Ordinary Folk and a Fire - The JR Gonzales Collection

This silent black-and-white footage, likely recorded by Wharton businessman W. Galbreath in the early 1930s, captures the rubble of a serious fire, Gulf Coast landmarks, and ordinary Texans delighting in the presence of the movie camera. Men in suits chat outside a cafe, and a woman shows off her baby learning to walk. While a crowd inspects the still-smoldering rubble of a burned building, a toddler playing a harmonica and a man doing horse tricks fight for the camera’s attention. Elsewhere, a group of rowdy men and trouser-clad women goof around and pose for the camera. Shots of the Mission-style Smith-Mowery-Canfield Home in Collegeport and the Wharton County Courthouse close the reel.