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Prewitt Conference
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The 2008 Prewitt Conference is scheduled the second weekend in August (the first weekend is the norm): the evening of Friday, 8 August; all day Saturday, 9 August; and on into Sunday, 10 August. There are usually a few individuals who come to camp Friday evening; most of the crowd is there on Saturday, with more camping over Saturday night and enjoying a leisurely Sunday morning with friends before heading home.  From left: Gary Moore (who came all the way from Colorado), Milton Bell (Austin), and Frank Weir (Bastrop) The Prewitt Conference at Krause Springs in Spicewood, Texas, was originally intended as a one-time, blowout graduation celebration sponsored by UT-Austin students Elton and Kerza Prewitt in 1974. Cohorts from the archeological community so enjoyed themselves that they requested a repeat get-together the next year -- and the next, etc. The "conference" became a yearly function where students, avocationals, professionals and their families could socialize: visiting with each other and exchanging gossip, eating, drinking, swimming, playing volleyball and throwing Frisbees in the early Prewitt Conference days, throwing washers and playing Forty-Two as activity levels of the original participants diminished in more recent years -- all without the constraints of having to hear or give papers. "Science Inaction," as the PC fliers proclaimed. After many years of sponsorship by the Prewitts, the Travis County Archeological Society asked to be an official co-sponsor of the ~yearly event. So -- this is one laid back, enjoy-the-outdoors-with-your-compatriots weekend. One might think of it as a mini archeology field school deployment -- with the archeologists, but without the archeology, though Krause Springs is a National Register site, 41BT78. The site is on property owned and run as a private park by Mr. and Mrs. Elton (!) Krause. There is always lots of leisure time to spend with each other in very pleasant surroundings. We are allowed to set up in the park's day use area (we are granted overnight privileges). The Krause's now keep a porta-can in this area; very convenient. This page elaborates lengthily on details of what to expect at the Prewitt Conference. There are some URL's with pictures near the end of the page; none from previous PC's, but they will give a good idea of the park to all who haven't seen it before. We always hope that some of the participants in the formative PC's will plan to make the trip to Spicewood (~younger old salts and curmudgeons). We eagerly look forward to hanging out with old chums and meeting newcomers at this classic celebration of individuals who enjoy things archeological. If you haven't been in a while (or ever) but are planning to show up this year, that you give us a heads up so we can calculate the amount of brisket that will be needed for Saturday evening. You do need to bring enough food and drinks/water (and ice) for your stay. If needed, the Exxon store at the corner of TX-71 and Spur-191 has a plethora of supplies for last minute additions. Don't forget chairs/loungers and a table for your camp area. Let's see -- insect spray and sun protection are helpful, too; a tent and a cot, perhaps, if you are overnighting; comfortable clothing (don't forget your swimsuit and towel) for a warm summer's weekend. This private park has several stone tables with benches and barbecue pits. A ~short walk down the hill will take you to the upper spring-fed swimming pool. The natural pool on the creek is downslope from the swimming pool and waterfall. On the far side of the pool area (and on the same level) is a bathroom building where one can, among other things, change clothes (I wouldn't suggest using a porta-potty for that purpose). Several folks will be bringing tents for an overnight stay, so negotiations might be made for use of these nearby facilities as changing areas. There are showers in the overnight camping area across the park on the other side of the Krause home/office. The park grounds are unpaved and there are stickers, so bring comfortable shoes for negotiating the walk to the pool or to Cypress Creek down below the pool. THE ROCKS DOWN BY THE CREEK ARE SLIPPERY!!! Swim shoes with good traction are suggested (if such a thing exists). If you are staying after dark, do bring a flashlight. There are street lights in the picnic area and by the pool and bathroom, but there are also many areas of shadow to confuse the eyes. Lots of gorgeous cypress trees do provide shade during the day (there are other trees, too). Families of deer and groups of wild turkeys are frequently seen in the meadow area across the entry road. Feel free to bring musical instruments, telescopes -- but no pets, please. Whoever has the stuff for the washer toss (Elton?; Glenn?), dominoes, etc., please don't forget to bring them along. There are fees to pay to the park; please stop at the Krause's house/office and check in (in addition to paying your fees, you will need to sign a release if you haven't been there before or signed one recently). In 2008, the fees for day-use only were $5.00 per adult per day (age 12+), $4.00 (children ages 4-11), and free for those under 4 years of age; overnight camping per adult per day was $10.00 (age 12+), $5.00 (children ages 4-11), and free for those under 4 years of age. The Travis County Archeological Society asks that you ante up a $2.00 fee per family (payable in our camping area) to help us with expenses. There will be a sign-up sheet to help us keep track of y'all from year to year. Due to past successes with this format, TCAS plans to supply brisket for the masses. Everyone is invited to join in a pot-luck pandemonium on Saturday evening: please bring beans, rice, potato salad, picante, chips, any other special salads, vegetables, or desserts you would like to share with your fellow Prewitt Conference attendees. It's always "loaves and fishes" here, folks. TCAS will have some plates and plasticware and napkins for those who aren't supplied, but you are advised to bring your own utensils and dishes. If you have a table that you could bring to the dinner area to help hold the food dishes, that would be great. A cover for the table is suggested, as we get a tad sloppy in the haste to fill our plates. Dinner time will probably be sometime around six. This will hopefully give us enough time to clean up our dinner area before dark (returning serving dishes, tables, etc., to their owners). You might mark your containers and any serving items you bring to facilitate their return. It wouldn't hurt to mark your chairs, too, as we seem to accumulate these as lost-and-found items every year. It's not really that far from Austin, maybe about 10 miles ESE of the intersection of TX-71 with US-281 in the southeastern corner of Burnet County. Austinites should have no difficulty negotiating a workable route. For you out-of-towners, Spicewood is small, but it does show up on a Texas road map. From Austin, head for TX-71 on the south side of town. You can approach from the "Y" at US-290 and TX-71 in Oak Hill, Southwest Parkway off MoPac, RR-2244 (Bee Caves Road), or even FM-620 if you are coming from across Lake Travis. Travel TX-71 to the northwest. The turn northeast from TX-71 to Spicewood, Spur 191 at Hollingsworth Corner, comes ca. 7 miles after you have crossed the Pedernales (locally pronounced perdnahlez) River, if you are coming from Austin. If you are coming from a westerly direction, as noted above, Spicewood appears to be about 10 miles east of the intersection of US-281 and TX-71 (Spicewood is a lot closer to US-281 than to I-35). Spur 191 will cross Cypress Creek before reaching "downtown" Spicewood and the intersection of Burnet County Road 410 and Burnet County Road 404 (this may be the only intersection in Spicewood), about a mile from TX-71. Turn right onto Burnet County Road 404; there was at one time a Krause Springs sign at the intersection, but chances are it is still missing. Follow the county road until you see the gates for the park to your left. [Warning: the Krause's lock that gate at 9:00 PM, I believe. You must have the combination (supplied by the Krause's if you request it at check in) to get in/back in after hours, so plan your comings and goings accordingly. And when you do go through those gates after hours, buzzers go off in the Krause's house.] Here is a general map of the Lake Travis area, including the Spicewood/US-71 intersection. Click here for a description of Krause Springs. This one has a bunch of pictures. Here is a link to part of an article in the July 2005 TEXAS HIGHWAYS. And another story from News8Austin Go through the gates and follow the dirt and gravel road across the cattle guard, along the fence, turning left into the parking area in front of the Krause's house. You will pay your park fees there, sign the release if you haven't done so previously, and then receive a bit of flagging tape to put on your aerial to show that you have checked in, one color for day trippers, another for overnighters. You will have passed our area on the left just after you crossed the cattle guard and emerged from the wooded part of the entrance road. After checking in, you need to follow the fence back toward the tree line, this time traveling inside the fence (no road, just a track). We should have the Travis County Archeological Society banner hanging in our area -- unless we forget it. The TCAS sign-in sheet and donation box will be somewhere in our midst. Don't miss out on this event if you can work it in to your schedules! There's no better time and place to schmooze with new and old friends. I personally invite all TAS members and any other friends of archeology to join Kerza and I as well as the Travis County Archeological Society for this fun event where there are no papers, no posters, and no symposia - truly science inaction! The washer pitching portends to be hot this year, so be prepared to cool off in the cold spring waters under the shade of the large cypress trees. As always, there will be those with musical instruments, some with dominoes for rousing 42 games, and just plain good fun and companionship for everybody. It's hot out there folks, so join us to celebrate Texas archeology! No papers to read or to hear there, No research reports to prepare. No symposia propounding, No research astounding - A science inaction affair. C. Spock, ca. 1993 There once was an Elton named Prewitt Of puns, an open conduit; While punning on site, His crew left in fright - Now Elton no longer can do it. K. Brown, ca. 1993 
Text for this page compiled by Carolyn Spock, 7/06
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