Stamford by James Collett and the Cowboy Country Museum, and: Gillespie County by Gillespie County Historical Society (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Stamfordby James Collett and the Cowboy Country Museum, and: Gillespie Countyby Gillespie County Historical Society Noël Harris Freeze Stamford. By James Collett and the Cowboy Country Museum. (Mount Pleasant, S.C.: Arcadia Publishing, 2013, Pp. 128. Illustrations.) Gillespie County. By Gillespie County Historical Society. (Mount Pleasant, S.C.: Arcadia Publishing, 2013, Pp. 128. Illustrations, bibliography.) Stamfordand Gillespie County,from Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America Series, document the cultural, social, and technological progression of two very different communities. While Stamfordillustrates the rapid progress of a West Texas town following its inclusion on a railroad line, Gillespie Countyportrays the steady growth of a close-knit German Texan Hill Country settlement. Each book tells a compelling story, but the format of Arcadia’s publications has limitations. Constantly seeking submissions, Arcadia democratically publishes [End Page 432]work of writers with varying degrees of skill, from the enthusiast to the academic. Occasionally incorrect data or folk histories are published as fact. Any questionable or decidedly popular information seems masked by the tidy, uniform book layout. Publications in the Images of America series consist of an introduction followed by collected photographs with brief captions, with little if any end matter. The brevity of the text can create the feel of a disjointed scrapbook presenting photographs related only by geography. However, Stamfordauthor James Collett skillfully combines images that effectively communicate the one hundred plus years of Stamford’s unique past. Collett, author of two other Images of America books, Fort Stocktonand Midland,drew from the Cowboy Country Museum’s collection for Stamford’simages. He creates a portfolio that avoids stereotype and caricature, and focuses on a visual narrative, seemingly complex and rare. By the time Stamford was established, photography had been around for sixty years. The first years of Stamford’s history are clearly documented black and white images. Collett shows the town’s beginning as a railroad hub for ranchers and farmers who exported cattle and crops eastward to demanding markets. The most fascinating aspect of Stamfordis the convergence of twentieth-century modernity and a fledgling West Texas town. There are photographs of men wearing fine suits dining from a chuck wagon and cowboys in full western regalia preparing to play baseball. Panoramic landscapes, portraiture, and shots of early commercial interiors all illustrate how downtown Stamford offered “a reprieve from the monotony of country life” (82). With Gillespie County,the Gillespie Historical Society illustrates Fredericksburg area history from 1846 to the 1960s. As a community effort, Gillespie Historical Society members, private collectors, the Pioneer Museum staff, and volunteers worked together to create the compilation of images. Each photograph seems carefully chosen to reflect the area’s civic pride and community culture. Gillespie Countyorganizes photographs into chapters loosely related by subject matter: building types, local families, education, commerce, and agriculture. Rather than celebrating the success of technological progress, Gillespie County celebrates the community’s accomplishments, achieved through cooperative kinship. The authors succeed in producing a charming scrapbook of municipal success that will be endearing to local citizens. Although Gillespie Countyincludes a short bibliography, Arcadia’s publications end abruptly, simply ending after the photographs run out. Photographs are cited in captions only occasionally, bringing into question the authenticity and appropriateness of the included material. However, these publications cannot be held to the same rigorous standards as academic histories. The intention of the Images of America Series is to celebrate local history rather than to scrutinize it. Architectural historians might find these books useful as reference guides for extant and demolished historic structures. History enthusiasts will enjoy them as assemblies of local memory, historical trivia, and community pride. While Stamfordand Gillespie Countymight leave many questions to be answered elsewhere, these books successfully introduce the reader to the history of these unique communities. [End Page 433] Noël Harris Freeze Austin, Texas Copyright © 2014 The Texas State Historical Association