Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Downtown McKinney Landmark to Close!
We will most definitely miss the pharmacy -- especially the Santa in the window at Christmas.
Monday, September 22, 2008
NTHC Lecture Series: Texas in Word and Food
September 30, 2008
Native Texan, R. Clay Reynolds, a professor of arts and humanities at the University of Texas at Dallas, is the author of twelve books and numerous articles ranging from critical studies to short fiction and poems. His novels Franklin's Crossing (1992) and Monuments (2000) both won the Violet Crown Award from the Writers' League of Texas, and he has published in Texas Monthly, the New York Times, Writers' Forum, and the High Plains Literary Review, among others. He has received grants from the Texas Commission for the Arts and is a National Endowment for the Arts Fellow.
Dr. Reynolds will speak on Texas in literature.
December 2, 2008
Rebecca Sharpless is an assistant professor of history at Texas Christian University. She is the former director of the Institute for Oral History at Baylor University and a former president of the Oral History Association. She is the author of Fertile Ground, Narrow Choices: Women on Texas Cotton Farms, 1900-1940 (1999) winner of the Texas State Historical Association's Tullis Prize for best book in Texas history and Liz Carpenter Award for the best book on Texas women. She is the co-editor of Work, Family, and Faith: Rural Southern Women in the Twentieth Century (2006) and is writing a study tentatively titled, "Cookin in Other Women's Kitchens: African Americans in the South, 1865-1960."
Dr. Sharpless will speak on Southern Women and Food.
Tickets for each lecture may be purchased through the McKinney Performing Arts Center's Website. Tickets are $6 for members, seniors, and students aned $8.50 for non-members.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Calling all storytellers!
If you've lived in McKinney for quite some time we need you! The North Texas History Center and Chestnut Square Historic Village are working hard on our October Event, The Legends of McKinney Ghost Walk, and we need your help! We are currently working on compiling spooky stories of McKinney's past and being new to the area, Sarah and I are at a loss! If you've lived in McKinney for as long as you can remember, please feel free to email me at kate@northtexashistorycenter.org I would absolutely love to hear your story and maybe schedule a time to sit down and record it.
Thanks!!
Monday, September 8, 2008
History Comes to Life -- Tickets Still Available!!
Tickets are still available for History Comes to Life, a one-man performance featuring Collin McKinney on September 13, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. at the McKinney Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $25 and include the performance and an invitation to a dessert reception (catered by Rick's Chophouse) where there will be a silent auction, live auction and a raffle drawing.Tickets may be purchased through the McKinney Performing Arts Center. Please call 214.544.4630 or visit their website.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Farm Museum Re-Opening!

The Collin County Farm Museum, operated by the North Texas History Center, will re-open this weekend! The Farm Museum had previously been closed during the summer months, but now that the weather finally seems to have cooled down a bit, the Farm Museum is open for business. Stop by and see historic tractors, a mid-century cookshack and much, much more!
The Farm Museum is open Saturdays from 12:00-4:00 and is located at 7117 County Road 166 McKinney, Texas 75071. For more information, please visit the county's website.
If you would like to schedule a tour with your class or scout troop, please email Sarah Hatcher at sarah@northtexashistorycenter.org
Monday, July 21, 2008
NTHC Completes First Summer Mini-Cotillion
These questions and more were answered during NTHC's mini-cotillion summer camp, July 14-18 2008. During this week-long summer program, students learned table manners, proper etiquette as it related to their lives (most notably the newly emerging field of "netiquette" and cell phone etiquette) as well as some basic dance steps. At the end of the week our summer camp participants knew when to use a cell phone, how to fold their napkin, and how to dance the foxtrot and waltz.
Below are some photographs taken from the various days of summer camp. For far more professional photographs of Friday's graduation ceremony, please visit our intern, Ryan Leach's website (and check out his other phenomenal photographs as well!)
Photographs were taken at NTHC, Alice's Tea Shoppe and Rick's Chophouse at the Grand Hotel and Ballroom.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Happy Independence Day!
We are excited to announce that we've had over 1100 visitors so far this year. We are on pace to exceed previous years' attendance by leaps and bounds. Won't you stop by and help us set a new attendance record? Our weekly hours are Monday through Saturday from 11 to 4.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Good Morning Texas!
Kathleen and her students at At of Dance deserve special thanks for battling their way to Dallas early in the morning to be on the show. They looked and behaved beautifully--I'm so proud of all of them.
The segment is posted at wfaa.com. If you would like to know more about our Cotillion send myself or Kate an email or give us a call at 972.542.9457. To learn more about the Art of Dance go to their website.
Thanks again to everyone involved with this morning, it was fun!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
NTHC to Collaborate with Old Red Museum

Opening day, June 21, will be filled with activities for the whole family as history comes alive to bring the Civil War era to downtown
The Civil War profoundly affected the history of the
Highlights from the exhibit are 1) letters and personal correspondence between John Taylor Coit and his wife Catherine, 2) a Confederate uniform jacket with bullet holes and blood stains, 3) personal effects of soldiers such as dice and playing cards, 4) a Confederate fiddle, 5) children’s dresses and clothing, 6) women’s fashion accessories, 7) weapons such as handguns, cannon shot and more.
The Old Red Museum of Dallas County History & Culture is located in the West End of downtown
Thursday, May 29, 2008
School's Out For Summer!
We're looking forward to our summer vacation as well, and we've got a lot of great projects lined up here to work on in the next three months. Check back to see what we're up to...
Friday, May 23, 2008
Better Know Your NTHC Staff & Volunteers! Part the Second: Erma Beeson
1. What is your job title? What do you do with yourself all day?
“PR and Marketing Assistant.” I sit at the front desk and greet people, work on press releases and have at least once worked with the kids who come in for a school tour.
I was the Tourism and Sales Manager for the McKinney Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The work we did during the McKinney Sesquecentenial.
4. What was your favorite food as a kid?
Dairy Queen ice cream cones
Crunchy – you’ve got to be able to feel it as you eat it!
Gymnastics
Physical strength
I mainly do needlework and quilting
Katharine because she was so versatile in all of the roles she played.
I’d live in the produce isle.
Maya Angelou
No, not usually, but it depends on how much yogurt is on the lid – I wouldn’t want to waste it!
In The Wee Small Hours – Frank Sinatra
To go back to
I was sitting in my living room praying that my daughter had not taken the subway that morning – her stop was at the
Dancing with the Stars.
John F. Kennedy because of his engaging of the American citizenry – and I had the pleasure of meeting him when I was in college and working for the newspaper. He came in 1959 and I got to go to his reception at the governor’s mansion, which was really neat.
No, I don’t think so!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
NTHC Education Department Receives Award!
The
Sarah Hatcher, Curator of Education, and Kate O’Donnell, Assistant Curator of Education, were presented with their award at the second annual awards ceremony in Farmersville on Saturday the 17th. “We were honored that Mr. Geirsch nominated us for this award and were thrilled to be recognized for our efforts by others in the field,” said Hatcher.
The
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Flamingos Invade McKinney!
Billed as "South Park meets Desperate Housewives" by The New York Sun, The Great American Trailer Park Musical is a rip-roaring blast of southern hilarity you shouldn't miss! Check out MPAC's website for information and ticket prices.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Friday Artifact Spotlight: Civil War Jacket
This well worn Union Army jacket (c. 1861) shows the scars of war. Patches on the forearm were the solution to the burn marks from firing a black powder handgun. Bullet holes and blood along the waist are the sad results of battle.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Clean Up Saturday
On Saturday, April 5th, NTHC staff worked tirelessly to clean up the exterior of the museum, trimming hedges, raking leaves, picking up trash and planting flowers. We would like to thank the following businesses, all of whom gave generously -- without them, Clean Up Saturday would not have happened!
- Crump's Garden & Greenhouse
- Walmart of McKinney Ranch Parkway
- Bruce Miller Nursery
- Shades of Green
- Wal-Mart Store #5311