Postcards from Texas Blog

Did you know that one of the nation's largest local preservation organizations is right in our own backyard? Galveston Historical Foundation is a non-profit organization that works to preserve and revitalize Galveston's historic neighborhoods and buildings. In addition to managing some of Galveston's most significant historical properties (including the 1838 Michel Menard House, 1839 Samuel May Williams House, 1859 Ashton Villa and Heritage Visitors Center, 1859 St. Joseph Catholic Church and 1880 Garten Verein), GHF also operates the Galveston County Historical Museum and the Texas Seaport Museum. GHF makes it possible for you to set sail on a ship built in 1877 or find out information about your ancestors who entered the U.S. through Galveston (called the "Ellis Island of the West"). This organization also provides educational programming to more than 25,000 Texas students every year and manages to host major, award-winning events that highlight the city's historical significance, such as Dickens on the Strand (December 5-6, 2009) and the Galveston Historic Homes Tour.

I'm sure you're wondering how the organization manages to continue its important work in these difficult economic times just a year after Hurricane Ike devastated Galveston – great question! GHF has made tremendous strides to repair and rebuild during the past 15 months, but the organization needs your help. George P. Mitchell and the Wortham Foundation promises to donate $105,000 to GHF IF the organization can match the funds by March 31, 2010. Visit their website at galvestonhistory.org to learn more about GHF and how YOU can help bring back the glory to Galveston.

Levi Jordan Plantation

Ken Brown of the University of Houston has been digging into the ground and the history of the Levi Jordan plantation for a very long time. During that time he estimates that over 600 people have had a hand in helping with the project, almost all of them volunteers and students. He even held some workshops for elementary school archaeologists at the site. Ken said he took a little heat for letting kids dig but said under close supervision they did a terrific and careful job, as good as some of his grad students. With close to 1 million separate artifacts coming out of the ground at that rich site, it would definitely take more than just one or two people to painstakingly find, mark, graph, clean, preserve and catalog everything.

The Texas Historical Commission has stabilized the house and continues working toward an interpretation of the site which will be different than that found at other plantations of the period. There will be no richly furnished house museum but rather a chance to learn about things like archaeology and life for African-Americans both in slavery and as tenant farmers after Emancipation. It is a complex and layered tale, and it should make for a fascinating place to visit. I can't wait.

Republic of Texas Money

As Dallas's John Rowe mentioned in the story, he has been collecting Republic of Texas currency and other Texas-centric bank notes for over 50 years. They now reside at a museum on the campus of SMU. Part of his collection came from the acquisition of early collections through estates. The names of past collectors of Texana include many of the most recognizable names in the state such as Amon Carter of Ft. Worth and the Moody family of Galveston. As for who might be collecting today, John said that there are maybe 25 to 30 Texans whose goal is to acquire a sample of each Republic monetary instrument. If he runs across a nice example of something he already has, Rowe buys it because he said he knows there are five or six folks who will bid on it. Sounds like a small but dedicated group of collectors.

HISD and Communism

The Houston Chapter of the Minute Women of the U.S.A., Inc., wielded incredible influence in HISD and throughout Houston during the early 1950s. This organization was an important part of a much larger right-wing movement that sought control of Houston's political arena throughout the early 1950s. The national organization stressed that members act as individuals, rather than as a group, and encouraged members to use the telephone and begin letter-writing campaigns to voice their opinions and educate their neighbors about liberal threats. The group even led a Sunday radio program over the Houston airwaves that was entitled "Minute Women Calling for Liberty" to promote their anti-Communist worldview. To learn more about this group and the larger culture of fear in 1950s Houston, read Don Carleton's "Red Scare!: Right-Wing Hysteria, Fifties Fanaticism, and Their Legacy in Texas" (Texas Monthly Press, 1985). I always find it interesting that many of these right-wing organizations were able to refocus their efforts on opposing integration after the fall of McCarthyism. School integration was definitely an uphill battle in this city – to learn more about the decades that followed our story, read Dr. William H. Kellar's "Make Haste Slowly: Moderates, Conservatives, and School Desegregation in Houston" (Texas A&M University Press, 1999).    

Gregory School

I loved when Pat Prather (Gregory School Library Historian) described HPL's new African-American historical research facility as "uplifting." I can't think of a better way to describe the preservation and repurposing of a building that functioned as a cornerstone for the Fourth Ward for so many years. This new multipurpose site has something for everyone – gallery space, youth programs, public reading areas, oral history lab, and the future Scholars in Residence programs are only a few of its offerings. The grand opening of the new African-American Library at the Gregory School (1300 Victor Street) is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009. Events include a ribbon cutting ceremony at noon and musical, dance, and theatrical performances that will be entertaining and enriching for the whole family. The event is free and open to the public, so there's no excuse for missing this opportunity to celebrate African-American heritage in our city! Visit thegregoryschool.org for more information.

Emergency Responders at Texas City Disaster

This story focused on the experiences of police officers, firefighters, military personnel, medical staff, and ordinary people who were either residents of Texas City or arrived soon after the first explosion on April 16, 1947 to offer aid. In doing research for this segment, we heard many awe-inspiring stories from individuals whose lives were profoundly impacted by this tragedy. Newspapers and radio stations across the U.S. carried the story and support poured in immediately. What I find fascinating is that while some people did move away after this catastrophe, most stayed to rebuild. Texas City remembers its fallen citizens every year on April 16. If you visit the area, be sure to stop by the Memorial Cemetery where remains of many unknown individuals were buried and the Phoenix Fountain near Palmer and 21st Street. For more images and information regarding the Texas City Disaster, visit the Moore Memorial Public Library's online exhibition at texascity-library.org. 

Pullman Car Travel

This story was a lot of fun – and it was such a treat to meet Frank Rollins, a former Pullman Porter! If you are interested in learning more about Pullman travel, porters, and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, read Larry Tye's “Rising from the Rails: Pullman Porters and the Making of the Black Middle Class.” Mr. Rollins brought the book with him to his interview and highly recommends it.  In fact, he even said that he learned a lot from it!  You can't ask for a better endorsement than that. 

Brewery Tap Ghost

I hope you enjoyed our first Houston ghost story. It was difficult to choose just one of the city's supposedly haunted sites. Other contenders were the old Jefferson Davis Hospital (built on Civil War burial ground, used as hospital for indigent patients and neglected for years), the Donnellan Family Crypt (built in 1849 and located near the Brewery Tap under the Franklin Street Bridge, accessible when the bayou is low), the Julia Ideson Building (houses the Houston Metropolitan Research Center), Spaghetti Warehouse, and Founders Memorial Cemetery. For more information about the ghosts and ghouls of Houston, contact Sandra Lord at Discover Houston Tours at discoverhoustontours.com/. Let me know what you find.

I hope you enjoyed this week's episode of Postcards from Texas, featuring segments about a Civil War POW camp in Hempstead, Freedmen's Town in Houston, and the history of METRO. I'm always curious to hear what viewers were surprised to learn or enjoyed most about the program, so be sure and fill us in by posting a message below. We'll soon be planning for our second season of episodes, so ideas for stories are more than welcome too!

Civil War POWs at Camp Groce

This story will surprise viewers who, like many Houstonians, had no idea that SE Texas WAS significant during the Civil War. Camp Groce was named after Leonard W. Groce, the owner of Liendo Plantation (liendo.org/plantation.html) and a Confederate officer who provided the land for Camp Groce. According to Danial Lisarelli's book, The Last Prison: The Untold Story of Camp Groce, CSA, 1105 Union POWs were held at Camp Groce during 1863 to 1864. These prisoners came from every state in the Union and many of them were foreigners who had fought alongside Union troops. 

Here's something else you probably didn't learn in school. Between March and May of 1865, more than 10,000 Confederate soldiers were stationed at Camp Groce. Why were they there? Because Jefferson Davis, the President of the Confederate States of America, communicated to General Kirby Smith that, in the days following the fall of Richmond and General Lee's surrender, Davis planned to make his way to Cuba and would then cross into Texas and make his way to Hempstead. Once he arrived in Hempstead, he hoped to lead 37,000 Confederate troops in the Confederacy's last stand. Unfortunately for Davis, he was captured in Georgia on May 10, 1865, and the Confederacy was no more. To learn more about Camp Groce and SE Texas' role in the Civil War, read Danial Lisarelli's book. Lisarelli continues to identify missing Camp Groce POWs, as well as Confederate soldiers and guards who died there, in the hopes of establishing a memorial at the site in Waller County. 

Freedmen's Town

This segment highlighted the notable architecture of this neighborhood and the contributions of the local movers and shakers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. You might wonder how this section of town could have changed so much since the early 1900s when it was often regarded as "Houston's Harlem," the center of local African American economic, social, and creative development. Historians point to key moments in our city's history, such as the Great Depression, as well as the demolition of neighborhoods in the late 1930s to construct the San Felipe Courts housing project (initially a whites-only complex, now Allen Parkway Village) and the Gulf Freeway. The images of today's Fourth Ward showing historic shotgun houses next to upscale townhomes and condo developments clearly illustrate the struggle that longtime residents and preservationists face as real estate developers buy property and demolish historical structures. The Rutherford B.H. Yates Museum (yatesmuseum.org/) is making great strides to identify and restore the neighborhood's remaining valuable structures while educating the local community. I'm a big fan of the Museum's Yates Community Archaeological Program (publicarchaeology.org/yates/history.html), which educates students and others about the neighborhood's heritage through archaeological digs on historic properties. If these photos below don't make you a believer in historic preservation, nothing will.

Photo Credit: Rutherford B.H. Yates Museum

 

History of METRO

I had never thought of METRORAIL (i.e. Light Rail) as a reincarnation of Houston's streetcar system, which peaked in the 1920s with more than two dozen routes operating over 90 miles of track. Now that I've seen the plans for the new rail lines that will link the original line with the rest of the city, I can't wait to leave behind high gas prices and parking frustrations and start taking advantage of this new system.  To keep up with METRO's progress and other developments, check out “Write on METRO,” the official blog that keeps you up to date with the latest happenings in our city's bus and rail lines (blogs.ridemetro.org/blogs/default.aspx). 

This week's episode featured three very different stories – I hope you enjoyed them. I'm a native Houstonian and this region's history never fails to surprise and intrigue me. 

Heights Revitalization
The revitalization of this historic Houston neighborhood is an ongoing process as the Houston Heights Association continues to work with residents, business owners, and local government to preserve the past while enhancing the neighborhood. To compare the early Heights to today's neighborhood, pick up a copy of Anne Sloan's new book "Houston Heights" (Arcadia Publishing, 2009). Sloan, a longtime Heights resident, uses many previously unpublished images to show what life was like in the streetcar suburb in the old days. And for those of you interested in historic preservation, check out the Houston Heights Holiday Home Tour on December 4 and 5 – it's a great opportunity to see the work that goes into restoring and maintaining historic homes and to support the HHA's efforts in preserving the character of the neighborhood. Visit houstonheights.org for more information.

Italian Restaurants
I have eaten at my fair share of Houston's Italian restaurants, but I had no clue that so many of these family-owned eateries had roots in the grocery business. If you look at a city directory from the 1930s, you'll be amazed by the sheer number of neighborhood groceries run by people with Italian surnames, such as Danna, Liuzza, Mandola, Carrabba, Patrenella and many more. 

Galveston Bathhouses
This segment was especially fun for me as part of my job is selecting images to be used in the program.  I had a great time perusing images from the Galveston County Historical Museum and the Rosenberg Library.  One interesting side of the bathhouse business was how comprehensive (and family-friendly) these sites were: you could rent a bathing suit, play games,  eat a meal, go dancing and enjoy countless other diversions.  And, as if those activities weren't enough to entice you to the Island, there was an amusement park called Electric Park (complete with roller coasters) just across the Boulevard.  Post-Ike Galveston could learn a thing or two about tourism and marketing from its post-1900 Storm self. 

Photo Credit: Galveston County Historical Museum

It's amazing that a team that existed for such a brief period brings back such great memories to Houstonians from that era. In the same way, the history of Crosby in NE Harris County also inspires nostalgic feelings for simpler times. 

Colt .45s

One thing we didn't get to discuss as much as we would have liked was Colt Stadium, home of the Colt .45s. After receiving a National League franchise in 1960, team owners decided to construct a temporary stadium that would serve until the massive Astrodome was completed. This interim ballpark, Colt Stadium, had only one tier but contained 33,000 seats. Many Colts fans remember the multi-colored bleachers and seats as resembling "rainbow sherbet" and recall the excitement of watching the Astrodome construction just beyond the first base grandstand. The Colt .45s played their first game at Colt Stadium on April 10, 1962, and played their final game just two years later, on Sept. 27, 1964. The team then moved across the parking lot to the completed Astrodome, changed their name in 1965, and the rest was history.

So what happened to Colt Stadium? Well, the Astros used it as a storage yard (a kinder term for "dumping ground") for five years after the Dome opened and it fell into disrepair. In fact, Roy Hofheinz had the facility painted gray so that it wouldn't be visible on aerial photographs taken of the Dome. In the late 1960s, Hofheinz sold Colt Stadium to a minor league Mexican team for $100,000, and it was disassembled and moved to Mexico. The field itself was paved over to create additional Astrodome parking. The old grandstand moved once more to Tampico, Mexico, where it was repurposed as part of a public playground. I'm all for recycling, but I wish at least part of it could be brought back to Houston's Minute Maid Park.

Photo Credit: Bill McCurdy

Crosby

Crosby may be a quiet place today but the waves of immigration, the discovery of oil and World War I brought prosperity and innovation to the area. Buddy Hare, one of the interviewees in this segment, can boast that his grandfather built the first paved road in Harris County. And even though some things have changed, the Crosby Fair & Rodeo is still considered the place to see some of the best cowboys, cowgirls and musical acts around. Visit crosbyfairandrodeo.net for more information about next year's show – you won't be disappointed.

Although the Post has been gone for nearly 15 years, it was one of the city's oldest and most respected institutions.  You don't have to look far to find former writers, editors, and devoted readers, so I hope you enjoyed learning a bit about the behind-the-scenes operations of the paper. Our second segment examined racial segregation of labor unions throughout Houston and the court case that sought to eliminate Jim Crow practices in the workplace.

Houston Post

Our history of the Houston Post picked up when Gov. William P. Hobby purchased controlling interest in the paper from Jesse Jones in 1939, but the Post had been a part of the Houston news scene at least since Gail Borden Johnson established the Houston Evening Post in 1880, combining his new paper with the longstanding Houston Telegraph (formerly the Telegraph and Texas Register).  Some even trace the paper's history back to Johnson's grandfather and great-uncle, Gail and Thomas Borden, who established the Telegraph and Texas Register in San Felipe in 1835 to publish local happenings and support the cause for Texas Independence. According to a history of the paper written by Post editors in 1967, the Bordens joined General Sam Houston's retreat west and relocated their printing operation to Harrisburg. As Santa Anna's troops approached on April 14, 1836, the Bordens dumped their printing presses into Buffalo Bayou and escaped to Galveston. After Gen. Houston's victory at San Jacinto, the Bordens are said to have "fished their presses" out of the bayou to establish operations in Columbia. About a year later they loaded the same presses onto the steamship Yellowstone and moved to Houston, where the paper remained for the next 43 years. Gail Borden sold his interest in the paper in June 1837 and worked in a variety of different fields until he found his true calling as an inventor. After a failed attempt to market a dehydrated meat biscuit (much like Houston co-founder Augustus Allen before him), he obtained patents for a process that used a vacuum to condense milk in 1856. His timing was perfect: the Civil War increased demand for food sources with a long shelf life and Borden became a very wealthy man. 

Race and Unions

The Civil Rights Movement was such an all-encompassing period in American history that we often forget to recognize the contributions of ordinary people, like Ivory Davis, Columbus Henry, and other local African American workers, who challenged the status quo in Houston companies and helped to eliminate racial injustice in the workplace. For more information about the history of race relations at the Hughes Tool Company and Mr. Davis' lawsuit, read "Labor, Civil Rights, and the Hughes Tool Company" (Texas A&M University Press) by Dr. Michael Botson, Jr., featured in this segment. 

Hopefully this week's episode opened your eyes to parts of history you may not have learned about in school, namely a major military branch of the Republic of Texas, a historic neighborhood right in your own backyard, and about daily life for a cowboy of color. 

Texas Navy

The U.S. Navy absorbed the Texas Navy after annexation in 1845. Much of the Navy's rich history was nearly forgotten when Governor Price Daniel established the thirdTexas Navy as a commemorative organization in 1958. In 1973, the Texas Legislature recognized the Texas Navy Association as an official state organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the histories of the three Texas Navies. Visit the TNA website (www.texasnavy.com) for more artwork of sailors and ships, Texas military history, or to learn about the organization's continuing efforts to find the wreckage of The Invincible off the coast of Galveston.

Fun fact: Even though the Texas Navy was defunct at the time, Gov. James Allred commissioned dancer Ginger Rogers as an Admiral in the Texas Navy to thank her for appearing at the opening ceremonies of the Texas Centennial celebration in Dallas in 1936. She was the first woman (and possibly the first person ever) to receive the title. And I bet you thought Fred Astaire had all the moves.

Eastwood

This segment recognized Eastwood Elementary as a cornerstone of the community; the school was renamed for longtime principal Dora B. Lantrip in 1946. Ms. Lantrip was passionately devoted to the student body's education and even established a small museum with artifacts from her world travels so the children could learn about other places and cultures (these artifacts are still at Lantrip today). Although some additional facilities were added and renovation occurred in 2007, the new construction incorporates much of the school's original Spanish Mission architecture and these gorgeous buildings are among the oldest still in use by HISD. 

Jackson Ranch & the Salt Grass Cowboys

If you were surprised by the existence of African American cowboys, you are not alone. Hollywood films and other forms of popular media rarely portray cowboys of color (African American, Native American, Hispanic, etc.), but they did exist and, in fact, comprised approximately one-third of all cowboys in the West. Cowboys of color (and yes, there were even some women out on the range) took on all the responsibilities and faced the same dangers that their white counterparts did, but they often had to struggle against racism and prejudice.  If you're interested in learning more, new literature about these warriors of the West is becoming available all the time. Check out the critically acclaimed Black Cowboys of Texas by Sara R. Massey (Texas A&M University Press). 

Three very different stories this week. I hope you enjoyed them!

Imperial Sugar:

The City of Sugar Land is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and will be hosting several special events, including a Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Town Center and an incredible New Year's Eve celebration – check out their calendar at sugarlandtx.gov/. If you'd like to learn more about the “Old Sugar Land” seen in this segment, attend one of the city-sponsored monthly historical walking tours and learn from a knowledgeable local historian. For more information or to learn more about the city's history, visit sugarlandtx.gov/sugarland/50th/index.asp. 

Lydia Mendoza:

I think it's interesting that Lydia Mendoza learned and performed some of her biggest hits during her childhood. In the 1920s, a chewing gum company printed song lyrics on wrappers and Lydia began to collect them and memorize the lyrics without knowing the corresponding melody. While living with her family in Monterrey, Mexico, Mendoza came across some street musicians one day and realized that they were playing one of the songs from the gum wrappers. Over time, she memorized many of the melodies that accompanied the gum wrapper lyrics and taught herself how to play these songs on the guitar and mandolin. Imagine a 10-year-old girl belting out "Mal Hombre."

Allen Brothers:

I hope you enjoyed learning a little more about the Allen brothers and Charlotte Baldwin Allen. Her contributions to early Houston were innumerable, yet she is often overlooked in favor of her husband and brother-in-law. Did you know that Charlotte Allen's home served as the headquarters for the commanding general of federal troops in Houston after the Civil War? Or that she donated the property that became Market Square to the city because it lacked a city hall and marketplace? Even the property that her home was located on served as the foundation for a major Houston landmark. Although the house was razed in 1911, the new building at the corner of Main and Rusk was the tallest skyscraper in Houston from 1929 to 1963. That's right, I'm talking about the JP Morgan Chase Building (better known as the Gulf Building).

This week's episode commemorates the Hurricane of 1900, which is even more poignant for Gulf Coast residents this year as we approach the first anniversary of Hurricane Ike. The Galveston Historical Foundation will be hosting its First Annual Historic Galveston Rebirth Race Saturday morning. The 5K route begins at the Mardi Gras arch in front of the Tremont House Hotel and leads participants on a scenic tour of Galveston's historic neighborhoods. Other family-friendly cultural events will also occur that day. Visit galvestonhistory.org for more information.

Hurricane of 1900:
The catastrophic results of this storm captured the nation's attention and imagination long after life returned to normal for Islanders. By 1904, New York's Coney Island boasted a "Galveston Flood" attraction that promised to recreate the storm's horror for audiences. The simulation took place on a stage measuring 200 square feet and patrons watched, entranced, as the spectacle unfolded: "thunder, lightning, the fury of the wind until the maddened waters leap from the depths, rush wildly over the city, carrying death before it, leaving a scene of despair after it…" (from History of Coney Island, 1904).

Photo Credit: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Detroit Publishing Company Collection

 

Frost Town:
Art & Environmental Architecture, Inc. is the non-profit organization dedicated to revitalizing Frost Town.  The group's website (frosttownhistoricsite.org/) has tons of information and photos detailing the history of the area and the organization's progress in conserving both nature and history. Visit James Bute Park, the McKee Street Bridge or the old Frost Town neighborhoods the next time you have a free afternoon – you'll be amazed by the powerful fusion of architecture, engineering and history.

Sig Byrd:
In a city that constantly tears down the old to make way for the new, Sig Byrd had the ability to see those who had been left behind, the struggling, who were often forgotten casualties of the progress-driven society. Byrd's colleagues recall that even though he was difficult to work with, they always respected him for his brilliant use of language and imagery. Leaving the Press for the Houston Chronicle in the early 1950s, Byrd found himself buried in state and farm coverage. He returned to the Press in the early 1960s but eventually left Houston, his beloved city, after burning one too many bridges. It's not easy (or cheap) to find a copy of the out-of-print Sig Byrd's Houston, but it's well worth the effort.  J.R. Gonzales, the "Bayou City History" blogger for the Chronicle, has great examples of The Stroller columns if you'd like to read more of Byrd's work. Check it out at blogs.chron.com/bayoucityhistory/.

Sharecroppers:

Tenant farming in Texas reached its peak in 1930: nearly 61 percent of Texans were tenant farmers, and approximately one-third of this population were sharecroppers. Numbers began to dwindle throughout the Great Depression as the New Deal offered land owners incentives to reduce acreage, thereby diminishing crop yields. The need for labor decreased as a result, and many land owners evicted their sharecroppers. Increased mechanization of agriculture also dealt a major blow to the sharecropping system as tractors and newer equipment further reduced the demand for cheap labor. Visit the Farm Security Administration Collection on the Library of Congress' website (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pp/fsasubjindex1.html) for more images depicting the lives of sharecroppers throughout the Great Depression and World War II.

The Orange Show:

We're fortunate to have Jeff McKissack's masterpiece in our own backyard. If you're looking for a fun (and cheap) alternative to your typical night out, check out the Orange Show's Fall 2009 Concert Series Calendar (orangeshow.org/events.html). Your friends will think you are hip AND you'll be supporting this organization's efforts to keep Houston weird (in the best possible way).

Mary Jane Harris Briscoe:

This segment recognized Mary Jane Harris Briscoe as one of the founders of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and mentioned this organization's role in saving the San Jacinto Battleground. Did you also know that the Texas State Legislature granted the DRT custodianship of the Alamo in January 1905? The legislation requires the DRT to maintain the site "in good order and repair, without charge to the State, as a sacred memorial to the heroes who immolated themselves upon that hallowed ground." The organization takes complete responsibility for the preservation and promotion of the Texas landmark without accepting tax money from any state, local, or federal agency, and no fee is charged to visitors. Money used for preservation comes from donations and the proceeds from the Alamo Gift Museum. Just imagine: it all started with a group of ladies in Mary Jane Harris Briscoe's living room.

Welcome to the second half of Season 1 of Postcards from Texas!  This week's episode covered the history of the 24th Infantry, an all-black regiment that was stationed at Houston's Camp Logan (present day Memorial Park) during the summer of 1917, and included a segment on Bayou Bend, a home-turned-museum that once belonged to one of the city's most beloved residents.  Don't worry if you missed this week's new episode - you can always watch segments from episodes here on our website or tune in to Houston's Channel 55 on Saturday at 7 p.m. to watch the episode from the previous week.  The great thing about this week's episode is that it features two historical sites with air-conditioning (that is, if you don't count the Bayou Bend gardens, which are still worth a visit even in the sweltering August heat).  Here is some additional information about each of the stories:

24th Infantry

The interview subjects in this segment were Captain Paul J. Matthews, founder of the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, and Professor Angela Holder from Texas Southern University.  If you haven't visited the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum (buffalosoldiermuseum.com), you need to.  Countless artifacts (everything from genuine buffalo coats worn by Buffalo Soldiers in the West to WWI helmets) and historical photographs highlighting the contributions made by men and women of color in the military line every available space.  The sky is the limit for exhibits, which cover every era of African American military involvement from the Civil War to the Persian Gulf War to NASA. Exhibits rotate frequently so you can see new things every time you visit; stop by soon to see the Camp Logan exhibit, which is on display in honor of the anniversary of the riot. This museum is truly a labor of love: more than 60 percent of the items on exhibit are from Capt. Matthews' personal collection and the entire staff is passionately devoted to educating the public about the powerful legacy of the mighty Buffalo Soldiers.   Be sure to visit the existing museum at 1834 Southmore Blvd. and get excited for opening of the expanded facility in the city's historic Light Guard Armory!

 

Bayou Bend

For those of you not familiar with Texas history, this segment's frequent references to a woman named "Ima Hogg" might have been a little disconcerting.  Miss Ima, as she was known throughout her adult life, was the only daughter of Gov. James S. Hogg and his wife, Sarah Ann.  Her father named her after the heroine in a Civil War poem written by his brother, Thomas Elisha Hogg.  Her name clearly proved to be no obstacle in her personal development as she became a tireless crusader for the arts and the mentally ill and is fondly remembered by all who knew her. 

The house and gardens are open to visitors Tuesday through Sunday and Bayou Bend frequently hosts special events for the public. On September 26, you can catch an outdoor opera performance in the Diana Garden.

For more information, visit mfah.org/bayoubend/.