Galveston’s Bryan Museum Showcases Coastal Ranches

By Gloria Way

  Looking for a road trip that will be both fun and educational? Look no further than our own Galveston Island, home to The Bryan Museum which is housed in the historic Galveston Orphans Home. The Bryan Collection, a private collection, is one of the world’s largest collections of historical artifacts, documents, and artwork relating to Texas and the American West. 

  This past Saturday evening, The Bryan Museum held a reception for its members and special guests to celebrate the opening of its newest exhibit, “The Beginnings of Coastal Ranching”. J.P Bryan, founder of the Bryan Museum, emphasized the importance of the cattle industry in Texas and especially along the mineral rich grasslands along Texas’s gulf coast. “You cannot talk about Texas history without talking about the cattle industry,” said Bryan. He in particular mentioned Chambers County’s White Ranch, calling J.T. White I “the cattle king of Texas”. The exhibit highlights several ranches and dozens of ranchers who help shape the cattle industry. For instance, Chambers County’s Monroe White is credited with building the first barbed wire cattle fence in Southeast Texas.

  Several descendants and heirs of the original J.T. White family trekked to Galveston for the opening of “The Beginnings of Coastal Ranching” exhibit and were very pleased with how all the information was presented. Kudos to the Bryan Museum team for all their hard work and research to bring forward such a fascinating exhibit.

  The Bryan Museum is located at 1315 21^st, Galveston, Texas 77550. The museum is closed on Monday and Tuesday, and is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10am to 5pm. The telephone number is 409-220-3020.