Texas heritage day:
Six Degrees of Connection
Raising awareness of Austin and Texas history
Exhibitors
Six Degrees of Connection: Texas Heritage has invited history-related non-profit organizations to host tables in
order to showcase the purpose of their groups, to collect donations, and to sell items from their gift shops. The
exhibitors will be located in the tent area just west of the chapel in Oakwood Cemetery.
EXHIBITORS
The Austin Genealogical Society advances genealogy through wide-ranging research and
education, and supporting the preservation of the heritage of Austin, Travis County and
Texas. www.austintxgensoc.org
Austin History Center and Austin History Center Association
The Austin History Center provides the public
with information about the history, current events,
and activities of Austin and Travis County. It
collects and preserves information about local
governments, businesses, residents, institutions, and
neighborhoods so that generations to come will have access to the area’s history.
http://www.austinlibrary.com/ahc/about.htm The Austin History Center Association is a 501(c)3 non-profit
membership organization dedicated to the support of the Austin History Center. AHCA helps the community
value our past and build a better future – by supporting the Austin History Center to achieve excellence in its
efforts to serve as the collective memory of Austin and Travis County. AHCA will be selling its books, posters,
DVDs, and cards.
Founded in 2006, the Austin Tour Guide Association represents
a wide range of tour guides and coordinators in beautiful Austin,
Texas, the Live Music Capital of the World. The ATGA exists to
promote the common interests of tour guides in the city of Austin
and the surrounding Hill Country area, as well as to develop and
promote tourism as a successful local industry. Tour group
operators who work with the ATGA are guaranteed to get a
certified, knowledgeable, and professional guide who will give tourists the best side of Austin.
The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), founded in 1890, is a non-profit, non-political volunteer
women’s service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing
America’s future through better education for children. As one of the most inclusive genealogical societies in
the country, DAR boasts 170,000 members in 3,000 chapters across the United States and internationally. Any
woman 18 years or older who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution is eligible for
membership. http://www.dar.org/
Texas heritage day:
Six Degrees of Connection
Raising awareness of Austin and Texas history
The German-Texan Heritage Society was founded in 1978 to preserve and promote
the rich cultural heritage of the German families that immigrated to Texas since the early
1830s. State headquarters of GTHS is in the historic German Free School in downtown
Austin, built by the original settlers to provide an education available to all. The building
houses a library for genealogical studies and research on German-Texana. In addition to
offering German language classes to adults and children, GTHS hosts a number of
cultural events, including a Speakers Series, German Film Night, an Annual Meeting,
Oktoberfest, and a Christmas Market. http://germantexans.org/
Joseph & Susanna Dickinson House Museum
The 1869 home of Joseph and Susanna Dickinson Hannig was saved and deeded to the City of Austin in 2003.
Joseph Hannig built this home in 1869 for his new wife, Susanna Dickinson. She survived the Battle of the
Alamo and carried the news of its fall to Sam Houston. For this deed, Susanna Dickinson became known as the
“Messenger of the Alamo.” The Joseph and Susanna Dickinson Hannig Museum is the only remaining
residence of Susanna Dickinson. The mission of the Joseph and Susanna Dickinson Hannig Museum is to
preserve the home and legacy of Battle of the Alamo survivor Susanna Dickinson and to celebrate Texas’
historical heritage by providing programs and educational resources to the citizens of Austin and its visitors.
http://www.austintexas.gov/department/joseph-and-susanna-dickinson-hannig-museum
Neill-Cochran House Museum is considered to be one of Austin’s three most
important historic residences and was built by Austin’s master builder Abner
Cook. Built in 1855 as a suburban estate, this impressive Greek Revival house
has survived war, neglect, and the immense growth of the University of Texas
area and the capital city. In celebration of Abner Cook’s birthday, the NCHM is
hosting a birthday party at the museum so be sure to stop by for cake at 2:00 and
make it part of the Six Degrees of Connection’s Heritage Hunt. The NCHM is
owned by the National Society of the Colonial Dames in the State of Texas and
is open to the public for guided tours. http://www.nchmuseum.org
Save Austin’s Cemeteries is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving historic
cemeteries in Austin through documentation and education, and promoting historic
cemeteries of Austin as local and state cultural resources (www.sachome.org). SAC
conducts a variety of volunteer projects such as photo-documentation of headstones and
cemetery cleanups. It also focused on the rehabilitation of Oakwood Cemetery’s 1914
Gothic Revival limestone chapel designed by architect Charles H. Page. For more
information on the chapel project, go to
http://www.sachome.org/cemeteries/Oakwood%20Chapel.html
Swedish Friends display the customs, costumes, and history of the Swedish people
who settled in Texas. Learn about the preservation of the Swedish log cabin at Zilker
Park.
Texas heritage day:
Six Degrees of Connection
Raising awareness of Austin and Texas history
Travis County Historical Commission and Travis County Archeological Society
The Travis County Archeological Society sponsors excavations in the Travis County area and
assists other organizations with their projects. The TCAS meets monthly to keep current on new
projects and to hear various speakers. Opportunities are available to attend the annual Texas
Archeological Society field school and to brush up on techniques at archeology training academies
located throughout the state. The TCAS represents a large range of members, from novice to
professional, and welcome all. www.travis.txarch.org
The Travis County Historical Commission is a collection of interested and knowledgeable
members whose mission is to preserve and protect the historical legacy of the county. The Commission assists
individuals and organizations in their research and preservation efforts, sponsors public dedications of State
Historical Markers, reviews properties for potential historical designations and sponsors an annual essay contest
with Austin Community College. The ongoing projects include surveying and recording all historical properties
in Travis County and researching the histories of Mexican-American and African-American schools.
www.co.travis.tx.us/historical_commission/