grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

Munger Place Days: The Morning After…

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Do you remember the ‘morning after’ scene from the movie Big when Josh (who grew into Tom Hanks while he slept) returned to the park looking for the Zoltar machine?

The midway had disappeared.

The rides had been disassembled and moved elsewhere.

Zoltar vanished overnight.

The only evidence of a recent carnival was litter scattered by the wind, a something-wicked-this-way-comes sort of wind.

That’s how I felt the morning after Munger Place Days. Not that there was an eerie feeling, or that I felt any ‘bigger’ than normal, but a strange, empty sensation filled the air.
The food trucks and art vendors were gone. Regular Monday morning traffic noise replaced the live music and energy that charged the streets only hours before. Like the build up to all exciting and anticipated things, I felt a bit of let down. Or maybe it was a sigh of relief.
Even days later, our neighborhood still bears faint signs of the weekend as sidewalk chalk slowly fades into the concrete.
We had no Zoltar machine at Munger Place Days, but had we, I might have wished to be little again. If only for a few days.

talya

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Heart and Soul, FAO Schwarz Piano, Big

A letter from Junius Peak

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Throwback Thursday…

The name Peak is likely familiar to East Dallas residents. But even if you aren’t an East Dallasite, the letter below is a fascinating part of American history.
Junius, fought as a Confederate soldier during the Civil War, served as Dallas City Marshall 1874-1876, and as 2nd Lieutenant for the Texas Rangers in 1878.
The following oral history was dictated by Junius Peak to the Frontier Times (Bandera, Tx) on August 6, 1927 (presented without editing)…
Junius Peak

I was born at Warsaw, Kentucky,  April 5, 1845. Moved with the family in 1855 to Dallas, Texas, which we reached on June 10th of that year. We were soon comfortably located in a good 2-room log house, with a fine well of water, etc.
     Shortly after our arrival in Dallas, father bought 229 acres of fine land two miles East of the Dallas County court house, paying $110.00 cash on this land. My father at once began building the first brick house in Dallas County for his house, and in which he died.
     The early part of April, 1878, I was commissioned by the Governor as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Texas Frontier Battalion for the purpose of destroying the Sam Bass gang of train robbers, and was promoted to Captain in May following.
     By July of that year I had succeeded in disposing of the entire band, excepting Bass, Barnes and Jackson, driving these out of North Texas into the trap arranged by Major John B. Jones at Round Rock. I was immediately ordered to the Frontier where I found the Indians very active, especially in 1879.
     A detachment of seven Rangers from my Company, on the 20th day of June and 2nd day of July had the last two engagements with Comanche and Kiowa Indians on the Texas frontier, at the head of the North Concho River and on the Plains 80 miles West, where Ranger Anglin was killed and the two pack mules lost on June 28th recovered.
     Please mail me 20 copies of your September issue, with bill for same enclosed.

     Sincerely yours,

     June Peak
     4409 Worth Street, Dallas

***
Note: As the unofficial keeper of historical records and photos for Munger Place Historic District, I hope to periodically share information related to Texas history and specifically East Dallas. These photos and glimpses into bygone days are invaluable.  As Winston Churchill said, “The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” 

talya

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Home Tour Etiquette. Is there such a thing?

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People are funny. Not ha-ha funny but interesting funny. Not interesting-cool but interesting-strange.

Okay, people are strange.  Strange as in when you open your house to the general public for home tour, you can never predict what folks will do or say.

My husband and I enjoy participating in home tour. Living in a historic neighborhood, we feel a certain obligation to share the history with others. Plus being on home tour is a great incentive for deep cleaning and getting those ignored projects completed. 
One of the best parts of the experience is visiting with the interesting-cool people who walk through with their own stories about growing up in Old East Dallas. Sometimes previous homeowners show up with old photos to share, “photos that really belong to the house,” they say. A few years ago, a prior owner attended and explained the history behind our stained glass window at the bottom of the stairs. These are exciting moments.

While the majority of people are respectful and courteous, a handful feel the price of admission gives them access into messy cabinets and behind closet doors as though our house is for sale. As though they can’t decide where to store their own Christmas decorations…
Doors marked ‘private please’ and/or roped off are the first to be opened.

(Note to guests….these doors are restricted for your safety. Why do you think the house looks so tidy? When you open such a door, a tower of crap stacked to the rafters will likely crash down.)

The oddest thing that happened yesterday—three different people opened the piano and began playing…banging really, while the house was filled with people. Who does this? 

The strangest question I received yesterday…”This is the place we come to use the bathroom, right?” Huh?
Munger Place Days 2013 was a great success! Special thanks to all the sponsors and everyone who came out to spend a gorgeous fall weekend with us. And to the people who opened my messy utility room door—yes, I’m going to finish my laundry right now…

talya

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Musical Pairing:

People Are Strange, The Doors

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!