The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

An Orangefield tradition from the 1970s is being revived to raise funds for the Orangefield Cormier Museum. The 2nd annual Orangefield Hootenanny is scheduled 7-9 p.m., Friday, June 8 at the Orangefield High School Gymnasium.

The hootenanny became a popular fundraiser in Orangefield during the heyday of the television show “HeeHaw.” Thomas “Tick” Granger, his brother Wade Granger and other family members, more commonly known as Tick Granger and his Country Cousins frequently hosted hootenanny fundraisers to benefit various needs in and around the community of Orangefield.

Featured at the hootenanny will be “Rudicelli,” made up of Tick’s daughter, Linda Granger Crawford, Wanda Rudeseal Lester and Bob Lester. “We are carrying on an age old tradition of the Granger family,” said Crawford. The group lives in Mansfield, but has strong Orangefield ties.

Joining "Rudicelli" will be Bonita Granger Eaves, Glenn Granger, Lyndsay Longron, Jaz Ray, Larry Granger, Debbie Anderson, Betty and Harry Lee Meaux, and the Carroll Benoit Band. The audience will be treated to classics of country and gospel, pop and rock and roll.

Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students. Links, hot dogs, chili dogs, nachos and cokes will be available for sale before and during the show. An old fashion sock hop (or at least soft sole shoes) will be permitted for dancing.

Funds raised will go towards the museum upkeep and expenses.

The museum houses the extensive collection of things from the past the late local oil man Paul Cormier spent years accumulating. Housed in two huge metal buildings located off Farm Road 105, the collection consists of toys, tools, items from the oil industry, bits of Orangefield history, cars, coins, stamps, replicas of Orangefield buildings and more.

The children of Paul Cormier gifted the museum to Orangefield ISD shortly before Cormier died. The school has made good use of the facility, opening it once a month to the public or by request. It has become a favorite field trip destination to area schools.

The museum committee is in the planning stages for the 2nd annual Orangefield Christmas Festival to be held in December. Entergy Texas presented them with a $1,000 check last Thursday for the festival.

The project to move the last two remaining oil derricks to the museum has had to be put on hold because of delays of the Army Corps of Engineers.

“The Army’s been dragging their feet too much. The group that we’ve been dealing with has basically said they’re not interested in doing it. This is after last year, when they said that they could do it,” said Harvey Wilson, a member of the museum committee. He said the personnel have changed in the group. “It’s a new regime,” he said. “A new group in and the others have moved out.”

Wilson said the money raised for that project has been set aside and Bo Henley is still trying to contact some other companies that might be able to do the job. In the meantime, plans are to build a wooden replica at the museum site.

It is not known if it will be completed by the time of the Christmas festival, but it will be completed in time for a special county-wide event being planned for August 2013 marking the centennial of the first oil well in Orangefield. More details will be released at a later date.

The annual Orangefield Homecoming will be held the next day, Saturday, June 9. It starts at 10 a.m. at the Cormier Museum and then moves to Orangefield Elementary for lunch. Meat will be provided, but bring a covered dish for the meal. If you have ever been a part of this community, come and reunite with old friends.

The Orangefield Cormier Museum will be open 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. for this event. Everyone is invited to tour the museum. Admission is free. Please be sure to sign the registry as documented visitor volume helps with future state and federal assistance.

The ACES from the American Car Enthusiasts' Society will be at the museum Saturday morning with their collection of vintage 1950's and 1960's cars.

Join the Orangefield community Friday night at the Hootenanny and Saturday at the museum and the Orangefield Reunion.

For more information about the museum contact Harvey Wilson at 409-886-4804 or e-mail [email protected].