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The Mill Springs Cabin, located at Bradley Middle
School, is a 186-year-old cabin from Kentucky, which was
re-established on the campus in 1999. The Cabin
project is an award-winning program designed to teach
multiple eras of Texas history to both 7th grade students
at Bradley, and 4th graders from around the NE district,
and other districts around San Antonio and South Texas.
Set among live oak trees and mesquites, this one-of-a-kind
Texas history learning facility is sprawled across two
acres of the campus, and includes the cabin, a 17ft.
tepee, a barn that houses a fully outfitted chuck wagon, a
Texas Ranger office, a Mexican jacala and an oven, both
made from adobe, a roping area along with a bronco busting
activity.
Each spring, 4th grade students visit the cabin for a full
day field trip and experience Texas history through
hands-on activities by rotating through eight stations
which last 18 minutes each. Each presentation is
delivered by trained, 7th grade Bradley students who
demonstrate professional docent qualities, that have been
taught by the Texas history teachers.
As 4th grade students rotate through the presentations,
they will step back in time and experience aspects of
Texas history such as pioneer living, how to make adobe
and its uses, how to create Lower Pecos rock art, life of
the cowboy and the chuck wagon cook, life of the Native
American Plains Indians, the invention of the windmill and
the fence cutting wars, Texas Rangers, the art of roping,
and as mentioned above, bronco busting. The grounds
are also spotted with many Eagle Scout projects built by
former Bradley students. These quality projects are
also used as teaching tools.
Besides the elementary students getting a year of Texas
history in one day, the program is designed to enhance
Bradley 7th grade student's learning as well. Beyond
the information about our state's rich past, the program
teaches multiple life skill that many times are not taught
until high school or college. As a docent, the
program offers students their first speech class, public
relations, problem solving, teaching skills, basics of
economics and much more.
The Cabin project has earned many successes.
Offering tours for the past seven years from mid February
until the end of May, Bradley students have facilitated
tours that benefited more than 15,000 elementary students.
Since the grand opening on Texas Independence Day in 1999,
the Cabin has been totally self-sufficient, and DEBT FREE.
The entire project was built without district money,
foundation funds or grants. The entire design,
layout, and most of the major construction was completed
by Burnie Cloud and Mike Bailey. Both are Texas
history teachers at Bradley.
The cabin has been recognized through awards from the
Daughters of the Republic of Texas, The Sons of San
Jacinto, The Sons of the American Revolution, and many
others. The Cabin was also featured in the national
magazine, "American Cowboy". Each year, the
Institute of Texan Cultures comes to Bradley to interview
our 7th graders and chooses 70 to volunteer as docents
during the summer on the "Back 40". ITC comes to
Bradley because of the training these students receive.
Obviously, success follows programs that are good for
kids! The Cabin has been fortunate that the private
sector understands our mission.
This project owes many thanks to the parents in the
Bradley community, business leaders, and most of all the
fabulous students at Bradley. This project would not
have been possible without the support of loyal Texans,
and the Cabin management thoroughly appreciates every
single one of you!
"Texas Forever!"
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