The history of De-Witt County is as old as the history of Texas itself. From early hunter-gatherers who roamed this area to the first settlers in 1826 with Empresario Green DeWitt, there is more than a lifetime of history to discover here. Preservation of the past can be a way to remember those who went before us, be it good or bad, with stories, histories and even everyday items.
It is those everyday items that the DeWitt County Historical Musuem in Cuero keeps watch over. Through its guardianship, visitors today can see how people lived 70, 80, and even 100 or more years ago. It is not just Chippendale furniture or the egg keeper box or the Indianola collection that are of value, but the old home itself.
The Sheppard-Bates house was built in 1886 from salvaged lumber from the original home destroyed by the 1886 Indianola Hurricane. It has not seen any major renovations since the 1960s and is now getting a much-needed facelift, according to Dianna Bartosh, DeWitt County Historical Museum board president.
