Day Trips

Photo by Gerald E. Mcleod

The Medford Collection of American Western Art fills the corridors of the Lufkin City Hall with images of snowdrifts, desert skies at sunset, and mountain ranges. When the residents pay their taxes, utility bills, or a parking fine, they walk past pictures of a time and place when horses were the primary mode of transportation. This little-known exhibit is one of the hidden treasures of East Texas.

The 50-plus paintings in the collection cover the walls of four hallways and many years of man's struggle against the harsh and beautiful elements in the American West. Nearly every painting includes an image of a horse, a cowboy, a Native American, or all three.

What is amazing about this exhibit is the range of colors and feelings conveyed on the canvases. This may not be the biggest or the best collection of Western art, but it's a very good representation of the beauty that can be captured by this artistic genre.

Dr. Ulen Gail Medford Jr. assembled the collection for his private enjoyment in the 1970s and 1980s. "Dr. Medford loved all kinds of art," says J.P. McDonald, executive director of the Museum of East Texas in Lufkin. She worked with him when he was on the museum's board of directors before he passed away in 1994.

"He was a great collector of American Western art," McDonald says. "He picked the cream of the crop when it came to his collection," which includes work by Jodie Boren of the Abilene area; Raymond Ryan, a local painter; the late James Boren, a former Texas State Artist of the Year; and Austin's own Gordon Fowler, the former owner of La Zona Rosa.

The grandson of an Angelina County pioneer and lumberman, Dr. Medford spent most of his life in the town where he was born in 1914. After college in Nacogdoches and Waco, and residency at Hermann Hospital in Houston, he practiced medicine in Lufkin for more than 50 years. His only extended absence was when he served in World War II. A lifelong bachelor, Dr. Medford acted as the first chief of staff of the local hospital. In 1991 he donated his art collection to the city to grace the first-floor halls of the then-new city government building.

Lufkin City Hall is in downtown at 300 E. Shepherd. The collection is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm, excluding city holidays. For information on the art, go to www.cityoflufkin.com/art/index.htm.

The East Texas city has a history of art appreciation, encouraged by residents like Dr. Medford and others. Many of the downtown buildings are decorated with murals depicting the area's history, and the residents supports several art galleries featuring regional artists. The Museum of East Texas, 503 N. Second in Lufkin, often hosts national exhibits.

992nd in a series. Day Trips, Vol. 2, a book of "Day Trips" 101-200, is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, PO Box 33284, South Austin, TX 78704.