Issue 02 | July, 2020
The History Museum and Plantation Site
continue to mix the OLD with the NEW
NEW EXHIBIT
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN POSTERS
OPENS JULY 7th
Sponsored by
and candidates for local office
R.L. (Buster) Buell, Kristin Bulanek, Ro'Vin Garrett ,
Courtney Gilbert, Patrick Henry,
Fred Ortiz, Gerald Roznovsky, Cody Vasut
Sign of the Times: The Great American Political Poster 1844-2012
Unidentified artist, Democratic Party candidates John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson; offset lithography, 20 1/2 x 3 3/16 inches; Courtesy of Hal Wert.
Historically, the ephemeral hardworking American political poster has been hiding in plain sight, attempting to catch our eye and capture our vote through the use of visual language. In a survey that spans the life of these ubiquitous messengers, Sign of the Times : The Great American Political Poster 1844–2012 , explores a variety of styles, design trends, and printing technology that will delight your eye, engage your imagination, and lead you to ruminate over past political commitments. Sign of the Times features the most exciting and rarely seen posters created in the last 170 years.
July 4th AT THE JACKSON PLANTATION
(Open 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.)
Visit the ruins of the 19th century sugar mill.
Learn all about the early sugar-making process.
Purchase something cool from Ko na I c e
and enjoy your treat while you explore the grounds. The snow cone truck will be on site from 2-4:00 p.m. A big thank you to our volunteers Phillip Riggs, Jim & Schelli Martin, and Larry & Sherrie Ezell.
MEET THE DIRECTOR
Robert Rule has been the Executive Director for almost 8 years. He believes strongly in the value of history."Preserving and sharing the events of the past, good and bad, informs our understanding of the world we live in today." Robert is an alumnus of Georgia Tech and Georgia Military College. He enjoys working with his hands as an avid woodworker and pretends to be a mechanic. Robert resides in Lake Jackson with his wife and daughter.
Old Item........Curious Collections
This salt shaker was donated by Robbie Rouse in 2006. It had belonged to her father-in-law, who was an employee of the Freeport Sulphur Company. Her gift was accompanied by a picture of Marie Baker Waller, who worked in the dining room of the Dow Hotel in Freeport, Texas. The shaker was manufactured by Paul Peters Company, Tyler, Texas. Curator Angela Villarreal is trying to determine where the shaker was used: in Dow mess facilities, handed out as a promotional, or sold to the public. If you have any additional information, please contact her.
HEY, KIDS!!!
Do you know the name of the airplane hanging in the museum?

Test your detective skills when you visit!! BISD teachers Lauri Cherian and Connie Haws have designed a NEW SCAVENGER HUNT to help you learn about Lake Jackson. Complete the HUNT and earn a prize!!
BUY A BRICK!
Leave your lasting imprint AND support the LJHA at the same time.

Pave the walkway to the museum or the Jackson Plantation Historic Site with your personalized brick. Order a Brick here.
OLDIE, but Goodie... Lake Theatre
It’s Saturday night in 1974 in Lake Jackson, TX, and you are 15 years old. Where are you thinking about going? To “the show”! “The show” back in those days meant the Lake Theatre in downtown Lake Jackson. Nestled under large oak trees, the Lake Theatre was designed by Alden B. Dow. Built for a cost of about $35,000, it had a seating capacity of 500, according to The Lake Jackson Chronicles: A History of Lake Jackson, Texas .
Grand Opening of the Lake Theater February, 1945
J.R. Hollomon and B.C. Gibson opened the theater on February 1, 1945, with Tahiti Nights being the first movie shown. The theater originally ran second run films. These were films first run by larger movie theaters, according to John Huebel, owner from 1952-1997. The population of Lake Jackson in 1952 was 2,562, and the Lake Theater was a great source of family
entertainment. On Saturday, a string of cartoons, Huebel called a cartoon carnival, along with an adventure story was run as a double bill. “Kids would stay as long as they had a penny in their pockets," according to Huebel.
A twist of fate occurred when Huebel had the opportunity to run Giant on a first run. After that, the theater ran first-run films. Back in the early fifties, Huebel said it cost anywhere from $15 to $75 to buy a picture. He said, “The detective stories were very poor draws, but any kind of action picture and the good westerns did well. The cowboys outdid the detectives 10-1!” He also talked about controlling the types of pictures he showed. To ensure good behavior on Friday night and the double feature on Saturday night, he had to hire extra workers to “help control the house." He said, “The kids were good, but when you put that many together, it required lots of supervision!”
In the early 70's, the theater was remodeled with a plantation facade, and an additional theater, Lake II, was added to the complex. It was located where Taco Cabana stands today. In 1997, however, both theaters closed. The original theater was eventually purchased by a local entertainer, Bobby Reed and his wife Carolyn, in order to be a live performance theater. It still stands today and is available for commercial use.
Lake Jackson Trivia
The longest street in Lake Jackson is Oyster Creek Drive at 2.5 miles.

To date, who has been the only female mayor of Lake Jackson?
A Special Thank You to Our June Donors
Carl Wolfe, Jo Ann Forse, and Emily Osborn
Robert Rule
Executive Director
Angela Villarreal
Curator
Cecilia Abad
Digital Programing Specialist


Call Us at 979-297-1570