Jul 7, 2023 | From The Vault of Texas History
By Tracy Gupton The Texas City disaster on April 16, 1947, killed over 580 people including Frank Strzinek, a Purple Heart recipient during World War II. He was interred at Old Columbia Cemetery in West Columbia, Texas, after being one of the hundreds of casualties...
Jun 19, 2023 | From The Vault of Texas History
By Tracy Gupton Juneteenth is celebrated annually across the great state of Texas and beyond, but many are unaware of the event’s origins. Famed West Columbia resident Charlie Brown, the wealthiest Black man in Texas in the early 20th Century, was instrumental in...
Jun 18, 2023 | From The Vault of Texas History
By Tracy Gupton A direct line to the creation of Father’s Day is blurred by history. But when researching the origin of the annual holiday Americans observe in recognition of beloved dads, that line becomes more sharply focused on West Columbia, Texas. The nascent...
Jun 6, 2023 | From The Vault of Texas History
By Tracy Gupton and Ben Tumlinson Columbia Historical Museum It was the largest amphibious invasion in the history of warfare. More than 156,000 brave young soldiers from the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada stormed the nearly 50 miles of beaches of...
May 29, 2023 | From The Vault of Texas History
By Tracy Gupton “HE GALLANTLY GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY” is the closing sentence written on a proclamation delivered from President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the parents of fallen soldier Charles Frank Ringgold in West Columbia, Texas, in 1944. Private...
