[simple_slideshow]
The “City with a Soul” will soon unveil a gem rich with the history of Locust. For the past six months, the Locust Historical Society has been hard at work beautifying their new home for housing and displaying historical artifacts from the Locust area.
“We hope this will be an enduring contribution to the community that will continue when we are long gone and our children’s grandchildren are here,” said Bill Tucker, chairperson.
Created in November of 2006, the LHS has slowly begun its ultimate dream–a museum to stand as a tribute to the people of Locust and the expansive history of the city. The museum is located in a building owned by the city next to the Officer Jeff Shelton Memorial Park.
Not only is the museum a tribute to the city in its artifacts but also in the people who brought it to fruition. Labor and supplies in the museum were donated from local businesses that share a passion for history and serving the city. Hundreds of hours of volunteer work and dedication are finally paying off.
“A lot of people look at it and think we still have a lot more to go, but we are in the final stretch of completion, and we are really excited,” said Gary Tucker, vice chairperson.
The society has been working on the building for more than six months and hopes to have the museum open to the public within the next few weeks. The museum will have limited hours at first as it depends on volunteers for staffing.
A conference room will open the door for new possibilities as a place of learning for the historical society and citizens. The museum hopes to work in conjunction with local schools and groups to increase a life-long love of history.
A state of the art security system keeps the items in the museum safe. Videos cameras, alarms, motion sensor lights, and glass breaking monitoring systems provide contributors an added sense of security for the items they have donated.
The LHS needs members, donations, participation, and support from the community.
Fundraising is crucial to keeping the museum on its feet. Beginning in June, the museum will host a flea market with vendors at the Locust Community Center one Saturday a month. Vendors will be charged a fee to rent a space. Donations from the flea market will benefit the final remodeling on the museum.
“This is the community’s museum. It can only be as good as what the community puts into it. We would really like to see the community have more participation,” said Bill Tucker.
To donate to the museum, find out information about membership, or see the list of local companies who donated to the museum, go to locustmuseum.com