Hancock takes reins at Jasper County Historical Museum
By SHARON KERR Staff Writer

Newsboy photo/ Charles Kerr MARY JANE HANCOCK, retired Jasper County Treasurer, couldn't stay retired for long.The Jasper County Historical Museum board announced last Wednesday that Hancock will be director of the new museum and spearhead the final drive to the grand opening.Above, she chats with Jasper County Judge Mark Allen at the museum dedication March 15.

Mary Jane Hancock accepted the position of director of the newly dedicated Jasper County Historical Museum at the board meeting last week

."I've always loved history," Hancock said. "When we first moved to Jasper in 1976 I couldn't start my day without listening to Nida Marshall Holmes Once Upon a Time in Jasper on the radio."

When she went to work for county, "that interest carried over to the courthouse and I began taking school kids on tours and collecting bits of information about the county," she said.

Hancock served as unofficial tour guide for the Jasper County courthouse for years, first while she was at the district attorney's office and then as county treasurer. She retired last year.

The dedication and preview for the museum at Azalea Festival March 15 drew a large crowd to hear businessman Tom Harkin and Jasper County Judge Mark Allen speak on the importance of preserving the history of East Texas.

While attendees enjoyed the temporary displays on loan from Harkin and Louis Berry, people wondered where the "East Texas" was.

"It's coming," said Jasper County Historical Society president Jeanette Coffield.

Now that the ground floor reconstruction is complete and security in place, they can begin to gather some of the permanent exhibits that have been planned for years, featuring famous East Texans like Joe Tonahill and Arthur Temple.

Harkin said the museum project began about eight years ago when he bought the building, which was the home of the 29th Masonic lodge in the state.

"That's history right there," Harkin said, who said he really didn't have any intentions of building a museum. "I was going to put in an office and have a place to watch the boys play dominoes."

But once the museum idea sprouted, he has stumped all over the country to raise funds.

Locally, many businesses and individuals have pledged five-year support at various star levels ranging from $5,000 to $1,000 per year. Others have purchased commemorative engraved crystal bricks for $500 each.

"Now we're looking for efforts to promote friends of the museum at any donation level," said Coffield.

The board is also seeking grants to complete expansion plans that include a repository and a threestory elevator that will make the building handicap-accessible.

"We've had a lot of things against us," Harkin said, recalling delays in having to deal with asbestos abatement, and then having Hurricane Rita wipe out much progress, "but we're ready to go now."

Hancock's duties as director will be to help the fundraising efforts, handle the daily management tasks including recruiting and supervising volunteers, and preparing the museum for a grand opening, perhaps as early as July.