Caddo Mounds State Historic Site to begin reconstruction of grass house
Jun. 23—It was just three years ago that a tornado ripped apart the facilities at Caddo Mounds State Historic Site, six miles west of Alto. Construction is ongoing to replace the museum that was destroyed that day, and now the iconic grass house is about to be replaced and the public is invited to participate.
The award-winning grass house destroyed in the storm was originally constructed in 2016 with the help of Caddo people and volunteers from across the state. Many of those volunteers will be returning to help rebuild and additional volunteers are needed.
—Each day, from July 5-17, volunteers will gather at 7:30 a.m. in the temporary visitors' center. A variety of jobs are available for volunteers:
July 5-16: Pole collection and pole peeling
—July 7: Pole peeling continues, and grasses and willow previously collected will be moved to and staged at the construction site.
—July 8: Primary poles will be set and perhaps some lathing
—July 9-10: House construction will be limited to members of the Caddo Tribe, who will travel to the site from Oklahoma and beyond. Other activities scheduled include demonstrations by Caddo potter Chase Earles, rock painting for a rock mural to be installed in Snake Woman's Garden, a community weaving project, atlatl demonstrations and more.
—July 11-17: Lathing and thatching
—July 17: Installing the rock mural in Snake Woman's Garden
Volunteers to help with set-up, logistics, in the museum and gift shop, and other projects will be needed each day, as well.
For more information, or to register as a volunteer, call 936-858-3221.
Caddo Mounds State Historic Site, a Texas Historical Commission property, is the remains of a large village and religious center built by a group of Caddo Indians known as the Hasinai more than 1,200 years ago on the prairie overlooking the Neches River. Located on approximately 400 acres along the historic El Camino Real de los Tejas, the site presents the culture and customs of the Caddo people through intriguing exhibits, displays and preserved burial and ceremonial mounds. For more information visit www.visitcaddomounds.com.
