Celebrate Salado’s History This Weekend With A Special Event

The town of Salado will celebrate its history this weekend with a special event honoring the city’s founding father. Interstate 35 runs through Salado, which is located between Belton to the north and Jarrell to the south.

What the Celebration Will Entail

Salado Museum and College Park are hosting the event honoring Colonel Elijah Sterling Clack Robertson this Saturday, Aug. 23. Museum Executive Director Lynette Jones says festivities will begin at 10am in the Main Street courtyard of the Museum with bagpiper Doug Slauson leading a procession to College Hill. A brief ceremony at Colonel Robertson’s statue near the ruins of Salado College will include a formal wreath laying.

The Salado Museum

The Salado Museum offers visitors an in-depth look at the city’s history at its 423 South Main Street location. In 1859, the Salado College Joint Stock Company was created by city founder Col. Elijah Sterling Clack Robertson, who donated 320 acres to be broken into lots to form the village of Salado. The money from the land sales created Salado College which operated from 1860 to 1885 and 1895 to 1913. Salado Creek was selected as the first Texas Natural Landmark.

The Old West

From 1866 to 1885, the famous Chisholm Trail cattle drives passed through Salado and the Stagecoach Inn was frequented by tired cowboys. The inn remains the oldest, continuously operated hotel in the United States.

The End of An Era

Salado suffered the same fate as many other Texas towns that lost railroad service. When railroads bypassed the town, the population decline began...dwindling from 400 residents in 1914, to 200 by 1950.

Famous Salado Natives

Miriam Amanda "Ma" Ferguson was the first female governor of Texas, notably portrayed by Kathy Bates in the 2019 Bonnie and Clyde film “The Highwaymen”.

Lela and Raymond Howard were an older married couple who disappeared while driving to Temple for the Pioneer Days festival. They were found deceased in their car 13 days later in Arkansas. The Austin group Fastball wrote a song about the couple in 1998 entitled, The Way, which became a hit.