A Corsicana Christmas

This is my sixth Christmas blog since becoming State Historian in August 2012, and it has been grand fun finding Texas places or events suitable for the Yuletide Season. As I drove back to Carthage from Colleyville following a wonderful Thanksgiving with my four daughters, seven grandchildren, and sons-in-law, my mind turned to where I should go, what I should do for a 2017 Christmas blog?

Entrance sign to downtown at South Beaton Street

As I drove through Corsicana, where I was born and raised, workers and volunteers were putting up a towering Christmas tree on Beaton Street, the primary downtown thoroughfare. The 1905 Navarro County Court House grounds always are decorated, and so is Community Park, and there are a few special neighborhoods. A Christmas Parade is held after Thanksgiving, as well as a lighting of the Beaton Street tree. I promptly decided to use my home town as a typical subject for my Christmas blog for 2017.

Towering tree in the middle of Beaton Street

Downtown park in a vintage commercial building

I did not have my camera with me, but the Christmas decorations were not yet in readiness. I phoned my daughter, Shellie O'Neal, who lives in Corsicana and heads the Drama Department at Navarro College. I told her about my Christmas blog plans, and enlisted her help as photographer. She was an eager recruit, and we discussed various photo possibilities. 

Numerous displays are all over the grounds of the 1905 courthouse

 

Shellie recently sent her photos to Dr. Berri O'Neal Gormley, another daughter who lives in Colleyville and who regularly handles the photo insertions after I send her my blog texts and images. On this occasion Berri e-mailed the images to me, I added some captions, and together the three of us put together a Christmas blog. So Santa Blog O'Neal is grateful to his two Blog Elves, Shellie and Berri, and we three wish you all a Merry Texas Christmas!