Cultivating the Culture of "Think Local"
Marcus Buckner with John Baker of Liberty Hill, TX
As the volunteer Devine Chamber of Commerce President, I was excited about the theme for this year's festival - the Devine Cactus Fall Festival.
John (pictured with me above) is the son of O.T. Baker who started the Cactus Zoo in Devine in the early 1950s. John served as this year’s Grand Marshal of the parade.
The Cactus Zoo was a sculpture garden of various animals and characters made from cactus. O.T. Baker worked as a mailman, and his wife was the president of the Garden Club at the time. He brought commerce to our community as people from all over the world came to see the Cactus Zoo and its massive sculptures.
We displayed some of our community's history of the Cactus Zoo in the community center during the festivities. I think it shows how anyone can make great things happen - even a mailman in a small town. Baker believed that Devine could be a place that was amazing, and he was a true example of those who “Think Local.”
