Austin Friendship Force Visit to Georgetown
- Betty Brindle
- May 9, 2017
- 2 min read
On Thursday, April 20, members of the Friendship Force from Austin came to Georgetown for a day visit. The first item on the agenda was a stop at the Texas Room in the Georgetown Public library. Robert Barber shared maps, photos and resource materials for the history of Williamson County, Georgetown and genealogy work. It was interesting to see how the city has documented change. And he explained about the model buildings that had been made from hat boxes by a Georgetown resident. We left saying we must return for more time to study things there.
After lunch at the Southwestern University cafeteria we
had a brief over-view of the college and how it came to be located in Georgetown. As we drove back to the Square we passed many yards and parks blooming with red poppies.
The afternoon included a visit to the Williamson Museum followed by a walking tour of "The Most Beautiful Town Square in Texas". Danelle Houch explained some local history and gave architectural details of the preserved Victorian buildings.
The finale of the day was a visit to the shop of Nathaniel's, Master Hat Maker. Nate Funmaker and his wife, Kerrie, explained the lengthy process needed to produce a fine hat. Nate demonstrated how he measures the head, then blocks, steams, shapes and finally sands each hat. And his equipment from the 1800s was most interesting. Kerrie shared how she hand stitches on the trim and the sweat band. She also showed her display of ribbon trim, some of which dates back to the 1930s. If you ordered a hat today it would be delivered in about nine months. We left the shop with a great deal more appreciation for hats!
Then it was time to say goodbye to our new friends. Everyone felt we had shared a delightful day. Hopefully we will meet again on a return visit to Austin.
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