“Frontier Village of Grayson County is a non-profit organization founded in 1966 to establish a frontier village at Loy Lake Park. In this replica of an early village, structures and artifacts historically significant to Grayson County preserve the rich background of the pioneers who settled here in the nineteenth century.” – from the website
Frontier Village is a great little historic village nestled in the trees near the Red River in north Texas. We have visited several times! While the entire park is fascinating, today I’m sharing some photos of the little log cabin on the premises.
This cabin in particular looked like it was lifted from the pages of Little House on the Prairie. It was set up almost identical to the description in Laura’s writings of the home Pa and Ma built together in Indian Territory. The only exception was that this cabin had a loft where the children slept. The Ingalls cabin in Indian Territory was a one-story structure.
Here are the table and chairs where the family ate situated in front of the fireplace, used for both heating and cooking.
The dresses were hung on nails in the wall, next to the bed, which was just across from the table. This was very common, as a one-room cabin had no closets!
The bed’s platform was nothing more than criss-crossed ropes. (Pa made a very similar bed in Little House on the Prairie, complete with a grass-filled mattress.) My daughter, Chloe shows what’s under the thin mattress. We like to take field trips in costume. : )
This spinning wheel was in a different cabin. It reminded me the description in Farmer Boy. Almanzo Wilder’s parents were almost completely self-sufficient. They raised sheep for wool, and Mother would spin the wool into yarn or thread, and then use a loom (also partly pictured below) to make cloth. Oh, and there’s Chloe again in her pioneer dress and sunbonnet.
The cabin on the right was very much like the one described in Little House on the Prairie. The cabin on the left is a stable.
In addition to the log cabin, Frontier Village consists of 11 historic homes including the county’s oldest school, a country store, old church, newspaper office, a museum, and research center. There are collections of mule-drawn farm implements and early hand tools; even a portable jail that housed county prisoners working on roads before 1920.
Frontier Village is well worth your visit for a family road trip or school field trip. They are open 7 days a week, year round, from 1-4 p.m. It is located in Denison, Texas, about one hour north of Dallas and situated on the Red River. There is a Texas Travel Center nearby. Visit the website for more details, and follow their Facebook page for updates on special events.
We had a private tour for our group. The staff are incredibly friendly and knowledgeable! We had a great time, and will definitely go back. If you live in North Texas, or are passing through, I highly recommend visiting.
If this is right up your alley, check out my Simple Wisdom from Laura Ingalls Wilder series. Other field trip posts may be found on my Homeschooling in Texas page.
Hi! I’m Nicki! Welcome to my blog! A little about me? I’m a 9th generation Texan living on a nine-acre homestead in North Texas with my husband and five children. I write about homeschooling, history, freedom, my faith, homesteading, reading, and quilting. If you want faith-based encouragement, be sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and subscribe to my blog!
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