By GvilleTX Newsroom
Public event posts and county records place the 'Celebrating Our Roots' heritage celebration tied to a Red River screening, a flag-raising and a longhorn parade in George West, not in Gainesville or Cooke County. For Cooke County readers, the verified record points to Live Oak County and its courthouse at 301 Houston Street in George West; Cooke County lists its own courthouse at 101 S. Dixon St. in Gainesville.
The event was promoted as Live Oak County's 170th/America 250th 'Celebrating Our Roots' celebration, according to the public event page. Live Oak County's 2024 financial report says the county was organized in 1856, the record supporting the 170-year reference.
The weekend schedule began July 3 with a showing of Red River at the Dobie West Theatre in George West, the event page said. The page identified the film as starring John Wayne. The July 4 program included a parade that the event page advertised with floats and music, plus 50 Longhorn cattle.
A separate event post said Live Oak County Judge James Liska took part in a flag-raising. The same post named Live Oak County Sheriff Larry Busby and described a longhorn honor guard at the ceremony.
The records reviewed for this report do not show the event taking place at the Cooke County Courthouse or on the Gainesville square. Cooke County's website lists the county courthouse at 101 S. Dixon St. in Gainesville. Live Oak County's website lists the courthouse connected to the verified event county at 301 Houston Street in George West.
The flag-display record reviewed also points away from Gainesville. State Rep. Ryan Guillen said in a public post that more than 250 flags were placed around Three Rivers City Square for the Patriotic Revival flag placement. That record is in the Live Oak County and Three Rivers area, not a Cooke County courthouse display.
The ranching-history frame for the George West event matches the city's published origin account. The City of George West says the community was named for rancher George Washington West, who gave his name, a townsite, money and railroad right-of-way to start the town.
The verified record leaves Gainesville-specific details unsupported. There is no record in the supplied sources that 'Celebrating Our Roots' was a Gainesville event, that the Red River screening occurred in Cooke County, or that courthouse flag displays connected to the event were placed at the Cooke County Courthouse.
For Gainesville readers searching for local event information, the distinction is direct: the records reviewed for this report identify George West and Live Oak County, not Gainesville or Cooke County, as the location tied to the listed activities.
Join the conversation
Comments