Smith's Station: Unearthing a Texas stage stop when East finally met the West

by Greg Jaklewicz, Abilene Reporter-News,

published online Dec. 9, 2022

"It was around for only 30 months, but it's part of Texas history. Between 1858-61, stagecoaches rumbled along Butterfield Overland Mail Route, from St. Louis, Mo., to San Francisco, Calif. It was the first transcontinental mail service, a semi-weekly service that was federally funded. It crossed what today are six states — Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. It also was a passenger service, for those hardy enough to weather a rugged journey. Each person could carry only 40 pounds in luggage. "Safe and sound .., in 23 days, 23 hours and a half, just one day and half an hour less than the time required, "wrote Waterman L. Ormby, a 23-year-old journalist who was the first passenger in 1858, upon completion of his journey."

Click to read the full article online

Smith's Station Exhibition

GRACE STUDIO

Simple Stitching Poinsettia

Thursday, December 15

6 PM - 8 PM

$30 | $25 for Members!

Some call it slow stitching, others meditative stitching. We’re calling it the perfect handmade gift, so nice you might just keep it for yourself (we won’t tell)! This class will have step-by-step instruction to create a beautiful poinsettia piece, regardless of whether you’re a lifelong sewer or you’ve never sewn a stitch! Come get crafty with us; bring your own snacks and beverages to enjoy while you work!

No experience necessary!

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If you had been a guest at the Hotel Grace in December during the early 1900s, you might have been invited to a fancy Christmas dinner by the hotel's founder and manager, Col. W.L. Beckham, Jr. You would have dressed in your finest clothes and been served a grand meal, accompanied perhaps by serenading musicians playing the beautiful sounds of the season.

As we celebrate this time of year, hotel memorabilia from our own building's past offer insightful glimpses into Christmases of old.

The special illustration on the menu's cover, the gold embellishments, and the poem by Henry Van Dyke on the inside present a formality we don't often see in today's Christmas events. Even the use of "Xmas" on the menu's cover might come as a surprise. Much historical controversy has occurred over the common misconception that this shortened version of the word "Christmas" eliminates the element of Christ; however, its usage actually dates back to the 16th century with the "X" deriving from the New Testament Greek spelling of"christos" (roughly meaning "the anointed one").

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On sale through December 17!

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