Adding a Little Southern Charm to Railroad Street

Author: Connie Clements, Navasota Examiner

"Thanks to people of vision and those with jackhammers, cement trucks and electric saws, Navasota’s historic Railroad Street is being reborn. One new occupant who was able to see past the construction rubble to bring another element of charm to Navasota’s quaint downtown is Tanya Ingram. Ingram’s Southern Charm Boutique and Salon at 119 S. Railroad opened in early 2021 and her vision is paying off.

Vision
It was in 2019 when Ingram closed her Montgomery salon to relocate to Navasota. The move would allow the Navasota resident more time with her children who are very involved in Navasota school activities, but finding a location was more difficult than anticipated.

Ingram said, “We actually started the process here in December 2019. It seemed like every door would shut. We couldn’t find buildings available that were what we wanted. Then Covid hit. It was kind of a blessing in disguise that we didn’t open the shop back then.”

While Ingram’s husband wasn’t opposed to the idea, he had some reservations which weren’t helped by the image of busted concrete, dirt streets and businesses cordoned off behind barricades and chain link fencing.

Ingram said, “Believe it or not, my husband didn’t see my vision. When he saw the road and the building, he was a little standoffish. I saw it in my heart, my soul, my mind and I knew.”

As Ingram stood there pondering the building’s potential, as if by divine intervention, a stranger started a conversation. Ingram said, “Ana from the Examiner walked by while I was looking at it. She told me all about the Railroad District and what was coming. That was the very moment I knew this was what we were doing and where we were going to be.”
​Read the full article on the Navasota Examiner.