Building Bridges

One of the many exhibits at the Bastrop County Museum is the Building Bridges exhibit. This exhibit was created by the Gateway School students and Patty Wedding, a teacher currently at Bastrop Middle School. The Building Bridges program is an exhibit of photographs, artifacts, and videos that recognizes the contributions made by African and Hispanic Americans to Bastrop County.

Students went into the community to film the oral history section of the project. Some of the people interviewed were family members of the students. The students were proud to host an exhibit opening at the Bastrop County Museum on May 12, 1998. This year's accomplishments were the foundation for an ongoing service learning project for Gateway School, the Bastrop County Historical Society, and the Bastrop community. Gateway student historians would like to thank all those who contributed to the project which has enriched the lives of so many people in Bastrop. The Building Bridges Exhibit is located in the Memorial Room of the Bastrop County Museum.

"From the wagon wheel to the present, from the tractor to the present, from the gravel and unpaved roads to our improved highways, from the rural, one-room country school house to our present modern school with advanced technology - we have a way to link our histories together."

Mr. Elroy Williams, retired eighth grade math teacher and participant in Building Bridges, reflecting on the history of Bastrop

"I was happy that Building Bridges included my mother Amanda Jones and my aunt Laura Jones in the exhibit at the museum." C.L. Jones.

Amanda Jones, who turned 100 on December 16, 1998, enjoyed meeting the students who worked on the project and Amanda still likes to tell stories about what life was like in Bastrop.

"Even though the community has grown, the heart of Bastrop, the heart of the town is still here. I love to greet and meet people because I still feel we all have a sense of belonging - Bastrop is our town." Belle Cervantes