Sesquicentennial Update
by Maryann Miller

Numerous people and organizations are hard at work with plans for the Winnsboro Birthday Bash in 2004. "We're using events that are already scheduled," Mayor Carolyn Jones said, "and putting a Sesquicentennial spin on them."

The kick-off for the year-long celebration of Winnsboro history and heritage will take place in October of this year, with details still in the planning stages. The Chamber of Commerce has already agreed to make the theme for this year's Christmas parade "Christmas Past," tying into the historical concept.

New for the year will be an expo of Clubs and Organizations to be held in March and an Easter Pageant, which is being organized by a community-wide group of churches and will be presented the first weekend in April. No sesquicentennial celebration would be complete without a huge birthday party, and that will be held toward the end of April.
The annual Spring Trails weekend will also have an historical theme, and the Rodeo Association is planning to incorporate the sesquicentennial into events for the Rodeo in June.

Other recurring events, such as the July 4th Picnic in the Park and fireworks, and the September Oil-Field Days will also reflect the special theme of 2004. In October of that year there will be a sesquicentennial finale that will incorporate a time capsule and perhaps another birthday party.

Georgia Lange has coordinated with local art teachers in the high school and middle school toward the creation of an historical mural. The Art League generously donated $150.00 dollars to both schools to cover the cost of supplies, and students will soon begin work on the mural, which will consist of six panels with twenty-five years of history on each 4x4 panel. The finished panels will be moveable with plans to "share them with the entire city."

"They can be displayed at City Auditorium," Georgia said. "But they could also be moved to the schools, bank lobbies, or any other place that might want to display them for a while."

In addition to the core committee which consists of Carolyn Jones, Georgia Lange, Sue Hamm, Bob Hibbard, Ronny Knight, and Denise Miranda, many other sub-committees have formed to handle specific projects. Donations of time, expertise and funds are always welcome as these groups move toward making this a stellar celebration.

If you have comments, please contact Ronny Knight at 903-342-3654 and he will direct your call to the appropriate Sesquicentennial Team member. We are anticipating this celebration to be a community affair; your ideas are welcome.