La Grange
Home Decor-Women’s Apparel &Much, Much More 239 W. Travis St., La Grange www.FlairandCompany.com
(979) 968-6860 •ANU •Baik Baik •B-Elegant •Bryn Walker •Cheyenne •Circle E Candles •Completo •3D Belt Company •Double J Saddlery •J P and Mattie •Gretty Zuegar •Lysse •Match Point •Patricia Wolf
Soon to be Our NEW Home!
•Margee Halsch •Becky Mitchell •No Blu •OMG •Tasha Polizzi •Peacock •Roja •Scala •Scully •Tulip •Turquoise Haven •West and Company •Vintage •Yea
127 W. Travis • LaGrange
La Grange
The Texas Quilt Museum opened to much fanfare Nov. 13, 2011 and draws thousands of visitors to downtown La Grange every year. Photo by Jeff Wick
Not Your Grandmother’s Quilts
La Grange became the unofficial quilting capital of Texas on Nov. 13, 2011, as the Texas Quilt Museum opened in downtown La Grange and ever since a steady stream of tour buses has been descending upon the two-building complex that also includes a massive 75-foot mural and turnof-the-century garden at 140 W. Colorado St. “These are not your grandmother’s quilts,” said Karey Bresenhan, co-founder of the museum, who also founded the
Houston International Quilt Festival “These are quilts like you’ve never seen before.” The museum was the idea Bresenhan and her cousin Nancy O’Bryant Puentes, who together have written a trilogy of books on Texas Quilts. The choice to bring the museum to La Grange was an easy one, said Bresenhan. “La Grange is right in the middle of Austin, Houston and San Antonio. It’s a crossroads to all these areas,” Bresenhan said
prior to the museum opening. Even before the museum opened this area was already home to a vibrant quilting community. The Colorado Valley Quilt Guild holds “The Best Little Quilt Show in Texas” in La Grange every February. But the museum has sparked even more interest in quilting locally. The quilts on display change every few months. In addition to a gift shop, the museum also houses the Pearce Memorial Li-
brary and Material Culture Center which features reference books about quilting and fabric collections. The museum’s hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and from noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is $8 per person but is $6 for seniors, students and groups of 20 or more when arranged in advance. For more information check out www.texasquiltmuseum.org or call them at (979) 968-3104.
La Grange
Grandmother’s Flower Garden Adjacent to Quilt Museum Grandmother’s Flower Garden, a period “town” garden typical of area gardens between 1893, when the Museum’s buildings were constructed, and 1930, is located adjacent to the Museum and is planned to inspire creativity and contemplation. It is oriented to the Museum’s large quilt mural and centered by an antique “cemetery” fence which surrounds a sundial. It was designed by Mitzi VanSant of The Fragrant Garden, and features flowers, shrubs, vines, and trees which were favored by gardeners of the past, or in some cases their somewhat more modern gardeners.
celebrate it with ...come home to your heritage
TM
South Central Texas’
Largest Independent Real Estate Firm ...
Recognized for PROVIDING DISTINGUISHED BROKERAGE SERVICES and a TRADITION of INTEGRITY.
BRENHAM 605 S. Austin Brenham, TX 77833
979.836.3633
ROUND TOP 203 N. Live Oak Round Top, TX 78954
979.249.5787
LA GRANGE 103 N. Main La Grange, TX 78945
979.968.5300
BELLVILLE 524 W. Main Bellville, TX 77418
979.865.4443
W W W. H E R I TA G E T E X A S C O U N T RY. COM
240 West Colorado La Grange, Texas 979.968.8555 Check us out on Facebook at Heritage Hallmark-La Grange, TX
WE’RE NOT THE USUAL HALLMARK STORE!
La Grange
Prause Meat Market Still Smokin’ A Century Later By H.H. HOWZE
The Fayette County Record
F
ans of fresh meat and barbecue from the historic Prause Meat Market on the courthouse square in La Grange are glad to see the place is still doing business. Last year the current generation of the Prause clan – Gary, Brian, Kathy, Mark (and sausage -maker Dennis Ahlschlager) – tried to hang up their cleavers and meat saws and sell the business, worn down to the gristle by years of 70 hour weeks. There weren’t any buyers for the market, which has been in the Prause family for more than 100 years, so they’ve just kept on selling their famous meat and barbeque. Arnold Prause started the family’s first butcher shop in 1904 on the north side of the square. The business outgrew the original location, and the Prause family moved it south in 1953 to the current space. The market is owned and operated by fourth-generation members of Gary, Mark, Kathy and Brian Prause in their iconic meat market on the La Grange square . the Prause family. Photo by H.H. Howze Continued on next page
FINANCING L AND OWNER SHIP
Grow with us.
NMLS493828
Let us finance your dreams FINANCING
SERVICES
Rural Land Real Estate Appraisal Homes Crop Insurance Farms & Ranches Leasing Operating Capital Livestock & Equipment Improvements Agribusiness
La Grange Credit Office 979.968.5750 | Toll Free 877.688.5500 CapitalFarmCredit.com proud member of the Farm Credit System
La Grange
Mark Prause cuts the wood, fires the oven and tends the barbecue behind the scenes at Prause’s Meat Market every work day. Longtime barbecue cook Monroe Schubert retired last year. Photo by H.H. Howze
Prause Meat Market: The Tradition Continues Continued from previous page
It’s one of the more interesting business places in town, featuring a colorful mural on the back wall, lots of mounted deer heads, big bass and waterfowl trophies – and don’t forget the javalina back in the “eatin’ room.” Then there’s the long wall on the left where customers line up daily to choose from the barbecue and deli offerings. The wall is a gallery of folksy wit and wisdom such as: • Do you want to talk to the boss or someone who knows what’s going on? • Born to hunt – forced to work. • The trouble with women is that they get all excited about
nothing ... then marry him. • Chickens: the only animal you eat before they are born and after they’re dead. • If a man is in the woods and no woman can hear him, would he still be wrong? And a lot of others. Lucky for locals and visitors, the Prause clan plans to carry on in the family trade, they’re just not working such long hours anymore. “We’ve cut back from 70 hours a week to 50,” Gary said. “We’re still doing plenty of business, but we’re all getting older.” Lot’s of folks hope they just keep on smokin‘ that good ’cue until they find someone else to take over.
979.249.5132 2204 E. State Hwy. 71 | La Grange
Mon-Fri 9-6 • Sat 9-5 • Sun 12-5
La Grange
Czech Mark
La Grange Home to Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center With its rich heritage, it’s no surprise that La Grange is the hub for celebrating the Czech culture in Texas. Over 80 percent of the Czech-Moravian families who settled in Texas at some time lived in Fayette County before they spread out across the state. Celebrating that colorful heritage, which deeply enriches this community, is the Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center. At its 70-acre site neighboring the Fayette County Fairgrounds just north of La Grange on Hwy. 77, is the multifaceted home of the Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center. A replica of a late 19th and early 20th century Czech-Moravian community is being developed
Czech singers at the La Grange Cultural Center.
there, which includes authentic old Czech homes, businesses and an old dance hall. There’s a wall depicting the names of Czech
settlers who helped to found the city, an amphitheatre built into a hill on a bank facing the mighty Colorado River, self-guided walking trails with legends in English and Czech, and a gift shop and library to trace your Czech ancestry. Work is ongoing on the varied aspects of this celebration of culture.
Why La Grange?
In December of 1995, at a meeting of Texans of Czech An-
cestry, members voted to support the project of building a statewide Czech cultural center with a library, museum, and archives. Before that, a statewide request was sent asking for any communities that were interested in such a facility to present a proposal. Proposals were received from the cities of Caldwell, Ennis, La Grange, and Temple. After a thorough examination of each of the proposals, including a visit to each site and a meeting Continued next page
The exterior of the Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center
La Grange
Amphitheater, Czech Village All Part of Cultural Complex Continued from previous page
with city officials, the TOCA Board Members selected the La Grange proposal. Fayette County was selected as the site for the Center because of its significance in the history of Texas Czechs. It has the largest Czech population per capita and the most Czech communities of any county in the state. Many Czech-related historical sites and events, as well as prominent Texas Czechs, can be linked to Fayette County, which has the distinction of having had more immigrants from the Czech lands of the Austro-Hungarian Empire settle there in the second half of the nineteenth century than any other county in Texas. Other reasons for selecting LaGrange included the location and the amount of land offered and the fact that Fayette County is historically significant in Texas-Czech history. Ground breaking for the new building designed by Roger Kolar, architect, was held in June of 2008. Gaeke Construction was awarded the bid for the 10,000 square foot building. Another major component of the TCHCC, now on the site, is the large Sanford Schmid
Sanford Schmid Amphitheater overlooks the Colorado River Valley with stadium type seating for 400. The annual Muziky celebration is held there every October.
Amphitheater that overlooks the Colorado River Valley with stadium type seating for 400. The Hoelscher Haus donated to TCHCC by Henry and Esther Hoelscher was moved to the site on Oct. 19, 2005. It houses the Polka Lovers Club of Texas Museum.
The Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center is open: Monday-Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Contact them at (888) 785-4500. The center is located at 250 West Fairgrounds Road in La Grange.
Ask to see our wine room! VOTED BEST LIQUOR/WINE SHOP IN FAYETTE COUNTY!
Locally Owned & Operated by the Laigle Family
HOURS: MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 10 A.M. - 6 P.M. THURSDAY-SATURDAY 10 A.M - 9 P.M.
(979) 968-8951 | 150 N. Vail St. | La Grange, Texas 78945
La Grange
La Grange
This photo shows the 1918 celebration locally of the end of World War I with folks holding American flags in front of the historic Muster Oak and the Schumacher Bank located at the corner of Washington and Colorado Streets in downtown La Grange. Photo courtesy of Fayette Heritage Museum and Archive Right: The Muster Oak as it appears today, still thriving on the corner of Washington and Colorado Streets. Photo by Russell Bennett
One of Texas’ Most Famous Trees On the La Grange courthouse square, jutting out into the street at the corner of Colorado and Washington streets stands a centuries old oak tree that since the days of the Texas Revolution has served as a gathering point for local soldiers before they went off to war. On one of the two historical markers near the tree, it states: “Wives, mothers and sweethearts have bade farewell here and sent their men to war.” Seeing this “Muster Oak” should be part of any trip to downtown La Grange.
...come home to your heritage
TM
Your La Grange Team
Nadine Hufnall Sales Manager
979.224.5956
Bryan Roberts 979.966.7305
Deborah Behringer 979.966.3907
Nancy Applebe 979.338.9690
Sonny Applebe 713.252.7000
W W W.H E R I TAGE T E X AS COU NT RY. C OM
Tom Falke 979.885.9434
La Grange
La Grange
A Toast to Fayette County Enjoy Locally Made Mead or Wine Here, Or Learn About One of Texas’ First Breweries
For more information go to their website rohanmeadery.com. • Rosemary’s Vineyard and Winery located at 5501 Highway 71 East, five miles east of La Grange. The first vines there were planted in 2000 and Rosemary’s opened for business in 2006. Take a stroll through their vineyard and see such grapes as Lenoir and Blanc du Bois growing on the vine before heading to the adjacent tasting room. They are open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday afternoons. • The Stone Cellar in Round Top holds separate Beer and Wine Festivals each year. Visit the website for details. •Check out how Kreische brewed beer and see his ingenious system of keeping it cool with spring water go to Monument Hill-Kreische Brewery State Park at 414 State Loop 92 in La Grange. Open seven days a week (except Christmas Day) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free.
The Germans and Czechs who settled this area loved their beer – dating back to 1860 when Heinrich Kreische started one of Texas’ first commercial breweries on the bluff above the Colorado River here. Today, Fayette County visitors and residents alike can enjoy a wide-range of locally crafted beverages. Mead is a form of wine made from honey and is believed to be the oldest form of alcohol. The Rohan Meadery began business in 2009 and opened their tasting room in February 2011 at 6002 FM 2981. It is owned and operated by John and Wendy Rohan. The meadery is open to visitors Wednesdays thru Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. A motto of Rohans Meadery is “Save the Bees, Drink Mead.”
Rohan Mead
Rosemary’s Wine
Monument Hill & Kreische Brewery State Historic Sites High on the bluff overlooking La Grange 414 State Loop 92 La Grange, TX 78945
WE HAVE AN ARRAY OF PROFESSIONAL HAIR CARE PRORDUCTS FOR ALL YOUR HAIR NEEDS!
Activities: •Historic Sites •Picnic Area •Hiking Trails •Guided Tours •Scenic Views •Wildlife Viewing •GeoCaching
•MEN’S & WOMEN’S HAIRCUTS •BRIDAL STYLES •ALL OVER COLOR •FOIL HAIR COLORING HIGH & LOW LIGHTS •DEEP TREATMENT SYSTEMS •WAXING •AIRBRUSH MAKEUP •BALAYAGE
979-968-6815
420 W. TRAVIS ST. • STE 104 • LA GRANGE WWW.REVEHAIRSALON.COM
Free Admission
(979) 968-5658
Open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Daily
Bailey Catherine Donna
Crystal
Krystal
Gail
La Grange
Brush Up on Your Golf Game
Though part of a country club, the golf course at Frisch Auf! is also open to the public and offers lots of challenging holes with water hazards and elevation changes.
Fayette County boasts two nine-hole golf courses that are open to the public – and one disc golf course. The La Grange golf course is at Frisch Auf! Valley Country Club, but non-members can play there. It’s located at 576 Country Club Drive at the base of the bluff formed by the Colorado River. Call (979) 968-6113 for more information. The Flatonia course is at 1245 E. Highway 90 and opened in 1993. For more information call (361) 865-2922. Carts are available for rental at both courses. If disc golf is your game, Snow Farm is a 21- hole course located in the far northern tip of Fayette County on Muske-Ulrich Road. Call ahead for reservations from owner/operator Randon Dillingham at (979) 278-3536. Built in 2012, there is now a free disc golf course at the Fayette County fairgrounds as well.
You make the memories...we make them possible!
Sherry L. Callis Vice President NMLS #615337 979-968-4505
Duke M. Hengst Senior Vice President NMLS #615338 979-968-4530
Tracy L. Harris Vice President NMLS #982006 979-968-4527
Imagine the possibilities with a low rate mortgage from National Bank & Trust! We are proven, experienced lenders that provide you with the best financing solution customized to fit your specific needs. Ready to purchase your dream home to retire in or a quaint starter home to begin a family in? Maybe you need a weekend getaway out in the country? Whatever your dream may be, we have the answer!
Not only do we offer Purchase Money Loans, but we also can help you with an Interim Construction & Permanent Loan, Home Improvement Loan, or Home Equity Loan.
NBT is your full service lender! *FIRST TIME HOME BUYER PROGRAM * NO MINIMUM LOAN AMOUNT * LOW CLOSING COSTS *LOCAL PROCESSING AND SERVICING * LOW RATES * ADJUSTABLE OR FIXED RATE OPTIONS
145 W. Colorado; La Grange, TX 78945 www.nbt-texas.com
(979) 968-4525
It all starts with trust
La Grange
Kleiber Tractor Kleiber Tractor & Equipment & Equipment 1701 W. Travis St. La Grange, TX 78945 979-968-3187 www.kleibertractor.com
1701 W. Travis St. La Grange, TX 78945 979-968-3187 www.kleibertractor.com
La Grange
More Specialists, More Options, More Than Ever St. Mark’s Medical Center in La Grange offers advanced health care services right here, right now. By ELAINE THOMAS
Whether you reside here or are visiting, contact St. Mark’s Medical Center in La Grange if you experience a medical emergency or need to make health care decisions. Our local hospital offers comprehensive health services, advanced technologies and medical specialists that rival those of major metropolitan institutions. “With a team of excellent, highly skilled physicians and caring, dedicated staff, we strive to deliver top quality care at a modern, well-equipped hospital that is state-of-the-art in many respects,” says President and Chief Executive Officer Shane Kernell. Recently, St. Mark’s Medical Center opened the doors to a brand new cardiovascular imaging center that offers the latest diagnostic technology right here in La Grange. This endeavor, in partnership with Austin Heart, brings advanced capabilities, as well as expertise to diagnose
and care for heart and vascular disease in a sophisticated, comfortable environment. A trusted name in heart health, Austin Heart is the largest provider of cardiac and vascular services in Central Texas through its 13 Central Texas office locations.
Specialist Services Available in La Grange
Other specialist services available at St. Mark’s Medical Center include orthopedics such
Loads of Laundry? Come See Us! ◆ Heavy Duty Machines for Blankets, Comforters & Quilts ◆ Detergents & Softeners ◆ Convenient Change Machine Open Daily : 7 am - 9 pm Doors Lock at 9 pm
L & M Laundromat 360 S. Brown St., La Grange
as hip and knee replacements and a women’s clinic offering obstetrics-gynecology care. These specialized services are rarely available in rural hospitals; however, they have become a cornerstone of the wide array of healthcare options offered at St. Mark’s. “We expanded St. Mark’s Medical Center’s orthopedic care to treat musculoskeletal trauma, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors and congenital disorders. Our specialists
in orthopedic care are outstanding professionals and our hospital’s sophisticated diagnostic imaging equipment enables us to perform diagnostics quickly and efficiently. We have a multi-slice CT and MRI equipment make that possible,” Kernell explains. In addition, physical therapy delivered by highly trained personnel is readily available at our hospital. This allows patients to receive a complete circle of care Continued on next page
La Grange
St. Mark’s Offers Big-City Level of Care in Rural Setting Continued from previous page from the Emergency Department to treatment through rehabilitation. This is especially important to area residents, who are grateful to have access to excellent healthcare where they live rather than having to drive to Austin, Houston or San Antonio. In An Emergency St. Mark’s emergency department is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week with a medical team specifically trained and available to handle any kind of emergency. That team is comprised of a medical director Board Certified in Emergency Medicine and nursing staff trained in Emergency Nursing, including pediatric care. A multi-disciplinary team consisting of local, county and statewide services provides rapid
Some of the smiling faces you’ll find at St. Mark’s.
response to any critically injured patient. Our hospital has strong relationships with all the healthcare agencies in the community, including ambulance services and an air-transport service and the Emergency Department has two rooms designated specifically for patients arriving with chest pain.
The laboratory at St. Mark’s Medical Center offers a comprehensive range of tests onsite to support its physicians, as well as other hospitals and healthcare entities. The lab services are fully accredited by COLA, the premier independent clinical laboratory education, consultation, and accreditation organization, with
proficiency testing monitored by the American Proficiency Institute. Consulting pathologists are Board Certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology with subspecialties in cytopathology, dermatopathology and hematopathology. A Level IV Trauma Continued on next page
La Grange is more than just a day trip! Be good to yourself and plan a getaway to La Grange. Whether you’re enthusiastic about Texas History or a quilt enthusiast, a music lover or lover of the outdoors; our picture-perfect Central Texas town, with strong Czech-German heritage, serves up a slice of the good life – small town style. From hotels to hardware, and everything in between. We have the local businesses that will make your trip memorable.
Let the locals show you! 220 W. Colorado St. La Grange, TX 78945 979-968-5756 1-800 LaGrang
www.lagrangetx.org chamber@lagrangetx.org
facebook.com/lagrangeareachamberofcommerce
La Grange
St. Mark’s a 65-Bed Hospital
AirEvac has a transport helicopter based at St. Mark’s for transporting patients to and from the hospital as needed.
Continued from previous page Designated Facility, St. Mark’s Medical Center has met and maintained the standards directed by the Texas Department of State and Health Services. This level of care provides initial evaluation, stabilization, diagnostic, surgery and critical-care services, plus transfer to a higher level of care, if necessary. Patients requiring the highest level of acute care for vascular or heart procedures or brain surgery frequently are referred to the local hospital’s affiliate, St. David’s HealthCare in Austin. “Being affiliated with St. David’s, which is one of the largest, most highly regarded health systems in Texas, is extremely beneficial for St. Mark’s Medical Center,” Kernell says. “St. David’s has an outstanding reputa-
tion for managing very complex health issues, especially in emergency situations.”
Celebrating 10 Years of Service
Primarily serving the residents of Fayette and Lee Counties with a population base of approximately 50,000, St. Mark’s Medical Center is a 65-bed, 100,000-square foot not-forprofit hospital. St. Mark’s Medical Center will celebrate the 10th anniversary of operation this summer. “At St. Mark’s Medical Center, our mission is to provide quality, compassionate healthcare and promote wellness for our community using modern technology that is delivered by caring professionals,” Kernell adds.