TCHC installs genealogy research room in Trinity County Museum
Groveton News - June 2007

The Trinity County Museum, located on Highway 287 in Groveton, opened in the year 2000 after many years of planning and fund raising by the Trinity County Historical Commission (TCHC).  It is operated by volunteers from the TCHC and hosts a wonderful collection of mill, railroad, and historical photos from areas all over the county and is enhanced by the historical object and artifact collection depicting what it used to be like way back when the pines grew to huge proportions and communities and families forged a new life out of the thick pineywoods.   Since 2000 the Museum has expanded with the improve-ments of the property’s rear building, which is now known as the Kate Bell Building.  The building was dedicated to Kate Bell for her years of outstanding efforts and dedication in raising funds for the Museum. 

With an interest in promoting Heritage Tourism for the area and increased numbers of genealogy research requests from the Trinity County TXGenWeb website and other means, the TCHC’s Museum Committee decided to expand the Museum to include a Genealogical and Historical Research Center as an attraction to the Museum.  Genealogy is one of the most popular hobbies in the nation today.  Years ago the TCHC took on coordination of the Trinity County, TXGenWeb website, offered through the popular Ancestry. com and Rootsweb.com as part of the US-TxGenWeb program. Visit the website at http: //www.rootsweb.com/~txtrinit/.  Volunteers of the TCHC began transcribing old records and building the website with records and information.  Since 1999, the website has had over 45,000 visitors looking for their Trinity County ancestors and has proven to be a huge success.  With coordinated efforts from the County Commissioners Court and County Clerk, Diane McCrory the TCHC holds in storage many of the original historical records dating back to the late 1800’s.  Through TCHC volunteer efforts these records are now inventoried and remain under the care of the Museum.  Though these records have been microfilmed and reproduced and are available through the County Clerks office, the TCHC in it’s preservation efforts will endeavor to preserve the originals as a collection, preserving our county’s history in it’s original form. These original records are not available to the public but volunteers are transcribing some of the records that may have genealogical interest and will be included in the Center for research.  The research Center, located in the Kate Bell Building, holds family histories, photos, oral histories, obituaries, funeral home records, and other historical information not found anywhere else. Because we have so many requests for family records and information our volunteers do not perform genealogy research services, however we do try to help the researcher as much as possible with where to find records and information about Trinity County.  The center offers the visiting researcher a workspace, copier and the available reference materials to enhance their quest for information about their ancestors and Trinity County history. In the near future the center will have a computer with internet capabilities for online searches and information. Visitors have come from as far away as New York and other various locations to research their families and the Center and Museum are gaining in popularity.  Through the years the TCHC and its predecessor, The Pineywoods Heritage League, has preserved a multitude of written historical files and information about Trinity County and its history.  These files have outstanding historical value and hold many various and interesting facts about Trinity County and its early citizens and culture.  Trinity County’s popular author and historian, Patricia Hensley Rawlins who, with her late husband, Joseph Hensley, wrote the Trinity County Beginnings book, had donated many of their research files to the organization.  They had spent years in accumulating and documenting facts about the county’s history and the TCHC with gratitude has dedicated the Genealogical and Historical Research Center to Patricia Hensley Rawlins and Joseph Hensley as a tribute to their accomplishments.  Mrs. Rawlins now resides in San Antonio and recently donated the copyrights of the Trinity County Beginnings book to the TCHC so that it may be published again.  It is in publication and should be available in August of this year.  The new book will be on sale at the Museum along with the two other books published by the TCHC; Trinity County Cemeteries 2006 Edition, and Trinity County A Legend of Its Own.

    While the collection of objects and artifacts remain a popular Museum interest and attraction, future plans are being made to improve the collection with more educational and visual enhancements.  As with any volunteer organization it takes time and effort for these goals to be accomplished and the TCHC invites anyone interested in history or genealogy to take a look at what the TCHC as an organization does.  The TCHC meets the first Monday of each month for a luncheon meeting at either the Groveton or Trinity Senior Centers.  Though we appreciate public donations of any items, photos and objects that have Trinity County historical value to the Museum, we ask that you first call Museum Curator, Susanne Waller prior to dropping off at the Museum.  Due to planning and limited space we are no longer accepting these types of donations at the Museum without prior approval.  If you have any questions about the TCHC or the Museum contact TCHC Chair and Museum Curator, Susanne Waller, at 936-642-0242 (please leave message).  The Museum is open most Thursday’s and Friday’s from 10-3 or by appointment.