he 17 original families that made up the small community of Smithville moved 2 miles west to meet the Bastrop and Taylor Railway when it was built in 1887. As the railway grew and changed, so did the town, which peaked at a population of about 4,200 in the 1940s. These days, Smithville is perhaps best known as a popular filming location for movies, including starring Sandra Bullock, with Brad Pitt, and featuring Jack, which had its world premiere in April with the Nashville Symphony. Born in Smithville in 1948, Lokumbe lived there until he was 6, when his family moved to Texas City. He says he has watched his hometown—which he calls his “mecca”—transform for the better. “There was a time the Ku Klux Klan had a float in the Fourth of July parade,” he says. “You would never, ever see such a thing now. The city has been infused with remarkable artists from everywhere.”
