Saturday, September 23rd is the Big Celebration; Full Day of Special Historical and Fun Events
By David Taylor
Star-Courier Editor
With only five weeks left before the biggest birthday party in Crosby’s 200-year history, plans are progressing and being finalized for the bicentennial celebration scheduled for Saturday, September 23.
A critical vote earlier in the summer welcomed the participation and sponsorship of Anheuser-Busch to the party, a boost to the coffers for the celebration.
“Anheuser-Busch is a big supporter of the Folds of Honor and large community events,” said Jim Ferris, co-owner of Wismer Distributing Company in Mont Belvieu.
The beer company’s sponsorship allows the event organizers to secure a top name band for the evening.
“These are good, salt of the earth people, and we care about the community,” Ferris said.
For 13 years, Anheuser-Busch has supported the Folds of Honor and given out more than 44,000 scholarships totaling over $21 million in donations to the organization.
“They now also include First Responder’s in those donations to families who have lost a loved one,” he said.
Ferris said they had requested the Clydesdale horses for the celebration, but they were already booked for another event the same day.
“We’ve always been a part of the Crosby Fair and Rodeo, giving away scholarships, and we helped pay for the new roof on the building,” he said.
Ferris said they were honored to be part of the bicentennial celebration.
During Harvey, Ferris said they quit canning and bottling beer to can water to give away to folks in the community who needed water.
Donna Davenport, president of the Crosby Historical Society and co-organizer for the bicentennial celebration, said the band will be named in the coming weeks.
One of the biggest donations to the celebration came from Pct. 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey.
“He asked how he could help us, and I mentioned that the caboose in the park needed repairs and painting,” she said.
According to Jeannie Peng with Pct. 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey’s office, the work began in July and will be completed in time for the bicentennial celebration.
“The caboose is classified as a Southern Pacific 1017-C40-1 and was retired and donated to Harris County in 1979 where it serves to symbolize the importance of the railway and early development of the town of Crosby, and ultimately its name,” Peng said. “In 1877, the name of the town was changed to Crosby after the Texas and New Orleans Railroad (T&NO) post-Civil-War Vice President, Josiah Frazer Crosby. The T&NO was later acquired by Southern Pacific Railroad.”
Repairs, she said, include, but are not limited to, mobile sandblasting, bondo work, power washing, and painting.
The cost of restoration is estimated at $34,000.