Center for Regional Heritage Research

Heritage Development Summit 2012

The Heritage Development Summit will be taking place on March 8, 2012 starting with registration at 8:00am. The Heritage Development Summit will discuss the economic transitioning of the growing East Texas counties and Western Louisiana parishes.

For more information, please click here for details.

Seating is very limited so we ask that you RSVP by calling 936-468-3953 or email crhr@sfasu.edu .

This program was made possible in part with a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Co-sponsored by the Stephen F. Austin State University Department of History, the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis, the School of Social Work, and the East Texas Historical Association.

Booksigning with Author Rolonda D. Teal

Join the Stone Fort Museum on Friday, February 10th at 1:00pm for a discussion and booksigning with the author of the book Natchitoches Parish Rolonda D. Teal. Copies of her book will also be for sale at $19.99 each.

Time and Place

Friday, February 10, 2012 at 1:00pm
Stone Fort Museum
Campus of Stephen F. Austin State University
Nacogdoches, TX

"The Long Black Line" Fifth Year Anniversary Tour

The Long Black Line (LBL) will celebrate its fifth anniversary with a special tour of the African American historic rural communities of Mt. Union and Magnolia Springs in Jasper County, Texas, on February 25, 2012.

The LBL explores and documents the values of the families who lived there, their relationship to the land, and their historical legacy in America. The LBL was founded in 2007 to share the history of the African American rural communities of East Texas through research, lectures, tours, and films. The director of the organization, Herman Wright Jr., was named as a Research Fellow at the Center for Regional Heritage Research in 2010.

For more information on the LBL and this fifth anniversary tour, visit www.thelongblackline.org or email Herman Wright at herman_wright@thelongblackline.org or at (818) 317 - 8039 .

Local Voices Returns! -- New Articles for January 2012

We're back and ready to work! Ever since the beginning of the Local Voices project here on the Center for Regional Heritage Research, it has been a complete success! We have dedicated readers waiting each month for that new article over the next bit of forgotten history.

January brings us four new articles, with I'm sure plenty more to follow in the upcoming year:

"The Old Military Bridge on Sandy Creek" -- By Rickey Robertson
"Olden Days of Dentistry" -- By Deborah Burkett
"Prairie Grove Missionary Baptist Church" -- By Elaine Bay
"Humbled Dizzy Dean Dazzled Gregg County" -- By Van Craddock

In order to view these articles, as well as many more, click on the "Local Writers' Columns" link to the left.

Local Voices Project Welcomes Several New Writers

The CRHR's Local Voices Project is pleased to introduce several new writers' columns for November. Our recent additions include Jerry Pennington's "From Saw Dust to Oil Sludge, an Adventure in Southeast Texas" representing Orange County; Judy Linsley's "Jefferson County Chronicles"; Robert Schaadt's "Liberty County Tales"; Justin Robinson's "Gathered Seeds of Gardening Lore" representing Rusk County; and Vina Lee's "Peek into Panola." All of these columns can be found on our Local Writer's Columns page. We also have several new articles up for December from our current writers.

Corrigan Heritage Center Project

The City of Corrigan and the Center for Regional Heritage Research conducted a joint processing day on Thursday Sept 8 in the city hall annex in Corrigan. Prior to our arrival, Kelly Shadix and other local leaders organized the city's historical materials according to donator. Upon arrival the team conducted a quick analysis of the materials with particular attention given to creator, date, type and condition. Following standard collectors management practices, the team then made item or folder-level descriptions of each collection. Once this preliminary finding aid was completed, the list was added to an Excel spreadsheet and each collection was assigned a box number. By the end of the day we had successfully assessed the City's historic holdings which included items such as a doctor's kit, a 1913 adding machine, World War II ration books, turn-of-the century school photographs and sports trophies. All of these items, the majority of which were in good stable condition were re-housed in fresh boxes. We will now begin to digitize some of the materials to provide access while the city progresses in the process of rehabilitating a former 1910s grocery store to function as a community archive and museum.

Built in 1935, this venerable, historic building is located at what was once the very center of community life in Corrigan. Surrounded by a myriad of other downtown businesses, this store building houses a once thriving retail grocery business. It was here that folks not only bought their week's provisions for the family, but in the unhurried pace of the day took time to socialize, talk to other neighbors, and catch up on the latest happenings in Corrigan and the surrounding communities.

The Corrigan Heritage Center will be the catalyst for social and community activity in Corrigan. Besides housing exhibits of historical and cultural significance for display, the Center will attract contributions of artifacts and collection for archival, restoration, and study purposes. Genealogical and other historic data will be preserved and catalogued for future reference and safekeeping. This Center will eventually become a treasure trove of great value to families, school children, and anyone interested in the rich history of Corrigan, Polk County and deep East Texas.

In addition to its role as a repository of all things historic, the Corrigan Heritage Center will be a vibrant active hub for a variety of social opportunities... reunions, receptions, meetings, and celebration of every description.

For more information on the project, click here

Artist's Representation of the Corrigan Heritage Center

Mission

We are a community of scholars and researchers from across East Texas who investigate and document the natural and cultural heritage of the region.

We seek to broaden our collective understanding of our shared history, to map the human geography of East Texas, and to construct a "usable past" that can be utilized as a resource for community and economic development.

Move your mouse over the map and click on a county or parish to learn more about it's unique history.

Stephen F. Austin State University