FROM THE EDITOR
At the heart of any successful undertaking
remains individual initiative. We are all indebted
to people who, without support other
than their own, desire to create and perpetuate
a project which adds to the enjoyment of our
historical environment. Those of us who have
lesser involvement wonder at these people's
creativity and ambition. Sometimes they seem
spurred on by personal glory or recognition and
other times they seem aimed at higher ground.
Whatever drives them personally, we in society
are the beneficiaries of their push to preserve
our historical past for the future.
One person who stands out in preservation
efforts in our state is Jeanne Blocker. On October
7, 1988, Jeanne Blocker passed away, but
not without leaving an indelible mark on historic
preservation in Texas. Of the many good
things that can be said about her, one is her
preservation work in New Ulm. Over a period of
seven years, Jeanne Blocker moved more than
twenty-eight structures onto a twelve-acre plot
owned by a foundation established by her and
her husband, John Blocker. She seemed to have
gained inspiration for this project from the
imprints which had been left at Winedale and at
Round Top by Miss Ima Hogg and Mrs. Faith
Bybee. However, Jeanne's efforts were more
personal than public. She preserved a part of
early Texas' built environment, not necessarily
for public exhibit, though that was a long-range
objective, but because it satisfied her personal
desire to see that an important part of our
landscape was preserved for future generations.
She did this without assistance from any financial
source other than her loyal companion and
husband, John. Jeanne moved more than 27
structures to her New Ulm site and carried out
extensive restoration employing a variety of
local craftsmen. She put the buildings back into
a condition closely resembling that which they
enjoyed in a previous life, doing such things as
employing a craftsman to stencil the walls and
ceilings of many of these early Texas homes.
The final phase in Jeanne's plan was to share her
efforts with the public, but unfortunately she
was denied that opportunity by her untimely
death. While we no longer have her person to
acknowledge and thank, we can certainly pay
homage to her pioneer spirit which brought
about this lasting memorial to her concerns
about pioneer Texas.
Let me change gears from things of the past
to a current issue. You who are patrons of the
Texas Historical Foundation and readers of our
magazine probably notice that we have a consistent
group of advertisers. I would like to encourage
all of you to take the time to enjoy not only
the editorials and articles in Heritage, but to
concern yourselves with reviewing the products
and services of our loyal advertisers. It is
through their patronage that we are able to sustain
and maintain our magazine. When you
have a choice, we hope you decide to use their
product or service over those of competitors.
Editor-in-Chief
4 HERITAGE * SPRING 1989
