McFaddin-Ward House Museum Lecture Series to Highlight 250 Years of Beaumont History on Nov. 12

Beaumont, TX; Oct. 27, 2026 – In commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary, local historian Judith Walker Linsley will explore the fascinating story of Beaumont during the free public lecture, “America 250: A Beaumont History,” to be presented by the McFaddin-Ward House Museum on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 6:30 p.m. in the Museum’s Visitor Center Lecture Hall (1906 Calder Avenue, Beaumont).

A sixth-generation Southeast Texan, Linsley will share her extensive knowledge of the region’s history, taking listeners on an odyssey from the area’s pre-Beaumont roots with the Indigenous Ishak people and early explorers through major milestones like city settlement, the lumber and oil booms, two World Wars, the Great Depression, and the technological and industrial expansions leading up to the modern day.

“There’s a lot to cover in 250 years,” Linsley said. “It’s essential to teach the next generation the history of this area, for them to learn from both its accomplishments and its shortcomings. How humans utilized our natural resources over 250 years, how they survived and even prospered, is also an educational experience. As one of Beaumont’s former mayors said, ‘If you don’t know where you’ve been, you can’t know where you’re going.’”

In addition to her work as a historian, Linsley has been a member of the McFaddin-Ward House Museum staff for nearly 40 years. She has served in a range of roles in interpretation, education, curation, and research, including her current role as research assistant, and has conducted more than 100 oral history interviews for the Museum.

“I’ve been very fortunate in having a job I loved and wouldn’t be anywhere else,” Linsley said. “I feel that by collecting local history, I’m performing a valuable community service, especially with the publishing and educational programs that the McFaddin-Ward House Museum produces.”

A Lamar University alumna with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and a Master of Arts in History, Linsley served as the second director of Lamar’s Center for History and Culture of Southeast Texas and the Upper Gulf Coast and has been an adjunct instructor of both Texas and U.S. history at Lamar. She has co-authored three books, including the award-winning “Giant Under the Hill: A History of the Spindletop Oil Discovery at Beaumont, Texas, in 1901” (2002) and “The McFaddin-Ward House” (1992), as well as numerous historical articles.

“History isn’t actually a static subject; there are still things to be learned,” Linsley said. “That’s what keeps it interesting. Now and in the future, the history community has the responsibility to search for and disseminate the truth as accurately as we possibly can.”

McFaddin-Ward House Museum lectures are admission-free and open to the public, but space is limited. Doors open at 6 p.m. For more information, call 409-832-2134.

For those unable to attend, the full lecture will be available for viewing on the Museum YouTube Channel (youtube.com/@mcfaddinwardhouse), Facebook (facebook.com/McFaddinWardHouse), and website (mcfaddin-ward.org/about/videos) after the event.

The lecture is part of Southeast Texas 250, a regional initiative to commemorate the U.S. Semiquincentennial celebration. Led by the Beaumont Heritage Society, Southeast Texas 250 brings together museums, historical organizations, schools, civic groups and local governments throughout the region to celebrate the people, places and stories that have shaped Southeast Texas and its role in the broader American story.