Mary Elizabeth Youens Hopkins, Elaine and Merle Luman, and Neva Lou and Al Hubenak share something in common: the joy of collecting Santa Claus. Out of this simple pleasure of collecting grew an homage to Santa - and a North Pole in the Southwest, if you will.
In Columbus, Texas, a small town of about 3,700 people halfway between San Antonio and Houston, you'll discover the Santa Claus Museum, which houses three major collections from these Santa-loving collectors. Opened in 1990 in a building donated by Laura Ann Rau, a founding member of the Columbus Historical Preservation Trust, Inc., the museum has more than 3,500 Santa Claus items decking its halls.
Hopkins was born in 1913 and given her first
