Old Independence Regional Museum at Ninth and Vine streets in Batesville, is inviting the public to gather and share memories about its development over the years at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28
Founding board members and early major donors will be recognized during the anniversary event.
A special feature will be “Moments to Remember” in which people will be invited to respond to a series of projected photographs that showcase important, hilarious, sweet events in the museum’s history.
As these are shown, Bruce Johnston and Twyla Wright will invite those in attendance to tell their memories that relate to the photos.
Johnston and Wright will call out, “Who remembers that time? Tell us about it!”
Nelson Barnett will tell some of his own memories about the earliest planning meetings.
The museum’s beginning started in 1991 when a group of 17 people interested in preserving and showcasing the region’s history formed a planning group. They met every month for two years, brainstorming and learning from well-established museums.
By early 1993 some of the planners, and others, formed a board and incorporated as nonprofit museum. That early Board of Trustees started to write policies, plan a capital fund-raising campaign, select a site, and ask for financial investment.
After raising $400,000 in gifts and pledges in seven months, the former National Guard Armory was donated by Doyle and Raye Rogers and Preston and Charlotte Grace for use as the museum.
An architectural drawing was completed and Reed Construction Company renovated the front half of the building.
On the museum’s grand opening day on Sept. 12, 1998, Arkansas Lt. Gov. Winn Rockefeller cut the ribbon with Don Hedden’s Bowie knife and a crowd of 300 cheered.
Four years later the second half of the museum building was renovated by M & A Jones and completed with the help of a large HUD grant from the government.
Over the years the changing Board and staff have worked to make Old Independence one of the outstanding middle-sized museums in the state. It has won numerous awards.
Its changing exhibits were designated “Best in the State” in 2009, 2014 and 2016 by the Arkansas Museum Association. According to exhibit curator Twyla Wright, the museum is hoping for another of these awards for its new “Taking to the Sky” exhibit. This exhibit includes a computer flight simulator for visitors to try flying.
The museum chose to be an interpretive one, meaning that it uses its objects and photographs to show true stories of the 12-county region that was once part of Independence County. During the past 20 years the museum has presented 75 changing exhibits, an amazing number, and also hosted 18 traveling exhibits.
A major part of the museum’s mission is also to preserve items from the region’s history, some as small as a White River pearl and some as large as the early coin operated telephone booth once housed in the North Arkansas Clinic.
Presently, Old Independence has more than 41,000 collections computerized and professionally protected in three storage areas: The Carolyn Southerland Shell textile
room, a general preservation mezzanine, the Clark Holding Room, and an 8,000-square-foot environmentally controlled vault room for keeping documents and photographs.
Significant numbers of genealogists spend time in the museum’s Raye Rogers and Charlotte Grace Archival Research Library.
Besides its large number of collections, and its constantly changing exhibits, the museum has sponsored almost 400 programs and events during its 20 years of existence.
An average of 5,000 visitors have walked through the museum every year, many from other states and countries. Families and school children have enjoyed Spring Family Day, Family Fall Day, Family Christmas Time, and many school tours.
According to George Lankford and Twyla Wright, both designated as Lifetime Trustees, Old Independence Regional Museum continues to provide excellent services to this community, and to visitors from distant places.
“We are celebrating our 20 years of service to all who come in our door. And we feel like jumping with joy because of all those who gave and are still giving financial gifts to keep our doors open,” said Wright.
“Over the years we have had untold numbers of dedicated volunteers who greet visitors, guide them in the exhibits, and sell items in our gift shop. Others work cataloging our collections on the computer and preparing items to be preserved. Thank God for them!”
Along with celebrating the museum’s work over the past two decades in this October meeting, it will hold a short annual meeting for all members to vote on new board members and officers.
Glenda Martin and other Board members are providing light refreshments, including homemade cookies, so attendees can continue to mingle and enjoy reminiscing, organizers said.
Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Lacy, 34, spent most of her life in the hills of Lawrence County. Today, she lives in Cave City, the home of “World’s Sweetest Watermelons,” in what’s known as the Prince Matlock house. Its former owner helped create what’s known as the Cave Courts where the city’s cave lies above the Crystal River. He fashioned his home out of the same rocks and materials that are found among the cave’s property, and she feels blessed to now be its caretaker for many more years to come.