Museum offers Gladys City Games
Have you ever wondered what people did for fun in 1901? What sports and games did they play? Did they actually have potato sack races and three-legged races at the picnics? What is the “Game of Graces”? Find out on Saturday, June 4, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. as Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum holds the 1st Gladys City Games.
Sports and games of the turn of the 20th century will be featured. Some examples of these include stickball, marbles and horseshoes. For the convenience of museum visitors, the DatMac food truck and Kona Ice of Beaumont will be available so that they can enjoy themselves without needing to leave for food.
"While oilmen may not have had very much leisure time, they still followed news about baseball and other sports," Director Troy Gray said. “Also, their children would have played games such as stickball, checkers and croquet.”
There will be a display of early 1900s baseball memorabilia, including gloves, bats, baseball cards, and other exciting items. Visitors will have the opportunity to sign up if they are interested in joining a vintage baseball team. Other featured games and sports include stilts, checkers, potato sack races, 3-legged race, marbles, stilts, horseshoes, the “Game of Graces”, croquet, stickball, jump rope, jacks, hopscotch, and tin can telephone.
The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and parking is free. The entrance fee is $5 for adults, $3 for senior citizens and $2 for children under 12.
Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown is a replica of the boomtown that grew up around the Spindletop oil fields in the early 1900's. Located on US 69 at Jimmy Simmons Blvd in Beaumont, the museum is open Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
For more information contact the museum at (409) 880-1750 or by email at gladyscityinfo@gmail.com.
