Research services are provided to researchers climbing their family tree and authors researching their next book. We have requests for photographs from our extensive collection and requests for background material to include in newspaper stories. We have received requests for information on county roads, city houses, businesses and items on display in the Museum.

Our services include searching the materials in the Archives, Library and Cemetery database, which are all, housed in the Museum. We do not perform searches at the Denton Public Library or the Denton County Courthouse.

No request is too small, though some may be large enough to take considerable time. We would be happy to search our records for information you may need to complete a report, furnish dates on a family group form, or learn the history of a local landmark. If we are unable to find information in our records, we will provide other sources for you to contact.

We also invite you to share your family history records and photographs with us. Your records may help another researcher connect to your family. This is how the Museum grows. We do not charge for the research but suggest a donation for photocopies and postage.

Below are some samples of our research.

The Carter and French Families
I was unable to locate anything on the Carter family in the 1850, 1860, 1870 or 1880 Census for Denton County. However, the French family was in Denton County before 1850. I have enclosed information extracted from The Peters Colony of Texas by Seymour V. Connor giving a short synopsis of the French family and the land they received. Also enclosed are copies of entries found for the French family in the 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880 Denton County Census.

Mary Elizabeth appears in the household of Oliver and Sarah French in the 1870 Census. Also enclosed are pages copied from History and Reminiscences of Denton County by Ed Bates. French Settlement is now called Lake Dallas on the Texas map. The surveys for Nathaniel and Oliver French are under Lake Lewisville. Also enclosed are cemetery records for the French families and a map showing the locations of the cemeteries. Cemetery 68 is McCurley Cemetery where several Frenchs are buried.

We have no land or marriage records before December 1875 because the courthouse burned right after Christmas that year. Birth and death certificates were not required in Texas before 1906 and they contained very little information before the 1920s. Sarah and Oliver French died before 1900 so there will be no obituaries for them. The newspaper office burned in 1908, taking all the back issues with it.

I hope the enclosed information will be helpful in your research.

The Jarnagin Family
I am enclosing the information on the Jarnagin family I have found so far. I will try to answer your specific questions using the information found.

Henry Ogle Jarnagin would probably be found in the 1920 Denton County Census, which I did not look at, and now that the 1930 is out it will provide even more information. I found a marriage record for Ogle Henry Jarnagin to Lillie Bell Wells in September 1942, but according to the birth record you found, he was married to Edith Louise Stice at the time the baby was born in 1944. The answer to question #4 of why a baby would be released from the hospital with no name can be found in the obituaries in the newspaper --the baby died the same day it was born. There is no record of where it was buried. The family lived out near Stony in 1910 so could be buried there with no tombstone. A Miss Jarnagin and Odel Jarnagin also died in Stony. I did not get their obituaries the day I went to the library. You can order any of the obits from the Denton Public Library, 502 Oakland, Denton, TX 76201 at 25c each. The newspapers are on microfilm and the library has a reader-printer.

I made up a family group sheet on Thomas Jefferson Jarnagin using the information I had gathered. Everywhere Tobitha is mentioned her name is Daniel. Watch what you find on the internet.

I enclosed a page from the WWII soldiers from Denton County showing a Hubert Ray Jarnagin, son of Pearl Jarnagin, published after Henry's death. I noticed in Henry's obituary that he had a son named Robert Ray, which is probably Hubert. The newspaper was not the most accurate record ever printed. In the back of the WWII book there is a roster of soldiers from Denton County that includes Hubert, Ogle H. and Walter Jarnagin.

I found nothing on the parents of Thomas Jefferson Jarnagin. The family came to Denton County in 1898. I don't know if he was related to the Jarnagins who lived southeast of Denton in the Chinn's Chapel area, but have included them, just in case something develops later in your research.

I found nothing on a Pleasant Jarnigan inventing a churn. The churn came with the early settlers from some other part of the country. It was available for sale in the 1902 Sears Catalog.

I found a Nancy Ellis, born 1849 --died 1925, buried in the Pilot Point Community Cemetery. She is buried next to Faye Helm, 1909-1930. No one else seems to be buried in that lot. I did not find Jackson Carroll Ellis in any records. There are a number of Waide families in the county, but could not connect her to any of them. She is not on any census in the county with them.

Other than the Joanne Jarnigan in Sanger, there are no Jarnigans in the telephone books. I talked to some people who have lived in Denton forever. They remember a greenhouse or nursery by that name, but do not know any of the family that might still live here.

Once you look this over, let me know what else I can look for that will in the blanks.

The Reverend Eugene T. Bates
Your letter of March 19, 2002 was very interesting in that Rev. Eugene T. Bates was an early resident of Denton County. I am enclosing the biographical information on him and his father. The biography on William Bates was copied from Biographical Souvenir of Texas, published in 1889.

I cannot answer your question regarding the Denton Texas Cemetery and Parks Dept. books. Perhaps Mr. Shoulders was a member of the Methodist Church and when he died, items he had at his home were donated to SMU. I would think that the books should have been returned to the City of Denton, who maintains the I.O.O.F. and Oakwood Cemeteries. They are the contacts who furnish the type of information found in the books to researchers and other interested parties.

Some years ago the Denton County Historical Commission and the Denton County Genealogical Society surveyed both cemeteries and those books would have been a valuable tool to confirm burials where no tombstone had been found, especially in the "colored" portion of the cemeteries.

Are the records in your depository (United Methodist Records and Archives Depository, Texas Wesleyan University) available to researchers? If so, what is the criteria for using the materials. This information will be helpful to our visitors looking for hard-to-find records on Denton County.

Also available:

The A.E. Allen Family by Adrian R. Haynes

The Family of Peter Ray Rue and Nancy Jane Ferguson
Ben F. Giles, editor
3rd print 1993

In 1995 the Museum was gifted a collection of family research materials on the descendants of Reverend Richard Denton who arrived in New York and established the First Presbyterian Church on Long Island in 1635.

Over the years a considerable number of descendants, and would-be descendants, have contributed to the research records accumulated by William Derrell Denton of Elizabethtown, NY. When he became ill his collection was in jeopardy of being destroyed and his fellow researchers began the search for a new home. They investigated all towns named Denton and settled on the Museum in Denton, Texas, because our philosophy on research was compatible with most genealogical researchers -- user friendly. At present, over 100,000 group sheets, letters and documents are being indexed by first name (everyone is a Denton) in preparation for microfilming by the Genealogical Society of Utah.

J.W. Jagoe was an early Denton County abstractor, lawyer, mayor of Denton, land dealer, debt collector, winemaker and hay grower, to mention a few of his endeavors. His office took over the law practice of Joseph A. Carroll and W.A. Ponder. He was a man who never threw a piece of paper away. As a result, we have received a gift of documents beginning in the 1850's and extending into the 1920's, when his son was continuing the business (and still saving papers). The documents include probate estate records, duns from eastern manufacturers on local businesses, advertising from a wide variety of firms, letters inquiring about early county residents and their descendants and abstracts on many of the early residences and businesses in the county. Many of these abstracts contain wills and estate settlements on the former residents. The Jagoe Collection is only partially processed but our Archives staff can search for specific materials.

In 1988 the owner of the Pilot Point Post Signal donated bound volumes of the old Post Mirror and Post Signal dating from 1887 through 1910. The newspapers were in very poor condition and could not be used without further damage. In 1996 the Museum had these newspapers microfilmed. Some of the issues are so frail that only a portion of them existed and many issues were missing, especially 1896 to 1900. The newspapers were printed every Friday and contained all the weekly events, though at times the publisher apologized for articles not being printed because other, more urgent items took the space. The information contained in these newspapers is valuable to all of Denton County because the Denton newspaper burned in 1908 and only selected issues remain at other libraries. The Museum is in the process of indexing the births, marriages and deaths from these newspapers and would enjoy the assistance of any volunteers who feel that this project would be interesting to them.

In the Archives of every Museum there are rows of gray boxes filled with the "leavings" of someone's life, donated by a family who did not want these things but just couldn't throw them away. The boxes contain yellowed newspaper clippings, school programs, childhood scrapbooks, obituaries (undated, of course) and photographs of friends and relatives whose names are now lost to time. Based on the information taken at the time the material is donated, the Museum is extracting the family information to put into the research files. The process is slow when so many other duties must be performed by the staff. But there are treasures in those gray boxes that are worth the effort of both staff and volunteers.

The 1950's do not seem so far away for those who were young during those years. But time has a way of getting away and things change, so photographs become invaluable to reflect the events and record the lives of the people. The Museum received a gift of 3,000 negatives from Cordray Studio (formerly Loveless Studio) in 1993 and in 1997 Bruce Davis Photography donated over 50,000 more negatives from the Loveless Studio taken during the late 1940's and 1950's. Weddings, school events, business activities, insurance claims, family gathering, dance recitals and church programs are included in these negatives. An on-going volunteer project has been to sleeve and catalog the negatives. They are currently being scanned into the computer for use in exhibits and for research.

It is impossible to list everything housed in the archives of this museum. If you desire additional information in any catagory please contact the museum office.

Introduction to the Primitive Kitchen
This manual contains a narrative (following this introduction) that may be useful in explaining the materials found in the kit. Pictures are lettered as follows:

A. Cook stoves
B. Kitchen Cabinet
C. Cleaning Directions
D. Refrigerators
E. Ice Cutters
F. Butter Churns
G. Washing Machines (2)
H. Scrub Boards
I. Irons
J. Spring Scales
K. Iron Cookware
L. Rotary Beaters
M. Rolling Pins & Potato Mashers
N. Graters
O. Lemon Squeezers
P. Barrel Taps

Within the text the kit item is numbered. If using the narrative, the materials mentioned have the following numbers.

1.Ice Card
2. Ice Pick & Tongs
3. Butter Mold
4. Scrub Board & Soap
5. Flat Iron
6. Scale
7. Iron Skillet
8. Rotary Hand Beater
9. Rolling Pin
10. Potato Masher
11. Flour Sifter
12. Nutmeg Grater
13. Lemon Squeezer
14 . Pastry Blender
15. Biscuit Cutter
16. Metal Strainer
17. Hand Carved Bowl
18. Wooden Spoon
19. Wooden Scoop
20. Log Cabin Syrup Tin
21. Barrel Bung/Tap
22. Metal Toaster
23. Bonnet

We hope the items in this kit will be helpful in explaining the world our grandmothers ruled and will illustrate the hardships women endured in a world without our modern electric conveniences.

Primitive Kitchen Kit Narrative
The kitchen in early pioneer households varied by time period and location. In colonial times the fireplace was the center of the home, used for heating and cooking. As areas became more settled and manufacturing began, iron was forged and used to make cook stoves.

A. Housewives in eastern cities and small towns near railroads were first to have the benefit of these new labor saving kitchen tools. Stoves came in many shapes and sizes and became more elaborate as technology advanced. The early stoves burned wood or coal. When towns learned how to send gas through pipes into homes, the stoves were adapted to use this new heating method.

B. The early kitchen was also a work and sleep area. As bigger homes were built, the kitchen became a separate room, but was still the center of most of a household's activities. There was no such thing as a built-in cabinet in these kitchens, though some had a small room to the side where the housewife stored extra cooking pots and dry foodstuffs. This was called a pantry. The kitchen cabinet as we know it began as a piece of furniture which held all the little cooking items needed while preparing food. Some of these cabinets were quite elaborate, with pull out bins, fold-out work areas and hooks for holding small items. Glass windows or wire screens on the doors kept insects away from dishes and food.

C. Good health was very important to the survival of the pioneer. Certain hazards to health were known because they were passed from one generation to another. Poisonous foods and stagnant waters were known to kill the healthiest person. Germs were an unknown threat in the early day but as science progressed, these threats were made known to the public. Housewives learned that unless a kitchen was kept clean, these unseen health threats could seriously harm the family. New ways of cleaning the house to kill germs became popular. New kitchen equipment also required instructions for cleaning and maintenance.

D. The refrigerator or "icebox" was one of the best methods found to preserve and protect food from spoiling. After its invention, the housewife had many new options in preparing and preserving foods. She also had several new chores. In order to keep the food cold, blocks of ice had to be purchased from a business that delivered ice door to door in a wagon. She had a card (1) that she placed in her window so the passing wagon driver could see if she needed ice. The card showed from 25 to 100 pounds and she placed the required number in the top position.

E. After the ice was placed in the refrigerator she could use some of it to put in drinks. She used the (2) ice pick or any number of other gadgets available to remove pieces of ice from the block.

F. The refrigerator made keeping butter and milk much easier. Nearly every country family kept a cow and the wife sold butter and milk to the ladies in town. Butter churns were a household necessity. In those days, milk was sold just like it came out of the cow. It was not homogenized or pasteurized or skimmed. Cream settled on the top of the milk. This was skimmed off and churned into a rich butter. Various types of churns were available to convert the cream to butter. It was then packed into a (3) mold and placed in the refrigerator to harden.

G. Keeping clothes clean in a world where there was no pavement or air conditioning was a never-ending chore for the housewife. In the very early days, clothes were scrubbed in a stream or wooden bucket, beat with rocks to get the dirt out and spread over bushes to dry.

H. One of the early inventions was the washing machine. While it was certainly not as labor-saving as today's machines, some of the drudgery was taken out by hand-cranked agitators that beat the clothes and the wringers that pressed the water out. Stubborn dirt still required scrubbing and (4) the scrub board was used for this chore. The wooden lip held the lye soap and the cloth was rubbed up and down across the metal. It was very hard on the knuckles of the hand.

I. After the clothes had been washed and hung to dry on a clothesline they had to be ironed before wearing. The (5) iron was made of cast iron and was called a "sad iron". Irons were made in different sizes and shapes for different ironing jobs. Sleeves and fine pleats were ironed with small pointed irons. Large items could be ironed with a wide based iron. It was necessary to have several of these irons heating on the wood or coal stove or sitting on the fireplace hearth. As each iron cooled, it was slipped from its handle and replaced with a hot one. As technology improved, hollow irons that held hot charcoal and stayed hot longer became a "hot item".

J. Housewives bought produce from farmers who sold house-to-house or at a market. The housewife weighed the items with a (6) scale to be sure she was not shorted. This scale weighed merchandise up to 50 pounds.

K. Cooking was a very time consuming activity for the housewife. The early pioneer woman was no dainty creature. All her cooking equipment was made of cast iron. The (7) skillet, kettle, griddle and waffle iron she used were all made from iron. They were heavy when empty and even heavier when full of food. Cast iron cookware had to be carefully aged by oiling and heating in the oven. After use, they were scrubbed with ashes from the stove or fireplace, washed out with soap and water and dried in the stove so they didn't rust.

L & M. Some of the tools the housewife used for cooking have not changed much in the last 100 years. When electricity came along appliances were made even easier to operate, but some kitchens today still have the (8) rotary hand beater. The housewife used one of these to beat egg whites into meringue for her pies. She also used the (9) rolling pin to flatten her dough for biscuits or pies. (10) The potato masher has been changed a little since the originals shown, because it mashed the potatoes better. The (11) flour sifter was used to place small amounts of flour on pie dough before rolling it out so that it wouldn't stick to the rolling pin. It was also used in making gravy so it wouldn't have lumps.

N. Graters were another popular item for housewives who wanted to make fancy foods or use spices. Only recently have we bought spices already in cans, ready to sprinkle out. (12) Nutmeg was bought in seed form and grated at home. Nutmeg is used in pies, cakes and cookies.

O. Lemons became available to the housewife as trade spread through the world. Lemonade was a popular summer drink in a world with no air conditioning. (13) The wooden press was an early, but popular style. The glass model came later. (14) The pastry blender was, and still is, used to cut the shortening into the flour and make it smooth for dough. The (15) metal cutter was used to cut the dough to make biscuits or cookies. It was dipped in flour before using so the dough wouldn't stick to the metal. When the housewife picked berries, or made noodles, or made jelly, she had need for something to hold the food while running water over it. (16) The metal strainer was used for this. Today we have plastic strainers to do this work, but the metal ones are still needed when used with boiling foods. This style hooks over the top of a pot on the stove. (17) (18) (19) The hand carved bowl, wooden spoon and hand-made scoop were items that could be made by anyone with a supply of hardwood, a sharp knife and a little time. The bowl could be used to mix dough, hold fresh fruits or vegetables and then just be wiped out. The wooden spoons were used for stirring hot items without the heat travelling up the handle and burning the cook. The wooden scoop was used to transfer flour or sugar from the bin under the cabinet to the bowl for use. The 'Log Cabin' syrup tin (20) is a reproduction of the picture found on the original tin syrup can. Log Cabin celebrated 100 years in business in 1987. The original syrup tin was round, had a handle and a lid that could be put back on. When empty and cleaned, the syrup tin was used to pack school lunches in. Many early children went to school with these syrup tins packed with sausage and biscuits left over from breakfast.

P. The early kitchen did not have bottles of this and that. Most vinegar, cider and some syrup came in a wooden barrel. Barrels that were small enough to sit on a cabinet or table were equipped with a stopper about half way down the side. This stopper (21) was a barrel bung or a faucet to let the liquid pour out. It had a handle that closed the flow of liquid. (22) This toaster was used before electricity. The bread was sliced and anchored in the holders on each side and placed directly over a gas burner. The bread had to be watched carefully and turned over to evenly cook. The early housewife usually had a garden in back of her house where she grew tomatoes, green beans, corn and all the vegetables she needed. She had to weed and water the garden often. When outside she wore a (23) bonnet to cover her face so that it would stay clear and fair. Many women also wore elbow-length gloves with no fingers in them to keep their arms from tanning. Ladies never wanted to look weathered from the sun. They felt it made them look ugly and old. The early housewife was truly master of her house. She was in charge of the cooking, cleaning, purchasing and child-rearing. She did all this without benefit of electricity, air conditioning or any of the luxuries we enjoy today. She raised her children to do well in school. She made certain her husband left the house clean and well pressed. She made her own clothes and those of her children. Her job was full-time--with no days off. Her children helped her in the garden and in the kitchen and learned from her the skills they would need for the households they would manage when they reached adulthood.

Box I: Prehistoric Artifacts
1. Petrified Wood (1)
2. Debetage (A32)(B25)
3. Points, Chips and Tools (24)
4. Core (2)
5. Tools (3)
6. Fire-treated Lithic (2)
7. Metate Fragment
8. Manos (2)
9. Mollusk Shells (2)

Box II: Historic Artifacts
1. Stoneware Pieces
2. Refined Earthenware (8)
3. Harness Leather
4. Handmade Brick Fragments
5. Cartridge Shells (6)
6. Coal (15+)
7. Stove Foot
8. Horseshoe Nails (15)
9. Fish hook
10. Harness Buckles(2) and Harness Rivet
11. Wood Chisel
12. Hacksaw Blade
13. Drill Bit
14. Wagon Bow Staple
15. Sickle Bar Blade
16. Horseshoe
17. Box Link Chain
18. Wagon Clevis and Pin
19. Glass Insulator
20. Zinc Fruit Jar Lid Rim (no inset cap)
21. Assorted Historical Artifacts (9)
22. Toothbrush for Dusting Artifacts

Box III: Photographs
Tomato Club
Roy Jones being interviewed
Selz Cotton Gin, Pilot Point
Cotton crop
Cotton pickers
Cotton compress
Grain binding crew
David L. Jones on grain binder
Roy Jones & field hands
David L. Jones and Aunt Carl 1932
Family Photo by barn 1939, rail fence
D.L.& Susan Jones by house 1898
Jones family by house 1908
Family photo of Jones 1898
Log detail, saddle notched log crib
Cutting wood-Jones Farm 1940s
Haybaling, early 1900s Hay Thresher Crew, Cooke Co.
Horse-drawn cultivator
Hay threshing & baling
Horse-drawn walking plow
Walking planter, Jones Farm
Pharmacy, Denton
Grocery & dry goods store
Aubrey, Texas 1890's
One row planter, Jones Farm
Mr. & Mrs. John Johnson
County Line Baptist Church
(6) drawings of Jones Farm
Frame farm house, Jones farm

Photoboards
1. Metal artifacts, bottles, toys, ammunition, buttons, pottery, iron-wheel tractor
2. Stonepoints & tools, Indian pottery, bone tools, beads
3. Excavation, farm building, machinery, log house
4. Excavation, buried feature, bison bones, screening
5. Jones Farm, sheds and buildings, interview, windmill
6. Jones & Johnson farms: items found when digging

Archeology Notebook: Manual and slides
Jones Farm Notebook: Manual and slides
Historic Archeology of Jones & Johnson Farmsteads COE
Changing Landscapes & Lifeways of Trinity River COE
Archeology and History of Lake Ray Roberts

Turn of the Century
One-Room Schoolhouse Kit

1. Dunce Cap
2. Water Bucket & Dipper
3. Lunch pail
4. School Bell
5. Games A-D
6. School Room pictures
7. McGuffey Readers (7)
8. Kerosene Lamp & chimney
9. Slates (4) and slate pencil
10. Penmanship Samples
11. Punishment list
12. Pen Staff & Nib
13. Rules for Teachers
14. Teacher's Manual

Slides are referenced with numbers throughout the following narrative.
A list of the numbered slide images is below.

The first settlers came to what we call Denton County over 150 years ago. Denton County looked very different then. There were huge wooded areas with all kinds of trees. They found (1) prairies with (2) fields of tall grass. In some places, the grass was as tall as a man's head. Many tribes of Indians lived here or close by. They often raided settlements and killed the settlers. When you were outside, it was necessary to watch for (3) wolves, (4) coyotes, or (5 & 6) bears. All kinds of snakes lived here: (7) cotton mouths, (8) king snakes, rat snakes, bull snakes and copperheads.

The settlers came in (9 & 10) covered wagons, bringing everything they owned with them. They settled near (11) water, a creek or a river. Their homes were built of (12 & 13) logs. The logs didn't fit tightly (14) so they chinked between them. (Chinking is putting clay between the logs.) These homes didn't have door locks like our homes. (15) Notice the board across the door. This was the only lock they had. They heated the one room (16) with a fireplace. They also cooked their food over the fire. Many of the homes had a hole cut in the side of the house that was large enough to stick a gun barrel through. This was their protection from Indian attacks.

They didn't have indoor plumbing so they carried water from a creek or spring. They dug wells as soon as they could. This well is (17) about 30 feet deep. It later had a pump mounted on it so they could bring the water to the surface instead of pulling it up in a bucket on a rope. They also built windmills to help bring the water up from the well. There was no such thing as indoor plumbing so during the day everyone went to an outside toilet, called a privy or outhouse.

As soon as they could, the settlers fenced their property with (20) boards called rails. These were split from trees the farmer had cut down on his land so he could plant his garden and crops.

Besides farming, the settlers earned a living by (21) raising cattle. Many of them were (22 & 23) cotton farmers. They used a plow like this one (24) to plow the ground. If the family didn't have a mule or horse to pull the plow, the man would pull it and his wife or son would guide it. Soon, so much cotton was grown that cotton gins (25) were built to take the seed out of the cotton and to form it into huge bales that made it easier to take to market to be sold.

Storms often happened in this area. The people living then called them cyclones. We call them tornadoes. The wind and the rain would destroy property. The men would dig deep holes in the ground and make a room underground. They used big logs or boards to line the walls so it wouldn't cave in. It was called a storm cellar. (26) You walked down a flight of (27) steps and closed the door until the storm was over. Inside, there were benches or chairs (28) and some of them had beds or cots. It was cool all year in the cellar so they built shelves along the walls and stored home canned food on those shelves.

Most of their food, including meat, was home-grown but they did buy sugar, coffee, flow, tea and other supplies. The early stores were made of clapboard. (29) This is two boards with a third one nailed over the crack. Later buildings were built out of tin (30) (or sheet iron). In these stores, you could buy almost anything you wanted.

The parents wanted their children to go to school. As soon as they could, they built schools. (31) These buildings only had one room and all of the children, from first grade up were in that room. Sometimes there would only be two or three children in each grade. Everyone brought their lunch to school. It was usually what they had left from breakfast - biscuit with sausage or ham, maybe a cookie or a fried pie made from the fruit their mother had dried in the sun. They might have brought left-over food like turnip greens or beans and cornbread.

Church (32) was important, too. It was a place to worship and to gather for all kinds of social events. Sunday was often the only day all week they saw friends or neighbors. The nearest neighbor could be miles away.

As Denton County grew, there was need for a government center for recording deeds and marriages. They had a difficult time choosing the site for the county seat. The first place chosen was located near the current intersection of McKinney Street and Loop 288. It was soon moved to the area near the former location of the (33) Bayou Inn. That location didn't work, so it was moved again to Old Alton. (34) Today there is a church and cemetery where it was.

At first they didn't have a building so one judge held court under this tree. (35) After a while (36) they built a log cabin. This site was not suitable because water was so scarce, so they moved again. This time they moved as near to the center of the county as they could and built another courthouse. The courthouse burned in 1875 and they built (37) this one. In 1896, our present courthouse was built. In 1987, the building (38) was refinished and the inside looks like it did when it was first built in 1896.

Numbered Slide Images:
1. Prairies
2. Field of tall grass
3. Wolves
4. Coyotes
5. Bear
6. Bear
7. Snake
8. Snake
9. Covered wagon
10. Covered wagon
11. Creek
12. Log house
13. Log house
14. Log house interior
15. Log house door
16. Log house fireplace
15. Well
18 & 19 skipped intentionally
20. Rail fence
21. Cattle
22. Cotton field
23. Cotton field
24. Plow
25. Cotton gin
26. Storm cellar
27. Cellar steps
28. Benches & chairs
29. Clapboard store
30. Tin building
31. School
32. Church
33. Site of early court
34. Old Alton site
35. Old Alton tree
36. Log courthouse
37. 1876 courthouse
38. Current courthouse

Volunteer Opportunities at the Museum

The Museum reference library has books from many areas of interest, with heavy emphasis on Denton County and surrounding counties.

The books in the collection are available for in-house research. Many are limited printings or are now out of print. During the Nation's bicentennial in 1976 and the state's sesquicentennial in 1986 many communities published histories containing stories of their local residents. Family researchers have compiled histories and genealogies and donated copies to the museum collection for the use of fellow family researchers. Many of these family histories are unavailable anywhere else.

There are histories of local organizations and businesses and compilations of newspaper stories about people and places in Denton County. The Museum also has some books on surrounding counties because these pioneers were always moving around.

City Directories are important sources of information on local residents. They reflect the growth of the community and the direction that growth took, which areas of town developed first and who lived there. We have directories for 1910 countywide, 1916 with a city map, 1923 which reflects the street number changes, 1925, 1929, 1939, 1947, 1951 and a few in the early 1960's.

People
Oral History Interview: Grady Aaron and James E. Crawford, Lewisville, City of Lewisville Oral History Collection, interview by Ron Cartledge, 1996

Sam Bass and Gang, Rick Miller, 1999, State House Press

Oral History Interview: Minnie Mae Griffin Bogard, Lewisville, City of Lewisville Oral History Collection, interview by Ron Cartledge, 1995

Oral History Interview: Peggy Bonds Cook, Lewisville, City of Lewisville Oral History Collection, interview by Ron Cartledge, 1996

Oral History Interview: Henrimae Fox Degan, Lewisville, City of Lewisville Oral History Collection, interview by Ron Cartledge, 1994

Oral History Interview: J. K. Delay, Lewisville, City of Lewisville Oral History Collection, interview by Ron Cartledge, 1995

Capt. John B. Denton, Wm. Allen, 1905

Oral History Interview: Ann Harris Garrison, Lewisville, City of Lewisville Oral History Collection, interview by Ron Cartledge, 1994

Green Family History, Clois L. Green, 1998, Typed manuscript

Folks on McCurley Prairie, Mary Lois McCurley Belcher, 1984, typed manuscript

William Lee McCormick, A Study in Tolerance, Edna Haynes McCormick, 1956, The Book Craft

Medlin Clan and Kin in America 1652-1852, Pearl Foster O'Donnell, 1976, typed manuscript

Frederick M. Morris Cannery, Letitia deBurgos, undated, typed manuscript

Alvin M. Owsley of Texas, Marion S. Adams, 1971, Texian Press

Peterson, 1810-1997, Calvin Peterson, 1999, typed manuscript

Rucker & Edwards Heritage, William Robert Rucker, 1983, Cundiff Printing Co.

Oral History Interview: James Glenmore Savage, Sr., Lewisville, City of Lewisville Oral History Collection, interview by Ron Cartledge, 1994

Smith, Baines, Stone and Ward Families, Crethie Smith Mashburn, 1991, typed manuscript Izetta Sparks Interview, undated, (Cassette)

Oral History Interview: Annabell S. Wolters, Lewisville, City of Lewisville Oral History Collection, interview by Ron Cartledge, 1995

Places
Argyle Community History, Yvonne Allen Jenkins, 1976

Bull by the Horns, J. W. Smotherman, undated, typed manuscript, (Aubrey)

The Bethel Community, School and Church, Mrs. Ray M. Martin 1990, Trinity Presbyterian Church

Recollections of Life in a German Community in Texas, Mrs. Walter Trietsch, June 1976, typed manuscript (Blue Mound)

Blue Mound History. Church, Community, School, Blue Mound Historical Commission, 1990

Corinth, Yesterday and Today 1836-1986, Corinth Sesquicentennial Committee, Ed. Margie Helm Hollis, 1986, Nuart Printing Co.

Denton City Directories (1910-1991 not complete)

City Directories (various-1970, 1980s and 1990s)

History of Denton, Texas from its Beginning to 1960, Dr. C. A. Bridges, 1978, Texian Press

The History of Early Denton Public Schools and Robert E. Lee School 1871-1957, Ed. Mrs. Sallie Morris Simpson, 1957

Historical Episodes of Denton, Eugene Fry, undated, Wm. McNitzky Printer

History of the Stanfield Lodge, S. M. Badley, 1919

Brief History of the Denton County Federation of Womens Clubs, Eva Mark, 1976, typed manuscript

Bulletin of the City Federaton of Women's Clubs, Denton, Texas, May 1914, photocopy

History of the City Federation of Women's Clubs, Denton, Texas, April 1929, photocopy

Marking a Trail: History of TWU, Joyce Thompson, 1982, TWU Press

Elm Fork Settlement: Farmers Branch and Carrollton, Georgia Ogle, 1977 & 1996, Eakin Press

Elm Fork Echos, bi-annual publication of Peters Colony Historical Society, 1974-1997

Sweet Flower Mound Land, Flower Mound Historical Commission, 1995, Henington Publishing Co.

History of Green Valley 1870-1900, Maude Smith Grace, Feb. 1944, Herald Printing Co.

The Justin Story, Grace Lee Parr, 1976, Nortex Press

Krum, Texas: The Story of a Small Town, Della Isbell Davis, March 1976

Lake Cities Legacy, Dec. 1986, Nov. 1987, Ed. Belle Cox, compilation

Lewisville Reflections 1930's-1940's, City of Lewisville Oral History Collection, 1996

Stories over the Quilt, Little Elm Community, Denton County, Frances Miers Muller, 1986, typed manuscript

112 Years in Little Elm Community, Mrs. J. M. Harris, reprint 1986, Terrill Wheeler Printing

Home to Mingo, Texas, Melvin Walthall, 1978, typed manuscript

Pilot Point, The Early Days, Research Committee for Historical Marker, 1978

Pilot Point, Reprint of promotional pamphlet by Flushe Bros., 1894

25th Anniversary of the St. Thomas Catholic Church, Pilot Point 1892-1917, translated from German, about 1918

Ponder, The Little Town with the Big Rodeo, Nita Seals, 1985, Gainesville Printing Co.

75th Anniversary of Round Grove United Methodist Church, Adult Sunday School Class, 1975, typed manuscript

The Story of Sanger, Eunice Sullivan Gray, 1985, Second printing 1996, DCHM, Inc.

Miscellaneous County Books
Yanks & Some Rebs in Denton 1890 (excerpts for Denton Co.), includes typed copy of Confederate Pension Applications from Denton County, Ericson Books & DCHM, Inc.

1850 Census Denton County, Texas, Dr. John F. Schunk editor, 1988, SK Publications

1860 Census Denton County, Texas, photocopy of microfilm

Index to 1860 Census, Denton County, Texas, Elaine Ledlow

1870 Census Denton County, Texas, Mary Tate, 1989

Index to 1880 Census, Denton County, Texas, Diane Pearson White, 198

Education in Denton County and Pilot Point, Mildred Bolin History Class, 1962, photocopy

Geography of Denton County, Mary Jo Cowling, 1936, Banks Upshaw & Co.

The Historical Markers of Denton County, Bullitt Lowry, 1980, Terrill Wheeler Printing

Kentucky Colonization in Texas: A History of Peters Colony, Seymour V. Connor, 1983, Genealogical Publishing Co.

History and Reminscences of Denton County, Ed F. Bates, 1976 & 1989, Terrell Wheeler Printing

History of Denton County (newspaper clippings from Denton Record-Chronicle), Nora E. Jones, undated.

Obituary Index from Denton Record Chronicle 1909-1929, 1930-1949, Mattie Frank Pierce for the Denton Public Library, 1996, DCHM, Inc.

Peters Colonists, Their Descendants and Others, 2 Volumes, Louise Myers Young, 1972 & 1973, Adams Press

Original Texas Land Titles for Denton County, Elaine Ledlow, undated, typed index

Inventory of County Records, Denton County, Texas, Historical Records Survey, 1937

An Illustrated History of Denton County,Texas, E. Dale Odom, 1996

Gone to Texas, W. Wayne Rogers, 1978

The Handbook of Texas, Volume I & II, 1952, Austin, Texas Historical Association

The Handbook of Texas, A Supplement, 1976, Austin, Texas Historical Association

The New Handbook of Texas in Six Volumes, 1996, Austin, Texas, Texas Historical Association

Texas Almanac & State Industrial Guide, 1936, The Dallas News

Donated Collections
Kay Williams Goodman
Jo Bridges Herriott
Beatrice Forester
Joe W. Jagoe III & Mary Jagoe Berry

Yearbooks
Bronco yearbooks and Yucca yearbooks donated by Brian Mustain

Newspapers
Record & Chronicle, Denton, Texas
Denton Record-Chronicle, Denton, Texas
Post-Mirror, Pilot Point, Texas
Post-Signal, Pilot Point, Texas
Dallas Morning News, Dallas, Texas
Sanger Courier, Sanger, Texas

We also have records from all Denton Court , cemetary and Denton Court census records.