Texas’ legendary cattle industry originated in the Coastal Bend.  The exhibition, Cattle Boom! Ranching in Victoria and the Coastal Bend, 1845 – 1929, explores a time of remarkable change in the land, the stock and the people of the Texas ranching trade.
Cattle Boom! tells the story of ranching families, cattle drives and ranching culture through artifacts, historical photographs, documents and maps from regional collections.  This exhibition is organized exclusively for the Museum of the Coastal Bend and will not be seen elsewhere.  In support of the museum’s exhibition, the Victoria College/University of Houston-Victoria Library is hosting an online exhibit of historical ranching photographs from families in Victoria and the surrounding region.
A grand opening for the exhibition will be held on Thursday, April 7 with a keynote address by Todd Staples, Commissioner of Agriculture for the State of Texas.  Tickets for the event are available at the Museum of the Coastal Bend.
Guided tours for elementary and secondary students are currently being scheduled for this spring, and are specifically designed to assist teachers in meeting and reinforcing TEKS curriculum requirements.
Cattle Boom! has been organized with the assistance of Raymond Starr, Ph.D., historical consultant, and the VC/UHV Library. The online exhibit is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services and the TexTreasures Grant Program of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Cattle Boom! will be open to the public from March 29, 2011 through 2012.   Viewing hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
The Museum of the Coastal Bend is located on the campus of Victoria College, Victoria, TX, at the corner of East Red River and Ben Jordan. Admission is $3.50 for adults, $2.50 for senior citizens, and $2 for students ages 4 years through 8th grade.  Admission is free for museum members, faculty, staff and students of Victoria College and the University of Houston – Victoria, and for children under 4 years of age.