b'Above/Left to Right: The famed Lyric Theater on Broadway in New York, where Claras musical Mexicana played 82 shows in 1906; theater poster for Mexicana; illustration of Broadway Blvd. in New York, 1905; Claras husband Hal Sevier photographed during his time in the Texas Legislature; Left/Upper: Contemporary photo of Laguna Gloria, built by the Seviers on Lake Austin; Lower: Daughters of the Republic of Texas gathered at Laguna Gloria.Also in 1906, at the tender age of 23, Claraocraticnominationforpresident,which wrote a Broadway musical with the youngwas then decided by delegate votes at the composer John Raymond Hubbell, just thenational convention, before todays system third production of his career that spannedof primary elections. FDR won 1,032 to 61.more than two decades and over two dozenIt was in New York that Clara married Hal plays.Clarapersonallyfinancedthepro- Sevier, a newspaper editor from Tennessee duction of Mexicana, which ran 82 perfor- where his family were founding pioneers, mances from January through April 1906 atand who had served in the Texas Legisla-the famed Lyric Theater on Broadway. ture during his time in Uvaldethe two had In support of the young Texas belle whooriginally met in Austin a few years earlier. was fast making her name in the New YorkFrom their wedding day at the famed St. high-artsworld,Mexicanaperformanc- Patricks Cathedral, also in 1906, the couple es were attended by all five members ofresided at their Sevier Villa on Long Island the Texas congressional delegation at theuntil 1914, when Claras father died. It was timeboth senators and all three membersthen that the Seviers returned to Texas.of the House of Representatives. THELAGUNAGLORIADAYS,BRING-AmongthemwasRep.JohnNanceGar- ING ART TO AUSTINIn 1915, Clara and ner from Uvalde, known in Texas as Cac- Hal purchased over 28 acres on the Colora-tus Jack for his outspoken support of thedo River, known as Lake Austin, five miles prickly pear cactus versus the bluebonnet,west of town. They endeavored to build an in the heated debate over the official choiceItalianvilla-inspiredmansionoffifteen of Texas state flower by the legislature.bedrooms like that at which they honey-A four-decade political friendship betweenmoonedonLakeComo.Themagnificent Driscoll and Garner started with his atten- property became a center of social activity dance at her Broadway musical, and lastedin Central Texas where the Seviers enter-through his stint as Speaker of the Housetainedcelebrities,royaltyandpoliticians andtwo-termsasVicePresidentunderfrom around the world. Among the groups President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Clarawho gathered with Clara at her fabulous es-supported Garners very unsuccessful chal- tate was the Daughters of the Republic of lenge against Roosevelt for the 1940 Dem- Texas, with which she held heroine status.66 THE COASTAL BEND GUIDE TheCoastalBend.com'