The Webb County Heritage Foundation, in collaboration with the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley and American Legion Post 59, will host “War and Peace on the Rio Grande, 1861-1867,”an exhibit and presentation on the Civil War history of the South Texas region that includes Laredo. The exhibit opens Friday, January 17, from 6 to 8 p.m.
In addition to the exhibit, which begins at 6:30 p.m., a book-signing and presentation will take place at the American Legion Post 59, which is directly across the street from the museum at 809 Zaragoza St.
Russell K. Skowronek, Christopher L. Miller, and Roseann Bacha-Garza, co-authors of Blue and Gray on the Border – The Rio Grande Valley Civil War Trail, will talk about their participation in this project. The speakers will present on their own Civil War-related areas of interest.
The museum exhibit, which features historic characters, events, life-size mannequins, and artifacts from that period will be on display at the Villa Antigua® Border Heritage Museum, 810 Zaragoza St.
Showcasing the 200 miles between Brownsville and Laredo, the exhibit allows visitors to experience where historic events took place.
Posters and banners of the exhibit were produced and designed by UTRGV CHAPS students and staff. The exhibit is scheduled to travel to Port Isabel, Brownsville, and Corpus Christi.
Roseann Bacha-Garza, program manager for the UTRGV Community Historical Archeology with Schools Program, CHAPS, said the event is designed to foster a space where people can engage with local history. “I think that it is important for students and the Rio Grande region’s residents learn how interesting, intriguing, and historically significant their home base is,” said Bacha-Garza, who was a part of the initial planning of the project four years ago. “We are not just a region that is floating like an island out of the frontier in the middle of nowhere,” Bacha-Garza said. “We are a significant location on the map of the United States, and we have a tremendous amount of history here that really needs to come to the forefront. We want our students, and the community at large, to be proud of where we are from.”
“Just A Ferry Ride to Freedom,” a 10-minute documentary that covers the underground railroads that passed through Rio Grande Valley ranches prior and during the Civil War will be available for viewing throughout the coming months of the exhibit’s stay at the Border Heritage Museum. The film was produced by Nick Taylor, a communications professor at the University and Damaso Creative Video Services.
For more information, contact the Webb County Heritage Foundation at (956) 727-0977 or visit www.webbheritage.org.
