On Friday, February 7, at 6:00 p.m., join Language Keeper Do’wal Sehi (Sunshine in English) as she shares a humble retelling of the journey of revitalizing the Karankawa Language. This lecture is 45 minutes long and begins with a contemporary history of the Karankawa People, the discovery and cumulation of Karankawa Vocabulary, the hardships along the way, new discoveries, and where the path of larger cultural revitalization is heading. Hear the tried-and-true story of how nothing that is ever labeled as “extinct” really ever is and also see the exhibit KARANKAWA: AN ENDURING CULTURE OF TEXAS EXHIBIT on display until March 29, 2025. $5 Program Ticket includes wine and cheese reception and access to the exhibit.

Speaker’s Biography:

Do’wal Sehi is an indigenous educator, resistance artist, and language keeper from the Karankawa Hawk Clan. She currently works as an Indigenous Educator for a Health and Wellness Resort where she is inspired by Karankawa spirituality and ideology to hold space for and educate others to reconnect to the natural world, undo harmful colonial rhetoric, and find peace within themselves and the Mother Earth.

Her goal is to protect and serve her people, the original land stewards, and to educate those who are seeking it. On this journey, she has organized protests for her people, spoken at call to actions advocating for repatriation, reparations, and basic human rights, designed and offered classes and lectures, as well as shown in gallery spaces across Austin, TX. Her most recent goal is to inspire resistance, decolonization, and education through her art and lectures.

History on Tap is a free program for the community held at North Shepherd Brewing at 6:30 p.m. 4816 N. Shepherd Drive HTX 77018

Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at 6:30 PM

Speaker: Dr. Brian Riedel “Whose Montrose?: a Neighborhood History”

Elite suburb, “gayborhood,” crime-ridden urban core, cultural mecca, gentrified contradiction – Montrose has been all these things and more. In this talk, Brian Riedel of Rice University will discuss the history of this iconic Houston neighborhood and its place in the city’s imagination of itself.

Bio:

A native of North Carolina, Brian Riedel has called Houston home since 1997.  In his role as Associate Director for the Center for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality at Rice University, he connects community conversations and academic resources through teaching, research, and public events.  He is currently completing a book manuscript, 'Sex, Race, and the City: New Histories of Houston,' a history of the city that centers its sexual and racial past.  Outside these pursuits, he enjoys spending time with his husband and their two dogs.  You can learn more about him at https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/brian-riedel.

Lunch and Learns have returned! Please join us for Black History and Texas History with author Dr. Ronald Goodwin on Thursday, June 20, at Noon. Dr. Ronald Goodwin from Prairie View A&M University will discuss the collection of slave narratives in Texas during the preservation efforts of the New Deal in the 1930s.

About the Author and Speaker: Dr. Goodwin has lectured at The Heritage Society and is a distinguished Co-Chair of the Levi Jordan Plantation Advisory Committee for the Texas Historical Commission, 2020-present. He is the General Editor, PVAMU Book Series, Texas A&M University Press, 2019-present. He has taught coursed in US History Survey, African American History, Urban History, American Chattel Slavery, Military History, Contemporary US History, and Early National US History.

Bring your own lunch or order lunch from Potbelly’s when you purchase your ticket online (please order lunch by June 18).

TICKETS

We are thankful for historic milestones and would like our guests to come learn about the 60th anniversary of The Kennedys visit to Houston and their speeches at The Rice Hotel in Downtown.  This special indoor exhibit portrays how November 21, 1963, was a celebration of Presidential recognition for Latinos as a voting bloc. Enjoy complimentary Mexican pan dulce and beverages.

Did you know that while the President was in Downtown Houston, he attended a dinner at The Houston Coliseum (the Hobby Center) honoring U.S. Rep. Albert Thomas and his work to bring the Manned Space Center to Houston? Now, you know, and you will learn other significant facts leading up to Kennedy’s visit and the day after his visit to Houston in Dallas when the world learned about his assassination.

What is a SIP? Explore Houston’s interesting places and history on these guided tours with subject matter experts! See Interesting Places (SIP) is an adventure that highlights Houston sites. 

Discover the Old World Charm of The Beaconsfield with Stephen Fox

Wednesday, November 8

6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Our exploration guide is architectural and historical subject matter expert Stephen Fox. Fox is an architectural historian and a Fellow of the Anchorage Foundation of Texas. He is a lecturer in architecture at Rice University and the University of Houston. Fox is the author of the Houston Architectural Guide (2023), published by the American Institute of Architects, Houston Chapter. He is also the author of The Architecture of Birdsall P. Briscoe.

Our Destination -

The Beaconsfield is a 7-story high residential building with 18 lofts built in 1911 and is listed on the US Interior Department’s National Register of Historic Places.  The Beaconsfield has a rich history, visible in its architectural design. It lies at 1700 Main Street, touted as the first high-rise complex in Houston. The building retained its facade, including the 11′-12′ beamed ceilings, gas fireplaces, most of the original hardware, and the original elevator (still operated by the doorman).  It has an attended lobby with an Old World setting complete with French doors and arched stained-glass panels.

When we do these tours, we get the chills.  We also love it when guests share their baffling sightings, we totally get it.  Experience the past that may still be benignly hanging around these houses from the 1800s and early 1900s.  Sweet treats and punch served with this specialty tour.  Kids will receive goody bags. Simply book a regular tour for October 28 at 1 PM or 2:30 PM.

Enjoy a tour of East Downtown with Mister McKinney of Mister McKinney’s Historic Houston. Hop on an open-air (convertible) bus to enjoy East Downtown’s history and culture, our mural, and the LULAC Council 60 building. Saturday, October 7 and Sunday, October 8 at 2 PM and 3 PM. First come, first serve (no RSVP required). This event is #FREE thanks to our board member Mister McKinney and our generous sponsor Constellation Energy. All we ask as a favor to follow Houston History Bus and Mister McKinney’s Historic Houston on social media. Parking is at 212 Dallas Street Houston, TX 77002.
@constellationenergy @mistermckinneyshistorichouston @houstonhistorybus @lulaccouncil60 @mikaela.selley @yanethmartell #thingstodoinhouston #tours #history #nationalhispanicheritagemonth

Enjoy a tour of East Downtown with Mister McKinney of Mister McKinney’s Historic Houston. Hop on an open-air (convertible) bus to enjoy East Downtown’s history and culture, our mural, and the LULAC Council 60 building. October 7 and October 8. First come, first serve. This event is free thanks to our board member and a generous sponsor Constellation Energy. All we ask as a favor to follow Houston History Bus and Mister McKinney’s Historic Houston on social media. Parking is at 212 Dallas Street Houston, TX 77002.

Join us on Wednesday, 10/4 on Facebook or Instagram at 7 p.m. and learn about Mister McKinney of Mister McKinney's Historic Houston hosts Facebook Live with author JD Doyle in this free, online program.

JD Doyle, a Houston-based LGBTQ historian was awarded the Texas Digital Library’s (TDL) 2021 Trailblazer Award. The award honors the work of an individual or group that has used limited resources in innovative ways to create and maintain digital collections.   TDL’s mission of ensuring equitable access to and preservation of digital content of value [for research and teaching], cultural heritage, and institutional memory.

In his new book, Doyle shares a deeply personal story of his cross-country odyssey at age 34 through the burgeoning gay American subculture developing in cities large and small. Entitled 1981—My Gay American Road Trip: A Slice of Pre-AIDS Culture, the book is based on a journal that Doyle kept of his adventures as he traveled from the East Coast to the West Coast and back again.

Join us on Wednesday, 4/5 on Facebook or Instagram at 7 PM and learn about the past architectural stories of buildings and homes that once bustled. Mister McKinney of Mister McKinney's Historic Houston hosts Facebook Live with Minnette Boesel in this #free online program.

Minnette B. Boesel of Houston was named the Texas Society of Architects’ Cornerstone Award recipient (for non-architect leaders) for 2019. This award recognizes outstanding contributions by leaders in the community that enhance the quality of life by elevating architecture and the arts, and promoting the value of community.  In 2022, Boesel was awarded Preservationist of the Year by Mayor Sylvester Turner.

With a background in the arts, historic preservation, and real estate, Boesel has been a leader in the enhancement of the built environment of Houston for decades. In the 1980s, when the city lacked any preservation ordinances, Boesel with others led efforts to revitalize downtown and invested in developing the W.L. Foley building to show what could be accomplished with historic properties. She served as executive director of the Downtown Houston Association, founding director of the Market Square Historic District Project, and established a real estate company, Minnette Boesel Properties, to work with developers to save and reuse historic properties. 

Boesel’s contributions have been an integral part of the city becoming more interested in preserving its historic past — the city now has more than 400 designated and protected landmarks and numerous historic districts. Boesel has served as director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and a member of the Rice Design Alliance and Houston Arts Alliance boards, among others. She was the chair of Houston’s Archeological and Historical Commission, an advisory board member for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and founding director of the Astrodome Conservancy and the Julia Ideson Library Preservation Partners.