By David Taylor / Managing Editor
CROSBY, Texas — The countdown is on to America’s 250th anniversary, and Crosby is getting an early start with a Liberty Tree dedication, birthday cake, patriotic music and free family activities July 2 at Crosby Park and Community Center.
Organized by the Old Three Hundred Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution with support from local groups and sponsors, the event gives Crosby residents a hometown way to celebrate the nation’s semiquincentennial ahead of the official July 4, 2026, milestone.
Festivities begin at 9 a.m. with a Liberty Tree presentation and dedication ceremony led by Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey. Organizers said the ceremony will feature the Crosby High School JROTC Color Guard, the posting of the colors, hand-held flags for attendees and music by Lisa Worthen, the former Crosby High School choir director, who is scheduled to sing the national anthem and lead “God Bless America.”
A birthday cake celebration follows at 9:30 a.m. inside the community center, with more free family activities planned from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the pavilion.
Laura Richard, regent of the Crosby chapter, said the event grew out of conversations within the DAR about how local chapters could mark the country’s 250th birthday in a way that feels both meaningful and lasting.
“We wanted to do something memorable, meaningful — something that would not just be thrown away and forgotten,” Richard said. “The Liberty Tree is a symbol of liberty and unity, and it reminds people that communities need places where they can come together, talk to each other and work through things together.”
Richard said chapter members first discussed what kind of permanent marker or monument could best represent the occasion. They eventually settled on the Liberty Tree, a symbol deeply tied to Revolutionary War history.
In colonial Boston, the Liberty Tree became a gathering place for protest against British policies, especially after the Stamp Act of 1765. Patriots known as the Sons of Liberty used the tree as a rallying point, hanging banners and signs from its branches. Although British loyalists later cut it down in 1775, the Liberty Tree endured as a symbol of resistance, civic action and unity.
For Richard, that symbolism still resonates. “This is where we come and talk to each other. This is where we meet up. This is where we talk out things and figure out solutions,” she said. “I think that is a great message for today.”
Richard said organizers first hoped to fold the tribute into an existing community event but found that no local celebration was taking shape.
“Nobody was doing anything, so we just went from there,” she said. “What started as a little Liberty Tree celebration has turned into quite an event.”
Since then, the event has drawn support from scouts, local historical groups, the American Legion, the chamber of commerce, school organizations and businesses. Richard said American Heritage Girls also may participate.
Activities planned for the pavilion include children’s games, patriotic crafts, a caricature artist, a Declaration of Independence writing activity, a community banner project, snow cones, hot dogs and educational displays. Organizers also will collect nonperishable food donations for disabled veterans.
The event is free and open to the public.
For additional information about the event, please contact the Old Three Hundred Chapter at old300chapter@gmail.com.
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