Colorado County Living

Fall returns with fair weather

FALL FLOWERS AT ATTWATER

New Deacon

FOLLOWING HIS FAITH INTO COLUMBUS

Spooky Season

Ghost Towns and their stories

New Deacon follows his faith intoColumbusandthepulpit

BY TRENTON WHITING

Those who feel called to serve in the church usually credit their faith as the main motivator that drives their desire. For many members in the pulpit, serving as a church leader was something chosen for their path, reaching that point despite whatever obstacles stood in the way. The belief that since the path has been chosen, no amount of hesitancy, fear or adversity would prevent them from eventually reaching the seats at the front of the church. Steven Tomlinson may truly be a living example of this as his journey brought him from his birthplace in Oklahoma to the

halls of university as a business professor and consultant before finding his way to Columbus in the seats of St. John’s Episcopal as a church leader. The story of how a playwright, businessman and consultant reached the hallowed halls of a Columbus church is one of faith through doubt and support from the people in his circle.

After spending his childhood in Oklahoma, Tomlinson went on to study economics at Stanford as a start to his career. Not long after his graduation is when he first established his roots in Texas in 1988 as an economics professor for the University of Texas in Austin.

Photos by Trenton Whiting | Colorado County Citizen

After 16 years of leading courses for the state’s flagship university, he went on to teach and train other teachers at the Acton School of Business before it lost its accreditation in Texas.

For Tomlinson, the call to become a priest had been a whisper in the back of his mind since his youth as his faith and fervor for serving developed a passion for his religion.

“I’ve always loved the Christian discipleship, reading the bible, being a servant,” Tomlinson said, “That’s just a way of life that for me has got a lot of joy in it.”

However, his hesitancy in joining the clergy was affected by a factor that helped him establish his roots in Columbus in the first place.

In 1978, Hispanic couple

Eloy and Gloria Sepulveda purchased 20 acres of land near Cat Spring to help settle a border dispute between the two surrounding neighbors that desired a buffer in between their

plots. After running the farm for 40 years, the Sepulveda’s moved to the farm full-time in 2008 before Eloy and Gloria passed in 2015 and 2018 respectively. The land has stayed in the family ever since, passed down to their surviving children: Eugene, Eli and Bridget. The Sepulveda’s history in the county joined with Tomlinson after his marriage to Eugene in 1999 after meeting each other on UT’s campus. While his orientation and his partner have been a source of happiness and pride for Tomlinson, the church during this time was not always as accepting of those with his particular background. Thus, he hesitated to pursue his passion for religion and develop his skills as a religious teacher. His priest in his early 20s implored him to find his own way of ministering and continue to follow his faith until it led him to his calling.

Teaching in schools served as a different way of ministry for Tomlinson. He felt that advising others and helping them pursue

their passions and conquer their fears was a way of touching the lives of his students and advancing the will of his religion with his faith.

“The way that I found to be a pastor was to be a college professor and advise people who were trying to figure out what to do with their lives,” Tomlinson said, “And to be an artist and write plays where I tried to help us think about the good we were trying to do and where we were stuck and what was going on in our world.”

Since his seven years with Acton, he has worked as a business consultant for high-level business and Wall-Street as well as young entrepreneurs getting their starts in business. He brought his passions together by becoming a professor of parish administration for the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin in 2014, teaching his students how to manage the church’s money and how to use the money in a way that glorifies their God.

For decades, Tomlinson had avoided seeking out his true passion of serving in the church and spreading the gospel as a teacher in the pulpit hoping to avoid controversy. But the calling never disappears for those chosen to serve, and he was reminded of this by several

people in his life that helped him take the next step towards becoming a leader in the church.

A few of the main supporters for his path into church leadership were leaders and educators in the church themselves. William Seth Adams was the priest of a historically African American church, St. James Episcopal, that welcomed Tomlinson and Eugene in the early stages of their relationship. Adams gave the couple the same love and care he provided for all of his members. Being a part of such an accepting church family showed Tomlinson that there was indeed room for him in their ranks.

At around the same time, Tomlinson was receiving guidance from William Cowell Spong, a professor of Pastoral Ministry at the Seminary of the Southwest where Tomlinson taught church finance. For 15 years, Spong counselled Tomlinson on the ways of the spirit and how to grow and strengthen his faith. Spong passed in 2004, but his impact on Tomlinson’s life led to Tomlinson having a much stronger confidence in his faith and his love for God and religion.

In 2020, more close friends and confidants began encouraging Tomlinson to chase his calling and use his gift of teaching for the gospel. Still feeling the pull to the pulpit, Tomlinson resolved to go through a six-month process of formal discernment. A group of six spiritual leaders asked questions and allowed space for thought as they gained

insight on Tomlinson’s passion for his religion and his ability to spread the gospel. After half-a-year of questioning and “lots of thoughtful pausing” , the group confirmed that Tomlinson indeed had received the call to ministry and gave him the confidence to move forward in his pursuit.

and commune with him at our church,” St. Johns Bishop Warden Roger Olier said.

The members of St. Johns can attest to how accepting the church has been for those who populate its seats during worship service. Olier has seen firsthand the pure love for people that the church has displayed throughout his six years as a member.

“I can truly say I’ve never been part of a church where I’ve felt so welcomed,” Olier said, “And a church that I’ve felt just radiates with love within its doors.”

They have the belief that God truly does accept anyone who loves Him and uses those who are willing to work for his cause. Tomlinson’s willingness to work and passion for his faith guided him to become an ordained leader of the church.

lead a chu h rcch h He e gradu d ated e J i i June, offifficial certi i to follow the emb

For the next three years, Tomlinson attended the Iona School for Ministry to strengthen the skills he would require to become a church leader. He travelled to Camp Allen near Navasota one weekend out of every month during that period as he grew in his faith and ability to lead a church body. He graduated in June, giving him the cial certification to follow the calling that had embedded itself into his spirit from an early age. As part of his education, he interned at a small church in Burnet called Epiphany Episcopal church. Coming up from Shawnee in Oklahoma, the small-town dynamic is something that Tomlinson had always felt comfortable with.

ittself into o his an n y age. As of f his edu d cation, he h inter e ned at a sm ch c urch in Burn r et e callled d n Ep church. Coomi m ng up p frrom Shaawnee Ok O lahoma m , thhe smalll-town dy is sommetthi h ng that t Tomlin ha d al wa ays f el t co mf wi th. Soo, whhen it wa w s ti Tomlinnson to d a to ser ve at untiil l acchi his dream of bec e om a prrie i st, , the town w of allowed e sma m lll-towwn co as well as the lon o gtimme con there h his family. Shorrtl his he becamme a de for St. John’s Episcopal Church h last step p before he is able to tak title as priest

So, when it was time for Tomlinson to find a church to serve at until achieving his dream of becoming a priest, the town of Columbus allowed him to have the small-town comfort as well as the longtime connection there through his family. Shortly after his graduation, he became a deacon for St. John’s Episcopal Church as the last step before he is able to take on the

With Tomlinson a part of the membership, St. Johns has continued to provide love and support to the community as much as they can with their numbers. With just a few church members, St. Johns has been able to begin fellowships at local elderly homes such as Columbus Oaks and Oak Bluff senior apartments. Their goal to bring the church to the community is driven by their faith and belief that anyone can receive and accept God into their lives. Their support took a slight hit after closing for several years due to COVID, but a smaller membership was not something that was going to stop the rural church from spreading the message of their faith and helping those when they can.

“If we didn’t have enough people to bring in the community, we were going to go out into the community,” Olier said.

Tomllinson’s passsion ha h d been to serve the others and d spr hi h s to in a acccepting and carin

Tomlinson’s passion had always been to serve the gospel by helping others and spreading his faith to others in an accepting and caring way.

At St. Tom haad a chu that d va v lues he e b in n “We’re look fo f r pe p ople l wh to to

As part of their outreach to the community they are hosting a “pet blessing” on Oct. 8 on their church grounds. The event is another display of their accepting nature as anyone in the public can bring their pets to receive a blessing for their animals and pets.

At St. John’s, Tomlinson had found a church that displayed all of the values he believed

“We’re looking for people who want to be closer to God

nnnec e ly a aco as s t e on al a w ea e di n ng w mlin urc all belie kin ho w o Go G

The long journey for Tomlinson led him to back to the city of Columbus where he and his family have set their roots for decades. He hopes that he will pay forward the love and acceptance he received throughout his life now that he is in the final stage of his path to becoming a priest. As a man who has allowed himself to be guided by faith, Tomlinson believes his faith has guided him to exactly where he’s supposed to be.

The Citizen takes a look at local ghost towns, stories and legends

The fall season in Texas comes with holidays and celebrations as citizens in the state the cooler weather that comes with it. Many people look forward to Thanksgiving or even have their eyes all the way on the winter holidays such as Christmas

and New Year’s Eve. However, one fall holiday has been a favorite in the country for a large part of its lifetime as Halloween nears. The last day of October is a day to celebrate the spooky, with children trick-or-treating and enjoying candy from decorated homes that fit the holiday spirit. In honor of the

upcoming holiday, the Citizen would like to celebrate with some spooky tales of our own. The following stories are of ghost towns and legends that have run within the pages of the Citizen in the past. The Citizen highlights some of the scariest stories from around the area as we prepare ourselves for the scariest of all holidays.

THE UNFULFILLED PROMISE OF PROVIDENT

The unfulfilled promise of Provident City By

Alesia

Davis Provident City is no longer on maps. The historical marker for the ghost town was reported missing in 2007. Today it is private property a few miles south of Columbus “as the crow flies.” In the first decade of the 20th century, Provident City began as a land development scheme. The Provident Land Company of Kansas City convinced families from the Midwest to move to Texas and purchase acres of land for farming. By 1910, about 500 people were living in the area, anticipating a railroad that residents were told would be built there. A post office stood in Provident City, and

several other businesses including a funeral home, jeweler, amateur baseball team and a large hotel. The hotel was built to entice newcomers and potential buyers. By 1914, residents of Provident City realized the railroad promised to them was not coming, and the land was not as well suited for farming as they’d been told. Even though there were only about 150 left in the community at this time, in 1915 an Austin newspaper reported that the saloon keeper in Provident City was reported for staying open during a school board election. According to the history of Provident City on texasescapes.com, a prairie fire nearly wiped the city out a couple of years

later in 1917. The story is that the fire raged for two days and school principal C.K. Kuykendall and the children of the school put the fire out by beating at it with wet burlap sacks. Several structures, including the hotel, were saved from the fire’s wrath. As the years went by, World Wars I and II, along with The

Great Depression, turned a bad situation worse for Provident City, and by 1953 only about 30 people remained in the community. The post office closed that year. Today, the land is mostly owned by an oil company and is the home to cattle. The hotel is still there, serving as the last of what was once Provident City.

The Provident Land Company of Kansas City built the elaborate Provident City Hotel in an attempt to bring and keep people living in the ill-fated city.

Hotel photo Courtesy/John J. Germann

PISEK: TRAIN TOWN LOST IN THE SANDS OF TIME

BY ALESIA DAVIS

Near the Colorado/ Fayette County line on FM 1291, originally named Sandy Point by the railroad, local Czech residents chose to call the area Pisek, which translates to “sand.” In the late 1800s, Pisek was a train town, as there were many around the area at that time.

A rail

turntable was built there not too far from Boggy Tank. Carolyn Heinsohn and the Fayette County Historical Commission say the story of the Pisek area also includes it being the site of a major train wreck, but no dates were able to be confirmed of this event. Around the beginning of the 20th century, the German and Czech community of Pisek boasted a couple of stores owned by Mike Krenek and J. H. Mazac, a dancehall operated by

Krenek, blacksmith shop run by Dick Hilgen, and a post office. Krenek also had a cotton seed house and Lorenz Kulhanek ran a saloon. Families credited with settling the small town of Pisek include the Kickler, Schmidt, Canik, Kulhanek, Lutonsky, Dvorak and Stein families. The legend of Pisek also includes a celebration given by Krenek to celebrate his purchase of 19 train cars full of cotton. The party was at the railroad tracks around 1910. The Krenek band from Wallis played for Mike and

his partygoers. When the Katy railroad completed its link to Houston, the Pisek turntable was taken up and part of the area eventually morphed into what is now known as Lone Oak, reportedly named for the lone oak tree in the middle of the road. By the 1940s, Pisek was officially a ghost town. The next time you’re in the area, see if you can spot the small railroad trestle that remains to mark what was once Pisek.

FRAZARVILLE TOWN OF YESTERYEAR REMEMBERED BY FAMILY AND STATE

BY ALESIA DAVIS

When driving down the winding roads in the Egypt community just outside of Eagle Lake city limits near the Wharton County line, there is a Texas Historical Commission marker near FM 102 and FM 3013 that marks the place where the community of Frazarville once existed.

Founded in 1857 by Dr. Issac James Frazar and his father, Col. James Watson Frazar, the Frazars made their home here near the old Caney Creek after coming from the Cibolo River area where a locust infestation killed their crops and ruined their cattle.

Eagle Lake native and historian Sandra C. Thomas,

along with Edward D. Frazar, Jr., wrote a book titled, “Frazarville: Gone but not Forgotten” published last year that tells the story of the community of Frazarville and its inhabitants before, during and after the Civil War era. Thomas says, “The town was actually a lively little business community at its peak in the mid to late 1800s. A number of Frazars and their farm employees lived there. There was a large cotton gin, a sizeable blacksmith shop, which also repaired buggies, and served the local farming and livestock areas. The abundant general store provided the necessities for the family, employees, and

neighbors.” The community even had a newspaper, The Frazarville Boomerang, which was the area’s first news publication. The town, once active, fell silent as Frazar family members and employees passed and moved away. The town faded into history and remained

only in the memories of those who lived there. A historical marker was placed at the Frazarville site Nov. 14, 2015. Several Frazar family decendants were on hand for the unveiling of the marker, once the site of their family homestead.

Photos Courtesy Fayette Co Historical Commission; submitted by Carolyn Heinsohn, FCHC member

James Azriah Frazar was the owner and namesake of the village of Frazarville near Matthews during the 1870s. His father, Isaac, moved the family to the area in 1857 to escape a locust infestation on the Cibolo River near San Antonio.

Agnes Jane Paget Smith was born on Paget Island, Bermuda, where her family settled in the 1600s. She married James Azriah Frazar in the 1880s and is buried at the Frazarville Cemetery. They had two sons.

HAlf-mAN, HAlf-goAT … aLL true? lf-mAN, HAlf-goAT … true? THE LEgENd OF EAgLE Lake’s GoATmAN LEgENd Lake’s

BY ALESIA DAVIS

The woods near the Colorado River in Alleyton. The New Town community just outside of the Eagle Lake city limits. The woods near the old E.H. Henry school building in the flats area of Eagle Lake. An old abandoned shack near FM 102 and Matthews Store Road

CHARLES BRUNSON

Charles Brunson (1830-1916), born in Westphalia, Germany, migrated to America in 1845. About 1867 he settled in Columbus, establishing a saloon, which prospered. In 1891 he erected this building, adding adjacent store in 1896. Used as saloon until about 1919, building later had other occupancies.

Except for lowering of canopy and some changes in windows, it retains original Victorian style. The Brunson building was built in 1891 by Charles Brunson.

The saloon was on the first floor, and the second floor was a meeting hall, and later,

Matthews headed toward Wharton. These are some of the places in and around Eagle Lake where the Goatman has been rumored to roam and scare teenagers (and adults) alike for over 40 years. Eagle Lake resident Connie Herman shares, “He used to live down Calhoun Road in an abandoned house in a pasture. He would roam at night, late at night when you would travel the road you could see his eyes glowing in the pastures. This was back before 3013 was built.” Paul Nawara, an Eagle Lake native, says, “I used to tell my kids the story of the Goatman when they

got to high school. The story I heard back in the 1970s was that he lived on a road going out FM 102 towards Wharton. It was a scary place to go at night. The road was grown over by trees covering like a tunnel, and the Goatman was said to take boys into his abandoned shack and eat them alive. We went out there one night, but never saw the Goatman. It was plenty spooky out there though. No light at all out there back then, couldn’t even see star or moon light.” A quick Google search shows that there have been Goatman sightings across the United States for decades. The half-man half-

goat creature is said to be a hermit, living in obscurity in wooded areas, only coming out at night to scare an occasional late night driver or group of curious teens. A story that ran in an Oct. 1976 issue of the Eagle Lake Headlight mentioned a tall, hairy creature with superhuman agility that stopped a car by pulling on the rear bumper in the Matthews area one night. A Nov. 1975 issue of the Headlight featured a story titled, “ Is there really a Goatman?” Writer Mike Armstrong said he’d heard tell that the Goatman lived in the Bonus area, stood 8 feet tall, was hairy and could throw a tire rim up to 200 yards. So, the next time you’re traveling in the Eagle Lake area at night, be sure that the “animal” you saw dart into the woods or the dimly lit headlights you saw off the road weren’t actually the Goatman.

housed the Lone Star Opera House. Through the years, the businesses operating from the building have varied. Today, the building is the home of the Live Oak Art Center and the Courtyard Wine Bar.

Mar. 16, 1899 Sam Reese tied his horse to the hitching rail in front of Brunson’s Saloon and was shot dead a few moments later.

Courtney Wied, Executive Director of the Live Oak Art Center, said there are indeed things that go bump in the night - and in the daytime, too at the building.

“The front door creaks open often. I come up front, thinking someone is coming in, and

no one is here. One evening, I was here alone wrapping things up for the day, and I heard what sounded like banging on the door or the walls. I looked around the buildingnothing. But, I sure got out of here in a hurry that night!”Excerpt from a December 1868 issue from the Columbus Times, “Remember that our old friend Charley Brunson, at the Live Oak, has every variety of fine liquors, tobacco and cigars to suit those who have a taste for "sich," and if you don't believe us go and try one of those nice egg-nogs such as he always keeps on hand for paying

He has a billard table and bowling alley, where his friends can enjoy themselves during the holidays and as long thereafter as they chose to stay In the city"

Fall returns with fairer weather and fall flowers at Attwater

BY ALESIA WOOLRIDGE

After one of the hottest summers in history, everyone in Texas looks forward to cooler weather and the trees turning color in the fall. But did you know, while the trees are changing color, the prairie is too?

Fall is one of the best wildflower seasons for native prairies. A great place to see them for yourself is Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge, located at 1206 APC-NWR Road, just outside of Eagle Lake.

The refuge has a four-mile auto tour as well as mile-long walking trails.

As the flowers and greenery return from withstanding the harsh drought-like conditions of the summer, the landscape will likely look much different as we enter the fall months. While rain has still been in short supply, many hope that the end of summer will also come along with the end of the hot and dry conditions that have destroyed and burned grasslands and prairies in the area.

While some large areas of grass and brush have burned throughout the hottest parts of the summer, the return of flowers and some of the county’s natural beauty will also mean a return of conditions that allow those natural works of art to survive.

The state of Texas has been praying for rain to return and breathe life back into the rolling plains and farms that have suffered during the summer. The Attwater refuge will be one of the best places to see the beauty of Texas fall flowers as the state recovers from a record-breaking season of heat.

OSAGE  SITE OF CAMP MEE TINGS AND CONFEDERATE CAVALRY

BY ALESIA WOOLRIDGE

It’s not on most state maps anymore. The population is unknown today, but at one time, Osage was a lively small community in Colorado County.

Situated on Harvey Creek near Weimar, it is said that Osage was named after abundant Bois d’Arc trees (also known as osage Orange), on land granted to Henry Austin, a cousin of Stephen F. Austin.

Dr. Samuel D. McLeary is credited for naming the community around 1855.

When the Civil War erupted, Osage was one of several local communities to form a Confederate company of soldiers and horses.

Company A, Fifth Texas Calvalry, CSA, was supplied by the community of Osage, which boasted a blacksmith, churches, a doctor, Masonic Lodge, cotton gin, several well built homes, stores and a Confederate States of America post office.

Osage was a popular religious camp meeting site, and a number of baptisms took place at the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, of Osage, which was established in 1870.

The Osage School was opened by E. B. Carruth around 1874.

Carruth’s curriculum for students included learning higher math, Latin, history, geography and rhetoric.

Several Osage families served as boarding families for students from as far as 100 miles away. Minutes and records of the Osage Debating Club, later named the Crocket Literary Society, dating back to 1874 can be viewed at the Nesbitt Memorial Library.

Even though Osage School was a notable education site in the 1870s, the railroad construction through Weimar lured more residents to the newly forming City of Weimar and away from Osage.

By the turn of the 20th century, Weimar was a bustling small town, leaving the growth of Osage behind.

Osage is now listed as a Texas Ghost

of this community are documented for generations to see.

Information from Nesbitt MemorialLibraryarchives,and TexasEscapes.com.

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