Rockne Museum, Rockne, Texas

April 14, 2018

Rockne is an unincorporated area in Bastrop County [population in 2000 was 400] and is only a few miles from our campground.  We visited the Rockne Museum one Saturday afternoon.

The area was settled by German Catholic immigrants in the mid-1850’s.  The area was known by several names but its permanent name of Rockne came when the children of Sacred Heart School were asked to choose a name for their town.  They chose Rockne in honor of Knute Rockne, the Notre Dame football coach who had recently died in a plane crash.

Several buildings are on the Museum’s property including a cabin built in about 1860 featuring a dogtrot–an open area between two rooms where the dogs could sleep.

This cabin served as a meeting place for Catholics when a church was not available.  The wall and subfloor are original.  The interior is furnished with donations from area residents and information is provided detailing who used many of the items.

A second cabin reconstructed on Museum grounds is one room with additions.  It, too, is furnished with donations of area residents.

An outhouse has been provided in order to give visitors a feel for the inconveniences people who lived in these cabins experienced.

A structure housing most of the museum’s artifacts includes life stories written by residents, mementos, donations of local families, articles updated in the church, and an extensive history of the residents of the area.

When the Sacred Heart Church was remodeled in 1976, a number of items that had been used in the sanctuary were placed in the basement.  Some years later it was determined that these items needed to be removed and they were sold at auction.  Many of the buyers have given the items they purchased to the museum for safekeeping.

Family items which have been donated or loaned to the museum include baby clothes, letters and other mementos, and an unusual typewriter.  You mean we didn’t have to garage sale all that stuff we had?

Dave and Jane could have worn this outfit (and probably had ones similar to it).

The park that houses the museum was named for Joe Hilbig whose items are pictured here.

This Hammond Multiplex typewriter was made before 1920 and featured changeable type.

The typewriter holds two “shuttles” of type at once, allowing for easy switch between fonts.