Monthly Archives: May 2013

All Aboard! Coupland Depot to Open on Saturday!

The Coupland Civic Organization will open the Coupland Depot on Hoxie Street, next to the historic Old Coupland Inn and Dancehall, tomorrow (June 1) from 10 AM to 2 PM.

Does this look familiar?

Does this look familiar?

According to Barbara Piper, President of the Civic Organization, there will be a few new items on display. Visitors may also purchase coffee mugs, the recipe book, and the tote bags as a way to support the Civic Organization.

The Depot was first restored in 1976 and got a major facelift in 2010. You can find more information about it at this link: Depot Dedication

The next major project for the Civic Organization is the restoration of the caboose, which will be done in phases. The first phase will be replacing the wood on the steps and the platform because so many people are posing for pictures in front of and — up until recently — on the caboose. Out of concern for the safety of Depot visitors, the Civic Organization Board of Directors decided to prohibit people from getting on the steps and platform until repairs can be effected.

Stewart Dale Spencer

 

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Stewart Dale Spencer

 

 

A City on a Hill – Civil War

From “A City on a Hill: A Story of a Community, a Church, a People” by Jewel R. Johnson, Second Edition, 1979, Merchants Press of Taylor, Texas

Individual pages appear below in the TIFF format. Your browser may not display them automatically, depending upon your security settings. If they don’t open for you, even after you click on them, you can download a PDF copy by clicking on this link: Civil War

Civil War 1Civil War 2

Coupland Depot Museum & Caboose News

At its last meeting, the Board of Directors of the Coupland Civic Organization decided to open the Depot Museum on a trial basis on Saturday, June 1 and Saturday, June 8. The Depot will be open and manned by volunteers from 10 AM to 2 PM both days. Barbara Piper, President of the Civic Organization, says that if the response is good, the practice will continue.

Also on June 1, Cole Barton and Nichole Kertis will hold a garage sale at 104 Hoxie Street, just across from the Depot. On June 8, the Old Coupland Inn and Dancehall is hosting a meeting of the Model A Ford Club. Because of these two events, the Directors expect a greater than usual amount of people visiting downtown Coupland.

Besides the items on display in the museum, there will be a few items for sale:

  • Coffee mugs, $5
  • Custom made tote bags with drawing of Coupland by local artist, $10
  • Custom made cookbook with recipes from Coupland residents, $15.IMG_2848

    IMG_2851

    One side of the tote bag, drawn by local artist Connie Heineke: “Coupland’s Little White Church on the Hill.”
    This is the historic St. Peter’s Church of Coupland. The sanctuary was built in 1906.

The other side of the tote bag: “A Peaceful Simple Way of Life”
This was the home where Ms. Heineke grew up. It isn’t there any more but it is typical of the homes in the area.

According to Ruby Wabbel of the Civic Organization’s Fundraising Committee, the supply of cookbooks is limited.

The Directors also decided to put up a warning sign on the steps and platform of the caboose because of the rotting wood. They were concerned about people who were climbing on the caboose to pose for pictures. They are in the process of getting bids from contractors to replace the wood on the steps and the platform. This is just the first phase. The Directors are exploring options for other improvements on the caboose.

Stewart Dale Spencer

 

“The May-June 2013 Planet Dance” – Don’t Miss This!

WEBvic13_May26evThis is from Tony Flanders at SkyandTelescope.com: “A remarkable series of events takes place low in the west-northwest shortly after sunset from late May to late June. It features the tightest three-planet grouping visible without binoculars until 2026 and an excellent apparition of Mercury.”

What does that have to do with Coupland you say? Well, it just so happens that Coupland is a great place to stargaze . . . or in this case, planetgaze, which, by the way, is my primary moniker on the Internet: planetgazer. Watching the planets is a wonderful pastime  because you can do it without any special equipment and it’s a lot of fun to point them out to people. Most people pay little to no attention to the constantly changing skies, especially the night sky. I have made it a point my whole life to share my passion for sky watching with my family, my friends, and anyone else who will listen.

A great place to watch this particular night sky show is in front of the aptly-named Hilltop Storage on Powell Street. The skies may not be clear, or they could be hazy, and the lights from Austin, Pflugerville, and Round Rock don’t help. You might be interested to hear about the work of the International Dark Sky Association. Excessive light pollution can be avoided and even reversed!

Regardless, the skies are fairly dark above Coupland, especially toward the east. Perhaps there are a few folks in Coupland who have nice telescopes and wouldn’t mind sharing them a few times a year for some star parties. The Universe is truly an awesome place and Coupland is a great place to experience it!

Click here for the whole story. As Mr. Spock would say, “Fascinating.”

Stewart Dale Spencer

A City on a Hill – Cattle Empires and Conflicts

From “A City on a Hill: A Story of a Community, a Church, a People” by Jewel R. Johnson, Second Edition, 1979, Merchants Press of Taylor, Texas

Individual pages appear below in the TIFF format. Your browser may not display them automatically, depending upon your security settings. If they don’t open for you, even after you click on them, you can download a PDF copy by clicking on this link: Cattle Empires and Conflicts

Cattle Empires and Conflicts 1Cattle Empires and Conflicts 2