Center for History and Culture
of Southeast Texas and the Upper Gulf Coast
Founded in 2016 by Dr. Mary Scheer as one Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s “Visionary Initiatives,” the Center serves the many constituencies of Â鶹ÊÓƵ students and faculty, the communities of Southeast Texas and the greater Gulf Coast, and the scholars and creatives who explore the region’s past and present. The Center promotes the study of these regions with a commitment to multicultural, interdisciplinary, collaborative, and community-focused projects.
The Center hosts programs that highlight the work of artists, authors, scholars, community leaders, and others who represent varied specializations and backgrounds. It also awards two annual book prizes and funds original research, creativity, and community outreach through its fellowship program.
October 22, 2026
Bridles and Biscuits with Gary L. Pinkerton
Thursday, 4:30-6:00 pm. Tyrrell Historical Library (695 Pearl St, Beaumont, TX 77701).
Gary 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.” Pinkerton is the Executive Director of the Alliance for Texas History and the author of Trammel’s Trace: The First Road to Texas from the North (2016) and other books. Refreshments provided. Free and open to all.