Get your cattle-judging, cotton-picking and horse shoe-throwing skills ready! Farming Heritage Day at the Sam Rayburn House Museum is just around the corner. 

Bring your families to the Sam Rayburn House Museum on Saturday, September 29 for Farming Heritage Day. This annual, free event is held on the grounds of the museum and includes programming for all ages. The event beings at 10 a.m. and continues to 3:00 p.m.

The theme of the day is the history of farming at the Rayburn home, Sam Rayburn’s primary residence from 1916 until his death in 1961. As the son of farmers, Rayburn knew from a very young age that sacrifices, hard work and limited money went hand-in-hand with an agrarian lifestyle. Keeping these details in mind when he went into office as a U.S. Congressman in 1912 Rayburn worked to support farmers and their families throughout his career in politics.

On Rayburn’s own farm, he raised crops of corn, cotton and sorghum along with oats and wheat. He also raised Jersey and Hereford cattle, turkeys, and chickens. His brother, Tom served as the farm’s manager while “Mr. Sam” was working in Washington D.C.

Another aspect of Farming Heritage Day is the pre-electrified farm. Members of the Rayburn family who occupied the home completed their housework and chores without the aid of electricity for many years.Between initial construction of the house in 1916 until 1935, the farm did not have electricity. This made the tasks of milking cattle, washing and drying laundry and preparing meals that much more labor intensive and time consuming.

Farming Heritage Day pays tribute to the farming lifestyle of Sam Rayburn and his contemporaries. The event will feature displays of livestock by the local FFA and 4-H groups and antique tractors provided courtesy of Tractor City. The Fannin County Extension office will present a cotton ginning demonstration. A weaving demonstration will take place in the museum’s historic garage at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. special tours of the House Museum will be offered at: 10:30, 12:30, 2:00, 3:00, and 4:00.

Visitors of all ages are invited to take part in the many hands-on educational programs during the event.Attendees can participate in butter, ice cream and lemonade making activities. Visitors will also learn about and participate in cotton picking, knitting, corn husking, corn husk doll-making, farm games and much more!

The Sam Rayburn House Museum tells the real story of Sam Rayburn, one of the most powerful and influential politicians of the 20th century, in his authentic 1916 home. Preserved as a period time capsule, the two-story home contains all original Rayburn furnishings. The Sam Rayburn House Museum is one of 20 historic attractions operated by the Texas Historical Commission.

For more information visit www.samrayburnhouse.com.