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The popularity was bolstered by the release of a 15-minute silent film version in 1907. The focus of the short movie was the chariot race which was filmed on a beach in New Jersey. The area firemen played the charioteers and their fire horses pulled the chariots. Watching the 1907 silent movie will make you appreciate high-definition that is available today. Watch the movie at Internet Archive .
The movie inspired the organizers of the Ben Hur
Hotel on Matagorda Peninsula. About 1908, several families from
Matagorda—the Ward McNabbs, Goodwin Sternes, Albert Wadsworths, and
the Culvers; built the Ben Hur Hotel on Matagorda Beach. It was
built near the mouth of the river and was constructed of beach shell
and concrete. Hurricanes finally washed it away. |
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Excursion to Ben Hur Opening On Matagorda Peninsula Tuesday, May 26th The Sante Fe will run a special excursion train to Matagorda next Tuesday Morning, passing Bay City at 8:15 a. m. and arriving at Matagorda at 9:30. Returning will leave Matagorda at 10 p. m. Fare for round trip only 50c from Bay City, 75c from Lane City and 95c from Wharton. Be sure to see the races, trap shooting, bronco busting, roping contest, etc., and enjoy the barbecue, oyster roast, fish fry, bathing and sailing.
Matagorda County Tribune, May 1908 |
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Wednesday evening the Wadsworth house party with Mr. and Mrs. D. P. Reorban, Mr. and Mrs. A. W. McNabb went over to the Ben Hur Beach Hotel for supper and a dip in the gulf.
Galveston Daily News, July 19, 1908 |
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Hon. J. W. Gaines and family, Mrs. Cora Stewart, Mr. Tom Castleton and family, all from Bay City, are at the Ben Hur Hotel on Matagorda Peninsula.
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Bay City, Tex., Dec. 24.--During an altercation at Matagorda last night Drew Watkins shot and seriously wounded J. Caprion. The latter was formerly manager of the Ben Hur hotel.
El Paso Herald, December 24, 1910 |
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AN ENJOYABLE SAILING PARTY One of the most enjoyable sailing parties of the summer was given last Thursday afternoon by the young men of the town, on Capt. Frank Duffy’s “Star” sail boat. The party started about three o’clock and reached the peninsular wharf just when the sun seemed hottest, but no one appeared the least daunted by its hot rays, and in the face of a delightful breeze fresh from the gulf, started on the mile walk to the gulf beach. After reaching the Ben Hur, most of the party doned bathing suits and spent about an hour riding, jumping and being ridden-down by the high waves. About eight o’clock the march back across the peninsular was begun and upon reaching the boat a sumptuous picnic lunch was enjoyed. The sail home was grand, the moonlight adding to the pleasure. Those who are indebted to the young men for this good time are Misses Lula and Myrtle Duffie, Joe Sergeant, Carrie and Lula Belle Salley, Georgia and Robbie Stewart of El Paso, Lyla Berg, Virgie Greer of Beaumont, Reba Rugeley, Pauline Thornhill, Muta Serrill, Gertrude, Elizabeth and Helen Gilbert. The young men were Sambo Rugeley, Stewart Burkhart, John M. and Darwin Williams, Tas Thornhill, Ruge Serrill, Warner Stewart, Scott Phillips, Whitney Marquez, Arthur Gottschalk, Maynard Rugeley and Phillip Gilbert. Mesdames Thornhill and C. Rugeley and Mr. Salley also contributed to the enjoyment of the party. Reporter.
The Matagorda
News,
Friday, August 22, 1912 |
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Monday evening the young men of Matagorda announced another sail for the beach in order, and Capt. Frank Duffy’s “Star” was again chartered. This time the boat had a pretty full passenger list, even forty persons besides her captain and Whitney Marquez assisting at the wheel. The Star sailed from the wharf here at 5:30 and on favorable wind dropped anchor at the peninsular at 6:40. After an hour in the surf and a splendid basket dinner spread by the ladies, the Ben Hur dining room was cleared and the dancing enjoyed, with music furnished by Amos Duffy and Scott Phillips who were skilled in the use of the harp. The sail home was most enjoyable in the cool breeze laden with the delightful salt tang of the gulf. When the starlight succeeded moonlight and the lustre of certain bright eyes caused the Star to miss the western channel, and have to turn back for the Tiger Island channel, it seemed for awhile we were “lost at sea.” The sailor boys, however, safe mariners they are, knew “where we were at,” and after finding the Tiger Island channel had a smooth sail home, dropping anchor at the pavilion wharf at exactly 1 o’clock.
The party were
Misses Carrie and Lula Belle Salley, Fannie and Bertha Lee Nolte,
Reba Rugeley, Elizabeth and Helen Gilbert, Imogene Inglehart, Joe
Sergeant, Lyla Berg, Myrtle Duffy, Georgia and Robbie Stewart of El
Paso, Virgie Greer of Beaumont, Mrs. C. Rugeley and children and
Mrs. Thornhill and daughter; Messrs. Amos Duffy, Bowie Ryamn, Tas
Thornhill, Sambo Rugeley, Scott Phillips, John May and Darwin
Williams, Warner Stewart, Arthur Hill, Ruge and Joe Serrill, J. C.
Taylor and Lem Blair of Bay City, Capt. Salley Harlie Swagerty of
Throckmorton, Arthur Gottschalk, W. C. Thornhill, and C. E. Gilbert.
The party in separating unanimously voted it a most enjoyable trip. |
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On Monday afternoon Captain Whitney Marquez of that splendid sailing vessel, the Fearless, was host of a gladsome sailing party to the beach. The Feerless set sail at 2:30, and those aboard were Mrs. John Duffy, Misses Lula Duffy, Nellie Murdock, Bertha Lee Nolte, Beth Phillips, Vera Burke, Forest Zepprain [Zipprian], Myrtle Duffy, Inez Kain, Elizabeth and Helen Gilbert, and Messrs. Centre board Swagerty, Arthur Hill, } Who fought Harold Swagerty } the duel Karo and John Bull Serrill, Handsome Blair, Uncle Sam Duffy, Stuffy Rugeley Little Captain Marquet, Heartsmasher Phillips. The trip was one greatly enjoyed from start to finish, with rapidly succeeding events nicknaming the boys, who took the jokes goodnaturedly. Mr. Harlie Swagerty caused a good deal of fun by undertaking to fill the centreboard with buckets of water on being told it was necessary to make the boat go faster. Then, too, Mr. Hill and Mrs. Harold Swagerty challenged each other to a duel at 4:30, the cause being a certain brunette on board; and from the amount of medicine Stuffy was fining for Mr. Hill we conclude Mr. Swagerty was victorious. After reaching the Ben Hur, most of the crowd spent some time bathing in the limpid waters of the gulf, while rest found other amusements. Then came the excellent lunch, which was greatly enjoyed, and followed by water fights and face-washings. Here dining room was cleared and the dancing begun, Heart-smasher, Uncle Sam and Centreboard rendering dancing music on harps, and all kinds of dancing was indulged in, even the square dance led by Uncle Sam. Dancing was hard on Stuffy who had tried to hide the many chicken bones from which he had devoured the meat while at supper in his shoes, now found pricking bones interfered with the usual graceful step. I wonder who Beth was saving the candy for.
The ride back home was
most delightful, the moon giving its share of the pleasure. The
Fearless sailed into the wharf here at about 11 o’clock and all
declared Captain Marquez a dandy host and the Fearless a splendid
boat. |
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The first "sailing party" of the year was given Saturday by Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Thornhill to some of their many Matagorda friends. The boat carrying the jolly crowd was the Alphonsina of Port Lavaca and with the Carter boys as managers, soon landed the party on the peninsula. The day was an ideal one. Everyone seemed to forget the past and future and thought only of this one day. Upon reaching the Ben Hur Hotel, different groups scattered along the beach, some kodaking , hunting, running races and little Lila Thornhill and Master Bill were even brave enough to go into the gulf while Mr. Rugeley, Serrill and Miss Reba Rugeley chaperoned Pauline and Lila Thornhill, Glendora Shindler and Robert Smith eight miles down the beach to see the wrecked fish boat. This took four hours and some doubt their seeing it; however they had a kodak and promised to prove their expedition. Such a picnic dinner was never seen, a table the full length of the hotel dining room was laden with all kinds of good things to eat and was very greatly enjoyed by all except Johnnie May who declared he was too excited and had lost his appetite and of course this distressed some of his friends who knew his failing. Most everybody has heard of messages in bottles being thrown over board at sea and Mrs. Thornhill was lucky enough to find one on the beach and after all had read it Miss Minnie Dea Coffin was voted to do as "Nemo" requested and write him at Galveston. The return trip was begun about five o'clock and had it not been for Tas in his little tug in which he pulled the Alphonsina from a shallow place the party might have stayed stranded for some time. However the party landed at the Thornhill wharf about eight and those declaring they had the best time ever and thanking Mr. and Mrs. Thornhill for such a treat were: Prof. and Mrs. Smith and son Robert, Mrs. Goodwin Sterne, Mrs. Chester Rugeley, Misses Loula Belle Salley, Reba Rugeley, Vera Burke, Nellie Murdock, Imogene Inglehart, Minnie Dea Coffin, Myrtle Duffy, Beth and Minnie Phillips, Glendora Shindler, Bertha Boyd, Gertrude Sharkey, and Helen Gilbert, and Messrs. James Miller, Carroll Ryman, Johnnie May Williams, Tas Thornhill, Rugeley and Gober Serrill, Jakey and Frankie Smith, Roland Smith, Sidney Schindler and Harold Feather.
Matagorda News, April 11, 1913 |
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Mr. and Mrs. G. T. Sargent, Miss Jo, Mrs. F. J. Hamilton and Pierce came home Tuesday after spending several days at the Hotel Ben Hur on the gulf beach. Mr. Sargent reports fine luck. He caught a couple of big redfish, and each of the party caught one, but Mrs. Sargent had the help of a shark which took the lion’s share of the catch, cutting Mrs. Sargent’s fish close up behind the gills, almost getting the hook. Mr. Sargent says from the size of the head the redfish must have weighed fifteen pounds, and the shark which could make such a clean cut was no sardine. Just think of the excitement he might have caused had he taken the whole fish. Mr. Sargent says they had a good view of a giant devil fish or octopus, ten feet across the back and longer, which came close up to the beach and lay there some time watching them. He threw his line across the monster several times but failed to hook him. The octopus having looked at them till he tired turned and paddled away. Even a charge of shot from Pierce’s gun didn’t seem to phase the terror with six or eight dangerous tentacles. Mr. Sargent says he was born and raised on this shore, and has been on the gulf hundreds of times and this is the second devil fish he has seen.
Matagorda News, June 13, 1913 |
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Mr. E. K. McMahan and family and Mr. White and family, who have been on “Ben Hur” beach for several days, have returned home.
The Matagorda
County Tribune, June 27, 1913 |
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Copyright 2008 -
Present by Carol Sue Gibbs |
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| Created Apr. 7, 2008 |
Updated Mar. 22, 2012 |