Lou Snook presents Thad Andress a commemorative plaque for his years of service to the museum. |
Dorcheat Historical Museum has come a long way since opening
its doors in 2008. “The museum is
changing all the time” stated Schelley Francis.
This upcoming year the museum will continue to grow, work on expansion
projects and new exhibits. Longtime
president of the museum board; Mr. Thad Andress steps aside this year to
welcome the new 2015 president Mrs. Louise Baird Snook to the helm of the
organization. Andress brought with him
the knowledge of importance of preserving family history and the diligence of
seeing the job done.
During Andress’s time with the museum great strides have
been made. Foremost is that Webster
Parish now has a museum that they can be proud of. For many, many years a museum was only a hope
and a dream to just a handful of people.
Under Andress nine years at the forefront of Dorcheat Historical
Association, much money has been donated to get the Dorcheat Museum where it is
today. “Without all the successful
fundraising efforts plus all the time and effort that have been made by so many
that are working and have worked behind the scenes of this organization we
would not be open today!” commented Mrs. Francis.
The museum has special events, gives free tours to groups, and is a great source for finding out local history. That is something that for many is a dream come true. But the dream doesn’t stop here. Last year the adjacent building was purchased with the goal of expanding at some point in the near future.
The museum has special events, gives free tours to groups, and is a great source for finding out local history. That is something that for many is a dream come true. But the dream doesn’t stop here. Last year the adjacent building was purchased with the goal of expanding at some point in the near future.
Mrs. Snook…. like Andress has deep family roots in Minden,
with her Treat and Brown family connections. So many people that reside in Webster Parish
have very deep family roots. Having
family history that dates back for so many generations is a big plus to any
area and a great reason for the strong community involvement that Dorcheat
Museum has seen.
For many of these longtime Webster Parish families, that is
where the importance of having a good museum steps in. When those older family members are gone,
many are faced with what to do with items.
The museum is a great place to donate family items and preserve the past
for many future generations.