Saturday's Trip Back in Time Pt. 1

Hello!

Today and tomorrow I'd like to share with you the little trip my daughter, Katie, and I took yesterday.  She and I used to craft together on Saturdays but are taking a break to explore other pursuits, so recently she compiled a list of places she would like for us to visit, i.e. historical areas, thrift shops, tea rooms, etc.  (We still craft on our own during the week!)

Yesterday we drove to the heart of downtown Dallas where skyscrapers abound to visit a wonderful little treasure known as Dallas Heritage Village at Old City Park.  I've lived in this large, busy metroplex for nearly 20 years and had never heard of it! It is a collection of old, historic buildings that were rescued from decay and disrepair in various parts of the state and assembled at this historic park for the education and enjoyment of locals and visitors alike.

The weather was gorgeous - warm, cloudless with a sparkling blue sky.  Perfect for touring though a little hard on camera exposures as it was often too bright to take great shots.  There were many "just one more's."

This is the layout of the living museum.  Lots of walking involved, so comfortable shoes were the order of the day.  

First stop is the Worth Hotel, dd 1904.  Can you imagine sharing a bed with a complete stranger?  That's what often happened at these tiny hotel/boarding houses found next to railroad depots throughout the state when they found themselves short on accommodations for weary travelers.  This hotel is one room wide.  

One of the bedrooms. That's a foldaway bed in the lower right corner of the photo.  Imagine fitting four peeps in here.  And check out how low the ceiling is. 

The dining room.  Running these places was hard work, and they were almost always full.

Next we visited the local doctor's office, dd 1890.  These darling little houses abound in the older sections of Dallas, and this one was a rental house until 1976 when the foundation for preserving these buildings bought it and refurbished it.  I could easily see me living in such a doll house.

The waiting room.  Note the wheelchair in the lower left corner.

The doctor's apothecary.  I'd never heard of many of the herbs and tinctures on display, but catmint was there, as were several others which can be found in many gardens today.

The operating room.  Yes, that's right, the operating room, aka the surgery.  The table was covered with a lovely damask.  Beautiful, but not so hygienic.    Out of sight are a collection of many of the operating tools of the day, many looking very vicious at best.

Here is the examining room which was also the doctor's study.  It's almost out of sight, but if you look at the far right, you'll see part of a skeleton hanging there.  It's a real one, and the story of the young girl who used to own it can be heard on the accompanying cell phone self-tour.  She had a headache which didn't go away quickly enough when she took the medicine given to her by her doctor, so she drank the whole bottle.  'Nuff said.

There's the old school house in the distance with some of the city skyline shooting up behind it.  What a contrast.

Tomorrow we will explore the lovely Queen Anne home known as the Blum House, dd 1901.  It was a modern middle class house of its time with many amenities.

Sorry about the tree, there was no way around it, and it's impossible to photoshop out, but I wanted you to see the wonderful wraparound porch.  I could see myself living in this house too.  So charming.  And I will share what's in the turret.  It was quite surprising.

Thanks for joining me today, and if there are any historical living museums in your area, I urge you to visit them.  History is alive and well.

Happy touring!