by Megan Russell-Davis The Llano County Historical Society put on their annual “Llano Heritage Days” over the weekend with events on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Locals and visitors from near and far came to experience the history of Llano, in living color, at three historic locations.
It all kicked off with a chuckwagon meal and entertainment on Friday night at the Llano County Historical Museum. Cowboy beef stew, cornbread and cobbler were served up from cast iron pots cooked over wood burning fire, just as it would have been on the cattle trails of the 1800s. Llano’s Larry and Gail Sawyer prepared the meal for 86 ticket holders. Tickets were $25 a plate and proceeds will go toward publishing a coffee table book of Llano County historic homes by the Llano County Historical Commission.
The weather was perfect on Saturday for the Heritage Days Festival at Badu Park, on the banks of the Llano River. The festivities started at 10:00 am with live accordion playing by Reidar Eliassen and activities on the park grounds such as corn husk doll making with Sharon Spencer, Nature crafts with the Llano Master Gardeners, a petting zoo, and blacksmithing with Balcones Forge. The Texas Camel Corps brought two majestic and very tame camels. They did not mind being pet and posing for photos with people, most of whom had never seen a camel up close or in person. Why camels? For a brief time in the 1850s, the U.S. Army experimented with using camels at the Alamo, when it was an army outpost. According to The Alamo website, “Camels had key advantages when compared to horses and mules, like being able to traverse areas with severe heat while using very little water. Ultimately the U.S. Army chose to not use camels after this trial run.”
The period costume contest was held under the big tent at 11:00 am. Contestants donned their best antique garments for the judges in 6 categories. Dancers from the Great Promise for American Indians performed at noon, followed by trick roping with Kevin Fitzpatrick.
The Main Stage saw musical acts of all genres, starting with Texas Jamboree by the Hill Country Community Band, then Bluegrass by Chris Melas, rounding out with Country and Western by John Arthur Martinez. The Clickety Cloggers Dance Team took their turn on the stage as well. After taking in the festival at the park, folks could check out the antique quilt show and family history displays at the American Legion Hall.
On Sunday evening, the final act of Heritage Days took place at the Llano Cemetery where actors told the stories of Llano pioneers at their gravesites. Richard Fishbeck, 18861943, was portrayed by Jeff Scoggins; W.J. Everett, Sr., 1851-1930, was portrayed by Travis Allen; Albert Parkhill, 1843-1914, was portrayed by Robert Little; Dr. W.Y. Fowler, 1860-1935, was portrayed by Mike Reagor; Nancy Steele Gillespie Cage, 1859-1918, was portrayed by Marilyn Hale; T.J. Moore, 1900-1977, was portrayed by Kenneth Land.
Llano Heritage Days will be held again next year on the third weekend of October 2025.
Believe it or not, camels have a place in Texas history! The Texas Camel Corps were founded in 1997 with the goal of educating the public about the use of camels in America during the 19th century. Photo by Megan Russell-Davis.
Kevin Fitzpatrick, who has been entertaining guests with his trick roping skills for 35 years, spins a lasso around himself and Lansing Kothmann of Llano during Llano Heritage Days on Saturday, October 19th. Photo by Megan Russell-Davis.
