Lamar University History Department

10/18/2026

Save the Date!
This Thursday, October 22, join the Center for History & Culture and the Tyrrell Historical Library for Gary Pinkerton's "Bridles and Biscuits." Pinkerton will talk about his new book Bridles and Biscuits: Contraband Culture in Spanish East Texas. From the publisher: Pinkerton "explores the complex economies and shifting structures of a borderland environment. In 1773, as residents of Los Adaes were abruptly forced to relocate to Béxar, the Spanish retreat from the region created a greater opening for unregulated trade among French, American, and Italian settlers ... Pinkerton demonstrates how the region that hosted the exiled Adaeseños “became the entry point for those with bigger goals than trading horses and skins.” This event is free and open to the public. Refreshments provided. Hope to see you there.

Date: Thursday, October 22, 2026
Time: 4:30-6:00
Location: Tyrrell Historical Library (695 Pearl St. Downtown Beaumont)

10/02/2026

Last night, the Center for History & Culture hosted Dr. Demetrius Pearson who spoke about Black Salt-Grass Cowboys of SETX. Thanks to everyone who came out for this incredible talk. The next event will be "Bridles and Biscuits," with Gary Pinkerton on Thursday, October 22 @ the Tyrrell Historical Library. Stay tuned for more information.

09/30/2026

Congratulations to October student of the month Vanessa Davis.

09/28/2026

Save the date! This Thursday, join the Center for History & Culture as it hosts Dr. Demetrius Pearson who will discuss his work, examining the long history of Black cowboys and cattle raisers of SETX, "Black Salt-Grass Cowboys." Refreshments provided and this event is free and open to the public. Hope to see you there!
Date: Thursday, October 1, 2026
Time: 4:30-6:00
Location: Reaud Event Space

09/22/2026

Day and night stand in perfect balance today—a rarity in both astronomy and world history. 🍂⚖️

Happy Autumn Equinox! It will occur tonight at 7:05pm. Whether you measure the shift of seasons by the harvest calendars of antiquity or simply by the arrival of (hopefully, soon) cooler study weather, we hope your fall season is off to an inspired start.

09/17/2026

Today begins Lamar's Red Day. This is an annual virtual giving campaign where alumni, students, faculty, friends of LU, and community members unite to raise funds for the university's academic programs, student scholarships, and athletic initiatives. Red Day launched today at 10:00am and will continue for 1923 minutes--until tomorrow at 6:03pm.
https://shorturl.at/T2ZH6

09/16/2026

September 15 marked the the start of Hispanic Heritage Month! We celebrate the vital histories, cultures, and enduring contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities.

09/15/2026

Our own Dr. Tina M. Kibbe will be presenting her work, "Policing Maternal Bodies: Filicide and Reproductive Politics in the Early American Republic," at the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians next year!

09/14/2026

Our own Dr. Maria Vallejo will be presenting her work at the Save Texas History Symposium in November. Her presentation, “Acquiring Tierras Realengas: Service, Access, and Power in the Colonization of Nuevo Santander, 1749-1800,” highlights how the Spanish Crown asserted power and influence along the borderlands during its colonization. Congratulations, Dr. Vallejo!

Meet Dr. Maria G. Vallejo at the 2026 Save Texas History Symposium!

Maria is an author, researcher, and Assistant Professor at Lamar University who studies the history of land grants, gender, class, race, and citizenship throughout the Spanish and early American period in South Texas.

Her presentation, entitled “Acquiring Tierras Realengas: Service, Access, and Power in the Colonization of Nuevo Santander, 1749-1800,” will highlight how the Spanish Crown asserted power and influence along the borderlands during its colonization.

Learn more and register for the Symposium here:
https://sthsymposium.vfairs.com/

09/10/2026

The wonderful librarians and archivists at the Tyrrell Historical Library, worked with Dr. Kibbe's History Research class yesterday. The students in the class are doing semester-long research on a variety of local topics and the knowledgeable staff helped with locating sources for the students to work with. The Tyrrell Historical Library is a great place to find a variety of resources, especially for local history and genealogy. Stop by and check them out.