Here is picture of some young visitors to the Quanah Parker exhibit.

Pictured left to right: Rafael Lamadrid, Tomas Lamadrid, Javier Lamadrid and Luis Lamadrid. Quanah Parker exhibit also features Native American artifacts on loan from Eagle Dancer Gallery and various private collections. Children's corner features an interactive exhibit.

Our new temporary photo exhibit, “Quanah Parker – One Man, Two Worlds” is opening on Thursday, September 1 and will run through Saturday, October 8. There are 35 pictures of Comanche Chief Quanah Parker and his mother, Cynthia Ann Parker, depicting their history in the development of the U.S. frontier. In addition, there are numerous artifacts from other Indian cultures on loan to the museum which enhance the exhibit. No evening event is planned at this time, but there may be one in the future. You won’t want to miss this unusual exhibit. Come soon.

Our new temporary exhibit has ties to Alvin citizens.

“When I was about 10 years old, I recall talking to Alice Purdy, one of Quanah Parker’s daughters, who was in her seventies at the time.” This statement was part of an interview with Jo Nell Parker, a resident of Alvin and retired teacher from the Alvin School District. Jo Nell was born and raised in Elkhart, Texas. She began teaching in Alvin in 1976 at Longfellow Elementary. Her teaching career also included being at Alvin Primary from 1965-67, and later moving to Disney Elementary from 1979- 1991. Her three children, Walter Scott Nicholson, Benjamin Parker Nicholson and Janay Nicholson Andrade attended Alvin schools. The interview with Jo Nell was prompted by the current temporary exhibit at the Alvin Historical Museum and its connection with the Parker family of Alvin. According to Ms Parker, her father Joe Bailey Parker had been encouraged by his father to research the Parker family history and its connection with the story of Cynthia Ann Parker and her son Quanah Parker. As it turned out, Jo Nell is a fifth cousin to Cynthia Ann Parker. In 1953, Jo Nell’s father helped organize an annual reunion of members of the Parker family and the Comanche descendents of Quanah. This reunion has continued over the years being held in various locations. The Parker still holds annual reunions at For Parker. Jo Nell remembers attending many of these reunions and as a child going to the original location of Quanah Parker’s Star House. She related the anecdotal story that in appreciation for Quanah’s astute dealings with them, business men built the house for him, and that it was the Indian Agent who chose his “go to town wife,” the only one of his seven wives who would be considered his legal wife. Jo Nell has lent the exhibit a Comanche Indian doll, given to her in the early 1950s by Vance and Anna Tomakara. Vance was a grandson of Quanah Parker and the great-grandson of Cynthia Ann Parker. Anna had made the doll. Other documents and artifacts belonging to Jo Nell’s family were donated to Baylor University in February of this year to be placed in their Texas History exhibit.