Featuring recent selections from our “Throwback Thursday” and other posts on TSLAC’s social media platforms. No subscription required.
January 2025
According to Frank X. Tolbert, Texas chili aficionado and author of the book A Bowl of Red, the first mention of the Texas “chili queens” in fiction was in a story by William Sydney Porter. Porter, known by the pseudonym O. Henry, described San Antonio plaza scenes and the aromatic dishes in his 1904 story, “The Enchanted Kiss.” Porter lived for years in Austin and is pictured here (front left) with fellow members of the Hill City Quartet.
February 2025
Bee Carter was born on May 1, 1914, in Liberty, Texas. He worked for the Steusoff Pharmacy, primarily as a delivery boy, until he was drafted during World War II. Carter enlisted on July 6, 1942, and was discharged from the United States Army on October 23, 1946. Carter died in 1985 and was buried in the Houston National Cemetery.
March 2025
Founded in 1902, the Trivium Club was the first federated women’s club in Liberty, Texas. Although founded as a literary club, members also focused their attention on civic affairs. Early projects included the creation of a park in downtown Liberty and the addition of shell roads in the city’s cemetery.
April 2025
On April 17, 1871, the Texas Legislature established the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, later known as Texas A&M University. According to our friends at the A&M archives, the “tent colony” pictured here provided living quarters for students as their population began to outnumber dormitory space in the early years of the twentieth century. The area was named “Camp Milner” during the administration of President Milner, who served from 1908-1913. New dorm facilities meant the closing of the colony in 1912. Texas A&M was the first public institution of higher education in the state. View more early images from the school in our TDA here: https://tsl.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/SO_a1be5898-68d1-4a15-8768-3c3928bba4c9/
May 2025
Cinco de Mayo it’s holiday time! Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican national holiday commemorating the victory of Ignacio Zaragoza’s troops over a French invading army at Puebla in 1862. The win inspired a sense of nationalism in Mexico that would lead to the annual celebration. Zaragoza was a native Texan, born in 1829 near Goliad during Mexican rule. This postcard features an undated image of a street in Ciudad Juárez named for Cinco de Mayo. View in the TDA: https://tsl.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/IO_78e1d22a-024f-4762-8727-f88efe342069/
June 2025
This photo of Emma Brinson Moody from 1930 is one of several images of members of the Moody family included in an oral history project conducted in 1995. The Texas Historical Commission (THC) oversaw the project and records, including transcripts, recordings, and digitized photographs have been added to our Texas Digital Archive (TDA). One project focused on the history of African Americans in Mansfield. The Moodys were one of the oldest African American families from the Mansfield area that oral history interviewees recalled. McClendon “Mac” Moody participated in the project. The Moodys were thought to have moved to North Texas from Galveston.
Learn more about African Americans in Mansfield here: https://tsl.access.preservica.com/uncategorized/SO_ec3d519e-d94a-41cf-b79a-a70b43d62f02/