By Fred Afflerbach – Telegram Staff Writer

The Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Temple, also known as the Blackland Center, will hold its centennial celebration Monday, organizers said.

The daylong event was originally scheduled last for October, but was postponed. The public is invited to an open house from 10 a.m. to noon to visit with scientists and specialists about ongoing research and programs, said Dr. Tom Gerik, the center’s director.

“The Blackland center has a long and distinguished history serving the residents of our region,” Gerik said. “We’re proud to be able to celebrate the center’s civic contributions and scientific accomplishments amassed over more than 100 years.”

Created in 1909, the center is one of 13 AgriLife Research and Extension facilities around the state that are part of the Texas A&M System.

The 3.5-ton Defiance truck was used to harvest corn in the Blackland Research Center’s fields during the 1920s. The center will host centennial celebrations on Monday with an open house. The public is invited to visit the facilities and see all that Blackland has to offer. . –Courtesy of Blackland Research Center