Project Pride president Era Lee Hanke was kind enough to send me these pictures of the Robert E. Howard House and Museum, taken mere days after the devastating fire that destroyed much of the town in late December.
The above pic was taken while standing next to the pavilion built next to the Howard House, looking east. Note how badly scorched the ground is. The building on the left in the background is the Motel 36, which suffered heavy damage, but intends to be open and ready for REH Days 2006 in June.
Here is a picture of the front yard of the Howard House. The fire roared right up to the front steps before being halted by a hastily dug trench and some water sprayed on the house and ground. The big black circle in the grass is a large scorch mark. Much of the fence was damaged, but not beyond repair.
This shot was snapped while standing in the front yard of the Howard House, looking north across Highway 36. There used to be a few residential houses in this area; both burned to the ground.
The damage was severe, and donations are still very much needed. I was just reading the latest Cross Plains Review, which had many pictures and stories of the many homeless people trying to put their lives back together. Give all you can, as many times as you can, in the coming months. Send checks or money orders to:
City of Cross Plains Fire Relief Fund
c/o Texas Heritage Bank
PO Box 699
Cross Plains, TX 76443
The above bank does not accept credit cards, but Bill “Indy” Cavalier has set up a PayPal account specifically for the purpose of accepting credit card donations, every cent of which will then be mailed to the bank fund. To send a credit card donation, use your PayPal account and email the payment to 2cavaliers@sbcglobal.net.