Collegeport Day 2018

2018 Marks COLLEGEPORT’s 110^th YEAR

Dear friends of Collegeport,

We cordially invite you and your family to join in celebrating Collegeport Day on Saturday, May 26, 2018 at the Mopac House. Our traditional BBQ dinner will begin at 12:00 noon. Please bring side dishes, salads and desserts to complete the meal.

Collegeport Day commemorates our community’s founding in 1908. Each year, residents and friends gather to reminisce and enjoy great food and fellowship. The Collegeport Day homecoming is celebrated the LAST Saturday in May.

Barbecue preparations begin mid-afternoon on Friday and continue until dinnertime on Saturday. Come join the BBQ Crew and experience this tradition as well! Remaining barbecue will be sold at the pit after dinner.

Volunteers to assist with set-up of tables and chairs on Saturday morning, and with clean-up after dinner, are GREATLY APPRECIATED!

Contributions to the barbecue fund, or for other needs, make it possible to continue this community tradition. Additionally, your support of the Mopac House Foundation enables this board to carry out its mission of maintaining the Mopac House and grounds for the use and benefit of the community.

“THANK YOU” to all supporters who give so freely of their time, talents and financial assistance.

In Memoriam

*Thelma Nell Jenkins Agnew*	*William James “Bill” Hodge*
*Hazel Viola Wilson Boeker*	*Norma May Whitley Hunt*
*George Austin “Sonny” Chiles*	*Orvel Matura, Jr.*
*James G. “Greg” Dunn 1957 - 2018*	*Wanda M. Shilling Matura*
*Hazel Mae Fehmel*	*Matthew Ethan Merck*
*William Marshal Fitzgerald*	*Mary Frances Morris Semingson*
*Ida Mae Margaret Wilson Franzen*	*David Crockett Slone*
*Vivian Laslie Evens Wilkerson*
(Please relate any omissions)

Please use the following link to learn more about Historic Collegeport:

http://www.usgenwebsites.org/TXMatagorda/collegeport.htm

Our slideshow of historical photos includes photos like these. Please read Harry Austin Clapp’s report on the 25^thAnniversary of Collegeport in 1933 below.

E-mail photos or other information you wish to include. We will scan any photos or documents that you bring with you to share.

Please pass this information on to family and friends.

See you on Collegeport Day!

For further information, please contact:

Mopac House Foundation
P. O. Box 175
Collegeport, Texas 77428
Cell: (979) 240-8778
gfranzen@tisd.net

COLLEGEPORT WILL CELEBRATE TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY

Thursday, May 25, marks the silver anniversary of the founding of Collegeport. As usual the annual picnic and basket dinner will be the chief feature of the day, followed in the afternoon by a baseball game. Collegeport will play Blessing on the Van Wormer field. Following this there will be a ball game between the Collegeport and Wadsworth woman's baseball teams. Races and other amusements will be staged on the field.

The Collegeport Home Demonstration Club will have a program at the Community House at night. There will be music and other numbers from Bay city and later a dance at the warehouse.

The various clubs will have charge of the concessions and the public is invited to bring their baskets and enjoy a day of Collegeport. Remember the date, Thursday, May 25.

Collegeport Day 1933

Thursday came with a heavy rain which was badly needed by all crops. In spite of the rain more than 100 people assembled to observe Collegeport Day. Among those from other parts of the country I saw Mrs. Claire M. Pollard, county superintendent of schools, Mrs. T. C. Ford, Miss Katherine Ford, the two latter from Orange, Miss Eleanor Chapman, Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Jeter (Merle Wainer) of Houston, Mrs. Patricia Martyn, county health nurse, Mrs. Della Braden, Will Shuey. Mrs. Burton D. Hurd was in charge of the program and after God's blessing had been asked by H. A. Clapp, she arranged that the pioneers or those who arrived during 1909 should be served first and seated at special tables. The long tables in front of the main room were loaded with chicken fried, chicken pressed, meats of other kinds, potatoes in cream and in salads, vegetables of several kinds, pies and cakes too numerous to mention and glory be to the gods three big tanks of those Famous Carrie Nelson Noodles. Golden in color, all gooey with rich gravy, big gobs of tender chicken floating around, wonder I piled my plate high and for three days went around with a satisfied tummy. Coffee was grand as it always is when made by our official coffee maker the same Carrie. After the dinner Mrs. Hurd started the regular program. Vernon Hurd gave a fine description of the first farming. He was then thirteen years old but turned the first furrow and made a crop of peanuts. I can vouch for the truthfulness of his tale for I saw him plowing, sowing and reaping. H. A. Clapp discussed the pioneer men, while Mrs. Liggett told all about the pioneer women; Mrs. Claire Pollard told about her early impressions. These talks were followed and short talks by L. E. Liggett, Roy Nelson, O. Gableman, Mrs. Robert Murry, Frank King, Mrs. Anna Crane and others. Each of these talks were real gems of briefness. Ice cream and a delicious punch served by the ladies of the clubs. The punch was a delight and the bowl was presided over by she whom I thought was my friend in the person of Emily Hurd. I had left my money at home with the miserable wretch, so when I wanted a drink of that temping punch on credit, my friend coolly informed me that she was doing a cash business, so I was forced to stand around looking at the punch bowl with dribbling lips until Mrs. Martyn came and staked me to a nickel. Boy! That was the finest punch I have ever tasted which had not been spiked. Emily made it. During the program Mrs. Hurd asked all to stand with bowed heads in silent prayer, for one minute in memory of those who had passed. I feel sure that those of the pioneers who are now spying out another country, paused in their trekking and give us their blessing. It was a good day, a fine day of friendship, a day of closer association and all departed determined that so long as they live each year will witness another celebration in memory of the past.

From "Thoughts About The Pioneers" By Harry Austin Clapp

The Daily Tribune, Thursday, May 30, 1933

Copyright 2018 - Present source photographers All rights reserved
Created May 5, 2018	Updated Mar 3, 2020

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