TEN
YEARS OF SHARING OUR RICH HISTORY
The annual fundraiser
Gala is fast approaching its September 10th, 2018 date. This evening consist of a silent auction with
heavy hors devours. Cost is $25 prepay
and $30 at the door the day of event. “It
is a great way to highlight your business by helping the museum with a silent
auction item. These items can consist of
gift baskets, gift certificates, art work, handmade items, services such as
lawn work, haircuts, facials, tire rotations, cakes, cookies, you name it we
have had it at the our fundraisers,” states museum director Schelley
Francis.
This year the Dorcheat
Historical Museum is celebrating its Tenth Anniversary of sharing Webster
Parish history at 116 Pearl Street. In
2007 work began to push forward with a museum that could stand the test of
time. Schelley Brown Francis was hired
to raise awareness of why Webster Parish needed a museum. Up to this point of the 30 plus years of
existence, the Dorcheat Historical Association had never had a full time
employee. Volunteer efforts had tried
for many years to establish a museum.
The use of buildings around Minden had been donated to house artifacts
over the years with various reasons of not working out. A building was finally acquired on Pearl Street. During the years before 2007 this location
was used for various things that housed a bit of museum related items. Then it became a vacant building in need of
much repair and work.
Museum director Schelley
Francis stated, “The agreement when I was hired was that I had one year to
raise awareness and funds to get a museum off the ground. I worked from home on a computer I had won at
the St. Jude auction. I had some success
with the Minden Cemetery Ghost Walks that John Agan and I had worked on together. I lived in the Minden Historic Residential
District and served as president for a good many years. It all tied together for me, the museum, the
homes, and the cemetery….. it is all about our rich and fascinating history. John Agan and I have worked closely on so
many projects. I felt with his mind for
history and my promotion and sales experience we would be able to share and
work on lots of historic related projects to get a museum going in full swing.”
The first programs for
the museum that really showed off our area were the “Nights for the Museum”
speaker series. Before the museum opened
these were held downtown in another building on Main Street. Later when the back room of the museum was
completed the name changed and the “Nights at the Museum” began. Since its inception in 2008 the museum has
had 62 speaker programs. All of these
have been recorded onto DVD by volunteer Phil Demaline. “So much history has been captured on these
DVDs that we can offer a glimpse into the past for many years to come.” stated
Francis.
Today the museum is
enjoyed by visitors far and wide. From
classroom fieldtrips, travel bus tours, red hat ladies, churches, scouting, and
retirement center groups we have had thousands of visitors in the last 10
years. What people see today including
the building that we were able to purchase next door is roughly $500,000 spent.
That includes the purchase of the buildings, the renovation, the inside
construction and exhibit work as well as the new roofs and heat and air
units. Schelley commented, “We pay as we
go! We will never jeopardize what has been built by over spending on future
project. Thad Andress and Marcus Wren
were driving forces behind the museum succeeding. They were determined to leave a legacy of not
only their family history but everyone else’s too. We have had a great working board all along
the way since 2007.”
Today board members
included the following people; Louise Snook as President, Marcel Vandenoord as
Vice-President, Janet LaBruyere as Treasurer, Ann Harlan as recording
secretary, John Agan Webster Parish Historian, Eddie Hammontree Museum
archivist, Charlotte Martin, Richard Campbell, Cora Lou Robinson Dr. Roy G.
Phillips, Becky Marvin, Janice Mourad, Kay Elzen, Ben Baldwin, Dianne McGuire, Jo
McCullough, Charlotte Jones, Mary Ann Hamilton, Lucy Adkins, Rachel
Miller.
Museum hours are Tuesday
– Friday 10:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. closed from 1-2 for lunch then open from 2:00
P.M. – 4 P.M. also opened on Saturday for group tours that are arranged by
appointment at least one week prior. For
more information or if you would like to donate something please contact
Schelley Francis at 318-423-0192.
