Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Southlake Historical Society Presents: Quanah Parker Exhibit, One Man, Two Worlds

More than 40 rarely seen photos that illustrate the dramatic story of Cynthia Ann Parker and her Comanche son Quanah will be on display from Saturday, July 9, through Saturday, August 20, in the lobby of Southlake Town Hall in the Quanah Parker Exhibit, One Man, Two Worlds.

Quanah’s great-great-grandson Lance Tahmahkera will share the family stories he was told about Cynthia Ann and Quanah and display family artifacts at the reception on Sunday, July 24, from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Cynthia Ann Parker was captured at age nine by the Comanche and lived with them for 24 years before being recaptured by the Texas Rangers and returned to the Parker family.

“Southlake’s link to Cynthia Ann is Malinda Frost Dwight Hill, a survivor of the 1836 attack on Parker’s Fort,” said historical society president Connie Cooley. “Malinda died in 1870 and is buried in Lonesome Dove Cemetery in Southlake.”

She noted that Malinda’s escape from the fort with her baby, mother, husband, and others is chronicled on pages 16-18 of Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne.

The exhibit, which is making its way around Texas, is sponsored by the Texas Historical Commission’s Texas Lakes Trail region and presented in Southlake by the Southlake Historical Society, www.southlakehistory.org.

Southlake Town Hall is located at 1400 Main Street. Hours of operation are 10:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m. Monday -Thursday; 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday; closed Sunday. The reception is free and open to the public.