Marion Civic Center display for the month of January 2016
A display of historic photos and maps was installed in the lobby of the Marion Civic Center for the month of January by our society today. The display will be on exhibit for the full month and represents a cross section of Marion and county history.
We have been taking advantage of the museum being closed and warm weather to make some improvements at the museum. In addition to recently clearing out our old book store and moving it to the foyer with improved lighting, several other changes have been made.
A utility sink downstairs which was unusable due to having no drain now has been tied into the drain pipes making it functional. All of the remaining shelving that was left in the old book store has now been moved. Two sections were cut from 8 foot high units down to 4 foot high units creating 20 feet of four foot shelving in the attic storeroom. The 12 foot wide 8 foot high unit was dismantled and reassembled in the second floor storage room. This revealed the windows in the old book store for the first time in over 20 years or more.
White pegboard was added to two closet displays on the second floor and two dumbwaiter displays on the first and second floors making them more attractive and easier to rearrange without having to add nails or screws. The tops and bottoms in the dumbwaiter displays were also replaced with more substantial material.
Many of the displays which were accessible have now had hinges with locks and hasps put on them to secure them.
We are also in the process of moving displays around to create new and interesting things for visitors to see.
President, Sam Lattuca, inducts WHCS members, Mary Jean and Clarence DeMattei into the WCHS Honor Roll
A recently adopted award for the Williamson County Historical Society got its first inductees last week. The award called the WCHS Honor Roll is awarded in appreciation of dedicated service to the society. It serves as a reminder of the amount of hard work and dedication that some of our volunteers put into the society.
Husband and wife team, Mary Jean and Clarence DeMattei have both been dedicated workers at the museum for the last 13 years and are good examples of the Honor Roll’s reason for existence. Mary Jean served as museum curator and Clarence has served as a board member since 2003. Mary Jean often spent her time cleaning and taking care of displays while Clarence took care of the physical maintenance on the building.
The society can’t thank them enough for their selfless service over the years, but we can honor their service and selflessness.
