Author Archives: Boerne BAHPS

Here’s a sweet note written by Joseph Dienger back in 1881. He is one of the subjects of our Boerne ghost stories event. He was a hardworking business man in his day but seemingly hasn’t been able to hang up his hat just yet.

Did you know that the Ebensberger (now Ebensberger-Fisher) Funeral Home is the oldest, continuous business in Boerne? Our display (graciously donated by the Ebensberger family) is currently being revamped. In the meantime here’s some interesting facts on the history of funeral homes and the role of the mortician. Until the mid-1800s, families took care ofContinue reading “The Ebensberger Mortuary Exhibit”

X-ray technology may seem futuristic but its origins date back to 1895. German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen discovered it by passing high voltage electricity through vacuum tubes which produced small amounts of X-Rays. The Gundelach style tube (pictured below) manufactured in the 1910’s made numerous improvements to the tubes, mainly in the durability and efficiency ofContinue reading “Early Technology Up Close”

Autograph books were a popular keepsake amongst young adults beginning in the 15th century and started a trend which would last over 500 years. A typical entry might be a sentimental poem, drawing, or personal message. Pictured below is one example of what you could find so eloquently inscribed in the pages of an autographContinue reading “Autograph Books”

Thinking about churning your own butter at home? We know you are! Here’s a look into how they made their butter in the 19th and early 20th centuries Supplies: (1) cow for milking, (1) pail, (1) setting dish, (1) cream skimmer, (1) butter churn (any style) Step 1 Get Your Milk Milk your cow intoContinue reading “Butter Churn Time”

A stereoscope is a device for viewing a pair of separate images, depicting left-eye and right-eye views with the same scene, as a single three-dimensional image. Most of us have fond memories of experiencing a stereoscope as a ViewMaster. This particular stereoscope is classified as a “Holmes” model, which was the most common model startingContinue reading “Stereoscope Entertainment”