Thank You, Burton!
I got to spend Saturday at the Burton Cotton Gin Festival, one of the big dates on the local calendar there. Although I’d visited the museum there many times, this was the first occasion to be there for the festival. Nothing says small-town Texas like hearing a polka cover of Hank Williams’ “Take These Chains from My Heart” by the Shiner, Texas Hobo Band (above). I missed the cotton ginning-and-baling demonstration — the gin’s 16-ton, 1925 Bessemer Type IV diesel oil engine, “Lady B,” is reportedly the largest internal combustion engine of its vintage still operating in the United States — but in all it was great fun!
As someone who’s spent a long time around small, local history museums, I must say I was genuinely impressed by the size of the event. There are only 350 people living in Burton, and I’m pretty sure at least half of them were volunteering at the event. Kudos to the Burton Cotton Gin Museum, its staff and volunteers, and the community, for putting on such an impressive event.
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Dead Confederates, A Civil War Era Blog 
The local event of the season, where Bummer lives, is an Antique Tractor Parade. People come from all over the Nothern Plains and the traffic and crowds paralizes the community for days.
Bummer
A lot of folks take the pre-fab vacations that lack any real contact with local folks. Nothing is better than historical touring with the chance to meet the locals where they live and enjoy our fellow Americans.
“Pre-fab vacations.” Talk about a spot-on term for what many people do when it comes time for some time off.
If you took these photos, Mr. Hall — just want to say they are wonderful. Thank you.
I’m sorry, I shamelessly swiped them — the top one from the band’s homepage, and the bottom one from the museum. But it was a good day.
Whether you swiped or took – – it was a good day! Thanks!
I figured they wouldn’t mind, much.