Highsmith, Carol M. Old saloon in which the famous Texas "hanging judge," Roy Bean, dispensed "law west of the Pecos" along the Rio Grande in a desolate stretch of the Chihauhuan Desert in the "Trans-Pecos" region of Texas. 2014. Photograph. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/item/2014630695/.
Students will begin by observing the photograph of Roy Bean’s saloon and participate in a See-Think-Wonder activity. In pairs, they’ll use a graphic organizer noting visual evidence to make inferences about function and setting and raising questions about law enforcement in frontier towns. Students will discuss how and why Bean combined his saloon with his courtroom—and how that shaped local justice. They’ll be expected to support interpretations with image details and connect those to historical facts.
The town of Langtry was named after the actress, Lillie Langtry, by Roy Bean. He opened the saloon, which also served as a court. He acted as justice of the peace as well as a judge within the saloon.
- What details in this photograph give clues about the saloon’s dual purpose as both a business and a place of justice?
- How do the building materials and design reflect the rural setting and available resources of the time?
- What might the objects or signs in the photograph reveal about daily life in Langtry during this period?
ELA Standard
AL.12.3. Evaluate how an author explicitly exhibits his/her cultural perspective in developing style and meaning.
Social Studies Standard
D4.2.9-12. Construct explanations using sound reasoning, correct sequence (linear or non-linear), examples, and details with significant and pertinent information and data, while acknowledging the strengths and weaknesses of the explanation given its purpose (e.g., cause and effect, chronological, procedural, technical)
Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
- Students will begin by examining the photograph of Roy Bean’s saloon and courthouse, located in the tiny desert town of Langtry, Texas, along the Rio Grande. Using a graphic organizer or notes sheet, they will record details about the building’s structure, setting, and signage to infer how geography and isolation influenced the space’s dual function as both a bar and a courtroom.
- The teacher will introduce a brief historical context about the Trans-Pecos region—a rugged, sparsely populated area with limited access to formal legal systems during the late 19th century. Next, the teacher will present a brief historical context—calling Roy Bean “the Law West of the Pecos,” describing how he built the Jersey Lilly saloon in Langtry in the 1880s, and explaining his unconventional justice (e.g., fining a dead man)—drawing from reputable sources. A concise reading on Bean’s life and role in Langtry will be provided.
- In small groups, students will evaluate how rural communities like Langtry adapted to a lack of formal governance by elevating local figures and how stories about those figures contributed to regional identity. They will then respond to the guiding question: How did rural isolation shape justice and leadership in frontier communities—and what legacy did it leave behind?
- As a culminating task, students will create a reflective “lens” piece—either a short essay, podcast script, or visual infographic—that analyzes the question: How do modern rural communities continue to balance tradition, leadership, and limited resources—and how do outsiders shape or misunderstand those stories?
Highsmith, Carol M. Judge Roy Bean's Saloon, Langtry, Texas. Between 1980 and 2006. Photograph. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/item/2011630895/.