LUNCH AND LEARN SPEAKER SERIES
Explore Houston’s History with a historical expert while enjoying your brown bag or ordered lunch from Tres Market Foods.
Made Possible By: The Heritage Society’s exhibits, tours, events, and programs are funded in part by a grant from the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance. Funding for these grants has been provided by Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the federal ARP Act. Some of the exhibits and programs are also sponsored by the Summerlee Foundation, Humanities Texas, and the Bybee Foundation.
OCTOBER 2026
🍽️ Lunch & Learn: Bridles and Biscuits
Contraband Culture in Spanish East Texas
Thursday, Oct. 15 | Noon
The Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park, 1100 Bagby Street, HTX 77002, Free parking 212 Dallas St.
What happened in Texas while revolution was brewing in America's colonies?
Join The Heritage Society for an engaging Lunch & Learn with Gary L. Pinkerton, author of Bridles and Biscuits: Contraband Culture in Spanish East Texas, for a fascinating exploration of colonial Texas during the late eighteenth century. Through stories of commerce, politics and survival on the frontier, Pinkerton reveals how East Texas became a crossroads of competing empires and cultures long before the Louisiana Purchase reshaped North America.
In 1773, Spain ordered the residents of Los Adaes, then the capital of Spanish Texas, to abandon their homes and relocate to San Antonio de Béxar. The decision dramatically altered life in East Texas and created opportunities for unregulated trade among Spanish, French and American settlers. Forced from their homes, many former residents established a new settlement known as Bucareli along the Trinity River, where they forged a new existence and adapted to an uncertain future.
At the center of this story was Antonio Gil Ibarvo, a charismatic trader and community leader whose influence helped shape the future of East Texas. As Spanish control weakened in the region, commerce flourished across loosely defined borders. Trade routes carried everything from livestock and hides to imported goods, creating a frontier economy that often operated beyond the reach of government oversight.
Drawing from extensive archival research, Pinkerton's book examines how contraband trade influenced political power, settlement patterns and daily life in Spanish East Texas. Through the rise of Ibarvo and the experiences of the displaced Adaeseños, Bridles and Biscuits reveals a little-known chapter of Texas history that demonstrates how commerce often moved faster than governments and how ordinary people adapted to life on an ever-changing frontier.
Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the cultural and economic forces that shaped Texas before independence and discover why East Texas became a gateway for people with ambitions extending far beyond trading horses and skins.
🎙️ Featured Speaker
Gary L. Pinkerton is an author, researcher and student of early Texas history whose work focuses on the people, places and events that shaped the Spanish colonial frontier. His research brings to life the complex stories behind Texas' development, uncovering narratives often overlooked in traditional histories.
About the Book
Bridles and Biscuits: Contraband Culture in Spanish East Texas, written by Gary L. Pinkerton in collaboration with Tom H. Gann, examines the vibrant underground economy that emerged in East Texas following the abandonment of Los Adaes. Through meticulous research and compelling storytelling, the book offers readers a unique perspective on commerce, culture and survival in Spanish Texas during the late 1700s.
Books will be available for purchase and signing following the program.
📅 Event Details
Date: Thursday, October 15, 2026 Time: Noon Location: The Heritage Society at Sam Houston Park Admission: Free to members and $10 for non members
