Highlights

Ellis County Museum

2010-2011 Highlights

Gift Shop – New gift shop items added to the inventory including "The Texas Courthouse Revisited" by June Rayfield Welch and "Railroading in Ellis County" by Laurie Wilson.

The "Waxahachie Architecture Guidebook" project continues with extensive research and photography completed by Ellen Beasley and Margaret Culbertson; technical and computer support by Shannon Simpson; financial support from Burke Evans.

Traveling display on early transportation with a special section on the Waxahachie interurban came to the museum after the 2010 Chautauqua Assembly and stayed through January--Robert Haynes, Shannon Simpson, George and Ginger Cole.

Maintenance – Gas line to upstairs disconnected. Dedicated board members have continued the upstairs cleanup. Patrick Sparks of Sparks Engineering was hired for a formal structural analysis of the museum. This analysis concluded the rear wall was separating from the building and that a new roof was needed. Engineering plans were drawn to fix the problem. ATC Contractors of Georgetown were hired to follow and carry out Sparks' engineering plan. Work was completed by the end of March at a cost of $55,000. Roof bids have been received from ATC Roofing ($54,000), MBM Roofing ($36,000), and J. Reynolds Roofing ($47,000). It has also been recommended that the museum continue re-pointing brick on the interior upper floor as money permits so the same situation does not develop on the front wall.

Book signing event at the museum during the Chautauqua Assembly. Laurie Wilson was available to sign her new book "Railroading in Ellis County," published by Arcadia.

Two paranormal groups visited ECM on separate occasions. High tech audio, visual, and atmospheric equipment was used to monitor our invisible inhabitants. Audible and visual anomalies were recorded in both instances. The findings have been submitted to the museum.

The Brown Bag lunch series continued with speakers Larry Felty (Folk Art Constructions), Chad Hicks (The Wyatt Real Estate Office), Nancy Cannaday (Bonnie & Clyde), Mark Singleton (Citizens National Bank), Billy Hancock (The Evolution of Richards Park), and Anita Williamson (Waxahachie Main Street Program: A Brief History).

Through the generosity of the Waxahachie Foundation, the museum contracted with Eugene Vasconi, Communication Arts Multimedia, to add interactive audio capabilities to its "Paul Richards" and "Home Front" exhibits. These additions were completed in August and December. Special thanks to Sylvia Smith and Ken Roberts of KBEC radio, David Hudgins and Ken Roberts (editing), and "home front" participants Charleene Pitts, Bob and Gretchen Lewis, Joe Jenkins, Sylvia Smith, Billy Hancock, and Max Simpson.

Local history tidbit concerning the Ferris/Getzendaner building (first home of CNB). Conjecture has been the Wyatt Real Estate office was also the first home of CNB. There is now irrefutable evidence that these were two separate structures. Through Sanborn Fire Insurance maps, photographs, and a CNB advertisement found by Billy Hancock in a 1917 Waxahachie Enterprise newspaper, the Wyatt and Ferris/Getzendaner buildings never intermingled functions.

The Masonic Temple: A Lasting Presence, an exhibit by Ellen Beasley and Shannon Simpson, takes a detailed look at the history of the Masonic Temple building on the corner of College and Franklin Streets. Built in five months in 1889, this regal structure has anchored the southeast corner of the Courthouse Square for over 120 years and is the site of the Ellis County Museum. Exhibit opened in February.

University of Houston architecture students and professor Rafael Longoria descended upon the museum January 28 & 29 to measure, photograph, and interview museum staff and board members for architectural and museology possibilities for the museum structure. Thanks are due to Ellen Beasley for organization and logistics, Burke Evans for a "fine dinner event," Glinda & Larry Felty for a "fine dinner event" and to student hosts David & Pat Smith, David & Suzanne Walker, Beth Young, Kirk Hunter and Maureen Moore. In spite of the "fine dinner events," a lot of work was accomplished.

A new set of window display panels created. These are sample entries of the "Waxahachie Architecture Guidebook" from research and text by Ellen Beasley and Margaret Culbertson. The panels change periodically and inform the public about the guidebook and the type of information it will contain.

Exhibit, WW II in the Pacific, China, Burma, and India installed. Many service branches represented along with weaponry, personal items, medals, photographs, paraphernalia, etc.

Book signing by R.V. Burgin, U.S. WW II Marine veteran of the Pacific. Burgin wrote Islands of the Damned and was portrayed in the HBO miniseries, "The Pacific."

Assisted Laurie Wilson with "Railroading in Ellis County" book by Arcadia Publishing. The museum provided historical photographs, research materials and research assistance.

Assisted Billy Ray Hancock with multiple research projects on historic downtown Waxahachie.

"Past Perfect" collections management software purchased for the museum's object maintenance practices. Software upgrade underwritten by Billy Ray Hancock through generous memorial contributions.

Civil War display installed to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the start of this conflict. Generous artifact loans by David Hudgins, John Hamilton and Sylvia Smith augment the sparse Civil War items in the museum's collection.

Christmas Tree display set up for Victorian Christmas on the Square. Display featured a number of different tree styles and a special side window display by Suzanne Walker and Glinda Felty.

43rd Annual Gingerbread Trail Event. The Trail is ECM’s annual fundraising event to provide operating income. It consisting of a historic home tour and arts & crafts festival.