Tiny Round Top transforms into one of America’s biggest shopping destinations, drawing 150,000 or more treasure hunters

By Sharon Jayson

Nancy Krause has been here since the beginning. 

She is the last remaining dealer from the 25 or so who set up shop at the first Round Top Antiques Show in the fall of 1968.

Next month will mark her 55th year selling rare and vintage finds. You can find her, as usual, in booth 327 in the 30,000-square-foot Big Red Barn venue, about a mile from the original show’s location, Rifle Hall. 

“I usually like to bring colors and pottery that lend themselves to fall decorating,” Krause said, explaining how she will prepare her 9-by-20-foot booth for October’s event. “I know where everything is going before I get there.” 

Krause, 87, has operated Nancy’s Antiques in Brenham since 1965. She has missed only one Round Top show, in the spring 54 years ago, when she gave birth to her youngest child. 

Those original sellers probably never dreamed their little event would evolve into a global shopping phenomenon. 

Now, every spring and fall, as many as 4,000 dealers from around the nation and other countries set up shop for 150,000 or more shoppers at the Round Top Antiques Show. It’s been called the country’s largest antiques festival, both for the square footage of shopping space and the square mileage it occupies.

The events are located almost midway between Austin and Houston, within the Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative service area. 

It’s not just one show: Almost 100 venues are set up, most along an 11-mile stretch of State Highway 237, stretching from Carmine to Warrenton. Other venues can be found in Burton and Fayetteville, all within a 20-mile radius of Round Top in Fayette County. 

The town’s 87 residents, by Mayor Mark Massey’s count, see their area transformed for a few weeks each spring and fall into an Instagram darling for destination shopping. Their streets are packed with visitors from out of town, out of state and overseas. There is a winter show in January, but it is shorter, smaller and draws fewer participants.  

Whether a devoted Round Top veteran or a novice, everyone is on something of a treasure hunt. Mingling amid the serious shoppers and casual browsers are celebrities, TV and social media influencers, decorators and designers arriving to see what’s there and to be seen.

The next fall event begins in mid-October. Some venues open as early as Oct. 12, others as late as Oct. 24. All end by Oct. 29.

Merchandise here ranges from high-end European furniture and fine art from around the globe that can cost thousands (or tens of thousands) of dollars, to flea-market bargains that will get you change back from a $20 bill. There is an eclectic mix of styles: Americana, Texana, midcentury modern, French country, classic European and contemporary, to name a few. Shoppers can find decor, jewelry, clothing, vintage signs, stylish Western boots and hats, one-of-a-kind collectibles and unusual collections spilling from tents, trailers, barns, air-conditioned buildings and historic properties. 

“Round Top has an amazing reputation as a place with a lot of design energy,” said Beth Berke of Chicago, who was selling her antiques for the first time at Round Top during this year’s spring show. “It attracts people from all over the U.S., and I thought it would be fun to come and be a part of that,” she said. “I was excited when a space opened up.”

Her 15-by-30-foot space at Round Top’s Marburger Farm Antique Show limited her to “a sampling” of inventory from her 6,000-square-foot South Loop Loft showroom in Chicago: furniture, decorative arts, rugs and textiles, lighting, accessories and artisan items. She specializes in one-of-a-kind European pieces from the 1940s through 1990s.

The Marburger Farm show, just south of Round Top, features more than 300 dealers selling primarily antiques inside nine tents — five the size of football fields — and 10 historic buildings on 43 acres, said Tracy Blacketer, show manager.

Not all of Round Top’s vendors offer high-end goods. Sure, shoppers can buy elite items that come with certificates of authenticity, but they can also find collectibles sold from small roadside tents. 

“Round Top is extraordinary in that it provides an escapism many are seeking, regardless of their bank account,” Blacketer said. 

The venues have multiplied and spread for miles from that first show in Rifle Hall. The Original Round Top Antiques Fair, as it is now known, includes the Big Red Barn (a climate-controlled building with an array of antiques, fine glass, art and jewelry), the Continental Tent (an air-conditioned tent with antique furnishings) and the Barn’s Annex. 

“People started to see this magical antique wonderland,” said Stephanie Layne Disney, the show manager of the Original Round Top Antiques Fair. The Layne family, native Houstonians and sixth-generation Texans, bought the show in 2022. They had previously purchased another major Round Top venue, Blue Hills, south of the Big Red Barn and north of Round Top. That 100,000-plus square feet of shopping space includes more than 75 vendors, plus food, parking and restrooms.

Disney, who lives in Fort Worth, has an interior design and antiques background. Growing up, she and her mother often shopped the Round Top shows. Now, the events aren’t just about shopping: “It’s about what you’re wearing, where you are, what events you’re at,” she said. 

Almost every evening, venues host events where brands promote products. “A lot of people put on a dinner and invite other influencers,” Disney said. Sought-after invitations and tickets are part of the Round Top scene. 

Former Texas First Lady Linda Gale White arrived at the Big Red Barn for the spring opening day earlier this year with a group of friends who have been coming to Round Top for more than 30 years. She returned the next day for Marburger Farm’s opening.

“I love finding the little jewel that attracts my eye,” said White, 81, who was shopping for items for her small antiques business in Houston.

The Marburger show, which opened in 1997, is owned by a Dallas-based real estate development and investment services company. Manager Blacketer touted the quality of Marburger’s offerings: “These are masterfully created vignettes that come from merchandise sourced all over the globe,” she said.    

Among Marburger’s dealers is one of its co-founders, Ed Gage. Many know Gage for Uncommon Objects, his longtime South Congress Avenue shop in Austin. In the mid-1990s, he and a partner bought the 44-acre Marburger property that was once a farm. He calls himself “a lifelong treasure hunter.”

“We’re kind of road-warrior gypsies who travel from town to town,” said Gage, who sells mostly jewelry and art. “There’s a huge camaraderie and support system of people who love their neighbors, treat each other well and see each other at the next show.” 

Among those who planned to be first in line when Marburger’s doors opened last spring was first-time show shopper Jennie Logan of Dallas. She was on a mission to find a buffet for her dining room. She was with her friend and interior designer Lacy Lange, a Round Top regular for at least six years. 

“All these people who have stand-alone shops all around the country and bring the best of their stuff to this small town are pretty amazing,” Logan said.

“I did find the elusive buffet I was looking for and had to get that shipped,” she said, adding that she also bought “probably 15 pieces of art, a big rattan bench, two side tables and two lamps.” 

Does all the selling and buying benefit the residents of Round Top? Massey, the town’s mayor, a Houston native who was elected in 2020, said the antique show is “entrepreneurship at its finest.”

“We all talk and cooperate as best we can. There’s no organization that runs it or checks in with vendors,” he said. “Each venue is independently operated. Outside of our town’s one square mile, the town has no jurisdiction over the venues,” and many are expanding their existing sites, he added. 

“The town of Round Top has witnessed a major increase in year-round tourism, resulting in annual sales tax revenue of just over $400,000 in the last fiscal year,” Massey said. 

This fall will be Round Top native Lauriano Pineda Jr.’s fourth show as a dealer of art, decor, furniture and pottery imported from Mexico. He and a partner operate Terracotta Cowboy out of an 80-by-40-foot leased building in the Round Top venue Cisco Village.  

“It’s kind of a wild thing. I grew up in Round Top and watched it when nothing was here. I’m 31. I’ve seen it grow up from dirt roads to what it is now,” he said. “I think it’s wonderful. There’s always somewhere to go out. To be from Round Top is like saying you’re from Aspen.”

Pineda’s import business is open only during the shows, as are many of the venues that aren’t year-round shops in permanent locations along the State Highway 237 corridor and in nearby communities. Just south of Round Top, the Marketplace Warrenton offers rental spaces for vendors’ RVs. North of Round Top, the La Bahia Antique Show near Burton is in a historic 1879 dance hall and community center.

Ron Naumann, a sergeant with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, knows all about the growth that can back traffic up by as much as 12 miles every spring and fall. He has coordinated traffic and security for shows since 1996, when events lasted only a few days. After the first year, Naumann started working on horseback to cover more ground and better coordinate with the assortment of assisting officers from other jurisdictions. 

He still does his job atop a horse. 

Less likely to be caught in traffic are the celebrities who make their way to Round Top, sometimes in helicopters. Actors, singers, sports stars and well-known TV interior designers and decorators have been spotted shopping. They’ve included TV home makeover stars Chip and Joanna Gaines, designer/actor Carson Kressley, actor Matthew McConaughey, country singer Miranda Lambert, former NFL star Peyton Manning and many more. 

Long-timer Krause says it’s easy for her to spot wealthy buyers.  

“They come in and just say ‘I’ll take this,’ and somebody comes behind them with a sold tag,” she said.

It’s a far cry from the early days when Emma Lee Turney, a Houston antiques dealer, organized that first show. Turney, who died in 2021 at the age of 92, created a tradition that has evolved into the ultimate Texas “shopportunity.”  

For Krause, the 2023 winter show in January marked a milestone in her Round Top antique-selling career: She sold out for the first time. 

Her trip back to Brenham had never been easier.

“I had taken some live plants I’ve decorated with, and when I was packing up to leave, two ladies from South Carolina asked me if the plants were for sale. So, I even sold my decorations,” Krause said. “Then I picked up my purse and walked out the door.” 

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IF YOU GO TO THE ROUND TOP ANTIQUES SHOW

Getting there, the big venues and more

About 100 venues hosting up to 4,000 vendors will open for business in October during the Round Top Antiques Show. Most are concentrated along an 11-mile stretch of State Highway 237, starting at the intersection with U.S. 290 and heading south to Warrenton. Some shopping is available in nearby communities as well.  

Dates and times of operation will vary. The first venue opens Oct. 12 and the last opens Oct. 24; the final day of sales is Oct. 29.

Some of the larger venues, heading south along State Highway 237, include:

BIG RED BARN and ANNEX, and CONTINENTAL TENT (also known as the Original Round Top Antiques Fair): south of the intersection of State Highway 237 and U.S. 290

BLUE HILLS: 26-acre property with 100,000 square feet of shopping space, more than 60 vendors

THE ARBORS: about 70,000 square feet of shopping; more than 120 dealers selling antique and new furniture, textiles, jewelry and art

THE HALLES: largely open-air venue with eight buildings (three enclosed) where vendors sell art, antiques, artisan furniture and lighting

BADER RANCH AT ROUND TOP: antiques and garden decor, as well as midcentury modern furnishings and assorted vintage and handmade apparel and jewelry 

MARBURGER FARM: more than 300 dealers with goods from around the world across 10 historic buildings and nine tents

THE COMPOUND: six barns (two climate-controlled) where shoppers can find antiques, furniture, decorative arts, lighting and architectural objects, as well as jewelry, silver and more

WARRENTON: small town that has come into its own as a venue or, rather, multiple venues that stretch along several miles of State Highway 237. A hodgepodge of goods spill across open fields, out of tents and in structures, both temporary and permanent

NEARBY COMMUNITIES

BURTON: north of the intersection of U.S. 290 and State Highway 237, has some small shops; La Bahia venue, just south, is one of the first on Highway 237

CARMINE: on U.S. 290, just west of its intersection with Highway 237 and near the major venues; has several year-round antiques shops

FAYETTEVILLE: several miles southeast of Warrenton, has some offerings, including year-round antiques stores

GET MORE INFORMATION

roundtoptexasantiques.com

exploreroundtop.com/antiques-show/

roundtop.com

antiqueweekend.com

Check websites and Instagram feeds of individual venues 

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SHOP, DON’T DROP

Tips for making the rounds
at the Round Top show

Expect traffic delays, especially on opening days. The scenery on State Highway 237 changes as you move from the more polished Round Top-area venues to the less fussy temporary tents with a flea-market feel in the Warrenton area.

• Each of the more than 100 venues is independently owned and operated, setting their own opening and closing dates within the time frame of the overall show. Amenities vary: Some are air-conditioned, others not; some have permanent bathrooms, others don’t. Some have restaurant-like seating and dining, others have limited menus, takeout or food trucks. 
• Admission prices for venues vary. Early-admission tickets to Marburger Farm are $40; VIP tickets to the Original Round Top Antiques Fair venues are $25; others range from $15 to free for most.
• Plot your strategy, and do your research. You can opt to visit multiple sales, but with so many big venues on large grounds stretched far apart, covering one or two may be all you can manage in a day. Be prepared to both walk and to move your car from place to place. Some parking is free; some isn’t. 
• Newbies, manage your expectations. Have a shopping list. There is more merchandise for sale than you can imagine, and another show is always around the corner. Large items can usually be shipped, and there are many shipping options. You will need to lug around the rest of your purchases and load them into your vehicle. The bigger your vehicle, the more room for unplanned purchases. 
• Dress for comfort and prepare to walk for miles. Wide-brimmed hats can help. Broken-in sturdy shoes or boots are essential. There’s not a Round Top uniform, but if you want to see what folks wear, check the venues’ Instagram feeds.

  

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KEEP AN EYE PEELED FOR FAMILIAR FACES

Former Texas First Lady Linda Gale White, the widow of Gov. Mark White, discusses an item with her friend Suzie Johnson. Both are from Houston. They traveled with a group of friends for the Big Red Barn opening day last spring and then White came back for the Marburger Farm opening the following day. White owns a small antiques business at the Memorial Antiques & Interiors showroom in Houston. Many celebrities — actors, singers, sports stars and TV interior designers and decorators — have been spotted in the crowds of shoppers, including, clockwise from top center, TV home makeover stars Chip and Joanna Gaines, designer/actor Carson Kressley, former NFL star Peyton Manning, country singer Miranda Lambert and actor Matthew McConaughey. Upper left photo by Ken Herman

***

A NEW VENUE

8,000-square-foot A.R.T. opened in spring

As existing Round Top venues expand and new ones seek toeholds, one of the newest is A.R.T., which stands for Antique Round Top. The 8,000-square-foot, climate-controlled space opened its doors this spring. 

The venue, at 2260 N. State Highway 237, north of Marburger Farm and south of Round Top, is the brainchild of longtime dealers Ted Fuehr and his wife, Jennifer Fuehr, of Shawnee, Kan. 

Their 47-year career as show dealers includes more than 15 years at Round Top, where they began selling 18th-and 19th-century American furniture and accessories, then added items from other genres and time periods. 

“I’ve watched Round Top grow from a small amount of venues to become a megamarket,” he said. “We’re getting major decorators and designers from both coasts — New York, L.A., Miami, Seattle, Atlanta, Denver, San Francisco and quite a few from North Carolina — and they’re spending a lot of money buying, in some instances, a semitrailer load of merchandise.”

Ted Fuehr said Round Top is cost- and time-efficient for designers and decorators because of the variety of goods sold in one area. Buyers can find items for homes, stores, restaurants or hotels. 

Janet and Rick Waldrop of Carthage in East Texas were among those checking out A.R.T. this spring. They weren’t just casual shoppers. Janet Waldrop makes jewelry and art from antique “found objects” for her business, Skip 2 My Lou, inside the Marburger Farm venue.

“It’s amazing how many new people are coming in from everywhere,” she said. “They all say (the antiques festival) is so much more than that they thought it would be.”

— Sharon Jayson

***

STAYING OVERNIGHT?

Pros know to plan far in advance

There are several dozen trendy places to stay overnight in Round Top during the spring and fall shows, but the supply cannot keep up with demand. The hottest spots near town are reserved a year — or years — in advance. 

A few often-mentioned overnight spots, all renovated with a chic vibe, include: 

HOTEL LULU: Spread across six 19th-century bungalows and three private cottages; in earlier times, the restored buildings were known as Bybee Square; also an herb garden, formal garden and pool; 204 E. Mill St., Round Top; 979-249-5174; hotellulutx.com

RANCHO PILLOW: Twenty-acre compound two miles from Warrenton, self-described “whimsical wonderland” with grounds that include a bathhouse, heated saltwater wading pool and treehouse; 11222 Schuster Road, Round Top; ranchopillow.com; make reservations online or email info@ranchopillow.com

THE COTTON PEARL MOTEL: Compound of properties from the early 1900s includes a main house and two cottages, pool, firepit and pickleball court; 404 N. Live Oak St., Round Top; must book entire property for two-night minimum; thecottonpearl.com

THE FRENCHIE: Boutique hotel with assorted rooms in an 1800s vintage farmhouse, also art studio suites, poolside rooms, a private cottage and private shed, with amenities that include fire pits, massages, hot tub and gourmet kitchen; 311 N. Live Oak St., Round Top; 979-208-9851; thefrenchieguesthouses.com

WANDER INN: Numerous chic rooms, including the Wanderlust, the Stardust and the Wild Blue Yonder, are at the inn, adjacent to the retail compound Junk Gypsy, a brand known to HGTV and now QVC shopping network fans; 1215 S. State Highway 237, Round Top; 979-249-5865; gypsyville.com/wander-inn

The Round Top Area Chamber of Commerce’s member directory lists 49 options for overnight stays, including hotels, motels, bungalows, cabins, apartments, cottages, guesthouses, inns, RV parks and vacation rentals. Go to exploreroundtop.com and click on Stay.

A search for “Round Top” on Airbnb.com returns more than 475 area listings stretching from La Grange to Brenham; vrbo.com shows more than 230 listings in the same area. 

They’re at fairs and fundraisers, community meetings and nonprofit events. They connect the cooperative with new subdivisions and businesses. Get to know the people who grew up, live in and love the regions they serve.

By Melissa Segrest  l  Photos by Sarah Beal

If you've been to a recent festival or fundraiser in the Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative service area, you’ve probably seen Kyle Merten, Jo Anna Gilland, Sherry Murphy or Tim Schultz. 

Maybe you met one of them at a chamber of commerce or city planning meeting. Perhaps you know a student who met them at a career fair or received a Bluebonnet scholarship, a program the representatives help organize. 

Bluebonnet’s five community representatives all grew up in the areas where they live and work: Merten in the Brenham area, Gilland in the Lockhart region, Murphy in the Giddings region, and Schultz in the Manor and Elgin areas.  

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES REPRESENTATIVES »

There is plenty of sweat that comes with handing out bottled water and setting up cooling fans at hot summer events. But there’s sweat equity and skill required to be liaisons between Bluebonnet, community leaders and those who are bringing new subdivisions, large businesses or industrial facilities to the cooperative’s 3,800-square-mile service area. 

“Our representatives actively involve themselves in all aspects of our communities,” said Wesley Brinkmeyer, the cooperative’s manager of community and development services. “The reps’ knowledge of area nonprofits, local governments and businesses in the region gives us a feel for what is important to our members collectively and what is important to the communities where members live and work.”

Being a community representative means being a conduit for information between Bluebonnet and its many types of members.

“A rep could easily find themselves discussing infrastructure and rates with a large economic development project in the morning, answering questions at a chamber of commerce meeting at lunch and working an event that same evening,” Brinkmeyer said.

Brinkmeyer knows: He started at Bluebonnet in 2011 as the Brenham-area representative.

“The role of our community representatives has evolved alongside Bluebonnet’s growing number of members,” Brinkmeyer said. “Their expertise proves invaluable to all members, whether you’ve been part of our cooperative for years or are a newcomer to the area.”

The representatives are there to answer questions about how Bluebonnet would provide power, its rates for electricity and planned upgrades to power lines and equipment. They work with the cooperative’s engineering, planning, construction and member service teams — all key participants in sometimes complex projects — to ensure these new members will have electricity to meet their needs.  

After new developments and businesses open, Bluebonnet’s representatives stay in contact to provide ongoing information. They maintain direct communication during major power outages and answer questions regarding electric use.

“Our members often see us at nonprofit events or activities that we sponsor,” Kyle Merten said, “But they may not know we also work with folks at large businesses if they have a power outage. Helping in that moment means I’m directly helping Bluebonnet members.”

The representatives know that whether you live in an expanding community or a quiet rural area, growth benefits all cooperative members. It brings enhanced services, increased job opportunities, stronger local economies and affordable, reliable electricity to everyone. 

“Because we live in the areas we represent, our job is nothing short of purposeful and fascinating,” Jo Anna Gilland said. “We have the privilege of being deeply connected to our communities, understanding their needs and working tirelessly to ensure Bluebonnet members receive the electricity and support they deserve.”

These five men and women work directly with many people to improve life in the communities Bluebonnet serves, and they love what they do.

— Sidni Carruthers contributed to these stories

 

Tim Schultz

Eastern Travis County & Elgin

TIM SCHULTZ is as local as you can get in Manor and Elgin. A 1981 Manor High School graduate, Schultz has been around long enough to see significant changes, growth and progress in the areas he represents for Bluebonnet.

“I moved to Manor in 1976 from Austin. Back then it was all country. One of my favorite things about it now is that I still live in the country, but we are close enough to a big city to have everything we need,” he said.

After graduating from high school, Schultz went to Concordia University in Austin, then on to pitch in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Pioneer minor league from 1984-85. After leaving baseball, he started a family in Manor and worked for 10 years as operations coordinator at Austin’s Robert Mueller Municipal Airport, then the city’s main airport. He had oversight of construction projects and worked as a liaison between the city and airport.

Staying in his hometown area was a no-brainer for Schultz. He wanted to live in a place that valued community.

In 1993, he helped start Manor-based KST Electric (now Rosendin Electric Inc.), an electrical construction company for both commercial and industrial clients. He worked there for 22 years and was the director of operations and purchasing before becoming a Bluebonnet representative in 2015.

“I’ve loved seeing my children grow up in the same community I did. They played select sports in the area and were high school athletes in Elgin,” Schultz said. His son, Brian, 40, excelled in both football and baseball at Elgin High, while daughter Morgan, 28, played softball and volleyball, and youngest Makenna, 22, played volleyball in high school and college. 

What Schultz learned at KST Electric has proved to be helpful to new commercial and industrial members of the cooperative in his region. He understands the challenges they face.

“Something that most folks don’t realize about a community representative is that we do a lot for our commercial members. The initial conversations we have when a business is looking to open or move to the Bluebonnet area are essential to ensuring they know what to expect from the cooperative and the area,” Schultz said.

Community representatives’ support goes beyond the initial construction of power lines for businesses. They also continue to support commercial and industrial members through energy audits and providing practical solutions to help businesses reduce their electricity costs. 

“Coming from an electrical construction background, I understand how significant the cost of electricity is for members and businesses,” Schultz said. “I start by conducting energy audits. I walk through their facilities and identify ways they can make changes to buildings or their operations to save money. It's rewarding to find practical solutions that help benefit their bottom lines.”

Jo Anna Gilland

Caldwell County, portions of Hays, Guadalupe
and Gonzales counties

JO ANNA GILLAND always knew she wanted to stay in the Luling and Lockhart area and raise a family, even when she was a little girl. Now, she is passing along the things she loved about life in Caldwell County to her 4-year-old daughter, Langley.

Gilland worked as a new accounts representative at First Lockhart National Bank from 2000-2005, then moved to Nebraska to work on a corporate team helping open new Cabela’s stores across the country. She moved back to her hometown area in 2010 to work in marketing for a nursing home and hospice.

Her wealth of commercial and economic knowledge has benefited Bluebonnet since she became a community representative in 2021.

“One of my favorite things is working with developers who want to build homes and apartments in Bluebonnet’s service area. Not only does the new housing provide options to those in the area, but it also helps create jobs and other economic opportunities,” Gilland said. “It’s important that folks know Bluebonnet’s focus is on the communities it serves. That’s my focus as well.”

Gilland serves on four chambers of commerce: Lockhart, Luling, San Marcos and Greater Caldwell County Hispanic. She is a member of Leadership San Marcos, the Lockhart Kiwanis Club and is on the San Marcos CISD Education Foundation board.

You can always find Gilland volunteering at area events, such as the Watermelon Thump in Luling or the Chisholm Trail Roundup in Lockhart. She is also an active supporter of the Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center.

“Bluebonnet has felt like family from day one. I knew I would be busy in the community at events and volunteering,” Gilland said. “I love when Langley can be with me while I do those things.”

When she isn’t working in the community, talking to developers and project planners, or hanging out with her daughter, Gilland enjoys golf and exploring the outdoors around Caldwell and Hays counties.

Lockhart and Luling have long been known for their great barbecue. Now they are becoming known as popular places to live. Since Gilland started working at Bluebonnet, the area has added about 1,000 apartments and 700 houses in subdivisions. Now, more commercial and industrial members are moving to the area. At any given time, Gilland is working on about 20 of those projects for Bluebonnet.

“Growth has led to more community events, so there is pretty much always something to do on the weekends with your family or friends,” she said. “Despite the rapid growth, the communities have been able to maintain their small-town feel.”

Sherry Murphy

Lee County, portions of Fayette, Williamson
and Milam counties

SOME GIDDINGS residents are surprised when they see Sherry Murphy wearing anything other than her “cow clothes.” That’s because when she isn’t working for Bluebonnet, she is typically at her farm, driving a tractor, tending livestock or working on projects.

The farm has been in Murphy’s family since 1887. It is in Fayette County but touches the Lee and Bastrop county lines. “The farm is my favorite place to be. It’s a great experience to be in a place that has been in my family for so long. It’s given me strong roots to a community I love,” Murphy said.

A graduate of La Grange High School and a lifelong area resident, Murphy takes great pride in the Lee and Fayette county area communities she serves as Bluebonnet’s representative. Her daughter attended La Grange schools, and her granddaughter is a student there.

“This community is what raised me. I love being able to participate by connecting with Bluebonnet members, working at fundraisers and attending community events for the cooperative. Visiting with so many different people is the most impactful type of connection I am able to make as a community representative,” Murphy said.

Before joining Bluebonnet in 2022, Murphy worked for more than 20 years at the Bastrop-based Family Crisis Center, first as financial director and then executive director. The center serves Bastrop, Colorado, Fayette and Lee counties. It provides a range of services to address and prevent domestic and sexual violence, helping more than 1,100 adults and children every year.

Murphy has known for a long time that community work was her calling.

“The best part about my job today is that I can continue to help people and give back,” Murphy said. “Each day there’s something new. Helping organizations or working on a project that has a direct impact on people who live in this area is wonderful.”

This year, she helped organize the cooperative’s Scholarships of Excellence and Government Youth Tour programs, which provided almost $200,000 in scholarships to area high school students. 

“Interacting with schools, attending career fairs, and engaging with young people is more than just part of my job,” Murphy said. “It’s a chance to empower the next generation and help them succeed.”

You can spot Murphy on any given day at area church picnics, VFD fundraisers and nonprofit events. Work and life — visiting with friends, meeting new residents, helping neighbors — blend together.

Kyle Merten

Washington and Burleson counties, portions of Austin and Colorado counties

KYLE MERTEN was a child of Brenham and the Washington County 4-H club. Starting at age 8, he raised and showed pigs and cattle, traveling to stock shows across Texas.

“The skills and lessons taught in 4-H really shaped who I am,” he said, citing the ability to make decisions and solve problems, set goals and be resilient among them.

Now he gives back to the area that instilled those values in him. “I love working for the co-op, because every day I have the opportunity to serve the communities around Brenham and in Washington, Burleson, Austin and Colorado counties,” he said.

Merten and his wife, Mindy, who also grew up in Brenham, both went to Texas A&M University in College Station. They lived there about 10 years, while Merten worked for the university system, then moved back to their hometown. They missed the community and wanted their children to grow up with those roots and values.

Merten started at Bluebonnet in 2018, after a job in event planning and development at Blinn College. Now, he ensures that communities in the counties he represents know they can rely on him to assist and serve. He participates in county fairs, livestock shows for special-needs participants and Camp for All, a facility near Burton where those with challenging illnesses or special needs can enjoy nature and have fun. He is also vice president of the Brenham ISD educational foundation.

In addition to his community involvement and commitment to Bluebonnet members, Merten works with developers to foster growth and make strategic site selections for their next project. He acts as a liaison between businesses in the region, both for Bluebonnet and as a member of the Washington County Economic Development Foundation. “The commercial and economic partners Bluebonnet works with have to feel confident we’re there to help them,” he said.

He wants to create opportunities that not only benefit businesses but also enhance the well-being of communities in Washington, Burleson, Austin and Colorado counties.

“I like helping our communities grow, while also keeping that ‘small-town charm’ alive,” Merten said. 

His passion for 4-H never waned, either. After college, he was event coordinator for 4-H statewide, and today he still helps with community 4-H events. His children, Barrett, 12, and Gretchen, 10, show cattle and pigs. “I want my children to have the same experiences I did,” Merten said.

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ON THE REPS’ TO-DO LISTS

• Meet with community leaders, elected officials and local government representatives to discuss growth, economic development and providing power across the region
• Answer questions from members, particularly new commercial and industrial members
• Volunteer at school activities, area fairs and festivals and community initiatives; set up cooling fans and hand out bottles of water at events
• Attend community events and fundraisers
• Help support community and area nonprofits’ events
• Present information at schools on electric safety, how electricity is provided and about the cooperative
• Attend career fairs across the region and discuss jobs at Bluebonnet
• Help organize the cooperative’s scholarship programs
• Maintain direct communication with businesses and community officials during power outages and storms, providing updates on power restoration, estimated restoration times and important safety information 
• Partner with the Lower Colorado River Authority to provide grants to nonprofit community groups and first responders
• Collaborate with Bluebonnet’s engineering and power line construction teams on service enhancements such as upgrading electric lines to increase voltage and providing redundant, or secondary, sources of power

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THE REPRESENTATIVES: BY THE NUMBERS

57,600 bottles of water handed out last year

$644,129 in Community Development Partnership Program grants, partnering with the Lower Colorado River Authority, to area nonprofits in the past 5 years

200 chambers of commerce meetings attended in the past 12 months

$750,000 raised for scholarships in the past 5 years

3,335 meters added in 44 subdivisions last year

1,040 meters added at apartment complexes in Bluebonnet’s region last year

40 commercial or industrial members added in 2022

 

Enjoy the history, festivals, shops and restaurants in the heart of Burleson County

By Alyssa Meinke

Caldwell, in the heart of Burleson County, has a history steeped in the trade and shipping that followed the path of El Camino Real. That famed route, established in the 1700s by Spanish colonialists, connected Texas with Mexico City. 

When Caldwell‘s founders established the town in about 1840, they named it after Matthew Caldwell, a Texas army soldier and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. The community sits at the junction of State Highways 21 and 36, about 27 miles west of College Station. Its 4,109 residents, many of them descendants of Czech immigrants, still see Santa Fe and Southern Pacific railroad trains carry freight through their town, as they have for 111 years. For its first few years, Caldwell was the Milam County seat. It became the seat of Burleson County in 1846, when that county was established.

Today, Caldwell hosts several annual festivals that draw crowds from across the region. The Kolache Festival, held on the second Saturday of every September on the downtown square, attracts up to 30,000 visitors who eat thousands of the popular Czech pastries. It is the community’s most popular event. The weeklong Burleson County Fair is also held each September, and the Margarita Fest happens in May.

WHAT TO DO

Start with a visit to one of the town’s eight parks, playgrounds, sports courts and sports fields. Besides typical park amenities, the largest, Davidson Creek Park, 560 Davidson Creek Park, offers plenty of places for activities, including fishing ponds, a splash pad, horseshoe and washer pits, batting cages, a basketball court, disc golf course, and walking and jogging trails. Entry is free. The splash pad is open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. daily, and the park is open year-round. See a list of other parks in Caldwell at caldwelltx.gov/parks-and-recreation. 

Learn about the town’s history and explore historical documents at the Caldwell Historical Museum, 103 Texas 21, open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and 1 p.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Learn more about Czech history and culture at the Burleson County Czech Heritage Museum, 200 E. Fawn St., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. The nine-hole golf course at Copperas Hollow Country Club, 995 Country Club Drive, charges greens fees ranging from $15-$36 a person. It is open every day except Monday from 8 a.m. until dark.

Take a tour of Royalty Pecan Farms, 10600 Texas 21, a family-owned pecan orchard established in 1985. The next tour is scheduled for Sept. 2, and tickets go on sale in August. Admission is free for children 5 and younger and $14.99 for everyone else. A ticket includes 4 ounces of raw pecans and a bottle of water. 

GRAB A BITE 

Dining options in Caldwell ranked in Tripadvisor’s top three restaurants are:

The Garden Spot Cafe, 1301 W. Texas 21, which serves a variety of American dishes, including breakfast, sandwiches, salads and daily specials, 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.

Indulge in fresh seafood infused with Cajun and Creole flavors at Texas Seafood and Steak House, 300 Presidential Corridor W., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. 

Masfajitas, 305 Texas 36, offers Tex-Mex and Mexican cuisine, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 

Other dining options include Four Tines Restaurant at the Surrey Inn, 403 E. Texas 21, 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday; Homestead Cafe, 198 Texas 36, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday; and Nonnie’s Bakery, 1601 Texas 21, open 6 a.m.-noon Sunday-Thursday, 6 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 

STOP AND SHOP

Caldwell has several boutiques and gift shops run by local entrepreneurs, including: 

The Humble Life, 100 S. Echols St., sells homemade soaps and body care products, artisan goods, and it has a smoothie bar, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday.

Find gifts, paintings by local artists and drink mixes while you enjoy baked goods, breakfast or lunch specials, coffee or wine at Lissa’s Restyled Sip & Shop, 205 S. Main St., 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday.

Other shopping options include Rocking 5H Boutique, 201 S. Main St.; Back Porch Antiques, 123 W. Buck St.; Mimosa Mercantile, 212 S. Echols St.; and Nono Rose Western Wear, 201 S. Main St.  

TIPS FROM LOCALS 

Plan your visit at a time when Jake’s Bakery, 160 N. Texas 36, is open, advises Susan Mott, Burleson County Chamber of Commerce director. There, Christine Campbell, the president of the Czech Heritage Museum, and her husband, Robert, bake authentic Czech kolaches to honor their heritage.

Get more information from caldwelltx.gov/explore and burlesoncountytx.com.

Sources: City of Caldwell (www.caldwelltx.gov), Texas Almanac, Texas State Library, Texas State Historical Association. 

This is part of a series of guides on spending a day in one of Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative’s service area communities.

 — Harlye Bonorden contributed to this story