Antebellum Jefferson, Texas: Everyday Life in an East Texas Town

41. Culture and Entertainment

530 Jefferson did not have much in the way of culture, and what little there was shaded off into entertainment. This should not be surprising for a new town on the edge of the frontier with a free adult population of 435 in 1860 in a young, pragmatic, and expanding country with little interest in culture. However, even by the standards of the time and place, Jefferson was found to be somewhat deficient by friendly observers like Charles DeMorse of Clarksville. Jeffersonians, according to DeMorse, did not have time for the “finer things of life” because they were too busy making money. This is a valid observation. Jefferson was not a town of small shopkeepers but of major merchants in expanding businesses, and merchants typically worked late into the night with their clerks. Hard work and restiveness looks to entertainment for the expenditure of leisure time, because culture requires effort . Culture is both personal and public. On the personal side, travelers to East Texas were always struck by the high quality of libraries in even fairly modest plantation homes. These libraries usually contained bibles, religious tracts, political tracts, classical literature, poetry, histories , biographies, and books on agriculture and political theory. A few hints from estate accounts in Jefferson suggest similar literature, but with such things as medical and legal texts replacing books on agriculture for the professional class. Academies provided training in music, painting, and drawing. There are a few mentions of pianos in 41. Culture anD entertainment 531 Culture and Entertainment private residences. Newspapers contained poems by local and nationally recognized poets and stories of adventure and romance, usually with moral points. Magazines such as Harper’s and The Atlantic were popular and widely read. A large bookstore was established in Jefferson in 1860 with a wide range of books and musical instruments. On the public side, Jefferson did not have a theater, in spite of the fact that people like Urquhart and Alley were generous in their donations of land to schools and churches. Theatrical performances, which were fairly numerous, were apparently conducted in places like the Alhambra Hall. Painting The first mention of a cultural event in Jefferson is provided by Robert Loughery of the Marshall Texas Republican in October 1849. This was apparently a traveling exhibit of paintings, because the artist was not a Jefferson resident: “We neglected to notice at the proper time, from the crowd of political matter, our pleasant visit to Jefferson . While there, we had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Sala’s exhibition of paintings. They are well worthy of an extended notice, which we would give if we had room. The audience was very large, and all who witnessed them, were pleased and edified.” One artist by the name of J. G. Richmond (36-year-old male born in Connecticut) is listed in the 1860 census, but nothing is known about his activities other than that he was responsible for the decor in Freeman’s Hall. Music There are no mentions of concerts or musical presentations of any type. One musician, the 22-year-old male L. Keizer born in Prussia, is listed in the 1860 census. Although the nature of his activities is unknown , he was apparently a professional musician. Rachael Smither, an 18-year-old music teacher, is also listed in the census. She was apparently teaching out of her home, because she was married and does not appear to have been associated with a school. The fiddle was, of course, always a component of dances and balls, and bands accompanied parades. 532 Antebellum Jefferson, Texas Theater Thespians were very common amateur dramatic groups that were formed by young people who engaged in local presentations, usually for benefits. There was a Thespian corps in Jefferson before September 1851 when they appeared in a benefit that was being held by a Mrs. Strong. They engaged in skits and comic and dramatic dialogue. As with most other clubs of the 1800s, membership was restricted to males. Mutual improvement was the internal goal, and entertainment was the societal goal. The Thespian corps in Jefferson was presumably intermittent, because it reformed in 1853 and 1854. The Strongs were apparently directors of a professional troupe that traveled from town to town presenting light comedy. Loughery attended one of their performances in Jefferson in September 1851: “On Wednesday evening, we had an interesting theatrical performance, under the direction of Mr. and Mrs. Strong...