Monday, October 26, 2015

Austin History Center Donation

It's been a long time since our last meeting.  The weather has changed to a cool, crisp and breezy time  and there is something brewing at the Homestead.

On October 14, 2015, my husband Brian and I made an official Donation to the Austin History Center to increase the data on the large John McCain and Martha Gault Family.  The Gault Family file now includes:
The Well Branch Homestead current brochure,
2010 Memo of a Gault Gathering at Wells Branch Homestead with a history of Split Rail Fence Quilt; also, pictures taken by Claudia Keith and my understanding of the event,
Chapter V of Book on Gault Family from the Revolutionary War;
A file on the Gault Slaves with a Nelson Merrill Account; mention Martha Mays slave to J. M. Gault;
The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame file on Manny Gault; information on James A. Sikes; 
Gault School of Archaeological Research letter, brochure, business card; 2014 Austin-American Statesman newspaper article of Gault Artifacts
 Pictures:
J.F. Gault 1818
W.A. Gault, MD
Thomas Smith Gault Family
Sons of Benjamin Taylor Gault
1900+ or- McNeil School Picture 1940
Edward Gault, owner of Owl Club

Processing Archivist, Molly Hults shared with us a new resource for research through the Austin-American Statesman  I found my grandfather Hayward Thompson, The Blindfold Wizard who demonstrated his strange skill in 1923 of driving blindfolded through the streets of Austin.

http://www.austinlibrary.com:2048/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/hnpaustinamericanstatesman/?accountid=7451


MORE GAULT DESCENDANTS to the HOMESTEAD


Derrick and Cindy Gault Jewel First Visit to Homestead

On Sunday, October 25th Brian and I gave Derrick and Cindy Gault Jewel their first tour of the old Gault Homestead on a cool and rainy day with Derrick's mother, Cindy is a descendant of Benjamin Taylor Gault.  We served a delicious remembrance of traditional, pioneer food.  Here it is for the making:  Start with the ingredients for Skillet Corn Bread below:

2 Cups Buttermilk
2 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
2 Cups Yellow Cornmeal
2 Tablespoons sugar (optional)
1 Teaspoon Salt
3-4 Tablespoons melted Butter
Drop of Vanilla

Combine the buttermilk, eggs and baking soda and beat well. In a separate bowl, sift together the cornmeal, sugar, if desired, and salt. Add the buttermilk mixture, butter and vanilla and mix well.  Thin this batter with an additional 1/2 to 3/4 cup of buttermilk,milk or water to make waffles. The waffle will be real thin and crispy and a great form of corn bread. It doesn't fall apart on you and it's got the little holes to hold the butter, beans or molasses. Pour into a well-greased waffle iron and watch carefully.  Serves 8 to 10.

If you want to make the Skillet Corn Bread,
use the above listed ingredients (without thinning) and put into a greased cast-iron skillet and bake at 450 degree until golden brown. Let cool slightly and slice like a pie.