Texas Independence Day is the celebration of the adoption of the Texas Declaration of Independence on March 2, 1836. With this document, signed by 59 delegates, settlers in Mexican Texas officially declared independence from Mexico and created the Republic of Texas.

Larnce Barker is the President of the Sterling C. Robertson Sons of the Republic of Texas Chapter 22 that meets in Salado. He will be at the Museum to greet people and to relate a brief history of Texas Independence Day and the significant role Sterling Robertson played in establishing the Republic of Texas. He will also explain what is required to join the local chapter of the Sons of Republic of Texas.

In 1825, Empresario Sterling C. Robertson acquired lands grants from Mexico and is credited with bringing 600 families to this area, mostly of Scottish ancestry, to form the first large colony in Central Texas.

In 1859 his son Colonel Elijah S. C. Robertson donated land to a corporation formed to build a college and lay out and sell lots for a town to be called Salado. A statue of Col. Elijah Robertson, in which he is depicted in his Republic of Texas uniform, stands on College Hill just south of the Salado Museum.

Salado College and Village of Salado by Artist Becky Conley

The Museum of Salado, Texas is thrilled to showcase new work by contemporary, local, folk artist Becky Conley! Constructed from recycled wine corks, these intricate structures are a testament to creativity, patience, and the power of everyday materials in the hands of a visionary.

Folk art, both past and present, plays a vital role in preserving our cultural heritage. It captures the stories, traditions, and spirit of everyday life — not from the perspective of elites or institutions, but from the people themselves. Becky’s work continues this important tradition, bridging the past and the present by showing how folk art can evolve while staying deeply connected to community and environment.

Becky’s extraordinary attention to detail is evident in every carefully placed cork. Her work reminds us that artistry isn’t confined to galleries or grand canvases — it thrives in right here in our community, fueled by passion, patience, and ingenuity (and maybe a bottle of wine or two).

Come see Village of Salado and new addition of Salado College in person and experience how modern folk art continues to tell our collective stories in ways that are both timeless and refreshing. On display now through October 2025. 423 S. Main Street Salado, Texas 76571

Kenneth McIntosh is an author, educator, and spiritual companion. He has written more than a dozen
books published by Anamchara, including Water from an Ancient Well, has led workshops in Ireland,
the UK, and throughout the US, and has shared his insights on podcasts and webinars. In the past, he
taught comparative religion at the college level and has led churches in five different denominations.
He lives in the Western Finger Lakes of New York with his wife Marsha and their cat, Bunty, where he
also enjoys time with his granddaughter, hiking, fountain pens, fantasy fiction, and historic-themed
craft projects. With his wife Marsha, and other companions-on-the-way, Kenneth has been shaped by
blister-making, soul-renewing pilgrimages in Spain and Scotland. He is available for in-person or online events at kennethmcintosh.com.

Join us at the Salado Museum and College Park for a 4-Day Kids History Camp in Salado, Texas!

Exploring History Through the Lens of Texas

July 14 – Day 1: Introduction to History and Early
Texas
Theme: Discovering Texas’ Roots
 Why Texas history matters. Discuss the Gault Site and its importance to the area.
 Exploration of early Texas history, including Indigenous
peoples and Spanish colonization. Hands-on activity: Create a clay pinch pot.
 Break with Local Texas-themed snacks.
 Archelogy dig.
 Storytime featuring Indigenous legends and tales from
Texas history.

July 15 – Day 2: Beyond the Notes – Celtic Fiddle Playing by Colin MacLeod
Theme: Texas Revolution and Impact of Scottish-Americans
 A brief storytelling session introducing the Texas Revolution.
 Learn about key Texas Revolution events, including the Alamo.
 Introduction of the Scottish Fiddle’s impact on Texas. The fiddle and bagpipes played at the Alamo
 Texas-themed snacks, such as pecans or beef jerky.
 Continuation of Celtic Fiddle.
 Closing activity.

July 16 – Day 3: Pioneers in Texas
Theme: Life and Times of the early settlers.
 First settler: Archibald Willingham
 Chris Coffey Focus on Pioneers and their way of life in Early
Texas. Food, Shelter and Survival. Hunting and Gathering.
 Snacks inspired by early history. Churning butter.
 Uses of tools and natural resources.
 Leather braiding.

July 17 – Day 4: Early Salado and The Robertson Family.
Theme: The Empresario, Colonel and Salado College
 A brief storytelling session introducing the Robertson Family.
 Robertson game
 Texas-themed snacks, such as pecans or beef jerky.
 Fun activity.
 Wrap up of the week.

Applications for kids to attend the camp can be downloaded below or acquired by emailing director@saladomuseum.org. The Salado Museum & College Park is a 501(c)3. Donations for the camp will be accepted as $50.00 per child for the 4-day camp and $25.00 for each additional child in the family.

We are excited to announce that the Village of Salado and Salado Museum and College Park have been selected to host the Dinosaur George Traveling Museum as part of the 2025 Dinosaur George Summer Outreach Program! This is a one-day-only, completely FREE event that will transform our space into an unforgettable experience for visitors of all ages.

Event Details: Date: July 12, 2024

Time: 11:00am to 4:00pm

Location: Salado Museum and College Park – 423 S Main Street, Salado, Texas 76571

Admission: FREE and open to the public

Registration: No registration required

What can you expect? An incredible collection of life-size dinosaur skulls, fossil replicas, and exhibits featuring prehistoric creatures from every corner of Earth’s ancient past – dinosaurs, mammals, reptiles, and more!

The traveling museum was created by Dinosaur George Blasing, a self-taught paleontologist with over 40 years of experience, and the host of the Dinosaur George Kids podcast and History Channel’s Jurassic Fight Club. During the event, visitors will even get a chance to ask questions during a live Q&A with George himself.

Plus: A full day of hands-off, museum-quality exhibits • A pop-up gift shop with dinosaur-themed merchandise and authentic fossils for sale • Fun, engaging science for kids, families, and lifelong learners alike. Whether you are a dino-lover, a science fan, or just for a fun and educational day out – you won’t want to miss this. We are bringing the prehistoric world right to Salado.

Following Dino George, the Kids History Camp will kick off at the Salado Museum and College Park: • July 14th – Introduction to History and Early Texas • July 15th – Beyond the Notes – Celtic Fiddle Playing • July 16th – Pioneers in Texas • July 17th – The Robertson Family and early Salado. Mark your calendars and stay tuned to the website for more details. Help spread the word—and get ready for a roaring good time!

LIZ CARPENTER May 26 at The Beltonian Theatre

Award-Winning Documentary Celebrates Legacy & Life of Salado Native, Key Aide to President Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson, Trailblazing Journalist, Women’s Rights Activist, Humorist, and Texas Icon

 
WHAT:        On May 26, 2025 at 2 p.m., the Salado Museum will host a special “director’s cut” screening of SHAKING IT UP: THE LIFE & TIMES OF LIZ CARPENTER along with a chance for guests to ask questions and hear from co-producer/co-director Christy Carpenter after the screening at The Beltonian Theatre. 
              
Liz Carpenter (1920-2010) experienced and helped shape some of the most vivid moments and movements of the 20th century – including her extensive behind-the-scenes work as chief of staff and press secretary to First Lady Johnson – when she orchestrated and strategized Lady Bird’s groundbreaking, grassroots promotion of LBJ’s Great Society, including the War on Poverty and environmental programs. After her White House years, Liz co-founded the National Women’s Political Caucus and actively campaigned for women candidates around the country. Additionally, as co-chair of
ERAmerica, she led the battle for State ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.
 
Liz was a native of Salado and was born at the historic Robertson Plantation home, built by her great-great grandfather in the early 1850s. In her twenties, the small-town-Texan- turned-Washington, DC transplant earned a reputation as a savvy, dogged political reporter and her byline quickly spread to more than a dozen newspapers, leading to the creation of the Carpenter News Bureau in the nation’s capital with her reporter husband, Leslie.  When she was 34, Carpenter was elected president of the Women’s National Press Club, a platform she used to erode barriers to participation in the men-only National Press Club (NPC), the foremost journalistic organization in Washington, DC. There she fought on behalf of women journalists to gain access to newsmaker events at the NPC. After LBJ was elected in 1960, Carpenter became the highest-ranking woman to work for a vice president until that time. A few years later, Carpenter was the key mastermind of Lady Bird’s unprecedented Whistlestop campaign tour through the South during the 1964 presidential campaign as well an orchestrating some 47 trips for the
First Lady to promote Great Society programs. Carpenter’s talents for generating strong public interest and media attention through creative, out-of-the-box strategies earned her the nickname of “the P.T. Barnum of the White House.”
 
Shaking It Up: The Life & Times of Liz Carpenter recounts Carpenter’s powerful story through new, candid interviews with LBJ’s daughters, Luci Baines Johnson and Lynda Johnson Robb; feminist leader Gloria Steinem; legendary journalists Dan Rather and Bill Moyers; presidential historian Douglas Brinkley; and the late U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson. The film features never-seen home movies, photos, interview clips of
her on Meet the Press, The Today Show and The David Frost Show, and rarely-shown artifacts, including Carpenter’s initial handwritten draft of LBJ’s first remarks given as President in the immediate aftermath of JFK’s death, which she referred to as “probably the most important 58 words I ever wrote.”   
 
The documentary, which received special recognition at film festivals in 2024, kicking off with its world premiere at SXSW Film & TV Festival last March. The film was named Best Feature Documentary at the Hill Country Film Festival and Best Biographical Film at the Toronto International Women Film Festival. It was an official selection at SXSW Film Festival, Hill Country Film Festival, Toronto International Women Film Festival, DOC NYC, Virginia Film Festival, Dallas International Film Festival, DC/DOX Film Festival, DocLands, Woods Hole Film Festival, and it was featured by the Sebastopol Film Festival in late March. 
 
WHEN:       Monday, May 26, 2025 2 p.m. Public Screening
WHO:         Christy Carpenter, Co-Director and Co-Producer, daughter of Liz Carpenter
WHERE:   The Beltonian Theatre | 219 East Central Ave., Belton, TX 76513
TICKETS: In person, suggested $10 donation
 

About Liz Carpenter Film Partners:
Founded by film co-directors and co-producers Christy Carpenter and Abby Ginzberg, Liz Carpenter Film Partners was created for the purpose of developing the documentary film Shaking It Up: The Life & Times of Liz Carpenter. The collaboration brought together two passionate minds with unique skillsets to tell the story. Christy Carpenter is the daughter of Liz Carpenter and has devoted several years to reviewing the
voluminous papers, oral histories, and video materials of her pack-rat mother augmenting her own personal memories. Her very deep knowledge of her mother’s life, friends, and former colleagues as well as her media savvy and passion for history offered an exceptional resource for this film. Abby Ginzberg, a Peabody award-winning director and EMMY® Silver Circle inductee has been producing compelling
documentaries about race and social justice for over 35 years.  Honored with induction into the Silver Circle of the National Association of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) in recognition of her 25 years of commitment to the film and TV community, Abby has created an impressive portfolio of award-winning films. Her film, Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power, won the 2022 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding
Documentary and is available on Amazon Prime. To learn more, visit lizcarpenterfilm.com.

“The museum exhibit focuses on five women who are key figures in the story of Salado: Liz Carpenter, Lucile A. Robertson, Mary Hodge, Grace Jones and Nannie Poteet,” says Lynette Jones, Museum Executive Director. “We are very pleased to have Ms. Carpenter as well as other descendants of these remarkable women joining us at the reception and for the film screening.”

The Carpenter film tells the story of a trailblazing woman journalist, White House official, author, humorist, political activist, feminist leader, and proud Texan who experienced and helped shape some of the most vivid moments and movements of the 20th Century. Liz Carpenter, the great-great granddaughter of Salado founder Col. Elijah Robertson, was born at the historic Robertson Plantation and spent her formative years in Salado. For more information on the film go to www.LizCarpenterFilm.com. 

Salado Museum and College Park will host a presentation by renowned historian, Keith George, in the Lucile A. Robertson Center at 10:00am on Saturday, March 1 st. Mr. George is a member of the Bell County Historical Commission as Vice Chair and Chairs its Preservation and Grants Committees. His talk will focus on the Stillhouse Hollow Dam project which necessitated the relocation of “lost cemeteries” from the valley along the Lampasas River where many of Salado’s early settlers were buried. The event is free and open to the public with donations welcome at the door.

“Following George’s presentation, museum staff members will hold a tour of our historic Salado Museum building and the Salado College ruins on College Hill,” says Lynette Jones, Museum Executive Director. “The tour will include a brief history of Texas Independence Day and the significant role Empresario Sterling Robertson played in establishing the Republic of Texas on March 2, 1836.”

In 1825, Robertson acquired lands grants from Mexico and is credited with bringing 600 families to this area, mostly of Scottish ancestry, to form the first large colony in Central Texas. In 1859 his son Col. Elijah Sterling C. Robertson donated land to a corporation formed to build a college and lay out and sell lots for a town to be called Salado. “During the tour on College Hill, attendees will view the statue of Colonel Robertson in which he is depicted in his Republic of Texas uniform,” Jones adds. Texas Independence Day is the celebration of the adoption of the Texas Declaration of Independence on March 2, 1836. With this document, signed by 59 delegates, settlers in Mexican Texas officially declared independence from Mexico and created the Republic of Texas.

Today, the mission of the Salado Museum is to promote and preserve the pioneer history of Salado through educational and literary programs and exhibits that document the settlement and heritage of the area. The museum maintains the ruins and grounds of Salado College built in 1860 by visionary pioneers who established a co-educational facility for students grade one through two years of college based on the then unconventional belief that both men and women deserved equal access to higher
education in a nondenominational setting.

Registration is not necessary for this free event. Please wear comfortable shoes for the tour, after the lecture.

The Salado Museum and College Park is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in a historic stone building at 423 South Main Street in Salado across from the Stagecoach Inn. College Park is located just south of the museum. Donations are always welcome and volunteers are always needed to help maintain this important part of Salado’s history.