This press release will be featured in Homesteaders Connection
 and Ranch & Rural Living Magazine.
 
Couple Restores Romantic Remnant of the Old West....
 
Miss Lissia's Plantation Bed and Breakfast c. 1890, offers a private antique romantic cottage for special occassions such as: honeymoons, anniversaries, ladies day outs or mother- daughter getaways. This restored frontier cabin/one room schoolhouse was believed to have been a gift from the owner's ancestor to his new bride.

(Water Valley, TX ) - Located on a former buggy horse ranch near the foot of Lacy's Hill, and a short distance from Live Oak Creek (a tributary to the North Concho River), Miss Lissia's (pronounced Lisa's) Plantation Bed and Breakfast presents its guests with a glimpse of the Old West. This frontier belle is a unique cottage filled with period antiques and stories from the family plantation. Our "Romantic Remnant of the Old West, " is decorated in a Victorian theme. It recaptures the essence of the rugged frontier in a welcoming and comfortable setting. Offering a balance of classic country charm and West Texas sophistication, Miss Lissia's welcomes guests looking for the three R�s - romance, relaxation and recreation. (It literally has a past with the three R's. It operated as a quaint one room schoolhouse on a West Texas ranch, previously owned by the owner's family c.1890) Visit their turn of the century one room schoolhouse and take a step back in time, and lend yourself to true nostalgia...innocent childhood days filled with laughter, courting sweethearts and stolen kisses... Off the beaten path, Miss Lissia's is located on a mesquite covered prairie in the region of the Edwards Plateau. Texas wildflowers blanket the fields around the charming cottage. It is within short distance to recreation, fine dining, and the scenic beauty of San Angelo, TX. Miss Lissia's is the ideal choice for couples, seeking to be within a stones throw of all the region has to offer.

Take a tour around Miss Lissia's, and you�ll be treated to the beautiful antiques that B&B�s are known for. What sets Miss Lissia's apart is, the story behind these treasures and the cottage. Miss Lissia's is filled with historical items and stories collected by Michelle and Derek Doss on their travels to the Deep South, visiting former family plantations. You may find yourself luxuriating in Miss Adeline's Suite, in the turn of the century Victorian highback bed, filling a bath full of bubbles and soaking away your cares in the period elegant clawfoot bathtub. All of this, is surrounded by walls made of original antique beadboard (from a Civil War era lumber mill in Westlake, LA) hauled in by train and then wagon. Miss Lissia's boasts, original heart pine (heirloom lumber 200-600 years old) and original English board and batten construction. You might enjoy unwinding from the day by combing your hair at the pretty lace vanity, hanging your belongings in the antique Queen Anne Wardrobe, and tasting your favorite cup of tea in the cloakroom turned tea room. Near the 1911 tiger oak school piano (believed to be original to the schoolhouse) they exhibit a gift from a dear cousin, a hand-painted portrait capturing the reunion of the owner's ancestors after the Civil War. You are invited to play this gorgeous piano, that many Water Valley students learned to play the piano on. While the decor might be described as � quintessential country, " the flavor is clearly Victorian. For those who choose to stay in a bed and breakfast for the opportunity to meet new friends, Michelle and Derek Doss consistently offer up guests from all over the world wonderful southern hospitality.

Miss Lissia's Plantation Bed and Breakfast showcases a special mini-archives, "Silk Petticoats, Pinafores and Pantaloons," a collection of precious family heirlooms, photographs and stories from the plantation. The archives also includes artifacts from the family Civil War era blacksmith shop/carriage house. This was known as the Ayers Shop, where Col. Ayers employed two of his slaves as blacksmiths during the War Between the States. The archives are a tangible link to the past and tell a story over centuries. A poignant and heartwarming look into the past and a romantic look at yesteryear...

Visit our "Romantic Remnant of the Old West," and learn the historical saga of a prominent southern family. It is their fondest hope that you will experience the graciousness of the antebellum plantation life, by enjoying the stories passed along through their family through the years. Learn the history of the owner's family coming to Texas from Georgia and the love story of Miss Lissia's, then the bargain a Captain struck with his soon to be wedded son, a lady in waiting, a vineyard, for the love and affection of, and land along the banks of the Concho...and all that ensued thereafter...A family that truly left a legacy of enduring love...our treasure to share.

The recently restored cottage (also a former country church) houses a quaint tearoom (kitchenette area), delightful parlor area, and romantic clawfoot tub partially encased by a lace dressing screen and embellished by vintage petticoats and pantaloons. Your parlor breakfast (self-catering gourmet) is available for your pleasure on your own time frame, not theirs...Allowing you to sleep in or have some extra cuddle time. A beautiful breakfast table is set with depression era china and roses from their garden. You�ll also find the antique rose marble dresser filled with books, magazines, area info, and family scrapbooks. The antique wardrobe is decorated inside and out and houses games and
cards. Enjoy the private gingerbread porch with plantation rockers and a special morning guest, Baby- a striking male cardinal that has made Miss Lissia's his home. Miss Lissia's is a haven to many enchanting birds including mockingbirds, scissor-tailed flycatchers and their personal favorite, the vermillion flycatcher. An occasional roadrunner or rabbit may also visit the garden. Enjoy
your morning tea or coffee overlooking a serene view of the heirloom garden that includes snow fairy roses, lavender lace, French marigolds, rose snapdragons and rose laurels.

Miss Lissia's parlor breakfasts are among the highlights of a stay at this Water Valley, TX bed and breakfast. Guests can plan on plenty of fresh fruit, gourmet pastries or breakfast desserts, along with smoked ham and assorted teas and coffee. Some of the breakfast favorites include: southern belle cinnamon rolls, mandarin vanilla parfait and orange blossom juice. This special romantic breakfast is a favorite of inn-goers. A beautiful breakfast table is set with depression era china and roses from our garden. They consistently hear that it can�t be replicated anywhere else. Snacks are available on arrival. Extras include bottled water, lemonade, and peach or raspberry tea. The kitchenette includes a microwave, mini-refrigerator, coffee pot and toaster, for your convenience.

According to guests, a celebrated advantage for Miss Lissia's is its distinctive location. Guests enjoy a peaceful country setting after seeing the sites of San Angelo, Tx.  For those guests who want to escape the big city for a weekend, Miss Lissia's is ideal escape! Miss Lissia's is located on the outskirts of a Texas frontier town. San Angelo, TX was recently featured on Home & Garden Television as a "Place To Call Home."

"Located deep in the heart of Texas, San Angelo is one of the most remote cities in America. The Sunken Gardens Park is seven acres of green space and shady spots that provide a surprising oasis among the usually arid West Texas landscape. Residents feel its charming neighborhoods, frontier history and quiet river scenes help make it a nice place to call home."
HGTV 2003 - A Place to Call Home Episode PCH-213

Set directly in West Central Texas, Miss Lissia's invites you to enjoy many of the attractions in nearby San Angelo, TX. Enjoy the San Angelo State Park with it's many biking trails and prehistoric dinosaur tracks. The historic Fort Concho that was developed to protect the frontier settlers. All the fine dining, live music, unique boutiques and the best Mexican food in Texas, are also just within a short drive.

Michelle and Derek welcome their guests with what they call �customized concierge service.� Because they avidly participate in the area�s recreational offerings, they can offer first-hand advice on area attractions. They can advise couples on where to have a romantic dinner or where to see a perfect sunset from a unique perspective (at Miss Lissia's).

A taste of what San Angelo has to offer includes: Angelo State Planetarium, The Cactus Hotel, Historic Concho Avenue, E.H. Danner Museum of Telephony, El Paseo de Santa Angela, Farmers' Market, Fort Concho National Historic Landmark, Railway Museum, Miss Hattie's Bordello Museum, Producers Livestock Auction, River Walk, River Stage, Rose Garden, Gazebo Garden and the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts. San Angelo is also known for roping and their annual rodeo, river concerts and Christmas at Old Fort Concho.

Other nearby activities include: bicycle riding trails, bird watching, boating, fishing, golfing, hiking trails, hunting, historical tours, local park on river, afternoon tea, shopping, sight-seeing, swimming, and water sports. Just enjoy taking a walk down a winding country road, sipping lemonade on the
veranda, star gazing, reading or watching a Comanche moon rise in the beautiful West Texas sky.

Miss Lissia's Plantation Bed & Breakfast will be a spotlight feature in the Fall of 2004, in Arrington's Bed & Breakfast Journal's Inn Traveler. Miss Lissia's recipes will also be featured in this edition.

For more information or to book a reservation, contact Miss Lissia's at 325-450-6965 or wildrosetexas@hotmail.com or visit our website at www.misslisas.com. There you can read about the inn history, learn about area attractions, and plan your next getaway. Miss Lissia's also offers historical tours and tea parties (by appt. only), gift certificates and a number of discounts are available as well.
For your romantic escape, we offer several romance packages including roses, carriage rides, and bed bath specials...For an incredible weekend in historic San Angelo, TX and a respite offering unbeatable charm and recreation at your fingertips, choose Miss Lissia's Plantation Bed and Breakfast for your next getaway. You deserve a special place...

Michelle K Doss
2004
 

This article appeared in the San Angelo Standard Times 6-14-2004
If you go . . .
WHAT: Miss Lissia's Plantation Bed and Breakfast.
WHERE: About five miles from Water Valley.
FOR MORE INFO: Call 325-450-6965, or e-mail wildrosetexas@hotmail.com
 
WATER VALLEY - The one-room Walnut School, still bearing penciled names of "Alice," "Frances Jo" and "Percy Turner," has been resurrected as a bed-and-breakfast retreat called "Miss Lissia's Plantation." Besides extensive architectural restoration, Derek and Michelle Doss conducted exhaustive historical and genealogical research into the 16-by-30-foot cabin that originally served as the ranch home of Mr. and Mrs. H.Q. Lyles and their six children.

Michelle, a registered nurse and the mother of three active kids, found the dilapidated building on the Water Valley school campus. In 2002, the Dosses asked the school board to sell them the cabin. A silent auction ensued and the board accepted the Dosses' bid of $51.  After moving the structure to their family property about five miles south of here, the Dosses set about restoring the rustic shelter to resemble how it might have looked in the 1890's on the Coke County frontier. The result is a Victorian-style cabin with most of the original wood and meticulous documentation showing photos, family heirlooms and artifacts back to early settlements. Rates are $109 a night for single or $129 per couple.

Derek, a sales representative for Mayfield Paper, performed most of the architectural work. Michelle decorated it and added the fabric and flourishes. "We wanted to create a sanctuary for couples," Michelle said. "Couples get so busy, they don't take the time for one another. We wanted people to come out and enjoy our retreat."

Guests have been coming since October. Besides the quiet ranch surroundings, bird-fanciers get regular sightings of fly-catchers, orioles, cardinals, thrashers, cowbirds, wild turkey, hummingbirds, roadrunners, finches, swallows, quail, woodpeckers and wrens. In addition, the Dosses keep an extensive collection of genealogical materials, historical photos and scrapbooks.

Because of their family connections and their interest in historic preservation, Derek and Michelle painstakingly removed decades of neglect until they arrived at the original box and strip construction. The owners preserved the look and feel of their frontier cabin, while adding electricity, indoor plumbing and air conditioning. Other details include a 1911 upright piano made of quarter-sawn solid tiger oak, and a large claw foot bathtub.

Part of the cabin's charm comes from Michelle's family research. Her grandfather owned a strawberry plantation in Chattooga County, Ga.  Miss Lissia was the owner's grandmother, Malissa Ann Mayo Foster. She wrote about her childhood in the Antebellum South. At 16, she married K.R. Foster two years before the Civil War.

The cabin originally stood on the Turner Ranch in the shadow of Monument Mountain. The Lyles sold their 2,000-acre ranch to Ainslie Turner, an Englishman, about 1900. Mr. and Mrs. Lyles moved to Sterling City. They are buried in Montvale Cemetery.

Turner used the cabin for a school until the 1930s. Later, the Water Valley school district provided the cabin as living quarters for teachers. In the end, the old structure served as a storage building.
The Dosses said they hope Miss Lissia's captures for visitors the essence of the Old West and the uncharted frontier. In the homesteader's cabin, they see an element of grace in a rugged land. Pioneers carved out places to call home, and to raise families. This Water Valley couple hopes by doing their part, they can sustain a tradition of West Texas hospitality.

Perry Flippin- Standard Times 6-14-2004