Museum is valuable asset to city

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

I want to publicly thank my fellow Commission members of the Gravette Historical Museum for their commitment to the preservation of the history of our community.

I also want to share with the community the success of the Museum for the calendar year 2013. The Museum hosted fi ve special events this year which were all free to the public. They were hosting the entire second grade from Glenn Duffy Elementary, our “My Collection” special exhibit, hosting a group of 85 Questers (a national group dedicated to thepreservation of history) who came from as far away as Pennsylvania, the Dutch Oven Cookoff and, most recently, the “My Grandma’s Quilt Show” which exhibited over 100 new and antique quilts from the community.

The Museum has welcomed over 600 guests free of charge and at minimal cost to the city. The Museum has an annual operating budget of less than $20,000, yet it continues to deliver quality family-friendly opportunities for guests to learn about the history of the community.

Today the Museum has grown to an estimated value to the cityof over a quarter of a million dollars at a minimal cost to taxpayers. The Museum has become a success through the generosity of the many private donors and through thousands of volunteer hours.

The Commission continues to explore ways to create family-friendly and free events such as those mentioned above. I encourage all the citizens of Gravette and the surrounding communities to use this facility to explore the historical roots of one of the best kept secrets in Northwest Arkansas.

Visit your Museum!

News, Pages 4 on 10/16/2013