Coastal Cowboys Exhibition Ends Successful Run at Bryan Museum in Galveston

By Marie Hughes, Chambers County Museum in Wallisville

  It was standing room only in the beautiful Conservatory at the Bryan Museum last Thursday evening with about 115 folks celebrating the successful run of Bryan Museum’s special exhibition Coastal Cowboys: Celebrating the History and Legacy of Coastal Ranching. Smokey Culver, poet laureate, shared his musical talents leading up to the event and after introductions were made by Jim Hodges, the talented cowboy poet and horse trainer, Bob Kahla opened the discussion with his poem “What it Takes to Be a Cowboy.” All were enthralled as the Coastal Cowboy panel, Jim Hodges, Bob Kahla, Lloyd Maxwell and Dave Scott, shared the instrumental impact their families had in shaping the ranching industry of Texas. The discussion covered the cattle from longhorns to Brangus, the great cow horses preferred by ranchers, horse training, roundups, rodeos, cattle buying, packing houses, longhorn removal and more! What an entertaining and informative night!! The panel left the crowd hungering for more information and wishing they could hold them there a while longer. Smokey Culver closed the event, once again sharing his musical talents softly in the background as folks mingled and soaked up as much of the ranching history as they could from the panel before heading for home.

  Ranching heirs and descendants from Chambers and Liberty Counties were well represented. Bob Kahla, Kathrine White, widow of the late Bill White, their daughter Mary Kathrine and husband Albert Moursund, and son Kyle White, Danella Syphrett McCarty, Susan Edwards Bollich, Clay and Karla Dean, Kim Roy Turner, Richie and Wendy Devillier, Nancy Royce, Terrell Meaux, and Marsha and Moody Fredenburg attended.

  Our good neighbors from Liberty County Carl and Laura Pickett were there along with Boyt Ranch descendants: Lloyd Maxwell with Stella Goebel, Lloyd’s son Jud Maxwell and daughter Anne Maxwell Ortiz, Arthur Maxwell and daughter Amy Maxwell Chase with husband Pete and children, Don Maxwell and daughter Amanda Holz and children and son Jason Maxwell, David Maxwell and son Michael with partner Silvia Silva.  

  Many thanks to the Bryan Museum in Galveston for highlighting the heritage of cowboys and ranches in southeast Texas!