History comes alive at Lockhart City Cemetery

By LPR Staff
Editor/POST-REGISTER

The ghosts of Caldwell County’s past will rise again to tell their stories – in a manner of speaking – in the Lockhart City Cemetery later this month, as the Caldwell County Historical Commission presents the fifth annual “Speaking of the Dead: Night Ramblings in a Texas Graveyard.”

This theatrical fusion event m

erges a passion for history with a penchant for the dramatic, as guests are invited to tour the municipal cemetery and hear the stories of those who dwell there, as told by character actors adopting the personas of their “kindred spirits.”
Historical figures represented in the past include a variety of the area’s founding fathers, including A.L. Brock, A.B. Forqueran and former County Judge Martin O. Flowers.

This year’s featured ancestors are:
Edward M. Storey (1857-1946)
Storey was a mayor of Lockhart, who operated a mule-drawn street car service in Lockhart. He will be portrayed by John Baker.

Dora Blunt (1857 -1940)
Blunt was an early resident who will recall her experience of the great tornado that destroyed part of Lockhart in 1879. She will be portrayed by Stephanie Shunick.

John J. Smith (1845-1920)
Smith was a Confederate soldier who fought in Florida and came to Caldwell County after the Civil War. He will be portrayed by Phil McBride.

Thomas S. Hodges (1859-1942)
An architect who built several prominent buildings in town, Hodges is responsible for such structures as the Dr. Eugene Clark Library, the Caldwell County Jail and the First Christian Church. He will be portrayed by Bob Cox.

Samuel J. P. McDowell (1824-1920)
McDowell was a Confederate soldier and in 1855 a Texas Ranger. He will be portrayed by Richard Banks.

B. B. Sullivan (1852-1876)
Once a deputy sherrif, Sullivan had experience with desperados and local killings in the area. He will be portrayed by Todd Blomerth.

Leona Dodd (1878-1943)
Dodd was an early teacher who became County School Superintendent. She will be portrayed by Peggy Binn.

A.Y. Larremore (1843-1913)
Lareremore was the County Sheriff who presided over Caldwell County’s first legal hanging. He will be portrayed by Don Perry.

Wilhelmine Marguerite Grauke (1834-1901)
Grauke was an early German immigrant to the county, with a story about her daughter Mary’s courtship and marriage to Henry Vogel, of the locally prominent Vogel family. She will be portrayed by Cassandra Baker.

Theresa Vogel (1831-1913)
Vogel was a German immigrant and the mother of Henry Vogel and wife of Joseph Vogel. She tells the story of her immigrant husband’s experience becoming a United States citizen in early Lockhart. She will be portrayed by Pat Parsons, co-chair of the Historical Commission.

More than a dozen tours are scheduled on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 17 – 18. Tickets for each tour are sold on an “as-available” basis, and tour participants may reserve the time slot they wish to attend.

Guests are asked to park at Lockhart City Park, where tours will begin at the City Park Pavilion. After the walking portion of the tour, groups will be returned, via a flatbed trailer hayride, to the pavilion, where concessions will be available for purchase.

Admission is available by pre-sale ticket only, and tour tickets will not be sold at the City Park Pavilion during the event. According to Caldwell County Historical Commission secretary Kathy McCormick, the event usually sells out, so participants are encouraged to make their reservations as soon as possible.

For tickets or more information, contact McCormick at (512) 398-6292, Dorothy Buckner at (512) 398-3759, or any other member of the Caldwell County Historical Commission.

Additional information provided by Leslie Banks