92^nd Collegeport Day Celebration 2000

Written by G. W. Franzen
 

The 92^nd Annual Collegeport Day Celebration was held Saturday, May 27, 2000 at the Mopac House at Collegeport.  Master of Ceremonies was Margaret Ann Holsworth Hodge of Houston.  The invocation was led by Janell Blair, co-pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Collegeport.  Dorothy Merck, the only living pioneer of Collegeport still resides here, and attended Saturday’s celebration.  Mrs. Merck came to Collegeport at the age of two years with her parents, Gust and Ellen Franzen and brother, Arnold in 1909.  The event was attended by approximately 250 persons.  The day included much good food and fellowship. 

Collegeport Day has been observed annually since its founding with some sort of dinner.  Originally, it had been a picnic type lunch which evolved to a covered dish affair.  In the mid-1950’s, Jack and Ethel Holsworth donated a calf to barbecue, and that began a long community tradition. The first Homecoming was held on the Collegeport Pavilion.  It had also been held at the Hotel Collegeport, and at the Federated Church of Collegeport (the early Community Center).  Since the opening of Mopac House in 1934, Collegeport Day has been held there. One year, when heavy rains precluded the annual event, two residents, Seth Corse and H. A. Clapp walked to the Mopac to share their sack lunch, thus keeping  the tradition.

Mopac House came about through the efforts of Harry Austin Clapp.  The Collegeport spur of the railroad was abandoned in the early 1930’s.  During the Depression, it was customary for the railroad to demolish the abandoned depots and use the salvaged materials to maintain other buildings on the line.  Mr. Clapp prevailed on railroad officials to donate the salvaged materials to the community of Collegeport in order to build a community center.  After some time, the gift was made, contingent that the new building be attached to a public building (The Collegeport Library), and that it be named Mopac (Missouri-Pacific) House, in memory of the passing of the of the railroad. 

Through the years, the Mopac House has been a focal point in our community.  It has been used as a school lunchroom.  Following Hurricane Carla, which devastated much of the area, it served as a Red Cross Center, and two families lived in the Mopac House and Library until their homes were repaired.  It also serves as a meeting place for all community organizations, including the Woman’s Club, the Collegeport Area Volunteer Fire Department, the Collegeport 4-H Club, and at one time a Boy Scout Troop.  The annual Collegeport Day Celebration is held here, and the building is used as a polling place.
 

2000 Collegeport Day Celebration

Surnames for indexing: Corporon, Franzen, Merck, Ryan, Blair, Crane, Travis, Bullington, Brown,
Ellis, Harvey, Sirmon, Holsworth, Jensen, Murry, Sirmon, Thompson, Wells, Uher, Daniel, Hodge

Copyright 2005 - Present by Carol Sue Gibbs
All rights reserved

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