Grace Armantrout
1902 - 1990

Grace Armantrout was born to Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Armantrout on March 28, 1902, in Indiana.  Her family later moved to the panhandle of Texas and then, in 1920, to Live Oak County.  Miss Grace worked for a telephone company, for Live Oak County as Deputy Clerk, for the First National Bank of George West for 22 years, and finally with the State Highway Department for 14 years.  Miss Grace was always a collector of interesting and beautiful items and especially wanted to preserve items of local history.

In 1971, she gave the City of George West eight acres on Highway 281 south of George West.  This acreage included her house, cactus garden and a caboose.  The City built a swimming pool, tennis courts, a baseball field and a picnic area.  When Miss Grace died, she left her estate to a charitable trust for construction of a museum.

In the museum are Armantrout  family heirlooms, equipment used by Miss Grace in various jobs and her home, items of beauty and interest that she collected over her lifetime as well as items donated by other individuals.  On the grounds are 850 paving bricks with the names of people who have lived in Live Oak County.  This was a fund-raising project that helped with the museum construction.

Grace Armantrout sought to bring culture to her beloved town of George West and to Live Oak County. Music socials took place at Miss Grace's home. On one Saturday each month, friends brought musical instruments and played in the evening after dinner. People would also bring cakes, pies, and covered dish meals for all who shared in the social.

One  of Miss Grace's favorite hobbies was reading. This was encouraged in her childhood back in Indiana by friend, neighbor, and noted author Gene Stratton-Porter. She loved to read mystery novels and collected hundreds of volumes. In the museum, you will find books about the paintings of Norman Rockwell. Her collection includes two books on Orphan Annie, two reproductions of the Sears Catalogue, as well as other interesting books.

Along with her busy life, Miss Grace found time to be an avid collector of antiques. She inherited some of her valuable furnishings from her prominent Live Oak County family. She even had scouts on the lookout for any historical or interesting objects to put in her home/museum. On current display you can view furniture dated 1860-1940, antique firearms, seashells from around the world, interesting rocks, beautiful fine china and glassware, many art objects, paintings, books, a collection of smoking pipes and eye glasses, old records, antique farm and ranch equipment, historical documents, house wares, hand sewn quilts, and clothing. One of her last collections was something that she had always wanted, a train caboose. It now sits for viewing beside the museum.

When Miss Grace died in 1990, she left her estate in good order with the help of local Live Oak County residents.  Mrs. Etainne Harrod, the County Librarian, helped catalogue every item in the home, as well as it's history. The estate was left to a charitable trust for the construction of the present museum. The grand opening, with guest speakers of The Grace Armantrout Museum of Live Oak County was held on December 9th, 1995. A beautiful 850 brick sidewalk has been laid in the front, each brick inscribed with names of local Live Oak County residents.  This, and other fund raisers augment the trust for the operation of the museum.

Grace Armantrout worked and lived most of her life in and for Live Oak County. Her life ended, but in her generosity she literally gave back to the community all that she had lived to gain. Her dream for a museum for all of Live Oak County and others to enjoy became a reality.........................