- Frank Lloyd Wright is born

- The infamous "Black Friday" is coined to describe September 24, 1869

- The first transcontinental railroad finally becomes a reality

- Edison invents the printing telegraph and stock ticker

- Elizabeth Cady Stanton heads the National Suffrage Association (and visits Houston)

Let's go back to 1869 in Houston. The Civil War is over and citizens are affected by the process of reconstruction. Lighting in houses is mainly by oil lamps, and food is baked in ovens where the temperature is controlled by burning coal or wood. European travel is common among the wealthier citizens and transportation is mainly by house drawn street cars or carriages.

Thanks to the efforts of Nettie Bringhurst and her daughter Fanny, 85 years of family papers and history were preserved giving a first hand account of life in Houston from 1840 to 1925.  The people involved in this discovery were important leaders of early Houston and the majority of them are buried in historic Glenwood cemetery. The greatest part of this collection are the numerous photos that from the year 1869.