the highest population in Texas. Built near Waco, the town provided the staging ground for a publicity stunt ramming two trains together at top speed. Showrunner and Katy Railroad official William Crush thought he had planned for every contingency. But when elephant-sized chunks of steam locomotive began raining down into the packed stands, the extravaganza quickly unraveled into one of the Lone Star State’s most confounding tragedies. The soon-to-be famous Scott Joplin commemorated the debacle in “The Great Crush Collision March,” and entrepreneurs like “Head-On Joe” Connolly of Iowa continued the tradition of the staged locomotive duel for decades. But the stupefying incident still slipped into the back pages of Texas lore. Writer-historian Mike Cox finally tells the full story of the Crash at Crush.
About the Speaker – Mike Cox
Elected to membership in the Texas Institute of Letters in 1993, the same year as James Michener and Bill Moyers, Mike Cox is the author of 30-plus non-fiction books. Over a freelance career of more than five decades, he has also written hundreds of articles and essays for a wide variety of publications. Since August 2015 he has been editor of the Wild West History Association Journal, which has a world-wide circulation. In September 2011, he received the A.C. Greene Lifetime Achievement Award for his body of work. Two of his books — a work on Texas disasters and a two-volume history of the Texas Rangers — are included in 101 Essential Texas Books by Glen Dromgoole and Carlton Stowers. His best-selling work has been that 250,000-word, two-volume history of the Texas Rangers, published by Forge Books in New York in 2008 and 2009. Another of his books, Cowboy Stuntman: From Olympic Gold to the Silver Screen (Texas Tech University Press), won three national awards, including a Will Rogers medallion in October 2014. A native of Amarillo, Texas, his parents met as reporters for competing newspapers while covering a sensational murder trial in West Texas. He grew up in Austin and worked for newspapers in San Angelo and Lubbock while going to college before joining the Austin American-Statesman.
APRIL 6, 2019
“Forgotten Frisco: Zuzu Bollin, Legendary Texas Bluesman”
A presentation on the remarkable life, times, and music of a true Frisco original, Zuzu Bollin. The blues has been an important part of Texas music for generations. Zuzu Bollin, born in Frisco in 1922, is a little-known contributor to this great history. This presentation will provide a glimpse into the life, times, and music of this remarkable Frisco native.
View a video of the presentation here, thanks to the Heritage Museum: April 6 2019 Saturday at the Museum
Presenters:
Aaron West, PhD.
Dr. West has been a professional musician since he was fifteen years old. He has performed with jazz and pop legends such as Arturo Sandoval, Brian Wilson, Norah Jones, and the Glenn Miller Orchestra. He released his first solo album in 2007, titled Colors and Angles. He has taught courses related to Western music and American popular music at Collin College since 2011.
Brett Adams
Mr. Adams has a Master’s Degree from the University of Tulsa and has been teaching history at Collin College since 2004. He enjoys sharing and teaching anything related to history to students of all ages. Brett is actively involved with the Frisco Heritage Association.
JANUARY 19, 2019
“Gunpowder Justice: The Trial of Samuel Burk Burnett for the Murder of Farley Sayers”
Guest speaker Meredith Richards Martin will present an entertaining and compelling look at Samuel Burk Burnett, owner of the Four Sixes Ranch containing over 360,000 acres across Texas, Oklahoma and Mexico. Burnett became one of the most influential cattlemen in Texas history; however, his run-in with a cattle rustler named Farley Sayers resulted in a fascinating feud that ended with the famed cattleman on trial and summed up the end of an era where justice on the open plains was often resolved with gunpowder.
About the speaker: Meredith Richards Martin holds a Master’s degree in history from Midwestern State University. She has taught both American and Texas history at Collin College’s Frisco campus, where she currently serves as the Associate Dean for Social and Behavioral Sciences and the Arts
OCTOBER 27, 2018
“Texas and World War I”
To commemorate the centennial anniversary of World War I, the Heritage Association and the Frisco Heritage Museum bring you two important events:
Acclaimed author Richard McCaslin returns to the podium with an enlightening look at the impact World War I had on Texans. Mr. McCaslin is an award-winning author, TSHA Professor of Texas History at the University of North Texas, and a Fellow of the Texas Sate Historical Association.
After the lecture, visit “Frisco Connections,” the museum’s World War I Centennial exhibit of stories, photos, letters and personal items of Frisco soldiers and their families.
No registration or fee required.
APRIL 21, 2018
Cotton – From Field to Cloth
Hands-on activities, student photography exhibit, and more. All activities are free and Museum admission fee is not required. Call 972-292-5668 for additional information. More events at the Museum.
Schedule
9:30 am – Morning refreshments
10 am – Keith Volanto, PhD, Collin College professor of history and author of Texas, Cotton and the New Deal. Second floor theater.
11 am to 2 pm – Community experts display and demonstrate contemporary cotton crafts in the 2nd floor galleries.
- Visit with the Frisco Quilt Guild
- Watch and learn from a certified Master Weaver about creating cloth from thread on a loom
- Saris from India display
- Latin American textiles display
12pm – “Images of Frisco” student photography exhibit and reception, sponsored by Collin College.