Republic of Texas passes homestead law, sets aside land for education

Log cabin, Muleshoe Heritage Center, Muleshoe, Texas

(Texas Day by Day) On this day in 1839, the Congress of the Republic of Texas passed two important pieces of legislation: a homestead act and an act setting aside land for public schools and two universities.

The homestead act, patterned somewhat after legislation of Coahuila and Texas, was designed to encourage home ownership. It guaranteed every citizen or head of family in the republic "fifty acres of land or one town lot, including his or her homestead, and improvements not exceeding five hundred dollars in value." Continued

Outbuildings, Muleshoe, Texas

Old House 46

Muleshoe, TX

Yellow Jacket Inn, Muleshoe, TX

Santa Fe Depot, Muleshoe, Texas

 

 

Old House 24 & 25: Kit Houses

 

Kit houses became popular around the turn of the 20th century, the same time that Eastern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle experienced a boom in population. It was perfect timing for homesteaders, who needed quick shelter in a region mostly devoid of timber. Many kit houses still stand in the area, including the two examples above, found at The Muleshoe Heritage Center. Though they are typical kit houses, I don't see them as typical for the region, where most of the structures ordered were more modest.

Old House 22 (Dugout)

 

Dugouts have been used by people worldwide since time began. This particular dugout was built by the Gentry family and now sits at the Muleshoe Heritage Center.
 Says Alice Liles, "A recent addition to the Center is the dugout home donated by the Bundrant family. The dugout came from Goodland in southern Bailey County and was reportedly lived in during the 30s by the Gentry family and later some of  the Bundrants during the 40s."
It's a fine example of a late period dugout, earlier dugouts would have been made of logs instead of cut timber. Dugouts were cheaper to build than a standard house, but just as labor intensive. Dugout living could be messy, with dirt constantly sifting in, but they could also be quite snug, offering insulation from extreme temperatures.
As ranchers prospered or failed, the dugouts were abandoned, leaving very few intact examples for the curious to examine.

Muleshoe Heritage Center

Did you know that Muleshoe, Texas has a museum? Well, it does, The Muleshoe Heritage Center, and looking from the outside (we found it after hours), it's a very nice one. There are several buildings on display, covering most of the area's history. I'm going to feature one of those today, and others as time allows.

The Muleshoe Ranch Cookhouse/Bunkhouse dates to around 1903.

Muleshoe Ranch was owned by the Warren family