Chamber celebrates Cameron’s past, future at banquet

By Lindsey Vaculin

General Manager

The Cameron Chamber of Commerce gathered to celebrate Cameron’s past and future at its 83rd annual banquet on Feb. 27.

Those gathered heard from Liz McDermott, who spoke on Cameron’s past, and Bob McClaren, who looked to the future, at the annual event. The Chamber also honored outstanding business and community leaders.

C&W Auto Repair and Cryer Collision were recognized as Business of the Year. Monica Schiller was named Outstanding Chamber Member and Volunteer of the Year. Matt Parker was recognized as Citizen of the Year. Little River Youth Supporters was named Organization of the Year.

The Chamber also recognized the late Ernest Moore with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his years of service to the community. Outgoing Chamber President Daniel Willie presented the award to Moore’s family.

McDermott spoke about the vitality and vibrance of Cameron in the 50s and 60s.

“Cameron was one of the busiest cities in Central Texas,” she said. “Just thinking about how exciting it was for a little country girl to get to come in to Cameron on a Saturday night.”

She said there were so many cars lining the streets and there were hundreds of people in town lining the plaza. She spoke of all the businesses that were downtown.

“Every Saturday night it was my treat to get to go to the picture show,” she said. “People were milling around and talking and having the best time. We would always end the night by going to Tex Miller’s. It was the most wonderful time I ever had in my life.”

 “We want to go back to that time,” Willie said. “When Cameron was a center of commerce and activity, the center of Central Texas and Milam County. There are a lot of things going on here in the city.”

McClaren, owner of 44 Farms, spoke about the future of Cameron.

“We have a wonderful history and so much to be thankful for right here in Cameron,” McClaren said.

He said Cameron is poised at the perfect spot to gain from the population growth in Texas.

“If you look at the urban triangle of Dallas-Fort Worth to Houston, west to San Antonio, up to Austin and back to the Metroplex, 21 million people live in that triangle,” he said. “That is amazing to me. What is even more amazing is that at the epicenter of that triangle is Holland, Texas. That is pretty close, right outside our door.”

McClaren said that is an exciting thing for Cameron and we need to be ready for the growth that is coming.

He spoke about the private-public partnership that built The Yards of Cameron and announced that the next phase of the project will begin in the coming weeks – two new fields added to the ballpark. Everyone got a first look at what the next phase will look like.

“We are going to bring hundreds of kids to Cameron, Texas, every weekend and let them see what we are all about,” he said.

The Cameron Future Foundation has designed the second phase of the project at The Yards which will add two additional fields on the west side of the complex along Adams.

Cameron Industrial Foundation Executive Director Ginger Watkins told the Cameron Economic Development Corporation during its meeting on Feb. 24 that the plans will help with an upcoming fundraising effort.

The project will include a driveway expansion, 55 additional parking spaces, a fence with controlled access, restrooms and a shade structure between the fields.