DORCHEAT HISTORICAL MUSEUM, INC.
WHAT
A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
Dear Supporters of the Dorcheat Historical Museum,
The holiday season is approaching and with that comes
a feeling of excitement! Here at the
museum we have so much to be excited about.
This year we came out of our Covid hibernation period and had our “TIE
ONE ON” apron exhibit, book and fundraiser gala. It was a wonderful evening filled with a
“standing room only” crowd of friends, patrons, new faces and cakes, raising
over $25K. Our bank account looks so much better than it
did a year ago; however, just like other businesses, we face the challenge of
increased operating costs, so we are asking for your continued support.
After many years of service to the
museum as Board President, Louise Baird Snook stepped down from her position and
Mike Harper stepped up to serve as President, along with several new board
members. It was my pleasure to
officially introduce Jessica Stewart Gorman as my successor as executive
director on June 22, 2023. Many were
already aware of all Jessica is doing for Webster Parish. We now have a Dorcheat Museum Channel on
YouTube, where you can watch all our previous speakers on your various devices.
Her passion for history has now expanded to a weekly column, “Historically
Speaking,” in the online Webster Parish Journal, sharing long-forgotten stories
of Webster Parish. We also collaborated
with Brookshire’s local grocery to display historic area pictures highlighting
Webster-Minden history. Check these pictures out along the top of the walls all
around the store.
With our new Board in place, we want
to address the financial strategy necessary to start on our annex next door. It will take a significant influx of
contributions to accomplish this, to include new exhibits, bathrooms, and
office space. Jessica and I both have the same vision for the stories that need
to be told. Each community in Webster
parish has so much to share and this will be our way to let each one of those communities
shine. It will also be our chance to
honor our History Keepers, those rare individuals that spend or spent a good
part of their lives making sure our history is not forgotten. The following are just a few that come to
mind: John Agan, Juanita Agan, Thad Andress, Mrs. Thomas Campbell, Richard
Carey, Frank Griffith, Christine Hunt, Ben Hunter, Dr. Luther Longino, R. O.
Machen, Charlotte Martin, Carter Norman, Dr. Roy Phillips, Beth White and
Marcus Wren. I would like to include
Jessica and myself in that group, also. Without
all of us, much of our history would be gone forever.
We now have our own website, www.dorcheatmuseum.com, where we can take credit cards for purchases, as well as
financial donations. The website is a
nice overview of what we are all about and our progress, including a sample of
our books and an easy-click button to take you to our YouTube channel. Check it out and let us know what you think.
Minden/Webster Parish is ever-changing, but with your
help we will keep some of the past preserved.
Our rich history seems to fade more quickly than ever these days. History is not there for us to change; it is there for
us to learn from. I hope that you will
continue to help us keep Webster Parish history alive for future generations.
Your financial support makes a
difference to the museum and is always appreciated; remember we are a 501 C3
nonprofit organization.
Schelley Brown Francis Jessica Stewart Gorman Mike
Harper
Director
Assistant Director
Museum Board President
116 Pearl Street P.O. Box 1094 Minden, LA 71058-1094 318-377-3002