Women’s History Month Celebrated at Barrington Living History Farm

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WASHINGTON, Texas — Get to know the "gentle tamers and sunbonneted helpmates" of early Texas March 26-27 at Barrington Living History Farm in celebration of Women’s History month.

A special program, "True Texas Women," will explore the lives of women who helped tame the Texas frontier. Learn about such women as Mary Jones, wife of the president of a republic, Anson Jones, and Rachel Fanthorp, who saw history walk through the door of her husband’s inn that today operates as a state historic site.

Hear stories, too, about other notorious and notable frontier women, such as Pamelia Mann, businesswoman and sometimes criminal, who refused to live in anyone’s shadow. Still others, like Juana Cavasos, Indian captive and community leader, and Sylvia King, kidnapped and enslaved on a Fayette County plantation, led lives that could either be called adventurous or nightmarish. Costumed interpreters will tell their stories and explain their roles in Texas history.

Come visit Barrington Farm on this special weekend and see how a proper woman would then be dressed — from her corset to the jewelry made from human hair. Choose your favorite fashions of the mid 19th century from fashion plates of the day. Learn appropriate tea etiquette and for those special occasions, the language of the fan. Try your hand at scrubbing clothes on a washboard while aromas drift from food cooking on the open hearth in the kitchen. Visit the Barrington Farm garden and check the progress of the spring vegetables.

Barrington Farm is located at Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site in Washington, Texas, on FM 1155 just off State Highway 105 between Brenham and Navasota. Barrington is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $4 for adults $2 for students; children ages six and younger are admitted free. Discount tickets are available to tour Independence Hall and the Star of The Republic Museum. For additional details, please call (936) 878-2213.