News & Events from
Most Recent Posts
Viola Funeral Home in Business for Nearly 90 Years
By Tracy Gupton Columbia Historical Museum Snow’s Cleaners opened for business in West Columbia in 1920, a few years...
Dixon Was Brazoria County’s First Black Mayor
By Tracy Gupton Robert Dixon would have celebrated his 78th birthday last month. The former longtime West Columbia...
Tuskegee Pilot’s Career Highlighted at Museum
By Tracy Gupton When author Ben Vinson III was making routine visits to Brooks Manor Apartments in 1999, it is a good...
The Mills Brothers in Brazoria County
By Benjamin Tumlinson Columbia Historical Museum Board Member As you come into West Columbia from the east, you’ll pass the Brazos River Brisket House and travel over the bridge spanning the Brazos River. I often glance down as I pass over to check the river levels,...
Dead Men Tell No Tales
The quiet little community of Columbia was thrust into newspaper headlines in early June 1874 and again in April 1906. On both occasions, the killing of local men was the cause; and both shootings were the result of long simmering feuds on the level of the famed Hatfield and McCoy family wars.
Early Colonists Relied on Newspapers
By SUSAN AVERA HOLT Columbia Historical Museum Board Member In 1836, Stephen F. Austin’s colonists relied on the Telegraph and Texas Register newspaper for notices of land for sale, crop reports, passenger manifests and social events. The weekly paper also carried...
Hero, Spy for Republic has West Columbia ties
By Benjamin Tumlinson Columbia Historical Museum Board Member One of the most celebrated heroes of the republic has ties to West Columbia. Erastus Smith is lauded in Texas history as a scout and spy, as well as a soldier and Texas Ranger. He was born April 19, 1787,...
West Columbia’s Fourth Mayor: W.H. “Boss” Pierce
*** This is the third in an occasional series about West Columbia’s mayors. *** By Susan Avera Holt Columbia Historical Museum William H. “Boss” Pierce was West Columbia’s fourth mayor and succeeded Dr. Greenwood in leading the city during wartime. Improving roads and...
UFO spotted in Damon
West Columbia Police Chief Bob Goode and Brazoria County Sheriff’s Deputy Billy McCoy reported seeing a UFO near Damon on the night of Sept. 3, 1965.
Roughneck Legend Reflects on Pro Career
The Columbia Roughnecks are in their 101st season and one of the school’s biggest stars, James Ray Smith, 90, reflects on his nine-year, pro career and his illustrious collegiate and high school gridiron days.
When the discussion surrounds who is the greatest Roughnecks football player of all time, there are several names bandied about, but the debate must begin with Smith.
The 1950 graduate of West Columbia High School is the only Roughneck to be an All American in college and a three-time NFL All-Pro first team selection.
Alamo survivor Byrd Lockhart Jr. buried in Columbia
I don’t know about you, but when I hear the word Lockhart, I get hungry. No matter where my family moved in the state, we would always make the pilgrimage to Lockhart for barbeque. In fact, several times after returning from overseas, I would gather up the family and...
West Columbia’s Mayors, part 2, 1942-1944
*** This is the second in an occasional series *** By Susan Avera Holt Columbia Historical Museum Dr. William M. Greenwood took office as the third mayor of West Columbia on April 7, 1942. Although his name doesn’t appear much in the newspapers, the good doctor was...
Storm of 1932 Devastated West Columbia
By Tracy Gupton Columbia Historical Museum Board Member John Garrett Smith’s premonition could not have imagined the scale of devastation that was forthcoming. “Shorty” Smith rode his horse to work that morning 90 years ago at the Texaco oil fields just outside...
Columbia Cemetery site of many Duff burials
By Tracy Gupton Columbia Historical Museum Board Member Now in my third year as president of the Columbia Cemetery Association (CCA), I and other CCA board members take pride in serving as keepers of the flame and caretakers of West Columbia’s historical graveyard. A...
Captain Henry Stevenson Brown, Hero of Velasco
By BENJAMIN TUMLINSON Columbia Historical Museum Board Member Being the son of a construction contractor and serving in the United States Army for the past 30 years, I’ve had the “opportunity” to move about every three years. As the new guy in town, one of the first...