Even though it seems that is may be a long while until I can get my hands on a copy of the Higgins films for the towns of Beasley and Hungerford, I decided to use the time afforded me by my spring break in order to visit each town and discover a bit about each, so that any possible future viewing of the films could be well-informed.
Beasley was established in 1898, and currently hosts a population of 590. Hungerford’s population numbers 645, and while I founding date could not be established, it is known that there was ranching activity in the area in the early 1880’s. This information – along with information gathered concerning churches and school houses in the area, as well as the history of the J.D. Hugins Ranch, which was critical in the growth of Hungerford, and what I could gather from the Beasley City Hall - should provide a sufficient frame of context for viewing the film.
Though I tried to inquire some of the following information from town residents, most seem unwilling to talk to me, while others were either too young to have the answers (as was most often the case) or did not have a clear enough recollection. Thus I resigned myself to walking around the town in hopes of getting a sense of the town’s layout, it’s older buildings, etc., so that I might be able to identify changes in the towns vis-à-vis the films.
In addition, I also wrote down the street names/intersections of the town’s landmarks, and took numerous pictures for a past-present comparison. Unfortunately, I dropped my camera early in the day, so most of the pictures were taken on my cell phones, leading to slight drop in visual quality, and for now, I can’t upload them to the internet for wider viewing. (I have just the simplest cell phone plan – the price one pays to be a grad student.) I have also procured street maps from Google, so that I might be able to note any changes in the layout of the town from Higgins’ time to today. At this point, I believe that I will see significant change in Hungerford, as its street layout feeling very organic and evolving, as opposed to the rigid grid pattern that exists in Beasley.
Even though I have yet to see the films concerning these two towns, I did notice some interesting aspect of the towns, both individually and in comparison. This has left me with a set of observations/questions to pay attention to when I do watch the films:
· Beasley is split in half by loop 540/the railroad line. The North side seems to have stuck close to farming, while the south side is more populated with modern industry. Is there anything in the Higgins’ films to suggest why this is so?
· Churches has existed longer (and in larger numbers) than those of Hungerford. Why?
· Thought the Hugins Ranch seems to be the focal point of the town, there are exists a large gin mill. Was this at one time more economically important than the Ranch?
· Based on a plaque in Hungerford, there was a town called Quinan close by, but as the ranching industry began to pick up speed, the town was eventually swallowed up by Beasely. The plaque claims that Quinan’s decline started in 1882, but it doesn’t give an end date; could there possibly be any footage related to this is Hungerford film?
· Beasley has an official Fire Department, while Hungerford’s runs on a volunteer basis. How long have these two systems been in place? Did these two towns ever once rely on each other.
· Today, there exist two towns between Beasley and Hungerford as one travels on Highway 59, Needville and Kendleton, both of which existed in 1939. Why were these not included? Did any footage of these towns make it into either two films? If so, why?
Admittedly, the above list of questions may be a bit far-fetched, and the likelihood that the films would answer even half these questions is quite low. In fact, the films could open an entirely new line(s) of research. But until I actually view them, I won’t know, and in the mean time I will continue to ponder a variety of historical questions based on the information I have at hand.
And so for now, I must through it to you readers out there. Do you know any of the answers to the questions above? Did you live in Hungerford and/or Beasley during or around the time that Higgins visited the towns, or know someone who did? Do you perhaps know the location of the films, or have contact information for the person who does? If so, leave a comment below, or contact us at thehigginsprojecttx@gmail.com.
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