The Archives of the Big Bend at Sul Ross State University has spent the past 50 years preserving the stories, photographs, documents and memories that make the Big Bend region unique.

This summer, the community celebrated that legacy by honoring the archives as the Grand Marshal of Alpine’s Fourth of July parade and gathering.

Hosted and sponsored by Historic Alpine, the archives’ 50th anniversary celebration on July 10 brought together community members, historians, university representatives and friends to recognize five decades of preserving the history and culture of Alpine and the greater Big Bend region.

As part of the celebration, Historic Alpine presented the archives with a $1,000 contribution to the endowment fund, providing a meaningful investment in the preservation of the region’s history for generations to come.

The Archives of the Big Bend was established at Sul Ross State University in 1976, growing from earlier collecting efforts by the West Texas Historic and Scientific Society. Today, the archives encompasses more than 1.6 million leaves of manuscript material, along with photographs, oral histories, maps and other historical materials. Its collections document the people, places, businesses, institutions and events of the Big Bend, Trans-Pecos and surrounding border region.

The 50th anniversary celebration is not the end of the year’s activities, but a milestone in a yearlong effort to celebrate and look to the future. Earlier this year, the archives and Historic Alpine launched the anniversary with a “Roadshow,” inviting community members to bring photographs, letters, documents, videos and family stories to be digitized and preserved.

A companion exhibit featuring photographs, cameras and ephemera from Glenn Burgess’ work documenting mid-century West Texas and the early years of Big Bend National Park will remain on display until Nov. 6.

As it celebrates the first half-century, the archives is also beginning to build the financial foundation for its next 50 years.

The endowment fund provides lasting support for the work required to preserve and make accessible the region’s history, including archival processing, digitization initiatives and the internship program. Gifts of any size can help expand the ability to preserve the history of the Big Bend and make it available to researchers, students and the public.

Those interested in helping build the fund can make a one-time or recurring gift through the Archives of the Big Bend giving page.

For more information about the Archives of the Big Bend, its collections or upcoming programs, visit https://library.sulross.edu/archives/.