High Noon Talk: Uncovered History - Bolivar Archeological Project
Programs
May 7, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Explore the Tom Cook Blacksmith Site and Bolivar Archeological Discoveries.
Event Details
Take a mid-day break with our free High Noon Talks! Discover interesting, and often untold, stories of Texas at our casual lunchtime series.
Join us for an engaging talk on the Bolivar Archeological Project, a collaborative effort that uncovered fascinating insights into the history of the Chisholm Trail and the people who lived along it. Sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and Cox McLain Environmental Consulting (CMEC), with support from the North Texas Archeological Society (NTAS), this project focuses on key sites in Bolivar, a small town in western Denton County that once played a role in the bustling trade of the era, including the Tom Cook Blacksmith Shop.
Thomas Cook, Sr., an African American freedman, was a successful entrepreneur who owned and operated his own blacksmith business, a significant achievement during and after the Chisholm Trail era. The project seeks to highlight the vital contributions of African American entrepreneurs like Cook, whose stories are often overlooked in mainstream accounts of Western history.
Hear from archaeologists and descendants of Thomas Cook about this groundbreaking project, the fascinating discoveries made, and how the past is being brought to life through community collaboration and archeology in a panel discussion moderated by Bullock Curator Kathryn Siefker.
This program is FREE to the public.
This program will be available as an on-demand recording for CPE credit. To get access to the link and a certificate, email Education@TheStoryOfTexas.com.
During the widening of Farm-to-Market (FM) 455 in Denton County, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) discovered and evaluated several archaeological sites. Among these, two sites — the late 19th-century Sartin Hotel and the Tom Cook Blacksmith Shop — required in-depth investigation enlisting the expertise of an archeologist, Doug Boyd with Stantec.
Bolivar, once a frontier town along the Chisholm Trail, played a crucial role in the cattle drives that transported Texas cattle to Kansas railheads from 1867 to around 1886. The Tom Cook Blacksmith Shop, located in Bolivar, holds particular historical significance. Owned and operated by Tom Cook, a freedman, it is the only known African American-owned blacksmith site excavated in Texas.
TxDOT, in collaboration with the archaeological team, engaged with local stakeholders, including descendants, residents, researchers, and professional blacksmiths, as well as the Denton County African American community. This collaborative effort was central to developing a comprehensive approach to the project. Stakeholders, particularly descendants, were actively involved, contributing to fieldwork, conducting archival research, and sharing valuable insights into family genealogy.
Kathryn Siefker is a senior curator at the Bullock Texas State History Museum, where she has worked in the Exhibits department for 16 years. Prior to joining the Bullock team she served as the Curator of Education at The Grace Museum, providing art education for adults and school children. Ms. Siefker received a Bachelor’s degree from William Jewell College in History and English and earned her Master’s Degree in History and Museum Studies from the University of Delaware.
Public programs at the Bullock Museum explore relevant history and celebrate the culture that has shaped our modern world. Through engaging discussions, live performances, and experiential activities visitors are invited to see local connections and discover how Texas fits into a broader national story.
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