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- History
Saturday, April 20, 2024
Oktoberfest is right around the corner! Before you dawn your Dirndls and Lederhosen, join Southlake Sister Cities and guest speaker, Dr. Cindy K. Renker, to learn more about German culture and life behind the Iron Curtain.
Mark your calendars for Tuesday, October 11 at 6:30 PM in the Town Hall 3rd Floor Meeting Rooms. There’s more to Germany than pretzels and beer! Southlake Sister Cities invites you to listen to UNT Senior Lecturer and German Program Coordinator, Dr. Renker speak about her experiences growing up in East Germany.
Dr. Renker was born and grew up in East Germany. She currently lives in McKinney and teaches German Language, literature, and film, and is a fellow for the Israeli Studies Program at the University of North Texas. Her work focuses on German fairy tales and legends, German-Jewish poets, Holocaust films, and German women writers from the 18th and 19th centuries. She also writes and publishes novels about the Cold War, WWII, and the Holocaust under her pen name C. K. McAdam. Her novel, No Man’s Land was published in September of this year, and her next book will come out in February 2023.
Traditional German food will be available for attendees to sample. Don’t miss out on this fun, educational, and free event for the Southlake Community!
Southlake Sister Cities promotes peace through cultural education and understanding. Learn more about their mission here.
February is Black History Month. It’s a time to recognize and celebrate the achievements of African Americans in local communities and throughout the U.S.
If you are looking for a way to celebrate Black History Month this year, then look no further than the Bob Jones Nature Center and Preserve. The Southlake Historical Society’s Bob & Almeady Chisum Jones: A True Story of Resilience, Courage & Success exhibit is displayed in the nature center lobby. Discover Bob Jones, his family, and their impact on Southlake.
The exhibit does a fabulous job of detailing the life and achievements of the man whose name is on Southlake’s largest park, a road, and the city’s nature center and preserve. Learn more about the Jones family and the legacy they left in Southlake through this exhibit which recently won the American Association for State and Local History’s Award of Excellence.
If you don’t have time to make it to the Nature Center this month, fret not! You can experience this exhibit virtually on the Southlake Historical Society’s website.
We hope to see you at the Nature Center!
The Southlake Senior Activity Center will be offering free monthly history seminars. Join them for the next one on March 16 at 1p.m. as they take a look at “The Forgotten Civil War Battles in Texas.” They will discusses the battles that old men, young boys and women desperately fought to prevent the total destruction of Texas by the Comanche and Kiowa while the men of proper military age were fighting across the nation. The seminar will be conducted by Jack Dyess who is a life member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and of the Military Order of the Stars and Bars. He currently is the Texas Society Commander and Quartermaster General as well as a teaching docent at the Texas Civil War Museum in Fort Worth. Please contact the Senior Activity Center to sign up at (817) 748-8315.
On August 15, as part of the “Taking Flight: How aviation changed North Texas and Southlake” exhibit displayed currently in Town Hall, a panel of key figures of Southlake and its history will be exploring the economic impact that aviation has had on the City of Southlake.
The discussion will mainly be over the effects of D/FW International Airport on the city of Southlake, its businesses and residents. Panelists are set to include, Mayor Laura Hill, Former Mayor and current Tarrant County Commissioner, Gary Fickes, former Southlake Economic Development Director, Greg Last, President of Cooper and Stebbins, Frank Bliss, Longtime area residential realtor, Lou Hillman, and D/FW International Airport VP of Commercial Development, John Terrell. The event will take place from 6:30 PM to 8 PM, Monday, Aug. 15, in the City Council chambers, also in Southlake Town Hall.
The panel is free and open to the public.
The exhibit in the lobby of Town Hall and the Southlake Library is open to the public 10 AM – 8 PM,
Monday through Thursday and 10 AM – 6 PM Friday and Saturday. The library is closed on Sunday.
For more information go to www.SouthlakeHistory.org or call Connie Cooley at 817-223-9606.
During the month of March, the Southlake Senior Activity Center will be hosting several informative seminars at The Marq Southlake. Here is a list of the seminars and their topics:
Tuesday, March 8: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Health and Nutrition Seminar/ Learn Then Lunch (Registration Required) Healthy Living to 100, presented by Dr. Parkhill
Tuesday, March 15: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Legal Seminar / Learn Then Lunch (Registration Required) Ways to avoid probate, presented by the McGee Law Firm
Friday, March 18: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM – History Seminar / Snack & Chat (Registration Required) Civil War lecture, presented by Professor Chad Wooley from Tarrant Community College, followed by a question and answer session
For more information on this and other events at the Senior Center, visit www.SouthlakeSeniorCenter.com or call 817.748.8315.
In Fiscal Year 2016, the City of Southlake budgeted to commission a permanent art piece to be installed in Frank Edgar Cornish, IV Park per the 2030 Public Art Master Plan. On October 27, the Southlake Arts Council met to determine their vision for the piece, and they would like your feedback.
The Arts Council recommends commissioning a piece that is kinetic and has movement. The piece should acknowledge or pay tribute to the history of the park. It must be a statement piece that embodies an appropriate balance and contributes to the style of the area.
If you have additional ideas or comments on what type of piece you would like to see in Frank Edgar Cornish, IV Park, please send your ideas to publicart@ci.southlake.tx.us. Please submit your feedback by December 1.
Eubanks Intermediate School’s Janay Hunt was selected as Outstanding American History Teacher Representative by the Capt. Molly Corbin chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She placed second in the state contest.
On Friday, Jan. 16, Mrs. Hunt was surprised with the recognition during the EIS annual Colonial Day celebration. Hunt was dressed in colonial attire along with members of the Capt. Molly Corbin Chapter who were there to assist with a presentation on the History of the American Flag.
Jean de Schweinitz is the local chapter Historian that submitted Mrs. Hunt’s dossier. Hunt was selected from a pool of candidates from area public and private schools. EIS Principal Deena Steeber and CISD Superintendent also attended the event and were there as Hunt received her recognition.
Mrs. Hunt teaches GT Social Studies and fifth grade Social Studies. She has been a teacher for 19 years.
Texas has 197 DAR chapters.
Carroll ISD’s John Irish has been named U.S. History Teacher of the Year by both the Daughters of Colonial Wars – State of Texas and the Daughters of the American Revolution – Southlake Chapter. Irish teaches Advanced Placement U.S. History at Carroll Senior High School.
To recognize this achievement, Carroll ISD Superintendent Dr. David Faltys presented Irish with a special certificate on behalf of the district. Assistant Superintendent Dr. JJ Villarreal and Carroll Senior High School Principal Mr. Shawn Duhon were also in attendance for the surprise classroom presentation. Faltys spoke about the importance of teachers like Irish who, inspire students inside and outside the classroom. Duhon gave students the opportunity to say a few words, a few spoke up thanking Irish for being such a good teacher.
Each year, the Texas State Society Daughters of Colonial Wars selects one elementary, secondary, intermediate, high school or college educator to be named outstanding American History teacher. The award recognizes teachers who encourage Patriotism and interest in American Heritage and promote the study of American History. With this award, Irish advances to the national level where he will compete with U.S. History Teachers from other states to be named Outstanding American History Teacher of the Year by the National Society Daughters of Colonial Wars.
The Southlake Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution recognized Irish at the April 10 Awards Ceremony at Trophy Club. Representatives from neighboring school districts and students receiving scholarships were also in attendance.
The Carroll ISD Board of Trustees will recognize Irish at an upcoming School Board Meeting. This is Irish’s second year teaching in Carroll ISD. Before teaching in Carroll, he taught in Katy ISD and was named campus teacher of the year.Click here to learn more about John Irish.
Carroll Middle School U.S. History teacher Amanda Dorsey was recently selected to attend a one-day “Understanding the Federal Government” workshop at the George W. Bush Presidential Library in Dallas.
Dorsey leads students in history discussion at CMS
Sponsored by Humanities Texas, the workshop offered teachers the opportunity to work closely with leading scholars, studying the U.S. Constitution as well as the branches of the federal government. During the morning, participants attended dynamic lectures and presentations. In the afternoon, they joined faculty in small workshops to examine primary sources and develop effective strategies for classroom instruction.
Faculty members included Richard A. Baker of the United States Senate Historical Office and Raymond W. Smock of the Robert C. Byrd Center for Legislative Studies. Baker is the first historian of the United States Senate. Smock is former historian of the United States House of Representatives and is now director of the Byrd Center.
Group photo from workshop, provided by Humanities Texas
Charles Flanagan, director of educational programs of the Center for Legislative Archives at the National Archives, also served on the workshop faculty.
Other faculty members included retired U.S. federal judge Royal Furgeson of the University of North Texas at Dallas and Jeffrey Engel of the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University. Furgeson is founding Dean of the University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law. Engel is director of the Center for Presidential History
“Humanities Texas is delighted to include an exceptional teacher from Southlake in this educational endeavor,” said Humanities Texas Executive Director Michael L. Gillette. “Bringing teachers together to learn from leading scholars and from each other is an effective way to ensure that Texas students continue to receive the best possible educational opportunities.”
The workshop was made possible with support from the State of Texas, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the George W. Bush Presidential Library. scholars and from each other is an effective way to ensure that Texas students continue to receive the best possible educational opportunities.”
Click here for more information about the workshop.