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The Frontier Times Museum is the main reason we visited Bandera, Texas. It’s got an eclectic collection and an interesting history behind it.
History
The Frontier Times Museum was founded by J. Marvin Hunter Sr. (1880-1957), the editor and publisher of Frontier Times Magazine and a collector of curiosities and historic items. It’s said that Hunter never turned down a donation to the museum’s collection because if the artifact was important to the donor it should be important to everyone.
With an ever-growing collection, Hunter decided to raise funds to build a new museum by publishing a book, The Authentic History of Sam Bass and his Gang. His goal was to sell 1,000 copies at US$1 each, which would have been enough to erect a stone building at that time. Supporters also got a one-year subscription to Frontier Times Magazine. By mid-December 1932, Hunter had enough founds to break ground.
The groundbreaking took place on January 1, 1933. The building was constructed by stonemason Hough LeStourgeon (1909-2009), who gathered rocks from local ranches, including parts of an old stone fence built in 1878. Locals brought in petrified wood, fossils, and stones to add to the museum wall. The names of each donor who purchased a book were engraved on granite pillars flanking the entrance. The Frontier Times Museum officially opened on May 20, 1933.
Through the sales of another book, The Life of Big Foot Wallace, Hunter expanded the museum in the fall of 1934, and added another gallery in 1935. The museum was sold in 1960, three years after Hunter’s death, to F.B. Doane, a successful businessman and lover of Western paraphernalia. When Doane passed away, his widow and the Doane Foundation funded and operated the museum. She gifted the museum to the residents of Bandera County in 1972 and also added the Doane Gallery of Western Art.
Visiting
The Frontier Times Museum is open daily. Admission is US$8 for adults, US$5 for seniors and military, US$4 for kids age 6-17, and free for kids under 6 (as of September 2024). It’s located a block north of the Bandera County Courthouse.
Curiosities
There are a few main exhibits on display at the Frontier Times Museum. The most important is the collection of Curiosities. Among the collection are Bibles and journals from the 19th century, artifacts from World War II, a two-faced goat, and a mummified squirrel.
Other items of interest include a birthing chair from the Middle Ages used in an Italian palace, Easter eggs decorated in 1936, coins and paper money from around the world, antique household items, and much more.
Another interesting feature is a fireplace with a shotgun embedded on the mantel along with shells and fossils.
Stalls of Fame
The Stalls of Fame honors rodeo stars from Bandera. Eight famous rodeo heroes are immortalized with their biographies and personal items placed in different stalls.
Texas Heroes
The Texas Heroes Hall of Honor was established in 2009. It recognizes
the contributions of REMARKABLE INDIVIDUALS AND WONDEROUS CHARACTERS who, through their leadership, creativity, example and hard work, keep the pioneer spirit alive and HELP KEEP TEXAS, TEXAN.
The exhibit contains the stories of inductees, who are honored on the fourth weekend of July at an annual ceremony.
