Columbus, Texas 200

COLUMBUS Chamber of Commerce

CHAMBER BOARD MEMBERS

AMBER BECERA BOARD PRESIDENT SCHNEIDER HALL AND THE CARRIAGE STEP

MOLLY HARKNESS BOARD VICE PRESIDENT LEYCO REAL ESTATE

AARON WEISHUHN BOARD TREASURER WEISHUHN ENGINEERING

BRANDY AWTRY BOARD SECRETARY BIG EASY RANCH

CHARLES POTTER POTTER’S WESTERN STORE

MICHELLE GORMAN FIVE OAK CONSTRUCTION

RYAN FEDAKO RYAN’S DEVICE REPAIR

RAVEN KOCUREK HOUND SONG BREWING COMPANY

CARRIE MCREE EDWARD JONES

PEGGY HARRISON YOGA COUNTRY YOGA CARRIE FOSTER LONE STAR BANK

of

Banse Stokes

2023 Bicentennial Steering Committee Members: Michelle Gorman, Lindsi Graham, Molly Harkness, Amber Becerra, Charlotte Stein, Courtney Wied, Ronny Daley, Pam Potter, Charles Potter, Ron Frnka, Susan Chandler, Zachary Venghaus, Janet Hollmann, Shelley Janik, Alesia Woolridge and Tali DeJesus.

HISTORY OF COLUMBUS

Montezuma, Beason’s Ferry, COLUMBUS – these are the names used in historical accounts to designate the Indian Village, the colonist’s settlement, and the town that developed here on the beautiful spot on the high west bank of the Colorado River. This place on the river is marked on an old Spanish map that now hangs in the Alamo by the name “Montezuma.” It is significant, historically, that there was a large enough Indian settlement here to be marked on this map. The Karankawas, a most ferocious tribe, endangered the lives and property of the Anglo settlers for many years. There were several reasons why the Spanish Government decided to allow colonization in Texas by Anglo-Americans; one was that the Indian danger in Texas would never end until the country between Bexar and the Sabine became colonized. Moses Austin and his son Stephen F. brought the first AngloAmerican colony to the country north of the Rio Grande.

Moses Austin died after making plans for colonization, and his son carried out these plans. The settlers who started the community one hundred and fifty years ago were the first Anglo-Americans to colonize Texas and were part of Austin’s first colony. These first settlers were known as the “Old Three Hundred” because the contract with the Mexican Government called for the introduction of three hundred families to the area. Austin’s rules for his colony provided that “no frontiersman who has no other occupation than that of hunter will be received, no drunkard, no gambler, no profane swearer, no idler.” These rules were enforced.

In August 1823, Stephen F. Austin, the Baron de Bastrop, a surveyor, and some negro slaves surveyed 170 acres on the Colorado River 8 miles above the Atascosito crossing. This present site of Columbus was to be the capital of the colony and the headquarters for all of the Austin colony. Austin shortly abandoned the location and selected a similar spot on the Brazos River. The frequency of Indian raids in this section and the fact that most of his colonists were on the Brazos might have influenced him to make the change.

Austin’s contract with the Mexican Government provided that “the smallest quantity of land which a family that farms and raises stock will receive is one league square (4,428 acres), and the cost will be 12 ½ cents per acre.” However, the actual amount that the settlers paid was 3 cents per acre, and many of these notes were never collected by Austin and other empresarios. Austin paid the Mexican

Government prices, ranging from $35,000 to $60,000 per league, and the settlers paid or owed for a league the amount of $132.84 at the 3 cents per acre price. As a financial speculator, Austin did not come out very well for his years of service, travel, imprisonment, and hardships.

On April 6, 1830, Anastacio Bustamente, President of Mexico, signed a decree that prohibited further immigration to Texas of United States citizens. This law was a fundamental cause of the Texas Revolution. Many meetings among the various communities were held during the period of unrest at the years beginning of 1831. The Mexican Government regarded all of these meetings as an effort of the United States to get the colonists to secede from Mexico and join the United States. In 1833, Austin went alone to Mexico City petitioning the Mexican Government to give Texas, as a sovereign state of the Mexican nation, certain rights and guarantees. Austin was imprisoned there as an enemy of the Government for two years and four months.

The men folks at Gonzales were the first to organize military resistance to the Mexican Government and fired the first cannon that raised the curtain on the Texas War of Independence, on October 2, 1835. When General Sam Houston’s army retreated from Gonzales, following the fall of the Alamo on March 6, 1836, they pitched camp on the east bank of the Colorado River near the present site of Columbus. Here General Houston began to drill and train his army, and here the news reached the Texans that Fannin’s men had been massacred at Goliad. In the meantime, General Santa Anna and his army had followed, camping west of Columbus. In this situation, the armies remained for five or six days. Santa Anna’s force was augmented by the arrival of General Felisola’s army. This news created havoc among the Anglo settlers, and what ensued is known as the “Runaway Scrape.” Houston’s army retreated east, burning Columbus in its wake. It was a season of stark terror and suffering for those inhabitants of Texas fleeing ahead of the Mexican forces. Hundreds of men, women, and children, traveling in any possible manner, crossed the Colorado River at Columbus, eastward bound.

The Republic of Texas was organized in Houston in January of 1837. Since General Houston had burned all buildings in Columbus, the first district court was held under a century-old oak tree and presided over by Judge

R.M. Williamson, known as “Three-Legged Willie.” Judge Williamson had suffered a crippling disease in his youth, probably polio, that left his right leg permanently bent at the the knee, thus the nickname “Three-Legged Willie.”

In 1839 Colonel Robert Robson moved to Columbus from Dumfries, Scotland. He built a castle of homemade lime and gravel on the south bank of the Colorado River near the present north river bridge. The building was three stories in height, and most of the rooms were 20 by 20 feet in dimension, with a ballroom three times the length of the other rooms. The castle is said to have been surrounded by a moat and drawbridge. It was the first building in Texas to have running water, a tank or cistern on the roof into which water was pumped from the Colorado River and from there piped throughout the house. Some Episcopal services were held in the castle led by Dr. Lawrence Washington, a grand nephew of General George Washington, who lived on his plantation south of Columbus. The Robson house was undermined by a severe overflow of the river in 1869 and finally torn down in 1883.

The Colorado River played an important role in the development of Columbus. Rafts and barges floated downstream from Bastrop to Columbus carrying pine lumber used in building. The Moccasin Belle, the Flying Jenny, and the Kate Ward were three of several paddle wheelers that carried cotton from the Washington and Tait plantations south of Columbus to Matagorda and supplies on the return trip.

The Buffalo Bayou, Brazos, and Colorado Railroad was completed from Harrisburg to Alleyton in 1860. During the Civil War, Alleyton three miles east of Columbus was the terminus of the railroad and from there 48,000 bales of cotton a year were hauled by oxen and mule teams to Mexico for shipment to England.

During the 1870s the town of Columbus grew and prospered, businesses were established, cattlemen grew rich, farmers made a good living from the land, the Galveston, Harrisburg, and San Antonio Railway extended its line through Columbus to San Antonio, and people built homes.

The 1880s and 1890s brought important changes to Columbus. A hospital built by Dr. R.H. Harrison of Columbus treated the employees of the railroad, a part of the Southern Pacific

lines, from 1880 to 1886 when it was destroyed by fire. The Columbus, Texas Meat & Ice Co. was constructed near the Colorado River in 1883 on the ruins of Robson’s Castle and was, at that time, one of the three beef processing plants in the state of Texas. R.E. Stafford, millionaire, cattleman, and banker was President and principal stockholder. The plant operated until 1891. In 1886 Stafford built the Opera House, which became the center of cultural and social activities in the area for many years. The present Colorado County Courthouse was erected between 1890 and 1891.

The turn of the century found Columbus adjusting to a more modern world. The advent of the automobile brought its people into closer contact with the surrounding area. Columbus sent her boys into World War I with the Rainbow Division and celebrated Armistice Day in 1918 with a ceremony on the Courthouse Square.

The prosperous Twenties and the Depression Thirties rolled by with Columbus holding its own as the County Seat of Colorado County and a responsible community in the State. Again, in World War II, Columbus boys fought around the world, and when it was all over her citizens joined in the hope that global war would never be seen again. The post-war boom brought development to the area, and today, with the increase in population and the emphasis on recreational areas, Columbus is again experiencing growth brought about by a group of citizens dedicated to the advancement of the town.

Today Columbus is a busy, thriving community. Many merchants are taking pride in their old buildings and remodeling them in a way that is compatible with the heritage of Columbus. New homes are being built and old homes are being remodeled. The atmosphere of Columbus is that of change and promise for an alive future.

BICENTENNIAL Sponsors

Houston Sponsor

Milam Sponsors

• Joyce Arthur

• William Pierce Arthur

• Shirley Barfield

• Russell Braun, CFP, Edward Jones

• Ann Butler

• Paige Butler

• Anne Cain

• Kristen Cepak

• Ester & Gary Chandler

• Manzy Chandler

• Susan Chandler

• Colorado Valley Veterinary Services

• Columbus Butane Co

• Dwain Dungen

• Amy Windom Etheridge

• Bernice Perry Etheridge

• Jodick Perry Etheridge

• Piper Leete Etheridge

• Thomas J. Etheridge

• Windom Beason Etheridge

• Paula Frnka

• General Surgery of Texas

• Steven & Patti Glaeser

• Lori An Gobert

• Dr. Robb Gobert

• God’s Corner Store

• Hines Harrison

• Peggy Harrison

• Leigh Hastedt

• Stuart Hastedt Family

• Health & Behavioral Wellness Council

• Henneke Funeral Home

• Patsy Hodge

• Sam Hodge

• Melissa Harbich Houser

• Mr. & Mrs. John Isbell

• Bettie Jackson

• Riana Jamison

• Shelley & James Janik

• Kamenski Auto Repair, LLC

• Doris & Rusty Klaus

• KL Melvin Trucking

• Clayton & Amy Knellinger

• Kountry Kritters

• Libbie Landreth

• Jo Ann Locklin

• Lynch Family Companies

• Grace McCullough

• Steve McCullough

• Mr. and Mrs. Don Morrison

• Mikeska’s Barbecue & Catering

• Ron & Estelle Mostyn

• Jo Lou Parks

• Melissa Parks

• B. Peterman

• Mitja Peterman

• Charles Henry Potter

• Clarence Henry Potter, Jr.

• Pamela Morris Potter

• Kate Holman Ramzinski

• Schneider Machine & Welding

• Andrea Schobel

• Chris Schobel

• Gene Schobel

• Ryan Schobel

• Shirley Schobel

• Curtiss Schonenberg

• Marian Schonenberg

• JoAnn Sebesta

• David & Emily Shupak

• Sign Gypsies Columbus TX, LLC

• Luther Street

• Sandy Street

• Texas Country Title

• Charlotte Tilotta & Sylvester Bedford

• Elizabeth Tumlinson

• Jo Helen Venglar

• Marilyn & Roger Wade

• Sky Watson

• Candice Wegenhoft

• Sharon Wegenhoft

• Travis L. Wegenhoft

• Chris & Sarah Wick

• Jonathon & Kelly Wick

• Wick Insurance Services, LLC

• Nancy Williams

• Amber O’Connor Wooten

• James H. Wooten III

• John Perry Wooten

• Nancy Perry Wooten

• Sarah Jane Wooten

• Linda Young & Bill Jachetta

BICENTENNIAL Merchandise

BICENTENNIAL T-SHIRTS

$20 to $22 each

ORNAMENTS

$10 each

KEYCHAINS

$15 each

MONTHLY Celebrations

July

Happy Birthday America! Happy Birthday Columbus!

Fireworks Show on July 4, 2022 at the Columbus Golf Course.

August

Author Fest on August 29, 2022 at the Stafford Opera House.

Photo credit: Dorri Holdbrook

Colorado County Fair Parade on September 10, 2022 in Downtown Columbus.

Wild in the West Dinner & Movie on September 24, 2022 at the Stafford Opera House.

MONTHLY CELEBRATIONS December

Lighted Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting on November 29, 2022 in Downtown Columbus.

Unearthing of the 1973 Time Capsule on January 13, 2023 on the Courthouse Square.

Burial of the time capsule in 1973.

Photo credit: The Colorado County Citizen archives

Time capsule presented by Columbus Elementary School and planted in 1973.

City of Columbus and Colorado County employees unearth the 1973 time capsule.

The 6th grade class of 1973 reviews the contents of the time capsule they buried all those years ago.

The Great Gatsby on February 11, 2023 at the Stafford Opera House.

The Great Gatsby

MONTHLY CELEBRATIONS

March

Columbus FFA Parade, on March 4, 2023 in Downtown Columbus.

April

Trees for the Future, In Honor of Our Past: Tree Dedication on April 22, 2023, at Mid-Town Park

May

“Happy Birthday Columbus” Play on May 7, 2023

at the Stafford Opera House.

Time Capsule burial on May 11, 2023 on the Courthouse Square.

MAGNOLIA DAYS Festival

In 1961 a group of local citizens started the Magnolia Homes Tour, Inc., as a tour of historic homes. It was held the third weekend each year and has grown into an attraction that brings thousands of visitors to Columbus, not only in May but also during the entire year.

The Magnolia Homes Tour quickly added horse-and-buggy rides, cabaret shows, food vendors, and a juried art show. In 1964 they added the Magnolia Belles program whereby young ladies in their senior year of high school were invited to act as goodwill ambassadors for the Homes Tour. Belles wear antebellum period costumes, which add a touch of Southern grace and charm to the event. To this day, the Belles are one of the highlights of the festival.

Before long, the Magnolia Homes Tour became a full-fledged festival with live music, merchandise vendors, food, games and rides for the kids, street dances, reenactments, melodramas, and river rides.

The Magnolia Homes Tour became incorporated as a nonprofit, 501(c)3, and ultimately became the Columbus Historical Preservation Trust (CHPT).

The Homes Tour continued over the years, often as a joint effort of CHPT and the Chamber of Commerce.

As can happen with many good things, the Homes Tour ultimately fizzled out. Two of the people who had become the spearheads of the event, Buddy Rau and George Fox, both passed away. CHPT

continued with its historic preservation efforts and the Chamber continued with its job of advocating for area businesses and such. Nevertheless, sometime in the early 2000s, the festival went away.

In 2016 Chamber director Michelle Gorman, reignited that flame and brought the event back under the new name of Magnolia Festival. It took a couple of years to catch on, and by 2018 it was rebranded as Magnolia Days Festival and we were back on the Courthouse Square, with lots of kid’s activities, horse-and-buggy rides, a petting zoo, vendors, food trucks, and live music starting at 5 pm on Friday and going to 11 pm on Saturday. We estimated more than 3,500 people attended that year and our musical lineup included

the Black Cat Choir, Robert Sanders, the Djuka Brothers, Drew Kennedy, Zack Walther Band, and Cody Canada.

We built on that success in 2019 with an estimated crowd of 4,300 over the course of the weekend, more vendors, more food trucks, and musical acts including the Shiner Hobo Band, Courtney Patton, Jon Stork, and Kyle Park. We also introduced our first car show to the festivities that year.

We had to skip the event in 2020 due to concerns related to the covid pandemic, but 2021 and 2022 were bigger and better than ever with roughly 5,000 people in attendance at the event over the course of the weekend.

The Chamber of Commerce and the Bicentennial committee have been putting plans in place to celebrate Columbus’ 200th Birthday along with the Magnolia Days Festival on the Courthouse Square in downtown Columbus on May 19 and 20,

2023 and it’s going to be a heck of a party! We are so honored that Todd and Morgan Barten are once again the presenting sponsor of this event, and Cavender Auto Country is the entertainment sponsor. We’ve received significant additional support from the City of Columbus, Colorado County, AL&M Building Supply, Columbus State Bank, Curly Oil, Inc., Five Oak Construction, Kotrla Air Conditioning & Heating, LLC, Lone Star Bank, Renee & Michael Long, Trish & Stanley Priest, Rohde Farms, The First State Bank, the Hill family, Toepperwein Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, Bold Plumbing, First National Bank, R&R Shaved Ice, American Ag, LLC, Bricker Pest Control, Columbus Animal Clinic, Columbus Butane Company, Columbus Historical Preservation Trust, Columbus Physical Therapy, Columbus, Texas LGBTQ+, Double G Realty, LLC, Harrell Dentistry Columbus, H-E-B, In Memory of Mary & Charlie Richter by Loretta & Mark Hellrung, Industry State

Bank, Jerry Mikeska’s Famous Bar-BQue, Mid-Coast Title Company, Nelson Earthworks, Positive Force Consulting, Potter’s Western Store, San Bernard Electric Company, Schneider Tire & Lube, The Colorado County Citizen, Walmart, Weishuhn Engineering, Inc., Wick Insurance Services and Zapalac Electric, Pam Schertz CPA, LLC, B. Peterman, Create Space, Sign Gypsies-Columbus, TX, LLC, and Charlene M. Morrison.

Without sponsors like these, we’d never be able to put on this free event. There will be lots of kid’s activities, food vendors, an 1800s reenactment, historic property tours, horse & wagon rides, Magnolia Belles, a car show, an art show, a family fun zone, shopping on the square, and free live music by Darrel Appelt and Phillip Brummett, Southbound 955, The Spazmatics, The Bandits, Czech Melody Masters, Hackemack’s Hofbrauhaus Combo, Midnight River Choir, Jon Stork, and Randy Rodgers Band.

Happy 200th Birthday Columbus!

MAGNOLIA DAYSEvents

Monday, May 15

9:00 am – 5:00 pm

8:00 am – 6:00 pm

Tuesday, May 16

8:00 am – 6:00 pm

10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Wednesday, May 17

8:00 am – 6:00 pm

9:00 am – 5:00 pm

11:00 am – 5:00 pm

11:00 am – 5:00 pm

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Thursday, May 18

8:00 am – 6:00 pm

10:00 am - 6:00 pm

11:00 am – 5:00 pm

11:00 am – 5:00 pm

6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Friday, May 19

8:00 am – 6:00 pm

9:00 am – 5:00 pm

11:00 am – 5:00 pm

11:00 am – 5:00 pm

5:00 pm

5:00 pm

5:00 pm – 8:30 pm

5:00 pm – 9:00 pm

5:00 pm – 9:00 pm

5:00 pm – 10:00 pm

5:00 pm – 10:00 pm

5:00 pm – 10:30 pm

5:00 pm – 11:00 pm

5:00 pm – 10:45 pm

6:00 pm

6:40 pm

7:00 pm

7:30 pm

Display of 1973 Time Capsule – Nesbitt Memorial Library, 529 Washington Street

Alley Log Cabin & Antique Tool Museum Open – 1230 Bowie Street

Alley Log Cabin & Antique Tool Museum Open – 1230 Bowie Street

Display of 1973 Time Capsule – Nesbitt Memorial Library, 529 Washington Street

Alley Log Cabin & Antique Tool Museum Open – 1230 Bowie Street

Display of 1973 Time Capsule – Nesbitt Memorial Library, 529 Washington Street

My Dream Home Art Contest Exhibits – Live Oak Art Center, 1014 Milam Street

Magnolia Days Festival Art Contest Fan Favorite Voting– Live Oak Art Center, 1014 Milam Street

Santa Claus Museum Open (Free Admission) – 604 Washington Street

Dilue Rose Harris House Open (Free Admission) – 602 Washington Street

Alley Log Cabin & Antique Tool Museum Open – 1230 Bowie Street

Display of 1973 Time Capsule – Nesbitt Memorial Library, 529 Washington Street

My Dream Home Art Contest Exhibits – Live Oak Art Center, 1014 Milam Street

Magnolia Days Festival Art Contest Fan Favorite Voting– Live Oak Art Center, 1014 Milam Street

German Dinner On The Square with Lost Cause Band –Ticketed event

Alley Log Cabin & Antique Tool Museum Open – 1230 Bowie Street

Display of 1973 Time Capsule – Nesbitt Memorial Library, 529 Washington Street

My Dream Home Art Contest Exhibits – Live Oak Art Center, 1014 Milam Street

Magnolia Days Festival Art Contest Fan Favorite Voting – Live Oak Art Center, 1014 Milam Street

Festival Opens (Free Admission) – Courthouse Square

National Anthem by Kate Holman Ramzinski

Wagon Rides – Corner of Travis and Walnut Street – Tickets required

Volunteer Check-In – Front of Stafford Opera House

Family Fun Zone – Courthouse Square

Bicentennial Merchandise/Log Cabin Raffle tickets at the Information Booth – Courthouse Square

Game Prize Booth – Courthouse Square

Ticket Booth – Courthouse Square

Food Village – Corner of Walnut and Travis Street

B eer and Wine Garden – Courthouse Square

Darrel Appelt Music with Phillip Brummett – Main stage

Magnolia Belles Parade – Courthouse Square

Magnolia Belles Presentation – 2nd floor, Stafford Opera House

Southbound 955 – Main stage

The Spazmatics – Main stage 10:30 pm

9:30 pm

Ticket Sales End 10:45 pm Last Call 11:00 pm

Festival Closes

MAGNOLIA DAYSEvents

Saturday, May 20

8:00 am – 6:00 pm

8:45 am

9:00 am

9:00 am – 12:00 pm

10:00 am – 2:00 pm

11:00 am – 6:00 pm

12:00 pm

12:00 pm – 3:00 pm

12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

12:00 pm - 5:00 pm

12:00 pm – 6:00 pm

12:00 pm – 7:30 pm

12:00 pm – 8:00 pm

12:00 pm – 8:00 pm

12:00 pm – 9:00 pm

12:00 pm – 9:00 pm

12:00 pm – 10:00 pm

12:00 pm – 10:30 pm

12:00 pm – 10:45 pm

12:00 pm – 11:00 pm

12:00 pm

1:00 pm

1:20 pm

1:30 pm

2:00 pm – 5:00 pm

2:00 pm – 6:00 pm

2:00 pm – 7:00 pm

3:00 pm

3:00 pm

4:00 pm

4:30 pm

6:30 pm

7:40 pm

8:00 pm

9:30 pm

10:30 pm

Alley Log Cabin & Antique Tool Museum Open – 1230 Bowie Street

Kids’ Mile Run/Walk – Hound Song Brewing Company – 535 Walnut Street

“

The Runaway Scrape 5K Run” - Hound Song Brewery Company – 535 Walnut Street

Car Show Registration ($35 per entry) – 1000 Block of Milam Street

Display of 1973 Time Capsule – Nesbitt Memorial Library – 529 Washington Street

My Dream Home Art Contest Exhibits – Live Oak Art Center – 1014 Milam Street

Festival Opens (Free Admission) – Courthouse Square

Car Show – 1000 Block of Milam Street

War Memorial Museum Open (Free Admission) – Corner of Spring and Milam Street

1800’s Reenactment – Corner of Spring and Travis Street

Art Show – Live Oak Art Center – 1014 Milam Street

Bicentennial Merchandise/Log Cabin Raffle at the Information Booth – Courthouse Square

Pony Rides/Petting Zoo/Train Rides – Corner of Spring and Travis Street

Mechanical Bull/Barnyard Bounce House/Carnival Frenzy – Courthouse Square

Volunteer Check-In – Front of Stafford Opera House

Family Fun Zone - Courthouse Square

Game Prize Booth – Courthouse Square

Ticket Booth – Courthouse Square

B eer and Wine Garden – Courthouse Square

Food Village – Corner of Walnut and Travis Street

The Bandits - Main stage

Magnolia Belles Presentation – Courthouse Square

Cardinal Belles Dance – Spring Street

The Bandits – Main stage

Historic Tours (on the hour) - Shuttle pickup corner of Spring and Milam Street – Tickets required

Characters, Princesses & Pirate – Courthouse Square

Wagon Rides – Corner of Travis and Walnut Street – Tickets required

Czech Melody Masters – Main stage

Car Show Awards Presentation – Gazebo on Milam Street

Photography Contest Awards Presentation – Live Oak Art Center – 1014 Milam Street

Hackemack’s Hofbrauhaus Combo – Main stage

Midnight River Choir – Main stage

Log Cabin Raffle Winner Announced – Main stage

Jon Stork – Main stage

Randy Rogers Band – Main stage

Ticket Sales End

Last Call 11:00 pm

10:45 pm

Ticket Prices:

Festival Closes

German Dinner - $20.00 per person

Car Show Entry Fee - $35.00 per entry

Historic Tour - $5.00 per person

The Runaway Scrape 5K Run – Adult early-bird entry $35.00, day of $55.00, Kid early-bird entry $25.00, day of $30.00

Beer Tickets – $3.00 each

Soda & Water - $1.00 each

Game & Ride Tickets - $1.00 each

FRONT COVER BY SARAH WOOTEN

Sarah Wooten is thrilled to contribute her artwork to the Columbus bicentennial celebration as a Columbus, Texas, native and the great-great-great granddaughter of Benjamin Beason, one of Stephen F. Austin’s Old Three Hundred who settled the area in 1821.

After graduating from Columbus High School in 1997, Sarah attended The University of Texas at Austin and was accepted into the highly competitive Texas Creative advertising portfolio program, focusing on art direction. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Advertising in 2001. While at UT Austin, she joined Texas Advertising Group (TAG) student organization and Zeta Tau Alpha sorority.

Sarah launched her career as an art director at a boutique Houston advertising agency. She then pursued her interest in retail fashion advertising, accepting leadership roles within the creative advertising departments of JCPenney, Stage Stores and James Avery Artisan Jewelry. She has spent most of her career designing and developing seasonal campaigns for print and digital media, as well as directing fashion and lifestyle photo shoots in Texas, California, New York, and Florida.

Outside of work, Sarah has been involved in various community organizations including the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Descendants of Austin’s Old Three Hundred. As a member of the Junior Leagues of Dallas and Houston, she has given countless volunteer hours to Equest Therapeutic Horsemanship, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Houston Zoo and The Museum of Fine Arts Houston. Sarah has also been an active member of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, serving on the Trailblazer and Mutton Bustin’ committees.