We have another exclusive sticker for this year’s Old, Weird Houston event. Visit us at the Houston Archives Bazaar at the annual Old, Weird Houston at The Orange Show on Saturday, March 30th 10am – 6pm. Grab your 2024 exclusive Old, Weird Houston sticker while supplies last!

The archives bazaar represents some of the many diverse repositories and collections around the city. Archivists will be there to showcase their collections. Come and get to know the local area archives and the history they preserve for Houstonians and researchers all over the world.

Get to know the Magnolia City sticker

The Magnolia City sticker features historical symbols from Houston’s past and gives a shout out to The Orange Show, our hosts for the Houston Archives Bazaar for the past two years.

Magnolia Flower for the “Magnolia City”

Houston has acquired many nicknames throughout it’s illustrious 188 years of existence. Bayou City, Space City, Clutch City, and H-Town to name a few. Magnolia City was one of the earliest monikers. It harkens back to a growing, bustling town in Southeast Texas where wild magnolia trees flourished on the east side of town, near Harrisburg.

Locomotive

The steam locomotive has been featured on the Seal of the City of Houston since it’s initial adoption in 1840. It symbolizes progress as well as aspirations for the future. From the humble beginnings at the confluence of the White Oak and Buffalo Bayous, Houston became the hub of industry in the Southwest by the end of the 19th century thanks to the railroads. At its peak, Houston was a distributing point for as many as ten railroad companies.

Orange Slices

The wheels of orange slices on the locomotive honor The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art and The Orange Show Monument that they preserve as a celebration for the “Artist in Everyone.” Nothing captures the unique, creative, artistic spirit of Houston and Southeast Texas than The Orange Show. The events and folk art installations that they preserve will inspire Houstonians for generations.

Mossy Green Background

The mossy green background resembles the color of the bayous as well as the pollen that covers the city every Spring, and most especially it represents the majestic live oaks that grow throughout the city. Did you know that live oaks are the most populous tree in Hermann Park? You can find almost 1,800 of them within the 445-acre park. While we can’t say for certain that the live oak is the most populous tree is the Houston metropolitan area, they are definitely ubiquitous and one of the most picturesque features around town.

• Sources
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicknames_of_Houston
• https://www.full.orangeshow.org/about
• https://www.houstontx.gov/abouthouston/cityseal.pdf
• https://www.hermannpark.org/place/105/
• https://www.haufc.org/live-oak
• http://texastreeid.tamu.edu/content/TreeDetails/?id=109
• Houston Chronicle. 2001. “Bayou City has a long, full history of print journalism.”

The annual Old, Weird Houston at The Orange Show is on March 30th. 

We need some volunteers to help with the event. You can sign up to volunteer at https://forms.gle/4T2bhcoh7YeYKdsf7.

This event features an archives bazaar, a day-long schedule of speakers and panels, along with food trucks and vendors.