Wood County Historical Commission, Quitman, Texas

05/09/2026

05/09/2026

If you missed the opportunity to attend the grand opening today, Sat., May 9, 2026, of the Cartwright Community Center, you have really missed out!!! What a beautiful sight to behold!🥰 Just wow! Very impressive and just gorgeous!!!😍 And, the fantastic collection of Cartwright memorabilia was phenomenal!!! One of the rooms was filled with old photos, old schoolwork and schoolbooks, and various other artifacts of past times! (Some of my pics may have a glare due to this very bright, sunny day, so overlook that, please!)

The completion of this project demonstrates the positive things that can happen when a group of dedicated folks come together with a common goal!! Teamwork makes the dream work!!!! Just check out the pics and see for yourself!

Of the many folks who were instrumental in the planning and completion of this long-term project, I was able to meet Dan Mills, Doug and Kathy Whatley Richey, and Christina Thompson today. Well done, Cartwright supporters!! Well done!!!!! Thank you for saving this fabulous piece of Wood County history!!!❤️

05/07/2026

May 2026 is National Preservation Month, a nationwide celebration spotlighting the importance of protecting historic places, heritage tourism, and local history by emphasizing social and economic benefits of preserving sites, neighborhoods, and landmarks. Led by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and local groups, this year’s events emphasize the 250th anniversary of the U.S. and community revitalization. “People saving places.”

05/07/2026

04/29/2026

Mark your calendars….the Cartwright Community Center is having a GRAND OPENING on Sat., May 9, 2026, 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Everyone is invited!💌 Let’s join them and make this an event to remember!!🎉🥳 I remember going there years ago for the Messimer & Swann family reunion in June each summer!! I can’t wait to see it again!! See you there!!✅

04/18/2026

If you are interested, it’s not too late. The event will be open until 2:00 today, Sat., April 18, 2026!

04/18/2026

The Alba History Art Show was held today, Sat., April 18, 2026, in conjunction with the 15th anniversary of the Alba Library. Saundra Burge, local historian and appointee to the Wood County Historical Commission, was instrumental in the development of the Alba Library and the Alba Museum and continues to devote many hours to their operation. Saundra is a descendant of Alba pioneers and is dedicated to preserving Wood County and Alba history.

The event will be open until 2:00 this afternoon, so it’s not too late, if you are interested.

Photos courtesy of Shannon White, WCHC appointee.

03/30/2026

During a two-week span in the month of March, a crew repaired, reset, and relevelled about 50 historic gravestones at Lee and Winnsboro City cemeteries. Rusty Brenner, and crew, from Texas Cemetery Restoration, Crockett, Texas, performed the work. Rusty Brenner specializes in cemetery preservation and restoration work and is often selected by the Texas Historical Commission to lead cemetery preservation workshops in our state. Working on older gravestones in our historic cemeteries requires specialized products not typically found locally.

Several members of the Wood County Historical Commission have attended hands-on workshops and training on cemetery preservation. Let us know if we can assist your cemetery in the use of appropriate products and materials to clean cemetery gravestones or provide referrals for needed repairs. Ron Schell