By Jessica Gorman
As you may have noticed, there was no Historically Speaking the past two weeks. To be perfectly honest, there’s no other reason than the simple fact that there’s been a lot going on and I just didn’t manage to get it done. So, what was keeping me so busy? Well, two big things are a new book that will be available very soon and preparations for our upcoming fundraiser gala. In addition to that, there are meetings to attend, meetings to plan, and meetings to host. We have an expansion project that needs to be tackled and I’m exploring opportunities to make that happen. I’m looking ahead approximately two years, at potential projects and programming and how we can better serve our community. There’s research and digitization and additions to our Flickr page that need to be done. The list goes on.
In the midst of everything, I realized that I have been Executive Director of the museum for a full year. I’ve made it a whole year and the doors are still open. That may seem silly, but keeping the museum funded is the most important part of my job. It’s also the most intimidating. While we operate on a fairly small budget, the reality is that we have no guaranteed source of income. All I can do is set goals, work toward meeting them, and have faith that we will. So far this year, several of those goals have been met and I’m working to ensure the others are, too, but there are never any guarantees.
Reflecting on the past year, I’d like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to anyone and everyone who has supported me in the past year. Thank you to Bonnie for publishing this column. Thank you to each and every one of you who reads it. If you have shared an encouraging word, thank you. If you have visited the museum and dropped a few dollars in the donation box on your way out, thank you. If you have attended an event, bought a book, donated items, helped out in anyway, thank you. To those of you who provide financial support, you make the operation of this museum possible. Without you, nothing I do matters. Your generosity and support do not go unnoticed or unappreciated. Personally, I cannot thank you enough.
So, looking forward, we have our annual fundraiser gala coming up at the museum. It is our most important event of the year. This year’s gala will be held Monday, September 9 at 6 p.m. The money raised goes directly into funding the museum for the coming year and makes up a significant portion of our budget. We hope to see you there. If you are unable to attend, but would still like to support the museum, donations can also be made via our website.
As I mentioned, we have a new book that will soon be available. Minden, Louisiana: Then & Now pairs old photographs of Minden with the current, corresponding view. Keep an eye out for more information coming soon.
We have one more “Night at the Museum” event scheduled for this year. If you’ve heard the stories of notorious local outlaws Link Waggonner and Tom Kinder, you’ll want to plan to be at the museum on October 21st to hear Claiborne Parish Library Historian Wesley Harris tell about his newest book Wild Boys: Outlaws Link Waggoner and Tom Kinder and the Policy of Violence in 1890s Louisiana.
Webster Parish is extremely fortunate to have had people who dedicated their time and money to create such a spectacular museum, to create a place to preserve our collective history. I hope you will join me in taking care of it, keeping it funded, and moving it forward.
(Jessica Gorman is Executive Director of the Dorcheat Historical Association Museum, Webster Parish Historian, and an avid genealogist.)