Retired Teachers Visit Heroes Museum

Members of the Fayette County Retired Teachers’ Association toured the Heroes Museum located at 171 S. Main St. in La Grange on April 4.

The tour was hosted by Docent Charles Murray (museum manager). He explained that the museum (also known as “the old jail”) was begun in 1883, and operated for 102 years; was closed for ten years, re-opened in 1995 as an office for the La Grange Chamber of Commerce. It was later designated as a Heroes Museum, to honor all who sacrificed to serve the community and the nation. This includes all in the military, firefighters, the sheriff’s association, police, nurses and medical personnel, the “Old 300” (original Texas settlers), the “Do-nut Dollies” (Red Cross women who brought doughnuts to soldiers in early wars).

The original floor plan of the building included living quarters for the sheriff in the 1930’s (also included a kitchen; the sheriff’s wife cooked for the family, and for the incarcerated prisoners), a sheriff’s office, separate areas for women prisoners and juvenile prisoners, a “drunk tank” (separate building outside). The main cell block had two rows of cells, and additional second (upper) row of cells accommodating a total of 32 prisoners.

All flags on the walls are replicas, and all guns are also replicas. There is a “graphotype” (machine for making dog tags), and a set of leg irons used in work details. Also for viewing: mannequins with uniforms, depicting the careers of Ted Wolfram and Weldon Koenig, with information about their military careers. There are extensive military uniforms from all services, and other memorabilia from all wars fought by Fayette County personnel.

A tourist information section has available brochures and information. The museum is open on Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and can be found on Facebook. After the tour, the teachers enjoyed a lunch and social time at Reba’s.

The next regularly-held retired teachers’ meeting will be on May 9 at the First United Methodist Fellowship Hall, 1215 Von Minden, La Grange. Social time will be at 1:30 p.m.with the business meeting at 2 p.m.

For more information about the Fayette County Retired Teachers’ Association, phone (361) 772-3068, or visit www.localunits.org/Fayette.

While the name may imply the group is only for teachers, all retired public school personnel are invited, and will be welcomed, even if from another city or county.