penned numerous fascinating, informative books about
local history) and all the Kemp family — there are lots of
them. They are all witty, attractive and charming as well
as knowledgeable about local history. So come out, take
selfies in the bluebonnets, listen to the music and shake
off a little of the stress of contemporary life. You’ll be glad
you did.
A few of the
Shaw-Kemp
Open House
staples.
Bob Glenn at
Nebo Valley
Bank
Nadeed Murphrey
and Tinkerbell as
Minnie Pearl and
Mini-Mini Pearl
Shaw-Kemp’s
own: Moses
More Shaw-Kemp on page 86
answered, ”I did it for the history. Oh, I don’t mean
American history. I’m talking about our local history and
our family history. I was born a quarter of a mile from
here.”
The Shaw-Kemp ranch is nestled in well-known Nebo
Valley that’s always beautiful, but truly comes alive with
a rainbow of wildflowers, and boasts some of the most
vibrant blue bonnets in North Texas.
It all started after Mary and her late husband V.
Kemp purchased the property in 1975, and soon the
ever-curious Mary took a piece of tin off of the front of
a structure she and her husband had been using as a
hay barn, only to discover that they really possessed a
jewel from Texas history — a log cabin built in 1856
by Thomas J. Shaw, a local rancher. He and his wife,
Louisa Ann, raised a passel of children (13 to be exact) in
the cabin. Once V. Kemp had a barn constructed, Mary
set about the business of restoring the cabin. Today, it’s
furnished with fixtures from that era, and the portraits of
Mr. and Mrs. Shaw stare down at their visitors from above
the stone fireplace mantel.
During the Shaw-Kemp Open House, visitors can
enjoy the colorful scenery and an array of activities from
the frontier life of the early days of Parker County. A
Western Village comprised of a collection of a handful
of frontier-era buildings that include a schoolhouse, a
log cabin, a bank, and a jail, many of which are original
to the land on which the ranch is located. Others were
rescued from demolition by the Kemp family from their
original settings across Parker County, and are available
for tours. Local artisans demonstrate homestead crafts like
quilting, tatting, spinning, doll making, wood chipping,
woodcarving and lacemaking. All this takes place while
musicians hammer away at dulcimers, strum guitars, pick
banjos and play fiddles, as well as other music making
paraphernalia — in the past there’s even been some
washboard strummers.
The whole shebang is pulled off with the help of the
Kemp’s neighbors and more than 100 volunteers, many
of which don 19th-Century costumes, depicting the folks
who might have inhabited a vintage Texas hamlet. With
the help of her late husband, V., along with history-
loving volunteers, friends and family members, Mary has
worked tirelessly to save, furnish, restore and maintain
the buildings that make up Nebo Valley.
North of the Shaw cabin is situated a two-story brick,
a 1918 Arts & Crafts style-house that was built for the
Shaw’s youngest child, Jordan.
The 1909 DeBeauford-Kemp House is at the end of
the little village. That’s where the musical portion of the
event takes place.
As Mary refurbished and arranged her collection of
vintage buildings, she’s managed to create a monument
to the pioneers, the people who inhabited the North
Texas frontier and managed to bravely carve out a life
that many of us today envy — at least until we realize
they had no deodorant and no air conditioning.
But, probably the best thing about attending the
Shaw-Kemp Open House is meeting Mary Kemp and
Leon Tanner (Mary’s writing partner; together they’ve
83