Join us on Tuesday, June 10 for a presentation about Sam Houston by Derrick Birdsall, the Executive Director of Sam Houston Memorial Museum at North Shepherd Brewing, at 6:30 p.m., 4816 N. Shepherd Drive Houston, TX 77018.

Derrick Birdsall is the Executive Director of the Sam Houston Memorial Museum. With a love of history that started as a child, Birdsall’s vision of turning his passion into a professional career happened at Sam Houston State University as a graduate student. Birdsall earned a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from Sam Houston State in 1991. He later graduated with his master’s degree in history, also from SHSU. With deep roots in the community, Birdsall lived in Huntsville for over a decade before moving to the Dallas Fort-Worth Metroplex for a job opportunity with Farmers Branch Historical Park, a similar living history/outdoor museum. After 18 years in that role, the urge to move back to the Piney Woods and be closer to family grew stronger. 

“I work in a beautiful place with people passionate about Sam Houston and telling his story. It doesn’t get much better than that,” he said. “There are days that I have to pinch myself because there’s no way that I could have made a career out of teaching history out of a log cabin, sitting by the fireplace, in a room where Sam Houston spent time.”

Join us on Tuesday, May 13 for a presentation by board member and Professor Hank Deslaurier who will speak about “Jack Johnson: The Galveston Giant” held at North Shepherd Brewing, at 6:30 p.m., 4816 N. Shepherd Drive Houston, TX 77018.

Born in Galveston, Texas in 1878 to former enslaved parents, Johnson initially worked as a dock worker during his teenage years before embarking on a new path at the age of 16. Growing up in Galveston’s racially diverse Twelfth Ward and being part of a Black and White gang shielded him from experiencing significant amounts of racism, as he later admitted. 

It was in the late 1800s that a shop owner in Dallas introduced Johnson to the world of boxing, recognizing his natural physical prowess. Standing over six feet tall and weighing around 220 pounds, with exceptional reflexes akin to a cat, Johnson’s physical attributes were ideal for the sport. Starting on the local boxing scene, he eventually made his way to Chicago, where he joined forces with a local promoter. Victories and defeats marked his journey, but one loss turned out to be promising. In 1901, Johnson was back in Galveston. As Texas had banned prizefighting authorities arrested Johnson and boxer Joe Choynski. During their 23-day incarceration, Choynski taught defensive techniques to Johnson, crafting his skills that would lead him to be considered one of the greatest defensive fighters of all time.

WATCH HERE on Facebook!

Board member Mister McKinney of Mister McKinney's Historic Houston has Dr. Kate Kirkland on “LIVE from The Heritage Society with Mister McKinney” on Wednesday, May 7, at 7:00 p.m. This is a free program on Facebook or Instagram Live.

Kate Kirkland is the author of two books on Houston, Texas, history: The Hogg Family and Houston: Philanthropy and the Civic Ideal (2009) and Captain James A. Baker of Houston, 1857–1941 (2012). She has been a guest speaker of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, the Houston Seminar, the Houston Metropolitan Research Center’s Friends of the Texas Room, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Dr. Kirkland earned a bachelor’s degree in British history from Wellesley College in 1966 and a Ph.D. in American history from Rice University in 2004. 

Dr. Kirkland says that serving on the Briscoe Center Ambassadors Council nurtures a lifelong passion for history. She has spent long hours in various archives and is fascinated by the breadth of the Briscoe Center’s collection. Her current interests include philanthropy and its role in civil society, women who framed Houston’s story, and Texans in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. 

HISTORY ON TAP

History on Tap is a free program for the community held at North Shepherd Brewing 4816 N. Shepherd Drive HTX 77018

Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at 6:30 PM

Speaker: Rion Braddock “Texas Tales Untold in a Textbook”

Please join us for a rousing discussion of Early Texas and stories you will not find in a school textbook!!  Most of us know the story of the Texas Revolution and how Texas won its independence from Mexico.  But… is there more to the story?

·    Why did our Texas heroes come to Texas in the first place?

·    What did they want once they got here?

·    What did they do once they were here?

·    What did Santa Anna do during his march through Texas?

·    What about the Yellow Rose of Texas?

Let’s explore some of these questions and discover “the rest of the story”.

Bring the family to 1100 Bagby Street to buy wonderfully, unique gifts from local small businesses. Entry is free both Friday and Saturday evening.

Bring the family to 1100 Bagby Street to buy wonderfully, unique gifts from local small businesses. Entry is free both Friday and Saturday evening.

Join us on Wednesday, 5/1, on Facebook or Instagram at 7 p.m. with Mister McKinney of Mister McKinney's Historic Houston as he hosts Facebook Live with author Richard Cunningham speaking about West University History in this free, online program.

West University history is Harris County history, and Cunningham’s book West University Place will take you on a journey of how it transformed then flourished. The real estate development called West University Place was part of a trend in the early 20th century of building affordable neighborhoods away from city centers; it was never meant to be a city on its own. West University Place evolved from treeless farmland into one of the most livable small towns in Texas—but the journey was not easy. More than once, the enterprise could have failed. If not for the actions of visionary leaders and dedicated residents, things may have turned out quite differently.

Cunningham, who is a freelance science writer, is author of the novel, Three Good Leads, a sequel to Maude Brown’s Baby, his debut novel. Three Good Leads is set in Houston and Galveston during the 1918 Influenza pandemic.  These fictional books were inspired by authentic vintage photographs that had a life of their own. 

Today, Cunningham serves on the City of West University Place Parks and Recreation Board. In 2021, he originated research into the location of the 1894 Harris County Poor Farm, which led to the approval of a historical marker on the Edloe Street pathway. He and his wife live in a 1948 cottage in West U that they remodeled in 2007.

Join Executive Director Alison Bell and Mister McKinney for a night of Houston history!

Join us on Wednesday, 4/3 on Facebook or Instagram at 7 p.m. with Mister McKinney of Mister McKinney's Historic Houston as he hosts Facebook Live with guest Robert Kimberly speaking about Legacy of Sig Byrd in this free, online program.

Robert Kimberly is the author of The Digital Sig Byrd Archive, “Houston Press Columnist Sigman Byrd, a Mid-Century Chronicler of Houston People and Places Long Gone”. The Digital Sig Byrd Archive is an online repository of Houston Press columns by Sigman Byrd, the mid-century chronicler of a Houston long gone. Byrd’s writings about underdogs and “the drifts of life”, from 1947 – mid 1950s, leave behind a unique portrait of Houston’s demimonde: its junkies, hookers, hustlers, street-corner preachers, pawnshop owners, honky-tonk angels, boogie-woogie boys, dealers, and more. However, upstanding Houstonians made appearances as well. The site looks to offer an accessible introduction to his writings, reward deep exploration of the archives and provide names, places, maps and calendars to offer a broad overview of his writings during his time at the Houston Press.

Kimberly works at the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston and previously worked for the Museum of Fine Arts - Houston and the Houston Center for Photography.

Join Executive Director Alison Bell and Mister McKinney for a night of Houston history!

LIVE! from The Heritage Society with Mister McKinney of Mister McKinney’s Historic Houston

Join us on Wednesday, 5/3, on Facebook or Instagram, at 7 PM and learn about the past architectural stories of buildings and homes that once bustled. Mister McKinney of Mister McKinney's Historic Houston hosts Facebook Live with Alfred Cervantes in this #free online program.

As the Executive Director of the Houston Film Commission and a native Houstonian, Alfred Cervantes has worked in the Texas film industry since 1992. As freelance crew, some of the movies he has worked on are Reality Bites, The Chase, Jason's Lyric, Powder, and Apollo 13. His role with the Houston Film Commission is to promote the greater City of Houston & Harris County area to film producers, production executives and independent filmmakers, to scout locations and facilitate any production's local filming experience.

Check out all of Houston’s film festivals here: https://www.houstonfilmcommission.com/news-and-events/texas-film-festivals/

The evening starts with information about THS from executive director Alison Ayres Bell.

WATCH ON INSTAGRAM

WATCH ON FACEBOOK

Join Cian and Kennedy as they demonstrate toys from yesteryear and share toy history at our booth at HEB’s Art Car Parade Children’s Zone.

Free giveaways while they last. Free event at Sam Houston Park at 1000 Bagby Street.

Each October, the Texas Historical Commission celebrates the spirit of discovering Texas' past. It's an opportunity for Texans to understand the depth and richness of our heritage. 

Celebrate with us on Saturday, October 15, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., at 1100 Bagby Street for an Archaeology Day with free hands-on activities and demonstrations, activity kits, and a museum gallery tour about Texas history.  We will also be making Smores for dessert! No R.S.V.P. needed, just bring the family, class, or troop at 1:00 p.m.

This event is generously being sponsored by Cypress Environmental Consulting and Colliers Engineering & Design. This STEM event is being directed by senior archeologist Kaity Ulewicz, MSc, RPA who is a member of the following professional organizations: American Anthropological Institution, Archaeological Institute of America, Council of Texas Archaeologists, Register of Public Archaeologists, Society for American Archaeology, and Texas Archaeological Society.